Having Type 1 Diabetes is not the same as having a friend with diabetes. What to say? How to say it? It can be hard and confusing. Luckily, Joe Morris, who offers people relationship advice on Best Online Dating Sites has written a couple of tips to help those people who have friends with diabetes.

Thanks Joe!

How to Support a Friend with Diabetes
If you have a friend with diabetes, naturally you want to be there and help with any struggles that they are going through. However, helping isn’t always easy. To really be supportive and show your friend that you want what’s best for them, be sure to follow the tips below:
Learn about diabetes. To better understand what your friend is going through, it is important for you to understand what exactly the disease is. Throw any myths you’ve heard out the window and get the facts. Head to the web to research credible sites and don’t be afraid to talk to your friend, doctors, or family members you know who have diabetes. Everyone’s diabetes is different and those who have the condition also manage their medication, diet, activity and blood sugar monitoring differently. Finding out the specifics of your friend’s condition will make it easier for you to truly support them.
Don’t label your friend. One of the most important aspects of helping a friend with diabetes is recognizing that diabetes doesn’t define your friend and it doesn’t make them a person who isn’t “normal.” Your friend’s condition is not the center of their lives, so do not make it the center of your friendship. Of course, it is a serious disease, but the millions of people inflicted with it are still able to enjoy full, active and happy existences. If your friend has a difficult time accepting the disease, just try your best to be understanding and a shoulder on which to lean.
Encourage healthy practices. So that your friend can have an easier time managing their blood sugar, help by encouraging healthy habits that involve activity and the limitation of foods and drinks that are chalk-full of extra sugar. To not come across as a nag (and to improve your health as well!), try making healthy choices together. Leading healthy lifestyles doesn’t have to be boring—have some fun by cooking meals with one another, going for walks/runs, joining fitness classes, and by just encouraging each other to be healthier in general.
Know how to react. To be able to help your friend, it is crucial to learn how to respond should your friend’s blood sugar level fall. Talk with your friend so that you can come up with a plan if a problem happens to arise. If you notice that your friend seems very dazed, weak and tired, there could be a problem. Explain to your friend the signs you’ve noticed and ask if they might need to do a blood sugar check or eat something to raise their blood sugar levels. Remember to stay calm, and notify someone if the problem is serious. Your friend will appreciate the fact that you are able to help in a scary situation.

Joe Morris is a guest post author who shares with us his ideas for supporting a friend with diabetes. Joe also spends his time working for Best Online Dating Sites where he offers his advice for successful relationships.

Happy Holidays everyone! A lot has happened and I have been meaning to fill you all in.

The holidays started with my friends having our 10th annual Gingerbread House Party. These are the same friends I've had since high school and everywhere we still continue this festive tradition. Since I have Jewish, this is really my only "Christmas" tradition and I enjoy it so much :)

My boyfriend and I built, "Santa's Outhouse" that had actually started out as a London telephone booth lol. The picture is at the top. Let me know your thoughts! Every year we try to do something creative and I love what everyone comes up with.

Gingerbread party does bring lots of obstacles for a diabetic though. Did I mention tons and tons of candy? Beyond any candy lover's dreams. I had a hard time resisting and unfortunately ended up with a pretty high number. :( Next year I NEED to have tons of more number friendly food choices. Do you all have any that work for the holiday time?

This year we added a new element to the party and I LOVED it! A white elephant gift exchange. I ended up with a FANTASTIC gift of a pink dog snuggy!


My little puppy looks so cute in it! lol

What are some fun holiday traditions you all had this year? Any new ones?

~~~~~~

One of my favorite gifts this year was from my boyfriend. I have been wanting a supplies bag from Stick Me Designs.

I had always loved their bags, in particular the owl one since I love owls. Here is the outside:



And here it is with my supplies inside:


I would say the only draw back is I wish the elastic was a little tighter. My supplies tend to fall out of the little places meant for them. Other then that, I love that I can find my bag much easier than when it was just black and I love that I have so much space to have all of my supplies in one place.

What were you favorite holiday gifts this year? Any of them diabetes related?

Happy 2012!!!

Happy Monday!

It's raining here in California, which is very rare for us! Everyone comes out and forgets how to drive here in LA...sooo I have a treat for my readers today!

I have a guest author here, Jackie Clark discussing the relationship between Type 2 Diabetes and cancer. This is something we all should be aware of! Thanks Jacki for reaching out!

You can read more from here at:
http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/jackie/bio.htm
http://jackieclarkdailyarc.blogspot.com/

Demystified: The Surprising Connection Between Cancer And Diabetes
By: Jackie Clark

Cancer and diabetes are both life-altering health challenges, but rarely are they thought of as connected. However, doctors have observed a link between the two since the 1950's. Many noticed that among patients diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, or adult onset diabetes, the probability of getting cancer was greater. At the time, the reasons for this correlation were unknown, but studies have since clarified the issue. The answers that researchers have found offer hope for both the prevention and treatment of both diseases.

Typically, when asked about the diabetes and cancer connection, people wonder whether it's a chicken and egg sort of conundrum. In other words, does cancer cause diabetes, or the other way around? The answer is that either disease might trigger conditions that make the other more likely. For instance, risk factors for type-2 diabetes, like obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, also increase the risk of many types of cancers. In fact, a direct link has been established between diabetics and their increased likelihood of being diagnosed with colon, endometrial, breast, liver, lymphatic, blood, and kidney cancers. Viewed scientifically, we see a shared pattern of pathology. Both cancer and diabetes are triggered by imbalances in insulin and hormones. In obese patients, for example, the shared risk may stem from insulin resistance which causes elevated blood sugar levels, as well as the of carrying excessive fatty tissue. Excess fat acts like an additional endocrine organ; over-producing estrogen-like factors that set into motion a cascade of compensatory actions that further upset the delicate balance of hormones. Thus, as estrogen is overproduced, we see breast cancer; when testosterone is knocked out of balance, we see prostate cancer, and so forth. Still some scientists wonder whether the presence of chronic inflammation, a preceding factor for cancer, might also affect the mechanisms that trigger adult onset diabetes.

No matter whether cancer causes diabetes, or the other way around, the solution is clear. As with most of our modern health maladies, a more active lifestyle and nutritious diet are the remedies of choice. No matter what stage of disease progression a person may be experiencing; improvements in these important areas will yield the best results by either preventing disease or lessening its impact. For example, those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma might be tempted, due to discouraging mesothelioma life expectancy averages, to skip lifestyle changes. Yet, no matter what their prognosis, leading a more active life and eating to heal will vastly improve their quality of life. Indeed, this is the goal of all healthcare treatment: to return a patient to vitality and wholeness. Adopting new habits that do just that can make every patient feel better today, while helping many to live for a few more tomorrows.

As I wrote about on my twitter account...


I had my endo appointment this morning...I don't even know where to start.

Lately, I have written about feeling overwhelmed and today did not help. It was just a crying fest today. Anytime I actually try to talk about why things aren't going well with my care, I just start to cry. He took my A1C but we didn't even discuss it, since we were just trying to sort through all of the emotional stuff. He said I need to reboot and his words were literally, "snap out of it" and come back in 6 weeks. I don't know if, "Snap out of it" was the best advice I'd ever gotten from an endo before...




This is such a battle and I hate it. It seems on here everyone just has great A1C's and it comes so easy to them.

I need a break. A restart button. Just like when my phone freezes all you have to do is turn it off and on and it behaves just like it's brand new...

Now to find my restart button...

I know I haven't written in a while. I was feeling overwhelmed, as many of us do this time of year, and for some reason emotionally having a hard time with diabetes. It's interesting how I go in swings emotionally with this disease. Anyone who tells you that you don't feel that way...well I guess I can't say how they feel, but I'd be VERY surprised.

Sometimes I ask myself, why am I trying? It's a never ending battle. A battle I can never win. Even if I have a great A1C...isn't damage still being done? All he work and emphasis I have to put in to get that number, doesn't that mean I take time away from other things? Or eat the things I don't want to or not eat the things I want?

The way diabetes effects your everyday life is very overwhelming.

What do you all do when you feel overwhelmed?

I am sad I just learned about this!! But alas, I will post for yesterday and today.

Tuesday
November1
Titles of my future book. Say you’re writing a book about your life, community,
condition, or Health Activism. Come up with 5 working titles and a quick book jacket
synopsis.

Interesting...
I read a lot of literature about people who live with Type 1 Diabetes, I find it therapeutic. I never really thought about writing my own book. Each one of us has a unique story, and I think I am no different in that respect.

1. The Low Down (the name of my blog)
2. Freckles and Diabetes oh my! (I have lots of freckles)
3. Singing, Dancing and managing Diabetes
4. HIGH notes and LOW notes
5. Different Path to Success

If you haven't gathered, I love to sing and dance. It's something I have done for years and it played an interesting role in my diabetes care. The book cover I would want to be a picture of someone on off stage checking their blood sugar right before they are supposed to go on.

Wednesday
November2
My TV Show. Your blog is being turned into a TV show! Congrats – you’ve earned it.
In fact, you get to co-write it. Write about the TV show based on your life or blog.

On my show, I would want it to be about a young adult, just trying to go through life, but that showed all the true aspects of what diabetics have to deal with. I could see hilarious conversations with health insurance workers, pump malfunctions, lows in the mall...the stories could go on and on. I think it would be really great if it was suited for all audiences so people could really see the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.




This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

I can't believe it's already November...

It's interesting, I have had diabetes now for 8 years and I am still encountering firsts.

For example, this is the first time that a finger stick has BRUISED my finger tip. YEP! Bruised!


I clearly had the lancet set too harshly on my little pinky finger! It still hurts now :( Even as I type this, once again diabetes likes to make my life a little bit harder.

The holidays are now creeping up, and these are always hard for people with diabetes. Halloween and Thanksgiving are both centered around food. Just another reminder that we're different.

That is my issue, I need to refocus my ideas of what the holidays are. I need to remember that they aren't about the food-it's about the family.

My brother lives in NY so I hope I will get to see him. Then I won't be focused on the food. Sometimes big gatherings make me uncomfortable, which is why I focus on the food, but with him there it takes that pressure away.

Anyone else already thinking about the holidays? Now I will try to ignore my little finger...