From FatCatAnna

I don't watch daytime TV that often as I'm a working stiff, but yesterday I recorded the Oprah show - which was all about diabetes.  I had read during the week from other PWD bloggers that they were abit disgruntled that probably the show would dwell on Type 2 diabetes.  That doesn't bother me, as I still clump all the different versions of diabetes as being one, we all are having to deal with living with diabetes whether it be with just pills/diet/exercise/insulin.  Below is a comment that I posted at one of the many diabetic forums I belong to which I find seemed to be highly critical of how Oprah / Dr. Oz brought it to the public viewers ...

I found it pretty good.  You have to remember, it's aimed at the average viewer, who may not have much knowledge of diabetes, and what they have is usually based on incorrect info (e.g. you get it if you're fat, yadda, yadda, yadda). Because of it only being an hour show (with LOTS of ads - not used to day time telly) - they could only really cover the basics, but I personally felt the info put forth was well done.  I think it helped my husband understand about what sugar in our systems does to us with the video that Dr. Oz showed on how the food breaks down in our bodies. Seeing how the "shards of glass" aka "sugar" go thru' our blood vessels if it's not been converted correctly due to our pancreas not squelching out the juice made me cringe (I will never look a broken glass in the same way again).  It didn't help that I was sitting down nibbiling on cookies and an espresso (with sugar) for my evening snack.  Yes, I had taken insulin to cover the carbs aka sugar - so hopefully less "shards of glass" will enter into my blood stream, but still I felt abit uneasy.

What got me crying, and I'm started to well up here as I type thinking about it, was Laureen, a 44 year old Type 1 diabetic who agreed to be on the show (bless her heart) telling us what bad management of diabetes can do to you (and she is a nurse).  It was when Dr. Oz started to remove the bandages from her legs that I really started to sob uncontrollably, and I'm not one to cry that often (I think diabetes makes some of us tough to emotions).  Besides that ordeal, she is also on kidney dialysis, which is something that all diabetics hope to never have to face.   It was so hard to watch, and of course, because of of a PWD friend of mine, Lois, having her leg amputated a few days ago due to mismangement of her diabetes (and she admits she f##ed up), it hit me hard.

So, yes, some of you Type 1's maybe disappointed that not more info was done on " our " type of diabetes, but as we've always known, we are a small majority. In the 60's/70's when I was diagnosed Type 1 was only about 1% of the diabetic population - now it's 10% - crikey.

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Just a footnote - the video link above of Laureen may not be for the faint of heart.  I know I found it very difficult to watch as Dr. Oz removed her bandages ... BUT ... it might  jolt you into realising how serious diabetes is and how if left uncontrolled can lead to life threatening conclusions.  

From FatCatAnna

I think I'm going to be blogging with the word "evil" in the title over the next few days.  Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate is everywhere - cute bunnies are tripping me up (oh wait - those are my cats wanting food ... again).  So what is a gal without a functioning pancreas supposed to do? Run and hide away from the evils of the high sugared treats at this time of the year?  Never - just cope as best as I can do.   Warning - this is a long read!

It was my birthday yesterday - I don't really make a big thing out of it.  It's just another year gone by since I made my Mum scream with pain as I popped out of her.  I was a 10 lb baby - born at home - and my Mum being a small women - had to deal with my tonnage coming out of her - sorry Mum.  I'm thankful for having good health, a zest for life and a sense of humour. Now, what more can someone want?  Well, I've had this bee in my bonnet lately  - about wanting a birthday treat yesterday at DQ.  I had made up a nice dinner of scallops in a mango/lime/tequila sauce over a bed of pasta / side salad/ glass of wine - fine and dandy - doing alright there.  Then it was off to DQ - something we haven't done in awhile.  They've been advertising on TV an ice cream treat called the Midnight Truffle Blizzard - it requires no description just from the title.  I had a small one - and figured - ahhh - must be about 40g of carbs - so in went the insulin - and in went my spoon into this very SWEET concoction.  I managed to get through it - while a little girl nearby me - literally inhaled a LARGE one like mine! 

When we got back home - feeling like stuffed pigs, Mike looked up on the Internet as to what the actual carb count was and it was probably somewhere between 80-120 grams of carbs (it's not listed on their website - but we "guesstimated")!!!  I was totally floored - not only by the carbs - but that it basically was about 1/2 the amount of my daily food intake calories wise.  So, with that in mind it explained why my BG was hovering around the 14 mmol/L (252 mg/dL) for the rest of the evening - even with correction bolus(s). Yikeroos!!!

I woke up in this morning still at the same level .  Therefore, no breakfast, just an espresso with another correction bolus.  Now 3 hours later - I'm back to normal (or am I ??) -  BG is at 4.5 mmol/L (81 mg/dL) - had some food to eat (was abit peckish) - and have now decided next time we will share a Blizzard - in perhaps 2-3 years from now when I feel less bloated.  

Can't wait for Easter Sunday now ....