Good-bye....for now

Hello DOC.
I know it's been a while, and it's going to be even longer.
In case you haven't noticed, I've taken a break from blogging. This blog has been sitting abandoned for quite a while. It will never be active again. Blogging became a chore for me, rather than a pleasure. I think of a blog post a least a few times a week, but they rarely turn into actual text. If I do write them down, they don't get posted. I've created another blog, but I'm not ready to commit and make it public. When I do, I'll let you know. I am still reading, but it will be a while before I write again. Once it is something I want to do again, I'll be back.
Thank you all for your advice and thoughts. I treasured them.
Jen

Trip

Guess what?
I'm going to be at the quilt for life in Washington DC! I'm super excited. I've always wanted to go, and now that I have a square in it(#601), I decided to make the trip. This trip was in limbo for a very long time, but it is finally happening! I'm going to meet up with Allison and some other bloggers for lunch on Monday. This is the first time I'll meet any other blogger. I'm excited (and nervous!). I'll be staying with a friend from the area. She's also diabetic. We met a long time ago at camp, and have been good friends ever since. We don't get to see each other often, so it will be awesome to see her again. This will be my first time traveling along, so I'm nervous about that, but I'm being dropped off by one friend and picked up by another.
I'll tell you all about it when I get home!

But Why?

I can't even explain how crazy this summer has been. It was supposed to be a nice, relaxing summer with lots of time to sleep in and chill out. It has not been that way in the slightest. Without going into too many details, I've ended up staying with my brother and sister-in-law for an extended period of time to care for their two children, who are turning 1 and 3 years old this summer. My three year old niece is quite intelligent, and curious about everything. Since the very beginning, I have never lied to M about my diabetes or my pump. When she asked "What's that?" and pointed to my pump, I would always reply that it was Aunt Jen's pump. She never asked beyond that. Until now. She has reached the "why" stage. I scrambled to answer when she pressed about why Aunt Jen wears a pump, and why I need medicine. So I've come to the fine folks of the DOC to help. What do you tell the young children in your life about your diabetes and diabetic supplies? Does anyone know about any good books that would help explain? A book that has a pump in it would be very helpful, since that is what she is asking questions about.
Thanks in advance! I have a lot of things to post about, so you should be seeing me a little more often!

I was going to apologize for not posting in so long, but I've accepted that this is how I blog. I post in spurts when I have time. And lately, I have not had time. Just about every day I write a blog post in my head, but rarely get the chance to fight for a computer (my family has one computer on dial up internet). It's usually not worth it.
Since finishing classes earlier this month, I have been busy working for my parents. Most of the time I love it, except for the times that I hate it. I have been having a lot of lows lately. It is my goal today to start logging my sugars so that I can really figure out what's going on. I realized that I needed to do something the other day when I finished my second gallon of juice since I moved home. That is a lot of juice, and a lot of calories that I never should have had to consume.
In other news, I still don't have work back from my insurance company about a CGMS. The doctor's office said it could easily be another couple of weeks, so I'm not holding my breath.
That's the quick review of what's going on in my life. I may post again soon. I might not. Who knows.

Alternate answer

This was a question that came up on a practice exam for one of my classes.

A type one diabetic is prescribed to take Regular and NPH before breakfast. The client give insulin at 6am before breakfast. The nurse should teach the client to:
A. Avoid snacks between breakfast and lunch
B. Delay dinner until after 6pm
C. Eat a low carbohydrate lunch at noon
D. Have a snack at 3pm

So what do you think the correct answer was?

I have to give them a little credit for saying a type one diabetic, and then following it with a question about insulin, but couldn't they have picked any of the insulins created in the last 10 years? One that doesn't promote a strict diet and schedule? I would like to add an alternative answer

E. Consult their endocrinologist for a prescription for Novolog and Lantus.

Dread

There are certain words I'd rather not hear on my voicemail on a Friday afternoon. Near the top of the list is "Hi, this is (name) from (name)endocrinology clinic. I'd like to speak with you regarding your blood work. I'd appreciate it if you give me a call as soon as possible." I called her back as soon as I got the message, but I had to leave her a voicemail. I had blood work drawn 3 weeks ago. I hadn't heard anything, so I assumed everything was fine. But I guess not. The office closes is about 5 minutes, and I'm doubting she will return my message. It is going to take a lot of will power not to worry about this all weekend.

UPDATE: Just like everyone suggested- it was nothing. My LDL was 109. While I'd prefer it was lower, it is by far not the end of the world. The nurse just asked if I had been taking my statin regularly (I have) and said they would get back to me. I have no idea why the urgency, but everything is just fine. I just need to get my butt in gear now that the weather is nice and work out more, and eat healthier! Winter is not nice to my health.

I love

Allison posted this challenge, and then Hannah joined, and now I present my list.

The challenge: I challenge you to make your own list or leave a love of yours in the comments. The only catch? You can’t include a single person you know on your list. No “I love the way my husband laughs” or “I love hearing my little girl call for me.” It’ll be tough, I know. But this particular little exercise is about stripping away everyone who defines you and figuring out what you (not his partner; not their mother/daughter/sister/friend) love.

I love feeling like I have accomplished something.
I love looking through library books and wondering what they have in store for me- will they be exciting and interesting or will they be boring?
I love waking up before my alarm after a great nights sleep
I love being able to lay in bed at night, watch a movie and drift off to sleep.
I love taking walks outside when the weather turns warm
I love hearing a song on the radio that I used to love and haven’t heard in ages
I love it when I get a great blog post idea AND have time to type it up in a way I like
I love sitting down after a busy day and knowing I have made a difference
I love standing in the chapel and hearing voices lifted to God in such a beautiful place
I love the anticipation of a long trip
I love Colorado mountains
I love the rush of an OR suite
I love diabetes camp- even after 12 years
I love grilled cheese
I love comfy, broken-in jeans and hoodies
I love chick flick movies where everything is OK in the end.
I love it even more if music/dancing is involved.
I love winning games.
I love beautiful flowers
I love helping a customer and feeling like they really appreciated my help
I love the sounds of camping in the fall
I love seeing mail in my box at school
I love free stuff
I love surprises
I love an unexpectedly great picture
I love chocolate ice cream with Reese peanut butter cups
I love a cold drink of water
I love googling things to answer random questions
I love that people think I know everything random and knowing that I don’t
I love blue and purple mixed
I love seeing campus filling up now that its warm.
I love thinking up this list.
I love that it only took me about 10 minutes.
I'd love for you to do one of your own.