1 Drop at a Time

I don't think it has quite sunk in that one branch of my nursing journey is coming to a close. For almost five years, I have worked in the hospital setting. It hasn't always been easy, but it is a time in my life, I will always hold close to my heart. I had the opportunity to take care of America's veterans, athletes, and people from all walks of life. While chatting with my patients during nursing care, I have seen the world through their eyes and learned so many life lessons. Being a bedside nurse is so much more than following orders and passing medications. I will miss it so much.  In nursing school, I had the opportunity to follow a school nurse. I quietly fell in love with the job, but knew I first wanted to pursue bedside nursing.  Diabetes has encouraged me to take avenues I would have never dreamt of. It has simultaneously made me fearful and fearless. Recently, that quiet voice in my heart started getting louder and louder. One day, after a Google s...

The past couple of nights haven't gone so well. Last night, I even had two lows. Before, I would eat a glucose tab or two, surf Facebook and silently pity myself. That was before Beyond Type 1 came out with an app that is basically what would happen if Twitter and Instagram had a baby and that baby just happen to have T1D. This app is world wide and beyond amazing. Last night, while I "patiently" waited for my blood sugar to go up, I was immediately connected with more than one person experiencing the very same thing! Sure, I got frustrated and said a few choice words, especially when my dexcom sounded the alarm for another blood sugar in the 50's but I wasn't alone. Now that I have had some time to reflect, I realize just how many people from all over the world, I have met. Sometimes I fear diabetes will chain me down to my comfort zone, but with this app, I get a glimpse at just how large and beautiful this world is. How can you not get a bit of wanderlust, ...

Well today was the ever dreaded doctor's appointment. However, all that stress and worry was in vain. I lowered my A1C to 6.0!! However, my cholesterol went up a smidge, so I pretty much need to lay off the cheese. Sad day. Cheese is my life, no carbs, no problems... Warning: A little sappiness up ahead :)  On June 11th, Osman and I will be celebrating our 5th Wedding Anniversary!!! We both came from diverse backgrounds and chose to be married by a Jewish judge who specialized in interfaith/intercultural weddings. Osman and I wrote our ceremony, and for us, it was perfect. I remember, just for good measure, we both put in the line "in sickness and health." I thought this wouldn't be needed until we were old and having a knee replacements. Never in a million years did I think we would spend this past year navigating the murky waters of chronic illness.  That being said, the man I married has far surpassed the promises he vowed on our wedding day. His patience and forgi...

I had to get my labs drawn this morning. It encompassed a whole plethera of tests with lots and lots of numbers and ranges. For three months, I can kind of pretend I am not sick and some days, it is so nice.  For me, I treat this new normal as though it is not a complicated, chronic illness. Sure, I have to take more time to do things. I have to plan and then plan some more. At the end of the day, I just don't want to be an illness. So having to go to the doctor and be "graded" on how well I am handling life, just sucks. That being said, my doctor is awesome and never makes me feel that way, this is all me.  So here I sit and play the world's smallest violin, in a puddle of self woe. I don't even know if my numbers are bad or good, I just don't want to be numbers anymore.  And then I spilled my entire cup of Jittery Joe's Coffee. Everywhere. What an ever so embarrassing mess. I went up to the counter and asked for some paper towels and in turn, the barista...

Y'all, I wanted to share with you the Zucchini slicer my husband happened upon on Amazon. It is life changing. WE CAN MAKE SPAGHETTI AGAIN aka the easiest, tastiest meal EVER. We always ate whole wheat pasta but even with the fiber and wheatiness, I still spiked more than desired, so we said goodbye to that old, faithful dinner. Or so we thought! We tried spaghetti squash but I didn't like the taste and it was a pain to have to cook the squash blah blah blah. So this slicer is amazing. All you do is take your raw, uncooked zucchini, push it through the slicer while twisting and taaaa-daaa you have your "noodles". To soften then noodles, set them aside in some olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper. So here is my review: Raves: 1. By the time you load up on the sauce and cheese, I can't even taste a difference. 2. It is So EASY and even easier than cooking noodles. 3. It leaves me feeling so much more satisfied than the BG spike and drop that pasta always...

If there was a white flag, I'd be waving it. These past two weeks have not been the best. Between no sleep thanks to highs and lows and the stomach bug, it would make the strongest person cry for mommy. I had my first experience with a mind alternating low. It was around 3am and my Dexcom was buzzing away. I woke up, in true robot fashion, and took my blood sugar. I was able to muster up enough mind power to shove some glucose tabs in my mouth. However, that was about as far as my mind could reach. I just kept saying "I'm hungry, I'm hungry" over and over. I felt trapped inside myself and it was scary. I recovered, but of course, over corrected, so I was awoken yet again with a high. As I reflect on these past couple weeks, being sick didn't help, but I was also trying so hard to recreate what I felt "normal" was like. So of course this meant, not the best food choices. Being a person with T1D, I don't technically have to follow a low carb di...

Yesterday, I had an honest mom moment. I always swore up and down that I would be mindful of the little moments with my son, and enjoy them. Then the shoe disappeared.  Jake, my son, doesn't talk much yet. We get by with little noises and lots of pointing. Well, I was rushing around the house getting laundry done, because Thursday is laundry day. Why is that?  I have no idea why Thursday is the magical day for laundry! I asked Jake if he wanted to go outside. To my surprise,  he let out an excited little noise and ran down the hall. I was in his room, with my head  in the depths of his dirty clothes basket, when I stood, there was Jake with his favorite shoe. I smiled at him, hands full of laundry and said "I'll put your shoe on in just a second." He looked at me, raised it up one more time and I said the same thing. He didn't seem too phased that I didn't put the shoe on, so he followed me to the laundry room. I got my precious laundry started and turned arou...