A Worthwhile Entry

Written by Mike on August 18th, 2010

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The winners of the poetry book drawing, hosted by Lee Ann Thill over at The Butter Compartment, have been announced.   My congratulations to the winners, Virtue and Sherry .

While my entry wasn’t one of the chosen two, I’m still glad that I took the time to put it together and submit it.   I had a lot of fun making it, so it was definitely worthwhile.

Interesting Horoscope

Written by Mike on August 17th, 2010

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I was looking through the newspaper this morning, and came across this little gem in the horoscope section.  While I’m not a big follower of them nor a real believer, I do occasionally come across one that has a real air of truth to it.  This is one of them:

“Aries (March 21-April 19). -  Because of the unique circumstances of your recent years, you have information to impart. You’re a teacher, and the world is your classroom, filled with students – some willing, some difficult. You’ll make an impression on all.”

I’ve certainly had some interesting things going on in my life in the last couple of years, and I definitely have a thing or two to say about it.  Whether I’m really teaching anyone anything, well, that’s debatable some days.  I certainly hope that someone is listening to,  er… reading what I have to say, and that they are getting something useful out of it.  And if not, well, that’s OK, too.

There’s a song lyric that goes “If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain.”  And if I help no one but myself by sharing my experiences, I’m still helping somebody. That definitely counts for something, because you can’t help someone else, until you’ve learned to help yourself.

I like to think I’m good at both.

Get Crafty for Diabetes Art Day

Written by Mike on August 14th, 2010

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Wednesday, September 1, 2010 has been declared Diabetes Art Day, by Lee Ann Thill, who is an Art Therapist, a fellow D-OC member, and host of the diabetes blog, The Butter Compartment.

Between now and September 1st, participants will be creating diabetes inspired works of art using the artistic media of their choice, and then post pictures of their work on a blog, twitter, facebook, a diabetes social network, etc… on September 1st.  More details can be found on Lee Ann’s blog. I’m rather excited and proud to say that I’ll be participating in this inaugural Diabetes Art Day, and I hope that the rest of the diabetic online community will get involved as well.  It doesn’t matter if your an experienced artist or a beginner.  All are welcome. So, if you think it would be cool to create diabetes inspired works of art, here’s your chance to create something and share it with the world.  I’m looking forward to meeting your inner artists.

Image courtesy of Lee Ann Thill

And remember, it’s all in the name of raising awareness, and supporting the members of our community. So, go grab some art supplies, and get crafty.

Pass the Vial My Way!

Written by Mike on August 10th, 2010

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During last week’s Diabetes Social Media Advocacy (#DSMA) session on twitter, one of the discussion topics centered around Type 2 diabetics and insulin treatment.  Should type 2′s start taking insulin earlier? Should it be avoided at all cost? Does the need for insulin mean the person is a failure for not getting their diabetes under control?  Like many others in the DOC, I have my own opinions on the subject, and I voiced some of them during the chat.

First, I am a person with type 2 diabetes, and at present, I am not taking insulin as part of my treatment regimen.  I have been given insulin injections during two separate hospital stays in the last year or so, though, so I do at least have a faint idea as to what it’s like.

Now, just because I’m not on insulin right now doesn’t mean that I won’t be in the future.  I’m not being negative or pessimistic, I’m looking at this realistically.  I’ve struggled with oral medications not working, and I know that insulin may be in the cards.  And while I’m not actively pursuing insulin use at this time,  I’m definitely open to the idea if and when it becomes necessary.

And if I do end up on insulin, it will not be because of some failure on my part.  I put everything I have into fighting my diabetes and keeping it under control.  Insulin therapy does NOT indicate failure.  It will simply mean that my body needs help getting its’ job done.  And there is no shame in needing help.  The real shame would be in not doing anything at all.

As I said the during the chat, “If taking insulin means I might live a little longer, by all means, pass the vial my way. It’s called doing what’s needed to survive.” And that’s what it all really boils down to; Each and every one of us doing what is necessary for our own survival.  What is right for me, may not be right for you.  And that’s OK.  The important thing is to figure out what will work for you, put a plan in motion, and then stick with it.

And if you learn something along the way, be sure to share it with someone. It just might make surviving a little easier for someone else.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Written by Mike on August 1st, 2010

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So, I ended up at the hospital again late last Saturday night after I started feeling pretty bad.  My heart was racing and my chest was hurting, I was having problems breathing and my blood pressure was sky high;  it was 156/109 when I checked it the first time, and even higher by the time I reached the hospital.

Now, I was rather familiar with those symptoms, as they are the exact same ones that landed me in the hospital in April 2009.  They are, in fact, some of the symptoms of a heart attack.  I was also aware that those symptoms could be brought on by digestive issues like severe acid reflux, because that’s what caused the problems I had last April.  So, I knew I was either having a heart attack or another reflux attack.  More importantly, though, I knew that there was no way to tell the difference between the two without medical tests.  And given that I have congestive heart failure anyway, I couldn’t leave anything to chance.  So, I did the smart thing, and went to the emergency room.

Upon arriving and telling the desk nurse what was going on,  I was immediately wheeled to a room in the ER where they attached a blood pressure cuff to my arm, listened to my heart, did an EKG, and drew blood for enzyme tests that determine whether a heart attack has occurred. They also brought in a portable x-ray machine and took an picture of my chest.

In the time it took for the results of all the tests to come back, a nitroglycerin patch was placed on my chest to help bring my blood pressure down, and I saw the physician’s assistant and the ER doctor.  After a brief chat, the doctor went to call my cardiologist, and he in turn admitted me to the hospital, and said he’d see me the following afternoon.

In the back of my mind, I knew exactly what the cardiologist was going to say.  He’d want to do a heart catheterization to get a better idea as to what was going on with my heart.  And I was right about that.  While I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea, I knew that it had to be done, so I might as well go along with it.  So they took me down for the procedure around 5:00 p.m. Monday.

Honestly, the procedure itself wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.  I was awake through the whole thing, although they did give me a sedative to help me relax.  The worst part of the ordeal was recovery time after the heart cath was finished.  I was so stiff and sore after laying on my back for 6 hours it was not funny.  I’ve never enjoyed walking the halls of a hospital as much as I did when they finally let me get up either.  And as bad as that was, I’d have to say that the good news I got as a result of the procedure was more than worth it.

All of my coronary arteries looked good; there were no blockages whatsoever.  In fact, the doctor said things looked so good that I could stop taking the Plavix he’s had me on.  And the other bit of good news is that my heart has gotten stronger; it’s now pumping at 50%, which is what my doctor says is a normal level and the minimum that he wants to see.  AWEsome!

So, it turns out that it was yet another severe acid reflux attack that led me to the hospital.  And while that bothers me, the fact of the matter is that things could have gotten a lot worse if I hadn’t gone to the hospital.   With the reflux driving my blood pressure higher and higher, I could have very easily had a heart attack or stroke, and, well, you wouldn’t be reading this post.

Like the title says, Better Safe Than Sorry!

PS: Many thanks to all of those in the DOC who expressed their concerns, prayers, and well wishes last week.  I can’t tell you how much that meant to me, and how much it helped get me through.  Lots of love everyone!