I really didn’t know which way to take this title. This birthday/anniversary, anniverthday?? I have no clue what to call it is something that is so big and important it needs its own phrase. So I wanted to wish a Happy Anniverthday to the You Can Do This Project, which turns 1 year old today. To quote Kimpants. “Awesomesauce!”

Kimpants, who knew that your ideas and thoughts over a year ago could make a huge difference in the lives of so many people. I truly wish I could have people just send me videos saying thank you to you for what you have inspired myself and others to do. I bet you would be shocked by how many people this “little” idea has reached. I am guessing at least 10 maybe 20. :-p

Honestly, I can’t even begin to guess how many people your idea has reached. I can tell you though, that you have made a huge impact on the lives of many with this project.

The “You Can Do This Project” background tells us that “Living with diabetes is hard, no matter what type or for how long you’ve had it. We often feel isolated or scared of what the future holds for us, and we become frustrated with all that is expected of us. Sometimes we deal with depression and anxiety; other times it is guilt and shame. We feel burned out. Sometimes we’re just plain tired of the all the hard work we have to put in to live another day.

Everyone with diabetes struggles at one time or another – and the term “struggle” can take on different meanings for different people. Validation and community have the ability to lighten the emotional load that diabetes can place on us.

That’s where this project comes in. Tell us your stories. Show others what living with diabetes is really like – no sugar-coating. Talk about the tough stuff. Show us how you’ve dealt with it. Let others see their own struggles and feelings through your words.

Show others that there can be light after the darkness; that they can get through the tough times.
Show them that they never have to be alone.
Speak to them the battle cry: ‘You can do this.'”

It is true for myself and for everyone. Type 1 diabetes is part of my life, yes. Yet it is not me. I am not the diabetic priest, diabetic runner, diabetic ultimate frisbee player. I am Brian. I am a priest. I run, I bike, I play Ultimate Frisbee. I am unique. I am me, oh and I may also have type 1 diabetes. BLAH!!!! But diabetes is not who I am. I have known this for a while, yet I know how much the You Can Do This project has helped others. There was a top secret e-mail going around about the anniverthday of the You Can Do This Project, and the amount of responses of those saying, I’m in, I’m gonna blog this, I am so on this, is/was amazing. The fact that some people had been meaning to make a video and hadn’t yet. The fact that others were amazed that Kimpants was possibly going to keep this on the low, not the DL, but not a big deal of this was crazy. So a bunch of people I know of started to think about this and come up with their own way of saying thank you to Kimpants.

I figured, what the heck, let me try one of these video thingys. Not sure how I felt about it. I realized my saying “hello” creeped me out so I edited it gone. I realized my eye contact was everywhere since I had no one to make eye contact with and I had to keep reminding myself to look at the camera. I also realized that I had about 30 minutes of awkward bloopers, which I thankfully deleted. Some people might see them and capitalize on the awkwardness. I also used my narrator or “priest” voice as my mom calls it at times. My bad. It is very hard to talk to myself as if I was talking to others who weren’t truly there. However, I knew I could do this…. (Waa, Waaa!)

But hell I tried it, it wasn’t as scarey as I thought it would be. Even though making a video late at night as tired as I am leads to bad jokes…. Sigh.

Kimpants, again thank you and Happy Anniverthday!!!

More on these pictures and my opinions as I keep doing the test drive.

Mini Messenger

I realize it does kinda look purseish with receipts and my check book. But this is trial stuff.

I have some quirks, I will not deny that. I like stuff. Who doesn’t? I like my stuff to look nice. Who doesn’t? I like my stuff to be practical. Again, who doesn’t? When it comes to my diabetes supplies, I also like practical. Last year before Friends for Life, I went out in search for the ideal travel accessory for my diabetes supplies as I travel throughout the day. I call it a murse. Once again, I am in search for a new supply travel bag for the day, to hold my test kit, my emergency supplies heaven forbid, and a bottle of water and or soda. I found a pretty nice one last year, however after a year of use and a few different trips, I have come to the conclusion that I am not enamored with it. The shoulder pad does nothing for me and well it is just awkward to carry.

I was talking with Jess last night about my bag search. She was kinda amused. I was explaining to her my conundrum and while she understood, there may have been some implicit grinning/hinting about it being nice to be a girl and have a purse to throw all of her stuff into. Fine, you have a purse. I can pee standing up and in the woods not without it being awkward. I think I win. (Sorry Jess, don’t know where that passion came from. Well I do, but yeah.)

Being a guy and dealing with ones supplies can be awkward at times for day long events. I mean I have thrown stuff into one of those sport sack things with the strings that cinch it closed. When I am doing sporting things and I can throw the bag down in one location that is fine. After hours of wear those things hurt. I don’t have a purse to put it in. I can even pull off the cool little bags that Karen was bragging about the other day. Where are the male friendly supplies? Nowhere.

It is a pain in the butt let me tell you. Don’t get me wrong, I will go and raid my local Target, Kohl’s, and maybe even REI in my ever searching quest for perfection in the bag department. But I am picky on some levels. I looked online for “diabetes supply bags” maybe I am a snob, but 1.) the bag has to at least look somewhat nice, 2.) the bag cannot be awkwardly bulky or HUGE, and 3.) the bag has to make sense for the supplies I am carrying. Some of the “supply bags” look like…. well I am not going to say what they look like. I already used the word pee, I have wandered as far as I can into that direction.

A supply bag for me and I am sure some of the other guys out there may agree. I am looking at you Martin to back me up. Needs to be practical. Have slots for meters, insulin, emergency supplies, maybe a frio slot, (which I don’t use), but also to hold an iPad or kindle or nook, maybe just a book, and a bottle of fluids as well. Yet at the same time maybe have some color on it and be comfortable to wear all day long. I want to be classy, well as classy as I can be. Yet at the same time I don’t want it to look like a PURSE.  I don’t know maybe I am asking for to much here. Yet, I don’t think I am. I would love to come up with a practical concept. I have ideas in my head. Yet there are no bag companies out there that have said, “Hey Brian, we see that you have ideas for the idea male bag for diabetes supplies. Want to come and meet with our people and design it??” Oh I would kill to be able to do that. Same thing with a more practical meter case. However, I am not going to be picky.

Having diabetes is a pain in the bum. Not being able to travel with supplies comfortably, should not be a problem for us. Adorn has the right idea. I like the idea of what they offer. If only they had a smaller option as well. Well they do, but it is a purse so yeah. Anyway. That is today’s “rant”. You guys all rock my socks and for those of you coming to Friends for Life less than 25 days depending on when you are showing up. Maybe, I will have a new bag to show off. If not, show me your purse and I will put my stuff in your bag.

Yesterday I played Ultimate Frisbee from 6 – 8:30 and came back home exhausted and HUNGRY!!!!!! I was coming down from a High, due to exercise and probably adrenaline and such. So I was all about the healthy protein rich meal I should have eaten…. I had tomato soup with 2 full servings of vegetables (YUM) and a plate of corn grain chips and calcium supplement… aka NACHOS. So much for the protein stuff.

At least last night I had managed to conquer the cheese. I was quite proud of self. Not that I ever get cheese and chips or cheese and pizza right.

I realize today is “Wordless Wednesday” and I should just be showcasing a picture something diabetes related and leave it at that. However, today I do not feel so wordless. It has been a week since I have posted anything. Hell it has been even longer since I actually wrote something. Life has been busy. I have been busy, so I am today is a Ketchup and Mustard sorta day. (Ketchup = Catch up and Mustard = Mustard)

Last week, people were talking about the Lily Bloggers event that they all went to, without me (jerks). No, but seriously. I loved reading their blog posts, seeing some of their tweeted comments and the like about the conference. I think it was good, more so I do like to see that Lily/Disney on some level are trying to make diabetes awareness more well out there. Very great idea and putting the muscle of certain companies behind an idea can make all of the difference to helping a cause.

So I was reading Lorraine’s blog post about the books and a comment she made kinda made me laugh but realize if I was a parent, I might be having those same thoughts. “The struggles featured for these characters were more emotional as opposed to physical. For tweens that may indeed be the priority at first…… found myself anticipating an out-of-range blood sugar at one of the many times the characters responsibly checked their bg. It might be better to say I was actually rooting for an out-of-range blood sugar to see how the story would address it because so many other things were being portrayed well. Those opportunities were few.”

Dealing with hypo’s in a kids book could be freaky on some level to young kids, even though we know they will face them. This comment along with some other comments got me thinking, which is a very bad thing at times about life in general and books I have read about characters or people with type one diabetes. I can count on one finger the amount of books I have read about this. Sad?!? I don’t know. I was/am a nerd. When I was younger I read a million books a year, now I am slowing down and reading only about half a million a year. I never knew or thought about books like this. Looking for the character, the “role model” so to speak who has type one diabetes. I have found real life role models. Nothing really in writing.

Three?!? or so years ago I stumbled upon this book. I think the title or suggestion came up in a conversation over on Juvenation. I could be so wrong on this. My memory is not what it once was. Anyway, the book called This Side of Normal by Eric Devine suddenly came into my life. Here’s the
biography of the author.

“I was diagnosed with type one diabetes at age twelve. I remember every detail: my mother’s face, the solemnity of the hospital, the absolute confusion. Those images will never leave me and have worked their way into This Side of Normal. This book is not my story. It is Ed’s. The details of such, however, were hard-won. Life with type one diabetes is not easy. Every day is different from the last. That is the essence of a chronic illness. Life becomes a paradox: success one day, and then failure the next, without having altered the treatment. It is a humbling experience. I believe I have captured what it is like to be an adolescent today, searching for identity while struggling not to be overpowered by one’s own body. It is a unique dynamic, but one that reflects a more universal dilemma: accepting one’s vulnerability and entrusting others with our weaknesses. Adults and adolescents—with or without diabetes—can relate. We have all been Ed at one time or another”

So anyway, I decided what they hey, let’s order this bad boy. The book came and I can remember myself becoming instantly engrossed in the tale. I mean it was an amazing tale. I actually do remember sending an e-mail off to Eric at that time thanking him for the book.

Anyway, back to my own rambling and musings. After reading the various comments about the Lily books, I thought to myself. “Brian you should reread this book and see what you can get out of it now.” I responded with the obvious response of “Brian, you don’t have this book anymore you gave it to someone else to read and they never returned it. (This is why I don’t like lending my stuff out to people anymore.)” I was pretty bummed, but I went to Amazon anyway just out of curiosity to see if I could find another copy of the book for cheap. There it was $2.99, Kindle edition. Hell, I could do that. That is one less Iced Coffee for the week and well worth it.

So I downloaded the book, (I apologize as I write this I am giving you all way to much insight into how my mind thinks and how it writes… eep!!). I loved it again. The thing is with this book the character is someone we have all seen in ourselves on some level. Let me start out by saying that this book is definitely PG more like PG-13 for some of the language, not bad language but crude at times and the use of the word “Piss” in the first chapter alone as the character is struggling pre-diagnosis about how often he has to pee can be seen as strongly used.

The thing is the book is well written, it does give us the reader a look into the thought processes of a newly diagnosed young man, but more so the after events. Dealing with the diagnosis, the lows, the highs, the frustrations, mixing alcohol into everything, but also the loss of a friend due to the “disease”. It is truly a great book.

The second time through reading this more ideas and thoughts came to mind. How on so many levels I was able to relate to Ed and the processes he went through. How my best friend and I went our separate ways post diagnosis and truly until recently it never clicked to me, that maybe it was because of this that all of a sudden we had stopped hanging out. It really made me think.

Anyway, I am just writing this and offering a suggestion about an interesting read. I wish there was more to the story or book two. However, that does not seem to be in the works.

*** Disclaimer – I Brian have chosen on my own to write a small review of this book. I am in no way shape or form benefiting from this review. I have not been asked, contacted, begged, or pleaded with with by the author, publisher, or seller to write this review to help generate sales income. I did this on my own. However, my stamp of approval does still stand. ***

So I may or may not have taken a cop out on this topic. I looked at the folder on my computer appropriately titles dblog photos and well stole a bunch of pictures out of it. Ideally it is not thievery, yet it is still a repeat, a repost, yet for some of you they are “new to you”. I know that is a slogan for something, but well I can’t seem to remember what. So in accordance with today’s post prompt, lets see some of these awesome pictures.

Back for the third year, let’s show everyone what life with diabetes looks like!  With a nod to the Diabetes 365 project, let’s grab our cameras again and share some more d-related pictures.  Post as many or as few as you’d like.  Feel free to blog your thoughts on or explanations of your pictures, or leave out the written words and let the pictures speak for themselves.

Between bent infusion sets, tangled lines, strips and supplies out the wazoo. Not to mention just the volume of strips and such that we deal with it is amazing how we keep our lives together. I have supplies in bits and pieces, nooks and crannies, that I never thought they would end up in. It is sad, yet at the same time funny. We deal with what we got, but I could so do without the strips, the bloody infusion sites, the costs, and tangles, yet it is not always easy to do. But I have friends who support me and are there when I truly need them. WHICH IS AWESOME!!! Thank you one and all for your help, support, and listening to me when I am weird or low.

Alright before diving into the meat and potatoes of this post, well in the case of the crazy vegetarians out there like me. The Facon and Potatoes of this blog post, I will start with the hardest what you should know. Did you know it is really hard for me to consistently match the titles and how I did the titles up to this weeks blog week? I don’t think I have hit the same format once yet. Could I fix them? Yes. Should I fix them? Probably. Will I fix them?? Nope. Why?? LAZY!!!!!

So today’s prompt from Karen was a good one.

Today let’s borrow a topic from a #dsma chat held last September.  The tweet asked “What is one thing you would tell someone that doesn’t have diabetes about living with diabetes?”.  Let’s do a little advocating and post what we wish people knew about diabetes.  Have more than one thing you wish people knew?  Go ahead and tell us everything.

I start this post off with a side comment almost a pre-disclosure, disclosure. However, since I rarely take those things all that seriously I am not going to claim it is a disclosure. How about a point of interest. I had some ideas as to where I was planning on taking this post. Many ideas. I had resolved myself that I was not going to look at what anyone else had written until I wrote my own stuff for fear of corruption or ideas sneaking into my head. I failed at that. I read a bunch of #dblogs once I got my internet back. I was just so happy to have it back, I forgot my resolution. FAIL. I am not intentionally taking anything from you, yet if I do not attribute an idea that you feel is YOURS, it is not intentional. You corrupted my thought patterns and well yeah. The other tidbit is I am going to try to keep sarcasm to a minimum…. I mean my sarcasm in check… I mean I won’t be making fun of someone at all in this blog post. Other people. Who knows.

My thoughts were more or less focused on one part of the disease and well I stumbled upon the musings of Caleb this morning and well, I like what he wrote so I am quoting a lot of him right now. And he gets all of the credit for where this post goes from here:

Non-diabetics shouldn’t think that we got diabetes from eating too much sugar; it’s just a disease that scientists haven’t discovered a cure for.

They should also know that diabetes isn’t contagious.

Diabetics are the same as everyone. Just because we wear pumps and take carbs to treat lows doesn’t mean we’re different.

It makes me feel sad when people go around thinking that we ate too much sugar so we deserve this disease.

 I have to be honest with you, it is the last line I have from Caleb that really caught my attention as I was directing my thoughts. “We ate so much sugar so we deserve this disease.” It scares me that people still think that. I wish it wasn’t the case, but we ALL know that this happens and the misconceptions about diabetes abound. It is so sad, it is messed up. NOBODY and I mean NOBODY deserves this disease or any other disease. When a person is diagnosed with cancer, nobody says “oh it’s because you stood in front of the microwave for too long.” Or maybe, if a person is lactose intolerant that the blame is assigned to the milk drinking habits of either you or a parent. Sure there are some people out there who blame cell phones and microwaves for cancer. But people tend to write that misinformation off.

Yet for diabetes, people are more than willing to subscribe to any urban legend/myth as to what the cause of the illness is. More so, it was because of a lifestyle of bad eating or feeding that led us to have this illness. To my knowledge the causes just like the cure have yet to be completely found. Yes, interesting tidbits have come up to link bits and pieces of the why. Don’t ask me what, I forget. Yet people still parrot the same things time and time again.

For once in my life I wouldn’t mind if after telling someone I had type-1 diabetes that their response to me, was something like… “Oh you got it from playing with unicorns as a kid.” or maybe “Yeah, my mother got it from a bee sting.” Something different, not the same stereotypes.

I knew I shoulda pet the Zebra.

Here comes the diaBEEtus… OMG, I just fell off my chair laughing again.

Not the cause or case. Yet people just don’t know or get it. It pains me and saddens me. Yet again, the comment of “we deserve the disease.” This idea or concept that Caleb has been told or heard from idiots is so sad. We do not deserve this disease on any level. Yet it can happen to the best or worst of us. The thing is, we can survive, we can do this.

You know what we can do this. Yet it would be “easier” if we did not have to answer those same questions again and again. This is why I want my button. Especially the hammer function.

Thank you Caleb for the idea for this post. You are awesome. I guess your mom is pretty cool too.