Author: Shawn

I am a practitioner of the martial arts and student of the Buddhist faith. I have been a Type 1 Diabetic since I was 4 years old and have been fighting the uphill battle it includes ever since. I enjoy fitness and health and looking for new ways to improve both, as well as examining the many questions of life. Although I have no formal medical training, I have amassed a wealth of knowledge regarding health, Diabetes, martial arts as well as Buddhism and philosophy. My goal is to share this information with the world, and perhaps provide some sarcastic humour along the way. Welcome!

Your Opinion Of Me Is None of My Business…

I saw something online recently that I really wish I had saved at the time, because it makes it really hard to shared a link or explain where I found something without doing so. But given how flighty I am at the best of times, sprinkled with a fine dust of ADHD and the occasional finger of whiskey thrown into the mix, it’s a surprise that I can write coherently at all. But yet here we are. The point is, I recently read a post somewhere that may or may not have been quoted from some celebrity, that read something to the tune of “what other people say about me is none of my business.”

This struck a pretty deep chord with me. Most of us spend so much time worrying about what other people may say or think about us, almost to the point where it becomes debilitating. Let’s look at a small example. When you’re about to leave the house in the morning to go run errands, the odds are good that you’ll grab a shower, put on deodorant, brush your hair and dress appropriately, not only to your local’S social standard but appropriate to the weather. While some of this makes sense for hygiene reasons, a lot of it is driven by societal expectations and how we feel people may perceive us.

We’re not just guilty of the phenomenon itself but also of encouraging it. Without even considering it, how many times have you been at a large retail location and seen someone and thought “holy fuck, they left the house that way???” while we tend to believe our thoughts are our own and are private, all it takes is a sideways glance or disgusted look to let that person know what those “private” thoughts may be. For the most part, this isn’t something we can prevent; we’re only human and we can guard our thoughts only so far. Although minding our thoughts is an important step in preventing further suffering on our own part. Jus’ sayin’…

The bigger challenge comes from letting go of what OTHERS may think or say about you. If you get word that one of your colleagues thinks you’re an absolute asshole, it’s likely to elicit an emotional response. The key takeaway is to ask oneself, does it really matter? What this other person thinks or says about you is not a reflection on who you are and shouldn’t alter how you view yourself. They’re free to have their own views and thoughts without it necessarily affecting you. Think, “I can only control my words, not how you interpret them” but in reverse.

What others’ opinion of you may be is none of your business. It won’t change your life, your situation and it shouldn’t affect your overall goals. And putting such things out of your mind is an important step towards eliminating self-suffering and being a happier, more fulfilled person. Food for thought… ☯️

Merry Christmas

Once again we’ve come to that time of year. There’s snow on the ground, a chill in the air and people take pride in decorating their homes, Christmas trees and laying gifts at their base. When I was a boy, the growing anticipation and excitement of Christmas was palpable. My mother would cook and bake up a storm. As the eldest daughter of seven siblings, Christmas was almost always hosted at our home. There would be the opening of “just one gift” on Christmas Eve. Because my mother’s side of the family were Catholic, we always had midnight mass. So I would usually struggle to stay awake klong enough to get through a church service. While I would have loved to have torn into gifts when we got home, it would usually be all I could manage to fall into bed.

The following morning would be a flood of food, family and raucous fun. I would get to see aunts, uncles and my grandparents. We would open presents, share cards and enjoy each other’s company. It was loud and tiring. Not in a bad way, mind you. But there was a measurable heat in the home, considering the number of people present. I’ve never been much of one for crowds, even as a child. By early afternoon, I would usually retreat to my room with my stash of presents to open and play with everything. It was always a glorious day. Some of my best memories include getting He-Man’s Castle Grayskull, my original Cabbage Patch Kid (I can’t remember his name) and even the first year I got the original Nintendo GameBoy when it came out in the early 90’s. I must have spent countless hours on Super Mario Land.

Life has changed for me significantly since those early Christmases. Gifts generally hold very little meaning for me, preferring a quiet day at home with my wife and sons. While I still observe the tradition of giving gifts for their sake, the value and the real gift for me is knowing I have a safe home, warm environment and a loving wife and sons that are tolerable. Kidding, they’re a’ight… But seriously, at some point one must come to realize the real value of life and what truly is a gift, is knowing that you never have to be alone (unless you want to). Sitting on the couch watching Home Alone or smelling some Christmas baking while knowing you can hug your toddler or talk video games with your oldest means far more to me than anything wrapped one could receive.

I’ve been lucky enough that I’m in a position in life that I could take the week off from work this week. Not everyone can be so lucky. yet another gift that means far more. Being able to stay home and engage in some self-care and spend further time with my wife is my real gift this year. Hopefully, y’all have something similar that make you just as rich as I am. Money and gifts mean nothing. It’s the people in my life, the ones who made me a husband, made me a father, that matter during Christmas. So to all of you out there, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and best wishes to you and your family, regardless of what traditions or holidays you may be celebrating during this time of year. Be safe, stay warm and remember what’s most important during this time of year. 🎄

Slow And Steady Wins The Race…

There is always plenty I can write about Diabetes care and even more so about how involved and complicated it can get to properly maintain one’s health and blood sugar levels. In fact, in over 5 years of blogging on the topic, I’ve never run out of subject matter to discuss (minus some occasional repetition). That’s pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. And I guess I am saying so. Might sound like bragging but it’s not; it’s merely intended to show just how complicated a condition Type-1 Diabetes actually is. Quite a change in what my parents believed in the 1980’s, which basically just included “don’t eat sugar” and take your one-a-day insulin injection.

I often wonder how differently my health would have progressed, had I known about things like carb counting, proper bolusing and an actual understanding of the different types of insulin and how they function within the body. I often get a lot of questions about what some of the hardest aspects of having Diabetes are and how I deal with them. Certainly there are quite a few. And I’ve written about most of them. But in recent years, I’ve come to recognize that one of the hardest aspects of having Type-1 Diabetes is not, in and of itself, a symptom but rather, something I need to DO. The hardest part of being Diabetic is being patient. Yes, you read that right; patience is one of the hardest parts of dealing with anything Diabetes-related.

Let me explain. In my youth, when I would have low blood sugar, I would eat until I felt better. While this makes sense in concept, if I’m starting to feel better, it likely means my blood sugars have already reached a normal level and I’ve likely eaten beyond what was required. The result is that my blood sugar would skyrocket, requiring further insulin to bring it down to normal. This kind of rollercoaster blood sugars can be detrimental on one’s overall health and proper balancing of a1c’s. Nowadays, I actually measure my blood sugar to determine whether it’s low, rather than depend on a general feeling as I would have when I was younger. Given that getting older involves its own generalized pain, that only makes sense.

But when I find that my blood sugars are low, I take a finite amount of fast-acting carbs that are appropriate to bringing my blood sugar levels up to normal. Where the patience comes in, is the need to sit and wait while that finite amount of carbs does its job. This is particularly difficult when your blood sugar is low and you have to sit there and experience the symptoms of it for what will likely be twenty to thirty minutes. Let me walk you through it. I’m talking nausea, stomach cramps, disorientation, restless limbs, excessive and profuse sweating, blurred vision, loss of fine motor skill and a partridge in a fuckin’ pear tree. And that’s just to name a few. Don’t even get me started on how I feel if I get a low in tandem with anything else, like a cold or flu.

This required patience doesn’t just apply to lows. Sometimes recognizing that if I’m sitting a bit high, it may take a while, hours even, for my levels to come down smoothly. A sudden drop is never a good thing, even if you were high to start with. It can be extremely taxing on the system. The amount of fatigue I feel when I’m high and have to bring my blood down is substantial. If I don’t do it slowly and surely, it can sometimes put me down for the night. And when you live with two small sons who don’t grasp the concept of ever being quiet, getting the rest one needs to properly recover can be difficult.

That’s why it’s important to take one’s time with anything needed when it comes to Diabetes. Nothing can really be done quickly and even if there’s some that could, the after effects can be just as bad or worse than the symptom itself. It can be tough to wait something out, especially if it causes discomfort. But patience is key. After all, slow and steady wins the race. Especially where Diabetes is concerned. Food for thought… ☯️

What Pain Gives Gain?

I don’t think I have to explain how absolutely EVERYTHING affects a Type-1 Diabetic’s health. Blood sugar levels, blood pressure levels and other health factors are often affected by things like stress, physical activity, diet and alcohol consumption and even one’s state of mind. It can sometimes become a challenge for someone to maintain proper controls when something completely out of one’s control can affect everything. Like weather. If I do thirty minutes of heavy exercise in the comfort of my basement, no problem. If I do thirty minutes of work outside in cold, winter weather, my blood drops like fuckin’ stone in a clear lake. So given that everything affects blood sugar levels, what about pain? Could pain affect one’s blood sugars?

We should start the conversation by defining exactly what I mean by pain. Simply put, pain in today’s context is defined as the signal your body sends to your brain when trauma is caused to the body. And by trauma, I don’t mean the typical, modern definition that means having experienced something bad, although that could be included. trauma refers to the damage and/or blunt force exercised against tissue, causing damage. This can include cuts, abrasions, bruising, blunt force, burns and exposure to extreme cold. All of these things will trigger a signal from nerves to the brain, telling it that something bad is happening and that one should remove themselves from the situation. This is why people will automatically pull away from open flame or grip their arm if they suffer a cut, etc. Most of it is reflex and even those who train themselves to “fight through the pain” will have some difficulty in ignoring or overcoming the sensation.

So, how does pain play into blood sugars? I should start by clarifying that the idea started from a conversation I had with my ophthalmologist. During a recent appointment to get eye injections, (my eyes are doing great by the way. Thanks for asking!) I asked my doctor what the level would be, on a scale from 1 to 10, for me to receive the needles in my eyes without the numbing drops. He confirmed that it would likely be an 8 or 9. While he made it clear that he had never tried it or had it done on any of his patients, he working off his knowledge of pain and how it’s received by the body. He explained it would certainly be painful enough for a person to be unable to do it without the numbing drops. I was fascinated.

When I returned to my room, I realized that my blood sugar levels and increased. Not to a significant, uncontrollable level but enough to be noticeable. And it got me to ponder the question on how pain affects the blood sugars. In essence, pain is a stressor. And stressors DO affect blood sugars. While people don’t define stress quite in this way but pain causes stress and stress increases blood sugar levels. According to an article posted by the Mayo Clinic, “Physical or emotional stress triggers the release of hormones that can cause high blood sugar levels.” While the article is short and doesn’t specifically address physical pain, if we acknowledge that pain is a stressor and stressors will cause the release of hormones that will elevate blood sugars, the math does itself.

So this is mostly information and not so much a specific thing, but if you notice your blood sugar levels are running rampant and you can’t quite explain why, you may want to look at the stressors in your life, including pain. The pain that results from my eye injections is certainly something that will has an effect. Any other pain you may be suffering will also have an effect. While it may be difficult to gauge and treat your blood sugar levels based on this, it’s an important factor when considering your overall blood sugar management. Food for thought… ☯️

Can Closure Be Too Little, Too Late?

What is closure? In the context I’ll be using it, closure refers to gaining a sense of peace, understanding and emotional release that comes from gaining understanding about certain events in our lives. For example, people will often get closure from having that after-breakup conversation with someone they were involved with. That’s only one example but it’s a pretty common one and serves to illustrate the point I’m getting at for today’s post. It stands to reason that closure can come in the most interesting ways at the most unexpected time.

Just a few short years ago, I had the opportunity to connect with someone from my past where I was able to discuss how much of a dick I was through my teen years. It would be decades before I would come to realize that many of the symptoms caused by Type-1 Diabetes was the root cause of most of the isues I caused for myself in my teens. This isn’t and shouldn’t be an all-encompassing excuse of course but it did lend itself to how I was almost universally in a bad mood and treated others poorly. I cost myself several friendships and relationships during my youth because I couldn’t reconcile my disease with proper management. But I’m glad I got closure on some of those issues and the people I’ve spoken to were gracious enough to show some undertanding.

From my side of things, there’s much closure I often feel I’m owed by many individuals who have wronged me over the years. In 2018, my career and my life took a left turn. The only thing worse than having someone wrong you in life, is having someone accuse you of something that puts your entire life in jeopardy. This is what happened to me, back in 2018. I found myself in an unfortunate set of circumstances that I would have never imagined being in. I won’t get into all the gritty details in this post but it did lead me to change the entire course of my life, my career and my view on others and how I’m treated by them. Let’s just say that all things considered, life is pretty good right now and I can’t exactly complain, but there’s a stain on my soul that may never heal as a result of what some others have done to me.

While I really want to tell the story and explain how I came about getting some closure on this issue, for reasons that should be understandable, I really shouldn’t be naming people or referring to specific situations. Not all of this is just MY story to tell. And it would be wrong of me to tell the part that isn’t mine. So I’ll stick to what I can say. Recently, I was out at a work event with everyone from the organization that I work at. It was a pretty good event and it included a tour for the entire staff of the venue we were in. As we were walking the site, we came around a corner that had a security guard kiosk and imagine my surprise at seeing one of the involved parties in the events of 2018 that altered my life forever.

I recognized him immediately, although I wasn’t very surprised at the fact that he didn’t recognize me. After all, it had been half a decade and I had a full face of facial hair whereas I would have been clean shaven back when he knew me. Once the group had cleared, I walked up and greeted him. He was taken aback when he realized who I was. The conversation was congenial enough, as we discussed where we were both explained where we were currently working and what had been happening in our respective lives since the events of 2018. It was a great conversation and I even got to introduce him to my current boss, given that the individual in question was indirectly my boss in my previous career.

As my group moved on to other sections of the site, he was peaking to others who weren’t part of my group, so I moved on. When the day was over and all my staff were leaving the site, I decided I wanted to seek out the individual so that I could shake his hand and say goodbye. When I found him doing his rounds, something happened that I wouldn’t have, and wasn’t expecting. He brought up the past and admitted that I got a raw deal. He explained that he felt I never should have had the accusations made against me and that the organization didn’t deal with it the way they could have. He told me that he always remembered and appreciated the way I came in to work my modified assignments with such enthusiasm and professionalism, there were days when he didn’t believe I was someone dealing with the situation I was in. He felt that other members should have followed my example.

These revelations hit me like a ton of bricks. While I agreed with everything he said, it shocked me to my core to hear him say it. Until that moment, no one from my previous career had admitted that I was treated badly or that the events in question shouldn’t have happened. I know that a lot of people would say that the words were too little, too late. That those things should have been brought up at the time in an effort to mitigate the damage caused to my life and my career. But for some reason, hearing this from him lifted a weight off my shoulders that I had become so accustomed to that I didn’t even know it was there. It was a very special kind of closure that I didn’t know I needed. And for that, I will be forever grateful to him.

Don’t be afraid to seek out that closure. Some of the bad periods of your life could be easily reconciled if you’re willing to seek the answer. Sometimes this might mean saying you’re sorry. Sometimes, it may simply mean giving others the opportunity to say they’re sorry. In any event, closure can be good. It shouldn’t be sold short. After all, whatever can be done to reduce the suffering in one’s life is good, right? Food for thought… ☯️

Another Year, Another Moustache…

So, yet another year of raising funds for prostate cancer through Movember. Some readers may have noted that I posted about this a few weeks in advance by providing instructions on how folks could donate to this very, very good cause. For reference or for those who haven’t seen the post, you can read it here. I usually choose the same modest goal of $500 every year. The first couple of years were pretty sweet, with generous folks ensuring that we reached that goal and on one year, we even knocked it out of the park. This year, not so much…

I was a little surprised this year at the lack of participation and interest, even from those who expressed interest. I usually have a team that not only donates but actively participates in growing out their ‘staches as part of the fun. But this year was pretty lackluster. I’m disappointed to see that not only was everyone’s participation was piss-poor this year, but with the organization and fundraising attempts on my part, no one really got involved on it with me. As a result, this will likely be the last year that I fundraise for Movember and will likely just make my own individual donation. There’s nothing worse than putting in the time and effort to try and fundraise as a group, only to have none of the group get involved as well. Live and learn.

On the positive side, since I shouldn’t spend the entire whining like a little bitch, we did raise $350 for prostate cancer. We may not have reached the goal we set, but it’s still $350 more than would have otherwise been raised, so that’s a positive. I generally tend to expect quite a bit from myself and I unfortunately forget that I shouldn’t expect THAT much from everyone else. It’s kind of unfortunate given that I frequently have people who fundraise for all kinds of random bullshit that doesn’t really qualify as a good cause, or people who start a GoFund me page because they want a new iPhone or something. But i digress… I did say I shouldn’t be whining like a bitch. The bottom line is we raised money and I grew an absolute resplendent beard. It’s coming off today, and if it didn’t itch so fuckin’ bad, I’d likely keep it. But until next year, I’ll keep my face clean. ☯️

Expectations vs Reality

There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes for someone with Type-1 Diabetes that the average person isn’t aware of. Much like seeing someone park in a handicap spot but yet walk with simple ease, an illness or disability isn’t always obvious to the naked eye. But without standing too high on my soapbox, my point is that there are a number of things that people tend to take for granted that almost seem like a rare treat to someone with Type-1 Diabetes. In this post, I’m going to examine the top ones that are important to me.

A Naked Shower
I should probably clarify that I’m naked for every shower that I take. This isn’t a high school changing room; I don’t shower in my clothes. That’s a story for another day. But what I mean is, having the ability to take a shower without needing to protect infusion sites or adhesive pads. Generally speaking, my insulin pump’s infusion sets are changed out every three days. This is because after three days, insulin begins to crystallize on the plastic based tubing and parts of the infusion set. This can result in an inaccurate delivery of insulin.

My continuous glucose monitor sensor gets changed out once a week. This is mainly because the interstitial fluid and the wound heals up enough that reading becomes difficult. In any event, with one of my cyborg parts replaced every three days and the other replaced every seven days, it’s usually an interesting challenge showering, since some of the adhesive patches will dry up and peel after a hot shower. The result is I usually have to maneuver and cover the injections sites and their coverings so that they get wet as little as possible. You ever try taking a normal shower while trying to keep any one area of your body dry? Not so easy…

Once in a while, an opportunity comes up where both insertions are due for replacement around roughly the same time. On those rare occasions, I get to take a nice, hot shower without any concern about protecting anything on the abdomen. I can effectively shower withy abandon, which one wouldn’t think is a big deal but when you can never do it, having the chance to just let the hot water wash over without concern is a definite treat that the average person takes for granted.

A Decent Night’s Sleep
First and foremost, I need to point out that proper sleep is always an issue for someone with Type-1 Diabetes, whether you wear a pump or not. Between fluctuating blood sugars, fluctuating blood pressure, circulatory issues that cause your arms and legs to go numb and restless as you sleep… The list goes on. Tack on my PTSD and the frequent repetitive nightmares and you’ve got a recipe for shitty nights. I have, on occasion, had the opportunity of sleep well throughout an entire night but these instances have almost always included some exterior assistance, like melatonin or a few fingers of whiskey.

Wearing an insulin pump presents its own unique set of challenges during sleep. While I always make a point to wear shorts or pyjama pants that have pockets, the pump will often slide out of the pocket during the night as I roll over. What’s worse is if I end up on TOP of the pump. This can be uncomfortable and even painful, especially if I roll over and the pump ends up in my tender bits. Y’all know what I’m referring to. Trying to remain perfectly still during sleep is effectively impossible, which means that under all circumstances, my pump will contribute to waking me up repeatedly throughout the night. So if you’re someone who gets a full night’s sleep, don’t take it for granted.

Eating With Abandon
Before the concept of pump technology and carb counting were brought to my attention, one of my favourite things was eating at a Chinese buffet. I’m one of those fuckers who loves the concept of the fried foods and flavoured sauces and dips that one can only enjoy through Asian cuisine. Nowadays, being mindful not only of what I eat but in what amounts can be challenging at best. Even when I read food labels and calculate based on the amount of carbohydrates they indicate, I hit some obstacles with lows, highs and miscalculations.

Eating out at a restaurant is usually the most challenging, because asking a server how grams of carbohydrates are in the meal you’re planning to order can be troublesome. While restaurant staff are generally expected to have some knowledge about the meals they serve, one must be realistic in just how deep that knowledge goes. It’s different if you’re having something defined, like a fast food burger, where you can usually check their website and get comprehensive nutritional information. But then when you incorporate something loose, like fries, rice or mashed potatoes, calculating the proper amount of carbohydrates and delivering the right amount of insulin is tough. What’s even tougher is if you estimate, then you can’t finish what you’ve bloused for.

Buffets are now an absolute waste of money for me, considering I can’t eat with abandon and have to moderate my portions and calculate insulin delivery. Even protein-based dishes are packed with carbohydrates at Asian buffets, considering everything is usually battered. While pumpkin therapy allows me to live easier with my meal choices (eating a slice of cake in my teens would have been completely out of the question), having the ability to eat whatever one wants whenever one wants without worrying about the consequences is definitively something any non-Diabetic shouldn’t take for granted.

SO, as you can see, there are many things that the average, every day person takes for granted that Type-1 Diabetics are dealing with behind the scenes. And this isn’t an all-inclusive list. People rarely see those aspects and simply assume that as long as we avoid sugar and take our insulin, the ship stays on course. Nothing could be farther from the truth. So if you have the ability to sleep properly, shower with abandon and relax and eat at your leisure, take the time to recognize how blessed you are. While I will always acknowledge that things could be much worse for me, all the little things y’all take for granted are often the things that any other person yearns for. Food for thought… ☯️

The Unbalanced Scales of Retail…

It starts out as pretty much the way every shopping errand does… I slowly walk the aisles, scanning for items I need and watching the items I could potentially want. With a significant number of ongoing and increasing shopping concerns, such as inflation and grocery affordability, the “wants” usually go untouched. But for the most part, the “needs” make their way into my basket as I slowly shuffle along. In the interest of navigating the public, a pair of noise-cancelling headphones with some soft, meditative music sit atop my head. While cursed with an unfortunate contestant state of hyper-vigilance, the noise blocking gives my PTSD-riddled brain a much needed respite from the public as I do I what I have to do.

I guess I should clarify that, despite my loud, outgoing voice, I am inherently an introvert, preferring to use self-checkouts and avoid unnecessary interactions with random strangers for no purpose. While this has often made me seem anti-social other some, I prefer to think of myself as socially independent; not requiring the interaction with others to get through my daily grind all while not avoiding it when it’s necessary or socially warranted. For these reasons and many others, I almost always use a self-checkout option if I can. But the retail world is complex and convoluted, often differing from one location to the next. Here are a few examples of how this has applied in recent weeks.

I stopped in at a particular retail location to purchase my weekly lottery ticket. For obvious reasons, I won’t name these businesses since, you know, I prefer not getting sued. But generally speaking, lottery and age-restricted items can’t be purchased through a self-checkout for the obvious reasons. So, I walk up to the till. I was the only customer there and waited several minutes for a cashier to notice and acknowledge my arrival and approach the counter. As opposed to the typical greeting one would expect from a retail person, her first words were to ask me if i would be paying by debit or credit, to which I replied I was. She then proceeded to suggest I use the self-checkout and began walking away from me.

Let’s evaluate this for a moment. I’ve worked in the retail environment. Most staff are already of the opinion that their jobs are in jeopardy’s because of self-checkouts and program automation. Yet, this cashier is trying to ENCOURAGE me to use the self-checkout option. I’d say this is just a “her” thing, but I’ve gotten this response from a few different employees at this location. I clarified that I needed lottery, which resulted in a not-so-subtle exhalation of a sigh and a return to the till, as though I had interrupted her previously scheduled program. But I digress… I got my lottery ticket and went on my way, somewhat taken aback at how I was being thrown towards technology by the very folks who have the most to lose from it. That’s the first side of the coin.

Now let’s look at it from the other side of the coin. Another retail location I visited is one where I typically insist on using their self-checkout given the busy lines and long wait times to be served by a cashier. This would be one of those scenarios where I have my headphones on and don’t want to interact with the world; I just want to pay for my shit and go. On this occasion, I have a number for heavy and bulk items that are cumbersome and inconvenient to try and manually run through the till scanner. I begin looking for the scan gun that should be sitting in its cradle at the top of the till. It isn’t there.

Already a bit flustered, it took me all of ten seconds to realize that none of the scan guns were at ANY of the self-checkout tills. I waved over an employee and pointed out the issue. The response was that he brought over a scan gun but rather than let me use it, he physically scanned all my items himself, despite repeating twice that I wanted to do this myself. He indicated that they couldn’t leave the scan guns at the tills and that he was the only one allowed to use them. I challenged him by asking what the point of a self-checkout was, if I needed a cashier to scan my things for me. He had no response.

It seems like such a small point and certainly not one I’d die on the hill for, but it raises a good point. What the fuck is the point of having self-checkout if a cashier scans all my shit? It seemed like a weird scenario in a frowning market where automation and self-checkout of bien flushed but on the flip side, scenarios where staff who should be more than happy to push for their continued employment, push for it as well. As you may have been able to tell, there’s very little to no point behind today’s post. Sometimes, one just needs to rant. ☯️

No One Style Can Rule Them All…

One of the biggest pet peeves I have with the martial arts is the in-fighting among styles. Generally speaking and realistically, everyone always assumes that their style is the best, often choosing to point out what they see wrong with a neighbouring style as opposed to possibly absorbing the aspects that may not only be right, but many also be an addition to their overall tool belt. Some of this is simply loyalty, which on its face, is not a bad thing. But when you belittle or denigrate other styles, you water us all down. And that is not a good thing.

First and foremost, a little background on my own training is very important. My main style is Uechi Ryu Okinawan karate. The reason I say main style, is because I studied various martial arts in my youth and many styles of each, in order to land on Uechi Ryu. And I’ve written about this in previous posts; finding a dojo and style that fits for you is a very subjective journey and begins and ends with you. Too often, I’ve seen students convince their friends to come train, only to have the friend phone it in because they really don’t enjoy it. So an important first aspect is, if you don’t like it, don’t stick around. You’re not just wasting your time, you’re wasting the time of the Sensei and instructors that could be assisting the other students. But I digress…

It’s important to be committed to one style. Sensei used to tell me, “one religion, one love, one style.” And the reason behind this is pretty simple. You can’t master one thing while simultaneously studying four others. Only through focus, commitment and dedication can you grow and progress within your training and move towards whatever goals you may have set for yourself. But while you’re busy carrying your tool box around, keep in mind that you should always leave room for some new tools. As the old saying goes, it’s difficult to fill a cup that is already overflowing.

In recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to train in a few different karate dojos. And something that has continued to amaze me is the difference in technique and methods, even for simple things that should be straightforward. Let’s take a front kick as an example. A front kick is a front kick, right? One would be inclined to think so. In my style, you begin by bring the knee up to make a 90-degree bend in the leg, followed by pushing out and striking with the big toe. The results is a deep, penetrating kick that can devastate the spleen and soft tissues. In a style I recently trained with, their front kick fires straight out from the standing position and the strike is performed with the ball of the foot.

So, which method is better? That’s the important question. So what should one do? Critique the other style for doing it wrong? Or open one’s mind to accept that perhaps there’s a different way? Personally, I’ve always been taught that chambering your kick prior to executing is important as it allows you the flexibility of changing the kick prior to execution. For example, I can flow from a front kick and alter to a roundhouse kick with little difficulty. But the other method could arguably save valuable seconds in its execution. And there’s no denying you have less chance of breaking your toes by using the ball of the foot as opposed to the big toe.

It’s important to remember that martial arts is a lot like falling flakes of snow. In nature, no two snowflakes are alike. Each one is different and unique. This is because as they fall each flake is subjected to wind current and moisture in the air that causes their crystals to form in a unique manner that’s never replicated twice. But ultimately, it’s all snow. The same can be said for martial arts. As it progresses and grows, each style develops in its own unique way, with its own techniques, methods and perspectives. But ultimately, it’s all martial arts.

So while you should stay committed to one style as your core, take the happy medium approach. Allow yourself the opportunity to be open-minded and learn something new. See the possibilities in the styles you visit as opposed to resisting the aspects you don’t agree with. The result will be a better equipped tool box in your overall self-defence repertoire. At some point, this inevitably becomes the only way to continue to grow. Food for thought… ☯️

The UnSeen Symptoms…

These days, we hear a lot of folks talk about invisible injuries or handicaps. While this can refer to a number of different things, it generally refers to instances where someone may be suffering from something that has no outward appearance or that the average person won’t notice. This can include but is not limited to things like PTSD, certain mental health conditions but even certain physical ailments that, while invisible on the outside, can cause great discomfort, pain and inconvenience to the sufferer.

While I wouldn’t necessarily consider Type-1 Diabetes to be an invisible condition, I could see how the average person might believe it to be so. When one considers that, all jokes about obesity meaning one has Diabetes aside, a person would not be able to tell simply by looking at me that I have Diabetes. Of course, if someone is astute enough to spot my insulin pump, it might be a different story. But my focus in today’s post is to consider some of the invisible “symptoms” or Diabetes, even the ones that often smack you in the face but you may not KNOW they’re a symptom.

I should point out that this list is mine and what I’ve noticed over the decades. I’m sure there’s more others could provide, but this is just to give you a bit of idea about three of the main issues that others could potentially attribute to something else. Here we go…

Mood Swings/Temper
Blood sugar fluctuations can also cause changes in one’s emotional state and temperament. For the most part, if my blood sugars rise, I’ll become a cranky, cantankerous asshole. Not to be confused with my everyday crankiness, these moods swings are essentially unavoidable and I have no control over them. While they don’t really happen so much these days, they used to happen quite frequently in my younger years, before I was on pump therapy and before I knew better. I’ll admit I had some ex-girlfriends who may or may not have walked away fully convinced I was just being a dick. In reality, it was blood sugar control that was needed.

This can also occur with extreme low blood sugar. I remember (or rather I was told) about an incident when I was in high school. Somehow, my blood sugars got away on me and I suffered a low. By the time the bell rang and I walked down to get in line for lunch, I was no longer in control of any fine motor function. Oddly enough, my mother had shown up to bring me lunch money and I apparently started yelling at her and told her to get out for the school. It wasn’t until I had eaten and my blood sugar started to level out that one of my friends told me what had happened.

I have no memory of it, at all. The lesson here is that if your fiend or loved one has Type-1 Diabetes and they seem off, emotionally, it’s important to consider they may have fluctuating blood sugars. Or they may just be a dick. I don’t know your friends. Moving on.

Bad Breath
There’s nothing worse than talking to someone who has bad breath. For someone with Diabetes, it can come along naturally or honestly, as this is yet again something that is usually immediately out of our control. There are a couple of reasons that someone with Diabetes will experience bad breath. The main one is that high blood sugars can lead to excess glucose in the saliva, which increases the bacteria in your mouth. As bacteria grow and propagate, it increases the amount of plaque you have, which can lead to bad breath. The bacterial life cycle itself can also cause bad breath.

If a Diabetic person’s breath smells a bit on the fruity side, it could be a sign of uncontrolled blood sugars and ketoacidosis, which is a condition where on’e blood becomes acidic as a result of extreme high blood sugars. In cases you’re not catching the theme here, the majority of these issues are caused by high blood sugars. But in this case, proper teeth brushing, coupled with regular dental visits are critical to maintaining that plaque level and cleanliness. This should be paired with proper monitoring and control of one’s blood sugars.

Fatigue/Apathy
I’ve lost count of how many times in my life I’ve had people call me lazy because my body was physically tired and I had no ability to push myself forward. I’ve had times in school where I was accused of falling asleep in class or people who considered me rude or lazy for refusing to do things or come out because I was tired. Once again, this can be easily attributed to blood sugars being out of whack. Having high blood sugars will make you seem lethargic or apathetic on its own.

Having an extreme low that you’ve treated will make you exhausted once your blood sugars level out because your body was struggling while you were low. You end up exhausted and it isn’t unusual after I’ve treated a low for me to need a short nap to allow my body to recover. To an unknowing person, partner or friend, it could just look like you’re sleeping your day away or are just lazy. I had this one friend back in New Brunswick who had the damndest habit of showing up at my home unannounced to hang out. If I were sleeping, he’d insist on waking me up and getting me out of bed. Boy lucky he didn’t get himself killed. Waking me is a bit like poking a bear. Possible but not advisable.

In the end, the prevention/mitigation of all of these symptoms includes proper blood sugar control, proper diet and proper self-care in general. Sounds easy enough on its face but it very rarely is. And it’s very easy for people to mistake a Diabetic symptom for something else. While not everyone is comfortable discussing their condition with others, the key is solid and open communication so that the people in your life understand. Food for thought… ☯️