Category: Diabetes

Give Yourself A Break…

Type-1 Diabetes is a beast of a condition to manage. I don’t think that should really be a secret to anyone who has it but to the undiagnosed general public, many seem to think that all it involves is taking the occasional insulin shot, testing your blood sugar and NOT eating sugar. In truth, managing Type-1 Diabetes is a life-long journey (although some would call it a battle) that requires constant monitoring and being on one’s guard. For myself, I was diagnosed at the tender age of 4 years old. Some would throw out a few token “aww’s” at that but realistically, I was too young to really know any different. It was likely easier for me than it would have been, had I gotten diagnosed into my teens the way some friends of mine have. I grew up learning how to manage Diabetes and never had the opportunity to develop “bad habits” that might have made control more difficult in my later years.

But for the folks who are not Diabetic and may not have a family member who is, there is a lot that goes on in the day-to-day steps to control my Diabetes and ensure I don’t lose my eyesight, have an organ fail or have limbs amputated due to poor control. And those are just some of the more knowable potential outcomes. The lesser known and visible side effects are things like ketoacidosis. I had a friend who hosted a guest in her home who was Type-1 Diabetic. He spent the weekend there and the following morning, she and her husband were curious at the fact that he was sleeping in so late. They knocked at the door and inquired when he would be getting up. She remembered him responding “Do I have to,” to which she indicated no and let him go back to sleep. An hour or two later, they were concerned enough that they decided they had to wake him. He had unfortunately locked the door and they had to break their way into the room. He had gone into a Diabetic coma and died. This is the darker side of the condition that people don’t recognize when they’re busy making jokes about “Diabeetus” and thinking it’s because just eat too much sugar or candy. But I digress…

Here are some of the things that I need to stay on constant guard about, when managing my Type-1 Diabetes on a day-to-day basis. This is the stuff that most people don’t realize and that aren’t visible to anyone who isn’t immediately in my household. This list is not exhaustive but is definitely part of my daily routine, which is likely why I’m always exhausted and need several cups of coffee. But here we go:

  • Extra and non-Diabetic Medications: This one is a particular sore point for me. Besides insulin injections, I have daily medications I need to take. In early 2010, a regularly scheduled doctor’s visit resulted in being prescribed statins, which are apparently a required staple of grown adults with Type-1 Diabetes to help control cholesterol levels, and Ramipril, which is used to control overall blood pressure and heart health. On top of that, although I came off of this one a few months ago, is a medication called Ezetemibe, which also used for cholesterol control. Although, since starting to use Ozempic in late 2023, I no longer need the Ezetemibe since my cholesterol is essentially a non-concern. Oh yeah, I take weekly Ozempic injections to help blood pressure and kidney health.
  • Frequent Blood Sugar Testing: I’m pretty lucky to be on a modern insulin pump. Prior to 2014, I was testing my blood sugars up to ten times a day on average. The problem with that is the inconvenience of having to blood let one of your fingertips when you’re feeling off, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. Flying blind and assuming your blood sugar levels can be dangerous and detrimental to your health. It’s even more inconvenient if you’re on a flight, in a restaurant or in a work meeting where you need to excuse yourself. Even worse was during the dating phase where you’d need to test your blood or worse, if things were heating up and getting physical and you had to ensure your blood sugars were okay to “proceed.” Thankfully, that part of my life is over.
  • Constantly Carrying a Man-Purse: What I’ve learned over time and especially in the past year or so, is that I can never take anything for granted. Stepping out of the house to run an errand while thinking “I’ll only be fifteen minutes,” can turn into a medical emergency pretty fuckin’ quick.! Just at the start of this summer, my blood sugars were normal and I had to run to a local mall to pick up one item. The mall is a literal five-minute drive away from the house. It should have been quick, easy and without concern. Once at the mall, my pump started loudly blaring at me. My blood had dropped to 3.4 mmol/L. What should have been a quick, ten or fifteen minute trip turned into forty minutes of sitting on a bench, sipping on a Coke and waiting for my blood sugars to rise enough for me to safely (and legally) drive home. These days, I always carry a small shoulder sling that contains a glucometre, a small first aid kit, wipes and hand sanitizer and at least one (although usually several) bags of non-perishable fast-acting carbs. Which brings me to my next point…
  • Keeping family Members from Being Concerned: They say it takes a village and in most circumstances, they would be right. One of my mother’s greatest concerns over the years would be that I would find myself alone as an adult and have to deal with the pitfalls of Diabetes alone. This can be inherently dangerous, since slipping into a serious Diabetic episode when I have no one to help can be deadly. But when I look at that scenario with the trip to the mall, one of the first things I did was text my wife. Not only to let her know I would be a while longer than expected but in the event I found myself in greater medical distress, I had to be prepared to have her assist me in some way, or at least know to go to the hospital to find me if something happened. It can be somewhat exhausting for family, especially considering it isn’t a condition they have themselves. That’s why it’s incredibly important NOT to get testy when they ask if you’ve tested your blood, or eaten enough, or remembered to take your pill. If you have family members that are invested enough to give a shit about your health, you need to soak that shit up and be grateful. Like I said, it takes a village.
  • Near Constant Adapting To Changing Conditions: Probably the toughest and most annoying aspect outside of taking insulin or testing your blood sugars, is having to adapt to plans depending on what your body is doing. Sure, everyone does this. Ever had to cancel plans with friends because you had the runs and couldn’t leave your house? Picture that, but on a daily basis. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to cancel coffee or hangouts with friends because I was ill due to blood sugars or my compromised immune system had me dealing with yet another common illnesses that most people would shrug off. Don’t even get me started on wanting to get a workout in but my low blood sugar fucks my night. Or, speaking of fucking up one’s night, imagine wanting to get physical with your significant other, but your blood sugars are too high or too low to allow you to perform as required. Not fun.
  • Traveling Becomes a Burden: Honestly, this has become WORSE since starting on an insulin pump. Travel becomes tedious, especially if I should be leaving the province or country. I have to calculate and plan out my insulin intake, use of supplies and alternatives in the event I run out of something at my destination. Will I be able to find what I need? Will I be covered for it, outside of my home Province or while I suddenly find myself paying a significant amount of money out-of-pocket? If a given pharmacy in the area doesn’t carry what I need, can I do without or will I be sacrificing a portion of my trip traveling elsewhere to find what I need? Just two years ago, my continuous glucose monitor expired and the one I had packed for the week failed on installation. My local pharmacies not only had no idea what I was talking about when I tried to purchase more, but I had no means of ordering any. I had to run the pump without CGM for the remainder of my trip.

While some of these can be chalked up to basic inconvenience, some of them can lead to significant issues or even become life-threatening. You know how you always read about these folks who get harassed for parking in a handicap space but don’t “look” disabled? Picture that, with everything but not limited to, everything I listed above. Managing and living with Type-1 Diabetes requires a daily grind where you can never let your foot off the gas. And people often wonder why I’m always exhausted and binging caffeine like it’s going out of style. Don’t eat sugar? Sure. Take daily insulin shots? Absolutely. But trust me when I say that while it could always be worse, Type-1 Diabetes, at least when it’s properly controlled, is a far cry from an easy walk in the park. Food for thought… ☯️

Not All That Glitters…

Ah, Shakespeare… I never read much of his stuff through school the way many others might have. Apparently, French schools in Northern New Brunswick took issue with using English literature as a base for learning. No idea if it’s still the same today, but back when I was a student, they died on the hill that they would only refer to French-origin authors. But I digress… Despite the title, today’s topic isn’t about Shakespeare. It’s about Diabetes. Specifically, the benefits and pitfalls of an insulin pump and some of the unseen difficulties that people may not be aware of, when they see someone rockin’ an insulin pump on my hip. I recently had a couple of teenagers walk past me in a retail store and they actually asked me if I was wearing a pager? First, I was surprised they knew what a pager was. Now, I’m just disappointed that they asked, considering the tubing that juts out from the top. But anyway, moving on…

I’ve been on pump therapy for a little over ten years now, and am enjoying my third insulin pump from the same supplier. Each more advanced than the previous, my first pump was a glorified syringe; providing a basal rate throughout the day and not delivering insulin unless I manually inputted carbs for as bolus. I still had to finger prick several times a day and maintain direct, hands-on control of all aspects of my Diabetes (which one likely should anyway). When the concept of continuous glucose monitoring was brought up, I was recommended the Freestyle Libre. Referred to as “the poor man’s CGM,” it wouldn’t tether or communicate with any pump, but a simple phone app would allow you to get your interstitial fluid reading at any time. The down fall to this is that it didn’t maintain levels for you or adjust your pump, so total manual intervention was still required. But it was still a step forward from constant finger pricks.

My second pump came with a tethered CGM, which now allowed me to have communication between the pump and the CGM for direct adjustments and insulin blouses, based on what my blood sugars were at, at the time of my meal. It was a significant step forward and prevented constant finger pricks every time I ate something. Which was nice. The third pump, which is the one I’m on now, not only has a tethered CGM but uses a platform called SmartGuard, which communicates and makes micro adjustments to my blood sugars every five minutes, depending on my blood sugar levels, insulin sensitivity at certain times of day, and different carb ratios for different meals and times of the day. These adjustments, performed by the pump itself without my intervention, have significantly improved my time in range, providing better overall blood sugar control, less extremes high’s and low’s and a happier, less grumpy me (although only marginally less grumpy).

So, here comes the dark side of pumps… I’ve always written that life rarely cares about one’s plans. The only stronger advocate for this effect is Type-1 Diabetes. At the end of the day, you can do everything inherently right and still have issues. Such examples happen frequently for me, despite how closely I watch my levels and take care of myself. After all, just about ANYTHING can affect blood sugars, including things like mood, temperature and climate and just about anything else you can possibly think of. And no matter how nice a trinket the insulin pump may be, or how diligently you work towards controlling your condition, something will always come along to throw a monkey wrench into the mix.

If you look at the image above, it shows a steady decline in blood sugars levels. This is from the app on my phone that monitors my pump functions, so that I don’t have to constantly remove the pump from my belt to look at it. This decline in blood sugars carried on for a couple of hours. If you look closely, you’ll note that the pump initially trie dot adjust by cutting off my basal flow shortly after the noon hour to compensate for the downward trend. Although sitting around 8.0 mmol/L isn’t a terrible level, the downward trend is what can be a concern. Once I dipped below 4.0 mmol/L, I slipped below proper range. I’ll point out that during this time period, I was at a science Centre with my family. I wasn’t engaged in stressful activity, I wasn’t exerting myself and I spent most of the visit sitting. It starts to take an upward trend shortly after the 2 o’clock hour. This is after spending over forty minutes eating an entire bag of Skittles (the large, 170g bag; not the individual 61g sachet).

It took another half hour or so for me to start to feel normal and to be able to function within what I needed to walk around, interact with my kids and get us home. It’s a not-so-frequent occurrence but it does happen; even with something as technologically amazing as the insulin pump. But low’s aren’t the only issue. Lingering high’s can also cause significant issues. High blood sugars can lead to nasty secondary issues like ketoacidosis, where your blood slowly turns acidic. Not fun. But the overall shitty feeling you have while dealing with either extreme high’s or low’s more than just suck; they can potentially endanger your life. The previous day to the scenario above, I had a blood sugar level in the mid-teens, which lingered for a significant portion of the day.

If you look at the image above, the tiny red slice accounts for the period below range I suffered while out with my family. The huge yellow portion is the approximate fourteen-and-a-half hours that my blood sugars were high. This led to a night with barely any sleep, frequent urination, constant adjustment bonuses to compensate, both manual and pump-programmed, and wondering at what point I should start to consider phoning an ambulance. Nice, eh? The icing on the cake is I ate nothing heavily sugared, drank plenty of water and fluids and didn’t do anything that should have elicited this spike. But for some reason, it happened, it lasted and it lingered. I had to deal with it during the period of the day that a reasonable person should be sleeping and getting the required rest for the day that would follow. It sucks, but such is the life of a Type-1 Diabetic. It sometimes has no rhyme or reason and just fucks with your day without warning.

This is all the more reason to be properly prepared at all times. In that extreme low scenario when I was out with my family, if I hadn’t packed my shoulder sling with some fast-acting carbs and other Diabetic necessities, I might have found myself in a difficult situation. And this is the where the “not all that glitters is gold,” comment comes in. The insulin pump is an amazing tool for Diabetes therapy. But that’s all it is; a tool. A technologically-advanced tool that makes my life ten times easier than it was two decades ago, mind you. But a tool nonetheless. And as handy and pretty as it is, it still falls to the person behind the pump to ensure proper blood sugars levels are controlled and health is maintained. Diabetes has come a long way, since I was diagnosed all the way back in 1982. I can say with sincere honesty that I can’t wait to see what the next decade will bring. After all, there’s nowhere to go but up. Stay healthy. ☯️

When Customer Service Still Exists… (Above & Beyond)

We live in a world of entitlement and immediate gratification. Most people these days are of the opinion that they owed everything, are entitled to everything and assume they’re always right. I see a lot of that. Cue a British retail mogul named Selfridge, who coined the phrase “the customer is always right…” In the early 20th Century, Selfridge coined this slogan, but the part that modern people seem to forget, is that the slogan actually reads, “the customer is always right in matters of taste.” This slogan was meant to emphasize that customers should always have their preferences catered to, rather than lose the sale. Somehow, over the decades that followed, it got shortened to “the customer is always right,” and customers the world over have used this as a weapon to assume businesses should bend over backwards to provide things the customer either hasn’t paid for, or isn’t entitled to. The flip side to that coin, is the degradation of customer service in modern retail. More and more, it seems that getting decent service and correct orders in almost any industry is a dead art; businesses preferring to assume customers should just take their chances and suck it up if it’s wrong, rather than actually try to do it right.

It’s a bit of a cynical view, I admit. But it comes from a place of experience and knowledge. I’ve worked in retail industries often over the past three decades, despite my policing career, and I’ve seen the damage from both sides. This is why, when good service is provided, especially good service that goes above and beyond, I believe that is should not only be recognized but thoroughly congratulated. So, here’s the background. I was diagnosed as Type-1 Diabetic when I was four years old. As of two days go, that means that I’ve been Type-1 for 43 years. I’ve been around the block, as far as dealing with every possible situation Diabetes can throw at me, including ketoacidosis, comas, frequent dehydration, eye issues (hence my eye injections) and kidney issues. I’m among the lucky ones, as I’ve worked and fought hard to maintain myself and my health, preventing some of the more serious complications of Type-1, such as organ failure and, well… death. So believe me when I say that I try and do everything right and control my condition with an almost surgeon-like precision.

Whenever I travel, whenever I leave the house, really, I always make a point of bringing along certain necessities with me. This usually includes nasal spray, hand sanitizer, a portable first aid kit, a glucometer, and last but not least, fast-acting carbohydrates, like Skittles or Swedish Berries. This is done almost without exception since, even on a short car ride, my blood can suddenly drop for little to no reason and I can find myself stuck in traffic with no means of treating a low. It’s almost reflexive at this point, having done so for most of my adult life. Which is why the situation that happened last Thursday night came as a bit of a shock… I travelled to Saskatoon for my scheduled eye injections. I do these at 13-week intervals now, which is a marked improvement from the 4-week intervals I started at. Once again, a testament to how the body can heal itself from many conditions if you take care of yourself and give it the tools it needs. I travelled to the city Thursday morning and checked into my hotel room without issue. I walked over to the hospital about mid-afternoon and got checked into for my procedure. Getting through the process can take a couple of hours but the procedure itself is only about ten minutes. Modern medicine, go figure.

That evening, I enjoyed a solitary meal at the Irish pub located on the ground floor of my hotel. Everything went fine and I made my way back up to my room to binge-watch some Netflix and go to sleep. I awoke a couple of hours later to my insulin pump blaring an alarm at me. It appeared that I was suffering a low. Not just a low, but I got the dreaded “Below 2.8mmol/L” message, which meant that my low blood sugar was basically at a life-threatening level. The only thing I can figure is that I had over-bolused for my meal and the additional insulin hadn’t caught up to me until then. Yet another reason why it’s never a good idea to eat so close to bedtime. Accustomed to treating late-night lows, I staggered over to my backpack and rummaged through, trying to wrap my fingers around the live-saving gummies or Skittles I expected to find. Only, I found nothing… The candies I usually so meticulously packed in every bag whenever I left the house were nowhere to be found. Panic began to set in. I considered downing the little sugar packet included with my coffee station but quickly dismissed the idea, since it would have very little effect and I would still be in trouble. With little other choice and quickly losing sense of my faculties, I did the only thing I COULD do; I grabbed my room key and debit card and stumbled out of my room to seek help.

I made my way to the ground floor and remembered the bank of vending machines to my left. I walked over and struggled to see clearly, both from the blood sugar and from my recent eye injections, to figure out if one of the machines took debit. I felt the minutes melting away, so I walked up to the counter and asked the front clerk for help. I managed to mumble out that I was Type-1 Diabetic and was having a low episode and needed his help. Although I have been staying at this hotel for over ten years, I didn’t recognize this man, which likely makes sense as I’m usually sleeping during the over night. This man guided me over to the lobby couch, sat me down and hustled into the restaurant’s kitchen and got me a cup of straight Coke. He handed it to me and watched me as I drank it readily. He got me a refill once I had finished the first cup and carried on from the reception desk, while keeping a clear eye on me. After about ten minutes, my blood sugars started to climb back to a level where I could at least start to see properly and feel a sense of coherence again. He asked me how I was feeling, to which I replied that I was coming around. The clarity of my voice must have encouraged him, compared to what I had initially mumbled.

I slowly walked over to the vending machines and I was able to find one machine that took debit, so I got myself a bottle of Coke to bring back to the room, in the event I dropped again or if I needed a little bit extra. I was sure to thank this gentleman before getting on the elevator. My blood rose to over 4.0 mmol/L before I finally fell back asleep, which isn’t phenomenal but was a clear sign it was climbing and my pump would wake me if it dropped again. I woke up the next morning feeling as though I had been hit by a freight train. I felt like an absolute inexperienced idiot. Not only did I have one of the worst lows in recent memory, I ad to do it while I was away from home and on the one occasion where I somehow forgot to pack some carbs for the trip. I know how the latter happened but I won’t bore you with the reasoning. The bottom line is that when it comes to my health, there is no valid excuse. If anything, I should have checked my back when I arrived and unpacked. At least then, I would have had the opportunity to buy something for the room ahead of time and I could have avoided the whole thing.

As I started sipping my morning caffeine, the reality of the situation started to sink in. The severity of the low and the situation I was in, alone in a hotel room, no sugary products to consume and slowly losing cognitive capacity, this could have gone from bad to extremely worse in very short order, had I not made my way downstairs and if my mystery clerk hadn’t assisted me. Although he may not have been fully aware of just how serious a state I was in, and he may not recognize that he may have potentially saved my life (or at the very least, saved me from an ambulance ride), he rose to the occasion and helped me without hesitation. He could have done what many would have done, and what I’ve been subjected to in the past, where security could have been called, accused me of being intoxicated, etc. After all, incoherent, stumbling man on shorts and bare-footed, mumbling something about an episode; many would have acted differently. But not this man. This man stepped up and gave me the help I needed to allow me to help myself. For me, that’s customer service that goes above and beyond what one would usually hope to find.

When I checked out of my room that morning, I asked the front desk clerk who the gentleman working overnight was called. As I asked, I reached over to the bank of business cards on the desk and grabbed one for the General Manager. I think the clerk took this as a bad sign and asked me if something had happened. I said that yeah, something had happened. This man possibly saved my damn life and I wanted his name so her could be recognized. She told me her name was Greg, and was happy to hear that he was able to help. I’ll be sending a note to their General Manager recognizing this man and what he did for me last Thursday. He showed the kind of attention and assistance that everyone in the service industry should be able to provide for their guests/customers. And I should dare say that customer service like that doesn’t belong on the night shift. Hat’s off to you, Greg! You’re an example to others. Keep up the good work!

For myself, this was a sobering reminder that my condition follows me wherever I go. It doesn’t take days off, doesn’t stay behind when I travel and won’t give me an inch for the mile. By virtue of that, it’s all the more reason for me to be vigilant in preparing for any outing, trip or travel. After all, I can’t always assume that in the event of an emergency, Greg will be there to save the day. Sugary food for thought… ☯️

I Have Superpowers…

No, I’m not faster than a speeding bullet. I can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound and I’m not mightier than a locomotive. I’m not referring to the imaginary superpower, although that would be really fuckin’ cool. I always thought the power of flight would be the best power, since I could eat to work every morning without paying for gas or sitting on public transit. But I digress… No, the super power I’m referring to, is one that we all have and we can all take advantage of. The big problem is that in general, without limiting ourselves by certain exceptions, no one tends to recognize or take advantage of those super powers. I’m talking about your body’s own inherent abilities.

The human body is a genuinely amazing thing. For the most part, the human body is able to heal and/or regenerate almost all the tissues within itself, with the obvious exception of teeth. Bear in mind, there’s a huge difference between “healing” and “regenerating.” For example, the liver is one of the only organs that can positively regrow, even if a significant portion of it has been removed. Bones will also knit themselves back together, often stronger than their previous state, when broken. The majority of the tissues in one’s body will heal themselves back together their original state, or what’s known as “cell replacement.” Depending on how they heal, this can be pretty extreme. For example, I’ve read that the lining of our stomachs and intestines are almost constantly replaced by fresh cells; a necessary system of the body to counteract the corrosive nature of our digestive acids, or the uterine lining in a woman’s body, which regenerates completely from one month to another.

This plays a major role in how we live. For the most part, the healthier we live, the better the chances we have of proper healing and recovery. For example, despite being one of the organs that can regenerate, the liver will fail and die off if one consumes and abuses of alcohol. Certain nutrient or mineral deficiencies will prevent bones from knitting and can even make them brittle. It’s important to note that nutritional, lifestyle habits and even how we sleep can affect our body’s overall ability to heal and regenerate itself. Age also plays an important factor, of course, with one’s body’s ability to heal properly decreases with time and age. But in terms of lifestyle and fitness, I can provide a first-hand example…

In November of 2023, I received a Type-1 Diabetic’s worst news from my endocrinologist. My blood work showed that my kidneys were struggling and I was in the early stages of kidney failure. That would be scary for anybody but having lived for 43 years with a condition that I knew would eventually knock one of my organs out of play (besides the pancreas, of course). It’s a reality I was always aware of but never really paid any mind, since I tend to work out pretty well and monitor my blood sugars pretty closely. I remember walking out of my doctor’s office that day with a fairly strong sense that I had been handed a death sentence. Recognizing that I had a family and very much left to do with my life, I did what I always do when death foolishly knocks at my door; I fought back. I started by asking what could be done to heal the issue. This is an important aspect to proper health. People these days are obsessed with “treating” symptoms but never really look at the overlying cause that’s brought them to their current state.

My doctor suggested that losing a bit of weight would help. My initial thought was “fuck you, too.” Although always on the husky side, I’ve never been obese or even what one would call fat. Although I snack and eat like the best of the ‘em, I’ve never been a horrific eater and always monitor my carb intake carefully. This is where he introduced me to Ozempic and suggested I start taking it. I was pretty leery of it, due to the negative spin the media had put out. But I reluctantly started on it. In tandem with the drug, I also drastically altered my diet. No, I didn’t jump on to some stupid fad or gimmicky diet and I didn’t download an app. I simply took common sense steps that doctors and nutritionists have been barking for decades. I started avoiding battered foods in favor of fresh, lean proteins. I got in the habit of pan-searing fresh fish instead of getting battered, frozen fish. Steak and chicken were prepared fresh, as well. Healthy grains in small doses, fruits and even soup, which I’ve always considered a nemesis of mine. I had soup forced on me a lot during my childhood and as an adult, I always stood that a liquid couldn’t be a meal. I’ve allowed myself to provide me wrong.

Sleep habits were altered. I go to bed effectively the same time every night, with the only exceptions being if I’m traveling and it can’t be helped. I started taking steps to ensure proper, uninterrupted sleep, which has been challenging in and of itself, due to PTSD. But once I got to a certain point, I can now get at least six to seven hours of sleep WITHOUT any of the initial aids I was taking to get that sleep. Most mornings, I wake up prior to my alarm. Working out has been a consistent challenge in recent years. Fatigue and lack of motivation can be some of the biggest obstacles to proper health. I changed up my routine where, instead of trying to work out for a couple of hours, several times a week, I work out for thirty minutes, every day. There are days where I miss, of course. But losing one 30-minute workout is much easier to recover from, than going a full week without working out at all.

In conjunction with the Ozempic, this led to about 30 pounds of weight loss, which is almost double what most semaglutide users can expect. Instead of sitting back and letting the medication treat something, I jumped on and helped it do its job. Given this weight loss, a few magical things started to happen. My blood sugars became increasingly easy to control. My blood pressure dropped and stayed down, meaning I had less headaches. My sleep quality increased significantly but last and not least was the biggest aspect of all; my kidneys had recovered and I was no longer in early stages of failure. The sense of relief and satisfaction at having taken my health in had the way I did was phenomenal. Now, I’m not suggesting that someone who IS in kidney failure can recover their organs. I’m not friggin’ Wolverine, after all. I was lucky enough to have caught this at a stage where the damage could be reversed.

The lesson here is that most people have vices that are unhealthy and do damage that isn’t seen in the here and now. It isn’t until a red light pops up that we decide to stop and take a good, hard look at our habits. Some people never get the opportunity. But making some of these small changes to one’s habits can be life-prolonging, if not life-saving. So, we all have a super power. We have the ability within ourselves to heal our bodies and maintain our health. We simply need to embrace that power and work towards making life healthier and easier for ourselves. Food for thought. ☯️

The Minimalist’s Travels…

A couple of weeks ago, I travelled to the East Coast to go deal with some family matters for my folks. It was a tumultuous week of emotional ups and downs, for a variety of reasons but you can read all about that in a series of posts entitled “Here We Go Again.” Since I was traveling by myself for the week, I made my way back to my home Province with nothing but a military-style rucksack on my back and survived for seven days. After the series of posts, I had some folks reach out and ask me exactly how I managed to survive a full week with nothing but minimal clothing and a small backpack. Well, I can confirm that it’s equal parts efficient packing and planning once I was on the ground. And with this, hopefully short, post, I’m going to walk you through it. Let’s see what I can manage…

First and foremost, I travelled with 5.11’s Rush 24, a 37L military-style rucksack. Black in color and boasting several compartments and pockets, I typically use it for my day-to-day transit to and from work, to carry my laptop, iPad and personal effects during the week. In this instance, I chose to use it to travel. For anyone interested, you can find it on Cabella’s website here. While a bit costly, it’s made of durable material that can not only hold everything I need but also withstands travel and being tossed around. Hence the military-style aspect. Sitting about 20 inches high and roughly 8 to 10 inches deep. It allowed me to pack the following… (Bear in mind that this was for seven days and six nights’ of travel)

  • Three pairs of underwear and socks;
  • Three dri-fit shirts;
  • A hoodie
  • Three sets of pump supplies (reservoirs, infusion sets and sensors);
  • Minimal toiletries (toothbrush, nasal spray and fast-acting carbs);
  • My personal cell phone and work phone;
  • My iPad;
  • My noise-cancelling headphones; and
  • All required cords for devices.

That’s it! That’s all I travelled with, for an entire week. I forgot to include a bottle of insulin in that list but that goes without saying. I also wore a thin, Under Armour jacket over my shirt, since it was only 15 degrees when I left Saskatchewan. At first glance, most people would assume that this is crazy or that I’m making it up. After all, I’m sure there are several items that you’ve noticed are missing from this list, that the average person would definitely require in order to be away from home for several days. But bear with me, young padawan… I’m going to teach you the ways of minimalist travel…

On the morning of my departure, I took a hot shower, shaved and brushed my teeth. Nothing out of the ordinary that the average person should be doing on a daily basis, anyway. But since I was freshly clothed, deodorant applied and fully packed, I had very little in terms of hygiene to worry about. At least until I arrived at my destination. I grabbed my rucksack and got dropped off at the airport by my family, about to depart and be without them for the week. With only the rucksack to bring along, I didn’t need to check any baggage and I didn’t have to contend with the current trend where too many carry on’s are brought on planes, prompting flight crews to force me to check my bags. I could stuff the rucksack under my seat and still access my tablet and headphones as I saw fit. It also meant that I didn’t have to wait for baggage at the carousel, saving me lots of time at the arrival end of things.

Once at my hotel, I could slip quietly into bed and sleep off my travel, ready to deal with the issues of the coming week. Now, you may be thinking, “He brought a tooth brush but no toothpaste.” You’re right. What one needs to realize is that traveling to New Brunswick can be a significantly costly endeavor, especially with a family to support. Saving money wherever possible is key. Since this wasn’t a vacation, per se, and far from a pleasure trip, I had to ensure I was thrifty in what I spent on. First and foremost, one should always take advantage of the free amenities that most hotels will offer. If you attend the front counter and advise them of something you’ve forgotten or need, they’ll often have sample or travel size options that you can get as a courtesy. This includes toothpaste. On my first morning in New Brunswick, I got a travel tube of toothpaste from the front counter. Pair that with a hot shower using the soap and shampoo available in the room, and I was off to the races.

My first stop to ensure a smooth, and worry-free week, was the travel section of my local, big box retail store. Travel options will usually run you very little money and can actually last far longer than one would be inclined to think. Once in the travel section, I grabbed an antiperspirant, hair gel, supplementary toothpaste, a disposable razor and shaving foam, as well as a travel shampoo and a single bar of old school Dove soap (since hotel soap is almost non-existent). Then, I was off to a pharmacy location, where I was able to find a single-use box of Tide laundry detergent, to use with in the hotel’s guest laundromat. Based solely on those purchases, which barely ran me over $20, I was set from the toiletries and hygiene standpoint. Check!

Next, comes food… There’s no denying that meal consumption can be one of the most costly expenses when traveling. Ever try to get a basic eggs, bacon, toast breakfast at an airport? I did… The cheapest I found was about $35. Fuck you, airport! For that amount, I can buy a dozen eggs, a pound of bacon and a loaf of bread for several meals and still not reach $35! But even eating out at restaurants and fast food for the week can start to drain the ol’ bank account pretty damned quick. Especially since even fast food value menus are now almost as costly as full, sit-down meals at a full restaurant, finding way sot trim costs can be difficult. Since I’m by myself and have no one else to please or squalling kids with fussy tastes to contend with, I could live on the bare minimum for the week without concern.

First, we start with breakfast. I’m a bit old school with respect to the fact that when I think vacation breakfast, I want hot options that include meat. Maybe that’s just me as a dude, but I was some eggs. I want some bacon or some sausage. And since those items are carb-free, it has the potential to make breakfast my most filling meal of the day. My hotel, however, does not have these meat options. In the past, I would have turned my nose up and grabbed a sausage McMuffin instead. This time around, saving money was key and I swallowed (pun intended) my pride. My breakfasts for the week consisted of muffins, yogurt and the occasional hard-boiled eggs, since they did have those on occasion. For lunches, I found a six-pack of high-protein, high-calories meal replacement shakes at the pharmacy. Tossed those in the mini fridge and downed one at midday as my lunch. Then, schedule pending, I would allow myself some sort of proper, sit-down meals somewhere for supper. So, six breakfasts and six lunches ran me about $13, since breakfasts were free and the money was only for the meal replacement shakes. Not too shabby, since one meal at a restaurant would have no doubt cost more than that.

After a few days, I did a load of laundry at the hotel and refreshed the limited clothing I brought with me. I did so again on the Thursday before traveling back to Moncton for my early flight the next morning. All of these little steps allowed me to travel light, travel efficiently and save hundreds in what would have otherwise been a much more expensive trip. I didn’t suffer or want for anything while I did all of this, but I was able to keep my wallet from cracking down the middle. Bear in mind, nine of this minimalist approach would have been possible if I had been traveling with my family. A spouse and kids means more baggage, more meals and there’s no conceivable way in hell MY sons would have consented to drinking a meal replacement shakes every day. The costs would have been far more significant. But it allowed me to travel out to New Brunswick, see to my parents’ affairs and visit some old friends on a reasonably tight budget. I used to think I could never do what I’ve seen others do, traveling with next to nothing, staying in hostels, etc… But some of it is very doable and possible. It also makes coming home to a warm bed, hot meals and a grateful family all the more worthwhile. Food for thought… ☯️

Oh, All The Supplements…

I tend to monitor a number of health trends and websites in my daily grind. When you’ve been diagnosed with a life-altering condition at a very young age, you tend to keep an eye on things that could potentially provide some benefit or ease symptoms of said condition. For example, there’s a lot of hype online about a woman in China who was apparently taken completely off insulin therapy for her Type-1 Diabetes, using stem cell therapy. While I haven’t read all the articles and am not completely versed on the ins and outs of this apparent “success,” I do know that based on other research I’ve done, anything that comes from transplanting one thing into another, is the vast plethora of anti-rejection meds that one tends to be dependent on, usually for the remainder of their lives. That may be better than the alternative of being on insulin therapy for the rest of one’s life. But I’m just saying, the jury’s still out…

But what I want to touch on today, is a chemical called L-Carnitine. I’ve seen tons of type on social media, fitness sites and medical websites about this stuff, boasting how it helps you to turn body fat into immediate fuel, causing weight loss in those who take it. Given that I’m always skeptical about trends and gimmicks meant to help someone lose weight without putting the work in, I had to investigate. I know, I know, this is coming from someone who injects Ozempic into his body on a weekly basis. However, semaglutides are already naturally produced by the body. The injections simply add to that, making kidney health, blood pressure and lower blood sugars and weight a possibility. You still need to control your diet, exercise regularly and take good care of yourself to prevent other issues. Imagine my surprise when I found that L-Carnitine is just a little bit, if not a lot, the same…

So, what is L-Carnitine? According to an article I found on WebMD, “L-carnitine is a chemical that is made in the human brain, liver, and kidneys. It helps the body turn fat into energy.” So, sounds just a little bit like what they indicate in all the hype promos I’ve seen. And “made in” the human brain, etc? Sounds naturally-produced, a bit like the semaglutides in Ozempic. But L-Carnitine is actual very important for brain and heart function, as well as muscle movement. It’s actually necessary for the proper physical function of the body. Okay, so far, so good. L-Carnitine is used to support people who lack in this chemical naturally, and to help treat certain conditions of the heart and kidneys. But the article doesn’t go a great deal into that. While it boasts a number of different uses for treatment of serious medical conditions, it’s the weight loss that I’ll focus on, here.

The idea here, is that if L-Carnitine turns body fat into fuel, one should naturally lose weight while taking it, since it will melt your fat stores in order to produce fuel, which will result in the slimming of one’s gut and overall fat stores. One thing the article doesn’t touch on, is how one needs to alter and/or maintain diet or exercise. Intuitively, I’m inclined to assume that if you don’t exercise and limit the crap you eat, you’ll have limited success. It’s also important to note that like any other supplement or medication, you should take anything without first consulting your physician or medical practitioner. Especially since you never know what interactions you may have with the existing medications you’re on. And I have to admit that the “infomercials” tend to focus on all the obvious deflection tactics, such as showing someone whose already trim and buff, downing L-Carnitine, suggesting he got that way by doing so.

As I’ve come to learn over the decades, there are no free lunches. Pun fully intended, since you take this stuff orally. Apparently. Some of the medical-grade stuff is apparently taken by IV. But another article I found on HealthLine reflected much of the same as the WebMD article, with one notable exception. The article reads, “L-carnitine helps move more fatty acids into your cells to be burned for energy, so it’s sometimes used as a weight loss supplement. A 2020 review of 37 studies found that L-carnitine supplementation significantly reduced body weight, body mass index (BMI), and fat mass. However, it had no effect on belly fat or body fat percentage.” So for me, it’s a pretty weak prospect since belly fat is what I’m most concerned about. L-Carnitine can apparently also HELP with exercise, even if exercise is needed to help burn fat.

For example, I used to get my supplements through a supplier (I can’t remember which one) that sent me a small sample bottle of L-Carnitine. It was branded as a supplement that would help boost my workouts. I saw absolutely no measurable difference, although it was just a small sample bottle with about two doses. So, the jury’s still out. I don’t know if this stuff is on the level and legit, or not. You’d have to judge for yourself. And make sure you consult a doctor before you do. All I know, is that nothing in this life is without effort. No matter the supplement you take, the miracle results it boasts or whether you believe it’ll work or not, nothing will substitute good ol’ fashioned blood, sweat and tears. Even WITH a supplement that shows ANY result, proper diet and exercise are a must and necessary to assist with weight loss and getting rid of that pain in gut belly pouch that everyone hates. Food for thought… ☯️

Here We Go Again, Part 5…

Okay, so if I’m being real for a moment, these posts all week have been pretty negative and depressing. I get, no need to say it… It’s a bit hard not to be depressing when one is talking about the decline of one’s parents and all the unfortunate realities that come with it. So, considering I accomplished all the parent-related matters I came out here to do (to an extent), I thought it might be nice if I focused on some of the positive aspects. For one thing, I got to SEE my parents. If there’s one thing that been hard over the years, it’s been living clear on the other side of the country, away from them. I also got to spend time with Sensei, reconnect with my Uncle Danny, who has been amazing with helping with mom and dad, and even got the opportunity to grab dinner and shoot some pool with some old friends. I was rusty as hell, but hey! I never go out anymore so this was particular. And today, I actually get to travel down to Bathurst and visit Sensei’s son, whom I basically grew up with as a brother.

Among a few of the smaller, less important hiccups I’ve dealt with, is the lack of certain items. One of the reasons I was able to travel so quickly and efficiently (said tongue in cheek, considering all the delays outside my control) is because when I’m alone, I have the benefit of traveling extremely light and without excess baggage. This is not so easy to accomplish when you know you’ll be at your destination for several days. So, how do I do it? Well, to start with, I have a black, military rucksack with good compartment division that allows me to pack efficiently in such a way where I can fund anything on the fly without issue. Next, I make a point of packing ONLY what’s absolutely necessary without a bunch of extra shit that takes up space. I have a pair of sneakers on my feet. Boom! No need to drag additional footwear. I wasn’t planning on going dancing, after all. Three pairs of socks, three pairs of underwear and four shirts. I wore a zip-up hoodie when I left Regina and brought a super light, Under Armor windbreaker for rain or lighter weather.

The important thing and I always found it a bit dumb, but rolling up your clothing instead of folding it actually saves a huge amount of space and makes it possible to fit more into something smaller. Pair this with a small bathroom “pouch” and you’re off to the races. I call it a “pouch” as opposed to a toiletry bag because it’s about half the size and thickness, to better accommodate the limited space I have. The only thing included in there are infusion sets and reservoirs for my insulin pump and my toothbrush. Some of my smaller compartments had a pack of gum and some Skittles, in the event my blood drops. There’s nothing worse than being at 35,000 feet on a flight that serves no snacks while having a low. Entertainment-wise, I permitted myself to bring my iPad, which houses not only my streaming services and my blogging platform, it also contains my Kobo e-reader and some games that I can play to pass the down time. That’s the beauty of modern technology; everything is jammed into one thing, Star Trek-esk pad.

Now, you may be looking at all of this and thinking that there are a lot of things missing. And you would be right. What about toothpaste? What about deodorant? Some of the basics aren’t really there. Well, when I travel alone, I also try to save as much money as possible. Especially since this isn’t exactly a vacation or pleasure trip. Bear in mind that I left Regina freshly showered, teeth brushed and deodorant applied, like a good, clean little boy should. Like a brand new car just off the lot, I boarded my plane with a new car smell. Once I landed in New Brunswick and started driving north with my rental, I had been in airports, airplanes and sitting idle all day but getting warm, dealing with stress and running around and I was clammy. So, once I reached Miramichi, I stopped at the local Walmart and hit up their travel section. The travel section of any retail location is an overlooked gem, even for when you’re at home. It carries smaller, cheaper and more compact versions of every day hygiene items that one could need.

From this Walmart, I grabbed a reusable bag, since I always seem to be caught buying up some energy drinks with my bare hands. Since they always seem to be on special to buy several at a reduced price, I usually end up fumbling with my hotel room’s scan cards while juggling several cans. But with my reusable bag, I was able to grab deodorant, hair gel, a single bar of Dove soap, shampoo, shaving foam and a disposable razor. A few energy drinks and some sugar-free Gatorade for the room, and I was off to the races. Excluding the energy drinks which I would have bought at home anyway, I spent less than $20 on my toiletries for the trip. Considering a checked bag for Air Canada is $80, it represents a significant savings and allowed to travel much lighter than I otherwise would have. Given the extreme heat, I’ve pretty much had to surrender my clothing to the laundry basket every night. This means I had to grab some laundry soap. Luckily, my hotel has a coin operated laundromat. I had initially planned on doing only one load of laundry TODAY, as I will be traveling back to Moncton tomorrow. But given the high temperatures, I’ve been sweating through my few shirts in record time. As a result, I will be doing my SECOND load of laundry this morning.

So, in summation, I took the cheapest flight, which left me at a bit of a disadvantage as I couldn’t amend, cancel or alter my travel arrangements once paid, the cheapest hotel in the area, which although I had issues with it in May, they were extremely accommodating this time around, and traveled light with limited items to make transit and packing easier. All around, this is probably one of the cheapest trips I’ve ever had to New Brunswick in years, minus the time Air Canada made a mistake booked my round trip for a little over $500. My flight sorts are usually almost four times that amount. No such luck this time but it was roughly $1,000 for the tickets and I usually pay about twice that. Once I’ve hung out with Sensei’s son this afternoon, I’ll likely make it back in time to go watch the Naked Gun remake, starring Liam Neeson. It lend a bit of comedy and laughs to an otherwise depressing trip.

Tomorrow, I travel down to Moncton, where I will be spending my last night in New Brunswick. This is being done since my flights departs sometime around 6 am, which means I would have to leave Campbellton right around the time I’d be going to bed, considering the detours for the wild fires. ten years ago, I likely would have been able to manage that without issue. This time around, i believe I’m reaching an age where driving all night in the dark is no longer something i feel i’m capable of. So instead, I’m going to park myself at a hotel five minutes from the airport so I can simply wake up, jump into my pants and be out the door. Quick, easy and convenient. The best part is this early flight will see me land back home prior to lunchtime, since Saskatchewan’s time zone is three hours behind New Brunswick’s. It will be good to get home. I think I’ve done about as much damage here as can be done. It’s grime to go. ☯️

A Prison Of My Own Body…

That title is likely a bit dramatic when compared to my poor father, who’s currently paralyzed from the neck down, or people with debilitating conditions that eventually make them lose control of their own body. Even when compared to my Diabetic peers, I’m pretty much the top tier of how one should control their condition. If that sounds like I’m bragging, it’s because I am. I’ve worked extremely hard over the decades to maintain proper blood sugar control, stay healthy and in reasonably good shape and show Diabetes that I’ll fight back and won’t go down easy.

All of that being said and as noble as it sounds, it doesn’t change the fact that Type-1 Diabetes is a condition that essentially makes one a prisoner to their therapies. Without it, and as I’ve often written before, the average Type-1 Diabetic will only survive roughly ten days before slipping into a comatose state and dying. It’s a harsh reality that I am reminded of on a weekly basis when my blood sugars drop or spike, or I fall ill and have my whole bodily system go haywire. But on the whole, and for the past ten years or so, I’ve become a model citizen of a shitty place I like to call Diabetesburg.

Once in a while, my condition will do something that shakes the dust off and scares the ever-loving fuck out me, and reminds me that I always have to be vigilant and prepared. It’s a shitty way to live but a necessary one. It simply means I lack some of the day-to-day freedoms that most people get to enjoy. This brings us to an unfortunate incident that took place last Wednesday when my family and I decided to go out to dinner after I got off of work. It reminded me of just how prepared I had to be.

It started late afternoon, when my wife and I were discussing supper options for when I got home. We had previously agreed on a taco salad and were discussing who would stop and gather ingredients to prepare it. My wife suddenly remembered she had a free desert at one of our favourite sit-down restaurants in the city. This was a perk she had received for her birthday last month, but it would expiring at the end of the week. The unfortunate part is she couldn’t simply order it and pick it up; it had to be consumed on site in conjunction with a meal.

We decided to treat ourselves to dinner so that the complimentary desert wouldn’t be lost. This involves convincing our two sons, who are extremely picky eaters, to leave the house so that we could indulge. My wife was successful in this endeavour and we all piled into the family vehicle and headed over to the restaurant. An important detail to note is that when I left work, my blood sugar was sitting at a very comfortable, very normal, 5.5 mmol/L. My CGM showed no indication that I would headed on a downward trend or any issues. Considering we were going to eat, I thought I was good to go.

Good to go, for me, means that I don’t have to drag my “man purse” with me. This usually contains a glucometre, fast-acting carbs, as well as a small first aid kit and an assortment of small self-defense implements that I almost always keep on my person. Again, since we were going to eat, I felt I could drive from my home to the restaurant, which was only about five minutes away, without much cause for concern. I would realize very quickly just how very wrong I was…

We started by placing our drink orders. Waters for my wife and I, and chocolate milk for our two ankle-biters. We placed some simple meal orders, including a cheese pizza for my oldest and chicken fingers for the youngest. My wife and I decided to split an order of boneless wings with some fries. The reasons for listing all of our food choices becomes important shortly. Besides a trip to the “potty” with my youngest and downing my water within two minutes, which is pretty common for me, we received our food without incident. Them my pump buzzed against my hip and all hell broke loose.

I felt it was strange that my pump would be asking for a calibration around 5pm, which is not when I usually do my testing. But lo and behold, it was a low blood sugar alert. I had dropped to about 3.2 mmol/L. Okay, deep breath… Not a big deal, food is going in, right? Wrong. Within a few short minutes, my pump alerted me to “Below 2.8 mmol/L,” which is its polite way of telling me that it could no longer gauge what my blood sugar was actually sitting at. This is problematic for two reasons. The first, is that my breaded chicken wings would provide some carbohydrate but likely not enough to reverse this extreme low. The second is that on average, most people will lose consciousness right around the 2.0 mmol/L mark, and I was sitting in a fucking restaurant.

I’ve gone almost twenty years without having to call an ambulance for something Diabetes-related, and that night was not the night I intended to break that streak. One big issue is that over the decades, I’ve worked towards keeping myself reasonably high-functioning when hit with low levels. This is safety measure I trained myself for as a result of my law enforcement career, where I may not always have the ability to stop and eat whenever I choose. By virtue of this, I often won’t feel the symptoms of low blood sugar for typical lows. But this was far from a typical low.

I began to sweat, my hands were shaking and my vision blurred. My fine motor skill began to fail and I was wolfing down wings like my life depended on it… because it did! Usually, and to be clear, this is no fault of the restaurant staff, but usually we barely take two bites and someone’s at our table asking how things are tasting. On this occasion, and because life hates me, our waitress was nowhere to be found. The couple of times I saw her, she was rushing off with food or taking payment from someone. All I needed was to put in an order for a Coke or Pepsi so I could get something fast-acting into my system,

Time was draining away and I didn’t have a great window of opportunity before I would need medical intervention. I started contemplating alternatives. Gulping down my children’s chocolate milk? Stagger across the parking lot to the gas station and grab a pack of Skittles? Go figure, the one time I leave the house without my pack and this happens… And where the fuck was our waitress??? She finally comes by and I mumble out that I would like a Coke or a Pepsi. She carries on asking about anything else and my wife, to her credit, piped up and said, “He needs that soda right away.” The waitress quickly scurried away and got it.

I gulped that fizzy fucker down like it was liquid ambrosia and 600 mL was gone in seconds. I sat, woozy and disoriented, for almost ten minutes before my vision slowly started to clear and my wife indicated my eyes were no longer bloodshot. I ate sparingly for the reminder of the meal, trying to allow my system to focus on the syrupy sugar I had just introduced. By the time we were ready to leave the restaurant, I had increased to 4.4 mmol/L. By the time we got home, I had blown my opportunity to work out or do anything productive with my night. My body was blasted, I was exhausted, and I hadn’t come that close to an actual Diabetes-related emergency in quite a number of years.

As with all things, I try my best to look at the positive side of things. This incident taught me that as I get older, things will get worse, not better, and it’s on me to always ensure I’m prepared and equipped to deal with my condition, no matter where I am or how close to home it may be. While my blood sugars showed absolutely no sign of dropping when I left home, Diabetes is a fickle mistress that will stab you in your sleep without notice. I should point out that until I decided to go to bed, my blood never got above 5.0 mmol/L. Nothing a few jellybeans couldn’t fix but I have no idea what happened. Next time, I’ll be better prepared to ensure this never gets this bad. ☯️

The Mind Cannot Exist Without The Body…

Alright folks, time for some real talk here… Anyone who has walked in martial arts circles for any period of time has likely heard terms like “mind and body connection,” or “ mind, body and spirit.” But what exactly does that mean from a practical standpoint? Believe it or not, it doesn’t actually mean anything spiritual or mystical. At its core, it simply means that one needs to pay attention to both body AND mind. because no matter which way you spin it, one cannot exist without the other. And it doesn’t actually mean, in fact, go both ways.

Exercise is an important part of maintaining good health and living a good life. Besides reading this here on more occasions than I can count, even couch potatoes would acknowledge that things would be better if they could just get their lazy asses off the couch and do something physical. And no, before you all fill up my comments section, I’m not referring to people who have emotional or physical conditions that make it difficult to get up from their sedentary lifestyles. Although even in those situations, a good part of getting started is popping your clutch and taking a step.

In general, I’ve always said that life can be viewed through the lens of a “holy trinity” of health. Everything alive moves. Everything. Even plants and trees will grow, move and adjust to their environments. Movement, in its increased state, creates energy. This is easily demonstrated by using a bicycle where the more movement is made, the more speed you garner, or hydroelectric dams that creates electricity through water turbines, etc. That energy sustains one’s life. So the formula is simple: Energy creates life. Life creates movement. Movement creates energy. Wash, rinse and repeat. Still with me? Good.

This formula is an important one, because each phase depends on the other two. Eliminating or reducing the one will bring direct conflict and harm to the other two. No energy? You gonna die! No movement? Your energy will falter and same result. Guess what happens if you die? YOU DON’T MOVE! It’s all relative and depends on the individual making an effort to make it happen and maintain it. This is why if you ARE a couch potato and just sitting on the couch, you’re not doing yourself any favours. And as your body fails, your mind won’t be far behind.

An unfortunate example that’s quite close to home is my mother. All her life, she took care of others. Ran errands, cared for family, cooked and cleaned. However, she never exercised, never did anything physical and when she wasn’t running errands or out and about, would sit on the couch and binge-watch game shows. Bear in mind that this started well before the age I’m at now. Today, not only has my mother’s body weakened and is frail, her mind has failed her as well. It’s a stark and sobering reminder of why it’s important to maintain one’s physical AND mental health.

The other side of that coin is Sensei. He’s the same age as my mother. The difference? He committed himself to training and physical maintenance of his body for decades. Now, in his 70’s, he cycles more kilometres than I do. trains in karate five days a week and has more energy than people half his age. Sharp as a samurai sword and twice as deadly. Coincidence? Maybe. I’m not a doctor, so I can’t make a blanket assumption that my mother’s mind is a direct result of her inactivity over the years but the comparison is reasonably telling.

That’s why it’s important to remember that there’s a fine line to walk between resting because you’re tired and allowing yourself to fall into a slump that will be twice as hard ton work your way out of. Your body is essentially an engine. And like any engine, it won’t run properly if you let it sit idle without ever revving enough. Give it the appropriate fuel and run it regularly, mixed with a healthy dose of proper maintenance and you can keep your engine running smooth and easy for years to come. Don’t, and the result will unfortunately show themselves. Or you may not realize, as your mind begins to fail you. In either scenario, get out there and do something. Your body, mind and spirit will thank you. ☯️

In The Most Unlikely Places…

I had an interesting encounter last week with an individual at a local coffee shop. Usually, and like most people, I walk with a certain level of indifference to the world around me and simply get to where I’m going. That being said, what differentiates me from most members of the general public, is an increased state of situational awareness. This is born out of decades of martial arts training mixed with law enforcement experience, which has cursed me with an unshakeable case of hyper-vigilance.

On this particular day, I was running a couple of errands and asked my wife if she’d like a coffee. As I walked into this particular location, I saw a guy waiting for his coffee that, at first glance, appeared to have a CGM on his tricep. This, in and of itself is not unusual. After all, I’ve used devices such as the Freestyle Libre, which is essentially best used on one’s tricep. However, as I got closer I realized this was an actual Medtronic Guardian sensor, which pairs with a Medtronic insulin pump.

When I started with my second insulin pump, I was introduced to the wonder that is CGM, which ultimately changed my life and the way I control my blood sugars. However, during the training sessions for CGM, I was warned that the Guardian sensor was to be placed on the abdomen or lower back around the love handles. I was trained that the Guardian sensor would not function properly on the back of the upper arm by virtue of the reduced amount of interstitial tissue at these sites. I’ve never tried it and always took it as a given, since the people who made the damn thing said so.

This is why seeing the sensor on a tricep caught my attention. Never one to be shy, I had to ask. I approached the individual and asked how the sensor had been functioning for him at this sight. And to be clear, for my Diabetic brethren who may inquire, this individual appeared to be slim and muscular, made references to farming and did not appear to have an abundance of, shall we call them, “bingo wings.” This made it all the more fascinating that he was using the sensor at this site.

The individual explained that he couldn’t use the sensor on his abdomen as he tended to sweat excessively during his farming duties, which would result in the adhesives giving out and the sensors to fall out. While experimentation and sensor failures are a part of pump training, it becomes an issue where you have to pay for these bad boys out of pocket. At best, you’re looking at $250 to $400 per month, if your sensors all function properly. So, if you have failures, the financial cost can start to build up. This was one of the issues this individual was dealing with.

It took him a bit of experimentation on the placement and calibration, but he was successful in getting it to work and had been doing so for some time. The only issue he faced now was the occasional ripping off of the sensor if he hooked his arm on something wile working. We had a good conversational exchange on sensors, where I also passed on my use of Patchabetes adhesives, which would likely provide him with better protection for his sensors. He was grateful for the conversation and said it was nice to have a conversation with another Type-1 Diabetic who could relate.

The interaction, although unintentional, was refreshing and acted as a stark reminder that Diabetes treatment is never a black-or-white thing. Rather, it’s subjective to the one receiving the treatment and what works for them. While the standard in this case is to use a CGM on the abdomen and never on the tricep, this individual tried it and made it work; something that would have otherwise meant that he wouldn’t have been able to indulge in pump therapy otherwise. Speaking from experience, that would have been a huge loss for him.

But it was interesting and gave me hope, considering that eventually, I’ll likely develop enough scar tissue on my abdomen that I’ll have to move on to different areas of the body. It also reminded me how important it is to keep your eyes up and observe the world around you. After all, I would have totally missed this if I had been a phone zombie walking with his head down. That’s why it’s so important to pay attention. You never know what you might miss. Food for thought… ☯️