Category: Health & Well Being

Weigh In On Your Food Groups…

I’ve been trying to thin my gut for the past few years, now. The current pandemic hasn’t helped. I’m sure that I’ve gained almost twenty pounds in the past two years. I call it my “COVID-19,” as in 19 pounds gained. My father is an extremely heavy man, sitting at roughly 330 pounds. Through my teens and my 20’s, my goal was to never allow it to happen. In my father’s case, his genetic predisposition and the fact he’s paralyzed and wheelchair-ridden contributes to his overall condition.

The point is, I’ve allowed my fitness to take a seat (pun fully intended) as I started a new job a couple of months ago and felt that I should focus on THAT. It’s been great and wonderful and I’m happier in my weekly grind than I ever have been before. So that part is not the issue. But finding myself suddenly rooted to a desk for 45 hours a week has had a negative result. This is in contrast to the previous year, where I was home and could contribute full afternoons to cycling for 80 kilometres and train when I wanted.

For the past few weeks, I’ve indulged in a reduced-carb diet. I haven’t eliminated carbs, mind you. It’s important to remember that carbohydrates are a source of fuel for the body and are necessary for the proper energy levels required to maintain one’s daily life. Although insulin acts to reduce the blood sugar levels caused by the consumption of carbohydrates, there must be a balance. Not an elimination.

There’a lot you can do to improve things, from a carbohydrate standpoint. I, for example, focus on having two out of three meals a day without carbs. A good example is the breakfast I have shown in the photo above. What you’re looking at is six scrambled eggs with ham, lightly sprinkled with some grated nacho cheese. Completely crab-free (although not entirely fat-free) and filled me to last until lunch. Another important detail is that I don’t always eat six eggs in one sitting. I just happened to make breakfast on a morning that I realized my eggs were expiring the following day.

Full meals can be had on lean proteins and vegetables. It’s important to remember that some types of dairy DO contain carbohydrates, like milk for example. And not al vegetables are carb-free. Starchy vegetable like potatoes and some other ones like corn, are also ridden with carbs. It’s important to recognize those facts when meal planning, so that you don’t get caught by surprise with a sudden blood sugar spike. My final meal of the day will usually include some bread or a small portion of pasta. Even though I SHOULD include carbs, it doesn’t mean I consume a massive amount.

What’s the point, you may ask? Good question, and the answer is simple. Through reduce-carb meal planing, I’ve shed almost ten pounds in the past month. It fluctuates on a day-to-day basis, as it does with most Type-1 Diabetics. But having reached almost 220 pounds when I last visited my endocrinologist, I was tickled pink to see the scale stop at 208 pounds, just last week. Fitness needs to be included in this, of course. I did a nasty workout last week that still has my legs feeling sore. But my motivation is strong and my focus is true. Not elimination but reduction can be a way of helping you reach your weight and fitness goals, Diabetic or not. ☯

Relaxing In A Pressure Cooker

Life can come at you pretty fast, and it rarely cares what you may be dealing with at any given moment. Challenges and work assignments will continue to pile up, regardless of the fact you may feel that you’ve “got enough on your plate” or can’t keep up. The big problem as well, is that society is still quite a bit behind the times as it relates to acknowledging that sometimes, a person needs a mental health day or to simply shut down and recover from whatever they may be facing.

Unfortunately for us, life doesn’t work that way. Even though some people have the ability and resources to take a step back and let their heads cool from the pressures of life, we’re not all so lucky. Eventually, it can become overwhelming, and cause a variety of issues like burnout, depression and negative thoughts. It’s important to remember to take steps to ensure that these don’t happen. After all, your mental health and wellbeing is your responsibility.

They say that life will never pile on more than you can handle. If this is true, my shoulders must be capable of bearing quite a bit. Last Friday, a significant amount came piling on. The day before I had noticed a strange sound coming from the family vehicle. The way I describe it is to compare it to the winding up sound that Doc Brown’s DeLorean makes when it accelerates in Back to the Future. Unfortunately, my vehicle wasn’t travelling through time. I called that evening to make an appointment to get it repaired and was asked to drop the vehicle off at 8 am the following morning.

The next morning, I began my typical work-from-home Friday at 7 am. It was raining heavily and unfortunately, we discovered that our roof was leaking. I discovered it by accident, as water was driving between floor boards in the basement. This struck me as odd, until I realized water was falling from the attic by way of the space between the inner walls and into the basement. in short order, every light fixture in the upstairs was dripping with water.

Great. As if dealing with the vehicle wasn’t enough of an issue for the end of the week. I immediately sent an email to the roofing company I had received an estimate from, last May. I realized it was 7:30 am and I needed to head out in order to drop off the SUV. My wife reminds me that she has her first vaccination appointment at 5:40 and to ensure that the garage will return our vehicle prior to that. I drove down to the garage and dropped off the SUV. Then, I walked to the bus stop that should take me back home. The rain was practically torrential, soaking my legs and feet within minutes.

I arrived at the bus shelter and checked the arrival schedule on the inner wall. The #5 was scheduled to arrive at 7:55 am. Splendid! It was already past 7:45, so I had less than ten minutes to wait. Then, I noticed a #5 on the opposite side of the road heading towards downtown. Shit. Seems that the arrival schedule was meant for the other direction. I did a quick Google maps search and discovered that the next bus towards home would be in 30 minutes. The physical walk would only be 20. I had the choice of waiting for half an hour, followed by a ten minute bus ride or get my legs moving and be home in 20 minutes. I opted to walk.

By the time I got home, I was soaked through, cold and sniffling. The water situation at home had worsened. The baby’s room was leaking water down the east wall, resulting in paint bubbles. I decided to step it up and phone the roofing company, not satisfied to wait for an email response. I got no answer and left a detailed voicemail. I changed clothes and tried to get back to work. Key word was “try.” I should mention that it was one of those so-called “teacher development days” and Nathan was home for the day. He and the baby were blessing us with their usual colourful display of noise and destruction. Work was impossible.

I only had one meeting scheduled. I arranged to have it an hour earlier, then told my boss I would be taking a vacation day. He agreed that I had a significant amount on my plate for one day. The stress and pressure of everything happening at once started to pile up. Such pressure affects different people in different ways. For me, it makes me focused and committed to solving the problem. I’ve always been like that. get a problem, solve a problem. I think Lee Child’s character, Jack Reacher, said that at some point.

I got the car fixed. I was able to grab the correct bus back to the area where the garage was located. With the vehicle properly repaired, I went back home and decided to ease the sting of the day by ordering pizza for everyone. The rain had stopped and with it, the drips in each respective room ground to a halt. The crisis was averted. For now. I did a few work-related tasks and had some food, and the world looked just a little bit better.

George S. Patton Jr. once said, “Pressure makes diamonds.” And it’s quite accurate. Sometimes the intense pressure we’re exposed to in our daily lives can lead to very beautiful things, as long as we’re willing to see it through and persevere. It’s the natural example of how life doesn’t care about one’s plans. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make them. AND keep fighting the good fight, even when the odds seem overwhelming. Food for thought…

in closing, the roofing company didn’t get back to me before end-of-day. guess I’ll have to chase them down this week and get my roof shingles seen to. The previous owner of our house, may he rest in peace, re-shingled the roof almost fifteen years ago. But he only did the front half, facing the street. Ironically, the only rooms that had water leakage were the ones on the back side of the house. Where the shingles weren’t replaced. Yet another lesson that if you’re going to do any thing, you must do it properly and completely. Or else suffer the consequences of your shortcuts. of course, I’m suffering the consequences of someone else’s shortcuts, but the message is still the same. (Thanks for the post idea, Boris!) ☯

Gimme A Break!

I’m going to assume that most of my readership is too young to remember the sitcom that today’s title is taken from. “Gimme a Break” was a sitcom that aired in the early 80’s and featured Nell Carter playing a housekeeper named Nell Harper (I know, not very imaginative…) who looks after three young girls for a local police chief. Although it was mostly on because my father watched it, it’s one of those early shows from my childhood that occasionally passes through my subconscious. I can still hear the theme song…

Anyway, enough with the nostalgia! Today’s post is literally about breaks, as it relates to daily life and work. I’ve written on occasion about needing breaks from fitness routines and that still rings true. As important as it may be to stick to a routine and keep fit, sometimes you need to let your body recuperate. The same is just as true for one’s mind. This means taking a break from whatever cranial endeavours you may have your nose buried into, whether it’s paid work or personal study and research.

Last week I found myself working well beyond my scheduled shift. Although this isn’t an unusual occurrence for me, it’s one that I discourage among my staff and coworkers. The simple reason behind this is to prevent people from burning out and reducing their productivity. When we get exhausted, we tend to lose focus, concentration and make mistakes. I only realized when I had worked for almost four hours beyond my scheduled shift end that maybe I needed to back off a bit. It’s pretty easy to get carried away, when you love your job and work from home. But I digress…

It’s always seemed as though I’ve worked with one of two extremes: people who always seem to be doing nothing and the people who never seem able to shut down. The key is to find the happy medium. And with that, I can provide an example. On a particular day, one of my staff asks me if I’d like to join for a morning coffee. I have a mountain of work piling up and I think that I should likely keep at it, until a thought crosses my mind. The fifteen to twenty minutes I take to grab a coffee and converse briefly won’t make the pile bigger. AND it will allow me to shift my mind’s perspective long enough to refresh me. Breaks can be important.

We walk to the next staff’s office. We ask if he wants to join for coffee. He declines because he has too much work to do. Okay, fair enough. but the scenario is the same for that employee. The work will still be there in fifteen minutes and the break is short enough it won’t make it worse. But it may make it better and easier for the employee. After some coaxing, the employee finally decides to join us and we spend twenty minutes chatting about various things and sipping our coffees. Everyone returns to their respective offices with smiles on their faces and caffeine in their systems. Good times.

Sometimes we forget to that even when our bodies are at rest, our minds need a break as well. Even though you may spend 8 hours sitting at a desk (which is fuckin’ horrible for you, BTW. You need to get up every hour, stretch and look outside), your mind needs that occasional respite to recharge and rest, as well. That can only be accomplished by pulling yourself away from the pile and stepping elsewhere. This can apply whether you’re at a job, working from home, studying or doing personal study and/or research. It really doesn’t matter.

The mere act of stepping away and coming back with a refreshed set of eyes can often help increase or maintain your productivity. And if nothing else, it’s important for you from a mental health standpoint. I’ve often said, “When you aren’t exercising the body, you be exercising the mind.” As true as that may be, it’s also important to remember that no matter HOW you rest the body, you should also take time to rest your mind. No matter what your situation, don’t skimp on your breaks. They can pay dividends in the one run. Food for thought… ☯

What The Hell’s The Difference?

I’ve made reference to nutritionists and dietitians a lot in many of my posts.  In truth, I’ve used them both during my many years of dealing with Diabetes and especially anytime there’s been a major change to my therapies.  For example, I spoke with a dietitian when I started on the insulin pump, back in 2015. I casually rolled my eyes at the prospect, wondering what this person could possibly teach me about eating well after over three decades of being Type-1 Diabetic.  Imagine my surprise when that appointment led to learning about carbohydrate counting.  Everyone was blown away by the fact that I had come so far and no one had tuned me in to the concept before that.  It’s no wonder that my A1C’s used to be in the mid to high 8’s.

Since I just posted about dieting and fitness yesterday and made mention of both dietitians and nutritionists, I had someone reach out and ask me, “What’s the difference, if any, between a dietitian and a nutritionist?”  Well, shit! I don’t know…  Or at least, I didn’t know until I decided to research it and look into it. My search brought to me to a Canadian website call Dietitians Canada. What I learned is that in Canada, “Dietitian” is a protected title, much like physician, nurse or pharmacist. “Nutritionist” is also a protected title, but only in the Provinces of Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia. But what’s the difference between one or the other?

We’ll, for the most part, anyone can provide nutritional information or guidance and call themselves a “nutritionist.” They’ll still help individuals reach certain health and fitness goals by aiding in the implementation of proper diet and exercise. Although nutritionists can have varying degrees of education fro what they do, the problem is that because there’s no regulatory body overseeing nutritionists, some may have no nutrition-based education at all. I’m certain that some of you could see the potential problem with that…

Dietitians do a lot of things that nutritionists don’t, such as research, influencing policy and creating diet and food plans for people with chronic conditions such as, oh, you know… DIABETES! In order to become a dietitian (in Canada), one requires an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution in human nutrition and dietetics, followed by over a thousand hours of supervised on-the-job experience. Then they need to actually register with the regulatory body within their Province or Territory.

Quite a journey to take, and they do a lot more than what the every day patient sees when visiting them in the clinic. The article I linked above goes on to explain that, “dietitian are committed and required to stay on top of emerging research, skills and techniques.” In other words, their training is constantly ongoing as they have to keep abreast of new information and developments that relate to their field. The article also explains that to ensure you get the most qualified nutrition professional, look for the acronyms “RD” or “P.Dt.” Since dietitian is a protected title in Canada, a nutritionist shouldn’t have those included in their names.

Lastly, the article ends by warning about titles such as “Registered Holistic Nutritionist” and “Certified Nutritional Practitioner” as these are not provincially regulated health professionals and there’s no telling what level of education they’ve obtained from a private institution in order to gain that title. There you have it. Now, you know. And now, I know. One of the things I love most about writing this blog is that I practically ALWAYS find something new to learn and research. ☯

Your Body Needs Balance

Nothing quite beats those exciting first weeks of making a major change to your life. Especially when it’s for the overall improvement of oneself.  Maybe you’re deciding to take your fitness in hand and start a new workout regime. Maybe you’ve decided to try a new diet and alter your eating habits.  And maybe…  Just maybe, you’re smart enough to know that you likely need to do both in order to reap the rewards from either.  Maybe.

It’s safe to agree that every person is different.  Everyone’s bodily functions are basically the same, when you get right down to it.  But each and every one of us will respond to different things in different ways.  This is why certain fad diets will appear to have greater results for some people than others.  And those are usually the ones you see advertising the product or diet. But I digress.  The same can be said for fitness routines.  And I’m not talking about preference.  I’m talking about results.  Maybe you prefer to lift weights but you get more results from doing cardio.  That kind of thing.

I harp on diets quite a bit, because I subscribe to the fact that it isn’t so much what you eat. It’s how much of it.  The number of meals a day isn’t as important as total calories consumed.  This means that all the fad diets out there (and I’m hesitant to bash them by name or brand, for obvious reasons) really don’t do shit for you, unless your body’s system requires something specific that may be provided by the diet.  Granted, if the average adult consumes between 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day, I wouldn’t recommend eating 2,000 calories worth of cake. Or butter.  You’ll do damage to yourself in ways I can’t explain because I’ve never been stupid enough to try it.  Not least of which is to wonder how that would affect someone with Diabetes. But anyway, moving on!  I’m not a doctor, so take this in with grain of salt.

It’s pretty important that there be a balance between your eating habits and your fitness goals.  If you’re typically a non-active person, you may start to notice some negative side effects if you suddenly jump into a new and increased fitness routine.  This is especially true if you don’t alter your eating habits to keep up/accommodate whatever physical activity you undertake. If you start working out 3 to 5 times a week without increasing your caloric intake or altering your overall diet and eating habits, you could experience symptoms like fatigue, irritability, weakness, dizziness and crankiness.  Not to mention that if you don’t include proper hydration in there, that’s a whole other ball of wax.  The same can be said if you try to diet without any physical activity.  You may be eating better/healthier but you may not see any noticeable results because the HUMAN BODY NEEDS TO MOVE!

It can occasionally be rough waters to navigate; especially if your fitness goals involve weight loss.  The average person has this belief that eating less means fewer calories, which means loss of weight.  In truth, the human body is designed to do everything possible to keep you alive and functioning.  This can lead some people to actually gain weight.  The idea behind that statement, is if you’re running hungry through most of your day your body will recognize that it doesn’t know when you’ll feed it next and will double down on storing the extra calories for later.  Guess what?  All the extra calorie storage?  That’s called fat.

So what can a person do to ensure they’re doing it right?  Well, there are a number of things that one can do and a number of professionals that you can get involved, such as a nutritionist/dietitian, personal fitness trainer and especially your family doctor.  Any and/or all of those people can help get you on the right track for your goals.  Have you ever purchased a workout DVD (do people even buy DVD’s, anymore?) and noticed that it practically always says, “Don’t start any new fitness routine without first consulting your family physician?”  There’s a reason for that.  Maybe your specific medical history conflicts with what the workout would have you doing and cause injury or put you at risk.

A dietitian or nutritionist can help you by providing nutritional information, meal planning and eating habits that can help you make the most of your workout without making yourself sick.  Picture yourself doing Cross Fit after eating at a Chinese buffet.  Not the greatest idea, right?  Sometimes, we all need a bit of guidance to do things properly. Fitness trainers, especially if they’re certified, can help you find fitness routines that fit your lifestyle, body type and can accommodate medical conditions that could hinder you or put you at risk.

Lastly, you need to hydrate.  This is true whether you work out or not.  The human body needs water.  If you do a heavy workout in the summer heat, you need to be mindful of hyponatremia,which is a condition where you sweat out all your mineral salts.  It can cause headaches, nausea and loss of balance.  I’ve had it a couple of times, when I’ve gone cycling in the hotter weather. In those instances, you need electrolytes and mineral salts and you can drink water until you die, it won’t make a great deal of difference.  Wow, don’t I sound like the harbinger of death…  Bottom line is, stay hydrated.

The take away lesson here, despite how long-winded and wordy I tend to get, is that if you start a new workout routine, be prepared to alter your diet to accommodate.  Maybe there are vitamins and minerals you simply aren’t getting enough of.  Maybe you need to ACTUALLY eat three balanced meals a day.  Be prepared to adjust, and remember that any fitness or dietary changes you make may be slow in showing results.  Proper health and fitness is a marathon, not a race! ☯

Here Comes The Heat! 🔥

Sunshine can be wonderful… Some warmth, Vitamin D is produced, flowers and plants begin to bloom… There can be a lot of benefits to there warmer season approaching. There can also be some pitfalls, and one needs to be aware of the requirements to enjoying the sunny outdoors without getting burned! I’m no fan of extreme heat, but even I can enjoy a sunny afternoon, albeit in the shade. In recent days, the temperatures in Regina, Saskatchewan have reached the mid to high 20’s, even reaching the high 30’s on the Celsius scale. It’s made for some dangerously high temperatures leading to several heat warnings for my area.

With those high temperatures, there are a number of things you should bear in mind before venturing out into the heat. Especially if you’ll be working out or exercising. And ESPECIALLY if you have Diabetes. Different people will have different reactions. In my case, being out in the extreme heat for too long tends to make my blood sugars drop. A doctor once told me its because my body is working harder to lower my core temp and as a result, my system works harder. Maybe so, but I remain skeptical. I’ve been in high temperatures on enough occasions where nothing’s happened to my blood sugars to convince that may not be the case.

But dehydration can be a very real thing, and it can sneak up on you if you aren’t careful. This can be the case whether you have Diabetes or not. Keeping a water bottle and consistently sipping water throughout the day can help to prevent dehydration and will help to regulate your body’s core temperature during your time outdoors. It can also help prevent nasty conditions, such as heat stroke.

Make sure you wear a hat, loose-fitting clothing that allow the expulsion and venting of heat and apply healthy doses of sunscreen to prevent sunburning. The sun emits ultraviolet rays, which can cause damage to living tissue after prolonged exposure, as well as being linked to skin cancer and a whole bunch of other nasty conditions. thesis the same celestial body that’s responsible for all life of Earth. Ironic, isn’t it? The same thing that’s responsible for our survival can also be deadly, after too much exposure. Such is the balance of life.

This is where sunblock comes in. Sunblock is defined as a gel or topical ointment that helps by reflecting UV rays away from the flesh, which prevents sunburns. You should always apply a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, before stepping out into the sun. In Canada, I’ve never seen anything lower than 15 and nothing higher than 50. When I visited Okinawa, they actually had some SPF 110 and they apologized for not having anything stronger as we were there in october and it was “off season.” Wow. 110, and they had nothing stronger.

I’ve read some articles that have explained that anything more than SPF 30 to 45 doesn’t offer any ADDED protection and should be reapplied just as often. And to clarify, SPF stand for Sun Protection Factor and is a multiplier to how long you can be in the sun’s light. So, if you step outside and you’d get a sunburn in 10 minutes, and SPF 15 allows you to be out in the sunlight for 150 minutes before needing to reapply. This is theoretical and like all things in life, is dependent on the person in question. If I were to burn in 10 minutes and apply and SPF 110, I find it hard to believe that I could spend 18 hours in the sun before needing to reapply.

Men’s Health has a pretty decent article about how much sunblock you should be applying. The takeaway is to ensure that you apply liberal amounts and be sure to cover all the areas of exposed flesh. Most people tend to dab some on, here and there. You want to make certain you spread your sunblock on evenly and properly. And if you use a spray sunblock, make sure you spray uniformly and evenly, to ensure you prevent UV damage to any areas of your skin. As per my usual preaching, drink plenty of fluids and test your blood sugars often. It can mean the difference between maintaining proper health during the summer months or succumbing to the hotter weather. ☯

There’s No Alternative To Zen

Modern life can be pretty hectic, and the requirements of daily life can get in the way of some of the things we do for our own benefit and well-being. Mostly, I’m referring to my study of Zen Buddhism and meditation. I have to admit that the past three years have derailed a lot of the self-discipline and routines I had in place for myself. once of the biggest gaps I have is the ability to sit in relative peace and quite and meditate, uninterrupted. Think about it… When was the last time you’ve found yourself able to find some total silence?

Even as I write this, I can hear vehicle traffic, engines revving and the sound of my own house’s air conditioning unit droning away. Silence? Yeah, right… I’m sitting in relative peace in my garage to write, but silence still eludes me. And finding time to meditate can be difficult, if you live a modern life. There’s work obligations, familial obligations and overall life obligations. It can make it difficult to find one’s inner Zen. And if you’re not careful, you can find yourself trying to find an alternative to the bliss of Zen.

Meditation can provide countless benefits to the body and mind. Not only is it relaxing but it can improve concentration, blood pressure and heart rate. It can aid in the healing of injuries, mitigate pain and provide benefits for a proper sleep cycle. So why WOULDN’T you meditate? Haven’t you been paying attention as you read??? BECAUSE LIFE GETS IN THE FREAKING WAY!!! When you get used to meditation, the lack of it can leave a pretty noticeable hole in your existence, and people will often try to substitute.

I have to admit that I’ve been guilty of this, myself. Indulging in a smooth cigar, having a couple of strong drinks or some other calming vice can often seem like a good idea. But the bad usually outweighs the good. And regret always sets in. And if you guys know anything about me, it’s that I don’t believe in regret. So, what’s a person to do?

The ideal solution would be to find an hour that you can allot for yourself. this can either be first thing in the morning before the family wakes up and your daily routine starts up, or lastly before bed. This also has the added benefit of sending you off to slumber with a relaxed body and mind, which can promote a better night’s sleep. The bottom line is, this is one of those situations where “there’s a will, there’s a way.”

There’s no alternative to Zen. So even when life gets in the way, it’s incumbent on you to find the time to make it a priority. There’s always an opportunity to make it happen. Meditation has been a staple of my life for over twenty years. When life gets harsh and difficult, it’s been one of the best coping methods imaginable. So maybe I need to put down the cigar and step back into meditative bliss. Food for thought… ☯

Turning Things Around

Yesterday’s post was pretty morose and depressing. I’ll be the first one to admit it. So I thought I would turn things around a bit and write about something a little more positive. My wife’s birthday is coming up in a few days, and I was trying to decide on something nice that I could get her. Given the current state of the world, going out for a night on the town is still out, although we’re getting closer to being able to do so. I found myself looking at alternatives and trying to think about things she may have mentioned she’d enjoy having.

I came up with an idea that would unfortunately require that I tell her what her gifts would be. This is mostly because I would need her input to ensure I got something she would specifically want. My first thought was to get a fire pit for the back yard. We’ve been talking about having one for a while and we avoided getting one because we believed we would likely be selling the house and moving in recent years. Since that’s no longer the case, we agreed to get one. Although I wanted to get one that connects to one of my propane tanks for ease of lighting and use, the small wood-burning pit is still wonderful and serves its purpose well.

It only took a few minutes to bolt the whole thing together, and we had the chance to blaze it up last Sunday when we had a friend of mine stop by for a coulee of cold ones. The photo above is of the shitty fire Nathan and I lit yesterday so I could snap a photo. I was out of wood and all I had were small brambles. It was pretty much out within ten minutes. But Sunday’s fire was mint, and lasted for the better part of an hour.

During my teen years, I spent countless evenings on local beaches with a fire burning, a few of us with some acoustic guitars and snack, crooning to easy music and simply enjoying the peaceful bliss of relaxing by a fire. There’s something soothing about the crackling flames and the warmth it projects while you connect and chat with good friends. I predict we’ll be making great use of this bad boy throughout the summer.

You may have noticed that I said “gifts.” My second thought was to get her a chaise lounger for the backyard. This could mean that on afternoons when she isn’t working, she can sprawl on the deck on her lounger, read a good book and even light a fire. If she chose to do so. But since it’s for her comfort, we’ve been shopping around to try and find something she’ll really enjoy. Sometimes, looking for what you want can be half the experience. ☯

Tilting Your Head Down To Cry…

I’ve written posts where I’ve referred to Type-1 Diabetes like riding a deadly roller coaster… The only difference is there’s no way to stop of get off of this ride. Some days, it feels amazingly overwhelming. The issues, complications and amount of control and attention that needs to be paid on a daily basis… It can get to be too much for some people. And despite my drive and determination, it can get to me, too.

Never much of one to feel sorry for himself, I’ve always fought hard against my unseen enemy. The harsh reality is that there are so many complications to Diabetes that I often lose track and wonder what’s wrong with me, forgetting that it’s all a part of the condition that I’ve had to train to love with, since birth. Yes, I know this post is likely coming off as depressing. And I’ll be the first to admit that it likely is. So recognize this fact: what I’m describing, depressing as it may be, is what every Type-1 Diabetic lives with on a daily basis.

Now that I’ve sufficiently harshed everyone’s buzz, I’ll provide an example. Last Monday, I travelled to Saskatoon for my eye injections, which happen every seven weeks. I was unable to secure a bus ticket, so I had to book a hotel room and stay the night since my oldest son goes to school and my wife has to work. Typically not a big deal, it still requires me to be away from my family for the night. I usually treat the evening like something of a mini vacay, indulging in a couple of pints at the pub in the hotel’s lobby while I binge-watch some Netflix on my cell phone.

On this particular trip, my blood sugars were reasonably normal and everything was going according to plan. I got my eye exam, followed by dilating drops, followed by surface scans of the back of my eyes. Then I was attended to by the eye surgeon who provided the injections into my eyes. Yes, it stings. And yes, it sucks. Even with the localized freezing, you still feel the needle pierce your eyeball and a hot pain flare through your skull. Good luck getting that image out of your head, tonight. Anyway, once the injections were done, I staggered back to the hotel room, where I planned to nap for an hour or two to allow the immediate pain to dissipate.

I checked my pump and noticed that my blood sugar was running slightly high, having crept above 11.0 mmol/L. No big deal, I corrected with a bolus and slipped onto the bed for my nap. I set an alarm and drifted off to sleep. I woke up just shy of 6 pm and felt like I had been struck by a freight train. I knew right away, by my urgent need to urinate when I had drank nothing in hours, that my blood sugars were still high. I checked my pump and found myself above 15.0 mmol/L. What the fuck??? I once again corrected with a bolus and slipped into a shower to clean off the high blood sugar sweats before heading to the pub for supper.

My head was throbbing and I felt groggy, but I needed to eat, so I headed downstairs to my favourite irish pub and ordered a pint and a sampler platter, which contained some mozzarella sticks, deep-fried pickles and three chicken strips. Yes, please! Now, calculating a bolus for beer has become a fine art for me. I’ve got it down pat and can usually accommodate beer with insulin in a pretty balance way. And the irony is that the platter contained items that on their own, would be essentially carb-free. If they weren’t wrapped in batter. Bar food. Fuck me…

I bolused as best I could for the platter, knowing full well that the bar staff wouldn’t have nutritional information for their menu items (although they should) and that in the past, they’ve looked at me like some kind of an alien for asking. So I ate slowly and sipped slowly, hoping to let the insulin take effect faster than the carbs would. I think that I watched some American Dad of all things, and got back to my hotel room shortly before 9:30 pm. I had to attend some video meetings for my job, in the morning before checking out, so I didn’t want to stay up too late. But as I’ve often said, life doesn’t care about your plan.

The platter of battered foods was apparently the tipping point, as my blood sugars were still in the high teens when I attempted to go to bed. I bolused and the pump actually provided some units, which told me that my blood was actually running high and not just a byproduct of having just eaten. My alarm was set for an appropriate time the following morning, so I sipped some Gatorade (sugar-free, of course) and laid my head on the pillow and unceremoniously passed out.

I woke up at about 11 pm to use the washroom. I cursed myself for the beer and for the Gatorade, which I assumed was why I had awoken. After using the washroom, I checked my insulin pump. 22.4 mmol/L. What. The. Bloody. HELL??? I checked my levels via fingerprick to make certain it wasn’t some sort of misread on the sensor’s behalf. Blood sugar level was confirmed to be in the low 20’s. I bolused once again, piling more units into my system. I could bore you with further details, but the bottom line is I woke up just about every hour after that. You read that right: every FREAKING hour!!!

It took the majority of night and constant fluids and bolusing to bring it down to the mid teens and I started to almost feel human again, just in time to attend my meetings. I know what you may be thinking. There are a number of things that could have caused a spike in blood sugar. But I take it as no coincidence that my blood sugars had been fine over the previous 24 hours, only to have them go haywire after getting eye injections and eating battered food. Ultimately, my only crime may have been just that: indulging in a drink with some bar food. My punishment is going through an almost sleepless night. Such is the reality of Diabetes.

I know a number of my Diabetic brothers and sisters who eventually just close up shop and give up. When you face the prospect of such nights on a regular basis, it can overwhelm a person. And it sucks. I’m lucky with respect to the fact that I work hard to maintain proper control. Not everyone has the benefit of an insulin pump. I have a friend back home, whose father succumbed to Diabetes. He had no augury of control whatsoever, had blood sugars off the charts, ended up having his feet amputated and died about six or seven years ago. It can sneak up on you pretty quick, if you’re not careful. ☯

Diabetes And The Workplace

Diabetes sucks! There, I said it. Want to know what sucks even more? Having some sort of “Diabetic episode” with no one knowing what the hell is going on, then doing more harm than good. This is the potential scenario someone with Type-1 Diabetes can face in the workplace if they choose to keep their condition to themselves. This is a sensitive topic; most people aren’t jazzed about the idea of revealing medical information about themselves to anybody. Least of all co-workers and employers, where it could be potentially held against them or used against them.

Think it doesn’t happen? Think again! According to an article posted by The National Benefits Authority, “The Canadian Government recognizes both type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes as disabilities, due to its impact on lifestyle, the constant monitoring of blood sugar levels, and the potential risks associated with the condition.” At least in Canada, Diabetes CAN be considered a disability but it isn’t always SO. In most cases, the affected individual has to declare and claim in order to reap some of the tax benefits and some of the other “perks” associated with declaring your condition as a disability.

Screw that noise! I don’t consider my condition as a disability. If anything, my Diabetes has helped forge me into the individual I am today. But when it comes to the work place, I’ve always been a firm believer in the concept that forewarned is forearmed. I’ve had some instances in my life where I’ve suffered low blood sugar so severe that I lost fine motor skill and couldn’t really speak. This can be disconcerting to someone who may not be aware that you have Diabetes.

Even if you wear a MedicAlert bracelet, an unknowing co-worker trying to be helpful and lend aid during a tough situation could potentially make things worse. Some medical professionals as well as paramedics and EMT’s abide by the policy of administering fast-acting glucose. If the blood sugars are too low, the glucose will help correct it. If the blood sugars are too high, the damage is already done by the existing high and they can’t treat on site anyway. So it gets dealt with at the hospital. This is small comfort to someone who may have climbed to 20.0 mmol/L or higher, only to be dragged up into the 30’s by someone’s fast-acting glucose. No, thank you!

Although most people feel inclined to keep their medical conditions private, my practice has always been full disclosure. This helps to avoid complicated situations and helps to ensure that anyone on scene won’t do something stupid, like trying to feed orange juice to someone who’s only semi-conscious. Believe it or not, I’ve seen that happen. By providing some cursory information and education, I can ensure that my coworkers know exactly what to do in the event of a “Diabetic episode” on the job.

The simple truth is this: unless any of your coworkers are trained, medical professionals, there’s very little they can actually do to help. Besides calling 911 on your behalf, of course. But my instructions have always been quite simple: If I’m conscious and speaking, I’ll tell you what I need. If I’m unconscious, don’t try to feed me anything or administer anything. Just call an ambulance and let them take care of me. Maybe have my glucometer ready for testing, in the event they don’t have one. If I’m conscious, speaking and can move on my own, maybe help guide me to where I need to go but let me administer my own self-care. Simple.

That little bit of education can mean the difference between avoiding an unnecessary hospital trip and being able to treat myself and get back to work. It doesn’t mean that I need to divulge my entire medical history and all the gross details. But that little bit of voluntary disclosure can be extremely helpful and save your life. In a previous life, I avoided wearing a MedicAlert bracelet as it could snag and pose a hazard on the job. Maybe now that I no longer face that obstacle, I could start wearing one on the reg. That would definitely be a step in the right direction.

Privacy and labour laws in Canada prohibit an employer from asking about such things and can also prohibit discrimination based on such aspects of a person’s respective condition. But when it comes to your health and well-being, a little disclosure can go a long way. Some food for thought when you’re thinking of keeping the fact you have Diabetes to yourself. ☯