Category: Health & Well Being

I Dream Of Ozempic…

Holy shit, I haven’t posted in nearly a month!!! I think I’m taking this casual, stepping back from my blog thing a little too far. Anyway, here I am. It’s been a rough couple of months for me. In late October, I had to travel back to the Maritimes to do something every child fears; I had to place my mother in a nursing home. Between the stress, travel and eating like absolute shit during my travels, my blood sugars were completely Hayward and out of whack, which anyone who knows me is aware that it sin’s something I take lightly.

In the last week of November, I had by bi-yearly endocrinologist appointment. Normally, I get praised for my tight blood sugar control and solid blood work and I’ve gotten used to being told how boring a patient I am, for a Type-1 Diabetic. This appointment was a bit different. First of all, I had the highest Hemoglobin A1c reading in almost eight years, sitting at 7.9. The second issue is that by virtue of this poor control, my kidneys are struggling. I like to think that I’m not afraid of much in this life but organ failure definitely ranks high on the limited list.

Luckily, my doctor explained that the kidney function was very easily reversible, considering what I’ve been dealing with in previous weeks and having been sick and unable to work out as usual. Once my blood sugars were back to a smooth line and I got some physical activity going, things should go back to normal. That being said, it was a bit of a wake up call that as I continue to age, some of these complications will become more prevailant. And they may not always BE reversible.

Last but not least is the fact that I had been working pretty hard in the months prior to my trip to lose some weight. As you all know, insulin is a growth hormone and no matter how buff I get, slimming down that waistline is probably one of the biggest fitness challenges I face. But I had managed to start off at 95.2 kilograms (roughly 210 pounds) and got myself down to 92.8 kilograms (roughly 205 pounds). This involved working out twice a day and cutting out alcohol over a two-month period.

I was pretty proud of myself until my endocrinologist appointment where I was weighed and found to be sitting back up at 94.2 kilograms (208 pounds). I was angry and disappointed with myself, and that was BEFORE I found out that my kidneys were struggling. I almost left the doctor’s office in a despondent state, until my endocrinologist suggested something I hadn’t even considered trying; Ozempic. Cue the soft music and cheesy infomercial…

Those of you who know me are well aware that I don’t do the whole “band wagon” thing and I’m not a fan of trends, especially as they relate to diet and weight loss. In my world, weight loss has always involved good ol’ fashioned sweat and less calories. But this particular drug has made the news a great deal in recent months, given that it apparently has a side effect of helping one to lose weight. Realistically, it’s intended as a Diabetic medication to help control blood sugar levels. The weight loss is just an after effect, But good ol’ Hollywood is using it for the former, restricting availability for the latter. Typical.

Anyway, my endocrinologist suggested that I start taking it as a means of shedding a few pounds and helping not bring my blood sugars back under smooth control. He provided enough samples to get me through a few months, with a prescription to fill if I chose to continue taking it. I was a bit reluctant since, in the history of my life, I have never had a prescription change or addition that hasn’t totally fucked up my balance. But he explained that shedding even 5 to 10 pounds would help regulate my blood sugars and help ease the burden on my kidneys. So, here we are…

It’s been roughly a month since i started taking Ozempic injections, which are required o a weekly basis. I had my doubts as to its effectiveness but I have to admit, it’s doin’ something. The injection works within the mind, leading your body to believe you’re full, even when you’re not. The result is the consumption of less calories, leading to better blood sugar control and ultimately, loss of weight. As of this morning, I’ve found that I appear to have dropped in weight to 91.1 kilograms (200 pounds).

This means that in about a month, I’ve lost nearly 10 pounds. I’ve also started getting back on the bike, which no doubt helps. I’ve increased the amount of vegetables in my diet and my portions are significantly smaller due to the injections and my lack of hunger. Time will tell if my energy levels are a result of the lessened calorie consumption or the fact I’ve been sick for nearly a month. But it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Do I expect to get washboard abs? Certainly not but it will definitely be nice to shed some weight and feel a bit better.

As with all things in life, there is some negative to offset the positive. Like any prescription medication, there is a risk of side effects. With Ozempic, most of those side effects are digestion-related. Nausea, vomiting, stomach pains and constipation are the most common ones I’ve found posted on most medical websites. I can’t say I’ve experienced anything significantly out of the ordinary but it’s also only been four weeks.

Do I think this medication will help? It appears to be doing so already. Do I think people need to be smarter and not take this shit if they AREN’T Diabetic and didn’t get out prescribed? Absolutely. Of course, we’re living in a generation where folks eat Tide pods and snort condoms, so I don’t think I can expect too much. In any event, I’ll keep y’all posted. ☯️

It Can Happen To You…

Yes. Yes, it can. Most people go through their lives with a set of blinders on; unaware and unbothered about the potential pitfalls that await them and the consequences of their actions. In many ways, this makes sense. After all, if one spent the majority of one’s life contemplating their own death, they’d cause a level of psychological damage to themselves that would be difficult to ignore. People go through their daily routine with nary a thought about their own unavoidable demise, regardless of the fact that we all know that it’s coming.

Today’s focus is not quite as macabre as discussing death but rather, the strange dichotomy that society seems to have when it comes to assuming that. A particular thing won’t happen to them. Let’s take smoking, as an example. From a societal standpoint, half a century ago smoking was almost considered an expectation. When the health complications associated with smoking became common knowledge, you still had tons of people who would light up, several times a day. Despite the stories of pulmonary disease and cancer, people usually take a long drag while muttering, “it won’t happen to me…”

One would think that seeing a photo of a blackened lung on the cigarette packet would be enough o dissuade someone with a modicum of common sense from sucking back on a tar-filled stick of cancer causing chemicals but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, some prefer to bury their heads in the sand and assume that such medical horror couldn’t possibly happen to them. But it can. Oh, but it can. Granted, when using an example that includes something addictive, such as nicotine, it can be a bit diffuse to provide a clear perspective. So, let’s look at some different examples…

This dichotomy I speak of, kicks in with just about everything. On the one side, you have the absolute committed folks who say you have to exercise constantly, never eat anything bad, don’t smoke, don’t drink, sleep eight hours and eliminate all stress from your life. On the other side, you have the ones who say you shouldn’t necessarily deny yourself the things you want, at least not completely. If you want that slice of cake, that beer, that cigar or take a day off from exercising, you should deny yourself that.

So, who’s right? Obviously, I’m a big supporter of exercising and eating right, to an extent. I’m certainly no supporter of those who flop down on the couch and do nothing with their time, eating junk and making no progress in their lives. And believe me, I know some folks who are like that. The big problem is that being at either extreme is not a good thing. Take Jim Fixx, for example. He was an American runner who ended up dying of a heart attack while, you guessed it, running! Although I don’t know the back story behind the actual cause of his death, the irony is palpable. I think Denis Leary joked about it in one of his comedy albums. But i digress.

The key to life is to find the balance that works for you. Exercise and proper diet is important, whether you have Type-1 Diabetes or not. Although you don’t need to slam hours of fitness and eat nothing but quinoa all day, you shouldn’t become a lazy couch potato eating nothing but beef jerky and wings, either. Find yourself a routine that works for you and indulge in it. Enjoy it. Work WITH it instead of thinking of it as a chore. And although you should try to balance out your diet so that you aren’t intentionally clogging your arteries, allow yourself the occasion to have that treat you’re thinking about or grab that beer with a buddy. Balance. That’s what it all comes down to.

Bear in mind that humans are fragile creatures. If you eat a pound of bacon every morning and expect NOT to have a heart attack, think again. It can happen to you. If your think that sitting sedentary all day, every day, won’t cause your body to atrophy, think again. If you think your chain smoking won’t result in lung problems and/or cancer, think again. It can happen to you. It can all happen to you. The idea is to find your balance so that you can live healthy AND live happy. And with that happiness may come the lesser stress you all seem so crazed about. Food for thought… ☯️

My Thumb In Your Eye…

It’s been a couple of weeks since I mistook my thumb for a shiitake mushroom and tried to slice the tip off of it with a chef’s knife. For those who may not have read the post a couple of weeks ago, I was slicing up mushrooms in my kitchen for a slow cooker recipe I was trying. I was using a beautiful, carbon steel chef’s knife that my wife and I purchased only months ago. Razor sharp and quite hefty, I was hacking away at the mushrooms pretending to be Gordon fuckin’ Ramsey when my eye caught movement outside my kitchen window…

Also for those of you who may not be aware, although I‘ve mentioned it on occasion, is that I was diagnosed with ADHD as a kid, way back before it was fashionable. My training in the martial arts and Buddhism have helped me to focus and control some of the worse symptoms into adulthood but there’s no denying that sometimes I tend to squirrel with the best of them. The blade came down as I looked off to my left and cut through about a third of the meat in my thumb. A nearly four-hour ER visits and four stitches later, this was the result…

Cursing myself for my attention span and regretful of the temporary use of my left thumb, its been an uninteresting couple of weeks. The big issue for Type-1 Diabetics is that we can often take much longer than the average person to heal from injuries. This is generally from our poor blood circulation making it harder for blood cells to reach the wound to help with the rebuilding process. Not to mention that since we have difficulty metabolizing sugar into energy since we don’t self-produce insulin, poor blood sugar levels will also affect the body’s ability to heal.

As a result, I buckled up for a month or more of having a bandaged thumb. You never realize just how much your use your thumb until you no longer can. Buttoning shirts, tying shoes and even using the washroom has become more of a challenge. But as the past couple of weeks have elapsed, I’ve come to realize that I don’t necessarily have the depth of Diabetic issues that others do or as I’ve described in the previous paragraph. As a result, I heal much better and faster than the average Type-1. After two weeks of bandages and dissolving stitches, here’s where I’m at now…

It looks red and angry, and it is! On Tuesday night I agreed to play some retro Nintendo with my 9-year old and winced when I realized I needed the very red spot you see to use the keypad. But besides the flaking dead skin and a bit of a sore, hard spot on the top, which I assume is now scar tissue, I’m healing up like a champ. I’m glad to see it but the itching and flaking skin has been driving me nuts.

The point of this post is to speak to how important it is to maintain one’s blood sugars and maintain some level of physical fitness. This applies to everyone but is even more important if you have Type-1 Diabetes. If I had poor control and didn’t care for myself physically, I’d probably be looking at another couple of weeks before I reached the point you see in the second photo. People often don’t see or understand the difference. This is an excellent visual example. ☯️

The Naked Shower…

There must be a balance in life. This applies to all things, positive or negative. For example, although I enjoy the benefits of pump therapy to treat my Type-1 Diabetes, there are some definite negatives to wearing a pump and continuous glucose monitoring. I experienced some of those negatives during my recent travels to New Brunswick. They include having to calculate the number of pieces of replacement gear I’d need for the trip, including infusion sets, sensors, reservoirs, gluco-sticks for my blood metre and a partridge in a very annoying pear tree. Getting through airport security is also fun, as it usually requires me to be physically pat down instead of going through the same way everyone else does. But I digress…

Once in a while, the positive rises up to counteract the negative. I had the opportunity to experience that, this morning. I got to take a naked shower. Now, you may be asking, “But Shawn, isn’t everyone naked when they shower?” First of all, no, because you don’t know how other people shower, so save your questions until the end of the class. But what I mean, is that I had absolutely no pump equipment on my flesh when I showered this morning. When I woke up, I only had a few units of insulin left and knew I’d have to change out my set. My sensor was due to expire within the next two hours, so I removed it to charge the transmitter, as well. The result was an abdomen clear of all my cyborg parts.

There’s a certain freedom to being able to shower completely unhindered by having your devices attached to you. It’s a very small thing that people take for granted but the reality is that when I shower, I usually have to be mindful to angle my body so that I’m not constantly spraying hot water on my sensor. To be clear, everything I wear can withstand water and even be submerged. The issue is with the adhesive that holds everything in place. Hot water exposure will almost certainly melt away some of the adhesive. And even if it doesn’t the adhesive will start to dry and shrink, causing it to peel away from the skin. And obviously, as I’m lathering up I need to avoid piling a bunch of soap and hot water on everything.

This morning was a rare instance where both my CGM and my infusion set were absent. I didn’t have to guard where the water fell, I could scrub freely at my leisure and I could let the hot water cascade upon me with abandon. It was an excellent start to my morning and providing a level of enjoyment in the shower that I rarely get… Feel free to insert whatever dirty jokes that you feel may be appropriate, here. But seriously, I often have occasions where I’m due to change my infusion set, so THAT’s off during a shower. Or on the rare occasions my sensor change happens at home (it usually happens at work), I get to have a shower with THAT off. But having both of them off at the same time is pretty much like playing Russian roulette.

So, there you have it. Just another day in the life of a Type-1 Diabetic with all of his first-world problems. But it’s certainly an interesting aspect that people usually don’t consider. I always joke around that I’m technically a cyborg; I wear technology that replaces the function of something in the human body and helps to keep me alive. There are a lot of benefits to pump therapy. But some of the little joys are worth mentioning. And enjoying. Food for thought… ☯️

Becoming The Patriarch, Part 9 (The Finale)

So, I’m going to end this travel series on the most positive note I possibly can. IN Sensei’ words and as I often write, for every negative, there is a positive; and vice versa. It’s been a rough week for me; dropping everything at the drop of a hat and travelling across the country to the East Coast to help my mother during a transition that I thought would never happen. Honestly, I always assumed she’d pass away before her mind went. But I walked away on Friday night confident in the fact that she’s safe, warm, sheltered and fed and has a great support system in place. In fact, I would have to go on record as saying I have the best fuckin’ family in the world. Part of me is thoroughly convinced that had they not intervened prior to my arrival, I would have been travelling out there to bury my mother instead of visiting her. But I digress… And I did say I would end this on a positive note.

The dark, foreboding roads of New Brunswick

As I wrote yesterday, Saturday morning saw me get up a few inches higher than the butt-crack of dawn and drive south on a dark, moose-infested highway from Northern New Brunswick and the City of Moncton. All in all, my travel day, if I include the driving (which I do), amounted to about 22 hours of total travel. Delayed departures threatened my ability to get home and flight changes at two different airports before touching down in Regina gave me a unique insight into the ignorance and undeserved self-entitlement that the general public seem to have when being in an airport terminal. But before I go off on some sort of negative tangent, I should probably get to the more positive aspects of my visit; of which there were many.

Taking care of a family comes with its fair share of responsibilities, which I’m sure I don’t need to tell any of you. When we usually travel out East, the opportunity to kick back and go out is pretty rare. This is mainly because my mother doesn’t have the constitution or control to deal with Nathan and Alexander, which means we limit our outings and interactions while in New Brunswick to a) what can be done during daylight hours and b) all together. The result is that I usually never get to see many of the friends and associates I still have in northern New Brunswick because most of them work day jobs and after supper, we’re winding the boys down and trying to get them to bed. From my side of things, it would be irresponsible and selfish of me to leave my wife with the boys in a random hotel room in a community she’s unfamiliar with, and take the only vehicle and say, “Have a god night, hun! I’m off to shoot pool and drink beer. See you later!” Dick move, imaginary me. Dick move.

Flight 1 of 3. Let’s go, already!

This is one of the only occasions in nearly a decade where I was able to touch base and reconnect with some folks I haven’t hung out with in years. And I even got to go see Sensei’s son’s new house, which he had been begging me to go see for years. I reconnected and shared meals with some family members and was introduced to the wonder that is pork loin (Thanks, Daniel!) and will likely be trying to make it myself. I got to enjoy brunch with an old high school friend and fellow karate practitioner. I got to shoot pool and enjoy a couple of pints of the elusive Alpine beer, of which there is none in Saskatchewan. And last but certainly not least, I got to spend several hours sitting in Sensei’s warm living room reliving old memories as he provided sage advice and wisdom, even without asking for it. This is Sensei’s way.

Contemplating life at 32,000 feet

in some ways, many ways, my mother has managed to teach me some valuable lessons through this entire process, as well. A part of me wants to share the image my aunt took of my mother’s emaciated form when she found her. She was on the brink of death and looked horrible. However, I don’t feel it would be respectful of me to expose my mother in such a private moment and it could be triggering or traumatic for some to see her that way. But the bottom line is my mother reached a point where she realized she no longer had anyone to take of and spent her days in silence. Alone and depressed, she gave up. It isn’t until family stepped up to start helping and being there, that she started to regain some constitution and start to get better. The way she appeared when I left on Friday was night and day compared to the photo I saw, only two weeks prior.

Guess who was happy to see me?

The bottom line is that we all need people. In whatever way, shape or form that takes holds for each of us, we need that in our lives. For my mother, she spent her entire life taking care of others. She spent two decades on a state of constant hyper-vigilance looking after my brother until he passed. Then, my father’s paralysis took hold and she took care of him until he signed himself into a care home. Finally, both my grandparents reached their end-of-life needs, which my mother provided for both. It isn’t until the past year or two where she’s had absolutely no one to take care of or look after. Years of constant stress and adrenaline have taken their toll, which contributed to her current state but the biggest caveat is that she couldn’t be alone. That’s what started to do her in…

Whether some of us choose to admit it or not, human beings are pack animals and we need others in order to survive. My mother was a clear example of this, as she is once again thriving. As much as a 75-year old woman who’s losing her memories can thrive, of course. But the lesson here and what I picked up during this trying week is that life is short. No matter what school of philosophy you adhere to or what you think happens in the afterlife, the life you’re in is but a flicker. At the snap of your fingers, it’s gone. So it’s important to live life and take the time to appreciate your family, loved ones and the important things in your life. This is an important lesson that I’ve always known but the rigours and stresses of life sometimes make one forget. It’s just unfortunate that my mother had to nearly die in order for me to remember.

The lesson was driven home (pun intended) the most as I disembarked from the final leg of my flight, at the airport in Regina. As I descended the escalator, I saw my wife and my two sons, patiently waiting for me to arrive. As I reached the bottom of the escalator, no act of God or man could have kept my redheaded little daredevil from plowing through large, adult crowds to plow into my arms. As shown from the last photo above, he was up as soon as I was, this morning and has been attached to me, ever since. I guess daddy’s home. Life eventually starts to take away more than it gives. That’s the inevitable secret of life. That’s why we need to enjoy the happy moments when we can, despite having them peppered with the sad ones. It’s the balance of life that means the difference between living, and just existing. Food for thought. And with that thought, I’ve got some life to go live. It’s good to be home. ☯️

Walkin’ In A Winter Wasteland…

I had the distinct pleasure of waking up to several inches of white bullshit a few days ago. It’s one of those things where there’s just no getting away from it. Winter and snow comes along every year and when it does, there are several things one needs to bear in mind to keep oneself warm and safe. Especially f one is travelling with Type-1 Diabetes. Being prepared means the difference between being safe and finding oneself in a compromised position.

Travelling with Type-1 Diabetes requires special attention to detail and ensuring that I bring everything with me in the event of a worse-case scenario. First and foremost, your personal vehicle should always have the basic necessities that one needs during the winter, whether you have Diabetes or not. This includes booster cables or one of those very handy booster packs, a first aid kit, blankets and candles. Those are all basic things that everyone should have. We live in the age of cell phones and easy communication, so it’s important to keep your cell phone charged during your travels.

Once you’ve covered all those bases, you need to focus on the Diabetic aspect. I make a point of always having a backpack or a shoulder sling available. Inside, I keep my glucometre, some fast-acting carbohydrates and nasal spray. I also have a small, travel size first aid kit and whatever extra crap I need for the day, including books and my Bluetooth keyboard for blogging. Depending on how long I’m on the road and where I’m headed, I’ll also be carrying insulin and pump supplies.

The point is, in the event of a collision or becoming stranded in a storm, being prepared will ensure you can stay safe until help arrives. In the event of low blood sugar, you fast-acting carbs to bring it up and in the event of your infusion set or sensor expire, you’ll have replacements. blankets and candles will ensure you can stay warm since, depending on how you land during a collision, your vehicle may not run and if it does, it may be dangerous to do so.

Most of this should seem like common sense but it always amazes me how many people take to the road without any supplies or precautions. Although most people can survive for a reasonable period within the shelter of a vehicle, being Diabetic makes it all the more hazardous. Last but not least, Saskatchewan winters are especially cold as fuck, which can also affect blood sugars. During the cold, winter months, take precautions, be safe and be prepared. And stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. ☯️

Thumbs Up…

If there’s one thing that I’ve been able to start noticing with age, is the fact that my reflexes aren’t quite as sharp as they used to be. That’s a normal thing, and we all get there eventually but it lent a particularly stinging reminder last Sunday. I’m totally on that bandwagon of trying recipes I see on Facebook. You know the ones; the short little video that shows all the ingredients belong dropped into a slow cooker or a pan, to create a wonderful and trendy meal within minutes? Love those videos…

Anyway, I saw this one video where you take three packages of ramen noodles, of all things, drop them into a slow cooker with a pound of cooked ground beef, chicken broth and veggies of your choice and slow-cook it for about two hours. It looked easy enough and I enjoy the occasional package of ramen, so I thought I’d attempt it as a way of having ready-made meals for my work week. I chose red peppers and fresh mushrooms as my veggies.

Since I’m not writing this post to brag about my culinary skills or lack thereof, you should reasonably assume that something went wrong. I was using a small cutting board and slicing up my mushrooms, when some random kids came running up my driveway. Since both my kids were inside, the movement drew my attention, both because of my hyper vigilance that I believe will never go away and my ADHD. The problem is I was in mid-slice when I turned my head. The result was a very new and very sharp chef’s knife slid across the tip of my thumb.

The sharp pain and bleeding was immediate and I dropped the knife and moved to the sink, right as the kids were ringing the doorbell. I called for my wife as blood was fountaining into the kitchen sink. She dealt with the kids, who were collecting bottles, while I applied pressure and tried to stem the bleeding. At the risk of trying to sound macho, this isn’t my first rodeo in terms of my flesh getting sliced, but despite several minutes of applied pressure, the bleeding showed no signs of stopping.

I staggered to the bathroom and opened up our home first aid kit (pictured above). Despite the cost for this thing, I was disappointed at the lack of bandages and gauze contained within. Maybe I should have looked at the included materials a bit more closely before buying it. There were only two, small gauze bandages, which I bled through and turned scarlet within seconds. After 15 minutes of consistent bleeding with no end in sight, I made my peace with the fact I would need to visit the ER…

Because I’m stubborn (and cheap), I chose not to call an ambulance and just wrapped a tight bandaid to close the wound and drove myself to the hospital. There are enough people complaining about wait times for hospital waiting rooms, so I won’t touch on that beyond saying my total time at the hospital was about four hours, which isn’t extreme in the grand scheme of things. The real comedy came during my treatment, which included the freezing of my left thumb and the application of four stitches. Hopefully no one is squeamish as I will be sharing photos…

I had the attention and care of a surgical intern as well as an attending surgeon. The surgeon asked me if I was squeamish and asked if I would be okay at the sight of my own blood. Instead of just saying yes like a normal person, I made a point of bragging that I was a retired cop and had seen it all and experienced it all and would be fine. When the surgeon explained that the two-inch needle would be inserted directly into my nerves to numb my thumb (say THAT three times fast) and that I should look away. I proceed to explain that I have been Type-1 Diabetic for over four decades and have had needles of varying sizes inserted into almost every part of my body, including my eyeballs, so just do it, already.

Entertained by my bravado, she inserted the needle and injected the numbing agent. When the needle reached the nerves in my hand, my body reacted immediately. My body flushed, my head started spinning and I was overcome with nausea. I have never dealt with something of this nature, where the reaction is completely involuntary and out of my control. I had just enough time to warn the ladies that I was going down, so the surgeon was able to retract the needle and guide my head down to the pillow. They attached a blood pressure cuff and a pulse reader to monitor my vitals, which will become integral to my story, shortly.

After a bit of time, my thumb was fully numb and the intern was able to apply four stitches to my thumb and I was no longer spilling my life’s blood all over the place. I was waiting for the surgeon to come back and inspect the intern’s work before applying a bandage and sending me on my way, when the intercom announce a “Code Blue,” which is the usual code in a hospital settings for someone needing to be resuscitated or required immediate, emergent care. Since I was in one of the main trauma rooms, half a dozen staff poured in and explained that I needed to vacate so they could bring in their emergent patient.

I immediately complied and jumped to my feet before I realized I was still hooked up to the heart monitor and blood pressure equipment, which resulted in my yanking several machines and pieces of equipment across the cot and floor. The staff were greatly amused by my clumsiness and helped untangle me, so that I could vacate the room. I now found myself standing in a random hallway with my stitched thumb held up, waiting for someone to come apply my bandage and give me a tetanus shot, which I was told I would now require.

All in all, it was the last fuckin’ thing I needed over my weekend. Granted, there’s never a good time for one to injure oneself and given the difficulties in healing wounds that Type-1 Diabetics tend to have just puts me further on edge, given that I can’t see how the healing is coming along. Granted, it’s been a few days and it’s the first morning where I don’t wake up from sharp pain. It has made me realize just how much use one gets out of one’s thumb. You never know what you have until it’s gone and my thumb is no exception. Daily tasks are far more difficult when one can’t apply pressure to one’s thumb.

The irony is that it seems pretty stupid and menial. It’s a thumb. A cut on a thumb. It wasn’t a traumatic injury, I’m not laid up for weeks and I don’t require any follow-up therapy. So it amazes me how such a small injury can be so debilitating to one’s daily routine. It also reminds me to pay fuckin’ attention to the task at hand, pun fully intended. Another few days and the bandage can be removed as the stitches will dissolve on their own. Here’s hoping there’s no further complications and I can get back to quasi-normal. ☯️

Supplementation, Part Cinq…

I absolutely love this post! I consider it to be one of the best-written and important posts I’ve ever drafted and when I mention this to some of my readers and/or followers, it usually catches them by surprise. Perhaps they believe that my endearment should be reserved for posts about martial arts or even Diabetes. But the truth is, the contents of this post cover a lot of the bases: nutrition, health and requirements of the body, which all play an integral role in maintaining proper health for Diabetes and ensuring one can train and develop their fitness acumen. So read on, if you haven’t. Scroll on by if you read it last year…

I consider the consumption of vitamins and minerals to be an important part of maintaining one’s health. It’s no surprise that modern nutrition is sorely lacking in most people and with every reposting of this material, I’m reminded of the importance of taking a steady multivitamin on a daily basis; a fact my doctors keep reminding me, as well. With the colder weather hitting our area and everyone’s immune system taking a hit, vitamins and supplementation are very important. So, bearing in mind that I’m not a doctor or nutritionist, here’s what I posted all the way back in June of 2019. Enjoy!

One of the key reasons behind the consumption of food is to obtain carbohydrates for energy. The human body requires energy to carry on normal functions and, well… stay alive! But what else do we get from the food we eat? A proper diet will also include a number of vitamins and minerals that we require to maintain proper health, growth and energy levels within the body. We’ve all heard about getting enough vitamins from a young age. I remember getting my Flintstones vitamin everyday as a kid.

But if you’re like most people, you’re likely wondering what these vitamins are for and what they do. My goal is to cover off the main ones here:

Vitamin A: This is an all-around vitamin that provides a number of functions including but not limited to the proper health of various bodily functions, tissues and helps to fight chronic disease and is known to be good for the eyes.

Vitamin B: This one is a bit complicated, as there is a large grouping of enzymes, vitamins and minerals that fall under the “B” category. In general, B-vitamins are used for energy production, immune function and absorbing iron. Some them include B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B9 (folate) and B12. There are a few more that I can’t recall, but B12 is considered amongst one of the most important of vitamins overall because it helps you turn food into energy.

Vitamin C: At some points, this one has been referred to as the sunshine vitamin. I’m thinking that’s mostly because people’s main source of Vitamin C is from citrus fruits. But this vitamin also helps with iron absorption, immune function and is a natural antioxidant that helps with the elimination of free radicals. Eating citrus fruits are also what sailors used to eat on long voyages to prevent scurvy.

Vitamin D: This vitamin helps with the strengthening of bones and teeth. Our bodies are designed to self-generate this vitamin naturally through exposure to sunlight, but obviously that needs to be done in small doses. Modern life has created an environment where more people spend their time indoors, away from the sun. So supplementation becomes important.

Vitamin E: A pretty straight forward vitamin, this one helps with proper blood circulation and clear skin.

Vitamin K: This vitamin is essential for blood-clotting. In order words, if you’re deficient in this vitamin, small cuts or injuries can cause excessive bleeding that can become dangerous.

Folic Acid: We hear people speak about this one as being necessary during pregnancy. And they would be correct! Folic Acid helps to prevent certain complications during childbirth but is important to everyone for proper cell renewal. This one is also known as Folate, or Vitamin B9 (as listed above).

Calcium: Most people should be familiar with this one. Teeth and bones, people! Teeth and bones! Good calcium levels are required to keep those body parts healthy.

Iron: This helps to build muscle tissue naturally and helps with proper health of the blood. As an interesting sidebar, it’s also what makes your blood red through the reflection of light!

Zinc: Immunity and Fertility. I’m a little unfamiliar with this one and haven’t had the opportunity to research it a great deal.

Chromium: This one is near and dear to my heart. Because it helps to control blood sugar levels. Chromium is what helps all the systems of your body to get the energy they need when they need it. Some traditional medicine practitioners will suggest Chromium supplements for Type 1 Diabetics who may have difficulty in maintaining proper levels.

Magnesium: This one helps your body to absorb all the other vitamins and minerals. It also acts as something of a relaxant to muscle tissue and play a role in proper muscle contraction.

Potassium: This mineral helps with the proper hydration of your body and helps to control blood pressure.

There are many others of course, but I’ve tried to cover off the main vitamins and minerals required for a proper diet. We get most of what we need by eating regularly and including a variety of healthy foods. A lot of people take a daily multi-vitamin, which is fine. But unless you are experiencing symptoms or unexplained illnesses, there shouldn’t be a need to actively try and take added amounts of anything. Your medical practitioner should be able to advise you if further supplementation is required. For example, patients who are recommended to take Folic Acid and Iron during pregnancy.

Obviously, all of this is extremely important; not only for proper health and fitness, which is important to me, but to help with Type 1 Diabetes as well. Taking a daily multivitamin can help to ensure that your body gets everything it needs, in combination with carbohydrates, lean proteins and fibre. My wife Laura originally gave me the idea for the post I wrote in 2019 when she asked about B-vitamins. Every time I re-post this material, I think of her. The credit for this post is all her! ☯️

There Are No Free Rides…

I don’t know if any of you have heard of the most recent trend where people are using a certain Type-2 Diabetes medication for weight-loss. I had a colleague of mine bring it to my attention this morning and I couldn’t believe it, when I watched the news clip released by Global news on October 6 about the phenomenon. It’s one of those things that quote frankly rank right up there with eating Tide pods or snorting condoms. Although, I guess this one isn’t so much a dare as it is a quasi-medical attempt at cutting corners.

So, what am I talking about here? Well, specifically, I’m talking about a medication call “Ozempic,” or semaglutide, which is the generic name. like most Type-2 treatments, Ozempic is intended to be used in tandem with proper diet and exercise in order to help control and maintain blood sugar levels. Problematically, this drug apparently also promotes a certain level of weight loss, which people are jumping on, because no one seems to understand that healthy weight loss does need to involve proper diet and exercise. If anyone wants to see the news clip, it can be accessed here.

Like pretty much any medication or treatment ever created, any specific medication will usually carry more than one use. That’s why it isn’t overly surprising that even if this medication is intended to help control Type-2 Diabetes, someone was bound to jump on the weight-loss train. The caveat is that like every medication or treatment, there are also side effects; some of which can be pretty serious if the medication in question is not being taken for its intended purpose. Ozempic is no different.

According to an article posted by WebMD, mild side effects of this medication can include tiredness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. On the more severe side, there can be a possibility of kidney issues as well as pancreas or gallbladder disease. Doesn’t exactly sound like a fuckin’ spa treatment, right? Seems like a bit of a risk to try and lose weight quickly. Seems easier to simply start working out and eating better but what do I know? Oh, wait! I’m a patient with Type-1 Diabetes who has managed to go over four decades without any serious complications. THAT’S what I know!

That last point and likely the biggest issue, is the availability of the drug. Because people are all jumping on the bandwagon to get their hands on it to build their bikini bod, people who actually need it to help treat Diabetes are left wanting. If you watch the news clip I linked above, supply chain issues are becoming a problem. Not so great. There are no free rides, folks! If you want to lose weight, get up and get moving. Control what you consume and in what amount. Seek the guidance of trained professionals in both nutrition and fitness. The concept of any magic drug that will help you lose wight is laughable. Even the ones that may have this effect, the risks far outweigh the reward. Food for thought…☯️

Type-1 Diabetes And Kids…

No, I don’t mean kids WITH type-1 Diabetes… I mean having Type-1 Diabetes while there are small children in the mix. If you take care of yourself and manage your condition properly, you’ll eventually reach a point where life will progress to a point where children are part of the equation and get in the mix. We often hear that being a parent means sacrifice. So, what happens when there’s an aspect of your life that you can’t sacrifice or even compromise on? That can makes things difficult, especially since children don’t have the tools or the maturity to necessarily understand some of the ins and outs of their parents’ condition. If you’re just entering into this particular chapter of your life, let me share some of the realities I’ve faced in that regard over the past decade…

Managing Type-1 Diabetes in the hopes of reaching old age and seeing your family grow up, requires a number of moving parts and aspects that don’t always work well when there are small children in the mix. At times, it can mean being borderline rude and mean to the members of your family, even if in reality, you’re doing it in the interest of being around long enough for their benefit. Even IF you’re lucky enough that this may be understood, it eventually falls on deaf ears when the years melt away; especially since most people don’t understand the need to maintain one’s standard as opposed ot just trying to fix it later on. The irony is, as technology has advanced and my personal treatment has become more effective, it’s opened up the door to different issues. Here are just a few of the bigger ones:

Treats Aren’t Necessarily To Share
While some people can get away with a quick glass of orange juice or some of those glucose tablets, those options have been very effective for me. In short, fast-acting carbs have included candies such as jelly beans, gummy bears and other fat-free gummy options. Skittles also work well in a pinch. Picture yourself having a low and trying to wolf down a handful of that goodness, only to have your toddler want to have some. On the one side, handing over a couple of them wouldn’t necessarily break the bank. On the other, depending on the available stock one has, the few you hand over may be the ones you need to push yourself up the added point or two to get back to normal. Trying to make a child understand that is usually difficult at best. After all, why does daddy get to snack on some goodies and I don’t?

Sleep Is Not An Option Or A Negotiation
As I’ve often written about before, sleep is an integral part to a person’s overall health. Blood pressure, mood, weight loss and blood sugars are all affected by the amount and quality of sleep that someone with Type-1 Diabetes. This can often mean that grabbing the occasional nap as well as ensuring that one gets the 7 to 9 hours of nightly sleep required is difficult. Ever had a kid lift your eyelids and ask for food? Or have both children awake and basically beating the shit out of each other while you’re trying to nap? I have. Just this morning, despite it being the weekend, I had one of my kids wake me up at 5 o’clock because his iPad was dead and he needed something to watch his cartons. How well do you think he understood that daddy needs his sleep and he shouldn’t be waking anybody? Not in this lifetime?

Equipment Is Always At Risk
This is a big one, especially if you include items like an insulin pump or continuous glucose monitor sensors in your treatment. Over the years, tubing and equipment have been torn out, grabbed, yanked and destroyed by the little hands of the innocent. This can lead to significant issues, especially if you happen to have NO coverage for your supplies. Imagine trying to figure out how you’ll get proper insulin delivery when your infusion set still had two days’ worth and you were on your last one? During both of my sons’ infant years, trying to spent some cuddle time while trying to keep them from ripping out my equipment has proven problematic. Babies don’t usually understand “don’t touch” at the best of times. When they see something that’s shiny and plastic, grabbing is grabbing.

Exercise Can Be Difficult If Not Dangerous
I’ve spent the majority of my life pushing myself physically. From my martial arts training, to police training, weight lifting, cycling and the score of hours I spend on the punching bag, exercise is not only a big part of who I am as a person, it’s the thing to which I owe the majority of my good health and Diabetes control to. It’s no secret that physical fitness contributes to one’s overall health for anybody, Diabetes notwithstanding. But one’s commitment to fitness can be compromised by the presence of children in the mix. Picture bench-pressing a solid amount of weight, only to have your kid walk up next to you and decide that it’s a good time to tickle or poke your eye. Or even if they don’t, getting smacked by the bar will cause a meltdown that will end your workout pretty fuckin’ quick.

The caveat to this one is that at some point, your kids will be able to join you in those workouts. There’s a lot of fun in having my toddler on the punching bag while I’m on the strike pad and we take turns switching. Or having my oldest play a rigorous game of basketball of tag with me. On occasion, I even get lucky enough to entice my oldest to use the punch pads while I hold them or move along with me as we do some calisthenics. That’s where at least one aspect can be fully shared or enjoyed with one’s kids. But finding the free time for oneself to commit to a solid workout is not only not often understood by one’s kids, especially when it means added time away from home. Kids don’t get that.

The last point I’ll touch on, is the scariest part of all. There’s always that possibility that the son may inherent the condition of the father. It’s one of the things that keep me awake at night the most. So far, my oldest has been found free and clear. I’m hoping it stays that way. but the reality is that dealing with Type-1 Diabetes can be difficult at the best of times. Explaining it to one’s children and navigating some of the difficulties listed above (and there are others) can be just as difficult. The important thing to bear in mind is to stay consistent, recognize that may not always understand but that you’re doing it for them. They may not be happy about it but in the end, everyone will be better off for it. Food for thought… ☯️