Friday, January 26, 2007

To Ski or Not to Ski

Here I am heading towards a nice bonus at work after a very tumultous career year, and hubby's job now includes flight benefits (which we thought were gone forever....whole 'nother story). So I'm thinking, cool, good year for a ski trip with the girls. Except the "girls" are my friend, her sister, and her sister's friend. And my friend is going on a cruise and then having shoulder surgery that has a long recovery. Screech....there goes the ski trip.

Or does it? I found a "Ski Camp" just for women in Utah. Looks like a good growth experience seeing as how I'm a low intermediate chicken of a skier with delusions of grandeur AND a strong introvert. I rarely fall because I take very few risks. I only ski about once every 3 years, but dream of it often. This camp is for intermediate to advanced skiers and I will likely be outclassed. It says you will be encouraged to go to the next level. Four days of on-mountain instruction and challenge, demos, opportunities to learn to telemark or snowshoe, yoga in the mornings, tips from pros, welcome cocktails, closing banquet. Sounds overwhelming in a way, but somehow I'm drawn to it (is this like a mosquito heading for the bug zapper?).

So why am I hesitating? It's expensive and I've tried to play the "thrifty spouse" card. But my incredible hubby says go for it. I thought work might be a problem, but I got the days off approved today. Everyone I have asked is encouraging me to go.

So is part of it diabetes? What if....I get up there all by myself and have a severe low? How will my BG's react to 4 days of very different activity? What basal rate will I use? What if I crash and burn and ruin my pump? What if I have a series of lows, have to stop to eat and recover and slow the group down? What if....I get hurt, and noone knows how to take care of me and my diabetes?

All of these are thoughts I would not have had before diabetes. So I have to wonder.... how many of my life choices are being shaped by it? Will I let this be one of them?

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

New Endoc and Other DB Thoughts

Realized that a few diabetes related thoughts have been rolling around in my head lately, and it might do some good to write them out in view of the OC, because I know you understand.

New Endoc

First, I have an appointment scheduled with an new endoc in Feb that is starting to wig me out a bit. I put a lot of thought into considering a change. My current endoc (of 11 + years) is not giving me much input, the dietitian/educator I really liked has moved to an industry position, it takes forever to get my A1C results, current doc is affiliated with a hospital that I will likely never go to (too far), the office is not keeping up with technology...I have to show them how to download my meter readings at times, and the office staff is consistently rude. The new doctor is only 10 minutes away, affiliated with my hospital of choice, and comes well recommended. What I'm wigged out about, deep down, is that he might actually want me to....gasp....change something! Hmmm, that's part of the reason I'm going is that I SAID I wanted more input than I'm getting from my current team. Now the thought of more input, or specificially more expectations for me, is somehow offputting. He might want me to keep logs like Scott does (great job by the way....your records and consistency in keeping them over time are superb).

The Common Cold vs. Diabetes

I've been fighting a cold, and started thinking about the smiliarities between colds and diabetes. They both strike otherwise "healthy" people without warning, affect young and old, and we cannot prevent them even when we take precautions. So why is it that people jump to such conclusions about how we got diabetes but now about how we contracted the common cold? You know what I mean...."Oh, so you ate to much sugar", or "I guess you didn't exercise enough", etc. I guess it's the fact that most everyone has personally experienced a cold, but not personally experienced diabetes.

Perhaps these thoughs are the result of the cold and accompanying fight to keep my BG's in line. Just tested, 339, yuck! Correction boluses are my specialty of late.