February 14th, 2010 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, True Stories
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BEEEEEEEEEP!
Reaching for the alarm, but it’s not the clock. Check the cell phone, but it’s not a text message. Grope for the cat, but she’s not beeping, either.
BEEEEEEEEEP!
Oh yeah, how could I forget?
52 mg/dl. Not too low, but apparently I’ve over-corrected with those basal changes I made two days ago, and I need to retweak just a little bit.
Wandered out to the kitchen, leaving the BEEEEEEP!ing behind in the bedroom, and also leaving the tube of glucose tabs resting on the bedside table untouched. Make a beeline for the bottle of grape juice that sat, unopened, in the fridge. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
February 9th, 2010 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, Opinion
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Dear Oprah and Dr. Oz,
Diabetes is very expensive to manage and to treat the complications of, but what comes at an even higher cost is the damage of statements from a doctor, claiming that diabetes is reversible. I was diagnosed as a child, and my type 1 diabetes is not the result of any controllable factors. However, I have many friends who have type 2 diabetes who can make the same claim.
I can’t lie – I had a lot of hope about your episode regarding diabetes. Even though it was billed as “the silent killer” and even though I knew you’d show the darkest side of diabetes-related complications possible to “sensationalize” this disease, I was holding out because I wanted this episode to be accurate. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
January 31st, 2010 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, True Stories
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Thanks to the happy combination of Factor V Leiden and being pregnant, I’m rocking a higher chance than average for a blood clot while traveling. Back in October, when I was just a few months along, a lot of my travel was on the Acela, cruising back and forth between Boston and Philly, in addition to some flights. So I needed to take these clotting risks into account.
“You’re telling me I should pick up some compression stockings, then?” I asked my obstetrician, after we had discussed my upcoming travel plans. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
January 17th, 2010 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, True Stories
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Yesterday’s Diabetes 365 photo was this:
This little, blue, ceramic hippo came with a circus playset I received decades ago. I can’t even remember how long I’ve had it, but since college, this one creature has been living in the drawer in every bathroom of every apartment I’ve ever lived in. It just refuses to be lost or misplaced, though its face is chipped and it’s not the same vibrant blue it once was.
Over the last few days, BSparl has been moving actively and visibly, poking her little legs and arms into my abdomen and dancing around in there. Being the mature adult that I am, I wanted to see if she would respond to things being placed on my belly. If Chris puts his hand on me, she reacts immediately. (She loves her daddy best, I think.) I rested a glass of ice water on my stomach for just a second the other day and she went after it like Siah after a pump cap. And yesterday, a warm mug of tea made her jut her legs out aggressively. (Someone on Twitter said this baby has beverage editorial going on. I’m not shocked – she’s my kid, so she’s bound to have some strong opinions on stuff.) Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
January 12th, 2010 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, Medblogger Shout Outs, Opinion, Patient Interviews
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Quick post to the PR professionals in the healthcare sphere:
When someone dies, it is terrible tragedy. That person leaves behind a family, loved ones, and – especially when they die young – their future. If someone dies as a result of diabetes, or due to complications from diabetes, or from something else entirely but they happened to have diabetes, and you decide to exploit their death to gain pageviews for your website? (See also: Brittany Murphy, Casey Johnson)
Come on.
There’s a difference between passing on information that could help people improve their lives, and then there’s pure, TMZ-style exploitation. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
