Tea of Thanksgiving

First, I would like to apologize for taking a surprise vacation. And on WORLD DIABETES DAY! That wasn't intentional. I could give legitimate excuses, but I will skip that and just share with you how me and my family "celebrated" World Diabetes day. If that day can be celebrated.

My church does an annual "Women's Tea of Thanksgiving." At this event, 40 different women will decorate a table in their own way. It reveals the creativity of the women and it is absolutely beautiful to behold. Because the Tea was held on November 14th this year (National T1D Awareness Day), my Mother, Autumn and I decorated our table in blue and silver--it was a Diabetes awareness table! (Blue and silver are the colors that show support/raise awareness for T1D.) We had blue ribbons on the table and I got to hand them out to the women at the Tea. Most of them already knew what the ribbons were for, but I was able to spread awareness anyway. Some of the women were also able to spread awareness after the event, because people asked about their ribbons.

Below are some pictures of the tables. The pictures are not very elaborate and they do not capture the beauty of the individual tables, but they do show you the variety. This year, there were 40 different tables. It covered the entire gymnasium in the church. Photos are courtesy of Aschlii Ryerse (my big sister), and they were taken in the upstairs balcony that wraps around the gym.

Below I have included pictures of my centerpiece (also taken by Aschlii Ryerse). I was very proud of that! Before I show you the centerpiece, I feel like it is necessary to explain what the blue candles mean. Whenever a diabetic loses their battle against the disease, the rest of us light up a blue candle in their honor. The candles on my table were in honor of all of the diabetics that have lost the battle. My centerpiece, and the candles is still sitting on my dresser as shown below. The candle in the center is not blue yet, because that one is me. I am still fighting. The photo shown immediately below this paragraph shows the display on my  dresser since November 14th.

Now, I can show you the centerpiece! Two of the centerpiece images were taken in the dark, to show off the candles, and two were taken with a flash or light on so you can see the colors on the centerpiece.

The above images were taken in my kitchen, while we were still playing around with the centerpiece and finishing up with the details. I have more pictures of the completed table below.

The first few pictures were taken from the same balcony above the gymnasium. That is why they look so dark. But I am fascinated by how the silver plates light up...

These pictures also give you a good idea of how the blue candles worked out. They looked pretty and I was very proud of them.

 The ribbons had a sticker on them ("Take 1 please!") so that people knew that they could wear one.

 Like I said, the centerpiece, candles and ribbons are still on my dresser. I put them there to remind me how loved I am. I was given the opportunity to share my story in a very creative way. Neither my family nor my church had to offer me that opportunity, but they loved me enough to support me with that. I am very blessed, and when I look at dresser I am reminded of that.

Different Kinds of Sugar

Something that hit me the other day that people might not realize is that there are several different kinds of sugar. I don't necessarily mean ploysaccharides, disaccharides and monosaccharides. I suppose that has something to do with it, but I'm talking more about how different sugars affect diabetes and the body.

Quick-sugars are like most fruit juices, sweet foods and stuff like that. These kinds of sugars get my blood sugar to spike fast, but the sugars also work quickly so it doesn't last for very long. I like to use this as half of my correction for lows because I will go up in less than five minutes. Quick sugars are sometimes hard to correct for, though. This is because the insulin will be working for 45 minutes to an hour and the the sugar will have worked and been gone for at least 40 minutes by the time the insulin is done. This is where the false belief that diabetic's cannot have sugar comes from. It is not that we cannot have sugar, it is that quick sugar can be dangerous or hard to correct for. If we could not have sugar, then we would not be able to eat. Because there is sugar in everything. I do try to avoid having too much of this kind of sugar because it can be very hard to manage diabetes on a quick-sugar diet, but I can have cake, candy, or apple juice if I want to.

Long-lasting sugars are usually breads, pastries, milk and other such things. Pizza is a long-lasting carbohydrate/sugar, and it is more dangerous for me than any quick-sugar is. The yeast hits me repeatedly, so sometimes it is like no amount of insulin will be enough. It can continue to affect me for 8 hours after a meal. Not all long-lasting sugars/carbs are like that. A biscuit in the morning is a good idea especially for a long day with a lot of activity. It will keep my sugar steady so I don't have to worry about dropping. Usually. Milk isn't quite as long lasting as bread, so it's good to keep my sugar up after a low. I usually try to couple quick-acting and long-lasting sugars when treating a hypoglycemic event, because one will bring me up almost instantly and the other will help me maintain the good blood sugar.

Something else that people might not consider is foods that do not typically have an overabundance in carbs/sugars. I can eat bacon all day long and it doesn't have any affect on my blood sugar, because there are no carbs/sugars in it. Same thing applies to other kinds of meats, cheeses, most vegetables and water. On high blood sugar days I try to stick to this kind of diet. Especially if I am having a consistent stream of highs and can't seem to figure out what the problem is. I can't really fast, so this helps me figure out if it is a basal (amount of insulin the pump gives me over a 24 hour period of time), food or under correction issue.

I just wanted to raise awareness about the different kinds of sugars and the different affects they can have on my body. Since it is Diabetes Awareness Month and all. I guess I hadn't really considered that people don't know how it affects me. But now you know!

Hyperglycemia (High Blood Sugar)

I have more of a problem with hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) than hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Most things cause my body and diabetes to react with high blood sugars. Anger, pain, stress and other emotions have the most effect and can cause my diabetes to remain high for a significant amount of time. Under correcting for a meal or snack can cause high blood sugar as well. If a site is not working properly or if my pump is having internal issues that can definitely cause a high blood sugar. When I was on shots the insulin would sometimes come back out of the body after receiving a shot. We didn't know how much insulin I received until about 45 minutes later, so that would usually cause a high blood sugar.

I usually get very snappy when my sugar is high and I don't want to listen to anyone. Especially if they are telling me to check my sugar because they recognize I'm high. That makes me feel like they are telling me I am a terrible diabetic and I don't know how to take care of myself (I'm crazy, I know). I start hurting almost everywhere at about 250-300. I feel really achy and lazy because of that. I am unable to process things like I can if my sugar is good (or even low). I can't think straight at all, so doing math or giving a speech is next to impossible. I am usually very thirsty and I feel sick to my stomach. I also feel sleepy, but that doesn't start until about 400. I can't sleep if my sugar is too high because my body won't let me. That's probably a good thing though. If I am asleep I can't take care of the problem, and it isn't something I want to let go unattended. I have never been in DKA and I would like to keep it that way!

If my site isn't working or if I have been high for a significant amount of time I usually use a shot of insulin to bring it down quickly. My pump is great when I can keep it in range, but if it gets too out of control I need a shot to fix the problem. That is a personal preference that most diabetics do not follow. Sometime exercise can fix the highs, but that isn't a certain deal. If I eat something really high in carbs or something bready, then I take a long walk after eating. That helps to keep my sugar in range, rather than having to correct for a high later. Most likely that is because the insulin takes longer to work, and breads have longer-lasting carbohydrates than candy or other simple sugars.

High blood sugars can cause major complications after a long time with this disease. It can shut down my eyes, my nerves, my liver, my heart and pretty much everything else in my body. I try to keep it under control as much as possible to avoid all of these complications.

Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)

I can kind of change personalities depending on my blood sugar. Hypoglycemia--or low blood sugar--makes me act differently than either high or normal blood sugars. Low blood sugars make me dizzy, weak, tired, irritable and an overabundance of other things. Most recently, I have developed a side effect of depression with consistent low blood sugars.

I used to know when I was dropping. It felt like I was on a boat (and didn't have my sea legs). I would be really clumsy, dizzy and I felt like I was unstable or physically falling. Now I can't really feel my lows, especially if I have had many of them within a short period of time. Instead of feeling seasick, I feel depressed and I end up just laying in the floor. Melancholy and lethargic. I also get very short-tempered and I am mean with my words. I don't usually mean what I say, but I'm not very nice anyway.

I had to start realizing that when I act different it means that something is off (and my Tay-Dar was great for that!). Since I stopped being able to tell completely when I was low I had to come up with a different way to figure it out. This is the best I could do, but it has worked pretty well.

Lows can be hard to treat, depending on the reason. If it is an emotional reason I could eat all day long and it wouldn't solve a thing. If it's just because I over corrected for a meal, that can be relatively simple.

Lows are dangerous, especially in sleep, because going too low could kill me. I'd like to avoid that as much as possible.

What "Causes" Highs Or Lows?

A while back I had written about diabetes not having one single treatment option. It is NOT a linear disease! It is very individual! By that, I mean that I don't only start to go up when I eat something and do not correct properly. I also don't only drop when I haven't eaten or when I have had too much exercise. I want to take some time this month to describe to you how individual my disease is.

I am considered a "brittle diabetic." Basically, that means that everything affects my disease (and it doesn't always affect it in the same ways). For example, if I have a bunch of homework and I don't think I will be able to get it all done my diabetes will go absolutely insane. Sometimes that means high blood sugar until I can finish the homework, sometimes it means dangerously low to the point that I can't even go to class. It's unpredictable.

As mentioned, school affects my blood sugar. So does food, sleep (or lack of), pain (emotional, spiritual and physical), happiness, pretty much every emotion, stress, fatigue, illness and pretty much everything else under the sun. Some of the biggest things that affect my blood sugar are pain, illness and emotions.

Pain has always had a huge affect on my diabetes. I take a little longer to heal than "normal" people (non-diabetics), and even a small paper cut can make my sugar go high for several days. Ibuprofen or other pain reliever can make my sugar go down. I just have to keep taking it until the cut (or burn, or bite, or whatever else) is completely healed. Emotional pain can put me on a seemingly eternal roller coaster until I get over whatever is the problem. Occasionally, this is very dangerous as it can last for several months.

I have a compromised immune system because of this disease, so I get sick very easily. Illness can make me do all kinds of crazy things. It can produce a roller coaster, consistent highs (that is most often the case) or consistent, dangerous lows. Once again these problems are not resolved until the sickness is gone.

Emotions hate me. I am convinced. Because this has the absolute worst affect on my blood sugar and it isn't something I can just take a pill for or get insulin for to fix. I worked at a very emotionally trying store for seven months and it almost killed me. It took me three months after I quit my job there to fix my diabetes problems, as I wasn't quite over the problems that came it with. That point in my life caused me to be very depressed and that made an in-explainable, unpredictable diabetes ride.

It is difficult to explain in detail everything that can affect my blood sugar, because EVERYTHING CAN AFFECT MY BLOOD SUGAR.  Everything can cause a high or a low. Even anticipation of highs or lows can cause my sugar to head in that direction.

Managing diabetes is not easy because of this. But it is doable, and I've had a wonderful support system in my family and church and God has blessed me beyond all belief.

Some (Free) Ways You Can Show Your Support This Month!

So, as a college student I can understand that money is sometimes tight. I wouldn't want you to donate money you don't have, even if it is for a good cause.

Instead, let me share with you some easy, (mostly) free ways you can show support and raise awareness this month!

First, you could follow Project Blue November on facebook or other social media sites and share their awareness posts. This is totally free and it doesn't take very long to do. A lot of people are just misinformed or uninformed about the disease, so sharing some facts could benefit everyone. Use #projectbluenovember if you decide to share these posts. If you would, use #fightlikeataylor (my own hashtag) as well! I would greatly appreciate that!

Second, and a variation of the first, you could join us in doing the blue streak challenge. This is so much fun, especially if you enjoy being a little bit crazy! Either get a blue hair extension to wear for a little while or dye a bit of your hear blue. When people ask you why you have an opportunity to share with them! It might cost a little bit of money, but it is a lot of fun! If you decide to follow the link above and look at the photo album for the blue streak challenge, I am in the album twice! (I thought that was pretty cool!!)

Third, wear blue on Fridays. If you own a lot of blue this is really easy. If you don't, just experiment a little and play with your options. There is a movement going on currently that is claiming Fridays in November as blue Fridays. Project Blue November has t-shirts for sale if you feel like purchasing one. In addition to this, you could wear a blue ribbon on pretty much anything. If you know me personally, ask me for one! I am always giving some out in November!

If you are a diabetic, JDRF is doing something very cool. T1D Looks Like Me is quick and easy to operate. You can upload a picture and it will cover it with a bluish haze and add the slogan (see picture below). It's free and you can share it anywhere you want to.

 
I am giving a few speeches at my school this week to share my story. This definitely spreads awareness. If you are comfortable giving a speech or two, pursue that option as well! I'm here to encourage you!

November 14th is an especially important day to me this month, as it is WORLD DIABETES DAY. If you cannot do anything any other day this month, but still want to show some support, mark this day on your calendar! This would be a great opportunity to spread awareness everywhere! Go crazy! Do whatever you can to show your support on this day! Let me know, so I can join you! 

In case you didn't already know... You can always share my blog posts. If you find something interesting, feel free to show anyone you want to! I definitely wouldn't mind!

The Tay-Dar

As promised, today's post is devoted to my wonderful little sister. I also call her my "Tay-Dar."Autumn has saved my life in more ways that I can count, so I'll try to stick specifically with diabetes-related topics here.

I think her magnificent "Tay-Dar" ability began when she was about six or seven. I remember the day it happened--or most of it anyway. My grandfather was in the hospital so we were all up and getting ready to go visit him. Mom was either in the shower or she had run to the store. I couldn't get to her, wherever she was. I remember telling Dad I felt low and him telling me to get some juice. I went to the kitchen and started drinking orange juice straight out of the container. Autumn yelled at me for that, making sure she told me how disgusting that was. That's the last thing I remember before I passed out from being too low.

A while later I woke up in Mom's lap with pancake syrup all over me and my emergency kit was put together and ready to go. I had dropped so low that my meter wasn't even registering a number. Autumn was really freaked out that day and I believe that is why she developed her Tay-Dar. 

"Tay-Dar" is what I call her unique ability to pick up on every single change in my blood sugar levels. She is usually more accurate than my dexcom, and sometimes she is more accurate than my meter. She knows how I start acting when my sugar is too far off in one direction, but she has also been able to accurately recognize when my sugar is headed into a dangerous number. We've always been very close and we might be able to give partial credit to the Tay-Dar for that.

I can recall some times where she has used her ability to save me before I even noticed something was wrong. One time we were at church for a drama meeting, both in separate buildings on opposite sides of the campus, and she randomly showed up in my room. She demanded that I check my sugar immediately. I was quite low and I didn't even realize it. If she hadn't have come to tell me, I probably wouldn't have checked my sugar. She has woken me up in the middle of the night on several different occasions and demanded that I check my sugar. Always I am either too high or too low, and she has saved me from some of the complications that can cause.

Nowadays, we have even done this thing that we call "tsuino" or "twin brain." Her God-given ability has expanded to where we actually do think the same things quite frequently! (Poor girl...) Now, rather than just recognizing what my diabetes is doing, she can tell random things that I am doing or have done before I even tell her. For example, I volunteered us both for the fall festival at the local public library in October. Before I even got in the car she knew what I had done.

God has an amazing sense of humor. Through Autumn almost losing me, He has bestowed upon me the amazing gift of her. We are so much alike, and yet still our own people. She has saved me in so many more ways than just what was listed here, but especially in terms of diabetes she saves me almost everyday. God gave me Autumn, and Tay-Dar, to keep me safe and sane. I am very blessed with my little sister and her amazing gifts.

Momma

There are two people that I give credit to the fact that I am still alive. My mother and my little sister. Both of them have saved my life more times than I can count, and God gave me both of them to help me fight diabetes. This post will talk a little about my mother, but in tomorrow's post I will talk about my sister.

My mother probably didn't sign up for all of the different things that come with Type 1 Diabetes in infancy. The pre-dawn-phenomena, the infinite amount of needles and blood, the many sleepless nights because of a roller-coaster of blood sugars. I don't blame her. I wouldn't have signed up for it either! But she still took care of me. Even though it wasn't fun, she still loved me enough to persevere and take care of me when I couldn't take care of myself. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank her enough for that.

Growing up she pretty much did everything for me. She logged my blood sugars, she stayed up until midnight to check my sugar so that I could sleep, she changed my pump sites and everything else. The only thing I did until I was about seventeen was check my own blood sugar when I was awake. Because she wanted me to be able to enjoy my childhood (and be like any other kid), she did the rest herself. After I turned seventeen I started logging my own blood sugars and changing my own pump sites to take some of the responsibility from her. I didn't realize just how hard it all was until them, but I'm so amazed at her strength and willingness now. At this point in my journey I'm doing most everything. Sometimes I need help inserting a pump site, but I try to give my mother as much freedom as possible because she let me experience that while growing. 

The photo below I had posted on my facebook page (Fight Like A Taylor) with this caption:

"And He knew that I would need a mother that was okay with all nighters, pre-dawn-phenomenon, mood swings, homeschooling madness and everything else we have gone through because of diabetes. He knew that I would need a very amazing role model, and He knew that He'd better give me to her because she is part of the reason I'm still alive today. He blessed me with a wonderful Momma and I couldn't be happier to be her daughter."

I strongly believe that that is the case. God gave me a mother that He knew was going to be strong enough to take care of me. I'm forever grateful to both Him and her for that gift. Without her, I probably would not be alive today.

Treatment facts

So I was doing some math the other day for a speech I'm giving. I was trying to figure out how much stuff I've used since my diagnosis. This does not include anything that has failed or that I do not use consistently. For example, the insulin pens that I have used over the years I won't count in this because I only use those when I am sick or when my pump is not working. I'll share what I found here.

Test strips are a big one. I check my sugar 10-12 times daily. This is not counting when I am sick and I have to check more often, or when there is a meter error so I have to check again. So that is 12*365*18= 78,840 test strips (in a perfect world) since my diagnosis. Also not counting the strips that have been used since my "anniversary" in August of last year. Each box costs on average $70 and has 50 strips in it, so that is (78,840/50)*70= $110,376 in test strips in the past 18 years.

As far as shots go, I used to use 10-12 daily. I did that for five years. That is 12*365*5=21,900 shots in my first five years of diagnosis. The needles alone are $25/box, and there are about 50 in the box. So (21,900/50)*25=10,950. That is how much money 5 years worth of shots (not including the insulin I use with them) will cost. $10,950. That just pays for my insulin pump ($9000).

Insulin is very expensive as well. Assuming I use two vials of insulin every week and I have been a diabetic for 18 years, that is 2*52*18=1872 vials of insulin. Each vial costs between $75 to $100. So that is 1872*100= $187,200 on insulin, not including vials that did not work or times that I had to use more than average. Also not including the time between August and now.

I haven't had a dexcom for very long, so I can't really include that in my list of supplies I've used. I have used about three months worth of supplies for the dexcom. I know that each month is about $900 worth of medical supplies, and the receiver itself costs somewhere between $1500-$2000. I don't even know what to figure for the transmitter.

My insulin pump is a $9000 machine that I have had since I was 5. Actually, I've had several since I was 5. I've upgraded twice, and the most recent pump has been replaced at least 4 times for various reasons (under warranty, thankfully).

I don't know how to account for other supplies (like lancets, meter and lace, etc.) and their costs. I know I've used them, but I have no idea how many lancets I've used. I don't even have a rough estimate!  

I'm a very expensive kid! But I am also a very blessed one. God has taken care of me beyond my comprehension. He gave me parents that were willing to take care of me--unconditionally--and he gave me the strength to get through this. Yeah, I cost quite a bit. But to the people who matter, I'm worth it. (Apparently.)

My Story

I feel like it is necessary to share my story with T1D this month. It helps my readers understand why it is so important to me to show support and raise awareness.

I was diagnosed with this disease when I was 10 months old. I've had it for 18 years. It has shaped the way I live my life and it has an impact on almost every decision I make.

Obviously I don't remember everything I went through at the beginning. I was way too young to know what was happening, which I consider a blessing in disguise. I feel that way because that means that I never had a significant life-change. I hadn't had time to get used to life without the disease before it took over. That means that I don't really miss my old life, and for that I am grateful.

I don't remember this either, but my parents tell me that when I was little I used to say that "God told me before I was ever on this earth that He would give me diabetes. He also told me that I would have a mommy and a daddy who would take care of me so I didn't have to worry about it. It's going to be okay." Even though I do not remember saying that, I do remember feeling a sense of peace about the disease. That had disappeared for awhile when I got older.

Growing up was not always fun, but I think that's the case for even "normal" people. I didn't get to eat cake at birthday parties or go swimming with other kids because of my disease. I didn't mind though, to be honest. It actually bugged me more that kids thought it was contagious. Diabetes is a part of me. It's not contagious. It's not weird. It is just there. It doesn't define me.

My mother pulled me out of public school and started homeschooling me in second grade. I didn't want to do it to begin with, but that decision has made me a far better person in the long run. It helped me to find myself without the peer pressure and to actually enjoy learning. Through the homeschool I was able to better control the disease and it kept me healthier.

Throughout adolescence, I have managed to control the diabetes fairly well. It scared me, though. That was something I never experienced in my childhood. The more research I did on the complications that could happen and the dangers of the disease, the worse I felt. I started letting it control me, rather than trying to control it. I've discovered that that never helps. The moment that you let this disease control you through fear, it consumes you and you become overwhelmed. At least that is what happened with me.

Thankfully that phase didn't last very long and I regained my confidence with handling this disease. I'm sure that was a gift from God, because I still don't know how I regained my strength. I guess I had to realize that it was never about my strength, but it was about His.

Because of my doubt at that phase, I never actually saw myself making it to where I am now. By that, I mean 19. I never saw myself reaching this age, especially not with my health as good as it is. I was definitely wrong in that. For now, I'm just taking every single day and giving it to God. I want to give what is left of my life to Him and let it be used for His purposes. I realize that everyday is a gift so I am going to treat it like so.

I never minded sharing my diabetes story. Actually, I enjoyed it. I have always loved sharing it with everyone who would listen. I suppose that is why November and T1D awareness is so important to me now, 18 years later. I want to spread the message of hope. I also want to show people a few things. First, it is okay to be scared of your disease, as long as you don't get stuck in that phase. Second, it does not define you, no matter what other people say or think. Third, don't be afraid to share your story. Because you never know who you might inspire!

Some Ways I Will Be Showing My Support This Month

So I thought I would share with you all some of the ways I intend to show my support or raise awareness this month.

First--and I enjoy doing this--at least on the 14th (International T1D Day) I will be dying my hair blue!! That way, every time someone asks me about it I can tell them what it is for. This helps to raise awareness, as well shows how fun I can be.

Second I am giving several speeches at my school. Two different teachers have agreed to let me give a 15-20 minute speech during class about what I go through daily. I plan on giving my personal story, some information about insulin and different treatments/medical equipment, and statistics. I am both nervous and very excited about these opportunities. I also plan on making blue ribbons to give to the students in the classrooms if they want them...

Also, my big sister (Aschlii) has set something up with some different groups she is in on the social medias. She has told her "Dart buddies" that this is National Diabetes Awareness month, so they are supporting me in many different car-creative ways. (As a side note, you should check out her blog! The link is attached to her name above.) This will reach people nation-wide and on a totally different level than I am capable of doing alone, so I am very blessed by her willingness to do that for me.  (THANK YOU DARTSOFMERICA!)

I would like to see how many of my readers are showing their support as well. If you have done something to show your support or help raise awareness this month (even if it is just wearing blue) and you are willing to do so, post it on social media using the hashtags #fightlikeataylor and #projectbluenovember (also try #nationalt1dawarenessmonth or #diabetesawareness). I would be very blessed to see how many people love me!

Later this month I will be setting up a way to donate money to JDRF (the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). I'm hoping for at least $1 a day to be able to go toward research for a cure for this disease.

If anyone has any questions they would like me to answer this month, or something that they would like to see posted, please do let me know by commenting! I would love to answer questions to help spread awareness! (If you do not want to comment your question below, feel free to message me on my facebook page or email me at trryerse@gmail.com)

Also, if you have a different way to spread awareness please let me know! I want to hear your ideas!

Thank you for reading! Comment, subscribe, like and share! 
 

Kickoff for NATIONAL T1D AWARENESS MONTH!

Hello everyone!! It is November. Do you know what that means? It is NATIONAL TYPE 1 DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH! 

This month I will be posting a bunch of diabetes related things. Fun facts, personal stories, statistics and data, and some things that are currently being researched about this disease. As a Type 1 Diabetic, I want to show as much support and raise as much awareness as I can! I would be quite honored if my readers would help me do that. 

For those of you who do not know, Type 1 Diabetes is an auto-immune disease that occurs when the pancreas dies. In my case, I received an immunization at 10 months old that fought with my pancreas and won. That means I have to check my sugar 10-12 times daily, stabbing my fingers with a lancet to get the blood sugar level. It also means that I have to count carbs on everything and get insulin with a shot or with my pump as necessary. I don't get a day off. This is a full time, 24-hour-a-day, 7-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year kind of job. It gets tiring, but it is doable. 

A day to remember this month: NOVEMBER 14TH IS INTERNATIONAL TYPE 1 DIABETES AWARENESS DAY. If you would, please wear something blue to support me and other diabetics! 

I will try to post something at least twice a week this month, but it will probably be more often than that. My goal is to reach as many people as possible (I'm aiming for 100) to spread the word about what this disease is and how it affects us! Would you help me reach my goal? Comment, subscribe, share, etc.! I appreciate everyone's support.