Not too many special “diabetic” things going on in my life right now.  Even though you live with it every single day of my life, it doesn’t seem to always affect me every single day, I guess that’s a good thing.  My sugar levels have been coming down and averaging to be pretty good throughout the day.

I don’t know what I am going to do tomorrow for World Diabetes Day, I really don’t think anything too special.  I will definitely just spread the word of diabetes, but I do that every day of my life.  Do I get to eat a big piece of chocolate cake tomorrow?

Can’t wait to read all the great posts tomorrow.

Well, nothing special going on today to celebrate world diabetes day.  There has been a million other blogs out there celebrating it, and talking about it, and doing everything, so I won’t waste all of your time by doing the same.

I actually don’t have much time to write one today because of how long I spent reading all the other ones.  It reminded me of a sports team that has been horrible for 10 years, then all of a sudden they make the play-offs and now everyone is on board cheering for them and hoping they win.  Except in this case, people who haven’t posted in a year, since last November 14 are all up on the blogosphere this year.

Everyone have a great World Diabetes Day!

On Saturday October 18, 2008, American Diabetes Wholesale participated in the American Diabetes Assocation’s Fort Lauderdale Step Out! Fight Against Diabetes Walk.  The event was held at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, FL.  There was a large turnout of walkers and volunteers.  With music, food, volunteers, and excited walkers, the walk was a success!  Every dollar that is raised at an event like this makes a difference.

ADW handed out free meters to those who had diabetes or knew somebody with diabetes.  Also, there were 5 lucky recipients that won either a free Splenda Cookbook by Marlene Koch or an Eat Smart Nutrition Scale.

The ADW Power Walkers team had about 20 team members walking the route around the Bank Atlantic Center.  We were also able to raise nearly $2,000 for the ADA and the fight against diabetes.  Below are several pictures from the event.

As we quickly approach our November 7th deadline for the second-annual Diabetes Educator of the Year Contest, we want to encourage you to tell us about an inspirational healthcare professional you know who is dedicated to fighting diabetes, and has made a difference in your life, or in the life of a loved one.

At ADW, we have set out to pay tribute to these educators, which include certified diabetes educators, nurses, and physicians, who consistently show compassion and an unfaltering commitment to their work, patients, and diabetes community. If you have someone that you think deserves to be the 2008 Diabetes Educator of the Year, we’d love to hear from you!

The nomination process is easy - just visit www.AmericanDiabetesWholesale.com/Contest and fill out the required information. Our winner will be flown in for a two-night, three-day stay at one of South Florida’s most beautiful resorts, the Boca Raton Resort & Club. He or she will also be honored in a special ceremony coordinated by all of us here at ADW, together with our local diabetes advocate partners.

Last year’s winner, Barbara J. Odom, RN, PHN, M.ED is an extraordinary example of the loyalty and devotion that we at American Diabetes Wholesale so admire. She is U.S. Navy Veteran, a registered nurse of 36 years and has been a certified diabetes educator since 1985. Since retiring from the Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in June 2001, she has worked independently and volunteered her time in the San Diego Community and throughout the country. She is motivated by her love of nursing, teaching and helping others. She facilitates a monthly support group in Southeast San Diego, does workshop presentations on diabetes and other health concerns at churches, community groups and health fairs.

Help us continue to recognize those who are making a difference - go to www.AmericanDiabetesWholesale.com/Contest before November 7th and tell us about that special person who you think should be the 2008 Diabetes Educator of the Year!

Thank you again for all your support; we couldn’t continue to do this without you. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have, and we look forward to hearing about the exceptional diabetes educator in your life!

All the best,
Your American Diabetes Wholesale Team

Well, it wasn’t such a good weekend for the Eagles, but what are you going to do?  I don’t want to talk too much about it.  However, my blood sugar levels were perfect throughout the entire game which surprised the heck out of me.  Today is the start of a strict, strict, diet to lose about 10 pounds before Thanksgiving rolls around.

I plan on cutting my calorie intake down to about 1,000, and burning about 200-300 per day from exercise.  Right now, I am intaking nearly 2,000 a day and that’s not working out so well.  The only part that is making me eat so much is the snacking at night that I am taking in almost 400-500 calories after dinner…. not a good idea when you are trying to lose weight.  If I cut out that snacking, I can lose 5-6 pounds a month just by that!

Today’s weight… the highest I have ever been is 242.  Every Monday I will put up a new weight and give a new goal, and we’ll see if I can meet it. My goal for next week is 237.  5 pounds in one week may sound like a lot, but it is just so much excessive fat that it will come right off with 1-2 games of tennis.

Also, A1C time is approaching fast.  I don’t remember exactly when the last one was, so I have to check up on it and see.

Hopefully this weekend is going to be a relaxed filled one.  I do not have any plans directly, however something always pops up and it gets hectic.  I plan on going to the driving range sometime this weekend, hopefully Saturday and then actually going golfing sometime on Sunday, but who knows, probably won’t get around to either one of them.  Sunday night is a big night because it is the Eagles - Giants game which is definitely going to mess with my blood sugar levels.

Sunday is also going to be a day that I am going out for pizza for dinner for my girlfriend’s grandfather’s birthday, so that right there also always screws with my blood sugar.  So that should be a fun night filled with testing my levels constantly.  Another thing this weekend is that I think my girlfriend is going to start on her photo album of our cruise, she always makes some awesome scrapbooking things…. hmmm maybe a business idea.  Send us your pics and she will scrapbook them for you!  Any buyers?  Well, I should probably ask her first huh?

Well you all have a great, safe weekend, and come back Monday to see how my sugars were throughout the game…. if you care…….later!

Finally, it’s over.  Whether you wanted him to win or you didn’t, it doesn’t matter now.  It’s time again for us to join together again…. which we should have been all along anyway, but I’ll save that for a political blog.  Since this is a diabetic blog, I don’t want to discuss politics, but what I will say is….. a lot has been promised, so like I said yesterday, I dare you, Mr. Obama, to do something to benefit the 23 million diabetics living in this country within your first 100 days.

But on to other things, my new insurance has kicked in and I am not paying a single penny for any of my supplies and I love it.  Enough strips to test 8 times a day, enough infusion sets to change every 2-3 days, enough insulin to go through over 150 units a day if I wanted to.  It feels great to be insured again.  The best part is that I didn’t even have to change companies.  The company I was getting them from while I was uninsured, just started billing insurances recently, so now I can stick with them and not have to deal with the headaches that I always go through whenever I go to a different supply company or pharmacy.

Well, this is going to be short and sweet today, but not too sweet because I don’t want all our sugars getting high.  Have a superb day all!

I am very surprised with how great my sugar levels were on the cruise.  I actually tested about 4-5 times a day which also shocked me.  We didn’t spend a lot of time in our room, but whenever we came back to the room I was testing my sugar just to make sure it was at a proper level.  My girlfriend was a little sea sick on the first day, so we didn’t really do too much, but once we got to the Bahamas, the fun was on.  We spent majority of the day at Atlantis, which is definitely a magically place.  I had a perfect scheme set up there too.

I took my pump off and left it in a locker while we went on different water rides.  I would test my sugar, then go off and do one section of the park.  We would then go back to the locker, check again and then do another section.  The best part was that there is a lazy river that goes around the whole Aquaventure park so when we wanted to go back to the lockers, we hopped in a raft and floated to the the exit where our lockers were.  Also, since it was my first time in the Bahamas, I was enjoying all the different tropical drinks that were just floating around at the bars, and I was able to maintain blood sugar levels under 200 the whole entire day, more like under 160!

Even during the buffets I was eating, my blood sugars didn’t spike.   The only day was Sunday morning, they were a little high and then after breakfast they stayed high for a while.  It took me a few hours to bring down the blood sugar levels.  But all in all the cruise was amazing.  I celebrated my birthday on Saturday, and then a 3 year anniversary on Monday, so it was an all in one cruise.

Now, it is time to celebrate the whole month of November and National Diabetes Awareness Month.  Whoever becomes the next president tonight, I challenge you to do something in your first 100 days that will benefit the over 23 million diabetics in this country…. go ahead I DARE you!  Let’s make our voice heard.

Only one more day left before my cruise to the Bahamas, and it definitely doesn’t seem like it.  I’m not even sure that I am prepared to go, actually I’m not!  I have to make sure that I get all of my stuff together tonight so I’m ready to go tomorrow morning when it is time to leave.  I believe that on Saturday we will be spending all day at the Atlantis Hotel area, but I don’t know.  I’d like to witness the night life in the Bahamas, but I’m a little hesitant to take a taxi back to the ship at around midnight, any suggestions from anybody?

Second, can I get feedback from those of you who have gone on cruises while being diabetic?  Is it a hassle to get on board or do they strip you down and find every single lancet you have in your bag and wonder why you have some wire coming out of your stomach into your pocket?  I’ve dealt with it at the airport sometimes and some people are just ignorant to the fact that Diabetes exists and the certain technology and equipment that we need to survive.

Well, we are World Series Champions!!!!!  I can’t remember the last time my city has won a championship…… that’s right because I wasn’t even born yet!!!!  This Saturday is my 24 birthday, and it’s been 25 years since the last championship in Philly.  Damn it feels good!