Monday, June 28, 2010

Congrats Team KK!


The walk to cure diabetes was a complete success! I was so proud of all members of Team KK for doing such an outstanding job. Together we raised $2949! I couldn't believe it! Personally I collected $1229!

It was a great day and the sun was shining and most of all I was surrounded by people who truly cared about finding a cure and knew exactly what it is like to either live with diabetes or live with someone that has diabetes.

Seeing the young children with diabetes breaks my heart because I know that they don't deserve the chore of having diabetes. I cannot imagine what it is like on Halloween, birthdays and Christmas let alone recess every single day.

I know that type 1 diabetes is very unspoken of and that many people have no idea what it is all about, but type 1 diabetes is out there and it effects 300 000 people and a lot of those people are children.

I know that one day there will be a cure and I will not ever doubt that.

Kayla

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Meaning


There are only a couple days before Team KK walks for a cure! I can hardly wait to reunite with the fellow walkers and also meet a bunch of new walkers from Michelle's family. I know that it is a very special day for them much like it is special for me. They are all familiar with type 1 diabetes because of Michelle's Mémère who past away last year on the same day as the Walk to Cure diabetes.

Sunday is not all about the money that each of us collected for JDRF it's way more than that. I think that with so many Charity's out there the message can be blurred. A lot of people flee when it comes time to ask for donations and I totally understand that. If you don't have a connection to a disease or cause then why would you want to give away your hardworking money.

Sunday will mean a little something different to everyone that is walking. Some are living with type 1 while others live with people that have type 1. It may be in memory of a friend or love one or just a time to recognize someone you know that is living with type 1.

To me the Walk to Cure diabetes is a celebration of what I have been through and where I am going. I am a walking pin cushion that is proof that anything is possible. I say it all the time and I know that at least half of my friends think I am crazy, but diabetes has brought so much positivity in my life.

I will be walking with people that have supported me 24/7. People that I know have my back and will never let me down. Unfortunately a few friends including Clinton cannot make the walk, but I know that they are incredible in every way.

I know that collecting money seems like the big thing, but behind those pledge sheets and dollar signs are people that are touched by the cause or disease and just want to share their story.

So just let me know what your cause or charity means to you!

Kayla

Monday, June 21, 2010

Waiting and Waiting . . .


Right now I am just waiting to get my insulin pump. It seems like I have been waiting forever and really I have been waiting for almost 7 months since I made the choice in January. There is so much that needed to be done in order to get it and now I just want it to arrive.

I am glad that it is covered by the government; however, that slows down the whole process. It will be exciting when it is delivered to my house and I can begin using it once the trainer comes to my house. I am also very nervous because I know as much as I prepare myself for this I will never really know what it's like until I've got it attached to me.

I also will now be going to Panama with my friend Michelle in August, so that will be interesting. I know that just after I was diagnosed I went on a cruise and managed to deal with my diabetes, so I am not too worried - I can always use needles then.

I am really excited for what is to come. I know that I have worked hard for everything I have accomplished this far and it's nice to see hard work pay off. It is very true that if you believe in something you can achieve it. I know that it is said all the time, but I sincerely believe that if you believe in yourself you can achieve anything.

Kayla

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Up and Down


Lately my sugars have been so good that if it wasn't for those silly needles and blood checks I would think I was no longer diabetic.
Unfortunately the reason why my blood sugars are so well is because of those two very important things that I do every single day.

Right now I am trying to figure out specific patterns in my blood sugars. I know that I will have to do this with my insulin pump, so I am taking some time now to figure it all out. My sugars always drop around 10:50 a.m and stay under 7 until around 10:30 p.m where they are usually 10.

My nurse told me that if I feel comfortable going to bed at a 10 then that is perfectly fine because I am waking up around a 6 anyways. Last night was strange though because I had supper at the mall - which was a sandwich from Tim Hortons - I even got the nutrition guide to make sure I knew exactly how many carbs were in it. Now as of right now my ratios are being played around with so for a 52 gram sandwich I used to take 3 units, but instead I took 5 units which is roughly a one unit to every 10 grams of carbs.

After shopping at Ikea and the mall around 9:30 my sugar was 10 and at 10:30 it was 11.8. I knew not to correct it because of how much I drop in the night and thankfully I didn't because I woke up at 1:30 a.m with a sugar of 3.9.

I woke up saying, "mom I feel faint" first of all I was asleep and second of all my mom was downstairs. At least I woke myself up! I came downstairs and I was seriously starving. I felt like I hadn't ate in days. I had about a handful of these fruit pieces (32 grams) one piece of bread with peanut butter (15 grams) and half a bowl of popcorn (20 grams) so together I had 67 grams and had no insulin for it! Now that seems crazy, but this morning my sugar was 7.1.

My diabetes is incredibly crazy and right now I am trying to figure out what my body is doing! It seems like it does it's own thing in a different manner each and every day.

Kayla

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Sign Off


Finally I got to sign off all my stuff in order to receive an insulin pump. The next steps are to send it to my doctor in order to get approved to receive the insulin pump. I absolutely cannot wait till it is shipped to my house - even if it takes me awhile to get it running I just want it here!

I really like going to D.E.C because it gives me a chance to share what I have been doing with my diabetes with the nurses. The nurses there are really great and are incredibly understanding.

I hadn't gotten my A1C done in awhile and went today after my appointment to get it since in order to be approved for the pump they need two recent A1C results which is like a snapshot of how your blood sugars have been over the past 3 months. They also do a meter check there to make sure that your meter is giving you correct results.

Not to jinx myself, but I have had amazing blood sugars the past week and I have been in a great mood about everything. It was a nice compliment when my friend Erin said that she loves that I am always happy and although I do have bad days I tend to wear a smile as much as I can. I am just excited right now and know that everything I do I give 100% whether it is at my work or with my friends.

It's important to me to give it your all each day and even if something seems like a hassle or doesn't go exactly how you wanted - you just have to work with it. This weekend is my cousins baby shower which I planned with my Aunt. I am really looking forward to it! June has been one of my busiest months this year and I really don't mind at all!

Kayla

Monday, June 14, 2010

I did it!


Nothing is impossible with diabetes. There are no limits with diabetes only possibilities and that is why I was able to accomplish a give-it-a-tri triathlon yesterday. I was very nervous to start, but with awesome support there was just no way that I was going to back down.

Before the race started my sugar was 9.5 (I had just ate breakfast about an hour and a half previous to that) and once the race was done I was at a 9.4! I had a couple DEX 4 tabs along the way just in case, but overall I was happy with how my sugars cooperated!

We started off with swimming and that was probably the hardest part out of the whole race. I didn't bring goggles and I wear contacts, so I found that back stroke worked the best for me. I did the 400m swim in 16 minutes. Once I finished the swimming I had to run to get my bike, it was time for the 10k bike ride and after that was the 2.5k run.

In the end I finished the entire triathlon in 1 hour and 16 minutes. I was proud of myself for finishing it. All I wanted to do was make sure that I made it to the very end and to say I did it! The whole time I kept telling myself that I knew I could do it and to just keep going. I never did stop (well only once when my chain fell off on my bike and a lady had to help me) other than that I just kept going!

Once it was over it felt really good to know that I had not only accomplished this triathlon, but that I proved that having type 1 diabetes is not a limitation. If you set your mind to it - it's possible.

Kayla

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Right Beside Me


Tomorrow is my triathlon and I can barely begin to explain how nervous I am! Just like most of the things that I jump into, I have no idea what to expect. I don't know if it is going to be super hard for me to accomplish or if I am just worrying too much.

I am not going to lie I didn't train as much as I could have for this, but with working full time and having a million other things to do I feel like time to train is very limited. I am so lucky to have one awesome girl doing this event with me and her name is Michelle Richardson!

Michelle and I met at Smittys - which was a craft store in Brantford. Ever since then we have been the best of friends. Michelle has been an awesome friend the past three years that I have known her and ever since I was diagnosed with diabetes she has been right there beside me to events and all.

Now I have many, many friends that are awesome supporters, but since Michelle is doing this triathlon with me I want to recognize her and let everyone know just how dedicated this girl is! Michelle has also participated in the Mudrun, Walk to Cure Diabetes and Beach Volleyball tournament. There are no hesitations with Michelle she is always ready to take on the challenge with me.

I honestly couldn't have asked for a better friend and I know 100% that she has my back and will always be there for me. Michelle's family has also been a great support to me as well. More than 10 of her family members will be walking with Team KK this year in memory of their grandma/mother.

So look forward to tomorrow's note with the result of our adventure at the triathlon.

Kayla

Friday, June 11, 2010

Dive In!


I now have completed the pump therapy classes at the BGH. Next is a one on one session on Thursday and at this session we will order my insulin pump! I cannot believe how fast time is going it seems like I was just diagnosed and now all of a sudden I am a year and a bit in and ordering my first insulin pump.

I am assuming that a lot of people are wondering why I would ever want something attached to me 24 hours of the day. I think that the whole idea of the pump is really a mind boggle because honestly when I was told about it when I was first diagnosed I was far from interested. Nothing about it appealed to me then and I never even considered it.

It was weird - all of a sudden when we were driving to London one night I decided I wanted it. I think I just shouted it - "Mom I want to get the pump." I know that it was a big spur of the moment type of thing, but a lot of what I do I just dive into. It's like jumping in a pool vs. wading your way in down the steps - sometimes you just have to dive in.

I got to put in two sites already and it was a great experience. The needle is bigger than my pen needles and thicker, but it is almost painless. When I put it in the two times, I barely could feel it. I do need to work on my motion though, one quick swoop.

The insulin pump will be like a healthy pancreas for me. It will deliver insulin rapidly throughout the day. The ratios and rates will all be set at the hospital for me and the only way they can get it so it best mimics a pancreas is to monitor me. This is where the checking my sugar every two hours throughout the day and night comes into play.

The insulin pump is not put in by anyone else, but myself. I put the tubing in with a needle and the needle goes in at a 30 degree angle. The needle does not stay in my skin, once the needle is put in and pulled out a small tube stays in. The tubing is all connected to the pump which is like the size of a pager. I can wear the pump in my bra, on my pants - anywhere that I can clip or tuck it into.

Once I actually get the pump I will be able to explain everything a little better and I will personally understand it even more. I cannot wait!

Kayla

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

From High to Low


After having a week of extreme highs I am finally back to normal. I switched the insulin in my pen and so far that has been the cure to my highs. In fact since then I have had two lows this week at the same point in the day. Now I need to adjust everything once again including my Lantus.

It will be very interesting when I am going on the pump to track my sugars so regularly. Right now I check my sugars about 5-8 times a day and once I go on the pump they want me to track my sugars at least every two hours; therefore, at least 12 times a day.

In about two-three weeks I will be wearing my purple Medtronic pump. I am really looking forward to that time, but right now I am doing well with my insulin pens now that I finally figured out the issue!

Also, I now have my own profile on Connected in Motion's page - check it out!
http://www.connectedinmotion.ca/peopleinmotion/kayla-brown/

Kayla

Monday, June 7, 2010

No Limits


This Thursday I have my final class before I get to order a pump on the following Thursday. I am looking forward to finishing up the classes so that I can begin my journey on the pump. It's nice that I am lucky enough to be around people living with pumps. At any time I can contact someone that is pumping for help or advice.

I am inspired by those who wear the insulin pump because I can only imagine all the hard work they have put into running it. I know that they are all healthy and active which makes it even more inspiring to know that the pump gives you no limitations.

I think a lot of people think diabetes can be limiting. A lot of people think that I cannot eat candy, drink alcohol or do too much physical activity, but all of this is untrue. There is nothing limiting about diabetes if anything it gives you that much more strength and courage to do more and be more.

Kayla

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Mud from Head to Toe!


We had mud in our ears, hair and we are still discovering mud! Ten of us put on our neon t-shirts and ran the 5k mud run in Toronto. It was a lot of fun, but freezing cold. Thankfully it wasn't exactly raining when we ran, but it was definitely a day full of goosebumps.

This year the track was a little different and way more muddy than ever before. We were sliding and gliding through fields and we even went through two stream crossings that were up to our hips. Surprisingly the water was not as cold as we predicted!

I entered the race with a blood sugar of 15 and finished it with a 6. I didn't have one headache all day which was strange because lately I have had a headache every day. I hope that I feel just as good on the triathlon this Sunday.

This was my second year doing the mud run and last year the mud run was my first Connected in Motion event. I am so, so, so happy that I have met so many amazing type 1's in the past year and a bit. I am so excited to have met so many interesting and amazing people. It's crazy to think if I had never been diagnosed I wouldn't know all these great people that I know today.

Today I also signed Clinton and I up for the Great Urban Race - our team name is The Dangerous Duo. This event is in July and I think when I signed us up today Clinton thought I was crazy. Poor guy does all these events with me - that's why I love him! haha

I look forward to my next events, but cannot wait until Mud Run 2011!

Kayla

Friday, June 4, 2010

A to B


I think that I have written about it before because it has definitely crossed my mind a time or two. The concept of slowing down and realizing what is going on around you. It is beyond my understanding sometimes how I get from point a to b without realizing. How can I wake up for work at 7:15 and then all of aa sudden I am grabbing my purse and heading back home at 5:3o p.m.

I can't be the only one who is whizzing by life and not stopping to look around can I? I know I am a huge advocate for taking in life's little seconds and 'living life to the fullest,' but is it not true that every now and then we lose track of where we are heading. Last night I was lying in bed and couldn't believe that a month ago I was lying in my bed in residence - for 8 months I had a completely different room, yet that feels like that went by in a flash.

I wish that we could pause those perfect life moments, but I know there isn't anything to make that wish be granted. I can only hope that I remember more often to stop and look around. I know that getting up isn't always easy and heading to work can be a drag, but without these things we would be bored and we just wouldn't have any stories to tell.

This whole diabetes business has been a big flash as well. Since when does Kayla Brown have diabetes. It's funny, but at times I laugh at the whole concept. For 18 years I was Kayla Brown and diabetes-less. How can one story line turn into a completely different one in a matter of seconds (it feels like).

I am sure we all have these little moments and if we take more moments to ourselves we may just begin to understand how we got from point a to b.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Class One


I am beginning the first steps to getting a pump and I can't be more excited. Today at 9 a.m I had my first pump class at the Brantford General Hospital. There were three other girls in my class who are all interested in getting the pump for the very same reasons that I am. For some reason there is a very comforting feeling when you are with other diabetics - the whole finger poking, snacks in the purse and talking about diabetes is so normal in situations like that.

We talked a lot about how the pump works and how to manage specific things when using the pump like sick days and high blood sugars. It amazes me how much the pump can do, but when you think about how incredible technology is it all makes sense how a pump can be so smart.

In the class I am the only one who has chosen a specific pump - Medtronic. So there shouldn't be a delay at the end of my therapy because I have done all my research for that aspect of it all. I am excited to start!

I am already thinking how much my life is going to change once I am on the pump. Like mentioned in the class there are going to be things I never thought of or planned for with the pump, but I am 100% prepared to endure that.

My next class is next Thursday and then after that I have a one-on-one and that is when I can order my pump!

Kayla

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Set it Free


Tomorrow is my first pump therapy class at 9 a.m at the Brantford General. I am looking forward to it and can't wait to order my first pump. I have yet to tell you all which company I have chosen and today is the day I will let you know that I am choosing the Medronic pump. The reason being is that it seemed the simplest to use.

I am not one to get into technology and research. It is really hard for me to look through the brochures of pumps and think which one will benefit me the most beyond the colour or skins you can buy for it. I realize that it is important to know the different aspects of each pump and I really did listen to all of the reps in order to gather a better understanding.

To me, Medtronic seems simple. I can work my laptop and iPod and I want to know that using my Medtronic pump is going to be just as easy. A lot of people have different opinions about pumps and that makes sense since it is a big deal for those living with diabetes. All the others that don't have diabetes probably just read this and think well that sounds good enough (I'm not going to lie that's how I am and I am a diabetic!)

I believe I am going to get the purple Medtronic and know that I will collect a skin or two for it. I am looking forward to seeing what it is like to wear it all the time; however, I know that that excitement may very well wear off.

I am extremely glad that I have this blog, so that I can rant on about my new pump and the ups and downs of my diabetes. Hopefully this experience will also be helpful to a lot of other diabetics!

Right now diabetes is taking me for granted. My sugars are all over the place which is making me beyond frustrated. This anger is bringing me closer and closer to the idea of the pump. I am so frustrated with diabetes right now that I wish I could just let it free - wouldn't that be nice!

I have no idea what I am doing wrong, but my sugars seem to climb and climb. I am going to switch my insulin vial just in case it is bad insulin! If my sugars are going to be this high I wish it was from at least a big fat piece of chocolate cake - not for no apparent reason!

We will see what the nurses at the D.E.C have to say and hopefully with all this diabetes therapy they can put me on a better path because to say the least I feel horrible!

Kayla

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

It's a Sign!



This week my sugars have been super high. I have never had this many high blood sugars in a row before. I cannot even think of why they would be so high. I have been given some advice as to why they might be that way and one of them is the idea that my sugars are high because I am sick.

Unfortunately I think that I feel sick because my sugars are high so to me it seems like a big vicious circle. I am eating all the right amount of food according to my insulin ratio and still it seems like getting down to a normal level is impossible.

This Thursday I have my first pump therapy session. I am looking forward to going on the pump and I am taking this blood sugar spike as a sign that it is time to start pumping! I hope that everything goes smoothly as I transition from needles to pump. I know that this June is going to be a busy month for me and I am ready to document every single day of it.

Kayla