So much to write about, but so little time and space. Therefore, this week I’m going to regale you with three condensed bits of information in the hopes that you take away something from one of them. Just add water, and enjoy.
- It’s that time of year when the cold and flu season begins its slow crawl into the lives of millions. As we people with diabetes know, a simple cold or a few-day case of the flu can be more than just inconvenient; with our blood glucose affected by our bodies as it fights for health, we have to be diligent in the face of these maladies. My seasonal war’s already begun, and thankfully I’m on the downside of three days of a cold. I thought it was allergies at first, but it became more than that, and all I’ve desired most of this week has been sleep and generic NyQuil. As always, though, illness (with diabetes) seems much more than it ever seemed before the diabetes. (Sadly, ’twill always be the case, too.) My nugget of wisdom? Please check often when/if you get sick. Also, get that flu shot. According to the news, flu shots are readily available this year, and each shot fights the three most prevalent strains of the flu this season. Heck, I even heard on the radio that some places are offering drive-thru flu-shot service. That’s convenient!
- This bullet point doesn’t harbor any advice. Rather, it follows on the heels of my Monday-to-Today cold that (I hope) is ending its run. This weekend we (wife, dog, me) travel with some friends to Canada, where we’ll be camping for four days in a provincial park. I’m very much looking forward to the time sitting around the campfire, drinking good beer, eating delicious campfire-cooked foods, laughing with friends and family, reading, and walking trails with Kathryn and the dog. In short, really, doing nothing and doing it well. As always, though, I’ll give over thirty minutes or so tomorrow evening as I pack to do the diabetes travel prepping. I don’t worry these days about traveling with this ever-present illness; there’s no all-consuming anxiety days before the trip as there used to be. I will, however, regard it as a matter of fact that I need to be careful, need to bring extra test strips, insulin, insulin pump materials, pump batteries, carbs, and so on. (The list is long, indeed.) That’s just the way it is.
- Lastly, I’d like to direct your attention to all of you folks with diabetes who are patient experts. Stanford University’s Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) has a new online pilot program for people in seven states called Better Choices, Better Health. This is a six-week interactive workshop designed for people with a range of chronic health conditions, including diabetes. You’ll learn new ways to manage your symptoms, reduce anxiety, and find community resources. These workshops are accessible from any computer with an internet connection — including dial-up — and therefore if you don’t have transportation, you can still participate. Visit the link, read it over, check it out. You may be glad you did!
That’s it. Three bullet points. Three just-add-water tidbits that I hope left you piqued to find out more.
Cheers!
