After a great camping trip, the two things I can’t wait to do when I get home is shower and sleep in my own bed. I’m driving home exhausted, thinking about how wonderful this trip was. Not looking forward to the over three-hour drive back, but I got to do it. What would you do if something happened that added…
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a table top role-playing game where players sit around an in-person or virtual table to tell a cooperative story with their imagination and rolling a lot of dice. Characters are created and these characters go on adventures led by a dungeon/game master. Historically D&D, and many other games, didn’t have characters with disabilities. Luckily…
If you haven’t read the first part of this travel interview you can do that here – Alyssa Interview Part 1. The best advice my travel companions, the Alyssas, can give is, “ask questions, be flexible, don’t be a dick.” It’s short and sweet, and I think it’s good advice. As the conversation continued these three things turned into Emily’s…
A chubby gray cat purrs while walking around one of his human’s legs, rubbing affectionately as he saunters by. The cat moves more slowly than he did a few years ago, you know how older cats get. His other human tiptoes over with an insulin-filled syringe hidden behind their back. The cat’s ears twitch then lay flat, right before he…
My friend Alyssa said, “I think the hardest thing is watching you be frustrated when you’re trying to get your blood sugar up or down and it’s just taking longer than you want it to. Because I can see that you want to get going and you can’t.” It’s not easy to watch people you love be in distress. Especially…
I know you’ve all read the first part of my How People React to My Diabetes – Part 1. Here is Part 2 in the series. More reactions – good, bad, and neutral – to strangers and friends reacting to me taking care of my diabetes. Stay tuned for Part 3 (of 3) in this series. What Are You Eating?…
In high school, after my friend said he didn’t want to watch me change my insulin pump site, he left the room. So, I pull up my shirt to show my stomach, where the new site will be, wipe off the numbing cream, and began injecting myself with a very long thin needle. During the injection process I look up…
Being at sea for months, we finally stop on a small island, over 1200 miles (2000 km) from any mainland. The stay will not be a long one, just enough to fuel up and set sail again. I don’t have much time, I have to find something to do, and quick! Let’s Sail Around the World! In 2010, I sailed…
“We certainly concur with the [authors] that “if a hypoglycemic episode occurs underwater or away from shore, the results could be incapacitating and tragic.” However, this same warning applies to almost any activity in which the insulin-dependent diabetic chooses to participate (eg, driving a car). It would be unfair to disallow those responsible adolescents to participate in an activity they…
Growing up I was always open about having Type 1 Diabetes. I rarely hid the fact that I had this autoimmune disease. Eventually, I learned that many diabetics aren’t as open as I am. They don’t share that they have type 1 diabetes with new people. It’s not a requirement for anyone with a disease or disability to broadcast the…
