Walks and Talks

  Living with Type 1 Diabetes I JUST turned 60 (what??!!) and I was diagnosed with type 1 insulin dependent diabetes when I was eleven years old. Yup, back in the early 70’s. Nearly 50 years ago!   We didn’t have the technology that we have today. Home blood sugar testing wasn’t even thought of! Urine testing was the only way to guess what your glucose levels were. Think about that. By the time your body processes the food and excretes it as urine, it’s at least 3-4 or more hours old! Talk about inaccurate.   I used pork or beef insulin which always ran the risk of rejection or allergic reaction (luckily, I didn’t have that problem). I started out taking one shot a day in the morning before breakfast. At age eleven it felt like torture. Today I take 5 shots a day; One long-acting (basal) of Lantus insulin in the morning. One fast-acting (Humalog) before each meal and one intermediate acting of Novolin or Humulin before bed to carry me through the night. Today’s form...

  My Heart Attack Saga, Part II I suffered my heart attack on May 1 st while I was out of town visiting my father in Florida. West coast of the Sunshine State to be exact. Therefore, I had none of my own doctors, my boyfriend was 3000 miles away, and besides my Dad, I knew no one. To be truthful, the cardiologist and his entire staff were excellent! They all took very good care of me and my heart, explaining everything they were doing, had done, and what I needed to do going forward. I was in a Fort Myers hospital that is known for its cardiac unit. Their endocrinology department, however, left much to be desired. I’ve been a type 1 insulin-dependent diabetic for 49 years. I used to volunteer for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, giving speeches and helping educate others. In other words, I’m pretty well schooled in this disease. In addition to that, remember that I JUST had a HEART ATTACK. My first meal in the hospital was dinner, since I was checked in at about ...

 I thought I'd offer something different in this post. Try this delicious recipe: Ingredients: 1 green zucchini squash 1 yellow zucchini squash ½ large yellow onion 4-5 cloves of garlic ¼ cup shaved parmesan or asiago cheese ¼ cup walnut pieces 2 tbsp olive oil 1 cup per person - Spaghetti pasta   DIRECTIONS: Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta.   Meanwhile, using a grater, grate thin strips of the two zucchini onto a plate. Slice the half onion and garlic cloves thinly into strips as well. (Spaghetti should now be boiling). Spray a medium fry pan with non-stick spray and put grated/sliced vegetables in. Pour 1 tbsp olive oil over the veggies and saute’ on medium heat until slightly brown. Drain pasta and place on serving plates. Put vegetables in the center, sprinkle 2 nd tbsp of olive oil to moisten pasta.   Add cheese and walnut pieces on top. Serve!

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Without getting on a soapbox, I feel compelled to tell you about my recent heart attack and how it could easily happen to YOU. I was far from your typical heart attack candidate. I was 59 years old; my blood pressure was below normal (110/70), and my cholesterol levels were also normal (under 200 total). I exercised regularly. In fact, I used to be a certified personal fitness trainer. The chink in my armor was my Type 1 Diabetes. I’ve been insulin-dependent since age 11. It is one of the major reasons why I take care of myself by eating right, exercising, and tracking my blood sugar readings. I even started wearing a Continuous Glucose Monitor about 4 and a half months before the heart attack. You can see why I was in shock and denial about it. It all started about a year earlier, why my boyfriend noticed I had trouble keeping up with him as we walked. I would get winded easily and need to sit down for a moment to rest. I attributed it to just being a bit out of shape, as I’d ta...