Blog

What’s a Chumy?  See http://www.chumby.com — or better yet, see my Chumby here:

It’s an internet appliance that can replace your clock rado/ alarm clock, and is a whole lot easier to set than a real one.  It could be easier yet, and probably will be some day — I still want to be able to program the alarms on the internet and lots of people want to program them using something like Google Calendar.

 

I love mine, but husband thinks I’m nuts.

The second time, I think in about 4 months that I had decent blood sugar readings.  It’s been driving me nuts, screwing up my vision, and probably caused the bronchitis.  I finally just bit the buillet and upped the afternoon boluses to match the morning, since I haven’t been able to work out in the evenings….

 

I am definately still feeling the bronchitics.  It takes forever for the lungs to heal.

Tihs blog has existed for 5 years as of this week. My first entry was on February 28th, 2003.  Oddly enough, I will be traveling on that date.  I’m hoping to have time to write a good blog entry on the plane, and post it before I get on the ship.

 

I started this blog a few months after being diagnosed with diabetes, and the primary reason I started the blog was because I wanted to get better at writing and I needed a topic to write about.  Also, I teach computer science and I find myself on many different computers during the day, and having information about my diabtes on the internet was helpful.  WhenI need some information, i can just do a search on the website, and don’t have to keep track of the data.

 

I’ve never really meant it for others — though i have been considering opening up a bit.  I rarely participate in activities designed to build links — basically I’ve believed that if you need something here, you’ll find it.

 

Lately though, I’ve been wondering if I should reach out more in my life…. There are lots of reasons for me to feel that way.

 

By the way, you can track my diabetes control on how active I am here — when it is not good and I can’t get it together, I don’t post much. 

 

Lately part of the problem is that I try not to blog at school — even though I do have some time periods when my students are working on projects, and I’m basically staying out of their way so they can get something done.  If I talk to much, I take up their time, plus they don’t listen to me.  Usually on the first few days of a project, they don’t need me.  In fact, if I do a good teaching job, they shouldn’t need me at all through the project, but that never happens. 

 

I’m also working on a website for the district so that does take up a lot of my time, both during school AND after school. 

 

This lately blogging has been very sporatic, but I’m hoping it will get better soon.

Yes, I am getting ready for the cruise.  I’ve gotten everything together in advance that I can.  Student schedules are made out until the end of the week next week, all of their grades are in the gradebook except those from today, software is downloaded in preparation….

 

i’ve got my check in  bag packed.  That was hard, I wanted to take a smaller case, but I just can’t.  In fact, I had to unzip the expansion part of the bag and make it bigger.

I cut my supplies in half, hoping that would help, but it didn’t give me enough room.  I also tossed as many boxes as I could, but all the medical stuff needs to have their orignal labels from what i understand.

 

I’m starting to feel a bit better from the bronchitis, and finding it a bit easier to breath.  It’s no fun though.

I suspected it and it was true.  I had a horrible coughing fit while I was trying to get ready this morning, so I requested a sub, left an email with instrucutions, called in, and then when back to bed.  Slept a couple of hours and then got into the primary care’s physician office for a diagnosis and left with a prescription of antibotics.

 

Spent the entire day just relaxing and not exerting any effort and hoping to be good enough for tomorrow.

And still sick.  When I saw the endo last week on Wednesday, he asked if I felt sick, but I didn’t really.  I spent last weekend pampering myself, and hoping I could get over, but I’m so bad today, I let a sub take care of the kids.  I’m seeing the primary care in a few minutes and will let everyone know what is going on.  It feel like bronchitis, and  I really want to get over it before my trip next week.

And yes, I am thrilled Uno won. 

Everyone I know has asked my opinion on it and …

First, he is truly the prettiest beagle I’ve ever met — though Macy’s father is right up there, however, I didn’t meet him in his prime and ready for the show ring. He’s also got the most personality I’ve ever seen in a show beagle, and I’ve even been to two national specialities.  Between those two fact, yes, I think he deserved to win, and I think he’ll deserve to be Number 1 15" beagle of all time.  He’s not yet but I’m quite sure if they show him enough, he will be.  Heck, he’s only 2 1/2.

Second, he’s related to Macy.  Macy’s father — the winnest 13" beagle of all time — is his father’s grandfather.  So in some weird way, Macy and he is related.  Funny, because Uno is only 5 months older than Macy.  And now you know why 13" and 15" beagles are born in the same litter — they are ALL related.

Third, his co owners are spot on good people. I think I was introduced to the Austin woman when I was showing Macy.  However, I have met the male co owners — there are two, and they have always been very kind and gracious to me.  Back in the day when I was showing U-CDX Weaver’s Peppermint Patty UD in obedience, the co-owners, the handler and the rest of the handler’s family used to come and watch Patty in obedience.  I also used to go watch the handler show when he was in Jr’s.  Patty and he both won awards at the National speciality the same year, so I know we were at least introduced then, but remember visiting ring side with all of them in the past.

So I’m very pleased that some deserving people won, and also believe that he’s a purty little dog. FYI:  Yes, that’s how I pronounce pretty when it’s a male and it’s a beagle winning.  He’s just flat out purty.

By the way, Macy isn’t quite a pretty but she has his attitude.

I like to portion out my medication in the 7day strips — I do the same for the dogs and that way I know if I have taken (or given) the meds for the day.  On trips, I like to use the pouches from EzDose.  The strips come open in your luggage, at least mine do, and taping them is a pain.  However, that is not exactly legal, you’re supposed to have the original labels.

 

On the other hand, I don’t want to carry the 90 day bottles. 

 

I wish Medco would just send out extra labels like Caremark did when we used them, but no going.

 

So here’s my compromise.  Medco sent me extra 90 bottles for most of my meds.  The ones they didn’t send, I already had two bottles of, so just dumped the meds out of one bottle into another.  Yeah, lots are mixed now, but shouldn’t be a huge deal.

 

However, that’s a lot of bottles to carry but I’ve got the pouches in a 1 guart ziploc bag, and then the 90 bottles and that bag in a 1 gallon ziploc bag.  It fits in the large outside pocket of my carryon fine.

 

I also realized I hadn’t packed pen needles, so added a box to my checked baggage back.  It’s easier to deal with the unopened box, then it is with partial.  I still have two vials to use on the Symlin so am not thinking pen needles.  I also need to toss in a couple of bags of syringes for just in case, though I have a feeling in a true emeregency they would have some.

 

So far I have the following packed:

• Pill medication (liquids will go in last)
• Formal wear, including bag, shoes and hair stuff
• Exercise shoes (bought new)
• Nightwear and brushes (bought new for the trip)
• Extra pump batteries (in carry on)

 

My next on the list is exercise wear.  I want to take two sets of exercise wear.  I also want to put in a laundry bag to put my used clothing in.  I believe I have a collapsible one (or two), that will fit in my checked luggage.

 

So my plan is to have in my carryon: medication, one complete full outfit, which I will wear on the way back, extra pump, extra pump supplies in bag, and CPAP machine.  I’ll have my travel papers and regular medications in my "purse".

 

Everything else will go in the checked bag.

 

And I have less than two weeks to go on the trip. In fact, two weeks from today I’ll be in Mexico.