dLife - Relationships

Changes and Tears

Lindsey Guerin — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 00:25:18 +0000

Over three weeks ago now, my life completely changed. My three year (plus some) relationship with Marvin ended. Because I believe that every relationship deserves some degree of privacy, I don't want to talk details here. But it came down to us deciding that we were going in different directions and our paths just really weren't the same.

It's been rough. My heart is broken. So is his. We have been with each other through some incredibly rough times. We were each other's best friends, confidants, and support system. We had built a life together and now we're building new ones apart.

Going Through Some Changes

Lindsey Guerin — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 16:10:41 +0000

It feels like every time I turn around I'm dealing with another major life event or change. Life has been so unstable in the last two years from making career decisions, living so far from family, and working through a committed relationship. I'm about a month away from my 24th birthday and I feel like my life is defined by major transitions.

It makes me wonder when I will be stable. The moment I feel like everything is falling into place is the exact moment that everything seems to explode again. I know that I'm being a bit cryptic here, but I am dealing with some major decisions and changes at the moment that I'm not quite ready to talk about yet. Mainly because I'm not sure I can type the words without crying my eyes out.

Rites of Passage

Brenda Bell — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 04:05:38 +0000

Saturday, our friends' 13-year-old son celebrated his Bar Mitzvah, officially becoming a man.

He still can't legally buy beer, smoke, vote, or drive a car. But according to Jewish law, he is subject to all the rights and responsibilities of an adult male. The most important of these is being permitted to (or required to, depending on the size of the congregation) read from the Sefer Torah, the double-spindled scroll that contains the Tanach — the Five Books of Moses — which comprises the core of the Jewish and Christian Bibles.

Anticipation and Trepidation

Brenda Bell — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 17:59:53 +0000

Tomorrow, The Other Half and I will be attending our friends' son's Bar Mitzvah. It will be the first time I will be in an Orthodox synagogue or congregation on Shabbat since diagnosis.

Many Jews take the precept of Shabbat (Shabbos, Sabbath) as a day of rest quite seriously — Orthodox Jews in particular. The custom is to not drive, to not turn light switches on or off, to not turn the stove, oven, or microwave on or off or to change their heat settings, and to not carry anything outside the home. This practice is known as Shomer Shabbat, and extends to Jewish holidays and certain festival days.

New BCP

Lindsey Guerin — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:32:10 +0000

Because of my PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), life is unbearable without an oral contraceptive. My hormones rage uncontrollably and all my symptoms (acne, ovarian cysts and pain, weight gain, moodiness, irregular periods, etc) create a life that I hate. So I've been on several pills over the last years and finally settled on Yaz because of it's anti-androgenic (it lowers your androgen levels like testosterone) effects.

Life Stressors

Lindsey Guerin — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 19:45:54 +0000

Life is way too busy and I don't know how to slow it down. I finally made my next endo appointment for October 15 so, as usual, my focus is getting back on track. But I'm finding that life just keeps getting in the way. I don't even have time or energy to exercise lately, which is really taking a toll on my stress and my blood sugars. Right now, my 90 day blood sugar average is 179. That puts me at an expected 8.0% A1c.

In June, my A1c was 7.3%. I was thrilled to see this number and hopeful that I could keep it in the 7's and aim for an even 7.0% next. Needless to say, that hasn't happened at all. I've only gone backwards. But what changed between June and September to warrant the jump?

The Feeling of Home

Lindsey Guerin — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 17:14:39 +0000

Happy Labor Day! I hope everyone has restful plans for the day. I know I'm enjoying my time off from work. With the combination of my sick days last week for my Fraxel treatment and the holiday, I've had a (semi) relaxing five day rest at home. I wish I could say that I've gotten more accomplished than I did, but it seems that vegging out, reading, and sleeping were my priorities.

Today, I started packing and getting things organized for my move in October. Due to the need for more square footage and some pesky neighbors here, I'm moving to a new complex in October. And due to my advanced planning skills (we won't call it obsession), I've already made a list of the things to pack first, gathered boxes, and got the first one filled today.

The Start of an MBA

Lindsey Guerin — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:22:41 +0000

This post should be about how I've been diving into the books and getting involved with my new MBA adventure. Instead, it's about how I've been doing the exact opposite. Not to say I haven't tried. Or spent many hours working on school issues over the past two days. But for some reason, this Tuesday evening feels more like a Thursday night. And it makes me antsy.

My first class of my MBA program officially began yesterday. I only registered for said class yesterday though and my brain hasn't quite computed. My acceptance was quick, but still only a week or two ago. I had as many ducks lined up as possible waiting for the "green light," but there were a few things that had to wait.

A Call to Action

Lindsey Guerin — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 21:46:57 +0000

It always amazes me how many cases we see at work with diabetic kids. I know the percentages are increasing so it makes sense that we would see a decent number of diabetics on CPS cases. But every time I hear about it, my ears perk up and my heart aches for them.

The kids that we work with every day are facing severe traumas. They come from families racked with drug use, criminal history, and painful abuse. Some cases are more extreme than others, but all of them are working through trauma. On top of the abuse or neglect they've endured, they've been removed from their homes.

Half Empty or Half Full

Lindsey Guerin — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 16:12:19 +0000

Several years ago, my mom shared a newspaper article with me about diabetes. It wasn't your usual informational; instead, it was a candid column from the dad of a diabetic about how he viewed diabetes. Was the glass half full? Was it half empty? Where did diabetes fall on the pessimist/optimist scale?

To me, it just depends on the day. Some days are worse than others, while some days are better than most. What's happening in the diabetes world to make it shift back and forth? Are blood sugars running stable? Am I having a lot of lows or highs? How easy is my management for that moment?