#i hate finger prick glucose tests i hate them i hate them

[lostjudgmnt]

im so brave im so brave im so brave

[xd3str0yax]

Sweetheart

Diabetic teacher Steve & teacher Billy

Being a teacher was time consuming to say the least. Getting time alone during the day was a rare occurrence for him between classes and tutoring students during his off period and the students eating in his classroom during lunch. It was no secret that he was one of the more popular teachers.

What was a secret though, was why he always seemed to have his biceps covered. No matter the weather, he always made a clear effort to keep his upper arms hidden. That raised the question among his students: ‘what was Mr. Harrington hiding?’.

-•-•-•-

“How many times do I have to tell you two? Quit talking!” He typically didn’t mind his students whispering to each other during class but he’d been irritable the whole class period. “Now, I’ve noticed many of you are struggling with imagery in your essays. The key to effective imagery is good vocabulary…” He trailed off a bit as he spoke, feeling sick.

“Um… go ahead and note imagery in your independent reading books.” He said as he sat down at his desk. The behavior change was noticed by the class but with how on edge he’d been, everyone decided to keep their mouths shut.

Steve broke his ‘no phones’ policy, using it to check his CGM: continuous glucose monitor. “Fuck.” He muttered, unfortunately loud enough to earn snickers from a few students near his desk. His blood sugar level was only 57 mg/dl, AKA, too low.

He opened up his snack drawer… empty. “Crap… this is fine, everything’s fine.” He whispered to himself. Lunch was in an hour, he could wait til then. He sipped his water, hoping it would help soothe his nausea. He rested his head on his desk, hoping his students wouldn’t notice how sick he looked.

15 minutes had gone by and he felt like he was spinning. He looked up, visibly pale & disoriented, as he heard a knock and the classroom door opening. The students looked worried as they eyed their haggard teacher and the stranger approaching him. They began quietly speaking amongst themselves, unsure of what was going on.

-•-•-•-

Being a middleschool art teacher was a more relaxed job than Billy expected. He gave a lesson at the beginning of class then gave his students the rest of the time to work. After those first 30 minutes of class, he mostly just watched the class and pretended not to find humor in the many penises the hoard of pre-teens created.

He was talking to a student about an art contest she had entered when an alarm went off on his phone. He interrupted himself and rushed to his desk to check his husband’s blood sugar.

Billy went to get a teacher to cover his class while he rushed to the highschool. He grabbed the emergency bag from his car and ran over. He knew Steve had a habit of neglecting himself but he still expected Steve to take care of it after the first two alerts. Now though, it was his time to take over.

-•-•-•-

“Bills? What’re you doing here?” Steve asked. “You cant keep doing this to yourself, sweetheart.” Billy stated, coming around the desk and kneeling in front of him. The brunette’s cheeks flushed a bit as he realized all eyes in the room were on them.

“Im fine, babe.” Steve weakly protested as Billy took a case out of the desk and unzipped it. “I’m not gonna let you have a seizure in front of a bunch of teenagers just because you’re stubborn.” He said as he pricked the other man’s finger and squeezed the blood onto the test strip.

Steve was embarrassed and he wanted to be upset with Billy for double checking his blood sugar in front of his class but he knew he was right. He tried to hide his face a bit, he hated when people saw him while managing his diabetes. Even after over a decade with it, he’s still just as shy about it now as he was as a kid.

His thoughts were interrupted by Billy handing him a bottle of apple juice & bag of pretzels, it was small but should get his blood sugar up enough so he doesn’t die while waiting for his lunch break. He finished the carbs and decided to introduce the living spectacle that was lingering in the room, waiting so they could get lunch together.

“Class… this is my husband Bi- Mr. Hargrove. He’s a teacher at the middle school and he’s gonna be staying the rest of the period.” He managed to resist the urge to call Billy by his first name and then gave him the floor.

Billy was slightly panicked as the rooms attention turned to him. He wasn’t good with teenagers, that’s the main reason he didn’t become a highscool teacher. “Uh, hi! I’m Billy- or Mr. Hargrove- either one’s fine. I’m an art teacher at the middle school right across the street.”

He paused for a moment and leaned back over to Steve. “Is it ok if I explain it to them?” He asked in a hushed voice. Once he got permission, he faced the class again. “Basically, Mr. Harrington’s body can’t regulate its blood sugar so sometimes it’ll get really low and he can pass out or have seizures or die, or it can get really high and stuff can build up in his blood and he can go into a coma or die.”

He started explaining the different types of diabetes while Steve kept an eye on his blood sugar, eating carbs accordingly. Honestly, he thinks its a bit cute: all the stuff Billy’s learned just to help take care of him. It would’ve been so easy for Billy to just leave him to deal with it alone but he didn’t.

He watched billy dreamily, a fond smile crept onto his face as he started tuning back in to the conversation. At some point, Billy’s rambling turned from diabetes to a debate with a student about basketball. He loves watching those blonde curls bounce as he gets more animated when he talks about things he’s passionate about.

Billy finished his debate and came back over to check Steve again. “You feeling better, sweetheart?” He asked as he checked the monitor again. A smile growing on his face as he saw it was a somewhat normal amount again. He pressed a gentle kiss to his husbands forehead as the bell rang.

[wizkiddx]

Need your person

ahhh i have really no idea what i am doing. Anywayyyss this is a really angsty Harry fic, I have a part two but not sure how I feel abt it - so we will see if it ever sees the light of day x x x 

“Tom? I’m back!” Nadia declared as she heavily shut the black gloss front door of her boyfriend's place. She was wrestling with a ridiculous amount of shopping bags, that bounced against her calves before deciding to just dump them at the door- they could be dealt with later. Naturally, she’d blame the excessive haul on her friend that she’d met for lunch; Georgia almost forced her to buy all the clothes...right?

Once she had done so, she glanced around the almost still house, making her left eyebrow quirk up a bit. Since Tom and Harry returned for Toms latest filming venture their house hadn’t been quiet for a moment thereafter. With Tom, Harry, Harrison and herself and Y/n (Harry’s girlfriend) living there- fair to say there normally was at least someone messing around and causing chaos. Before she could read any more into it, Tom appeared round the corner, a small smile as he caught sight of his lovely and almost certainly shopping addicted girlfriend. 

“Hey”

“Hey” He replied back, smile tight-lipped and a very awkward atmosphere falling over the normally most easy-going couple. Nadia didn’t like it, choosing to address it straight up. 

“You gonna tell me why the weird vibe then?” Bags long since forgotten and abandoned, the couple naturally entered the sitting room- Tom landing heavily on the plush cream sofa. 

“I-er... look I know she’s one of your best friends but... well Harry’s got a pretty conclusive photo and account taken by some fan. She’s been cheating on him.” Nadia was unaware of her jaw falling slack while she stood above her boyfriend, arms folded and shaking her head slightly. 

“No Y/n wouldn’t. Come off it Tom you know too, there’s no chance.”

“I’m serious Nads. Harry’s confronting her now, shits really fucked him up.” Tom had this hard tone behind his intense gaze, something that Nadia had only seen a handful of times in their 1 yes relationship. It scared her. 

“ Nonono rewind though. Y/n wouldn’t cheat on him... she’s so in love with the boy!” Tom knew this would be tricky, especially with how close the two girls had gotten over that first lockdown and then ever since. Sometimes he questioned who the relationship was between, Nadia and Y/n seemingly just made for each other in a platonic kind of way. He sighed heavily, digging his phone out his back pocket to show her the picture, all the while watched by her intense hazel gaze. Not saying another word, Tom just held his phone out for her to take, photo on the display. 

“Swipe next to see what she says” after a short time Tom added, Nadia squinting at the phone and clearly zooming in on the blurry image. 

It did look pretty damning, Y/n and an unnamed man with his arm around her- pulling her almost flush against his chest, even at the public cafe they were seated outside. Though the image was grainy as hell, Y/n looked upset, as if he was comforting her. He, just for information, was a fairly attractive man- Tom would fairly admit. Clean-shaven, crisp white shirt on, jet black hair perfectly styled and a strongly carved face. 

That was the issue though, why Nadia’s lips parted with a silent and almost non-existent breath outwards- most getting stuck in her throat. She knew the face, briefly, from an encounter when the boys were away filming. She’d been so busy concentrating on Y/n at that moment about a month ago, it was a surprise she recognised the face at all. 

Suddenly feeling her heart drop, Nadia followed her boyfriends instructions and swiped left, revealing a screenshot of an Instagram direct message - along paragraph giving an exact recount of the day (or at least this ransomers recount). To paraphrase:

“ she just kept going ‘Harry can’t find out. I can’t tell Harry.’ She sounded upset but I just thought you should know”

The fan was obviously well-meaning but just so so wrong. Nadia gulped a little before looking up at her boyfriend, who was unconsciously tensing his jaw. He did that when he was uncomfortable or nervous and hell was he. 

“Where are they?”She muttered voice quiet which Nadia hadn’t realised till long since she’d spoken. It was just tense. 

“In the garden but we need to leave them be it’s not-“

“-FUCK” Predictably, Nads didn’t let Tom finish, already turning on her heel and rushing into the kitchen. Tom yelling something and following, but that’s not what she was concentrating on. 

Her best mate needed her. 

Even at the far end of the kitchen,  Nadia froze at the sight through the garden windows. Y/n was sat with her head in her hands, clearly crying and rocking slightly on the black wicker garden furniture set while Harry stood above. 

Harry. 

Harry was seething with rage. Nads could see him yelling at her, arms being flown round to articulate his anger furthermore. Because Harry didn’t open up easily. Because Harry was so in love with someone that apparently betrayed him so completely. When he saw that DM he just couldn’t ignore it. He’d always been self-conscious, Y/n knew that most of all. It felt like a knife was plunged and then twisted deeper into his chest. And who committed the heinous act? The person he had trusted most int he world. 

“Tom, I will explain but for now you just have to trust me.” Tearing her eye line away from Y/n’s crumpled body, which flinched with every harsh word Harry yelled- as if he were trying to get a reaction from her. Tom just looked at Nads in disbelief, arms crossed protectively and waiting for more. 

“Look…I-I know for a fact she didn’t cheat. There something you both don’t know but it’s not this at all.”

“Nadia I know your close but.-“

“I’m being very fucking serious Tom. If you trust me you have to go and get Harry away. Bloody look at him- she’s not arguing back! He’s hurting them both.”

“ He has a right to be angry.” Tom tried to counter, feeling uncomfortable with how easily Nadia brushed off such a serious and real accusation. 

“Tom for both their sakes, please...I’m begging you to help me” It was the desperation in her brown eyes. Making Tom shift from foot to foot. He was so torn but Nadia must have a reason. This isn’t just her bullshitting to protect a friend, he could see that much. As she grabbed his hands desperately, Tom already knew he was going to follow her.  And she could most definitely see it too as she minutely smiled in thanks before walking with purpose toward the back door. 

—————

You needed an out. Now. 

When Harry had first cornered you in the house with a steely gaze and asked you to have a conversation in the garden, you’d been running on adrenaline. Naturally, you thought he had somehow found out- but this? He had got it oh so wrong. But what hurt most was the fact you couldn’t say anything. You knew his heart was breaking, the fact he was screaming at you and calling you names you thought he never could even associate with you, it was only because he was so hurt. Yet at that moment, you couldn’t fathom how to explain the truth. That was the issue… the truth would hurt him too. So maybe it was easier this way, him hating you and suddenly not being apart of each other's life. Because that would still hurt him less than reality.

With that thought, your body decided to just make this even harder. What did it do you ask? Choose that exact moment to fail you again. Your thoughts all suddenly got jumbled, it felt like your brain was on some sort of rollercoaster. Brief moments of clarity when you weren’t swimming in a pool of disorientation. But to be honest, those moments when you could see the pain on his face, they hurt more than just sinking into oblivion as your body sorted folded over on itself. 

You were stuck fighting two battles neither of which you were sure you could win.

—————

It was just then, as Harry launched into another ‘how dare you betray him’ spiel that Nadia and Tom opened the door. Nadia making an immediate beeline to Y/n, holding her shoulders and trying to support her into an upwards position - leaving Tom to deal with a ball of hurt and rage that was Harry. 

“Mate you need to stop it’s not making any-“

“Fuck off Tom this is between me and her.” Harry snapped back, slapping his brother's arms off his. 

“I know but it’s not going anywhere.”

“Tom”

“Harry I’m serious give it a minute. You need to cool down” Tom urged, still slightly concerned by the rage in his brother's eyes, while Tom gently reached out to hold his shoulders. The younger man needed a bit of grounding and the contact meant Tom could half steer him toward the house.  With a quick glance of worry back to Y/n and Nadia, Tom followed Harry inside- arguing him up the stairs into his room. 

Meanwhile, Nadia was getting more and more concerned. Y/n could barely hold her body up and she was shaking. 

“Y/n what do you need um the-the finger prick thing?… What’s happening?”

“Yeh and uh…Need the... in the fridge get the oat milk and my-my bag.” It was a bit of a weird request but Nadia wasn’t going to question it and ran inside, grabbing the oat milk that seemed to rattle and then Y/n’s bag which was just in the countertop, knowing that was where she kept her finger prick test. Although this wasn’t about her either - Nadia was slightly terrified, shakily shouting for Haz who had to be somewhere in the house. 

“Okay okay, do you need my help?” Nadia spoke with trembling hands, unzipping the little pouch to reveal the red device and all its apparatus. During the month the boys had been away Nadia had seen Y/n do this a thousand times, but it still scared her at the thought. Luckily Y/n shook her head and took the device, pricking her finger then squeezing the blood onto the sensor film. While it beeped away measuring her glucose levels she smiled weakly at her friend. 

“I’m just low I think, can you get the sachets out the milk?” Because of course, Y/n was such an idiot she had hid her essential medication within a carton of oat milk, which was genius and stupid in equal measure. Genius because everybody else in the house was absolutely disgusted by oat milk being a thing so no one would ever try to make a cuppa with it; stupid because in moments like this, who was to know that the bloody oat milk carton could save her life?

“Do I need to phone an ambulance… you-you don't look good Y/n/n.”

“No” Y/n swallowed thickly, grimacing slightly at the reading that just appeared on the device - by far the lowest it had ever read since she had started having to do these stupid measurements. “If I pass out then yes but… I just need the glucose strips” Nadia nodded, still trying to prise the plastic packages out the empty oat milk container. Wordlessly Nadia finally phished one out and ripped it open immediately thrusting it into Y/n’s mouth - at least 70% certain that was what she had to do with them. 

While all this was happening Harrison wandered into the garden and looked at the scene in front of him in a bit of shock. Y/n was deathly grey, looking as though she was fighting every urge in her body to just relax everything and collapse into unconsciousness. Nadia kneeled in front of her, already working on ripping another packet open. After taking a moment or two to process what was happening Haz knelt down next to Nadia. 

“You need me to do anything?”

“I -er don’t think so… actually Y/n?? Y/N????” Nadia started violently shaking Y/n whose eyes had finally slipped shut. “Fuck shit fuck… you need to ring an ambulance Haz.”

“Your serious?”

“Deadly. I’ll explain later just get your phone… tell them she was having a hypo and now she’s unconscious. The er the number on the machine thing was 2.8”

Harrison didn’t argue; he did what he was told and an ambulance was immediately dispatched while Nadia followed instructions of the operator that had been put on speaker, still dropping the sachets of liquid down into her mouth. In fact, when they heard the ambulance pull into their road, Y/n started to stir- groaning and heavily blinking her eyes open. 

It was a bit of a blur, but the paramedics came in and slowly Y/n started to get more with it. 

“You know what happened to you love?” The kind-eyed Liverpudlian lady asked, removing the oxygen mask that was put on her as a precautionary measure, in the haze of them arriving. 

“Blood sugar low?”

“Uh-huh, you’ve just had a hypo. Are you type 1 or 2?”

“Um, I-uh…” Y/n flicked her eyes up to see Haz still stood looking very concerned while Nadia spoke to the other paramedic in hushed tones. “Neither… I got pancreatic cancer and so…so my whole pancreas is kind of dying.” Y/n could practically hear Harrison's eyes bugging out his head - but kept her eyes firmly on the blonde stout lady. She wasn’t ready to face that yet.

“Oh, lovie... you have to be really careful yeh? Hypos can turn to a coma really quick and you know what happens then.”

“I’m sorry, I uh guess I forgot to eat and then been running on adrenaline cos of…” Because of Harry. But she wasn’t about to pour her heart out to a complete stranger so instead shut her mouth. Emma, the paramedic, seemed t9 get the message and again smiled down at her gently.

“It’s okay I get it... so you know then that because you lost consciousness really we should be taking you to the hospital? Get your bloods checked?” The grimace on Y/n’s face was more than enough to answer her.

“Please I just want to sleep-“

“You need to go to hospital Y/n/n” Haz interjected who had been completely silent and still in shock. Yes, she wasn’t his girlfriend, but they were bloody close and he still hadn’t really had an explanation. 

“I just want to sleep and-and I got a lot of explaining to do” Y/n made the mistake of momentarily looking up to see Harrison’s glassy eyes and Emma followed suit. 

“You the boyfriend?”

“No, i- um I’m his housemate.”

“If we are even still together” Y/n mumbled her eyes trained on the ground. In response, Haz huffed indignantly sitting down right beside the slightly crippled girl and slung his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t you worry about that hey? Everything’s is gonna be fine.” Her head came to rest on his arm making Haz bend down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. She was sort of the other sister, having been on the scene much earlier than Nadia had, he’d come to really get on with her. 

After a moment of just being there with Haz, Y/n simply thankful he didn’t seem to hate her or believe the rumours anymore, Emma spoke up. 

“So a hard pass on the hospital is it? Because then we should just think about getting you inside to rest.” Y/n nodded hard, very clearly expressing her preference, making the two chuckle. “They’d only be checking your blood levels which I can get a doctor to do tomorrow morning from home. I’m not supposed to say this but it's okay to stay.” It was all going swimmingly until they heard a very very familiar voice. 

“What the hells happening?” 

[chiveburger]

so my cat has been on insulin for the last three weeks and she’s doing pretty well, and the next step was for me to do an at-home glucose curve to determine how the insulin was reacting in her body through a duration of 12 hours. the whole process if you’ve done it before and if you have to do it often is not that bad... but just like how a human needs to prick their finger for a drop of blood to test I have to do that for my cat and her ears. she’s docile and sweet and takes her insulin injection like it’s nothing but she HATES when people touch her ears for some reason. not just that, but my cats have never had set meals their entire lives. I don’t think I spoil them, but for sure they’ve never been starved for more than hours on end because there’s always food in their bowl. for the glucose curve though, she can’t eat unless it’s time for her daily two shots which are 12 hours apart so she was literally pacing back and forth today wondering why the fuck there was no food in the bowl. she was staring at it the whole time like something was gonna magically appear. sheesh you’re so DRAMATIC... we just finally finished the testing and she literally ate for 15 minutes straight, and she ate her brother’s food too. I swear I’m gonna wake up tomorrow to a huge pile of throw up outside my door. It’s not like she didn’t eat a huge meal in the afternoon either, but she acted like this is the first time she’s ever had food. every hour I had to be like “girl there’s 2 more hours you can do it”, hopefully the results are fruitful and straightforward in the eyes of the vet so we don’t have to go through this debacle anytime within the next two weeks

[morphine-is-bad-for-you]

My way of life and now an accessory to every outfit💫

I don't talk about my disorder a lot, but last year I was given the freestyle libre sensor to help me monitor and therefore control my blood glucose levels. Although I'm incredibly self conscious as I feel it brings more attention to my arms (I have always been very self conscious of how my arms look), I much prefer using the sensor to monitor my glucose levels over having to constantly prick my finger for blood tests. It's quicker and easier to use, more accurate (as it's situated in my skin for 2 weeks and not taking readings by piercing the skin first and then retrieving the data), my diabetes team can log on and see my readings making it easier for them to see my control and not as much preparation has to go into preforming the scan as with the blood tests.

Plus my fingers have had such a long break that my scars have finally started to heal, aka my finger tips no longer look like a dot to dot!😊❤

If you suffer from diabetes, I sincerely recommend getting prescribed the libre! You use/can use it alongside your blood test meter (as your glucose levels are always two steps behind your blood sugar level).

A little while ago, I talked with a girl who was anxious about trying it as she didn't want to due to how it would look. I can say that every time I've been out the past year I've been incredibly self conscious. It brings unwanted attention to my arms. I hate people staring at my arms as they look at my sensor. Asking questions about it (which I totally understand, it is fairly new to the UK and it looks like I have a wee button!). I try to wear jackets as much as possible so I can have my arms and shoulders covered.

But at the end of the day, this is my disorder and it is my way of life. Its an amazing new technology to help monitor my disorder and I am forever grateful. I may be self conscious and hate the way I look, not only of having the libre on my arm (which I am ever so grateful for) but for all the bruises, pain, lumps, cellulite, cuts, scars that come along with it. Diabetes can be difficult and it is life changing, not only that but it has altered my body. I do not like wearing items of clothing such as bikinis due to how my legs, stomach and bum look. Scarred. But thanks to the power of technology and medicine and the wonderful people behind it, I am alive. And I am grateful.

I've been a type 1 diabetic for 20 years this year. It affects my life 24 hours a day. Every minute, every hour, every day, every week, every month, every year, every decade for the rest of my life is consumed. The hypos are terrifying beyond belief, I would not even wish those upon my worst enemy. You have no control over your body whatsoever, it's like watching your vision flicker, being in an awful dream you can't escape from. I don't see colour, I see in black and white. Sometimes I fall to the ground and spasm uncontrollably, unable to get up and help myself, drenched in my own sweat, unable to move how I want to move. And the highs are awful. The thirst. Oh god the thirst! No amount of water can quench it. The feeling of sickness. Not only that, but the affect it has on your body. Your eyes are a big example. The highs affect your body internally, eternally. Its horrible.

But, again, I am alive and this disorder unlike many others is manageable and hopefully, one day, there will be a cure🤞

[buckleyirondad]

x. unconscious

Everything medical addressed in this chapter I know from first-hand experience.

Tony loved movie night. It was a Friday evening tradition with his kids. The same thing happened every week, like clockwork. One of them would choose the movie, which would take a good few hours. Peter would tell Morgan that he’d stay awake and watch the whole thing, but he would then proceed to fall asleep in the first ten minutes.

It was the end of the week, Peter needed to hibernate after working his ass off at school for five days straight and then swinging around the city, protecting its citizens. So, Tony couldn't blame him for passing out.

Morgan usually ran around the room, commentating the events of the movie and playing whatever games she laid her hands on, by the end, her energy would be spent, and she’d fall asleep in Peter’s arms.

Pepper would return from work when both kids were passed out, and Tony had gotten them into bed. “I’m gonna brush my teeth!” Morgan announced as she dropped the Lego she was playing with and charged upstairs. Tony stretched his arms over his head as he yawned, “Okay, baby.” Morgan was unbelievably spritely for a Friday night. Normally, she’d be fast asleep, scrawled across Peter’s lap. Tony knew she’d be running on adrenaline, because she won an award in class, for being the most helpful student of the week, she was rightfully proud of herself.  Peter was curled against the corner of the couch, out cold. Tony didn’t want to wake him up, but from the way Peter was positioned, he didn’t seem comfortable. Tony didn’t want him to have an uncomfortable sleep, not when he had a perfectly good bed upstairs.  He also refused to carry him. The kid was all arms and legs which made it impossible to get him up the stairs.    “Hey, kid…” Tony extended his foot, gently kicking Peter’s ankle, “It’s bedtime.” Peter didn’t stir. Tony jumped onto his feet, and clapped his hands together, “I’m not carrying you again…” He pressed his hand against his back for dramatic purposes, “I’ll throw my back out one of these days.”  He reclined his head back and groaned defeatedly. He knew this would end with him scooping Peter into his arms and taking him to bed. He couldn’t help but melt around Peter, especially after five years without him; he was at the kid’s beck and call, twenty-four hours a day. “Uh, okay Pete. You win.” He bent down, placing a hand on the kid’s arm, so he could manoeuvre him, “You’ve got me wrapped around your finger, don’t you?” 

Tony’s fingers brushed against Peter’s hand, and that was when he started to panic. Peter was not a heavy sleeper, he was on high alert all the time, but sometimes, after a hard week, he crashed. That’s what Tony thought this was, but it was apparent that it wasn’t.  Peter’s skin was ice cold to the touch, but contrastively, it was clammy. Abnormally clammy for someone who’d simply been sleeping for the past hour and a half, “Pete?” Tony pressed his hand against Peter’s cheek, the kid’s head lifelessly dropped towards his shoulder, “Peter!” Tony threaded his fingers back through Peter’s sweat-ridden curls, “Hey kid, can you hear me?” Tony turned, so he didn’t shout in Peter’s direction, “Friday, scan him.” He ordered, the AI didn’t respond, “Friday?” Shit, Friday was in the middle of an update. Tony scheduled them to happen at low-risk periods of time, which meant he never let her do one when Peter was on patrol. Today was meant to be a low-risk time when Morgan and Peter were safe in his sights. Screw updates; Tony had to find a way around them. “Fuck me.” Tony wiped his thumb across Peter’s cheek, “You’re gonna be alright, kid.” Peter hadn’t been acting out too out of the ordinary. He’d been slow and a little clumsily, he’d tripped over his feet a fair few times while playing with Morgan, but it was the end of the week, he was always a little spaced. He hadn’t been injured on patrol, Tony got immediate alerts whenever that happened, even a paper cut.  Tony tried to rack his brain and find a warning sign that he hadn’t noticed before; Peter had been late home from school because band practise stretched from early morning to five in the afternoon. They were preparing for a performance.  Reality hit Tony, and he pressed a quick kiss against Peter’s forehead before charging to the medicine cabinet.   Peter had zero self-preservation skills. Michelle and Ned weren’t in the band, so it was likely that Peter got caught up in practice, and had forgotten to eat lunch. Peter had to consume more than Steve and Bucky collectively did, so it was dangerous if he skipped a meal. All his symptoms added up to one daunting conclusion. Hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar. Thankfully, Tony knew exactly how to deal with that but first, he had to make sure he was right. “Daddy…” Morgan hiccuped, a slight quiver in her voice. Fuck, Tony had been so busy ransacking the cupboard for a Blood Test Meter, that he’d completely forgotten that Morgan would head back downstairs after she finished cleaning her teeth, “What’s wrong with Petey?” “I don’t know, darling…” He spoke gently, as he found the Meter, and rushed back to Peter, “But he’s gonna be okay.”  Morgan cautiously moved closer to Peter, “Is he poorly?” “Yeah…” Tony knelt, and unzipped the small bag the meter was in, “He’s poorly.” He held Peter’s hand in his palm, and washed it with an alcohol wipe, ready for a finger-prick blood test. “Wait, Daddy!” Morgan shouted, her assertiveness stopped him in his tracks. She marched over, holding up her arm in a defensive manner, “Petey doesn’t like needles.” Tony’s heart fluttered at her innocence, “I know, honey.” He held the device up, “It’s just a small prick. He won’t feel it.” Morgan glared at the inanimate object like she was ready to fight it, if it dared hurt her brother, “I’m gonna hold his hand.”  “Okay, baby…” He watched as she locked her hand around Peter’s spare one, “You can hold his hand.” “Don’t be scared, Petey.” She whispered softly into his ear, Tony blinked tears away, as he pricked Peter’s finger and waited for the result on the meter.  “Shit…” He leapt into action, charging back over to the medicine cabinet. Peter’s blood sugar levels weren’t just low, they were life-threateningly low if Tony didn’t do something about it now, “Shit...fuck, come on.” “Daddy...?” Morgan sniffled, a clear wobble in her voice. Morgan was too young for this, and he hated that she had to witness it. She blew him away with her resilience and bravery every time. She loved Peter fiercely, and even if she was asked, she’d never leave his side. At times like these, she had the intelligence and bedside manner that could marvel full-grown adults, but she was still a child, and she was terrified.  “Not right now, Morguna…” Tony called back, trying his best not to accidentally snap. He didn’t want to scare her or ridicule her for asking questions. “Petey…” Morgan cooed desperately, “Petey, you’re scaring me! Petey!” She shouted, though her voice wobbled as a sob caught in her throat, “Daddy, he won’t wake up!” “I know...I know…” Tony pushed boxes out onto the kitchen floor, “Come on…” He nervously stomped his foot against the floor, “Morgan, I need you to keep talking to him, can you do that?” “Okay…” She cried, “Petey…” She spoke gently, the same tone she used whenever she read or told a story, “Petey, you can choose the next week’s movie. I know it’s my turn but I want you to do it.” Her voice cracked, “You gotta wake up and tell me what we’re gonna watch. I don’t like scary movies though…” Tony’s eyes landed on what he was looking for. A glucagon injection. He snatched it, and ran back over, “Don’t worry, honey. Peter would never choose a scary movie.” Tony hadn’t watched a horror movie with Peter since before Thanos. The kid had claimed to love the genre, but he clearly didn’t, as Tony ended up having to sleep on his bedroom floor that night. “Is he gonna wake up now?”

“Soon.” Tony placed the glucagon down on the coffee table, “Morguna, you're gonna have to let go of his hand, just for a second. I need to put him on the floor, is that okay?” “And then I can hold his hand again?” “Yes, yes, of course, you can.” Tony saw the conflict in her eyes as she let go of Peter’s hand, “Thank you, honey.”  Tony bent down, folding one arm behind Peter’s back and the other under his legs, he hoisted him up into his arms, and then gently laid him on the floor, in the recovery position.  Morgan wasted no time in charging over and grabbing Peter’s hand, “What’s that?” She asked as Tony prepared the Glucagon. “It’s gonna help him.” Tony pushed Peter’s pyjama shorts out of the way, he stabbed it into his thigh. Morgan whimpered as she tightened her grip on Peter’s hand. Tony knew the result wouldn’t be immediate, so he spent the time gently brushing his fingers through Peter’s curls while muttering soft reassurance to his kids. Morgan didn’t speak. She held her brother’s hand close to her chest, as she hovered, waiting for him to wake up. Tony let out a breath of relief when Peter smacked his lips together, and his face scrunched up as he extended his limbs, “Kid?”  Morgan lay down onto the ground, until she was almost nose-to-nose with Peter, “Petey?”  “Morgan?” Peter slurred as he blinked his eyes open, “Hey…” Morgan locked herself around him and buried her face against his chest, “What’s…” Peter draped an arm over her as he looked up at Tony, “What’s going on?” Tony squeezed his shoulder, “Low blood sugar, kid.” “Oh…” Peter said, still somewhat spaced, “Sorry.”  “Don’t worry…” Tony told him, he moved his hand back and scratched the back of his head, “But I think we’re gonna have to review your...glucose intake.” “Sounds...Riveting.” Peter joked as he turned his attention to his sister, “Hey, M.”  Morgan sat up, folding her legs as she looked at him, with misty-eyes, “Daddy stabbed you with a needle.” Peter narrowed his eyes, “Betrayal.” “Betrayal, huh?” Tony scoffed. “Thank you.” Peter held up his hand, and Tony carefully lifted him up, “I’m not a baby.” He complained.  “Totally not, Spider-Baby.” Tony mocked as he placed Peter back onto the couch, he bopped his nose, "Next time you feel off, tell me. I’d rather deal with it before you pass out on me and…” Morgan jumped onto the couch, leaning her head on Peter’s knees. “I’m sorry,” Peter said as he twiddled his fingers through Morgan’s hair.  “You’re okay now…” Tony sighed, he held up the Blood Test Meter, “But I am gonna have to test you again in a minute to see where you are now.” “Lucky me.” “Don’t worry, Petey.” Morgan sang, “I’ll hold your hand.” “Thanks, munchkin."

[thestraggletag]

Sorry, that ask is about the Warm Bodies AU!

Thanks for the clarification!

Prompt: Gold bites Belle by accident while still in recovery.

He didn’t know why, our of everyone in Storybrooke, it was Mother Superior the one that provoked the worst reaction out of him. He could tell already he wasn’t a people person, that much had come back to him rather quickly, and he didn’t like much anyone. He tolerated children and animals, and every now and then he crossed paths with a person who did not severely test his patience, like David Nolan, who only mildly exasperated him. But Mother Superior… there was something about her that set him on edge. Something that both put the predator still a part of him in high alert and made the man he was slowly becoming again seethe with anger. Something about her self-righteous posture, or her faintly-accusatory tone, infuriated him.

He had crossed paths with her at the store. He was slowly getting back into the habit of restoring antiques, and there was plenty of restoring work to be had wandered into the store for some glue, if there was any suitable for his purposes. It was one of the first times venturing anywhere without Belle, and though people stared at him, no one had dared comment. No one, of course, except Mother Superior.

She’d masked her faint accusations with faux concern, commenting on how he was still recovering and how it was “most risky” to be out and about “unchaperoned”. She was all false sweetness and worry as she branded him an animal in front of everyone, all impulse and no cognitive thought, a mindless creature that could hardly control itself. Fearing that if he stayed he’d lose his composure and prove her right he’d instead retreated to the safety of his shop, hating himself for the cowardice of running.

Belle found him in a rightful state, trying to spin even as he snapped the thread over and over, unable to relax. She sat next to him and wrapped her arms around him, petting his hair as he told her everything that had happened, his anger spiking as he recalled every simpering word and gesture. Meddlesome, loathsome, self-righteous bitch…

“Rum!”

Belle’s cry of pain snapped him out of his haze of anger, and he pulled back, fear and disgust gripping him when he saw that he had bitten her shoulder, drawing blood. Panic set in almost immediately but he pushed it back, along with the vile that rose at the taste of Belle’s blood in his mouth. They needed to… to get to a hospital. Needed to get Belle help, before the infection spread, before she turned into something like him.

“Rum, stop. It’s okay, we’re okay.”

He realised he was muttering to himself, loud enough that Belle had been able to hear him clearly.

“There’s no need for a hospital. You’re not contagious anymore, remember? It’s okay.”

His last lab results had shown his blood to be clean, but what of they were wrong? What if it didn’t mean his saliva was safe? What if there was still a possibility? He could not take that chance. He knew that going to the hospital with a bitten Belle would get him sent back to confinement, but he didn’t care. It was worth it just to be absolutely sure that Belle was alright.

“Rum, no, don’t… don’t do anything stupid. Just… Let’s sit down, okay?”

She managed to sit them both down on the cot in the backroom, and quickly opened her curse, taking out something that looked a bit like a glucose meter and some lancets. As he stared at her she carefully pricked herself on the finger, letting a drop of her blood fall on the lancet before she introduced it into the device.

“I asked Emma for one of these. They’ve been around for a few years, after some Swiss woman discovered how to adapt a blood sugar meter to detect infection. Once the internet was up again, however spotty, she was quick to share her discovery. I just… wanted to be prepared. Because I knew that if you bit me you’d panic and I wanted a way to reassure you.”

The device beeped, the screen showing the word “negative” in bold letters. She showed it to him with one hand, the other tentatively petting his hair, helping him ride out the adrenaline rush as he slowly realised everything was okay…

Except he had bitten Belle. Had broken her skin and drawn out blood. Had attacked her like some common animal. For a brief second he allowed himself to spiral into the dark pit of self-loathing, soothingly familiar. Mother Superior had been right, he was not a man but a thing, a creature, a-

None of that was helping, though. Calling himself names, pulling back from Belle and running to the safety of his home and his solitude, was not gonna fucking help anything. Fighting back the instinct to put distance between himself and Belle he rummaged around for the first aid kit, opening it and removing antiseptic, cotton, gauze and tape.

“Come here, let me have a look.”

He did not allow himself to  bask in Belle’s beaming smile, to contemplate the implications behind it, how she had also likely expected him to bolt and was surprised and happy that he hadn’t. The scent of antiseptic was sharp and stung his enhanced sense of smell, but it washed away the traces of Belle’s blood that lingered in the air, and helped him focus. 

“All done.”

“Thank you, Rum.”

The pride was evident in her voice, and in her eyes. Impulsively he leaned forward, placing a hand on the back of her head and kissing her forehead.

“No, thank you. For- for carrying that thing in your purse.”

It was hard to know what meant more to him, if the fact that Belle had known that him biting her was a possibility and she’d still chosen to help him, or that she’d anticipated carrying the device around because she knew that if he ever bit her he’d need to be reassured that he hadn’t infected her. He was completely undeserving of her time and help, but he’d try to become worthy of it, however much it took. 

[momscookingthebooks]

Release Blitz ~ Book Review ~ Giveaway ~ Exclusive Excerpt

Today we have the release day blitz of Kavanagh Christmas by Sarah Robinson! Check out the release day festivities and grab your copy today!!

Book Review

Title:  Kavanagh Christmas

Series: Kavanagh Legends #5

Author: Sarah Robinson

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date:  November 7, 2017

Cliff Hanger: No

Add to your Goodreads TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/…/show/33810417-kavanagh-christmas

4 Stars

*This story is for mature audiences only. Contains explicit scenes and language intended for adults 18+

Synopsis:

The heartfelt holiday conclusion to the Kavanagh Legends family saga revisits all the couples that readers have fallen in love with throughout the series. An angsty and loving Christmas novella, it’s the perfect goodbye to these Irish MMA fighters and a glimpse into what the future holds for them. With the Christmas season fast approaching, the entire Kavanagh family is feeling anything but the holiday spirit. Commitments are questioned, relationships are tense, and bickering is nonstop.  However, when a crisis strikes and the family realizes that they might lose one of their own, they’ll come together to remember the reason for the season is first, and foremost, love and family. With their own heartwarming HEAs, Sarah Robinson’s Kavanagh Legends novels can be read together or separately:

BREAKING A LEGEND #1 SAVING A LEGEND #2 BECOMING A LEGEND #3 CHASING A LEGEND #4 KAVANAGH CHRISTMAS #5 “Fans of Lori Foster’s SBC Fighters series will love the MMA atmosphere of [Sarah] Robinson’s Legends.”—Library Journal “This endearing story showcases Keira and Quinn’s easy banter, familiar warmth, and unquenchable heat.” – Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review, on Chasing a Legend “One of my favorite MMA books to date.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken, on Breaking a Legend “Those Kavanaghs really know how to make a girl swoon.”—New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans “Saving a Legend is a gripping and sexy MMA romance with characters you’ll be rooting for long after you finish reading. Buckle your seatbelts and get ready for one amazing and hot story from Sarah Robinson.”—New York Times bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills, on Saving a Legend “Raw, sexy, and romantic, Becoming a Legend is another perfect, steamy read about the heartwarming Kavanaghs.”—Kate Meader, author of the Hot in Chicago series, on Becoming a Legend 

My Thoughts:

What a wonderful way to wrap up a terrific series! If you haven’t read this series yet, go back and read every wonderful story and then top it off with this very heartfelt novella.

I fell in love with this family more and more as I read each book. This one though, wow! I laughed at all the banter and outrageous things this family says and does, I swooned as the brothers courted their wives, and I cried throughout the book. There are so many touching moments.

I hated to say goodbye to this series, but so happy I found closure for each and every member.

If you haven’t read any of the Kavanagh Legends books, then this isn’t the book for you. You will be lost. So, my recommendation is to read the books in order and savor every beautiful moment with the Kavanagh clan.

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Get Your Copy Today!

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2gFrfyj

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075DJMPNX/

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B075DJMPNX/

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B075DJMPNX/

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1127062099?ean=2940154871638

Ibooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/kavanagh-christmas/id1279336890?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/kavanagh-christmas

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sarah_Robinson_Kavanagh_Christmas?id=iRY0DwAAQBAJ

Other Retailers: https://www.books2read.com/u/bWZ12M

NOTE: This novella also contains a free short story, Rory & Clare, and two excerpts from other Sarah Robinson novels at the end. The holiday novella itself is 35,000 words.

Catch up on the Series Today: http://booksbysarahrobinson.net/my-books/kavanagh-legends/

BREAKING A LEGEND #1 SAVING A LEGEND #2 BECOMING A LEGEND #3 CHASING A LEGEND #4 KAVANAGH CHRISTMAS #5

Sarah Robinson Bio:

Aside from being a Top 10 Barnes & Noble and Amazon Bestseller, Sarah Robinson is a native of the Washington, DC area and has both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in forensic and clinical psychology. She is newly married to a wonderful man who is just as much of an animal rescue enthusiasts as she is. Together, they own a zoo of rescues including everything from mammals to reptiles to marsupials, as well as volunteering and fostering for multiple animal shelters. Subscribe to her newsletter at www.subscribepage.com/sarahrobinsonnewsletter Visit the author's website for more information about Sarah and her books: http://booksbysarahrobinson.net/

Giveaway: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4cf78adb595/

Exclusive Excerpt: WARNING: May contain spoilers to the first 4 books in the Kavanagh Legends series.

Prologue Three Weeks Before Christmas

Dee Kavanagh

“You’re kidding, right?” Dee turned away from the stove to look at her husband of forty years. “Not in your health.”

Seamus grumbled something under his breath, putting the piece of bacon he’d been about to eat back on the serving plate. “One piece of bacon with breakfast won’t kill me.”

“Pfft. You’re mad.” She shook her head, and turned back to stirring the scrambled eggs she was making for her grandkids. “Plus, save it for the kids. They’ll be down for breakfast in a minute.”

Her oldest son, Rory, was away on a romantic weekend trip with his wife, Clare, leaving their two children, Murphy and Brontë, under the care of Seamus and Dee. Dee was, of course, thrilled. There was nothing she loved more than being a mother, and now a grandmother. She would spend all day every day with her grandkids if she could, and her heart was filled to overflowing to have so many now. 

At the reminder, Dee gazed at the photo go her grandchildren in a homemade popsicle-stick frame on her kitchen countertop that Murphy had made for her. The photo inside was silly and sweet—all five grandchildren making funny faces at the camera. Well, four of the five. Shea was in the back looking stoically at the camera, which wasn’t unusual for the teenager with special needs. Shea was Kieran’s wife, Fiona’s, biological sister, and when their mother passed away, Fiona and Kieran had adopted her. 

Dee didn’t care one bit that they weren’t related by blood. Being loved and part of their family didn’t have a DNA requirement, and that was something she’d raised all her boys to know. 

Next to Shea in the photo was Rory and Clare’s two children, Murphy and Brontë. Murphy was crossing his eyes and Brontë was sticking her tongue out, laughing. Gavin was on the floor in front of them, his little arm around Ava’s shoulder as they both made faces at the camera. Gavin was Kieran and Fiona’s son, and the youngest of the entire group. Ava was Jimmy’s girlfriend Sophie’s daughter from a previous relationship, and had been embraced by the family when Sophie and Jimmy began dating.  

“Have you checked your sugar yet?” Dee asked, plating the scrambled eggs and adding a serving spoon before placing it on the kitchen table next to the bacon and biscuits. 

“Not yet.” Seamus pulled a blood glucose monitor out of a kitchen drawer and began swabbing his finger with an alcohol wipe. He barely looked up at her, his answers always as succinct as possible. He’d always been brusque, but this was different.

His recent diagnosis of diabetes had thrown them a major curveball, and completely changed their lives. It was a struggle, however, because the man loved his carbs and sugar. Changing sixty years of unhealthy eating habits had caused a lot of friction between them. 

Wiping her hands off on a towel, Dee approached her husband’s side and watched as he pricked his finger and dabbed a drop of blood onto a testing strip. 

“See? Healthy as all hell.” He turned the monitor towards her when it displayed his results, which thankfully were in a great range. “You worry too much.”

“I know. I can’t help it.” Dee sighed, and glanced toward the hallway to make sure the kids weren’t about to walk in. Returning her gaze to her husband, she placed a hand on his upper arm. “Seamus?”

He grunted. Forty years and he couldn’t even respond with a word?

“Next month is our anniversary.” She blinked quickly, taming the tears that wanted to flow. “I was thinking maybe we book ourselves a trip. Or a cruise. Get away and celebrate.”

He shrugged and then began putting away his supplies. “Fine.”

That’s it. “Damn it, Seamus!”

“What?” He turned bewildered eyes to her. “What’s wrong?”

“You, that’s what. You’re being a fecking asshole. I know that I’m being strict with this new diet, but the doctor said you’d die. You were nearly in a coma, Seamus. Your sugar was hundreds above where it should have been. Do you know what that was like for me?” Her voice was cracking, full of emotion as anger and heartbreak surged through her heavily Irish accented words. “I’ve spent more of my life as your wife than I ever was anything else. Losing you…shite. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t wake up every morning and not have you next to me. I—”

“Dee…” Seamus reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her to his chest and wrapping her in a hug. “Feck. I’m sorry. You know I don’t mean it. I’m a grumpy old bastard.”

“Such a bastard,” she mumbled into his shirt, sniffling, twisting her fingers in the fabric. 

He chuckled, kissing the top of her head. “I know you’re just trying to keep me healthy. I’m trying, too. It’s hard, but I’m trying. I’d never do anything to shorten my time with you on this earth.”

Dee felt her heart soften again, the tension of their recent fiction sliding away. After almost forty years together, fighting was nothing new for them. In fact, it was one of the things they did best. He was an asshole, and she had known that the day they met, but he was also a wonderful husband and an even better father and grandfather. 

“I love you, Dee.” He kissed her softly, and she felt the same flutter in her heart that he’d made her feel since the first time they’d laid eyes on one another. His voice deepened, developed a huskier lilt. “Maybe once the kids leave, I can show you how much.”

“Sweet talker,” she teased, whacking his arm before turning back to the table. 

“Grandad!” Murphy came skipping into kitchen and tossed himself at his grandfather. 

Seamus caught him just in time and swung him high above his head as the young boy’s laughter filled the air while he soared in the safety of his grandfather’s arms. “Hey, Murph! Did you sleep all right?”

“Eh.” Murphy shrugged and wiggled his way back down to the floor, turning his affections to Dee this time. “It’s okay. Hi, Nanna!” He squeezed her waist in a hug, his little head pressing into her stomach. 

Dee picked him up and covered his cheeks with kisses. “Is my grandbaby hungry? Breakfast is ready!”

“Yes! Hey, Nanna, guess how old I’m going to be next week?” Murphy held up both hands, one with all his fingers up, and the other with only one. “Guess!”

“Hmmm.” She placed a finger on her chin. “I think twenty-seven, right?”

“No!” His laughter peeled out of him, warming her heart. “Guess again!”

“Thirteen?”

“Nope!” Murphy sat at the kitchen table, kicking his feet back and forth underneath him.

His little sister, Brontë, toddled into the kitchen, still holding her favorite blanket, her thumb shoved in her mouth. 

“Hey, baby girl, do you know how old your brother will be next week?” Dee scooped up the young girl and kissed her. 

“Six!” She burst out, her wet thumb popping from her mouth.

“Is that right? Six? I can’t believe it!” Dee feigned as Murphy vigorously nodded his head in agreement. 

Dee sat Brontë in a booster seat at the table and filled both of their plates with eggs and bacon. A mournful expression crept over Seamus’ face as he stared at his bowl of oatmeal and pushed around the apple slices on top with his spoon. 

Murphy held up both hands, six fingers raised. “Six, Nanna! Mama says I’m getting too big. She cries when I say that.” 

Dee chuckled. “Well, mamas wish their kids stayed kids forever. We get sad thinking about them growing up.”

“Are your kids growed up?” Murphy asked, spooning a large bite of scrambled eggs into his mouth. 

“My first kid is your daddy, baby,” Dee reminded him, sitting at the table between her grandkids. 

“Oh, right.” Murphy looked deep in thought as he considered what she’d said. “That’s weird.”

Seamus laughed at that one then ruffled Brontë’s hair. She beamed at him, and offered him a piece of bacon which he only pretended to eat with loud, chomping noises that made her giggle. Dee loved watching Seamus with their grandkids—the love between them was so beautiful. 

“Did Daddy look like me when he was your kid?” Murphy continued his line of questioning. Actually, his questions never stopped. The boy was a sponge, asking everyone a million questions all day long. She didn’t mind one bit, though. 

“His hair was a bit darker, and he was shorter. A little stockier. You’ve got your mother’s height and slim frame. Very lucky, because your mother is beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful, too, Nanna.”

“Thanks, Murph.” She smiled. Kids were a goddamn blessing. “Do you like the eggs? You’ve only eaten one bite.”

He pushed some more around on his plate. “I think I’m not very hungry.”

“You said you were.”

The little boy sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I know. I changed my mind.”

Dee frowned, but squeezed his shoulder. “Are you feeling all right?”

He nodded. “Can I be excused? Grandad said I could play Xbox today!”

Seamus grinned, ignoring the look she shot him. 

“Okay, but only for an hour. After that, no more electronics this weekend.”

“Whyyyy?” Murphy began to whine. “Just a little bit!”

“Hey, no whining,” Dee reminded him. “Santa’s coming in three weeks. We’ve got to be good to be on the nice list and get lots of presents.”

That reminder perked him right up. “I’m going to be the nicest boy on the whole list!”

“Good job!” she cheered, making a mental note to finish her Christmas shopping soon.

Murphy was already up and out of his seat, heading for the living room. They’d already made sure Rory set the games up before he left, so that the parental controls were on. For the life of her, Dee couldn’t figure out how to work the blasted machine herself. 

Brontë smiled, her mouth full of food. “Nanna, can I have his bacon?”

“That’s my girl.” Seamus laughed, giving Brontë a thumbs-up. “My genes are strong.”

Dee rolled her eyes at her husband. “You can have one more piece, baby girl. Seamus, should I text Clare and tell her Murph isn’t eating?”

“Nah,” he replied. “I’m sure he’s fine. Let them have their romantic weekend in peace.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. 

He lifted one brow, eyeing her. “You’re going to text her anyway, aren’t you?”

“Well, she’s a mom. She’ll want to know.” Dee was already pulling out her phone and scrolling to Clare’s name. “I’m sure she won’t mind.”

Seamus chuckled. “I love you, Dee.”

“Love you, too, baby.”

“I love you, both!” Brontë added herself to the conversation.

Dee smiled over her phone at the little girl, her heart overflowing.

[t1dcarlie-blog]

An Interview With Myself: A Type One Diabetic

What type of diabetes do you have?

I have Type One Diabetes, also known as Juvenile Diabetes.

How long have you had diabetes?

I’ve had diabetes for over fourteen years now! I was diagnosed when I was six years old and I’ll be twenty-one in September.

How did you manage, growing up? Did you hide your diabetes?

Well, because I was six years old when I was diagnosed, it became a part of who I am very quickly. I don’t remember much of my life anymore without diabetes being a part of it. I took to the routine of it all pretty well. I think I really understood at a young age that this is what was going to make me feel better, and that no matter how much I hated getting finger pokes and needles, I knew that without them, I’d feel very sick. 

My parents made life a lot easier for me though. I didn’t do my own injections until I was around 12-13 years old. I was extremely dependent on them and they really helped to keep me in check. My A1C’s were impeccable and I didn’t miss any glucose testings, doctor’s appointments, lab tests, etc. They were very much on top of it and I have the first 6+ years of living as a diabetic to thank them for. 

Now that I’ve been through my adolescent years with diabetes, I can tell you that it was a lot more challenging for me. After I gained the freedom of being able to do my own injections, things kind of hit me like a brick wall. Don’t get me wrong - the independence was amazing. I could finally have sleepovers and not have to worry about having my dad drive out late to give me my long lasting or have him come again to give me another injection before breakfast in the morning. But I feel like once I gained that independence, everything kind of fell through the cracks. I started high school and diabetes kind of took a backseat in my life. Other things became more important to me like making new friends, hanging out with these new friends, my future, boys, etc. I never really have hid my diabetes; it was never something I was ashamed of and I didn’t mind if people knew.

Was it tough on your siblings, with you being the centre of attention?

I think so. I’m the oldest of three siblings. I don’t think it really affected my younger brother, who was only two years old at the time of my diagnosis. But I do truly believe it affected my younger sister. We’re only eighteen months apart and we’ve always been very close. I truly don’t enjoy being the centre of attention, but I think my parents were very involved in what I was doing and how I was feeling, that it made my sister sad and it makes me really sad thinking about it. Things are good now, I just wish I was more observant of her when we were younger so that I could see if it really affected her as much as I think it did.

What was hardest for you and your family - emotionally or financially?

Diabetes has never really been financially an issue. I live in Canada and I feel very blessed to live in this country where my insulin supplies and every I need to keep my health in check are covered under my dad’s insurance. But diabetes definitely took a toll on my family financially. I know that my family truly wishes that I didn’t have to deal with this disease and I know that they worry about my future with this disease a lot as well. 

What treatment do you use to treat your diabetes?

I’m currently on insulin injections using an insulin pen and I also monitor my blood glucose levels through constant finger pricks. 

How often do you have to test your glucose levels?

Ideally, you want to test before every meal/snack, so it varies for everyone. For me, it’s roughly between 4-6 times a day, depending on if I feel low or high.

Do you use an insulin pump or injections/pens? How often do you need to inject?

I’m currently using insulin pens, but am looking into getting an Omnipod! I inject with every meal as well as before bed. So on a good day where I have no unwanted high blood sugars, I’ll usually inject around 4 times a day.

What kind of insulin do you take?

I use NovoRapid for my fast-acting insulin and I use Levemir at night for my long-lasting.

What insulins have you had throughout your diabetes career?

I think...don’t quote me on it, but I think I’ve always been on NovoRapid for my fast-acting? It’s been fourteen years so i could be lying! But I believe I used to be on Lantus at one point for my long-lasting.

How well do you think you manage your diabetes?

If I’m being completely open and honest with myself, I have a lot of work to do. I’m at a low point in my career with this disease. But I’m slowly but surely motivating myself to get back to where I was as a child. I want golden A1C’s and I want a future to look forward to, not one to be scared of.

Can you recognize the symptoms of a low/high blood sugar? What symptoms do you get?

Yes, almost always. 

High blood sugar is when I get an unquenchable thirst, I’m kind of moody, sleepy, my head feels heavy and sometimes is accompanied by a headache, and I just honestly feel exhausted and crappy.

Low blood sugar hits me like a brick wall. It’s not gradual for me, it comes and I know it right away. I feel kind of loopy and sometimes my hands will shake physically. I feel the need to eat everything in sight to shake the feeling of being low. I usually get sweaty and disoriented if I go low enough, and the worst lows i’ve had, i’ve also experienced like a temporary bright light! It’s weird to explain, but almost like I see white flashes of light.

How often?

I think I see a lot more highs than lows. I usually hit a high glucose at least once a day. Lows are rare, but I tend to go low early in the morning. I’ll wake right up out of a dead sleep!

How do you treat a low blood sugar?

I eat everything - which is bad, I know. I have a very bad habit of overcorrecting for my lows. But I try to eat fast-acting sugars like juice, sugar tablets, candy, anything that I know is going to spike up my sugars fast and will make me feel better.

Do you eat snacks in between meals?

I used to as a child! I used to have two 15g of carb snacks a day when I was in like elementary school and the first couple semesters of high school. One in the morning before recess, and one afternoon snack. Wow, those were the days. Now I snack and just take insulin depending on how I’m feeling and how many carbs I eat.

What is the hardest part of being a diabetic?

I think the hardest part is the anxiety and worry surrounding the disease. You never know what to expect with it. There are so many variables in your daily routine that you need to incorporate into making sure that your blood glucose levels stay in check. You have to be diligent and accurate. 

And I’m always, always worrying about what the future holds for me. There are so many complications with this disease when poor management is involved. I am terrified that I won’t have the future I dream of because of it. I want to live a long, healthy, complication-free life with diabetes and the thought of that not happening terrifies me more than anything.

What’s the best part of being a diabetic?

The best part is that it’s become a part of who I am - I think not being a diabetic would change the person I am today a whole lot. I feel like I matured at a young age because I had to, which isn’t all that bad. It’s made me a much stronger person and it’s also taught me a lot about my body and how to treat it. Independence is also something I’ve learned a lot about since being diagnosed. 

Does your diabetes cause you any other problems?

In grade school, I basically lost a friend one day because she told me that she “didn’t want to catch diabetes because it’s contagious and so we couldn’t be friends anymore”. Back then, being only in the third or fourth grade, hearing that really hurt me. I laugh about it now, but the eight year old me was sad - how could something I had absolutely no control over and something that I sure as heck wish I didn’t have to live with, be causing me to lose my friends?

What would you tell someone who has just been diagnosed with diabetes?

I know you’re scared now and you might feel as if you’ll never be normal again, but I promise that in time, things are going to be okay. Don’t be so hard on yourself - there are going to be awful, awful days and there are going to be super great days too! Diabetes is all-around one big challenge and you’re going to have to face a lot of difficult things in the process. Don’t ever give up and don’t be afraid to ask for help when things get tough. 

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

How to Manage Your Blood Sugar in Hot Destinations

More tips for managing diabetes while traveling around the world from Cazzy Magennis, of Dream Big Travel Far!

I have a love hate/relationship with heat. It’s partly to do with my Irish skin; I tend to get burnt quite easily, and frequently. However, I do love the sunshine, and I love visiting countries with a warm climate and embrace long walks, BBQs, water sports and a little bit of sunbathing.

Having type 1 diabetes can mean your relationship with heat is a little more complicated, because of the effect it has on our blood sugar levels, and consequently insulin, monitors, etc.

So here is my guide on how to manage your blood sugars in the heat!

Blood Sugar & Heat

The sun is a powerful force, and it can actually cause you to fall into hypo. I don’t know the scientific reasoning for this, but it may be something to do with sweat. It doesn’t happen for everyone, but I am one of the lucky few who get to experience hypos when I am in the sun too long.

How do we manage this? Here are some of my tips for insulin pumpers and pen users!

Insulin Pens

If you are going to a warm climate for more than a couple of days, reduce your long-acting insulin (this could be Lantus or Levemir) by around 20%. This is dependent on every individual, but if I am just lazing around in the sun for a day, I usually find this helps.

If you are in the sunshine but also undertaking physical activity whether that be on the beach sports such as volleyball, or water sports like surfing or bodyboarding, you need to reduce your insulin even higher to take into account the low blood sugar results of physical activity. If you are spending the whole day engaged in physical activity in the sun, reduce your background insulin by 40-50% and be aware when you bolus for food that you are active and in the sun, so maybe take a quarter less than you normally would.

Keep a diary. If this is your first time in the sun, or doing physical activity in a hot climate, then take note of how your blood sugars react to changes. You could actually start day one in a new climate with your normal blood routine, take note of all blood sugar lows and peaks, then adjust for the next day. Keep a diary on day two, and if you need further adjustments, then make them. By day three your blood sugars should behave for you.

Drink lots and lots of water, this can help with insulin circulation and dehydration can also have an effect on your blood sugars. We don’t want to add further complications into the mix, so stay hydrated.

Insulin Pumps

The magic of insulin pumps is that they have different applications within the pump that can help when we enter a new climate, or just spending the day in the sun. These are a temporary basal rate, a multi-wave or dual bolus, or an extended wave.

These are the types that are on my insulin pump by Roche, your pump may have them under different names, but to give you an idea of what ones are useful for heat, I have explained them below.

Temporary Basal Rate

“A temporary basal rate allows an immediate short-term change to your basal insulin for a specified period of time (30 minutes to 24 hours).” – Medtronic

This means you can reduce or increase your insulin by a certain percentage for the period of time you need it- this is very useful if you are trying to manage your blood sugars in the heat sporadically, so for example, if you are spending a day hiking in the sunshine, or lazing on the beach, then you can put your temporary basal rate and reduce your insulin by 50%- or whatever you have found works for your own body.

You can set this for the time period you are in the sun, around 10-6pm, then once this time has finished, your temporary basal rate will stop and go back to your normal basal routine! It’s a good idea to discuss with your DSN before your try your first temporary basal rate because how much you reduce depends on how sensitive you are to insulin, and how much you are already on!

Dual Wave or Multi-Wave

“Dual Wave bolus delivers a combination of an immediate Normal bolus followed by a Square Wave bolus. The Square Wave portion is delayed evenly over a period of time. A Dual Wave bolus is useful for meals with both rapidly and slowly absorbed carbohydrates.” – Medtronic

Eating carbs in the sunshine, combined with the sunshine, and/or activity, can mean you can drop or go higher depending on your body. Check with your diabetes team on the best way you could use this wave to manage your blood sugars in the heat.

As before keep a diary and monitor what your body is doing, if you can correct it the first day, then it will be easier for you to keep smooth blood sugars on the rest of your trip. A pump allows you to be a bit more spontaneous, so take advantage of all the features it offers.

  Also make sure your hydrated! This is for non-diabetics too, dehydration can make anyone seriously ill quickly.

Is Freestyle Libre Useful?

If you can/have a freestyle libre or CGM, these are great for (almost!) being able to predict what your blood sugar is going to do, and a really useful tool for managing your blood sugar levels while in the sun.

What is the Freestyle Libre?

The Freestyle libre is a wonderful new system that enables type 1 diabetics to scan their blood sugars instead of finger pricking. It takes a reading and creates a graph type view so you can see the pattern of your blood sugars on a 8 hour window and has arrow that will indicate whether your blood sugar will stay at the number it is at, go higher, or go lower, this is a great tool to help you catch a low blood sugar and avoid a high blood sugar.

The libres accuracy really depends on the individual, but you can usually expect it to be out by 1-2 mmol which is similar to the difference between blood glucose monitors.

I used it extensively in South America, I tested every 15 minutes in the sun with an easy scan and was able to catch a good view hypos! It does not eliminate the need for finger pricking, but definitely, reduces the number of finger pricks and helps give your fingertips a much-needed rest!

What is a CGM?

A continuous glucose monitor is a small wearable device that tracks your glucose throughout the day and night, and notifies you of highs and lows so you can take action when needed- it helps eliminate the guesswork based on one glucose reading, and it is an excellent device to help manage your blood sugars in the heat, however I have not had the luxury of trying a CGM yet due to the cost, but it is something I am definitely working towards acquiring one in the future.

Blood Sugar, Heat and Alcohol

This can be a tricky mix. If you have not mastered the art of drinking with type 1 diabetes (I say art because it takes practice to not hypo!) Then I would seriously consider speaking to your DSN before you decided to lounge in the sun and sip on cocktails all day. There are great ways on the insulin pump to help make this possible.

A temporary basal rate is a useful tool when drinking in the heat.

Depending on the type of alcohol you are drinking, your blood sugar will spike then drop again, and it has a delay of dropping off 12 hours, so you need to remember your blood sugars aren’t safe again until 12 hours after you have stopped drinking.

As a rule for myself, I try to stick to neutral spirits, such as Vodka and a diet mixer, as this won’t cause my blood sugar to rise because there are no carbohydrates in either, so I can focus on avoiding the low, with a temporary basal rate, or eating while drinking.

This is not to say I avoid cocktails, I love a good strawberry daiquiri or pina colada, but I wouldn’t drink only them otherwise I would have both a sugar and hypo hangover!

Consult with your doctor before you drink in the heat, but it’s honestly a trial and error situation, and you will eventually find a balance that works for you.

Other Tips

Despite all the planning and work we put into trying to avoid hypos in the heat, sometimes they will still happen so here are some other tips I have learnt.

Carry extra supplies of sugar that are easy and convenient to place in your pockets, a backpack or even a pump strap- dextrose is a decent buy!

Always carry small coinage in case you run out of sugar and need to buy a sugary drink. This has happened to me in Brazil, I was trying to adjust to the sunshine and I took a bad hypo which meant I had eaten all of my supplies that were out with me, but thankfully I had some small change ready to buy a sugary drink.

Avoid sunburn. Sunburn can cause your blood sugars to go higher or lower, depending on your body, so eliminate the stress of this by making sure you are sun protected! This is particularly important for diabetics who experience neuropathy in their feet, you might not even realise you are burning, and it takes a lot longer for your feet to heal, so as a rule make sure your feet are covered in sunscreen before you leave the house!

Even if you aren’t diabetic, it is super important to protect your skin at all times!

Protect your equipment. Insulin can die in the heat as it is only made to last a particular temperature, this is why carrying your insulin pens in a Frio bag is so important if you are going out for the day. If you are on an insulin pump you can actually get really useful Frio cooling covers for them to stop your insulin pump from overheating and dying in the heat.

Ladies, don’t put your insulin pump in your bra on a hot day, this increases the risk of insulin dying, and this is from experience when I spent a day in Rome wondering why I felt like I was going to die, only to realise my insulin had died because it was so warm! Get yourself a waist belt, or Travel Bra which has an external area for the pump that doesn’t touch your skin. 

Get new insulin! If your insulin is damaged by heat then it can become cloudy and grainy and stick to the side of the glass, or it can go a brownish colour. If your insulin looks like this, do NOT use it.

Keep your diabetic monitor out of the heat. They can overheat and just not turn on. I have also made that mistake by forgetting to put my monitor in the shade and it took a while for it to turn back on.

If you take all the necessary precautions then there is no reason you can’t manage your blood sugars in the heat!

  Please remember I am not a health professional and this advice is based on my own experience, so please consult your doctor or health professional before you try anything new with your diabetic care.

Happy traveling!

READ NEXT: Travel Checklist for Type 1 Diabetes

  Read More

The Beginner’s Guide to Traveling with Type 1 Diabetes

Ten Essential Tips For Solo Female Travelers

6 Things to Remember Before Every Trip

How To Eat, Drink and Stay Healthy While Traveling

Travel-Friendly Workouts for Girls on the Go

The Ultimate Guide to Solo Female Travel

How to Manage Your Blood Sugar in Hot Destinations is a post from: The Blonde Abroad

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Testing Out the iBGStar - First Plug-In Glucose Meter for the iPhone

New Post has been published on http://type2diabetestreatment.net/diabetes-mellitus/testing-out-the-ibgstar-first-plug-in-glucose-meter-for-the-iphone/

Testing Out the iBGStar - First Plug-In Glucose Meter for the iPhone

I'm very fortunate — and geekishly thrilled! — to be the first U.S. diabetic to review the new iBGStar, glucose meter and logging app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Yup, it's that meter that plugs right into an iPhone! And nope, it's not FDA approved or available on the market in America yet.

I happen to have a longstanding relationship with the folks at AgaMatrix, the innovative company that designed iBGStar for Sanofi-Aventis. The AgaMatrix guys have followed my push for iPhone-ish diabetes devices from day one. And now that they've actually created the first-ever medical device that actually physically plugs into Apple's platform, they've been kind enough to get me a test unit to play with.

First impressions: it's simply amazing that this tiny little stick, about 3 inches long and 3/4-inch wide, can test your sugar either on its own, or plugged into your phone, in which case the results are automatically logged in the app, of course. If you use it disconnected from the phone, then the data is simply loaded in next time you do connect.

What a strange feeling — it's like not having a glucose meter at all, since for once, you don't have to schlep around a separate device that's essentially the same size as your phone. And the app, similar to AgaMatrix's current Diabetes Manager logging app for the iPhone, is just as slick and pretty and easy-click as any iPhone app could be. Only the iBGStar app is even more fun, with extras like a choice of wallpaper backgrounds to choose from: Beach, Mountain, Desert, Cityscape or Farm — whatever makes you happy when it's time do the 'ol finger prick trick.

So far I like:

the bright, bold app with easy-scroll menus for entering notes on your BG readings (meal tags, carb grams, insulin doses)

the no-coding test strips

Carrying only a mini-case, about half the size of my OmniPod case, that houses the lancet, test strip vial, and a pocket for the iBGStar meter when it's not plugged into your iPhone. (I liked leaving mine plugged in, just for the thrill of knowing that my phone now has real capability to help me treat my medical condition!)

So far I don't like:

the fact that the app doesn't automatically launch or open when you plug in a test strip or complete a BG test (I assume it doesn't automatically launch when you plug the meter into the phone because it would be annoying if it always overrode whatever else you were doing on your phone. But in that moment when you're testing glucose, you don't want to have to swish around searching for the app to open it manually.)

it doesn't always beep when you take a test, i.e. no "confidence alert" so you're often not sure if the blood was properly absorbed or not

I've actually been exchanging notes with reader Matt Fishburn, a type 1 expat living in the Netherlands, who got the iBGStar just a week or so ago when the product hit that country (second roll-out after Germany). Matt's originally from Iowa, and is "a relatively new member to club D, having been diagnosed just 10 months ago with type one, 2 days after my 26th birthday." Yikes! He's a self-described "technophile" and PhD student in electrical engineering.

"There are still some rough edges, but overall it makes tracking blood glucose, carbs and insulin much easier than with my Bayer Contour," Matt writes. "The integration of the carb count and insulin amount with the glucose reading has made a big difference how often I track. I am lazy, and really hate copying information to multiple places. For example, if you test a few hours after a light hypo and you are higher than you expected, you can tag the high with 'After a hypo.' The phrases can be customized, which has been very useful for me. 'Stress from PhD research' seems to be showing up a lot in my readings. The app also makes it really easy to e-mail these numbers to your doctor or nurse, or transfer the numbers to a computer."

"The meter itself is simple, small and straight-forward to use. However ... I do not like the lancer that comes with the meter, as I find it difficult to change the lancets. I also do not like the test strips. The plastic top of a Bayer strip overhangs the bottom just a little bit, making it easy to apply blood, whereas the iBGStar strip lacks the vertical overhang. Even after using the iBGStar strips for a week, it is more difficult for me to apply blood to the strip than to a Bayer strip."

"During a test my blood doesn't seem to completely cover the visible window in an iBGStar strip, leaving me nervous about the meter results. A problem I've had with my Contour is incorrect readings without meter errors when the blood doesn't completely fill up the strip's slot. I haven't had any issues with the iBGStar in the week or so I've been using it, but I'm still paranoid every time I test if the visible window isn't completely filled."

As exciting as it is to have this next-generation phone-based meter with a tightly integrated, complex tracking app, newbie Matt hit the nail on the head of patient frustrations, IMHO, when he added:

"You track all this data and the app does... absolutely nothing but present it back to you. To figure out what is causing all those hypos or hypers, you must look at the data yourself or have someone help you." Bingo, Matt! I believe the Next Big Thing after iPhone integration has got to be smart algorithms that can flag trends and give us some recommendations about how to address them!

Matt also laments: "The inability to add free-form text to carb counts without creating a new tag is also very frustrating to me — I want to be able to tag the carb count with what I ate, but I haven't found a good way to do this with the app. I also want to be able to search my past meals, so when I'm having a strange meal I could see if I've eaten something similar and don't have to guess as much with my bolus amount."

I hear you, Matt, but at the same time, for me personally, feeling compelled to type a bunch of text into my iPhone-based meter would kind of defeat the purpose, which is of course SIMPLICITY — making my life with diabetes easier, more streamlined, and less strewn with multiple gadgets that require my attention.

Here's where the iBGStar is going to score huge points with patients, I believe. It's small; it's easy to use; it looks really cool; the app is more sophisticated than most, yet very intuitive; and it's integrated with your cell phone, for God's sake! It's everything we've been waiting for! Now we just have to wait a little longer... on the gosh-darned FDA.

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

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18 Years with Diabetes: A Diaversary Post

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18 Years with Diabetes: A Diaversary Post

Today is my 18th diaversary. That's DOC slang for the anniversary of my diagnosis. I used to think 18 years with diabetes sounded like a looooong time. Growing up, most of the people I knew had diabetes for about as long as me, because most of my D-friends were the same age as me and were diagnosed around the same time as I was (at age 8). Now that I'm older and have had the privilege of meeting so many wonderful people with diabetes, 18 years no longer seems that impressive! I know people who have had diabetes for 30 years, 40 years, 50 years — and last summer I met a man who has had diabetes for 85 years!

Most people I know have a sharp picture in their minds of when they were diagnosed with diabetes. They almost always know the year, usually the month, and sometimes the day. I remember my diagnosis very clearly, even though I was only 8 years old. I remember waking up with an ear ache, complaining to my mother and begging to stay home from school. I remember her deciding to take me to the doctor to get checked out. I remember sitting in the waiting room of the doctor's office. I remember listening to my mother tell my pediatrician that I was going to the bathroom a lot. I remember the low yellow light of the bathroom where the doctor told me to go so I could pee in a cup. I remember waiting at home for the results. I remember the phone call came at 4:00 in the afternoon and I remember my mother flipping through the yellow pages looking at hospitals to take me to. I remember my dad coming home, and I remember looking up at him while I laid on the sofa in our bonus room, and I vividly remember remember telling him, "I'm a diabetes girl now."

December 1993 - One month before my diagnosis

I remember starting to feel nauseated. I remember the drive to the hospital and how I couldn't eat or drink anything except water before being admitted, but we didn't have water in the car and I was very thirsty. I remember the Intensive Care Unit. I remember throwing up all over myself and the nurses. I remember my first endocrinologist standing at the foot of my bed, with my mom on my left and my dad on my right, explaining to us what the hell just happened.

The next day, I remember watching the clock from my bed, telling the nurses what my friends at school would being doing that day. Reading, Writing, Math, Recess. I'm sure that was really fun to listen to. I remember having to go to the bathroom in a little plastic bowl because they needed to measure it for... something. Ketones? That I don't remember. I just remember that I hated doing it! I remember my parents coming to visit, and I remember the workbook It's Time to Learn About Diabetes by Jean Betschart Roemer (whom I interviewed many years later!). I remember the nurses teaching me how to prick my finger and I was terrified. I think I made them do it at least two or three times each themselves before I had the guts to do it to myself. I remember injecting insulin into an orange. And I gotta tell you, I remember thinking that my skin and an orange were very, very different.

I remember being discharged from the ICU and staying in a regular hospital room. I remember the nurses waking me up every four hours to test my blood sugar, and I remember being very excited when it dropped from the 300s to the 200s! I remember the other girl who was in my room. She'd had several heart surgeries and she had to pee into a bag because she couldn't walk. I suppose being her roommate gave me a bit of perspective on my situation.

I remember being discharged and going home. I remember going to school on Monday, not to go to class but so that we could teach the secretaries about my diabetes. The principal was there, too. I had an awesome school staff and it is one of the many reasons I think I turned out as "normal and well-adjusted" as I did. I remember checking my blood sugar in front of everyone and I remember the secretary gasping, "It's dropping!" But in reality, she was just watching the meter countdown the 45 seconds it took to get a reading (those were the days!). I remember laughing and going, "No, no! It's just the timer!" I remember calling my best friend Jenny and telling her that I had been diagnosed with diabetes. Her mother immediately started buying Diet Coke to keep at their house, and Jenny still blames me for her Diet Coke addiction (I plead the Fifth).

Summer 1994 - six months after my diagnosis

I don't remember much after that, actually. The diagnosis is a very clear, distinct series of memories that occurred over a period of maybe five days.

Later memories all blend together: I remember phone calls to the doctor-on-call late at night. I remember my mother accidentally mixing up my morning and evening dose once. I remember my parents arguing about whether or not I needed a snack. I remember my first trip to camp, and I remember my first insulin injection in my stomach. I don't remember my first low blood sugar, and I don't remember even hating diabetes that much at the beginning. Although I remember a doozy of a temper tantrum that came when I was about 12 years old, and I do remember crying occasionally when an insulin injection stung just a little too much.

It might seem strange, but most of my memories of my childhood don't have much to do with diabetes. Well, maybe a little bit. When I think about school, I only have a few memories of diabetes. I remember telling my gym teacher I was low so that I could get out of playing tennis. I remember having an insulin pump site fail and shooting up to 500 mg/dl and thinking I was going to die or collapse or something. I remember my friend Julia bending over to check the time on my insulin pump. I remember my friend Josh asking if he could try one of my glucose tablets and he liked it. I also remember him asking me if you could put heroin in an insulin pump. To which I replied cautiously, "I suppose..."

Oddly, I don't remember diabetes on the day I got my driver's license. I don't remember diabetes at either of my school proms (although the guy who took me was a PWD whom I'd met at diabetes camp, so, you know, there's that). I remember that I had a two-piece prom dress, and the top part was a corset, so we clipped the pump to the back of the skirt and it just sat there. That's all I remember. I don't remember diabetes on my graduation day, although our Senior Night party involved a ridiculous amount of ice cream, candy, and snacks and I'm pretty sure I floated around 300 mg/dl the entire time. I don't remember diabetes on my first date (OK, again, technically a lie since my first date was the brother of a guy with diabetes, and his father was the former President of our local JDRF chapter, but, you know, minor details). And the only reason I remember diabetes on my wedding day is because I knew I'd have to blog about it.

The older I got, however, the more I remember my diabetes in my life. Diabetes became a "hobby" when I was about 16 years old. I started getting involved in diabetes advocacy stuff. I remember finding out I was selected to go to JDRF's Children's Congress. I remember meeting Mary Tyler Moore. I remember thinking about my own mortality more and more. I remember being frustrated with my diabetes in college, and I remember how much I didn't remember how to take care of myself. I remember how it introduced me to friends and how it got me my first job, and I remember how I slowly started appreciating the fact I had diabetes, because it actually brought some good into my life. I remember how my father told me that my diabetes gave me purpose. I remember thinking that was true.

I also remember most of my diaversaries. I don't think the date would have made an indelible mark on me if it weren't for the fact that the first was the day my mother finally said that I could get my ears pierced. Now listen, I had spent weeks working on my mother so that she would let me get my ears pierced. I can't remember what her rationale was for preventing me from doing it, but I remember her being very insistent that I should not get my ears pierced. I remember that night I was sitting in the car, listing out (again) all the reasons why she should let me get my ears pierced. I remember our car suddenly pulling up in front of the piercing salon and being so excited — and yes, I even remember how much it hurt.

And that's how the tradition of celebrating my diaversaries began. It didn't even occur to me, after several years of doing this, that other people might not want to celebrate their diaversaries. I remember on other diaversaries, my parents would include a card with a little gift, and inside it would say something sweet about how proud they were of my ability to take care of my diabetes every day for the past year. That's really the point of celebrating the day, you know. It's not to celebrate the fact that I have diabetes. Having diabetes blows. But living well with diabetes? Managing the everyday minutiae of testing blood sugar, counting carbs, and dosing insulin? Having an awesome life, never letting diabetes hold you back and accomplishing all your dreams?

That is totally worth celebrating!

January 2012 - 18 years after diagnosis

So, whether your diabetes diagnosis was January 27, like me, or whether it's another day of the year or even a day you don't remember, happy diaversary to you too! Here's to long life with many happy memories.

Thanks Allison - sending lots of DOC love your way!

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

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