Congratulations to Vivian D.! Vivian is the winner of the 4 Mile Walking DVD by Leslie Sansone.

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The fact that diabetes is an expensive disease is not news to the diabetics of the world. Large out of pocket costs are something we struggle with every bit as much as managing our blood sugar.

A new study says that “75 percent of the $2.2 trillion the United States spends on healthcare goes toward treating chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.” Also, the more chronic conditions a person has, the more money is spent. “One chronic condition spent an average $655 out of pocket in 2005, while those with two chronic conditions spent $1,039, and those with three or more spent $1,865.”

This is important news for diabetics, especially because many of us do have two or more chronic conditions. It’s not only the stress of chronic disease but the costs that weigh upon us as well.

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With all this talk about New Year’s Resolutions, budget costs are a great thing to keep in mind. You don’t need to spend tons just to get healthier or more fit.

I caught this article on ways to reach your diabetic New Year’s goals without breaking the bank. They made some good points. One of them was scheduling time for fitness. If we have it on our calendars, we are more likely to do it.

The other thing they said was to sit down for a few minutes each week and plan a grocery list. This lets you plan the meals for the week and also lets you stay within your budget (you don’t spend as much on spur of the moment stuff.)

I think it’s a great idea to invest in a workout DVD or two. Or simply head to the mall or get outside to walk. Or you could win a workout DVD here! (What would be better than that - a free DVD!)

What’s your budget-conscious tip for staying in shape?

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I was having a really bad day yesterday with my diabetes. REALLY bad.

It wasn’t that I ate poorly or failed to exercise, but I still had a hard time controlling my blood sugar. I got up and my blood sugar was 150. I took the proper insulin dosage, didn’t eat any breakfast, and then went to work. A couple hours later I worked out. When I tested after my workout, my blood sugar was 250!

Frustrating. But it didn’t end there. After my workout I was hungry finally, and now my blood sugar is high. I took my insulin, waited, and then ate lunch. A very healthy and sensible lunch. When I tested after that, my blood sugar was 228.

Now here’s the thing. I’m under a lot of stress this week and next. I’ve got a lot on my mind and tons of work to get done. I know that always affects my blood sugar. Besides that, I’m getting sick. Another thing that can send my diabetes up and down.

The problem is, I wonder how many non-diabetics would look at me with my high readings and shake their finger because my blood sugar is high? I wonder how many would be foolish enough to believe that I wasn’t eating right or exercising?

This is one of the most frustrating things about diabetes… that people just don’t get it. And I mean…. DON’T GET IT. It’s not just your average folk, either. It’s nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals and that sometimes treat us poorly because they lump all diabetics into a “brought it on yourself” kind of category.

So…. that’s my bad day. But here’s the thing, with diabetes I’m not allowed to get all down on myself and just give up. It doesn’t work that way. So I will try again tomorrow. I will try again the next time I test my blood and take a shot. I’ll try to do my best, and on days when things aren’t clicking, I’ll try to take it in stride. But I’ll always keep trying. I have to.

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Happy New Year from Diabetes Notes!

I salute each and every diabetic out there. I know it’s hard at times. I know it’s hard a lot of times, but I pray for each and every one of you. Let’s band together to make 2009 a year in which we work hard to check our blood sugars, take care of ourselves, and support each other.

Happy 2009!

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What are your goals for the New Year?

If you’re like me, you HATE when people ask about that! LOL. I hate goal making, but I do like to continually improve on things. Rather than create some large hurdle to climb, I try to look at it a different (and more manageable) way.

For example, rather than saying I want to “lose ten pounds” I say I want to work out five times a week for 30 minutes. In doing that, I probably am going to lose ten pounds because working out will inspire me to do other things, like eat healthier.

Diabetics are especially hard on themselves when it comes to resolutions. They will often say they want their A1c below a certain number, but I’ve personally found that saying something like, “I will test my blood sugar five times a day” is a better goal. I’d rather have a handle on what my blood sugars are like throughout the day than try for a goal (the A1c) that I may or may not meet.

Don’t get me wrong, the A1c is an important tool in managing diabetes. But I think a better way to handle goals is by doing the small things you can control (like testing your blood sugar.) The more often you test, the more apt you are to reach your desired A1c number.

My personal goal this year is to workout more regularly. I sometimes work so hard that I either don’t have time or are too tired to work out. That’s got to change. Besides that, I love working out when I do it. If work has to wait in 2009, it will just have to! My personal goal is to work out for 45 minutes a day five days a week.

What’s your New Year’s goal?

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I’m always interested in athletes with diabetes, aren’t you? It seems that much more difficult to manage diabetes when you are always pushing your body to the limit.

But many athletes, like Denver Broncos Quarterback Jay Cutler, manage just fine thank you very much. Cutler checks his blood up to six times each game (which generally lasts about three hours.)

He was apparently diagnosed “last spring just before his 25th birthday” and keeps Gatorade on hand to raise his blood sugar if he drops too low. Or if he gets too high, he takes insulin.

I applaud Jay Cutler for reminding us all that diabetes does not have to slow you down. It just means you have to do things a little differently (like check your blood sugar more often.)

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Randy Jackson from American Idol has been vocal about having Type 2 diabetes. He’s also actively involved in raising awareness.

Now Randy is helping people get in the “K.N.O.W” about diabetes. “K.N.O.W.” stands for:

Keeping active and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Normalizing your critical health numbers.
Opting for a healthy lifestyle.
Working with a healthcare provider.

Here’s a video with more information from Randy:

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It seems that everywhere we turn, there is a new study linked to diabetes. Sometimes these studies are about research and the cure for diabetics. Sometimes it’s another study that is supposed to indicate whether a person will get diabetes or not.

For me, I always appreciate the studies that talk about research more than I do the ones that say, “If you do this, you’ll get diabetes.” This particular study, for example, talks about a baby’s birth weight in relation to getting diabetes later in life.

The study, which is published in the American Medical Association’s journal, says that:

“Babies who weighed less than average at birth were more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life than those who were born weighing more… A person’s lifetime risk of developing diabetes decreased for each 2.2 pounds he or she weighed over lower-weight babies.”

To me, a study such as this is useless, in that it does contain enough information to accurately PREDICT whether someone will get diabetes. There is not enough scientific evidence associated with this kind of study. For example, at what percentage does someone’s risk increase? Is this the case for all babies of a reduced weight regardless of how much weight they gain as adults? Is lifestyle being considered at all in this study?

Another question, what about heavier babies? At what point does the weight gain turn into a detriment in newborns?

I’m all for research, believe me. I absorb everything I can in relation to diabetes research and funding. But a study such as this does no good until it can prove something. More than that, wouldn’t researchers time be better spent in exploring one of the many possibilities we’ve read about for a cure?

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