I was lost without this blog, my diabetes is a top priority but I wasn't challenging myself diabetes wise without it.  Yes I was trying to stay in range as much as I could but I started to develop an excuse if I had a spike in my blood sugar that I caused.  I didn't have you the reader there to hold me responsible for being lazy or dumb for not taking insulin to cover a snack.  What kind of diabetes blogger would I be with frequent readings over 300.

Since I have started blogging I again I have noticed that I feel better about myself and that my blood sugars are in range a lot more.  My blood sugars are not in range so that I can brag and say hey read my blog I'm an amazing diabetic.  My blood sugars are in range because I want to inspire you the way that you inspire me.  I see the members of Team Novo Nordisk giving it their all with diabetes, I see people on social media that aren't on any team that can run a marathon a day for a month.  I see a newly diagnosed kids that aren't even in grade school that love their diabetes.  I see kids that are now in their twenties that were diagnosed as children and they didn't rebel against their diabetes like I did.

This blog might be about my daily experiences with diabetes but this blog is here to say thank you and hopefully pick you up after a tough day.  No matter who you are if you have diabetes, love someone with diabetes or are a caregiver, I just want to say thank you for making me not only a better diabetic but a better person. 

After returning to work after six weeks off due to surgery on my right shoulder I was excited to see how my day would go both shoulder and blood sugar wise.  I will start with the good news, no soda to fix a low blood sugar and only two bads of fruit snacks for a quick spike.  My shoulder also held up through a challenging first day shoulder wise.  Obviously the picture makes my day look like I was below my target range most of the day, my target range is set as 80 to 140, this allows me to get something before my blood sugar drops below 60 and the low becomes dangerous.  It will also allow me to jump ahead of a rising blood sugar.  

The best part of my day was the performance of my pump.  Last May I made the change from injections to the Tandem Insulin Pump, as with anything diabetes related it was a very difficult decision but in the long run my A1C has lowered and I feel much better.  For those that remember I was a Medtronic pump user forever, why the change?  Tandem uses Dexcom for their CGM and truly that was what made Tandem so much better before I got the pump.  Then I got the pump and learned about a little something called Tandem Control-IQ, Control-IQ technology automatically adjusts insulin levels based on Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) readings.  This means if I’m going low it will stop the delivery of insulin and if my blood sugar is rising out of my set range then it will give me insulin to avoid a spike.  For my line of work the IQ feature has learned who I am and the amount of insulin I get per day during the summer is absolutely crazy.  I’m coming out of six weeks of doing nothing and averaging around 40 units per day, today I received 24 units.  The insulin pump knows me better than I know myself.  

As far as my shoulder goes I couldn’t be happier.  Just after 7am it was tested with my first job of the day, I’m not going to lie I was extremely nervous and didn’t know what would happen.  Luckily it passed the test and the rest of my day went smoothly.  I then got home and was waiting for the numbness or the pain, that has yet to show up.  I did decide to play it smart once getting home, the lawn can wait until another day, no need to put more stress on my shoulder. 

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It has been two years since I was last on the bike or running the way that I should.  I would occasionally jump back in and go for a run or a ride but something was off.  I would go for a mile run or two and develop a tremendous pain in my right shoulder and have to put my right hand in my left armpit so it looked like my arm was in a sling.  This began to happen at work as well, my right hand would be weak and my right arm felt like it wasn’t there.  I then thought well maybe the bike would be better, that wasn’t the case.  The pressure from being tucked was so painful on my right shoulder and I would often lose feeling in the arm and hand, making braking or control on a turn that much tougher.

What followed were more doctor visits than I care to write about.  I would see the surgeon that removed my first rib almost twelve years ago for answers.  He found nothing, he then said why don’t you see a neurologist, I did that and although the EMG was off he couldn’t find the exact problem.  Then the brachial plexus tests began in Boston, no luck.  After all of this I was depressed and angry, I wanted answers!!  I got nothing, I couldn’t workout and work was becoming more and more difficult.  Finally, Kate said why don’t we try an orthopedic surgeon and see what happens.  On my first visit he took a number of x-rays and for the first time one was taken from above looking down on my shoulder.  What he saw was a hook in my right acromion.  Thank you Google for the following, The acromion is the bony tip of the outer edge of your shoulder blade (scapula) that comes off the top of the backside of this bone. It meets with the end of your collar bone (clavicle) at your shoulder. Shoulder impingement occurs when the tendon rubs against the acromion.

The next move was surgery to grind down the hook and to clean out the right shoulder to open it up and increase my range of motion.  The surgery went very well and seeing the pictures of what my shoulder looked like before and after were amazing.  That sounds all well and good but three weeks out from the surgery my right hand was numb again.  I can’t say this enough but having a doctor that cares is so great no matter what the issue is.  I sat in the doctor's office for almost an hour having a heart to heart talk with this amazing gentleman.  He ran a number of tests and went on to say that somehow somewhere a nerve was nicked or damaged just enough to cause the numbness in the right hand.  Obviously whatever happened could not be picked up on an X-ray, EMG, or MRI.  The rest of my life that numbness will be there, much like a race it will be a matter of swallowing my pride and fighting through the pain to race if I want to do so.

I’m still a few weeks out from running and have yet to even sit on a bike.  I’m feeling better mentally but I’m going mad because I can’t do anything.  It sucks, I want to be on the bike, I want to be 20lbs lighter, I want that rush that comes with flying down a hill at 40mph, and I want my heart rate to spike as I race a car through a two lane section near the beach. All I’ve ever known is being competitive, sports and competition are my life.  I need to get back to racing, I also need to get back into shape so that as my children get older I can still hold my own.  For now I’m just happy that I can get back to doing something athletically.  The road back is a long one but I’m always down for a challenge.

​

It is weird that a blog about being happy with what you have was inspired by a bunch of negative Facebook posts.  As a diabetic it is almost a daily occurrence for many of us to be mad about a blood sugar or something related to their diabetes.  It happens to me all the time, I will want to be in range but something will happen and my blood sugar will slowly creep out of range.  You curse at yourself or the pump for being at fault, you then take some insulin to fix it and all is well.  You will also face some comments that come from someone that doesn't "understand" diabetes.  The famous "Did you get diabetes because you drank to much soda?"  That leads to a little anger but after a few minutes we bounce back.

What bothers me about diabetes is the complaining about the disease itself.  I have found that many do not look at the disease as a gift.  I did not always have that mindset, it took me almost twenty years to get to where I accepted my disease.  What I have found is that once you stop blaming others or diabetes itself you begin to enjoy living your life with diabetes.  Diabetes and life are not perfect, insulin pump sites go in wrong and don't work, you leave your cell phone on the roof of the car.  Things happen, the important thing is to not let that moment bother you all week. 

I have seen so many people stop living because of their diabetes, I will often hear "I used to be so active but now I can't because of my diabetes."  The truth is and always has been that just because you have diabetes doesn't mean you can't do something.  When I look at my diabetes and riding a bike I believe that I have a huge advantage over the other cyclist.  To be able to ride at high level I need to put in the work as diabetic, I need to eat healthy, balance my blood sugar while racing, and make sure I have the right formula to have a blood sugar that is in range two hours after a race.  It sounds like a lot of work but that work makes me better.  I love when people come up to me after a race and ask me how I can do what I just did with diabetes.  That opens the doors for me to promote how great the disease is and how it helps me.  The secret to enjoying diabetes is to challenge yourself day in and day out.  Don't let your diabetes hold you back, go out and reach your dreams and show diabetes who is in control!!

I may have created a new career this evening. As an athlete with diabetes I find it very tough to find people that understand the work and stress that goes into both. As athletes with diabetes we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to train at a high level but also keep our blood sugars in a respectable range. If I plan a ten mile run and only do seven because of my blood sugar fell out of range I’d be pissed with myself!! People close to me understand the pain and anger but what if we had another athlete with diabetes to talk with?

That’s where the new idea comes in, what if we had an app to talk and share information with our diabetes athletic trainer? Someone we could share our training plan with but also a place to share blood sugars and get ideas on meals, training plans and blood sugars. Obviously we have athletic trainers and endocrinologists but they aren’t available 24/7. I’m obviously not available 24/7 but would love a diabetes athlete to bounce ideas off of.

Legally if I could somehow develop an app and make this a reality it’d be tough. Honestly though I’m open to having a couple of other athletes with diabetes that would like to talk openly about blood sugars and training plans. If you’re interested please send me a message and maybe I can test this out before I take the next step.

My dream has always been to be a cyclist in the Tour de France, when I was about six or seven I would ride my bike for hours in our small neighborhood dreaming of racing my bike.  Fast-forward thirty years and I'm teaching Minnie and Sharky about the Tour de France and enjoying each second that they learn how to ride a bike.  Minnie has taken some interest in the Tour this past weekend as she watched a little of the Tour with me.  She had some great questions, which included "Where are your friends, you know your team?" 

I'm not sure if it was the low blood sugar or hours watching the tour but as I was working today I listened to a cycling podcast and got taken away.  I was mowing my third of four greens and all of a sudden I felt low and just raised my hand like I was in the Tour signaling to the team car or teammates that I needed some more water bottles.  I suddenly stopped my mower and walked over to my cart to grab my Gatorade and something to eat to fix my low blood sugar.

If a low blood sugar has me thinking I'm in the Tour does that earn me the green sprinters jersey because I ran to fix the blood sugar?

Anyone that knows me knows that I'm a very competitive person.  When it comes to my life with diabetes, I'm always competing to keep my blood sugars within a certain range that works best for me.  I try my best to keep my blood sugars between 76-139, unfortunately my blood sugar often goes out of that range.  When my blood sugar goes above 200, I have a shorter temper and things bother me.  For example someone clicking a pen will drive me crazy when my blood sugar is out of range.

A few weeks back, my blood sugar was out of range while Sharky and Minnie were doing their homework.  Neither was very interested as the weather was nice and the last thing they wanted to do was homework.  With my blood sugar out of range I was notin the mood for their games and just wanted them to do their homework so then they could play and I could make dinner.  Making dinner ran into helping with homework and I hit a breaking point.  With an angry tone I said "That's it, put it away.  Go downstairs and color or play with legos."  I was asked by Sharky, "Why are you angry?" and it hit me.  It was the blood sugar.  I said "I'm just mad, go play" . I tested and was 241, I felt like an ass and thought of how I could fix what I had just done.  

That weekend I explained what had happened.  I did my best to explain to a 5 and 7yr old what I was feeling and why.  I then pulled out two solo cups and a bag of M&Ms.  I labeled one cup BAD and the other GOOD.  I explained that any blood sugar that was above 200 or below 80 meant an M&M in the bad cup anything else meant an M&M cup.  Once the bad cup (their cup) reached ten M&Ms they got a special snack (candy, ice cream) they could then risk those ten and try to get to 20 for a bigger present.  The catch is once my cup, the good cup got to ten theirs would go to 0.

I'm happy and sad to report that they got to ten before me.  Sharky got his pretzel and Minnie got her ice cream. I also emptied their cup once so this is a very even battle.  This might sound like a silly game, and I honestly thought it was.  I thought that they would forget about it and wouldn't care.  They haven't in fact they have learned more about me than some of my friends know when it comes to diabetes.  Stopping to get an apple juice now consists of them asking if I'm okay and asking if I need anything else and offering me their after school snack.

The fact that they know when I need insulin and when I need sugar makes me smile ear to ear.  I love that if I'm having a tough day they ask if my sugar is okay, I also love that I can tell them that I'm low and need a minute because I'm angry.  Diabetes has taught me a lot in thirty years, the fact that Sharky and Minnie know so much about diabetes makes me so happy!!

​We all know how much work goes into managing diabetes, from carb counts to insulin ratios, diabetes is a never ending math equation.  From figuring out the appropriate amount of carbohydrates to fix an out of range blood sugar to insulin for an ice cream sundae it makes us analyze anything we eat or drink.  One area that I have over looked for the past few weeks has been the timing.  From cycling and running all the time I'm often grabbing protein bars or fruit quickly to keep my blood sugar from falling out of range while training.  That has carried over to a snack when I'm home and relaxing, I'll grab a rice cake or two and not take insulin because I'm so use to eating small snacks and not needing insulin because I'm so active.  

Over the past few weeks I have made some minor tweaks and a lot of it is time based.  I will now plan my snack or make sure I know when my meal will be and do all that I can to take my insulin fifteen to twenty minutes before eating.  When my blood sugar is in range this plan works perfectly, I will take my insulin fifteen minutes before and nine out of ten times my blood sugar will stay in range.  The challenge comes when my blood sugar is just out of range, if it is above the set range do I take the extra unit or two and hope it isn't to much or if it is below my set range do I have some fruit snacks to get it in range and take my normal insulin dose.  

Diabetes is knowing your body, life and being educated to know how everything works together.  Yes, I take some risks when taking my insulin before a meal with my blood sugar at the lower end of my range but everything is monitored very closely and I always make sure to have all of the supplies I need in case anything does happen.  Diabetes is always forcing us to change, our body is always changing and to keep our blood sugars in range we must make small tweaks to be the best that we can be!!

A blood sugar below a set range has so many symptoms that it is tough to know when you're in or out of range.  From yawning to being hyper I always wonder if it is my blood sugar or am I just being human.  For the most part I'm a very active person, I love jumping out of bed as soon as the alarm sounds and love the excitement of each and everyday.  I'm also human, I like a nap on a rainy day and like to sit on the couch and watch football on Sunday afternoons. 

Today while at work, I started to think about my plans this evening.  A trip to a local restaurant for dinner with friends and a couple adult beverages, it doesn't get any better than that!!  All of sudden I was thinking about it and thought, "I woke up at 4:47 this morning and I'm tired.  Do I really want to go?"  I began thinking about it and I was thinking what is wrong with me.  I love being with Kate and our friends why would I want to stay home? 

My blood sugar was slowly creeping out of range!!!  I had a snack and got my blood sugar back in range.  All of a sudden I couldn't wait to get out of work and head to dinner!!  Crazy, this is a newer symptom of a blood sugar falling out of range but one that I will be aware of moving forward.  

It is amazing seeing what some people will eat and drink before a race. Be it a bike race or a running race, I will always see people with Red Bull or some kind of candy bar. Having diabetes and being an "athlete" is one of the best things in life. By having diabetes I have learned just how bad certain foods can be for you.

My pre-race routine starts when I wake up the day of the race. I will have a couple eggs, toast and fruit to start the day. I will be getting my protein and some carbs with that meal. With most races beginning around 9am my breakfast is very important. The bowl of pasta a couple nights before is my gasoline to get me through any race but the meal before a race starts my engine. I will often eat a handful of almonds and some blueberries to get me pumped up before a race. The energy drinks and candy bars have no nutritional value. It is all caffeine and garbage. My body does not need that pre-race.

I call it my little diabetes secret but natural foods are the best for natural energy. I'm clearly not a top tier athlete but eating healthy and training correctly help me beat a few people that may be more physically gifted than myself.

The past three months have not seen a lot of running or cycling, it has seen a lot of odd pains however.  Right now my right shoulder and arm are causing a lot of problems, from numbness to dropping things that I'm holding it has been confusing.  I have seen the doctor that performed the surgery on my shoulder that removed my first rib.  After a number of tests he said everything looked very good but was thinking my neck could be the cause of the pain.  I then went to an orthopedic thinking that it could be my rotator cuff, again a number of tests but no answer.  The doctor however thought it was my neck which could also cause pain that feels like it is coming from the rotator cuff.  Finally I went to the neurosurgeon that fused C4-C5 over a year ago.  After a number of tests, an MRI and a few X-rays everything looked good but she passed me on to a neurologist thinking it could be related to a nerve.

That's where I'm at right now, my visit with the neurologist is in a couple weeks which hopefully gives me some answers.  In this time I have tried my best to be on the bike or to run.  The bike is torture as the pain while riding and trying to look up is bad.  I have tried turning to running and had mixed results, one day is good and the next is bad.  A lot more bad than good but without any answers I will keep going and have been cleared by doctors to do so.

The thing that is weighing heavily on my mind is that it could be nerve damage and I did this to myself.  Maybe this is what I get for fifteen years of not taking care of myself or my diabetes.  I have known for years that it would eventually catch up to me.  The funny thing is that I'm not the only one that knew this would happen, in a very honest conversation with Kate and my brother this past weekend my brother pointed to my diabetes management in the past.  Although it was tough to hear I believe he is right, the body is like a car if you don't take care of it you're in trouble.  It will run but over time the performance will suffer.

Until I get a clear answer I will do my best to live my normal active life.  I will do my best to race and try pulling out the bike now and again just because I need it in my life.

It has been a few months since I have been blogging on a daily or bi-daily basis.  I'm happy to say that I will be doing my best to do so again, the past three months have been amazing and everyone is doing very well.  As with diabetes it has been a roller coaster ride with a new born but an amazing wife/mother and teamwork go a long way.  For those that want more information on that will have to find our other blog, this is a diabetes blog.

Diabetes wise it has been a roller coaster as well, I'm currently searching for a new endocrinologist after a couple of bad visits with my current endocrinologist.  I have been doing my best to avoid blood sugars that drop below 80, I get short tempered when that happens and that isn't fair to anyone.  If I can avoid that and keep my blood sugars below 180 I will be happy.  That will also make sure that everything else in my life is good.  Everything from work, running and family life depends on my blood sugar.  That is where my endocrinologist and I don't see eye to eye.  My A1C has crept above 7 for the first time in years and I got the "You're not doing" speech.  I won't sit here and bad mouth my endo, I know how my body works and what I need to do, it is a bit of a transition right now and if that means a little higher A1C I'm okay with it.

A change in endocrinologists means that I will leave the five minute ride to see the doctor but with so many options I'm willing to make the hour drive to  New Haven for better care.  If anyone in the New Haven area knows of any great endocrinologists that know a thing or two about cycling and endurance running with diabetes please let me know.  

Often times in life we forget where we started and just how much work we put in to come so far.  I can jump on a bike and go for a forty mile ride with no problems, sure it might not be at the same speed as two years ago but I have only lost a half mile an hour or so.  I can also do that ride with not a lot of blood sugar worry, don't get me wrong I will have low or high from time to time but I have confidence which goes a long way.  

Today my social media feeds were nothing but information on World Bicycle Day and Team Novo Nordisk at the United Nations with Phil Southerland as the primary speaker at the event.  As I scrolled through my feeds around 9am I got a chill as I started thinking about Team Novo Nordisks long road.  The day the team was formed I knew it was something special and my life changed, yes my diabetes life but my life changed as well.  Team Novo Nordisk taught me how to dream and to work my butt off for my dream.  Team Novo Nordisk taught me to do everything I can and take the jump when you're going after your dream.  If Phil Southerland and Team Novo Nordisk had listened to their doubters than the team would not be.  I can't tell you the number of doubters I have talked to while at team events.  If I  had a dollar for every time I have heard "Good story but they can't compete with the best in the world" I'd have a beach house in Florida.

The bike and Team Novo Nordisk saved my life.  On World Bicycle Day I ask that people give the bike a chance, not only will it change your world but it will change the world in which you live.  Besides the physical befits I can't imagine how much money I have saved on gas from riding my bike to work over the past eight years.  The bike isn't the past it is the future.  In a world that is facing fossil fuel concerns the bike is there and has no emissions.

ATLANTA, Ga., May 10, 2019 --Global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, announced Friday its extended commitment to Team Novo Nordisk through 2020. The commitment will take the world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team through its eighth season, making it the longest-running continued title sponsorship for any current US-registered UCI professional team, including all World Tour, Professional Continental, and Continental squads.
“Sponsorship is challenging for any team and we are honored to now have the longest-running title sponsor of any current American-registered professional team,” said Phil Southerland, CEO and Co-Founder of Team Novo Nordisk. “We believe this is a testament to our mission, the multi-faceted approach we’ve taken through successes at races, global media exposure across endemic and non-endemic outlets, an unmatched social media presence and extensive community activities."
Team Novo Nordisk’s partnership with the Danish pharmaceutical company began in December 2012 based on the shared goals to inspire, educate and empower people around the world affected by diabetes. Before Team Novo Nordisk, the squad raced as Team Type 1 for five seasons with a mix of riders with and without type 1 diabetes.
“We are thankful to Novo Nordisk for this ongoing opportunity and look forward to the future. Over the past seven years, we have grown together with a long-term vision of identifying and developing athletes with type 1 diabetes. This partnership has allowed us not only to help them grow into amazing bike racers but also to be heroes for every person with diabetes around the world,” said Southerland. “In the first half of 2019, we have showcased our Changing Diabetes jersey aggressively at World Tour races by wearing the Intermediate Spring jersey for four consecutive days at the UAE Tour and placing a historic four riders in the breakaway at the iconic Milan-San Remo.”
Team Novo Nordisk is part of the Novo Nordisk’s Changing Diabetes initiative, a global commitment to improving conditions for the 425 million people living with diabetes today and those at risk of developing diabetes.
“We are proud to continue the partnership, Team Novo Nordisk is truly showcasing that when managed well, diabetes does not have to hold you back,” said Camilla Sylvest, Executive Vice President, Commercial Strategy & Corporate Affairs at Novo Nordisk.
Racing on the International Cycling Union (UCI) Professional Continental Tour, the team aims to increase awareness of diabetes with the world’s passionate cycling fans while also bringing a new audience to cycling through the extensive diabetes community.
With title sponsorship secured through 2020, Southerland emphasized that the team’s objectives remain focused on investing and developing athletes with type 1 diabetes.
“As Team Novo Nordisk and Novo Nordisk approach the 100thanniversary since the discovery of insulin as dedicated partners, I am proud to continue changing diabetes together. We keep setting the bar higher and are driven to see how far our athletes can take this dream. We are determined to change the world one individual at a time.”
Since its launch, Team Novo Nordisk has built one of the largest fan bases in both professional cycling and diabetes. As of May 2019, the team has more than 8.4 million fans across its social media platforms.
“We are grateful for our millions of fans who follow our athletes daily along with the growing interest from physicians and journalists,” said Southerland. “Last year, we reached nearly four billion people through the media, and we are extremely motivated to keep growing this number. Together with Novo Nordisk, we are truly changing diabetes.”


About Team Novo Nordisk
Team Novo Nordisk is a global all-diabetes sports team of cyclists spearheaded by the world’s first all-diabetes UCI Professional Continental cycling team. In 2012, Phil Southerland, co-founder and CEO of the team, and global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, came together to create Team Novo Nordisk, based on a shared vision to inspire, educate and empower people around the world affected by diabetes. For more information, go to www.teamnovonordisk.com. 
About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 95 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to help people defeat obesity, haemophilia, growth disorders and other serious chronic diseases. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 43,200 people in 80 countries and markets its products in more than 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube.

For the past couple of months I have been looking in to the glycemic index diet.  For people living with diabetes we are taught to go off of the carbohydrates in a food to determine the amount of insulin that we need.  Each person living with diabetes carb ratios are different.  For example for breakfast my carb ratio is 18 grams of carbohydrate equal one unit of insulin.  Using this morning as my example, I had a bowl of Chex which had 36 grams of carbohydrate which equals 2.0 units of insulin.  Easy enough, it also helps that I can enter the number of carbs I'm eating and my amazing insulin pump does the math for me.  Now comes the curve ball, not all carbohydrates are the same.  The carbohydrates in a regular soda are far different then those of a bowl of pasta.  Soda carbohydrates are "garbage" carbs, they act quickly and are gone in about 30 minutes.  Carbohydrates in pasta are released a lot slower, the carbohydrates in pasta kick in a couple hours after one consumes pasta.  As diabetics it takes a little while to figure out how each food reacts and how to cover it with insulin, if you then throw in being active it makes the process a little trickier.  That's why I believe that a person living with diabetes should receive some kind of medal for having an A1C under 7.0 for a set amount of time.

Back to the glycemic index, if you click here, you can read about the glycemic index and how it works.  Basically the glycemic index would make sure that I stick to my healthy diet and that it may help controlling my blood sugars a little easier.  The problem is finding the glycemic value of a food.  The website that explained the glycemic index has a very handy search feature, type in any food and the site will show you the glycemic index.  What I have yet to figure out is how to use the glycemic index to figure out the amount of insulin I would need to cover a food or meal.  Then I found the Insulin Index and now my brain hurts!!!  Obviously when I decided to write about the glycemic index I didn't think it would involve so much.  For those living with diabetes I will be in contact with my favorite diabetes friend, she is amazing and a Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist, and a Certified Diabetes Educator so she will probably know a lot more about the subject than I.  For those without diabetes I suggest using the glycemic index so you have more information on the food that is entering your body.  Also, I promise that this subject will be covered again and when I do that post will come with answers for people living with diabetes.

The questions and answers below are answered honestly and are done so to give everyone an idea of who I am as a person living with diabetes.  Most of these questions have been asked by other people, I just have never shared them publicly.

1) When your blood sugar is above your set range, what is the best way your friends and family could support you? 

When my blood sugar is out of range I become very unhappy, I have no motivation and want to be left alone.  The best thing for someone to do to make me feel better is to act normally.  Talking about anything but my blood sugar will do just fine, I have taken insulin to fix my blood sugar the last thing I would like to talk about is my blood sugar.

2) If you didn't have diabetes what kind of person would you be?

I would not be anything like the person you see in front of you today.  Diabetes is the reason I work so hard at work, cycling and being the best boyfriend that I can.  Without diabetes I feel that I would have nothing to prove to anyone.  This is just me but I feel that I have to prove myself because of my diabetes.  If I didn't have diabetes I would be fifty pounds heavier, not working out, and not have the job I have today.  With diabetes I feel that I have to prove myself, I feel that when people hear that I have diabetes they automatically assume that I can't do what someone living without diabetes can do.

3) Other than Kate and family, what one person has been your support on a daily basis?

This is a tough question but honestly the members of Team Novo Nordisk are my support specifically Stephen England.  All of the team members are great and are always supporting me and my dreams.  Seeing a post on social media liked by a team member makes my day.  These men and women are role models for me and to see that I help them in some way is great.  Stephen England goes that extra mile though, to be able to contact him whenever I have a running question or any running diabetes question is great.  

4)  What would you tell a person just diagnosed with diabetes?

This is easy to say but is true, everything may seem very tough right now but trust me when I say things will get better and easier.  Taking insulin, testing your blood sugar, and your diet are all things that are very tough to do right now, I understand that.  Go back to the first time you had your permit to drive a car, you didn't know what to do or what to expect.  Driving on the highway was never a thought but you kept working at it and now you have no trouble driving.  The same goes for diabetes, you're scared of all the change and what it will do to your life.  If you expect the best you will be just fine.  A lot of people are living amazing lives with diabetes there is no reason that you can't.  Take it day by day and enjoy the ride.

5) Can you eat ice cream and other high sugar desserts or foods?

Yes I can, as long as I take the appropriate amount of insulin to cover the food that I just ate.  Personally I use high sugar foods as a reward.  I will use my A1C as the way to reward myself, if my A1c is below a certain number I will get ice cream if it is not I don't get to enjoy a sundae.  I don't want to miss out on a sundae!!  I'm human I love brownies, ice cream, cake and any dessert you can think of.  The athlete in me helps me stay away from these foods as well, but if my A1C is where I want it you can bet that I will have a sundae in front of me that night!!