#24: Rev Run & Justine Simmons | A Sermon For The Diabetes Soul

By The Grind on Jun 28, 2016

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After a few months of friendly stalking, we scored the opportunity to chat with hip hop legend and diabetes advocate, Rev Run and his wife Justine Simmons. With 1 in 3 adult Americans being at risk of Type 2 diabetes, they’re spreading the word about T2D prevention with the help of Ask.Screen.Know™. In this episode, we’re swapping recipes, avoiding the food police (while simultaneously encouraging them) and sharing how to lead by example in hopes of changing their family’s history. The message is clear – Do it for the ones you love.
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100° Of Blood Sugar (The Absurdities Of Exercise In High Heat and Humidity)

By Ryan Fightmaster on Jun 23, 2016

It’s been hot here (Oklahoma) and everywhere else. Especially hot for this early in the year. 100° is normal in August, not June. Plus, the humidity been’s flirting with Amazonian levels. Nonetheless, despite the warnings from weather people and health officials, I’ve been out on the trails (not recommending anyone try this out per se, please exercise extreme caution). A justified decision based primarily on an irrational personal desire to be outside, I’ve survived by consuming liters on liters of water out of the Camelbak, keeping Clif Bars in the pocket, searching for shade, and pounding back bananas every 30 minutes. Gotta be careful. (more…)

Diabetes Over The Decades, Chapter 1: The Early Years

By Amber Clour on Jun 21, 2016

Last week my favorite bartender overheard my conversation with a dear friend. We were laughing about how our bodies are changing since turning the big 4-0. The bar was packed with attractive men so when she announced, “Amber – there’s no way you’re 40!”, I almost fell from my bar stool. Instead of freaking out, I announced with pride that I turned 40 a few months back. The girl talk continued and I proclaimed how happy I am to still be alive. This declaration fueled my desire to begin a new series of posts – diabetes over the decades, yes decade(s). (more…)

Surprisingly, I Didn’t Know Everything About Diabetes Before Medical School (Here’s a List Of Enlightenments)

By Ryan Fightmaster on Jun 17, 2016

We like to consider ourselves experts. On the spot, we can spew carb counts for all things edible. We alter our insulin rates and corrections on intuition. Always a step ahead of our endocrinologists, we people with type 1 diabetes appear to have a superiority complex, the by-product of years of acting as the human, oftentimes inaccurate form of a beta cell.

Coming from this background as I started medical school, I was shocked by many things subsequently presented over the last two years–more or less on a daily basis–that were completely off my limited radar. Really though, almost every day I found out something new about diabetes. There was no waiting until the endocrinology class started. Diabetes complicates every disease process. Diabetes knows no bounds: immunology, genetics, neurology, nephrology, dermatology, cardiology, and any other -ology (sorry, forgot ophthalmology). (more…)

#23: IndyCar Driver, Charlie Kimball | Embracing The Club You Never Signed Up For

By The Grind on Jun 14, 2016

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (34.3MB)

We got the green light to interview IndyCar driver and fellow guy with type 1 diabetes, Charlie Kimball. He not only keeps his car on the track, he stays out of the low BG pits. In this episode he shares his father’s in-car orange juice invention, his daily attitude, and how he became the (sort of) first T1D IndyCar driver. (more…)

Overcoming My Carb Counting Fears With A Veggie Curry Recipe

By Amber Clour on Jun 11, 2016

One of the biggest challenges I face as a T1D is tackling foreign foods. Don’t get me wrong, I rarely shy away from an unfamiliar dish, but guessitmating the carbs can be difficult. One dish in particular I’m drawn to is curry so what better way to update my carb calculating skills than by preparing this heavenly dish myself. I rallied my culinary partners in crime and whipped up a recipe with a few diabetes friendlier options.

This recipe might seem intimidating, but don’t let the number of ingredients freak you out. I’m breaking it down into three easy steps. (more…)

Retinopathy Has Left The Building (For Now Anyway)

By Amber Clour on Jun 9, 2016

Last February I was sucker punched by my worst fear – retinopathy. This dark cloud has hovered over me for 30 years and I knew it would inevitably make it’s way to the surface. Ryan was actually with me at the appointment and I think we were both a little shocked when Dr. Smith of Classic Vision noticed numerous hemorrhages in my right eye. After having time to process the bad news, I gathered the courage to write about it in, Diabetic Retinopathy Is Finally On The Radar. When it was clear three months later my eyes were not getting better, he referred me to a specialist. After a series of additional tests at the Dean McGee Eye Institute, I was given the green light to live life and return in 12 months for a follow-up. Hemorrhages had been detected, but they could have been caused by other factors like stress, blood pressure in addition to diabetes.

The day had come and it was time to schedule my follow-up exam. Was retinopathy still on the radar? (more…)

I’m A Diabetes Health Coach – Here’s My Message To Clients About Healthy Eating

By Lauren on Jun 7, 2016

Everyday I work with people with diabetes who struggle to lower their A1C on their own, with losing weight, with insulin resistance, with achieving stable and predictable blood sugar levels, with getting into an exercise/nutrition routine, and with controlling food cravings. (more…)

Just Me And My Pump (Our Journey Through A Board Exam)

By Ryan Fightmaster on Jun 2, 2016

A few days back, I took the first medical school board exam (Step 1 USMLE). As always, diabetes did its thing, always in the background, making subtle moves, maybe influencing things, maybe not, but nonetheless, it was there. In itself, the whole day is its own marathon–7 separate 40 question exams spaced out over 8 hours. Having the knowledge is one thing, but putting yourself a place to access that knowledge is another (the test results arrive in 3 weeks, so it’s hard to ascertain whether I truly accessed said knowledge). (more…)