Blog Entries With Tag: travel

Blog: Anna's Blog

From: FatCatAnna

Blog: Anna's Blog

From: FatCatAnna

Today we are delighted to be interviewing FatCatAnna's (FCA) pump Salvador Dali (SD).  Salvador became FCA's side kick a few years ago after her first insulin pump Antonio Bandera's cheated on her. 

 

EP:   Hola Salvador -  we are very curious - are you in any way associated artistically with the well known Spanish artist?

SD:   I like to think so in my mind, but no.  Except I am an original and enjoy my beautiful lime green coat I wear - so in away I'm sort of like Salvador with his love for flamboyance (am still working on growing a moustache but sometimes since I'm hidden from view most of the time you don't see its beautiful twirl ). 

EP:    We heard that you like to travel with FCA and that your recent adventure took you back to your name sakes birth country of Spain.  You must have been excited at going there!

SD:    Sí, lo fue ... sorry ... Yes I was!!!  I had never been to Spain before (FCA had a few times before - but we weren't  together then as she was with Antonia before). I got to experience the beautiful culture, people, and the food.  Ahhh, how I miss the tapas in the evening.  They eat so sensible - larger meals mid day - small meal in the evening.  Even Lolita - FCA's blood meter-  enjoyed herself!  Here's a picture of her in Malaga on our first day there!

EP:   Wow - she really stands out in the crowd! Lolita was pretty low there - for our American friends - that 2.4 mmol/l means - 43 mg/dl ! I guess due to change of time zone that happened?

SD:  Si - 6 hour flight from Montreal, walking around, etc. but things were back to normal by end of our first day. Between Lolita and myself - we kept FCA in check for our holiday in Spain.  Ahhh life as a jet setter - lo que sucede !

EP:  Curious - we know you aren't the original Salvador Dali - but still were you not curious about being in Pablo Picasso's birth place - sort of your rival?

SD:   Yes of course, to meet another fellow artist like myself - and view his work - made me quiver (ohh wait - that's me vibrating - can we take a break while I meet up with Lolita and FCA to go check the blood sugars?).

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The above interview is an except from the upcoming new magazine EASY PUMPER (EP) - dedicated to the world's best custom pumps and their gracious inspiring owners.

Also, please note - that this is all fiction - that no magazine called EASY PUMPER will be evolving real soon - this was FCA's day of having fun writing with her side kicks SD  (insulin pump) and Lolita (blood meter)!

Blog: Anna's Blog

From: FatCatAnna

I've blogged in the past about some of my travel adventures and not allowing diabetes to stop me from pursuing my exploration of our big blue marble, but what came across my screen today about Bridget McNulty,  from South Africa and her partner Mark Peddle just blew me away.   They are doing what I've always dreamed of doing, but I don't have the time / money to do it. 

Bridget was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 25, back in 2007 and uses Apidra and Lantus to control her diabetes, and with A1C's under 6% - she is doing very well!

Over the next nine months they are going to be traveling the globe, promoting diabetes and the fact that it doesn't have to stop you from doing whatever you want.  Most of you know that I have never let diabetes hold me back, in fact; I think having diabetes has made me do things that I would never think of doing!  To me, life is too short, to experience as much as you can in whatever time I have, I want to do it!!  Again, within reason of money and time (ahhh - to have a rich auntie or sponsor ... in my dreams LOL).

During the next four months, they are touring the Asian continent and then making their way to Central and South America, returning back to South Africa for the .... Soccer World Cup (gotta love that!) in June 2010.

To follow their journey, thru' blogs, vlogs, check out Just The Planet.  You never know, maybe this will get your travel juices going, and the next thing we'll know is you'll be blogging about your adventures online to the world as well!

As Bridget says, and I quote - "diabetes is a condition that can be dealt with, no matter where in the world you are."  She took the words right out of my mouth, and oh, don't forget to pack double the amount of supplies you think you'll need in your globe trotting despite the hassle of lugging it around (been there, done that LOL).

Blog: Anna's Blog

From: FatCatAnna

Ugh – I really don’t like losing an hour sleep!  I actually woke up this morning – at my “usual” time within my internal clock – looked at my alarm clock (luckily I didn’t have any outside work today so it wasn’t set) – and low and behold – 09h06!  I’m usually up between 07h30 to 08h30 – and of course – with the time change – my body was right – but not according to the clocks that rule our world!!

I learned on my last holiday back in December – where time zones vary as you travel across the big blue marble– that being on an insulin pump if you don’t change your clock settings – well – you’re abit out of whack with your basal rate setting (in the injecting world – it would be your long lasting insulin – e.g. Lantus / NPH / UltraLente).  I realized a few days later on my last holiday that – oops – I had forgotten to change the time on my pump – so this meant I was waking up a few mornings with lower blood sugars then I have programmed into my pump.  Quick change – and viola – back on track again.  Being new at the pumping world – I will not forget to change my time again on my pump !

I did travel more frequently to Europe at one point in my life – and would basically adjust my insulin regime / eating habits as soon as I got on the airplane for the destination I was heading too.  A little bit of tweaking here and there – with perhaps a few more vampire stabs of the fingers – and no problems with my diabetes.  Okay – so maybe a little bit elevated in blood sugars until my body adjusted to the time change along with the different foods I was eating – but nothing that would permanently affect me later down the road.  If only I’d had my present blood meter that I use now – Freestyle Lite – where I can test on my forearm due to the small droplet of blood. 

Well, with my late start in the day – I’d best get back to work!!  Though now I have this hankering to start looking for cheap deals to Spain (great country – great people) – anxiously looking up in the sky for that big bag of money to drop on my head!