A voice for living well with Type 1 Diabetes

Recent Posts

Novolog Results

Last week, my Endocrinologist provided a sample of Novolog so I could compare results to Humalog. I tried Novolog twenty years ago when it was the chosen (read less cost) fast acting insulin provided by my medical insurance plan.  It’s the same situation now.  Anyway,...

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Endo Visit results

Doctor visits went well this week.  The first on Wednesday was more of a walk in ... get the second shingles vaccine ... and walk out.  Felt puny the first night, but better the next day.  The nurse said that the reaction to the second shot is usually milder if the...

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Prep for Endo Visit

This week is full of doctors visits.  Tomorrow I get the second (and final) shingles vaccine.  Not real excited as the first one had more pain that other vaccines I've had, including tenanus & covid.  Oh well ... a little short term pain for long term protection...

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Tips for Navigating Your Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis

If you are new to type 1, this is for you. You didn’t ask for type 1 diabetes and it certainly didn’t arrive with much notice. I am sorry for all the change going on now. Life isn’t a straight line and some turns don’t come with much warning. Type 1 is one of those!...

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26 Years together!

26 years ago today Kendra and I tied the knot in St. Louis.  I am so grateful for our love and relationship.  I am honored to be married to her, her kindness and generosity, patience (especially with me) and difference she makes with our family and others. Honey,...

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Acceptance

Acceptance. That’s the other word that I believe describes how to live well with type 1 Wikipedia says acceptance is a person’s assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to...

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Resilience

... is the one (of two) words that describe (what I believe) are essential to living well with type 1.  Let's take a closer look at the meaning of resilience. It's an adjective - used to describe a person place or thing. And that person it's describing ... is us. As...

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Sick day … oh those blood sugar levels!

Came home from work on Friday not feeling well. Went out to dinner with Kendra, Connor and the Groovers.  I wasn't hungry, split a reuben with Connor and barely ate my half.  Came home and didn't feel right. Blood sugar was 255 - and I don't do 255!  Bolused to get it...

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Changing It Up

Grounding Yoga & Meditation:  Morning stretch; silent breath and body Mindfulness:  burgers on grill for company pot luck luncheon (great temps!) Gratitude:  conversations with coworkers during pot luck luncheon (first after pandemic) July 2, 2021 Daily Changing...

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Best Practices #2: Friends & Family (The Support)

Living life with diabetes has been better when family was close.  This includes the first fifteen years of my diabetes when I lived at home before graduating from high school.  By today’s standards, those years of managing diabetes were primitive (one shot a day, no...

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The 1 Big Thing

Own it. When our son was diagnosed, his emergency room physician said it best: “I am sorry that you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes.  But you have a choice.  Own your diabetes and you can control it.  Ignore it and it will control you.  You can live a productive life...

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2020 Calendar

Closing the book on 2020 includes throwing another on the calendar pile. It all started in 1987 by hanging a Normal Rockwell calendar in the kitchen and recording my exercise workouts.  There’s something about visualizing the progress and doing so every year since has...

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58th D Day

Today marks my 58th year living with the Big D … and what a challenging, unpredictable and extraordinary year it’s been.  Many thanks to those that helped get me here: insulin, medical pros, exercise, good diet, better tech, and – most of all – my faith, family and...

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Anniversary of Kendra’s kidney donation

Today is the 16th anniversary of my wife, Kendra, donating a kidney to her sister Kelly.  This site is dedicated to Kelly as she experienced most every challenge of living with diabetes.  Kendra is a special person and her gifts include kindness and helping others. ...

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Joslin 50th Medalist Visit

As my 50th milestone with type 1 neared, I mentioned it to my endocrinologist. He smiled and said, “That’s a great start!” My sister shared it with the pediatric endo (he’s a friend) that treats her son. His response was more in line with mine, “Oh wow… what a...

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Gratitude – Connor

  The two happiest days of my life are getting married and the birth of our only child, Connor. Born at Piedmont hospital in Atlanta, a year later we moved to Memphis and to Kansas City when he was four years old. As you know by now, Connor was diagnosed with...

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Gratitude – Kendra

Where do I start with the woman I love and share my life with? I met Kendra in early 1993 at a place called Jocks & Jills in Midtown Atlanta.  As we began dating, I shared my diabetes and Kendra said that she understood as she had 2 sisters living with type 1. ...

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Gratitude – IDAA

Driving home late one evening in the late 1980s on an Interstate Atlantans call ‘The Connector’, something caught my eye on an electronic sign atop West Paces Ferry hospital.  I was surprised (and  proud) that diabetes was in the bright lights. I took note of the...

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Gratitude – Insulin Pumps and Pat R.

In the late 1980s I read about the progress being made with insulin pumps.  They had become smaller in part due to learning from the US space program.  The Diabetes Treatment Center of Atlanta was progressive and an excellent resource for insulin pumps.  I researched...

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About Reed

1st Insulin Prescription Label
50 yr. Joslin Medal

This Is Not Medical Advice

This site shares my learning & observations over 50 years of living with type 1 diabetes. At the top of that list is that diabetes is unique and requires a relationship between a patient and medical professional to develop a personalized treatment plan. One size does not fit all and nothing on this site should be construed as medical advice!