~A Valentine to my Body

“I'm loving my body with fuel-food, exercise and rest every single day.

I am calm ~ I am content ~ I am walking in my truth ~ I'm dancing with Mary J. Blige.”

~Denise Costabile

~Valentine to my Body

Body,

I love you.  While I have not appropriately expressed my love for you in the past, I am sending you this message today so that we both know how much I really appreciate and adore you.

Thank you for giving me close to 60 awesome years so far – and thank you for blessing me with good health.

Thank you for sharing sunny days, rain, storms and seeing me through it all.  Thank you for laughter that can is contagious. Thank you for spontaneous smiles.

Thank you for producing two beautiful human beings  and providing the stamina and ability to watch them grow. . .

Thank you for being strong and carrying me through this wonderful journey .

Thank you for muscles that enable me to shovel piles of snow when needed.

Thank you for helping me to get up and walk away from things that are not good for me. 

Thank you for the aches and pains that remind me to take care of you because our time together is precious.

Yes, for all this and so much more, thank you – I love you!

Happy Valentine's Day!  

A Type 2 Diabetes Story

In April of 2010 when I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.  The news floored me because I didn’t think it would happen to me. My sister had been diagnosed with it in October of 09 – and I was aware that I have been dodging a bullet and felt lucky that it wasn’t me.  

My sister’s weight dropped suddenly and the new medication she took was making her feel unwell.  It certainly didn’t look like a disease I would want to share with her.  I thought I’d be safe from getting “IT” because for much of my adult life I have avoided eating sugar on a regular or daily basis.  

I have been overweight most of my life because I ate more calories than my body needed – ah but those calories were good, wholesome foods.  I was healthy and always had good reports from my physicians. So, when the blood work results came back in early April saying my A1C number is 8 – I had no idea what that meant or what to do about it.

I felt shamed immediately after the phone call.  The doctor told me I needed to start taking Metformin a medication for lowering blood glucose – and start immediately.  She also suggested I make appointments with a diabetes educator, and a nutritionist at the local hospital. That done, I learned there is much to learn. The educator gave me my first glucose monitor kit - I learned how to check my blood and was told to do my best to keep the numbers within a certain range to prevent – needing more medications.  I vowed to get this disease in line and be released from the bondage of those frickin’ needles. 

I'm commended for being an excellent patient.  I have kept "good control" of my A1C/blood glucose numbers - which mean the levels of sugar in my blood stream have remained balanced and low enough to help prevent or at least to prolong the onset of complications from the pancreas of a person diagnosed with diabetes - which include some scary stuff.  

Disclaimer The contents of dcostabile.blogspot.com is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, including without limitation diabetes. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on my page.  Denise Costabile dcostabile.blogspot.com. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. The Diabetes Hands Foundation does not endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, services, procedures, opinions, or other information that are advertised or mentioned on the web site.

A Cup of Christmas

As a kid, I was little Miss Christmas excited and bursting with energy throughout the entire preholiday season. I was never able to sleep on Christmas Eve - until I had 2 children of my own who could not sleep on Christmas Eve either - and then, well, all I wanted was a little shut eye.  Mom was aware that I had lost my enthusiasm about Christmastime for reasons I will not go into here.

Christmastime in early 2000's, Mama wanted me to come over and listen to a short poem she'd come across - she wanted to read it to me.  I would not let her.  I was not in the mood - I do not think we even had a tree up that year.  Anyway, I grew to regret my mood and my decision to pass up the offer of sharing an 8 minute poem with her.  

In September of 2004, after her funeral while cleaning out her things I came across cassette tape of that poem she wanted to share with me that Christmastime. I brought the tape home and put it aside to listen to some other time when I wasn't feeling so bereft.  As fate often does, fate had her way leading me to the cassette days before Christmas. I sat down with a cup of tea and listened to the poem she wanted me to hear.  With tears streaming down my face I listened to the poem read by the author. Thanks to someone on YouTube I found a video to share with you at then end of this post. 

Lesson:  It is never too late to turn around and change a wrong we have done to another or to ourselves.  We all make mistakes. This is my amends to my Mom 8 years after she passed and an amends to myself.  Mama, I love and I miss you.  I wish I could have listened to you reading that poem to me. Now, it's time to forgive myself. I know that you understood and forgave me long ago.  

By sharing this personal conversation on my blog, I have some lovely Christmastime memories springing up that I may tell you about in the days ahead.  Please let me know if you'd like me to! Merry Christmas! 

A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg

It takes a few minutes but is well worth your time. 

Diabetes Art Day

September 24, 2012 is Diabetes Art Day -

 

This is a photograph of my submission for 2012 Diabetes Art Day Project. I will upload it to the site listed below on 9/24. The drawing doesn't have a name - yet. The inspiration came from reflecting on a single morning's routine BG test. The numbers became a one day diabetes obsession for me.

(Yesterday) When I woke up, my BG (blood glucose) was 141. Since I forgot to take my medicine right away I found the number rose quickly to 161 within an hour! Two hours after I ate breakfast and took my 1,000 mg of Metformin along with a potpourri of other medications to protect me from Type 2 Diabetes, everything seemed right again - at 118. Ah...... When I saw the 118 number appear on the monitor, the vision came to me for this drawing. I spent a long time on this thoroughly enjoying the creative process. By day’s end numbers were whack again but I work at keeping tight control. It is one obsession in my life that I welcome. My numbers usually do not go above 140 unless I've wandered from a food plan or physical activity. When the numbers have risen in the past it meant stress or that I am brewing an infection. I don't know what the reason for the number this week - Could this be from last week's scare over our dog, Baby Blue?  I will let you know if I figure it out. It is quite possible that I'll never know. Even so, I am grateful for the journey - and for the inspiration for my 2012 submission for Diabetes Art Day.

www.diabetesartday.com

Are You Sitting Yourself to Death?

I started this blog entry a few months ago:
" I have been home sick for several days -and sitting a lot. It is hard to break out into a jog but there's no excuse for my sedentary lifestyle.  I easily give in to feeling tired, putting my feet up and reading or surfing the web.  Come on, I have to get up and move!"

I typed that out and hit "SAVE" button before I took a nap.  It was a rainy Saturday - some days a nap is a good thing.  Not that day.  I was not in the mood to do anything I was depressed.

Depressed feelings and inactivity go hand in hand for me.  I am coming up with a list of ideas to help me to get off my ahem at least 5 days a week - this way, when I am in another rut, I can have the list to turn to and perhaps bring myself out of a slump before it get to be too much.

Some Notes to Self When Your Get Up And Go - Got Up And Went

A Facebook Status update to local friends:  "Anybody want to meet up to go for a walk with me?"

Steer clear of folks who bring you down. Instead, grab that list of friends who encourage and inspire you.
Make up list before you need it!  Place it in specific place so it is there when you need it.

Since I usually can't sit still to music with a good beat, I remember to ask - Is there a new song out there that sets your feet to dancing with happy feet?

How can you know if you haven't checked out iTunes or Amazon lately? Go online and download a new MP3 with a good beat that will get you moving.  Play it and rock, walk, dance to it until you can sing along - with every word.  It's fun to learn a new song.

Put on the pedometer and see how many aerobic steps you can rack up on the counter and at the end of the day see how many steps you have taken.  Remember how great it feels to accomplish small goals.  Start at 10 or 15 minutes today and see where it takes you after 5 days.

I'll tell you that my favorite place in the world to walk is in Provincetown, MA - but there are plenty of places where I feel free, or safe, or excited to take a walk.  Who knows, if I follow my own advice and if you do too, we may find ourselves surprised and inspired enough to not sit ourselves to death!

Now.... ready, set, go!