Divabetics

Max, put me on the Divabetic site. My hair is frightful. It was a pic he took in Manhattan. Today I will have Vince take a different pic of me, and send it to Max, (the founder of DiVabetics) and beg him to use it instead! lol hahaha

Here's the link, and the story, I forgot to put in about my dehydration in my story. Oh well! BTW it's a blog too!

http://www.divabetic.com/divabeticboard.php

Up Close & Personal: Heather's Story

heather,
originally uploaded by divabetic. We met Heather, a bubbly woman who loves anything pink, at a recent dlifeTV show taping in New York. Here's Heather's story:

I was diagnosed with diabetes, March 8th, 2001. When I went to the doctor with Diabetic Keytone Acidoses. My kidneys, pancreas, and some other organs had completely shut down. The doctor at the time, said he thought if we gave my pancreas a break, and I went on insulin, ate right and exercised, we may be able to restore my pancreas. It took two weeks to adjust the amounts of insulin I would need to be on. I ended up on 144 units of insulin a day, 4 shots a day, 2 different insulins, NPH and Humalog. However, the first two years of diabetes, was very debilitating. It took me 2 years to even wake up in the morning with the energy to get out of bed. So I stayed in bed most the time. I watched what I ate, but only to the degree I was physically able to. I didn't eat sugar, or simple carbs, but I was eating too much protein, and too many fat choices. I had good glucose levels since I knew I had diabetes, but was never able to reduce my insulin. May 2003, I started feeling a bit better. And I said now is the time to get even more under control. I started doing the American Diabetic Association Exchanges. And I started exercising 5 minutes everyday. Each month I would increase my exercise by 5minutes, until I worked up to 1 hour and 15 minutes a day of exercise. Gradually but surely my HbA1C was dropping more and more, and I was being able to decrease my insulin more and more. As of this month, May 2005, I have been able to decrease my insulin to only one insulin, Humalog, 3 shots a day, and only 11 units a day! My HbA1C is only 5.1. And I have lost 90 pounds! (You go, diva!)

My whole life has changed. I can now walk any where, and every where, take the stairs with out a challenge or anything I want to do. Two years ago, cooking a meal, or washing the dishes was near impossible for me. Because of the extreme fatigue, brought on by diabetes. Now I wash all my own dishes, and cook all my own meals. Last summer I took a two hour cave tour, with 56 flights of stairs to climb. I flew through the tour with out hesitation, or tiredness, even on parts of the tour that the tour guides humourously referred to as the huff and puff parts. After the tour, we went on with our vacation and went to a amusement park right afterwards, where I walked all day. 2 years ago, and certainly 4 years ago this would not have even been a possibility for me. We plan on going on the same tour this year again! "

Heather from New York
Heather's a Jehovah's Witness and she has yahoo group, for Jehovah's Witnesses with Diabetes, PreDiabetes, or Hypoglycemia, and their friends, family, and care givers.
Here's the address: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DJW/

Max

It's been forever again.

We went to the mall. But, there wasn't anything there this time. They had upped the prices of the same things, I had bought there before. So we just walked around.

We got our pics taken, and I think they are my favorite ones yet. We went to Sears, they did much better then Wal-mart. haha

We also went to Dlife TV. It was so so so good. I loved it. It was just a ton of fun! I will definitely be going back, but I am going to all the tapings next time, not just two. They gave us really good food, and were really nice to us. And gave us a big goody bag to take home, with bracelets, and mirrors, a pedometer, and all kinds of things in it.

I also met Luther Vandross personal assistant who has a foundation for diabetics he has started called DiVabetics, which is a ton of fun! So I met with him a couple of days ago again in the lower west side. And I got a tee shirt from him, and he is putting my story on his site. And he asked me to help volunteer at the Diabetic Health Fair at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. So that's going to be fun, I think!

Also May 5th, was my 2 year health anniversary. And I was very proud of that. I bought the tee shirt for myself, a new flowering plant-hydrangea, and sugar free fat free black berry yogurt! So I had a good day on my anniversary! :) I know I will see, a 3rd, 4th, 10th, and so on! :)

I also started a new yahoo group, for Jehovah's Witnesses, with Diabetes, Prediabetes, or Hypoglycemia, and their family, friends and care givers. :) It's at
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DJW/
Please join us, if you qualify, and also invite friends, and family! :) I think it is going to be very helpful, and supportive. So far it's going really well. It's only 4 days old though. lol :)

The Palisades

I wish I would update this more, and I am sure all of you do too! lol

I found this great mall, The Palisades, last month when we went to Patterson, but I just went there to get tea. I didn't have time to really look around, other wise we would have been stuck in hours long traffic coming home. But, then we went back on Vince's 4 day weekend with his mother. I got clothes at a regular store, NOT plus size! And I wasn't having to wear their largest sizes either! They had major clearance! I got a sweater, with a real rabbit fur stole for 9 dollars, a faux fur jacket for 6, a sheer shawl with sequins for 4, a shell with bugle beads, and sequins and a cute collar for 4, and a victorian silk blouse for 5. A skirt I paid regular price for to wear with the above to meeting for 20. Any way.... very cute, and updated, and best yet they fit and they were only mediums and larges!

Any way we are going back there tomorrow I hope I find some more good deals!

Today, we are going to a diabetic fair. I hope it's fun, they are supposed to give me education on diabetes, as well as free stuff for diabetes. So I am hoping that is nice. It sounded like fun.

Monday we are going to get our pictures taken finally!

And May 3rd, I am going to a taping of DLife tv. It's a diabetic tv show, that is taped here in NYC. It is hosted by J. Anthony Brown-a comedian, Mother Love, the former Miss America who has diabetes and another actor with diabetes. They said they may feature me in the show. But, at the very least I will be in the audience, and it's supposed to be a lot of fun. They do all kinds of things to cater to the needs of the diabetics in the audience, and like to use them as guest too. So that will be fun if they use me as a guest about my diabetes. They sounded like they will, because I have MODY-Mature Onset Diabetes of the Young, or 1.5 which is kind of unusual. And I have been able to completely control it with diet and exercise. I will be getting off insulin this month! My last HA1C was only 5.1(should be 6 to 7), and my fasting sugar was 61 (should be 80-120). So both are way low, indicating on paper I am no longer a diabetic.

Any way, I found some new noodles that are sooo good, I have been eating them nearly every day! lol They are called Tofu Shirtaki noodles, they are in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods, by the tofu, and taste just like pasta, but only a fraction of the calories. Only 40 calories for 2 cups, where regular pasta is 420 calories for 2 cups! They are so so so good. And low in carbs only 6gms for the whole bag, but only 2 countable grams cause they are 4gms of fiber! I mainly watch the calories though, but still these are just good for any body. And yum! I will never go back to any other fettuccine, they come in fettuccine and spaghetti. I have been so enamored with the fettuccine, I haven't tried the spaghetti ones yet! lol

Like I have said in the past, I will try to get back here more often!

Patterson

I had a wonderful day on Tuesday at Patterson. We went on the hour and fifteen minute tour. Then we ate lunch, lunch was wonderful as usual! We had, whole grain bread, and butter, green beans, marinated tomatoes, and onion, mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey and cranberry sauce, and gigantic apples grown right there at Patterson in the orchards. Here's a few of our pics.

Staying on Plan

I made it through Outback Steakhouse yesterday with out gaining anything! That was a accomplishment! lol haha I love their lobster though. :) Any way today I am making blueberry pie and sooo looking forward to it. Not a whole lot else going on. I have been working on my kitchen, and we bought new furniture for it. But, it won't be delivered till April. I really can't wait for it to get here. I so want a kitchen table that we can eat at! Plus we are getting a buffet and side board. I know I will be using those, we need them badly! We have no storage. So they will act as storage and counter space! This last month though I have been decorating in there. With things I had around the house already and it's lookin' cuter and cuter. :)

Deanna, I hope you read this, this part is just for you.

Please email me at MagnoliaWhisper@juno.com and I will talk to you more! :)

I think you would be shocked at all the food I eat, and the variety!

I eat all kinds of foods! Mainly JoAnna Lund recipes though.

Here's a quick run down,

Sunday:
Breakfast-
Blueberry Bran Vitamuffin-100 calories, 4gms of fiber! VERY tasty! 1/2 banana. David Rio Chia Tea-45 claories a cup, sugar free, with splenda

Snack: Miss merignue Sugar Free Cookies

Lunch:
Cracker Barrel- 1/2 Grilled Trout, House salad, 1 biscuit with apple butter, 1 serving cabbage.

Snack: A few more Miss Merignue cookies (we were on the road in upstate ny)

Dinner:
Other half of grilled trout, 2 more servings of cabbage, another House salad, 1 1/2 biscuits with apple butter. (left overs from Cracker Barrel)

Snack: Wal-mart Fat Free Cherry Yogurt-90 calories.

Monday-
Breakfast:
Light English Muffin-90 calories, 5 gms of fiber. 1 Tb pumpkin butter! YUM! 1/2 banana. Cup David Rio Orca spice chia.

Snack:
Coconut Fireside Coffee (1 gm fiber, 62 calories)

Lunch:
Florentine Meatloaf-on my website.
A salad-lettuce, sweet beans, parm cheese, bacon bits, light caesar dressing. (huge salad) Lemon Meringue Pie! (also on my website!)

Snack:
1/2 banana

Dinner:
Outback Steak House-
Caesar Salad, dressing on the side. (dipped into the dressing.) steamed mixed veggies, 3 lobster tails. About 1/3 loaf of the bread they bring out.

Missed my snack, cause we were gone! And dinner was a tad late.

Today, I will be having, probably the same breakfast as yesterday. For lunch will be the same as yesterdays lunch. And dinner will be A new kind of veggie meatloaf, salad, and blueberry pie. (all recipes on my site) Snacks will be fruit and yogurt.

I don't eat a ton of salad, this week I'm into them. Usually though I eat a lot of grilled veggies, I do on my George Forman grill, in the kitchen.

Go to my site, I have eaten all the recipes on there, and basically unless we eat out, it's what I eat every day.

www.wolfprncez.homestead.com/reviews.html

Invited to Patterson

I have been wanting and wanting to go to Patterson forever! I just got a phone call from Vincent's Aunt's sister. That said Vincent's Aunt and Uncle invited us up to Patterson for lunch! I am so happy I can't wait to go! Vincent's Uncle is a Circuit Overseer, and his wife (Vincent's Aunt) is anointed. I just can't wait to go. We will be going March 15th! Thankfully Jean-Vincent's Aunt's sister, lives here by us, in Rochdale Village. Just a couple of buildings from us. So we communicate a lot. :) It's going to be so much fun! I love going to Bethel, but have never been to Patterson. Now I am going to be excited till we get there! Oh I got to buy a new dress for sure! All mine are too big! *sigh* Well, I was going to have to get one for Memorial any way. Dress shopping has not been too fruitful so far. I've been looking and looking, and now the dead line is ever shorter! ACK! lol I hope I can find something soon!

More Newsletters

I know this is a silly thing to be happy about. But, I just can't hold it in! I love JoAnna Lund recipes, as many of you probably know. I am such a collector! Well, I have her newsletters from 1999-2005. Yesterday some one was offering 1992 (which was the very first year, including the very first newsletter) thru 1998! Can you believe it? Only those years. The only ones I don't have! And I won! I got them! Oh happy days! I can't wait till they get here. I could barely sleep! lol haha Awe... my collection is complete! lol I still have a few books, and booklets, and flyers, and such to get. But, as for the newsletters, it's complete. And I can't wait to try some more recipes! lol

Lights Off!

We had a bad blizzard yesterday, for the first time in Rochdale, we were with out heat and electricity for about 5 hours! And alarms in the building was going off, and the fire department came. It was quite the deal. Apparently we have 2 to 3 feet of snow but with the drifts it seems like a lot more. I LOVE the snow though! I will go shopping tomorrow, I hope there's food left!

Visiting Bethel

Yesterday we went to Bethel. There is a brand new tour of the hotel, on 90 Sands. It's really neat. They always took you over there during the printing tour, but not as a detailed of a tour of it as yesterday. It was really neat. We seen a Bethelite room, the library, family room, commissary, and just so much. It was really neat. Then we had lunch there. Boy was the food great! We had turkey, that was so juicey and tasty, it was the best I had ever had. Mashed potatoes, wonderful gravy, cranberry sauce, broccoli, salad, whole wheat bread, and to top it all off, home made cherries and cream swirl ice cream, that was delish. (I just had two spoonfuls. MMMMM) I will post a picture later. It came out horrible, cause it was so windy out, my hair was a mess, and I was smiling very oddly! hahaha

Any way I am beginning to like my hair more. I think I will keep it, cause it's very simple and easy to fix, and maintain. So I will be going back and having it maintained I guess. I am starting to like it a lot better. Even the UPS guy noticed it and the mail man and they both like it too. lol I never had the UPS guy and mail man comment on my hair before! lol haha

The problem at first is I thought it made me look a lot older, and boyish. But, now it's just looking more mature I think. And better. It's been hard for me to see myself as a adult. I still feel like a kid most the time. I guess the new do kind of helps me see myself more like a adult too.

New Hair Cut

I got a new hair cut on Monday. I've had my hair trimmed but not cut in over 15 years. It's quite different. I'm not real happy with it yet. But, maybe I will grow to like it. It's not what I asked for either. But, oh well. Maybe it will grow and I can get it fixed how I want it! I am donating nearly 3 feet of hair to Locks of Love so it can be made into wigs for children with cancer. I will post pics later.

Weight Loss

It's a new year! And I am happy to be 46 pounds lighter then I was, January 1st 2004!!!!!!! WOW, I have came a long way. I have lost 81.5 total. And I have learned so much about myself in 2004. I did so much! I went to new places. I went to Beverly Hills, took classes with Richard Simmons, started talking to JoAnna Lund, and found I loved her recipes. With her recipes, and Richards healthy eating/exercise approach, not only will I lose the rest of my weight but keep it off! I also learned to like/love myself. To do this so I can live, not only be alive, but enjoy being alive. And I have went from a size 28, to a size 8! And that's been AMAZING!!!!!!! WOW! I never even thought about getting in a size 8. EVER! I am just very happy, and also at peace beginning 2005. I hope every one else has the same contentment, this year.

As for things I would like to do this year. I would definitely like to keep up with daily Bible reading better this year. Get in more hours in service. And just keep working on developing myself and who I am.