A Girl's Reflections

For May’s Blog Carnival, DSMA (Diabetes Social Media Advocacy) is asking us to fill in the blanks.

“I wish my insurance company paid for _________because ______________.”

I wish my provincial (British Columbia) health insurance will expand its insulin pump program to include adults living with type 1 diabetes. They currently cover insulin pumps for children and adolescents age 18 or younger, which is great.

Unfortunately, children with diabetes grow up to become adults with diabetes. Although some supplemental employer group insurance covers insulin pumps, not all of them do. Mine does not cover insulin pumps, leaving me to pay 100% out of pocket for my pump. Earlier this month Michael Cloutier the President and CEO of Canadian Diabetes Association said -

The quality of life for many children with type 1 diabetes has improved since the introduction of the province’s pediatric insulin pump program,”. “However, less than 20 per cent of those living with type 1 diabetes in the province are eligible to participate in the current program.”

I wish my insurance company paid for insulin pumps because all British Columbians living with diabetes deserve an improved quality of life.

Read about what others wish their insurance company paid for here -> http://diabetessocmed.com/2012/may-dsma-blog-carnival-2/

I was spring cleaning my computer and came across a document from 2009. It is a job description for type 1 diabetes, written by Kate Gilbert the founder and former president of Type 1 Diabetes Network Inc. in Australia.

Managing diabetes is a full time job that no one ever applies for, however millions of us do the job day in and out.

What will an advertisement for the job look like?
What skills and experiences are required for the role?

Essential skills and experiences required for this role:

• A demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret complex data from multiple sources whilst taking into account varying degrees of accuracy

• The capacity to make split second decisions, many times in every hour, that cumulatively have far-reaching consequences

• A demonstrated ability to operate in a high stress environment

• Computer literacy to access basic support and information about your role

In addition, we felt that there would be some further ‘desirable attributes’ for anyone wishing to apply for this role.

These include:

• Graduate degrees in medicine, biochemistry, physiology, chemistry, nutrition AND psychology.

• Exceptional mental arithmetic skills would also be helpful; and

• Obsessive-compulsiveness to constantly monitor, record and maintain detailed records of life events and pathology results would be highly desirable.

The ability to work within a team is ESSENTIAL for this position, in fact you will be required to form, maintain and strengthen your team which will include people from all walks of life, who speak many different languages: endocrinologists, GPs, diabetes educator, podiatrist, dietician, ophthalmologist, private health insurer, government, non-government organizations, pharmaceutical companies and others.

The role draws on public and or insurer’s monies, so we will of course have some performance objectives and indicators which must be strictly adhered to.

These include:

• Daily monitoring of results must be completed consistently and within target

• Annual cycle of complication screening must completed with clear reports for 80 years

• You will be required to deal with a group of drugs classified by the TGA as high risk – and you will be required to find ways to safely administer these drugs without serious adverse events several times every day regardless of whether you are exhausted, busy, intoxicated or unwell.

• Public scrutiny from external individuals of factors deemed to be important in the public conscience will be required, such as your choosing to eat a piece of your own birthday cake, and must be accepted with humility
Employees who meet and exceed these targets will be rewarded with:

• A widely expanded vocabulary; and

• An occasional sense of achievement – not always shared by your team members as they are likely to have targets which are quite different to yours.

Finally, Career progression in this role is unlimited; as the demands of this role will call into play every organ and tissue in your body.

Opportunities include:

• Diabetic eye disease

• Blindness

• Gastric dysfunction

• dialysis

• erectile dysfunction

• gangrene and

• lower limb amputations.

• And, not surprisingly, clinical depression and anxiety are also opportunities.

If you are a parent, and your child would like to apply for this role, please first find the button which makes them instantly mature by 20 or 30 years, as the child will be required to meet all of the above skills and experience from Day 1.

A man’s country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.”
George William Curtis

I recently read an article that said adult picky eaters may actually have a disorder. This is funny, since every single member of my immediate family is a picky eater. I have never considered any of us as having selective eating disorder nor do I buy into this theory.

Unless, knowing what you like and eating what you like is a disorder. Besides, there is something to be said for personal taste and cultural influences in shaping our overall taste in food.

I remember going to this little Italian restaurant a few years ago. My sister ordered a pesto based pasta dish only for the owner to drop by our table.

He came by to explain that their pesto is the real authentic pesto “you can really taste the herbs, this is not North American pesto”. “Some customers find it a little too “herby” they complain after the taste their meal”. He warned, trying to persuade her into ordering something else.

It turned out to be the best pesto we have both tasted, we loved it so much so that we started making our own pesto.

The same is true for salsa once we tasted the simple authentic homemade salsa, we were hooked and have been making our own since.

INGREDIENTS

8 Tomatoes (I used Roma Tomatoes)
Cilantro (I used around 15 sprigs)
2 Jalapeños (adjust to your taste)
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Medium Red Onion (A milder onion can be used)
I Large Lime Juiced
4 Tablespoons of extra virgin Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Chop / dice the tomatoes, Jalapenos, Onion and Garlic. In a large bowl combine all chopped ingredients, add lime juice and olive oil and mix, salt to taste.

The salsa is only as good as its ingredients, buy fresh quality produce and use a good extra virgin olive oil. it last up to two weeks refrigerated.