D.A.D. Diabetic Alert Dog for Brooke

Welcome back everyone! I have had a long difficult time thinking about whether or not to attempt to raise money for a lifesaving diabetic alert dog. I have looked into other young adults and children who attempt to raise money, and I think to myself. Why do I deserve to receive money from complete strangers, family and friends? I am just one person, one person whom no one really cares about. But after thinking about it, I am a great person who has a lot to offer this world. I do not want to fall asleep one night and not wake up the next morning.

 So if you can, please help and support me by going to this link, and help me reach my goal and share my link and story with your friends and family. I truly appreciate any little bit of help! Thank you in advance <3 Diabetic Alert Dog for Brooke

#SWD2015

Wide ranges of A1Cs I am around 8.4

Good Morning everyone! This past weekend my boyfriend and I did travel three hours to get Tampa Florida. (Long drive right! smh) The conference was better then I could ever imagine! Meeting Miss America was amazing and she was so friendly! Kyle Cochran looks even better in person! Crystal Bowersox was so down to earth and what an amazing singer! I was also about to meet 150+ people with type 1 diabetes all in my age group. Since I was diagnosed at age 18, I never got a chance to go to diabetes camps or develop a close knit group of diabuddies until now.   

Joey and I at the dinner cruise!

Got Insulin?

Ok, to start off the hotel was amazing. My boyfriend Joey and I got nice room with a king bed, while everyone else had two double beds and a roommate. We arrived late to the first activity which was quite hilarious. Each group was given a theme songs, we got the Friends theme song, and we had to turn that song into a song about diabetes. Our group thought we had it in the bag, but everyone was reading the lyrics on their phones and so out of sync. The following day there were break out sessions and a dinner sunset cruise. I will tell you one thing, I was surprised by how much cake and candy was at this conference. It really felt like we were all "normal" besides the insulin pumps and cgms beeping and singing. At the dinner cruise the food was served buffet style, and there was unlimited free drinks, alcoholic drinks. T1D's definitely know how to party! The DJ on the upper deck was playing cool dance music and everyone was having a blast. I was sad to leave, but I am glad that I have made around 20+ new facebook friends! It is a wonderful feeling knowing that you have a support group there to chat or share concerns with.

Group shot Kyle Cochran up front with his D.A.D. (Diabetic Alert Dog)

 



 At the conference I was able to meet 3 D.A.Ds or Diabetic Alert Dogs. It truly opened my eyes to how amazing they are and what a difference they can make for us with type 1 diabetes. I have looked into them before and I even filled out an application for a D.A.D. The only reason I am slightly hesitant about it is because of the money. I am a full time student and I work full time. Unfortunely, I am not financial stable to own a dog. I am applying for Nursing school in Sept 2015. With all my bills, and medical bills, my medical supplies and tuition, I don't have $15,000+ to throw at a D.A.D. I did find a company who trains diabetic alert dogs at a lower cost because they actual adopt dogs from local shelters to be trained. I believe that their prices run about $7,500 and I would still need to travel out of state. I was thinking about starting a fundraiser. But I am not sure if my support group is supportive enough to help me get $7500+ to get a dog and to travel. Looks like I might be waiting until the end of Nursing School to get a dog with my hard earned money. Hopefully I will not die in my sleep in the mean time.

Now here is a remarkable scene that almost brought me to tears, and this shows how much we all care about each other. I hope we can all remain close and be there for each other in times of need. Thank you #SWD2015 <3

 

Watch Now, Like and Share please! "Stand By Me" Crystal Bowersox Movement

 

 

A Day in My Life with Diabetes

Long time no talk! Today is Mother's Day, so I would like to say a big happy mother's day to all the wonderful mothers out in the world, and a very special mother, my mother. My mom has put up with so crap from me, but she has also been there for me through everything. She is what keeps me going, she encourages me to be the best me I can be. I love her with all my heart. Happy mother's day!

Moving on, yesterday I decided to switch my set to a foreign place! The back of my arm!

The only struggle with this site change was finding a pleasant spot to clip my insulin pump. I am wearing a long dress today, so the only place I could clip it is on the side of dress directly behind my arm. It has been funny wear it like this, but weirdly enough my pump being connected to my arm made it a lot easier to sleep at night. I would not advise people to attempt putting their set on their arms, if they are sure they can not do it alone. I inserted it just fine, but I ending up asking for help to pull the needle out.

9:30 am to 5:00 pm, those are the hours that I work alone five days a week. This makes diabetes hard to deal with. What if I give too much insulin and I end up going low? What if I do not have any sugar tablets? (Most of the time I do) Resulting in my blood sugar dropping dangerously low. I hate to admit this, but when my blood sugar is really low, I don't even feel like moving or trying to grab something quick to raise it up, even if I know it will save my life. Most of my day involves cleaning, helping customers, getting paver estimate, but I also have to move pots around, stand outside, lift heavy pots and load them into cars or trucks. This may not sound like a very exhausting job, but when I do heavy lifting outside my blood sugar drops drastically at times, I will sometimes call my mom to stay on the phone with me to make sure that I do not pass out.

Moving on to a happier note! I found out that Kyle Cochran from American Ninja Warrior will be at the Students with Diabetes conference at the end of this month! He also has type 1 diabetes.

Designing T-Shirts!

Hi there! Yesterday I was just so excited about the Student with Diabetes conference that my boyfriend Joey and I are going to, that I decided to design t-shirts for us to wear. Having these shirts will come in handy if we decide to start going to other type 1 diabetes related functions, such as gatherings or walks. Now presenting my shirts I have created for me and Joey!

When I was thinking about designing shirts to support and represent type 1 diabetes and also finding a cure, I felt it was important to have the original gray ribbon with a blood blood drop for diabetes printed on the front. I have personally decided to get a tattoo of this ribbon on my wrist to remind myself what is a part of me, and diabetes is something that I can and never will forget that I have. Although this tattoo is not the best, it is a symbol of a huge part of me. About a year after I got my tattoo, the blue circle came out to represent diabetes, and I was ashamed of my tattoo. Maybe I felt ashamed because people were no longer using the ribbon, or maybe because the ribbon was no longer the "right" representation. With these shirts I wanted to connect both of the symbols because they are both "right". I like how the blue circle with the blood splattered heart in the middle looks like a target. I originally left the blue circle and the heart, but later added the syringe. The syringe is a obviously another huge part of diabetes. I wanted to add it somewhere, so I thought maybe in the middle of the heart, because it looks like a bull's eye of a target to me. Lastly, I wanted to add JDRF because if I walk around with this shirt, it could catch someones eye, and they could search for the foundation online, and with my hopes they would donate! There is not hurt in added it! 

I am sad that these shirts are very expensive to make. But it would be worth it to have! 

P.S. A stray cat took to me today at work <3 

Karma the kitty!

Students With Diabetes Conference?!

Hi everyone! I am extremely thrilled about what I embarked on this morning! I found an organization called, Students with Diabetes. After I rolled onto the website, Students with Diabetes, I learned it was actually launched by USF, University of South Florida. I have never seen a program for people with diabetes at a college campus before, so this struck me by surprise!

I then really began to poke around the website and I found out about a conference they have in Tampa, Fl in May, I live three hours away from Tampa. I called my mom and asked her if she thought it was a good idea to go. She told me "Yes!" I watched a ton of videos of the conferences and it actually looks really fun. This opportunity I am getting will give me a chance to not only meet other people with type 1 diabetes, but to learn about the research from those who are researching and to also get up close and personal with the new technology that is being worked on. :) 

Dun Dun Dun........... my boyfriend and I are going to the conference May 22 through May 24.  

The conference is only $90 per person, but that includes food, the hotel, and the activities. Since registered as two of the first 150 people we also get a free dinner cruise! I am so excited I can not contain myself. Below is the schedule they have for our visit!

  

STUDENTS WITH DIABETES NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Friday, May 22, 2014

12:00 – 05:00 pm        Check-in and Registration

05:30 – 06:30 pm        Conference Kick-Off

06:30 – 07:30  pm       Dinner

07:30 – 09:00  pm       Motivation/Keynote Speaker

09:00 – 11:00 pm        Social Event

Saturday, May 23, 2014

07:00 – 09:00 am         Breakfast

07:30 – 08:15 am         Zumba (optional)

09:00 – 10:00 am         General Session

10:00 – 10:15 am         Break

10:15 – 12:00 am         Break-out Sessions

* Type 3 Session
* Body Image Session
* Money Advocacy Session
* Pregnancy/Intimacy Session
* Drinking and Diabetes Session

12:30 – 01:30 pm         Lunch and Vendor Fair

01:30 – 02:30 pm         Research Session

02:30 – 03:30 pm         Research Session

03:30 – 04:00 pm         General Session

04:00 – 05:00 pm         Break

05:00 – 06:00 pm         Transport to Special Event

06:00 – 09:00 pm         Special Event

09:00 – 09:40 pm         Transport to Hotel

Sunday, May 24, 2014

* Store Luggage in the Ballroom

07:00 – 9:00 am           Breakfast

07:30 – 08:30 am         Exercise  (optional)

09:00 – 10:00 am         Speaker

10:00 – 11:00 am         Speaker

11:00 – 12:00 pm         Speaker

12:00 pm                     Check-out

Now I have something to look forward to when school ends and as I start my summer. A mini vacation and the chance to connect with other people like me, and a chance for my boyfriend to see that there is a community of people with diabetes. I am really hopefully that I can take useful information from this conference, and bring it to my community. I know there has to be more people with diabetes in and around my community that are waiting for others with diabetes to pop up. I hope that I can make some life long friends from this upcoming experience. We will just have to wait and see. 

Time to go eat lunch, then after work I have class, because I am a full time student, going for Nursing! (Just in case you were wondering) 

P.S. Thanks for being here with me <3  

I Challenge You!

I would love to see people spread this image, and recreate it. Let's get people talking, in the hopes that more and more people will learn about type 1 diabetes, and juvenile diabetes. Draw a red heart on your finger to stop and find a cure for type 1 diabetes. Donate to JDRF. Then challenge your friends and family to do the same! I know this has potential to spread nationwide. Lets get it going! Tag me in your picture and or share it to my Google Page. Comment with your thoughts about this challenge.

Thanks for your support! 

Not diabetic, but a person with Diabetes.

Hello to whom ever may be reading this. My name is Brooke Sikorski and I am 22 years old. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes just days after my 18th birthday, yay me! I want to start my explaining my diagnosis story.

Growing up I had a dream to join the Air Force. My parents were divorced when I was two years old. My father was in the Air Force and I was able to visit him while I was growing up in Alaska and Missouri, but of course Alaska was amazing I hope to go back one day. Well growing up I have always dreamed of joining the Air Force, when I started High School I was J.R.O.T.C. and I did everything I could do to climb up in the chain of command and I did every activity for the class. I even started the school's first ever all female drill team, and we won 2nd place in competition. One day in a morning math class, I asked the girl who sat behind me to check my blood sugar, her having Type 1 Diabetes, she said "Yes!". I explained to her that the autoimmune disease runs strongly in my family, my mother's father and my mother's sister both have type 1 diabetes. I was always thirsty, I could drink water until I felt like I was going to puke, but it would never quench my thirst. I was waking up many times at night to go to the bathroom. My father had even realized that after eating dinner, and if its dark out, that is my bedtime and I would pass out for the night. I was always so exhausted. My heaviest weight in high school was an embarrassing 165 pounds, but as the months dragged on I was quickly losing the weight, and losing 2 pounds a day by the time of my diagnosis, then weighing 123 pounds. On the morning of my diagnosis my fasting blood glucose read 553. My friend told me if it was her she would give an injection, but she told me to call my mom and go to the hospital. I did just that, come to find out I have type 1 diabetes at 18 years old. Just a week away from leaving for MEPS for military entrance processing, I called my recruiter and unfortunately I was at that moment disqualified. I was in DKA and admitted for about a week. 

I am sure my diagnosis story was nothing short of amazing, or traumatic, but I did hate myself for having diabetes, because my one and only dream just barely slid through my fingers. I worked so hard to be someone, and then I was nobody. I was nobody with diabetes. 

I quickly put back on the weight that was lost thanks to my best friend insulin. People quickly jumped to judge me because I was diabetic. They would say, you have diabetes because your fat, you have bad blood and you can't eat that. When I explain to people that I have type 1 diabetes and they actually know what type 1 diabetes is, they tell me that I don't have type 1 diabetes because I was diagnosed at 18, and only children get diagnosed with type 1. These things that are said to me all heavily weigh down on my heart. I was beginning to break down. Upon graduating high school, I married my childhood best friend, and after three long years, his three month affair, and my willingness to leave him. I am back home in Florida with my family, I have an amazing supportive boyfriend, and I have come to accept that I have diabetes. 

I am now 22 years old, stronger, and more independent then ever. I am a full time student who also works full time. I have a lot to say about diabetes, and to other people with diabetes. I now have a new Endocrinologist and he explained to me that I am not Diabetic, but I am a person with diabetes. This statement hit home with me, I am not a diabetic, I am simply me, and I have diabetes. Diabetes does not run my life. I run my life, and I am going to take control of my diabetes monster.  You are not diabetic either, you are just you, and diabetes is a part of you. DO not label yourself as diabetic, because you are more than that. 

P.S. This is my first blog. Please comment with your feelings and experiences! I would love to read and get to know others with type 1 diabetes! Thanks for your support!!!