A sample entry

So I just downloaded Windows Live Writer and I wanted to see how it worked. I’m hoping it looks good

Testing While Running

Testing my mobile blogging

How Can You Be Successful as a Diabetic? Try thinking like a Professional Athlete

It can be very difficult to separate 'the diabetic' from 'the diabetes'. Blood sugars in range bring only a sigh of relief that they are not above or below, and we become frustrated with ourselves when our blood sugar is not where it should be. We lie to our health care professionals because we feel they are judging us, and no matter how hard we've tried we will not be able to live up to their expectations. We're embarrased to check our blood sugar in public, heaven forbid take our insulin. Our emotions range from anger at ourselves to feelings of low self worth with control that is not deemed, 'good'.

Not a pretty picture. But it's part of us, how can we not take it personally?


So someone asked me the other day why I thought I was successful as a diabetic.....A really good question I thought. I could give a lot of reasons, parental influence maybe, or a childhood spent watching the repurcussions from my own grandmother who did not take care of her diabetes. But none of those really help someone in the present. You can't go back in time and change what led to your present outlook, so what advice can I give?





From Steve Lipofsky at Basketballphoto.com

   Only one thing to say.....Be like Mike.



Michael Jordan was a professional basketball player in the NBA and is considered by many (well ok, everyone) as the greatest basketball player of all time. The 'Be Like Mike' was a Gatorade advertisement that showed people playing ball, trying to be like mike.  

Now, I'm not implying you should go out and starting practicing your cross-over. I couldn't play basketball to save my life, in fact when I used to play as a kid we had to barr the double dribble rule because I couldn't bounce the basketball with one hand. No, what I'm saying is that you need to approach your diabetes the same way a professional athlete  approaches their sport, one who is a career athlete.

The best athletes don't take their game personally. Although sports may be their career, they know it does not define them. By the time they're pros they know they've got the talent to be there and merely need to work at their craft to get better. They see setbacks as a chance to get exceed;  failure is only an opportunity to do it again and get it right, and then do it again to try and get it right again. Coaches don't critisize them, they critize their play, and that is an aspect of them selves that they can impove.

In order to have a long career in diabetes  you've got to think like an athlete. You can't take your diabetes personally. It does not define you. You can be successful at diabete management, but you've got to work at it - it does not come easy. You need to see every blood glucose out of target as a chance to get it righ the next time, because there is always a next time. See you healthcare provider as your coach, one to work with to get you better.

I hope this helps, i know it does for me. While trying to wrap up this entry i thought I'd try finding something on you tube, enjoy!