A new Meter, A good day!

I went to the doctor today. My appointment was at 9:30, and even though I didn't get out of there until 11 (ugh), I did walk out with a new functional glucose testing meter from OneTouch. I had recently lost my old one. Hooray!!

I'm going to shift to a focus on athletics for a while. Athletics are a big part of my life. I played organized sports with my twin brother all the time growing up. I then ran Cross Country and Track in high school. I am currently involved with Ultimate Frisbee, a cool sport that involves a LOT of running. Exercise is a main part of everyone's life... at least it should be. But it is essential for diabetics to help maintain good health. Insulin and exercise are the two ways that I can actively lower my blood sugar. And hell, why not lower my blood sugar while staying fit and reducing some dependence on insulin?

(Note: I will always be dependent on insulin. But it is both physically and psychologically beneficial to control it through exercise as well.)

Dr. Albert, my endocrinologist, explained to me this morning that 30 minutes of exercise can be the equivalent to 1 unit of insulin and 1 net carb. For a guy that loves running around and playing sports, this is like music to my ears.

For the more daring of heart than I, here is an article about "Iron Andy" Holder, a Iron-man triathelete who has lived with Type-1 diabetes for some time. This story is actually quite remarkable; and it serves as a good reminder that diabetes should never be looked at as a hindrance. It is merely just a little hurdle that needs to be jumped.

Here is a picture of "Iron" Andy:

For more information about Andy, check out his blog at ironandyblog.com.
For more information about Andy's diabetes foundation, and an interview with him, check out this website.