Life Insurance

Well my life insurance account just went belly up. I applied for more and got totally rejected. You know diabetic ironmen are in way too high a risk category. Obviously I'm not taking care of myself. Guess I'll just have to try not to die.

The Yellow Jersey

It was a busy weekend. Ray flew into town to do some filming for the Triabetes documentary. My two older kids have the flu and we had to keep them away from Penelope, our newborn. What's up with the timing? Anyway, I was pumped about the filming. Ray got an interview with my brother and one with me. Somehow we got on the topic of what this project meant as far as finishing the race and it dawned on me that I won't be done with this after crossing the finish line. I'm still going to keep fighting because Diabetes isn't just going to go away, and I can't go back to that lazy Dave who never checked his sugar. I am confident that John and Steve also got on there and said things even more profound. It will be fun to actually watch what this whole thing turns out to look like and to see how it affects the diabetic world.

We also got some footage out running at Bass Lake and at ASU's pool. Cool thing about the pool is the fact that me and Steve now have passes to swim there whenever. I went today and swam a mile in 40 minutes. I guess we could even go lift weights and play raquetball and whatever else people do in there. I'll probably go exploring and really check the place out. At some point Ray told me I looked really tired- yeah- I spend most nights wandering up and down the steps right now. It's kind of funny because part of the data collection for this project involves reporting the hours of sleep I get each night. Sure I can right down 7, but it feels more like 4 when I have to get up so many times a night.

We also got some film of me on the bike trainer. I wore a yellow shirt. I had no idea it was like Happy Gilmore getting a gold jacket. When I dropped Ray off at John and Maureen's, she asked if I wore that yellow jersy. "Very fitting Dave what a statement." So I'm like what are you talking about. "you know the winner of the race always gets a yellow jersey like Lance Armstrong." Oh great now I've gone and jinxed myself or something.

Eeeeeew Problem Solved

This goggle cabinet uses ultraviolet radiation to kill bad stuff on goggles. I was showing my friend Russ how nasty my camel pak was and he recommended that I zap it in the cabinet. Since I can't seem to get all the green and yellow and blue and red fuzzy stuff out of there it just made sense to zap it and make sure it was at least dead before I ingested any more. I was taking a run the other day and when I tried to wash down a GU I got hit in the mouth with some nasty fermented juice or gatorade or whatever I had saved since my last run. I have rinsed it out since then but that stuff is still in there. Alive and Kicking- well up until this afternoon when I nuked it with vinegar and radiation. If you see me out running sideways we will have to blame it on my bloodsugar- its not what I'm drinking.

Finally

So my bike trainer is in the basement. I think I walked down there 50 times before I finally had everything ready to go tonight. Let me start by saying it was raining hard. I know you are probably thinking that this shouldn't affect a bike ride in my basement on the trainer. Do you know me? First I had to look up and write out my workout. I walked downstairs. Then came back up. I needed my meter. Back down. I need my heart rate monitor. Back upstairs. got it. Back downstairs. I need my iPod. Back upstairs and I put my shoes on and ran out to the car. I'm now soaking wet and ready to ride. My plan was to ride for over an hour and a half and looking at Ashley Ahn's bike that I have borrowed I finaly decide I just can't handle the girl seat on it any more. My seat is out in the minivan down beside the house, so in my bike shoes with the funny little clips that go with the Clipless Pedals? I go running out to the van. The back yard is like an inch deep in water. I am getting soaked. Oh great the van isn't in the driveway. It's way up by the road. Dude I am drenched and my feet are swimming. It's like a freaking triathlon here. I change socks and head back to the basement. I think getting ready for the workout is going to take longer than the actual training. I finally start riding and listen to most of the book of Matthew which apparently I really needed. My butt wasn't killing from the girl seat which was awesome but riding for almost 2 hours on a seat you haven't seen in a while taint the best of plans.

Banana Bread

I got a hold of some really good banana bread this weekend. You know how it is you start out too low to make good decisions. Well I didn't work out. Then I ate way too much lasagna for dinner and then a ton of banana bread for dessert. I went high but had it all fixed by morning, and guess what I ate for breakfast. Yep banana bread. I took a lot more insulin that time and still messed it up.

The only good thing about it was I the workout I had on Saturday. I started my run with my sugar at 259 and by the end of the 10 mile run it had never dropped below 111. The run was great by the way except for my knee acting up by the end of it.

Me and my brother ran way down the road from my house by the new river then up Ridge Road which was no joke and then back down Pine Run over the river and around back to the house. It would have been an 11 mile run but I walked the last little bit. I was taking cliff shots and tried some perpetium. I just need all these things to work right on the same day. I am supposed to be getting a bike pretty soon and I need to get back in the pool. It's been a few weeks. I have a few races looming in the not so distant future so it's time to get on it.

I Changed My Lancet

In World News today, I changed my lancet. It's a yearly event that should probably take place at least twice a year. In case you don't know, a lancet is the little sharp poker thing that you stab your finger with to get a blood sample. I think the companies that make the things suggest that you change the lancet every time, right. Cause I have time for that and I'm extremely organized. So during all this training for the Ironman in September has reintroduced me to a ton of diabetes issues. Right now I'm trying to figure out what all these pump and meter companies are doing to actually help me. I got this new meter from school that came with a new lancet device. It was infuriating. It has a lancet cartride with like ten lancets in it. The stupid issue is that you can only use each lancet once! They claim it is for hygene or comfort or some other ridiculous reason I'm sure. However we all know it is so we diabetics will actually have to spend more money on lancets. It seems that all these companies try to sell their lancet devices and meters by saying that they take less blood or have sharper lancets that won't hurt or tear the skin. They even sell these things that can test blood from parts of the body other than the finger tips. Sounds cool if you are into marketing and don't have diabetic fingers that could care less what the lancet feels like to people that don't have super calloused fingers. I tried to test on my arm a few years ago and ended up feeling the test and having a huge bruise on my arm. Kind of like the old medi injector that injected insulin with air instead of a needle. I used it for months and acted like it was nice because I figured it had cost my parents so much. At least that one was a nice idea.

So what do we really need as diabetics?

How about a meter (continous?) that would take readings and instantly send the data through satelite or cell to a computer database to track us.

If it could do that how about it could talk to my pump and graph my basal levels and boluses along with my bloodsugar.

Could we get heartrate thrown in there as well?

How about a scanner like at the grocery store to scan the food we eat too. Or at least record perceived carb intake.

This seems like all the stuff a program would need to figure out each diabetics formula and it would happen continously and learn.

Then it could adjust your pump or at least give suggestions.

Is it possible to inject glucose as well? I am tired of my meter asking "Do you need a snack?" It would be great if it was actually offering me a snack instead of asking a question that is obvously yes. I mean my sugar is low. Of course I need a snack. Who added that feature?

What about making the entire system waterproof?

I bet it would cost like 50 grand. Can you feel the love? Happy Valentines Day.

Any other ideas out there?

Em's the Endurance Athlete

The Ironman can only last 17 hours. My wife just spent 25 and a half giving birth. Wow. Check out the slideshow. There is some triathlete in her to be unleashed. Getting Penelope out included some crazy hiking, swimming (in the tub), bouncing, and weird looking yoga positions. then there is the finish line. Uh- speechless.

thanks for all the prayers and support.

Penelope Quinn Shack is here weighing in at 7 lbs and 3 ounces and seems to be in better shape than me or Emily.

That was a crazy experience.

some excuses for not training

It's been a rough week. I haven't done a ton of training and my bloodsugar has been too high.

So here's a few things that can make it hard to get in a good workout.

1. My wife Emily got sick and had to spend the night in the hospital- something about being super dehydrated and extremely pregnant.
2. I thought I was getting sick too because my sugar was high for 3 days and didn't want to come down.
3. Really I was high because my canula was bent. If you don't have an insulin pump just know that a bent canula means you are not getting much insulin.
4. There was an ice storm.

5. And yesterday after eating some fast food and preparing to take a swim I really did get sick. Isn't it great when you eat a meal, bolus (take your insulin to counter all the food you just ate) and then puke up all that food. All of a sudden there is tons of insulin hanging out in the blood stream and very little sugar. Not a good situation. Anyway I survived. I put the picture of the ice storm because I didn't think anyone wanted to see me getting sick and Emily wouldn't let me put any sick pictures of her on the web.

All that aside I still worked out more than I did last year at this time.