Awareness Month

So November is Diabetes Awareness Month. I am not sure how long this has been going on. It seems that every month is some kind of awareness month. I have only been aware of November being Diabetes Awareness Month for the last 3 years. I have been aware of being diabetic for almost 26 years. 

On Tuesday, November 1st I found out that one of my 4th grade students was flown to Portland from my little town of Grants Pass because he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. My heart sank and I couldn't stop having bouts of tears throughout the day. A lot of his classmates were asking if I knew why he was missing from school. I explained to them that my student will be okay. I was blown away by my students' compassion for their classmate. They were generally concerned and have missed him dearly all week. We took time from the school day to write letters and make cards. With the diagnosis, my student's life will never be the same. 

On November 14th, I will be cohosting a fundraiser at CrossFit GP and we will be taking donations for my student. I threw this together on Wednesday. There are still some details to figure out. I couldn't thank The owner of CrossFit GP, Matthew Swanson for opening his doors to me and supporting my student. 

I have also some great support for my student from the Type 1 Diabetic Athletes Group on Facebook. Some members of the group are writing him letters and have already sent emails for me to share with him. The support is fantastic and I couldn't be more amazed by the selflessness. 

When I think back to my diagnosis, I realize how far things have come with how my disease is cared for now. In 1991, I would get a shot and hope things worked out with my carbs to insulin ratio, activity level and my general well being. I was not the best diabetic way back then. My hope is that my student is able to learn how to care for himself so he can eventually be able to do whatever he dreams of. 

A Lot of Change

Quite a bit has changed in the last 8-10 months. I decided to leave the teaching job I had last year at the high school level teaching PE and health to return to teaching elementary school. It was a great experience, but I am a much better fit at elementary. I am currently teaching at the school my daughter attends. It's has been great to be able to see her on a daily basis. Last year there were some days due to coaching that I didn't see my family.

There have been bigger changes in my care for my type 1 diabetes than anything else. I ditched my CGM along with my pump as well. The insertion sites would only last a day or two. I have been working with a great guy, Dr. Trevor Kashey on my nutrition.  He is a biochemist and his intellect scares me a bit. With Dr. Kashey's help, I have lowered my A1C to an all time low of 5.9. I have had my thyroid meds adjusted and that has made a drastic improvement. I have worked on my own for years without the results I have wanted. The greatest thing about Dr. Kashey is the true care and support he provides me. I am not going to go into major detail about the protocols he has had me follow, but I have eaten high carbs and low carb within the year and a half. At 37 years old, I am beginning to be okay with my disease and how it dictates my choices at times.

On the health front, the most impressive thing Dr. Kashey helped me to realize through working with him is that type 1 diabetes should not and doesn't have to be such a huge part of my life. Do a lot of choices still revolve around my disease? Sure, but it is more of just a nuisance that I live with on daily basis. Dr. Kashey asks me great questions that are difficult to answer at times. He plays life coach with me. I have a tendency to self doubt quite a bit. He will ask questions that bring me to really ponder why somethings are the way they are and my behavior.  I couldn't be more thankful!

Another big thing that occurred was the Bolus and Barbells event in June that was put on by Rodney Miller. I think Rodney and I share the same brain sometimes. I was fortunate enough to be a speaker at the event. I was a nervous wreck about the whole thing. I had a rough outline of what I wanted to say, but once I was at the airport I just started writing about my life and type 1. Throughout the weekend, I ended up writing 24 pages. There were a lot of mantras written down. The overall experience was special for me because I had never really been around any other type 1s before. After a few of us spoke we squatted, pressed and deadlifted. That was really the last time I have done some maximal lifting. Since then I have been more exercising and feeling good rather than chasing numbers.

Competing in powerlifting and strongman is a double edged sword. I enjoy them both, but I go all in and take it a bit too seriously. I have always loved lifting. I remember being 12 and messing around with the weights we had at my house as a kid. My older brother and dad used them at the time. Even when I was playing high school sports and then went off to college to play  football, I looked forward to the training for my sports more than playing the actual sports. There is a local powerlifting meet in March and a strongman competition the following weekend a few hours away. A huge part of me wants to enter one or the other. I feel more athletic when I train for strongman and it also gives me a purpose to train. Who knows what I will do. I have already changed my mind a few times while writing this on my future with strength sports.

As for now, I am not sure what is next besides being the best father and husband I can be on a daily basis. Don't let this disease rule you! Break diabetes!

Contact Dr. Kashey

The Sickness

What does it mean to be sick? Being sick is an ongoing challenge that we face everyday. Some days are great, while some days can be truly tough and frustrating. I am thankful for all I have learned through my 25 years of diabetes.

 

The amount of responsibility that I have learned doesn't have a price tag. The level of responsibility has forced me into a level of health I couldn't imagine. 

At 37 years old, I don't feel that I have lost too much athleticism because I have know with my disease that if I stay active, things are so much easier. Diabetes has motivated me to stay active and strong. 

I couldn't be more thankful for the knowledge I have gained about exercise, health, and determination. The lessons have been ongoing and will continue. The more I know, the more I realize I have so much more to learn. Complacency equals stagnation. Growth is vital. Learn from history. If I don't like my results, it's time to change the process. Simple. 

We must learn, educate and share our experiences. If we aren't our own advocates, who will be? Take some risks. 

Confidence is key. I should take my own advice with this in more day to day situations. For me, confidence is built by success and the need for more. I am my own worst enemy.  When we fail, what can we learn from the experiences. Pick yourself up and move on. Process equals results. 

As diabetics, feeling sorry for ourselves doesn't work. Move on and get over it. Be the one you want to be. Growing up, my father preached to my brothers and I to follow out passion. There was never a doubt. He wanted and continues to want us to be the best versions of ourselves we can be. Without this influence, I am not sure how things would have turned out for me. I hope to pass these same ideas and beliefs to my children. 

Follow your desires with drive and determination. State of mind. 

Bolus and Barbells

The first Bolus and Barbells event is 9 days out (June 11th, starting at 9 am). For those of you that aren't aware of this event, it is the first event that includes lifting and type 1 diabetes. I was asked by the creator (Rodney Miller) to be a speaker and instructor at the event. Rodney has done a great job the last few years to bring attention to type 1 diabetes through the sport of strongman. He is the only other type 1 that I am aware of in the USA that competes in strongman. The other speakers are Hillary Shultz Emmons, Kelley Champ Crumpler Rodney Miller, and Chris Ruden. We will be discussing our individual journey with type 1 diabetes. The event will take place at Prism CrossFit in Leander, Texas. 

Here is the link to the event:

http://www.bolusandbarbells.com/

I am excited for many reasons. The number one reason is to connect with other type 1s. I have met only 4 in my type 1 life. Being able to expose new people to strongman and strength training is also very exciting. Strongman and powerlifting are on the fringe, but they are both two sports that people can easily participate and compete in whether they are diabetic or not.

Ultimately, my goal as a part of this is to help motivate people to try something new and believe in themselves. As type 1s, we are not fragile and will not break any easier as someone that is "healthy". I throw around the term "state of mind" quite a bit, but it holds truth. Bolus and Barbells is an opportunity to be around like minded individuals that understand the hurdles of type 1. I can't be more excited. Now I just need to figure out what I am going to talk about for my 20 minute slot. 

Update

It has been quite a while since I have been on here. I competed in a powerlifting meet in December. I made PRs in all three lifts. I was most excited about deadlifting 633 pounds. For the longest time 605 seemed untouchable. While I was training for the meet, I ignored quite a bit of fitness elements. In the grand scheme of things, I wasn't treating my body very well. I was also the heaviest I have been since college. I competed at a body weight of 229 pounds. I was floating around 230-235 for the majority of my training. Doing a weight cut for the meet seemed crazy to me because part of my goals was to lift as much as I could. If I would have cut weight, my strength would have suffered. After the meet, I wanted to continue to push my body as far as I could with putting heavier numbers up. This was not the best option. My body was beat up. I didn't really have a desire to train. I haven't really been able to push the limits since the meet. The plan has been to clean up food, work on mobility and  weak points.

Recently, I have been able to get started again with training. I am paying a bit more attention to conditioning than I previously had. I feel better day to day and have a better level of energy. I am not doing anything fancy program wise. Just some sub-maximal linear progression. With no clear competition in sight, the goal is to enjoy training again. My training is with a strongman emphasis again. I find the variety to keep me on my toes and I feel more athletic.

In the area of nutrition, I have been under the care of a professional that has helped me greatly. My insulin sensitivity and overall diabetes care has improved in great ways. My insulin usage is low and I am averaging between 80-100. I am excited to see where this leads me. Some days, I feel diabetes free.

Diabetes Day: Reflecting Time

November 14th is World Diabetes Day. I don't know how to feel about this day. It's great that the day is also the birthday of the creator of insulin. We would be no where without insulin. Type 1 would be a death sentence. On this day, I have thought and reflected a ton about my "diabetic" life. The different devices, diets, activities and approaches I have had with my diabetes for the last 24 years. 

My first few years of diagnosis, I had no idea what in the world I was doing. There was a lot of guessing. It didn't help that I didn't test as nearly as I should have as well. The main reason I struggled was due to my lack of acceptance of my situation. I manually took shots and my meter took 60 seconds to give me blood sugar number. Diet wise it was whatever the ADA suggested. I was very active with surfing, high school basketball and football. 

In my 20s, control became much better than my teens. I was still manually delivering insulin and my meters took about 5 seconds. Diet was more of a focus because I wanted to be as lean as possible. This was not always the best. I would under eat because it was much easier to control my blood sugars with less food. When I met my wife in my mid 20s, she helped me in a huge way to tighten things up. I started an insulin pump when I was 25. This is one of the best decisions I made with my diabetes. My numbers drastically improved. Working out wise, I ran a lot, biked and lifted weights. 

When I hit 30, things drastically changed with my approach. I tried to do the Low Carb High Fat Paleo approach along with CrossFit. After a few months of CrossFit, I switched to a pure strength training program with some basic conditioning. This treated me much better. The missing piece was a major lack of carbohydrates. My bloodwork was terrible. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and put on meds. My muscles were eating themselves and I felt awful. I ended up with 3 liver biopsies and 1 muscle biopsy.  This was solved by a neurologist suggesting that I have some glucose pre and post workout. Looking back, it seems funny how easy it was fixed.

Around 32, I had decided it was time to give powerlifting a try. My diabetes was under great control. I ate around 50 to 120 grams of carbs a day. My strength was stalling a lot after I made some good early progress. I was making progress, but not the kind I should have. I knew I shouldn't have been limiting my carbs like I was. The problem for me was that most articles and resources for diabetics and diet do not take into account performance. For me, performance is vital. Health is important, but how I perform holds more importance. 

From the ages of 33-35 I bounced between powerlifting and strongman training and competitions. I did fairly well in both sports at the local level. I was still eating LCHF with carbs on training days. This got me no where. I also started to struggle with my insulin sensitivity. I was at the point where I was just going to start exercising again and just focus on wellness with health being my goal. 

In the spring of 2015, I decided to seek some assistance with my nutrition for health and possibly an advantage when competing. My control of my disease was good, but I wanted things to be even tighter. The main thing I was concerned about was my thyroid as well. The feeling of being exhausted for no reason had ran it's course. I needed help. The guy I am getting help from has helped me out with a great plan. 

I am currently eating almost 300 grams of carbs a day. I take in almost the same amount of insulin as when I was LCHF. Some groups would think that this is crazy for a diabetic. Not only am I feeling better and have better control, but my lifts have sky rocked the last 6 months. I am training with a group now that gets after it and that makes a huge difference. I am pushed and inspired to continually improve. 

At 36 years old, I am the strongest I have ever been and have the best control of my disease I have ever had. To quote the band Accept:

Balls to the wall, man

Balls to the wall,

You'll get your balls to the wall, man 

Go hard! Conquer! Break Diabetes!

The 44

When I moved from San Diego to Portland there was one major change I needed to make. I had to be number 44 in football. Many great players wore this number in a variety of different sports. Players at Syracuse, Tom Rathman, Brian Bosworth, Marc Edwards, Danny Ainge and Rick Mahorn to name a few. 

For me, the number represented toughness both physically and mentally. It is difficult to express how important this number is to me. As a player, I took pride in everything I did. Not for my teammates, not for my coaches, but for me. It just turns out the way I did it was by being a leader, being coachable, and playing unselfish.  I wasn't the greatest, but the last thing I wanted was to not compete and dominate. It hurt like hell physically. I played every play like it was my last. Using my lack of confidence and feeling of not being good enough fueled me.

Now comes "The 44". It's a mindset, attitude, leave it out there mentality. Almost an F you attitude. Most guys with that number play a certain way. Not the most gifted or blessed. The 44 means something much bigger. With that number, you are representing every player that has ever worn it. Google "jersey number 44". 

The high school football field is where I felt confident and invincible. All of my insecurities would disappear and I felt normal. Luckily for me, diabetes didn't hold me back too much. My parents never allowed it to be an excuse. 

Attitude is everything. Conquer, destroy, break diabetes!