From Spring to Summer 2016

Biking

The annual Tour de Cure 2016 in Minneapolis saw a bump in Pancremaniac riders who are family. (The Pancremaniacss are daughter Heather’s team.) That was thanks mostly to JL who challenged family members last Thanksgiving to come and ride. He’d provide their minimum fundraising. The ride seemed to inspire people just like it did me the first time I rode. The red riders (with diabetes) are very visible and the support can be overwhelming. This disease that can be hidden is right out in the open. “Go Red Rider” is heard all along the route. For those who don’t live with it or with someone who does, it is not easy to imagine the amount of work it takes to keep life under control. The ride opened the eyes of family members who never really thought about how hard it is to live with diabetes.

And our team raised over $30,000 for the American Diabetes Association. WooHoo!!!

With Red Rider Heather at the Tour de Cure

(For a detailed explanation of daughter Heather's diabetes journey you can follow this link to a previous post on this blog:
http://aviewofaging.blogspot.com/2014/06/tour-de-cure-2014.html  )

Volunteer Transitions

I was sad to say a final good-bye to the First-Graders who I tutored this past school year. Although I only spent an hour with them every week, I came to know them and to care for them. I learned a lot about our current public school system and the challenges it faces in these turbulent times. I will probably sign on with Schools of Hope again next fall.

A couple other volunteer attempts did not go so well. I have learned that I do not volunteer to fill time. I need to feel that the time I spend is worthwhile; that I learn from it; and that what I am doing has the potential to make a difference in someone’s life.

Gardening

Typically, gardening in the UW Arboretum (where I live) ends when the mosquitoes come out. That is often in mid to late May. This year they are scarce into the end of June. It is quite a treat. We can sit out on the deck, work in some of the remote areas of the yard and generally feel like most people do about their yards. I know writing this will mean that the next time I go outside I’ll be bit!

I tried some new flowers this year; nothing fancy. And some of the old ones are doing quite well. For the record:

This climber goes crazy. I'm training it to circle on a tomato cage.

Donde están las monarcas?
The milkweed is waiting and so am I.

Zinnias were one of Mom's favorites.
I didn't like them until I started traveling to Mexico.

My weed whipper is making the yard more accessible.

 Health

I think I know why old people talk about their health so much. It’s not complaining. It gets complicated and hard to figure out. For the record: things seemed fine at my annual physical. I was recently back from the big road/hiking trip. I felt great. But there are always tests. I was very disappointed to learn that my A1C is back in the Type 2 diabetes range. We will retest to confirm and if it’s really there I will need to go on medication. I’m bummed. I’ve kept the weight off that I lost. I have really changed my quantity and pattern of eating. We’ll see.

And then, I was due for a bone density scan. It seems I now have osteoporosis. Oh, great. More exercise, more calcium. I was confused by the language and the numbers in the letter I received and when I questioned it I was referred to an osteoporosis specialist. Interestingly, she is in the endocrinology department where diabetes and other autoimmune diseases are treated. Maybe we can get a big picture look at what’s going on in my body---but I doubt it. The appointment isn’t until October.

But on a lighter note, tennis is in full swing and I’m having fun. I’m trying pilates and I can bike to the class. Win,win.

Overall, life is very good.

Tennis In My Life

Tennis gear: sweaty visor to keep sun off my face, 50spf lip balm, band for my hair. Ready to play!

Tennis is playing a very big role in my life right now. After years of knee issues, I am enjoying a relatively pain-free time on the court. (I'm knocking on wood as I write this.) Since my physical health is a big part of aging, I thought I should document the state of my health now so that there's a reference point when I reach another stage.

I believe this has not happened by chance, but by faithful almost-daily PT, less body weight, and a reintroduction of leg lifts into my routine. I began the leg lifts after a visit to an orthopedic surgeon who recommended total knee replacement for my arthritic right knee. My physical therapist agreed and said the leg lifts would help me recover from surgery. I opted not to replace the knee yet, but I assumed I would eventually and uncovered my weight bench in the basement. The weight loss I attribute to the Type 2 diabetes gloom and doom of 2 years ago and my decision to count calories along with carbs. (I'm now back to "pre-diabetic.") And the daily PT has been part of my life for years. It's what kept me on the court, or my desire to play tennis motivated me to keep up those side steps, etc. so I could play.

Why is it so important to me?

Well, tennis is really the only sport that I do with joy. I walk some, I bike some, but I do them because I need to keep moving, not because I really like them. I'll bend over backward to play tennis. I'll even organize groups and I am now captaining a team.

Brenda (on the right) named this group Yippie Skippie. We play every Tuesday night.

Tennis provides the social interaction that I need. Some of my tennis buddies have been around for twenty years or more. When I've been unable to play I get ornery and lonely. 

There's always something to learn, a stroke to improve, a strategy to try. I love the competition. I want to win and that drives me. But, I don't think I NEED to win. I'm just happy to be on the court and thankful that I still can. I wonder how many more years I'll be able to play competitively.

I like to buy a tennis shirt when I play in tournaments for the memories it brings.

That's why when my 55+ team won the state championship this summer I was eager to go to the Sectional playoffs in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. It's such a hoot to do a road trip with a bunch of crazy women, share rooms and meals, and try hard on the court. We didn't do too well, but we had a great time and I'd do it again. It's also easier to do it when you're retired! The last time I went to a sectional Jim covered my shifts at Chiripa. 

And Jim plays tennis, too. Our time on the court has changed now that he's a tennis instructor. I can no longer beat him. I get lessons, but with the schedule he keeps I'm reluctant to ask for my time. Maybe I can get him to retire and we can go back to fun tennis. Mixed doubles is the best!

A selfie with longtime tennis buddies Jennifer and Brian on great October day for tennis.

That's the state of tennis in my life at this moment. I hope it lasts a looong time.

Tour de Cure 2014

May 31, 2014. Tour de Cure, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Heather at the start of the ride with her dog Becca in the trailer.

The Tour de Cure (American Diabetes Association bike ride) has become an annual event for our family. Heather (daughter) is Type 1 and leads an enthusiastic team of riders each year. I use the event as a soap box for talking about diabetes. This was my pitch last year trying to explain the disease and Heather's decision to get a service dog:

My daughter Heather has had Type 1 diabetes since she was 19. (She’s over 40 now!) She’s a very smart young woman and she learned quickly how to “manage” the disease. She understands the chemistry and the math of it. She is on an insulin pump and uses a cgm (continuous glucose monitor). These numbers feed into a computer program and she works hard to maintain a balance; keep from going high, manage the lows. This requires daily vigilance. Understanding food and it’s affect on your blood sugar is one thing, but, how do you calculate for unexpected illness, job stress, normal emotional highs and lows, and athletic exertion? It’s hard, very hard. 

Heather was awarded a service dog, Becca, from an organization called Can Do Canines. Becca can detect when Heather’s blood sugar is going low and she’ll alert her by pawing at her. She’s a smart dog; a very gentle black lab. People’s reactions to hearing about Becca have been educational for me. “Can’t she control her blood sugar? They have pumps, you know.” or “She must have it very bad.” Yes, everyone who has Type 1 diabetes has it “very bad.” Their pancreas does not produce insulin, a hormone that allows sugar to enter the cells and produce energy. Without daily attention, people with diabetes will rapidly develop complications and will not live long.

There is no cure at this point. It is a lifelong sentence. But, Heather has chosen two actions that testify to her courage and determination to not let diabetes stop her from doing what she wants to do. First, it took courage to get a service dog. She debated a long time. Because, she knew that if she got a service dog she would be required to talk about it all the time. You see, diabetes can be disguised most of the time. Now, Becca, wearing her red service vest, goes with Heather to work every day. When Heather travels for work, Becca is with her. One of the only times that Heather leaves Becca at home is when she’s on her bike. In the last couple years Heather has become a biking fanatic (oops, that’s athlete). She writes for the blog of Team WILD (We Inspire Life with Diabetes). Team Wild helped to train Heather for her first 100-mile ride at the Tour de Cure in Minneapolis last year. This year Heather will ride a shorter distance and pull Becca in a dog trailer. 

Everyone who is diabetic wears a red jersey for the ride. People along the route yell “Go, Red Rider!” as each red jersey passes. It’s quite moving. My daughter is a Red Rider and I’m her proud Mom.

This year's message (2014) took a more personal turn:

Each year brings new insights into this relentless disease. And this year’s twist is that last summer I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. What a wakeup call! 

As you may know, my daughter Heather has Type 1 diabetes. Compared to the life-and-death risks of Type 1, managing Type 2 is easy. I stll have some insulin working in my system. The good thing about this new health challenge is that it has made me a more consciencous consumer of food, a more faithful exerciser (although warmer weather will help!), and a lighter weight person.

(Future posts about the Tour de Cure or diabetes will reference this post so that I don't need to repeat background information.)

One of the things I love about the ride is that I get to see old friends and get to know Heather's Minneapolis friends. We start with a pre-ride dinner on Friday night at Heather's house. The ride is Saturday morning with a party at the park after. Then, after we take showers (and nap) the team meets for dinner at The Chatterbox Cafe. 

I'm hoping some of my Madison friends with Minneapolis and diabetes connections will join us next year.

 The Charles family. Sharon (in middle) was at UW Library School with me.

Andrea (on the right) came the longest distance from Miami where she's a PT and cross fit junkie!

 

Michael and Susie and Joshua (who got to ride in a trailer, too).

Many of us wore green nail polish to match the Pancremaniac gear 

designed by Treden Wagoner (hand on left).

As the red jersey's gather in their place of honor at the head of the pack I get very emotional realizing that this very visible event is nothing like the normal lives of these people who on most days hide their daily grind to survive.

The back of the shirt says: I ride with Diabetes; the sleeves say: I ride to thrive and I am not alone 

Me with Heather and Becca (2013)

Devices In My Life

Left: blood pressure cuff; Middle: blood glucose meter; Right: FitBit computer

In Hand: iPad

What a lot of data to record and absorb!

• I am 63.5 years old.
• I have slightly elevated blood pressure and take 10 mg of Lisinopril daily.
• I have hypothyroidism and take 125 mcg of Levothyroxine.
• I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in August of 2013 after an A1C reading of 6.7. I started using the blood glucose meter, monitored diet, and tried to add more exercise. I used the app Calorie King to track carbs. I lost 15 pounds in less than 3 months and my A1C reading dropped to 6.4. Now I’m on the 6 mo. test cycle.
• I have arthritic knees and do almost daily PT.
• I received the little FitBit computer for Christmas. It tracks my steps and many other things.
• The iPad used to take the photo uses various apps to keep track of some of these issues. Others are in hand-written logs.

That’s my current state of health and fitness and the beginning of this blog.