Type Olympic: Kris Freeman

 This is Kris Freeman.

Three-time cross-country "Top-Ranked Skier" of the Olympics. He possessed 16 national titles and was ranked #1 in his sport before being let go of the US Team in April of 2013.

As of February 9th, Kris will start his journey to obtain gold at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi!

Kris has lived with Type One Diabetes since he was 19. Though many thought this would end Kris's career in cross-country skiing, it didn't!

It seems that many times people write about Type One as a "death-sentence" to your dreams and ambitions.

On the contrary, Kris has proved a powerful fact to the entire world:

Though Type One is a part of him, it can't defeat his dreams! 

(Chris inserting a port for his Ominipod Pump)

 As I look forward to the upcoming Olympic performances, it will be inspiring to watch Kris fight for gold - and for all the Type One's watching!

  Go Kris!

 

Adjusments

Coming up on my first year with Type One, I thought of a concise, one-word synopsis of this complex disease.

Adjustments.

 I am amazed by the different responses I have seen from others in only one year with Type One.
Some of my closest friends will do everything in their power to make sure that both my blood sugars and emotions are stable.

While on the complete other side, I have had people tell me that Type One is an easy, little problem that I will learn to "get over." Of course, they then explain a simple cure for my Type One . . .

consisting of diet and exercise.

I have a hard time with the example above. It is not cool when people flippantly brush off Type One's vast complications, as if to say the disease isn't all that terrible . . . 

Adjustments.

 I'll just be honest. Life was incredibly simple before Type One. I'm sure you may be thinking this an obvious statement . . . yet while at college I have begun to notice the extensive toll that bad blood sugars take out on me - both mentally and physically. 

Whether high or low, my blood sugars have ranged everywhere from 40 to 500 during a school day. It's not easy trying to manage Type One and college at the same time. . .

adjustments.

I've found that focusing on priorities in my life really helps me with Type One. Balancing all of the different components of this disease is overwhelming.

Humans weren't made to think like a pancreas.

Some people don't look at it this way, but it's the truth. Because their pancreas is dead, any Type One is forced to constantly think about dealing with their disease. (If they plan on controlling it) it's really not an option . . .

Adjustments.
 
I think you get what I'm saying . . .

Type One consists of constant, endless adjustments.

But there is one positive adjustment that Type One has given me.

 

Knowing that because of this disease, I have the opportunity to reach out to others.

The ability to comfort those who are grieving, and to love those that are hurting.

Though Type One diabetes will always be a part of me, I've found that it is a blessing as well as a curse.

Learning to view the positive side of it is rather smart. Good can always come from bad, you just have to be willing to find it!


In line with what I've talked about . . . here's a funny thought to end with!

 

"Like a Freight Train ...  "

Camp Counselor Lows

Counseling was amazing!

 I had three days packed with tons of activity in snow-covered Wisconsin! Our cabin had eleven amazing campers. As a counselor, I have always taken time before bed to tell my campers about Type One and all that it entails. Come to find out, two of my campers had a brother with Type One Diabetes! It was so much fun getting to exchange stories and jokes about living with diabetes.

 

As I said, counseling was great . . . but the low blood sugars that accompanied the weekend. . . 

 

Not so much.

 

Thursday night I was finishing up cabin devotions ("diabetes learning conference") when I started to feel low.

60 with 7.6 active insulin 

(enough to drop me 380 points)

 

I cracked open my apple juice supply and began drinking . . . 

140 carbs later . . .

 

 48 with 5.2 active insulin

This is when I decided to worry! I notified the other counselors, bundled up, and headed out into the cold! Upon reaching the main lodge, I found my oldest brother (Ben) who helped get me some more sugar! 

In the end, I drank 4 apple juices, a bottle of Mt. Dew, a can of Dr. Pepper, and 2 chocolate milks! 

340 carbs of sugar! 

Way too much! You may think . . . don't worry, Ben thought the same. :) 

That night I was up testing, suspending my pump, and eating candy all night long (still going low)!

 

Yet my efforts paid off! I awoke Friday morning to a blood sugar of 115 - perfect.

 

You just never know with Type One, there is always that nagging thought of

 

 If I had gone to bed without testing - I may have never woken up . . .

 

 

On a happy note: here's a good example of night time lows.

 

 

Remembering 2013 . . .

For me, 2013 will always be a "monumental year" in my life. Starting with my knee surgery, the pace of the year has only increased. 

My diabetes journey began on January 31st. I'll never forget the feeling of sitting in the hospital bed - lost, overwhelmed, and scared. When facing a disease that demands constant attention and care, susceptibility to defeat is continually present. I think that is one attribute of Type One that will always exist - the constant battle for good numbers . . . it's part of Type One's life-long package that must be continuously addressed.

As other Type Ones have stated, the beginning is the hardest . . . grief turns into acceptance, and you learn how to deal with Type One.

Granted, life will never be the same, but through the process of accepting the deep pain that Type One brought into my life helps me be able to grasp a level of others pain around me.

Pain and grief almost work as components to bring humans closer to God and closer to each other. Sadly, life-changing problems are often necessary to force people to look for solutions outside themselves.

When one allows bitterness to settle in the stead of acceptance, they set themselves up for failure.

As for my "Type-One-Diabetes-New-Year-Resolution", I am hoping that I can get a chance to use Type One to help connect with other Type One's out there. Sometimes the worst thing a struggling Type One can do is seclude themselves and suffer alone in isolation. 

Well, I have a busy week-end of counseling teens ahead of me, so I had better start packing! 

First time being a counselor with a pump . . . this will be memorable! (in a good way!)   

Oh, and since this is my first year living with Type One, I thought I'd ease myself into this . . .