Shiz Just Got Real

     I woke up early this morning to a stinging thought and the worst feeling in the pit of my stomach. Awesome I was sick. As I trudged to the shower that feeling in my stomach made its way up... fast. And to save the details it wasn't nice. Instead of going to church I commenced my sick in bed game plan. I first ate some ham and 1/2 a glass of apple juice to get some carbs under my belt until I knew I was able to sustain something more. About a half-hour after that I made myself some noodles and watched reruns of the Voice. I set an alarm that would reoccur every two hours so that I could wake up and eat. I would either eat a snack or something more mealish. I knew I was in the clear at dinner time when my mom woke me up and gave me the 15 minute warning for dinner. I slowly crawled my way out of bed so I could use the restroom when a wave of dizziness washed over me, my lips went numb and dry just like that, and the room went cold and then hot and then cold again. Just like that my sickness was not just a bug any longer it was a freakin ten story monster waiting at the doorstep to eat my soul. (possible slight over-exaggeration). I don't remember how I ended up laying face first into a teddy bear on the floor with just my blanket over me or how the juice from the juice box ended up around me, but some how my brain kicked into over drive and took over when I couldn't. I feel waaay better now, but it's sad how just like that shit gets real and by real I mean life threatening I probably passed out and don't remember it real.

Keep your head up and commence recovering from a scary low and sick in bed game plan,
Ellie <3

The Silence Settles

I'm not one to dwell on what happened before, but last night I MUST tell you about. I smacked my hand head on with a flag at guard and might be down for the count for a while. My guard instructor never sends any one home during practice, but as soon as she saw it she told me to go call my ride. I'm in a brace with a swollen arm and 4 bruises for the next couple of days. I wanted to let you know there might be silence on the blog for a while as I try to get this healed before the first competition next week. I love you all!! Be back soon.

Keep your head up and the tylenol close,
Ellie <3

The Toilet Paper Wars

WELCOME TO THE GREAT TP DEBATE!

In the world of all things great and small, knowing which way to hang toilet paper is pretty tricky business. Everyone has an opinion on the matter.

Puritantical powder-room people claim that, "God made toilet paper to roll only one way" (from the outside of the dispenser naturally). On the other hand, left-wing lavatory folks insist that TP must fall from inside the dispenser. And finally, there's the sanitary secularist centrist crowd who couldn't give a sweet tweet which way the TP falls as long as there is some in the throne room.

In the great scheme of things, knowing how to install a toilet paper roll correctly can save your butt and your marriage, if not enhance your chances for promotion and that elusive golden key to the executive tinkle pantry!

God only knows what will happen to you if you get it wrong!!

Despite recent posts I wanted to lighten things up a bit... Here's the current debate that is splitting our family in half. (Metaphorically not literally.) The toilet paper.

I've always been an under person. The toilet paper must be under never over so is my mom. But my dad and my brother disagree. So when I'm bored I'll go through the house and change all the toilet paper rolls to under. Then get locked outside by my dad while he flips them all back over and then he'll let me back in. Meanie I tell you! Is this a problem in your house or is it just me?? Hmmm these are the questions that plague me. Now for some pictures from last weekend.

Keep your head up and your toilet paper under,
Ellie <3

Just Another Morning In A Hotel Room With Two Other People While Looking Drunk And Them Not Knowing What's Really Going On So It Ends Up Being Awkward For All Of Us

      I had to be downstairs eating breakfast by 9:00 or the van was going to leave with out us. My plan was to get up at 8:30 and get ready from there, but something was forcing me up. It wasn't my two room mates who were up and moving, no that didn't bother me. It wasn't the fact that it was cold, because I was actually really warm a little to warm maybe. It wasn't the fact that I was excited to start the day, if anything I wanted more sleep. And it wasn't the fact that I thought I was going to be late, because I planed that morning out so perfectly. It was the fact that my body recognized something my brain didn't. I was low. My body would force me to open my eyes and try to show my brain all the signs. But, my tired brain would fight back saying I needed more sleep that going to bed at midnight wasn't one of my better ideas. Three times about 15 minutes apart I was betrayed by my body and forced against my will to open my eyes. They all at once the wave of symptoms washed over me. I wanted nothing more than to push my room mates out into the hallway with out a key and shut the hotel room door, I wanted all the lights to be turned off and there to be absolutely no sound. I wanted every one to stop saying good morning and for my head to stop throbbing. I wanted to turn the air down to 57 degrees and let myself freeze because I was pouring sweat. I wanted the room to stop spinning and my hands to stop shaking and I really wanted to tell my bladder it did not have to go pee right that second. I rolled out of bed almost literally, catching myself with my hands before my head had a chance to collide with the floor. I lazily crawled my way over to my bag to grab my juice box that had been kept in there for just in case emergencies. I wanted to crawl up in a ball and sleep more. So I did. I let the straw hang from my dry lips and slowly sip the sugary contents as I curled up in a ball and shut my eyes. This only lasted a few seconds as it is very difficult to drink juice while laying down. I propped myself up against a wall so I didn't have the chance to fall over. I finished the juice box and threw myself back at the bed. I wanted nothing more than another hour of sleep. But my little low caused me to be fifteen minutes behind my original schedule. I still made it downstairs in time, and I did recover quickly it's just those moments when you know you look like you're drunk are not some of my favorites. We did have a great time this weekend and I'm so blessed I had the opportunity to go, it's just the lows couldn't have given me one weekend to myself without acting up.

Keep your head up and your juice boxes near,
Ellie <3

Off To Africa (or so it seems)

Every Monday night with out fail (unless there was no school) I go to guard rehearsals. Now don't get me wrong I. Love. Guard. But it's considered a strenuous activity by my doctor which means extra precautions, which also means packing a purse with enough stuff to last me on a trip to Africa and back.
-meter and all of it's awesome supplies.
-3 energy bars
-2 juice boxes
-1 emergency dollar in quarters
-band-aids up the ying-yang
-emergency contact card
-some type of filling snack that's under 25 carbs, but over 15.
-frosting gel
-phone

and all the precautions.
-test every water break or every two hours (which ever comes 1st)
-eat a decent meal before and after
-make sure instructors know
-eat one snack every hour and a half
-sit out for at least 15mins when I'm low or feel faint
-make sure some one else knows where all my emergency things are located and what to do. In this case it's usually Sully.

Yup, and there's more, but why confuse you??

Keep your head up and your trips to Africa at a minimal,
Ellie <3

This is the box. The box we are all defined by. The box that inside it you're in your comfort zone, your element. This is the box where anything outside of it feels like an annoyance a stretch beyond such limited boundaries you feel as though you might break something crossing over that line. This is the box. As people we all have to take a step outside that box every once and a while. I have to do it all the time and sometimes when I step outside of my box people are excepting, but other times people are rude and not educated enough to know that you don't necessarily want to be outside that box. When I test anywhere outside of the nurses office or put a dab of frosting gel on my finger to eat because I don't have anything else to treat a potential low people give me looks. Those looks hurt, but it's a big part of getting yourself outside that box. Sometimes it's hard to get yourself on the outside, trust me I know. But once you get outside that box other people feel more comfortable because they know what's going on. Just talk to people sometimes they're stepping out of their box too.

Keep your head up and one foot outside the box at all times,
Ellie <3

We Truly Are Family

*Because our numbers are private information and some people are more sensitive about other people knowing them I'm going to keep the second characters numbers private. Her name will be K and we'll just say her numbers were low.*

During 5th period I felt a low coming on and I kinda just buckled down and fought through it. I didn't want to test and I didn't want to leave so I just powered through it. When I got to lunch I bought my noodles and tested to make sure my 32 carbs would cover the low I was feeling. It was a 40. Surely 32 carbs will cover a blood sugar of 40 easily and I will be able to go on my way. So I didn't go to the health office right away like I should have. 15 minutes into lunch and 10 minutes after the noodles my low symptoms were just getting worse. I knew I had 5 minutes left of lunch so I tried shutting my eyes for a couple minutes to see if it would help. My friends don't quite get the concept of I'm low leave me alone so they kept poking me. I kinda wanted to punch them in the face. Anyway at the end of lunch I retested at a 42. Not high enough to go back to class so I went to the nurse. I sat there drinking a juice box giving my all to fight sleep. 15 minutes later I retested. 67. You have got to be flippin kidding me. Well, I was talking to Mrs. E (the fill in lady) and she wasn't quite sure what to do so she called Mrs. C (the actual nurses sub who was at another school). While she was on the phone K walked in asking if she had any extra snack she didn't. I happened to over hear that she was low and offered her one of my snacks. She took the Z Bar. And because I was still considered low I had to eat my extra Luna Bar. So we sat in the office eating our granola bars and sipping juice boxes. We made conversation and retested together. We talked about meters and the sky rocketing test strip price. When I retested it was 73 and 1:10 school got out in exactly 6 minutes. She as well retested low again. We were both fighting stubborn lows and both felt like crap. In those moments we bonded starting with the Z bar and ending with the comforting words I hope you feel better as we departed ways. Mrs. C and Mrs. E are probably both sick of us, but it's in those moments you truly feel connected to someone. Like someone else knows what a low feels like and some one else knows what it's like to have needles pierce your fingertips every day. She's a newly diagnosed too, were getting through this even though she's diabetic and I'm hypoglycemic we still have things in common and we can still support each other from the side lines. I have a health office family which now includes K and Z who are both diabetics. We may not talk to each other every day, but we really are there for each other. So the next time you have a chance to offer a Z bar to some one else who is low or share a test strip with someone else who just ran out of time to double check take the opportunity and see it as more than sharing see it as extending your health office family. Because we really are FAMILY!!

Keep your head up and family close,
Ellie <3

Here's Whaz Up

I've always hated the dentist. It's not like it hurts or they're mean or anything it's just the thought of foreign objects and hands in my mouth is just not ideal to me. Well yesterday marked 6 months again and we went back for our annual cleaning... awesome. Well, my mom being smart booked our appointment for 12:00. No biggy for most people right? HUGE BIGGY FOR ME!! 12:00 falls right at my two and a half hour mark which is right when I have to eat. I reminded my mom of this that morning and she promised she would take us out to lunch before the appointment except she picked us up late. My mom doesn't really understand the concept of mom I'm LOW. She thinks I just get tired and a little groggy so she thought I would make it through this appointment. When we were waiting in the waiting room I was already starting to get a little shaky. When I stood up to follow the dentist my legs felt weak and I felt REALLY dizzy. But, I kept going. After we got our teeth cleaned we were waiting for Dr. R to come and check our teeth and I started getting tired and unfocused and irritated. My mom was getting annoyed because I couldn't sit still or sit up. I was getting ready to just walk out and go find something to eat, because someone (mom) rushed me this morning and I didn't have a chance to refill my low pack. So I sat and waited. Then Dr. R finally came in and right as he walked in he goes hey whaaaz uppp??! Like all gangsterish trying to make us laugh I just stared at him blankley. I wanted nothing more than to answer here's whaaaz upp I'm low, shakey, and tired, and dizzy, and unfocused, and every sound you make gets ampliphed in my head by like 70 thousand so can we just make this quick. But I held it in and time draaaged on. FINALLY we got back in the car and headed off to Wendy's. I felt better after 20 minutes of frosty slurping, but it still hurt that my mom wouldn't help me out and the dentist kinda just took his sweet time. I know know to keep my low pack fully stocked at all times and with me all the time.

Keep your head up and your low packs stashed,
Ellie <3

She's Gonna Blow A Gasket

Our FASA nurse at school recently took a leave of absence from well, nursing. She was amazing she knew all of  us "regulars" by name, knew exactly how many carbs we needed to correct a low, knew when our p.e classes were and what the best idea is for how to prevent a low and would always play music while we sat there sipping away at a juice box. Now we have a new FASA. She didn't even introduce herself to me today which is sad because she seemed nice. Anyway, our main nurse is also out of town this weekend so we have a sub nurse, random I know. So I walked in for an cheese stick early. There was Mrs. R (the new FASA nurse), Mrs. C (the sub nurse), and Mrs. E (the lady that was just helping out she's also really super nice.) So Mrs. R never looked up when I walked in so I walked over to the fridge and grabbed some cheese. As I was grabbing it Mrs. E came out and asked if I tested. I kinda smiled and told her I was out of strips. She looked at me and shook her head. Then Mrs. C came out and introduced herself. They were giving me a hard time because I had guard in an hour and we didn't know where I was standing blood sugar wise. After giving me more of a hard time we made a deal if I promised not to pass out and come back up for a second cheese stick before guard then I would be cool. If I didn't well... they really didn't give me any other options. Soo I took my cheese stick and ran okay not really ran, but you get the point. So I guess the moral of this story is
a) Don't run out of test strips
b) Don't go see Mrs. M when she comes back because she will blow a gasket
c) Always have a back up plan.
Those are just some tips to help you make it through every day with hypoglycemia.

Keep your head up and your strips handy,
Ellie <3