So I don't know if it's just because it's a topic I'm interested in that I'm seeing all sorts of documentaries and B movies about various ways the world can end, or if there's some uptick lately in that genre, but there sure are a lot of ideas out there! Some we could survive, some probably not.
If an asteroid hits the earth the size of the one that killed off the dinosaurs (assuming that that really is what killed off the dinosaurs) would we survive it? That world's end idea is very plausible. After all, there is plenty of evidence that this large rock we're riding has been bombarded over time with a little of this, a little of that, maybe even another planet at one point. How devastating it would be to humanity is entirely dependent upon the size of the rock that hits us, of course. Will Bruce Willis be there to save us from this doom if it comes our way? Well, let's hope we don't have to find out.
There are some scary bugs out there, these days, that could reach epidemic proportions so easily it makes ones head swim to really read up on it. I don't know how a person could even study that kind of thing and stay sane. Reading The Coming Plague is enough to make you want to crawl under your bed and stay there a few decades. The Influenza epidemic of 1918 was horrific and watching documentaries on that is truly staggering, thinking of the sheer number of people who died from "just the flu". Will a shot help? Who can really say. What if some monster in the Middle East weaponizes Small Pox? That's a truly terrifying thought. Watch one, just ONE documentary on what Small Pox does to a person and how easily it was transmitted all on its own, then consider it weaponized and made even more deadly? Eek! Let's just not! The Black Death was another lovely little thing to read about. Bubonic Plague? Rabies? Some new bug sneaking out of the rainforests we're so intent on destroying? Yeah, probably not something that would destroy all human life, but bad enough you don't want to think about it.
Aliens!? Please. If some kind of extra terrestrial life form is able to travel through space to arrive at our planet and they want us dead, then we're dead. If they are capable of interstellar travel then they're capable of laughing off whatever we could throw at them. So not even really worth thinking about. Will Smith is awesome, but I tend to think we wouldn't get that lucky.
How about The Rapture? Well, I've watched quite a few documentaries on that, too, and read about it my entire life. I think it's about one one-hundredth of a percent as likely to happen as the aliens showing up and equally as hopeless if it does happen, to survive, so even less worthy of serious thought.
Nuclear war. I grew up with that threat. That one feels like a very likely possibility, probably because I have memories of how to hide under my desk or file into a brick lined hallway and duck and cover en masse. Realistically, a nuclear war would not destroy all of humanity. Somebody would survive, certainly. Who that might be would depend greatly on who sent the bombs and where they aimed them. During the Cold War I grew up just a mile or so away from a secondary nuclear target, so I was always assured that I wouldn't survive to have to worry about it. Funny, the things we grew up with that our kids just really couldn't possibly understand.
Volcanic Winter/Climate Change is another one that a lot of B movies are based on. This one isn't even unlikely. Climate Change is real, despite people's attempts at debating it. And while it may be debatable how influential mankind has been on it's speed, the climate doesn't really care who's right or who's wrong. It's going to do what it's going to do. Whether the poles shift, or the salinity of the ocean changes global weather patterns, or some other scenario that we can only imagine and hope never comes our way, mankind would very likely survive in some form. Would I, personally? Well, for a while maybe. How long would really depend on so many things that nobody can really say for sure. These days most people try to be prepared to live a good week without power or outside assistance. After that it's just a matter of time.
There are so many ways that our world could end. Most of them wouldn't be the end of The World, because the world itself would go on without us like a dog that's just shaken off a case of fleas. I don't think we'd be missed all that much! Most of the scenarios don't seem like they'd kill off all of humanity, but certainly most of it, and certainly change the way that humans survive on this world. What's the most likely world changing disaster coming? Who knows....I think it's very possibly Yellowstone erupting, but the pole shift could beat that to the punch. What do you think? Do you think you'd survive for a while? Or maybe for the long haul? How prepared are you for bad things to happen? How long could your household survive if civilization around us collapsed? Or is it the furthest thing from your mind?
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Saille's Sales Fairy Houses -- A New Hobby
So I've started on a new hobby that I'm really enjoying -- I may even make a little side money off it. I'm making fairy houses for fairy gardens. I was playing around on Pinterest and, like so many of us, saw something and said to myself, "Self, I can do that!" Well, that something was a stone fairy house. I learned when we built our fire pit that I have a natural talent assembling rocks, so gluing small stones to a little house is actually fun for me. It's like putting together a little puzzle!
The first one I made was a lot of work. The learning curve was definitely steep at first! Hubby helped me with the door and I didn't put any windows in it, the hinges got glue all over them, and it's just all around too big for my taste and not cute at all. But somebody may like it. I put it up for sale on some local Facebook sites and got plenty of likes and hits, but no bites.
The first one I made was a lot of work. The learning curve was definitely steep at first! Hubby helped me with the door and I didn't put any windows in it, the hinges got glue all over them, and it's just all around too big for my taste and not cute at all. But somebody may like it. I put it up for sale on some local Facebook sites and got plenty of likes and hits, but no bites.
Then I picked up a few supplies at my local Dollar Tree and did a little more reading around Etsy and Pinterest about how people were assembling these and got busy. I made one for my soon to be sister-in-law Miranda next and so far it's been my favorite. She had a birthday so I was thrilled that it came out as cute as it did. I wasn't there when she received it so I can only hope that she actually likes it! lolz!
With a little success under my belt I figured I'd hit another February birthday and make one for my Aunt, as well. This one was well liked by my husband (who often has better taste than I do!).
As Valentine's Day was right then I also made one for my mother, based on the one for my aunt. I don't seem to be able to find a picture of that one, of course, but it was accented with yellow instead of blue and otherwise very similar.
My son's mid-winter school break was approaching and he was going to Ottawa to spend a long weekend with his aunt and uncle who live there. I've never been to their house, so I just tried something completely different. I don't think that either of them garden at all or have an outdoorsy kind of motif so I went with something brighter. I was informed that some of the stones fell from the spire and were super glued back on. As they were pretty solid I'm guessing that my teenage son didn't take care with the house, but hopefully it wasn't terribly mangled. The Z on the door is their initial.
So now that I had various gifts out of the way I was ready to try my hand at selling! I haven't sold any yet, but I did just start this within the last two weeks, and only opened my Etsy shop, SaillesSales, last evening, so it's still pretty early. ;) All the fairy houses I find out there are either mass produced or well up over a hundred dollars and cost prohibitive for anybody who isn't devoted to the idea of a fairy garden but thinks it's a cute idea. All gardens need a fairy, you know. And what better way to coax a fairy to bless your garden than to provide an attractive home! When the snow is gone, sometime around Memorial Weekend, and I can get into the woods, I'll be harvesting acorns and making lanterns and other assorted cute things. So follow my Etsy page (I assume you're already following my blog, right?!) and keep your eyes open!
St. Patrick's Day Fairy Garden House, $35
Blue Dragonfly House, $35
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SaillesSales
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Reasons Why I Am A Bad Mommy
1. I did not breast feed my son.
2. I did not co-sleep with my son.
3. I did not extended rear face my son's car seat.
4. I did not ever own a Moby wrap or anything similar.
5. I did allow my son to sleep in his swing until he outgrew it.
6. I put rice cereal into the baby bottle and widened the hole in the nipple.
7. I started my son on cows milk at only 10 months old.
8. I have never owned a dish washer and have never once boiled anything to disinfect it.
9. More than once I cleaned a fallen pacifier off with my own mouth then gave it back to the baby.
10. I used the television as a babysitter (THANK YOU Bear in the Big Blue House, Rollie Pollie Ollie, and The Wiggles!!)
11. I did not read to my son any more than absolutely necessary.
12. I almost never bought hand sanitizer.
13. I never use antibacterial soaps or detergents.
14. I let my son jump on the couch.
15. I did not leap to my son's defense when other kids picked on him.
16. I did make him apologize for picking on other kids.
17. I used bribery and babysitters to get him toilet trained.
18. I cut his hair myself until he was old enough to object.
19. I never had a birthday party where his entire class was invited.
20. I never made amazing party favors for the friends who were invited to the birthday parties.
21. I didn't plan activities for any gathering of his friends but just send them outside.
22. I did not hover by a window or on the deck while he played outside.
23. I started letting him take unsupervised baths at age four.
24. I did not let him wear clothes he picked out himself if they didn't match or were ugly.
25. I bought his clothes second hand as much as humanly possible.
26. I let him wear Abercrombie & Fitch even after they refused to make clothes in larger sizes.
27. When he cried I told him to go to bed because I didn't want to listen to it.
28. I didn't allow whining in my home.
29. I told him that boys were supposed to get dirty.
30. I told him that you never, ever hit a girl.
31. I told him that if you need to defend yourself or somebody else to fight and I'd stand behind him.
32. I took teacher's sides against him and if he got in trouble at school he was in trouble at home.
33. I forgot the sunscreen.
34. I swore in front of him and told him he couldn't say those same words until he was 18.
35. I let him taste wine, beer, and champagne on occasions where we were having some.
36. When he started riding the school bus I sat him down and told him all the 'bad' words so that he would know what they were and what not to repeat.
37. When we went to the park I sat on a bench and read a book and paid very little attention to what he was doing.
38. I didn't want to build a snowman.
39. When he swatted a cat and it swatted back I told him he deserved it. .
40. I didn't let him manhandle any pets or animals.
41. I didn't have regular chores or lists.
42. I did not curb my road rage-isms in front of him.
43. I was honest with him about the household income, the bills, and the times when we struggled with money and what that meant.
44. I let him fend for himself for meals if I don't feel like cooking.
45. He first learned how to use the stove at age eight.
46. I told him in 6th grade that there was no college fund and what scholarships are and what he needs to do to get one.
47. I bought him his first cell phone at eight years old in the 5th grade.
48. I got him his first smart phone at 13.
49. I don't snoop his texts, IMs, or browser history.
50. I got him his own debit card to use at 14 years old.
51. I took him to his first concert at 13 years old and didn't attend it with him.
52. I showed him how to make coffee and what a wonderful thing it is on groggy mornings.
53. I got him his first gaming system (X-box) when he started regular school.
54. I let him hang out in town with his friends after school and pick him up at dinner time.
55. I answer his questions honestly, no matter what they are.
56. I don't dictate to him a specific bedtime.
57. He started staying home alone in the house as young as age 10.
58. At 14 I would absolutely leave him home alone for days at a time.
59. We bought him his first gun at age 12 and taught him how to shoot it.
60. He wanted a pocket knife, we gave him a pocket knife.
61. When he thought zippos were cool we gave him one.
62. There are no parental controls on the cable and he has it set up in his room.
63. I let him be friends with whomever he wants, only reminding him that if one gets caught doing something the entire group will be charged so be aware.
64. When I need money for something and he has some I borrow it.
65. I don't clean his room for him.
66. I don't make him clean his room, other than dishes and dirty clothes.
67. I don't make him walk his dogs.
68. I let him play rated M video games.
69. I let him watch rated R movies.
70. I let him make his own mistakes.
Oh, there are more, I'm sure! Now-a-days I see the term "Free Range Parenting" and that's a pretty good description of my style of parenting, the opposite of a "Helicopter Parent" anyway. My goals with my son are to raise him to independent, self sufficient, confident, to possess common sense, to be level headed, and to be a productive member of society. So far, 14 years into the biggest experiment of my life, I have a young man who has found ways to make his own money, balances his own budget with his debit card, is in the honors programs in math, science, and art, has many good friends who I'm happy to have in our lives, has many other more casual friends, has had some nice girlfriends. He is adored by his dogs, is buddies with the little guy I babysit and pretty much any other small child he comes into contact with, and he can have a real conversation with any adult on a variety of interesting topics and not be out of his depth or feel intimidated. He is responsible, knows how to cook and clean, is respectful and honest, and doesn't sneak. He is extensively fluent in sarcasm and chaffes when he's treated as if he must be inherently stupid or rotten just because he's a teenager. He's not one who needs to act bullish to feel manly but doesn't take anybody's shit, either. He is healthy, has only seasonal allergies, and is a healthy weight. He pays attention to nutrition because I am diabetic and he knows that he could be genetically predisposed to it.
So all in all, so far, I think I'm doing okay despite all the many, many bad mommy things I've done and plan to continue doing. You know, like teaching him how to drive this summer at 14 though he can't get a permit until he's 16. Or leaving him to house and dog sit while hubby and I go away for a weekend this summer sometime.
I am very proud of my son. The young man that he is is as much his own character as mine and my husband's influences on him. It's both nature and nurture.
---------------------------------
So tell me, Gentle Reader, what things have you done or not done that in today's era of Mommy Wars puts you in the bad parent category?
Spill your secrets, my friends!!! Let's start the rebellion together!
2. I did not co-sleep with my son.
3. I did not extended rear face my son's car seat.
4. I did not ever own a Moby wrap or anything similar.
5. I did allow my son to sleep in his swing until he outgrew it.
6. I put rice cereal into the baby bottle and widened the hole in the nipple.
7. I started my son on cows milk at only 10 months old.
8. I have never owned a dish washer and have never once boiled anything to disinfect it.
9. More than once I cleaned a fallen pacifier off with my own mouth then gave it back to the baby.
10. I used the television as a babysitter (THANK YOU Bear in the Big Blue House, Rollie Pollie Ollie, and The Wiggles!!)
11. I did not read to my son any more than absolutely necessary.
12. I almost never bought hand sanitizer.
13. I never use antibacterial soaps or detergents.
14. I let my son jump on the couch.
15. I did not leap to my son's defense when other kids picked on him.
16. I did make him apologize for picking on other kids.
17. I used bribery and babysitters to get him toilet trained.
18. I cut his hair myself until he was old enough to object.
19. I never had a birthday party where his entire class was invited.
20. I never made amazing party favors for the friends who were invited to the birthday parties.
21. I didn't plan activities for any gathering of his friends but just send them outside.
22. I did not hover by a window or on the deck while he played outside.
23. I started letting him take unsupervised baths at age four.
24. I did not let him wear clothes he picked out himself if they didn't match or were ugly.
25. I bought his clothes second hand as much as humanly possible.
26. I let him wear Abercrombie & Fitch even after they refused to make clothes in larger sizes.
27. When he cried I told him to go to bed because I didn't want to listen to it.
28. I didn't allow whining in my home.
29. I told him that boys were supposed to get dirty.
30. I told him that you never, ever hit a girl.
31. I told him that if you need to defend yourself or somebody else to fight and I'd stand behind him.
32. I took teacher's sides against him and if he got in trouble at school he was in trouble at home.
33. I forgot the sunscreen.
34. I swore in front of him and told him he couldn't say those same words until he was 18.
35. I let him taste wine, beer, and champagne on occasions where we were having some.
36. When he started riding the school bus I sat him down and told him all the 'bad' words so that he would know what they were and what not to repeat.
37. When we went to the park I sat on a bench and read a book and paid very little attention to what he was doing.
38. I didn't want to build a snowman.
39. When he swatted a cat and it swatted back I told him he deserved it. .
40. I didn't let him manhandle any pets or animals.
41. I didn't have regular chores or lists.
42. I did not curb my road rage-isms in front of him.
43. I was honest with him about the household income, the bills, and the times when we struggled with money and what that meant.
44. I let him fend for himself for meals if I don't feel like cooking.
45. He first learned how to use the stove at age eight.
46. I told him in 6th grade that there was no college fund and what scholarships are and what he needs to do to get one.
47. I bought him his first cell phone at eight years old in the 5th grade.
48. I got him his first smart phone at 13.
49. I don't snoop his texts, IMs, or browser history.
50. I got him his own debit card to use at 14 years old.
51. I took him to his first concert at 13 years old and didn't attend it with him.
52. I showed him how to make coffee and what a wonderful thing it is on groggy mornings.
53. I got him his first gaming system (X-box) when he started regular school.
54. I let him hang out in town with his friends after school and pick him up at dinner time.
55. I answer his questions honestly, no matter what they are.
56. I don't dictate to him a specific bedtime.
57. He started staying home alone in the house as young as age 10.
58. At 14 I would absolutely leave him home alone for days at a time.
59. We bought him his first gun at age 12 and taught him how to shoot it.
60. He wanted a pocket knife, we gave him a pocket knife.
61. When he thought zippos were cool we gave him one.
62. There are no parental controls on the cable and he has it set up in his room.
63. I let him be friends with whomever he wants, only reminding him that if one gets caught doing something the entire group will be charged so be aware.
64. When I need money for something and he has some I borrow it.
65. I don't clean his room for him.
66. I don't make him clean his room, other than dishes and dirty clothes.
67. I don't make him walk his dogs.
68. I let him play rated M video games.
69. I let him watch rated R movies.
70. I let him make his own mistakes.
Oh, there are more, I'm sure! Now-a-days I see the term "Free Range Parenting" and that's a pretty good description of my style of parenting, the opposite of a "Helicopter Parent" anyway. My goals with my son are to raise him to independent, self sufficient, confident, to possess common sense, to be level headed, and to be a productive member of society. So far, 14 years into the biggest experiment of my life, I have a young man who has found ways to make his own money, balances his own budget with his debit card, is in the honors programs in math, science, and art, has many good friends who I'm happy to have in our lives, has many other more casual friends, has had some nice girlfriends. He is adored by his dogs, is buddies with the little guy I babysit and pretty much any other small child he comes into contact with, and he can have a real conversation with any adult on a variety of interesting topics and not be out of his depth or feel intimidated. He is responsible, knows how to cook and clean, is respectful and honest, and doesn't sneak. He is extensively fluent in sarcasm and chaffes when he's treated as if he must be inherently stupid or rotten just because he's a teenager. He's not one who needs to act bullish to feel manly but doesn't take anybody's shit, either. He is healthy, has only seasonal allergies, and is a healthy weight. He pays attention to nutrition because I am diabetic and he knows that he could be genetically predisposed to it.
So all in all, so far, I think I'm doing okay despite all the many, many bad mommy things I've done and plan to continue doing. You know, like teaching him how to drive this summer at 14 though he can't get a permit until he's 16. Or leaving him to house and dog sit while hubby and I go away for a weekend this summer sometime.
I am very proud of my son. The young man that he is is as much his own character as mine and my husband's influences on him. It's both nature and nurture.
---------------------------------
So tell me, Gentle Reader, what things have you done or not done that in today's era of Mommy Wars puts you in the bad parent category?
Spill your secrets, my friends!!! Let's start the rebellion together!
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Dear Nice Guys
Here is my inspiration for today's rant:
http://thoughtcatalog.com/leo-steven/2014/04/dear-girls-who-are-finally-ready-to-date-nice-guys-we-dont-want-you-anymore/
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Dear Nice Guys Who Are (Finally) Ready to Date Nice Girls: We Don't Want You Anymore.
You had your chance to ask us out on a date. You remember when that hot girl you wanted so badly finally went out on a date with you? You were so excited! You went on and on to me about how amazing the date was going to be, how you were going to knock her socks off with your good manners, display of romance, and willingness to spend every penny you possess on her. Somehow, you and she were going to be two completely different people on this amazing date and live happily ever after. You were going to be somebody she found interesting and fun and she was going to develop depth and a personality. Do you remember?
Do you remember how brutally crushed you were when, at the end of the night, reality came crashing down crushing your hopes and dreams into the dust. Not only were you still you, but she was still the same person she's always been. Only now you were seeing her for who she really was all along. You were finally seeing past her perky 36C breasts and well displayed cleavage, her well trimmed waist that was always easy to glimpse when she moved around because her tops were barely long enough to reach the bottom of her waist, her round and firm ass that she worked to keep tight and firm. You were finally seeing that underneath that jail bait body she was really just a shallow, self involved jerk who didn't deserve you at all. At least, that's what I thought you were seeing.
Do you remember whose shoulder you cried on? Do you remember the hours you spent lamenting to me that life sucked, that your life, in particular, sucked, and that you were going to be forever alone? I remember. I held your hand, I gave you my shoulder, I was there for you at all hours any time you were feeling down and needed to vent. And vent you did. The mantra of the rejected nice guy became your life. You were going to show her; you were going to show all the girls like her! At first I thought that your anger meant you were finally moving on and were making progress. Maybe, just maybe, you would finally SEE ME! Maybe now that you finally saw her, you could lose those rose tinted glasses and see me for something other than wallpaper, or a D&D buddy, a friend, a Nice Girl. Ha! Little did I know. You still didn't see her for the person that she was, you only saw a beautiful girl who you believed you 'deserved' even if she didn't realize it.
In your 20's you disappeared. We used to talk every day, sometimes all day, and you just disappeared. You went to your college, I went to mine, and you were gone. We saw one another on holidays, sometimes, but you were so engrossed in your studies, so determined to make something of yourself, that I was even more invisible than I'd ever been. At first I thought that this kind of ambition wasn't really a bad thing, there are a lot of Type A personalities in the world, after all. But then when I finally got you to talk to me you were doing it to show them, to show them all. The driving force behind this ambition, behind it all, was still her, the 'her's of this world. Somewhere in your mind she still existed in all her teenage glory, with her hot body and her empty mind, gazing into a mirror that would never reflect you. It finally occurred to me that I don't want you! Why would I want a man who is so hung up on another woman, another type of woman, that his entire existence has been devoted to her in one way or another? Why would I want a man who, instead of developing as a person, who instead of growing and learning and maturing, has been stuck inside his own head for a decade or more still beating against the self built walls of rejection? I am perfectly capable of being a whole and happy person, in and of myself. I don't need you, or anybody else, to complete me or to make my life worthwhile. I have better things to do.
But now I'm not a wallflower, am I? I didn't know how to dress, or do my hair and make-up in high school. I could barely bring myself to care about such things in college, though I did try, occasionally. When I finally stopped trying to be That Girl, and instead just worked on being the best ME I could be, suddenly I'm visible. Now that I have the self-confidence from having succeeded in my life so far, now that I know who I am and what I want and don't care what anybody around me says I should be or should want, suddenly I'm Somebody. I don't need you anymore. I'm not in the mood to deal with you, your issues, or your quest for recognition. When I find a man who is my equal, who realizes that I am his equal, we will work together to be happy, we will have children if we decide to, and have the things that make us happy, together.
Truth is, I'm happy for you. I really am. It's about time that you matured and came to your senses about that girl and the many people that are just like her, who want what they want when they want it and don't care about consequences, the future, or even tomorrow, as long as they have fun today. But I wasn't sitting by the phone waiting for you to realize that I'm a great woman. I wrote you off long, long ago. You've learned some important lessons, and so have I. In fact, you taught me one. You taught me not to date guys like you.
Speaking for the nice girls out there, you're too late.
We want a man, not a petulant boy who still sees any choice that doesn't line up with what he wants as being wrong and misguided. We don't want some boy who has finally realized that he was standing on the backs of the nice girls to reach for the wrong ones. We want a man who sees that each woman is a person, not a trophy, not an achievement to reach. We want a man who sees our sense of humor, our sense of self, and honors that and loves that. And that's just not you. I'm sorry if that bothers you. Well, no, actually I'm not. I don't even care that much. Good luck in life.
The Nice Girl
http://thoughtcatalog.com/leo-steven/2014/04/dear-girls-who-are-finally-ready-to-date-nice-guys-we-dont-want-you-anymore/
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Dear Nice Guys Who Are (Finally) Ready to Date Nice Girls: We Don't Want You Anymore.
You had your chance to ask us out on a date. You remember when that hot girl you wanted so badly finally went out on a date with you? You were so excited! You went on and on to me about how amazing the date was going to be, how you were going to knock her socks off with your good manners, display of romance, and willingness to spend every penny you possess on her. Somehow, you and she were going to be two completely different people on this amazing date and live happily ever after. You were going to be somebody she found interesting and fun and she was going to develop depth and a personality. Do you remember?
Do you remember how brutally crushed you were when, at the end of the night, reality came crashing down crushing your hopes and dreams into the dust. Not only were you still you, but she was still the same person she's always been. Only now you were seeing her for who she really was all along. You were finally seeing past her perky 36C breasts and well displayed cleavage, her well trimmed waist that was always easy to glimpse when she moved around because her tops were barely long enough to reach the bottom of her waist, her round and firm ass that she worked to keep tight and firm. You were finally seeing that underneath that jail bait body she was really just a shallow, self involved jerk who didn't deserve you at all. At least, that's what I thought you were seeing.
Do you remember whose shoulder you cried on? Do you remember the hours you spent lamenting to me that life sucked, that your life, in particular, sucked, and that you were going to be forever alone? I remember. I held your hand, I gave you my shoulder, I was there for you at all hours any time you were feeling down and needed to vent. And vent you did. The mantra of the rejected nice guy became your life. You were going to show her; you were going to show all the girls like her! At first I thought that your anger meant you were finally moving on and were making progress. Maybe, just maybe, you would finally SEE ME! Maybe now that you finally saw her, you could lose those rose tinted glasses and see me for something other than wallpaper, or a D&D buddy, a friend, a Nice Girl. Ha! Little did I know. You still didn't see her for the person that she was, you only saw a beautiful girl who you believed you 'deserved' even if she didn't realize it.
In your 20's you disappeared. We used to talk every day, sometimes all day, and you just disappeared. You went to your college, I went to mine, and you were gone. We saw one another on holidays, sometimes, but you were so engrossed in your studies, so determined to make something of yourself, that I was even more invisible than I'd ever been. At first I thought that this kind of ambition wasn't really a bad thing, there are a lot of Type A personalities in the world, after all. But then when I finally got you to talk to me you were doing it to show them, to show them all. The driving force behind this ambition, behind it all, was still her, the 'her's of this world. Somewhere in your mind she still existed in all her teenage glory, with her hot body and her empty mind, gazing into a mirror that would never reflect you. It finally occurred to me that I don't want you! Why would I want a man who is so hung up on another woman, another type of woman, that his entire existence has been devoted to her in one way or another? Why would I want a man who, instead of developing as a person, who instead of growing and learning and maturing, has been stuck inside his own head for a decade or more still beating against the self built walls of rejection? I am perfectly capable of being a whole and happy person, in and of myself. I don't need you, or anybody else, to complete me or to make my life worthwhile. I have better things to do.
But now I'm not a wallflower, am I? I didn't know how to dress, or do my hair and make-up in high school. I could barely bring myself to care about such things in college, though I did try, occasionally. When I finally stopped trying to be That Girl, and instead just worked on being the best ME I could be, suddenly I'm visible. Now that I have the self-confidence from having succeeded in my life so far, now that I know who I am and what I want and don't care what anybody around me says I should be or should want, suddenly I'm Somebody. I don't need you anymore. I'm not in the mood to deal with you, your issues, or your quest for recognition. When I find a man who is my equal, who realizes that I am his equal, we will work together to be happy, we will have children if we decide to, and have the things that make us happy, together.
Truth is, I'm happy for you. I really am. It's about time that you matured and came to your senses about that girl and the many people that are just like her, who want what they want when they want it and don't care about consequences, the future, or even tomorrow, as long as they have fun today. But I wasn't sitting by the phone waiting for you to realize that I'm a great woman. I wrote you off long, long ago. You've learned some important lessons, and so have I. In fact, you taught me one. You taught me not to date guys like you.
Speaking for the nice girls out there, you're too late.
We want a man, not a petulant boy who still sees any choice that doesn't line up with what he wants as being wrong and misguided. We don't want some boy who has finally realized that he was standing on the backs of the nice girls to reach for the wrong ones. We want a man who sees that each woman is a person, not a trophy, not an achievement to reach. We want a man who sees our sense of humor, our sense of self, and honors that and loves that. And that's just not you. I'm sorry if that bothers you. Well, no, actually I'm not. I don't even care that much. Good luck in life.
The Nice Girl
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Review of Vidal Sassoon's Salonist Hair Color
So first let me tell you that I'm a Bzz Agent. If you haven't heard of it, what that means is that I get samples of products from various companies so that I can try things out and let them know what I think, and usually get some really awesome coupons to share with people. In this case, I received a kit from Vidal Sassoon of their Salonist Hair Color in Dark Neutral Blonde. Now, I'm a hair moron....I even had my husband choose the shade for me so I wouldn't end up picking something completely awful. (He did very well, by the way!) I will tell you that this hair coloring kit was EASY! My hair was last colored by some mediocre salon at a mall in Buffalo NY and has been slowly growing out ever since. And while blonde highlights in brown hair blend, to a point, it doesn't at all when you've got six inches of dark brown roots. I had a lot of the length cut off recently at the salon at JC Penny's at our local mall in Massena (HIGHLY recommended!!!) and it helped, but I really needed to do something about that mismatched color scheme I had going on. When I had the opportunity to try this product I was very happy to.
Here is what I was starting with. See those roots I was talking about? Ugh!!
Here are all the bits and pieces from my VS Salonist Hair Coloring kit. Now that folded up paper center front is the easiest set of directions that you're ever going to find in something like this. It had step by step, clearly spelled out instructions with pictures. Doesn't get easier than that! And you could actually understand them! Oh, and I really liked that you got REAL latex gloves (inside that container) to work with instead of those flimsy things that used to come attached to the directions? Yeah, those were cheap.
Here is the kit!!
So Step 1 -- mix this bottle and that tube together.
Now, there's a line in that little black tray to help you know how much 3/4 of the tray is, because now you use 3/4 of this goop on your roots and save the other 1/4 for later.
Am I hot, or am I HOT!!! So this stuff smells okay. There's a teensy bit of a tingly almost stingy/burning feeling, but not quite, like it's almost about to feel uncomfortable, but more that you're just aware of it. And yeah, this is NOT how the model in the instructions looks, but forget her....she had help!
Besides, I can vogue like Madonna!
(Shhhhhh.....yeah, I know.....I'm old....)
(Shhhhhh.....yeah, I know.....I'm old....)
So you leave this on for 20-30 minutes. Plenty of time to have a glass of wine and read all about the next step. In Step 2 you're going to take that little red packet and mix it with the remaining 1/4 of the goop in the tray. Then you're going to grab glops of it and massage it into all your hair. Tip -- do this over a sink! I mean, this is not the time to be wearing your good shirt, using good towels, or hanging out in the carpeted den.
Just get it all on there and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Now here is where the less than pleasant smell comes in. We are chemically altering our appearance and can't expect it to all smell like candy. As these things go, the smell was fine, easily tolerable, and only made my eyes water a little when I was putting it on.
You'll want to make sure before you even start this process that you can get to the sink, and have a towel and stuff ready over there. Because the last step is going to be rinse the goop allllll out, wash, and condition with the very awesome stuff they give you. Now only use about a quarter sized amount of their conditioner because you're going to use it about once a week or so until it's gone to help the color last longer.
OMGZ!! My roots match the rest of my hair!!!
How easy was THAT!!!!
And really, that's IT! Yes! That's all there is to this! A good tip for anybody that colors their hair is cut the top of the box off so that you have the color name and number code for future purchases. Maybe stick it in your purse. It'll fall to the bottom and be there with the empty gum wrapper and pennies when you need it again in three months or so. Now Vidal Sassoon's Salonist Hair Color advertises that is covers greys 100%! So whether you are looking for a change up in color to chase away the winter blahs, or you need to beat some greys into submission, or you just have a bad set of roots that need dealing with, this is the product you want to try out! And if you live near me, then you're in luck, because I've got FOUR coupons for this for $3 off! So if you want one of these coupons let me know and I'll get it to you -- I don't expect them to last very long!
Many many thanks to Vidal Sassoon for sending me this product to try out! I am very impressed in how simple it was to use and how soft my hair feels now, as well as the very nice color that it is now (especially compared to my before pics!!!).
Many many thanks to Vidal Sassoon for sending me this product to try out! I am very impressed in how simple it was to use and how soft my hair feels now, as well as the very nice color that it is now (especially compared to my before pics!!!).
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Diabetes Myths and Misinformation
Not in any particular order.
1. Diabetes is caused by poor diet and fitness. No, Diabetes is not caused by sugar. There are a few different reasons why a person can develop diabetes, and while bad eating habits and being sedentary make some of it worse, it does not cause it to happen. Type 1 is caused when the pancreas stops producing insulin. Type 2 is a genetic disease caused by a combination of insulin resistance, low pancreatic activity, and faulty liver function, not always all three, in any combination of the above. Type 1.5 is autoimmune and is, to keep it short, slow onset Type 1. Gestational Diabetes is diabetes that develops during a pregnancy. And traumatic injury or disease to the pancreas can cause diabetes. But Twinkies and Coke do not cause it.
2. Diabetes can be cured. This one is my pet peeve so let me be completely clear.
THERE IS NO CURE FOR DIABETES
No matter what kind you have, at this point in time there is no cure. Some, I repeat SOME Type 2's can go into a remission like state where, through a combination of lifestyle changes and the good fortune of their diabetes being less severe than others, their blood glucose numbers are in a normal range. This is not the same thing as being cured. You can't cure genes.
3. Type 1 or 2 Diabetes is worse than the other type. No. Disease doesn't work that way. There is no better or worse kind of diabetes. It all sucks. Having a disease that affects how you need to life your life, affects every organ in your body, affects the length of your life, and much more, is not a pissing contest. None of this is a competition. That's like saying one form of cancer is better or worse than another.
4. Type 1 is something children get. Incorrect. Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune disease that happens when the immune system attacks the beta cells of the pancreas and kills off most or all insulin production in the body, can happen to any person at any age. Nobody knows why it happens, nobody can stop it, and it's not predictable.
5. Type 2 is something old people get. Incorrect. Type 2 Diabetes, a genetic disease, happens when the body becomes resistant to it's own insulin, the liver dumps glucose into the blood stream incorrectly, and the pancreas may or may not make insulin in the proper amounts. It can happen to anybody with the gene, at any age, nobody can stop it, and it's not predictable.
6. Diabetes isn't that bad, you just have to eat right. Wrong. Diabetes causes more deaths per year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. There are complications from diabetes, such as heart disease and stroke, that are deadly.
7. Diabetics can't eat sugar, or can't eat carbs. That is absolutely not true. The human body requires carbohydrates. Not eating carbs will cause as much damage and problems to a diabetic as eating too much. Telling a diabetic that they shouldn't eat that is just an asshole kind of thing to say, unless you're talking to your child who you're trying to teach. A diabetic needs to count how many carbs they're consuming and balance it out with the right amount of insulin or medication. They got this; back off.
8. Diabetics get sick more easily. No, we really don't. However, when we do get sick, the immune response in our bodies makes our blood glucose numbers jump around like kangaroos and more difficult to control. So sometimes when we get sick, it's kind of a big deal.
9. Fruit is healthy and natural so a diabetic can eat it. Bonk! SO not true! Fruit is sweet, and full of carbohydrates, and needs to be properly accounted for when we count those carbs.
10. There are lots of products that can cure diabetes. OMG I hate those things and the people who push them. I'll reiterate that diabetes does not have a cure. Taking some product you read about online, saw in a commercial, had pretty packaging on the store shelf, or somebody tried to sell you, not only won't cure diabetes but may cause it's own set of problems. Just because something is organic and made of all natural products doesn't mean there aren't side effects, it doesn't mean it's good for you, and it sure as shit doesn't mean it's going to cure you of an incurable disease. If you want to try something do this -- print up a list of all it's ingredients and take that to your pharmacist. Talk to the pharmacist about what medications you're currently taking and if any of the ingredients listed will interfere with them. If you get a green light, go ahead and throw your money at it. It's your body. But don't say nobody warned you.
11. Diabetics need insulin. To be perfectly precise, every person needs insulin to live. Some people don't make enough on their own and need to outsource production, is all. But a diagnosis of diabetes doesn't mean that you will automatically go on insulin. Many Type 2 diabetics control just fine with oral medication combined with diet and fitness.
12. Diabetes only affects rich countries. Not correct. Diabetes occurs in every demographic, in every country, on every continent, in every color, in every religion, in every income bracket, in every age. It doesn't discriminate.
13. Diabetes care isn't costly. Oh, how I wish! Some diabetes medications that have been around a while are somewhat affordable, but no, diabetes is incredibly expensive. Between the doctor visits every three months, the blood tests they perform, the self testing multiple times a day, the medications, the complications.....no, none of it is inexpensive.
14. Diabetics use their diabetes as an excuse to get out of things. Well, I can't say that 100% of diabetics would never, ever do such a thing, but it's pretty likely that it's not true and you're just not understanding what's happening. A diabetic needs to test their blood glucose regularly, they need to eat regularly, they need to take their medications regularly, and if their blood glucose levels get too high or low they need to treat that immediately. So if they need to take a break from class or from their job or from whatever it is that they're doing to make sure things are okay, then they really do need to do that. Would you rather they just passed out in front of you to prove they weren't making it up?
Oh, there are a lot of things that people don't know about diabetes. Heck, there are a lot of diabetics who don't understand it themselves and have misconceptions! There've been studies! But you know, if you have questions please feel free to ask them. Oh, and here's a study on how even many diabetics are lacking in education and understanding of what's happening to their own bodies.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660470/
1. Diabetes is caused by poor diet and fitness. No, Diabetes is not caused by sugar. There are a few different reasons why a person can develop diabetes, and while bad eating habits and being sedentary make some of it worse, it does not cause it to happen. Type 1 is caused when the pancreas stops producing insulin. Type 2 is a genetic disease caused by a combination of insulin resistance, low pancreatic activity, and faulty liver function, not always all three, in any combination of the above. Type 1.5 is autoimmune and is, to keep it short, slow onset Type 1. Gestational Diabetes is diabetes that develops during a pregnancy. And traumatic injury or disease to the pancreas can cause diabetes. But Twinkies and Coke do not cause it.
2. Diabetes can be cured. This one is my pet peeve so let me be completely clear.
THERE IS NO CURE FOR DIABETES
No matter what kind you have, at this point in time there is no cure. Some, I repeat SOME Type 2's can go into a remission like state where, through a combination of lifestyle changes and the good fortune of their diabetes being less severe than others, their blood glucose numbers are in a normal range. This is not the same thing as being cured. You can't cure genes.
3. Type 1 or 2 Diabetes is worse than the other type. No. Disease doesn't work that way. There is no better or worse kind of diabetes. It all sucks. Having a disease that affects how you need to life your life, affects every organ in your body, affects the length of your life, and much more, is not a pissing contest. None of this is a competition. That's like saying one form of cancer is better or worse than another.
4. Type 1 is something children get. Incorrect. Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune disease that happens when the immune system attacks the beta cells of the pancreas and kills off most or all insulin production in the body, can happen to any person at any age. Nobody knows why it happens, nobody can stop it, and it's not predictable.
5. Type 2 is something old people get. Incorrect. Type 2 Diabetes, a genetic disease, happens when the body becomes resistant to it's own insulin, the liver dumps glucose into the blood stream incorrectly, and the pancreas may or may not make insulin in the proper amounts. It can happen to anybody with the gene, at any age, nobody can stop it, and it's not predictable.
6. Diabetes isn't that bad, you just have to eat right. Wrong. Diabetes causes more deaths per year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. There are complications from diabetes, such as heart disease and stroke, that are deadly.
7. Diabetics can't eat sugar, or can't eat carbs. That is absolutely not true. The human body requires carbohydrates. Not eating carbs will cause as much damage and problems to a diabetic as eating too much. Telling a diabetic that they shouldn't eat that is just an asshole kind of thing to say, unless you're talking to your child who you're trying to teach. A diabetic needs to count how many carbs they're consuming and balance it out with the right amount of insulin or medication. They got this; back off.
8. Diabetics get sick more easily. No, we really don't. However, when we do get sick, the immune response in our bodies makes our blood glucose numbers jump around like kangaroos and more difficult to control. So sometimes when we get sick, it's kind of a big deal.
9. Fruit is healthy and natural so a diabetic can eat it. Bonk! SO not true! Fruit is sweet, and full of carbohydrates, and needs to be properly accounted for when we count those carbs.
10. There are lots of products that can cure diabetes. OMG I hate those things and the people who push them. I'll reiterate that diabetes does not have a cure. Taking some product you read about online, saw in a commercial, had pretty packaging on the store shelf, or somebody tried to sell you, not only won't cure diabetes but may cause it's own set of problems. Just because something is organic and made of all natural products doesn't mean there aren't side effects, it doesn't mean it's good for you, and it sure as shit doesn't mean it's going to cure you of an incurable disease. If you want to try something do this -- print up a list of all it's ingredients and take that to your pharmacist. Talk to the pharmacist about what medications you're currently taking and if any of the ingredients listed will interfere with them. If you get a green light, go ahead and throw your money at it. It's your body. But don't say nobody warned you.
11. Diabetics need insulin. To be perfectly precise, every person needs insulin to live. Some people don't make enough on their own and need to outsource production, is all. But a diagnosis of diabetes doesn't mean that you will automatically go on insulin. Many Type 2 diabetics control just fine with oral medication combined with diet and fitness.
12. Diabetes only affects rich countries. Not correct. Diabetes occurs in every demographic, in every country, on every continent, in every color, in every religion, in every income bracket, in every age. It doesn't discriminate.
13. Diabetes care isn't costly. Oh, how I wish! Some diabetes medications that have been around a while are somewhat affordable, but no, diabetes is incredibly expensive. Between the doctor visits every three months, the blood tests they perform, the self testing multiple times a day, the medications, the complications.....no, none of it is inexpensive.
14. Diabetics use their diabetes as an excuse to get out of things. Well, I can't say that 100% of diabetics would never, ever do such a thing, but it's pretty likely that it's not true and you're just not understanding what's happening. A diabetic needs to test their blood glucose regularly, they need to eat regularly, they need to take their medications regularly, and if their blood glucose levels get too high or low they need to treat that immediately. So if they need to take a break from class or from their job or from whatever it is that they're doing to make sure things are okay, then they really do need to do that. Would you rather they just passed out in front of you to prove they weren't making it up?
Oh, there are a lot of things that people don't know about diabetes. Heck, there are a lot of diabetics who don't understand it themselves and have misconceptions! There've been studies! But you know, if you have questions please feel free to ask them. Oh, and here's a study on how even many diabetics are lacking in education and understanding of what's happening to their own bodies.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660470/
So What Is Diabetes?
I will start by saying that I am a diabetic. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in 2000 when I was pregnant with my son, at age 26. At 30 years old I was officially diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I started out on oral medications combined with diet and exercise but eventually went to insulin. I am now on an insulin pump. I have joined a diabetes group on Facebook and was really stunned by reports of the misconceptions and lack of understanding by families and friends of diabetics everywhere. I totally get that when something doesn't affect you personally, or somebody that you love, that you don't study up on it. When it's somebody you know, though, don't you usually learn a bit more about it? So I started a Facebook post this morning asking a few basic questions about diabetes from all the folks on my friends list. The post hasn't been up there very long and already there are some of the stereotypical misconceptions up there as answers. So in this blog post I'm going to explain what diabetes is, what some of the different types are, and how they're generally treated.
To begin, diabetes in general describes an inability of the person's body to correctly produce and/or use the hormone insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by beta cells that are on your pancreas. Your body uses insulin to move glucose (sugar) from food from the bloodstream into cells throughout the body where it is then used for energy.
Type 1 Diabetes, often called Juvenile Diabetes, is an Autoimmune Disease. What this means is that at some point, the body decided that those beta cells I mentioned weren't supposed to be there and the immune system attacks and kills off some or all of them. This can happen at varying speeds. Nobody knows why this happens. This can happen at ANY age. You can develop Type 1 Diabetes at 2, at 12, at 22, 52, etc.....it is not solely something that happens to children. With those beta cells gone, the body does not produce any insulin on its own and so the person MUST give themselves insulin in order to survive. No diet, no exercise, no pills will help.
Type 2 Diabetes used to be referred to as Adult Onset Diabetes. In my grandmother's generation it often didn't present itself until a person reached retirement age. Today we are seeing it in people of all ages, including children. Type 2 Diabetes is a Genetic Disease. A person can be in excellent health and eat a perfect diet and develop Type 2 Diabetes. A person can eat nothing but Twinkies and Chips, drink four liters of soda a day, never exercise, and be obese and still not develop Type 2 Diabetes; it's about genetics. The disease can present with no causal factors, it can just pop up at any time. However, it can also be brought out earlier through a lack of activity or by poor diet. It is not caused by diet or lack of activity, those are only factors that can cause it to present earlier than it MIGHT otherwise have developed. With Type 2 Diabetes a person's body becomes resistant to the insulin it produces, as well as possible changes in the amount of insulin production. Additionally, the liver, which produces it's own glucose (a survival mechanism meant to save a person who is starving) decides for unknown reasons to dump it's glucose into the blood stream when it doesn't really need to. Type 2 Diabetes has a lot of varying ways it can be treated. For about 13% of Type 2s it can be controlled through diet and exercise. The largest percentage of Type 2s control their Blood Glucose numbers with oral medications combined with diet and exercise. It is also controlled with insulin sometimes combined with the oral medications, sometimes not. Type 2 Diabetes is a progressive disease. A person can be perfectly controlled with only diet and exercise and still have to go on insulin at some point as their diabetes becomes progressively worse.
For some people, diabetes is developed due to traumatic injury to their pancreas, or due to other health conditions, all of which are beyond their control. Their treatment depends on how much, if any, insulin their bodies can produce.
Gestational Diabetes develops during a pregnancy and must be strictly controlled for the safety of the unborn baby. It often does not last beyond the pregnancy, if it's been properly controlled. However, having gestational diabetes is an indicator that Type 2 Diabetes could develop at some point.
LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) or Type 1.5 diabetes is a type of diabetes that often presents as Type 2 Diabetes and is very often misdiagnosed as such. It is an autoimmune disorder where the beta cells of the pancreas are being attacked by the immune system but at a slower rate and therefore mimicking Type 2 at early stages. When the attack on the beta cells progresses and insulin production ceases it presents more as Type 1. There is a test that can be administered to determine if a person has Type 2 or Type 1.5 if the person and their doctor feel it's called for.
So! Those are the different categories of Diabetes, how they are developed, how they are generally treated.
A diabetic does not need to avoid eating sugar. It's not even "sugar" that a diabetic is watching anyway, it's all carbohydrates. Even so, a diabetic does not need to avoid carbs and SHOULD NOT avoid them. Carbs are a main source of fuel for our bodies and not eating them at all will actually cause a diabetic's blood glucose numbers to rise, not fall, due to that pesky thing I mentioned earlier about the liver. It's called a Liver Dump, and if you eat zero carbs your liver will dump glucose into your blood to save you. This raises blood glucose numbers. So avoiding all carbs accomplishes nothing and makes it all worse.
There are two types of diabetic emergencies: Blood Glucose going too low, and BG going too high.
When a person's blood glucose drops too low, also called Insulin Shock, it is a life threatening emergency and needs to be treated immediately. The signs that this is happening are similar to being drunk and often mistaken for that. Lightheaded, confusion, slurred speech, dizzy, nausea, hot flashes, cold sweats, loss of motor control, among others, and if not treated, loss of consciousness. To treat insulin shock, if the person is still awake, give them regular soda to drink, orange juice is an old stand-by, frosting is excellent. Many diabetics carry Glucose Tablets or Gel with them to administer when this happens. Some also have a kit with an injection to help if they lose consciousness. If a person is not conscious, if you have frosting, smear some along their gums but be cautious not to block the airway. Call 911 for assistance.
When a person's blood glucose rises beyond levels that their body is accustomed to, this is also very dangerous and can lead to a Diabetic Coma. The person often becomes lethargic and sleepy and may lose consciousness. There is nothing you can do to help them other than to call 911, as they need medical attention.
If you do not know which is the problem, too low or too high, you treat as if it's too low. If they're too low and you treat it you may save their life. If they're too high and you treat it as a low you will not be significantly changing anything.
To begin, diabetes in general describes an inability of the person's body to correctly produce and/or use the hormone insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by beta cells that are on your pancreas. Your body uses insulin to move glucose (sugar) from food from the bloodstream into cells throughout the body where it is then used for energy.
Type 1 Diabetes, often called Juvenile Diabetes, is an Autoimmune Disease. What this means is that at some point, the body decided that those beta cells I mentioned weren't supposed to be there and the immune system attacks and kills off some or all of them. This can happen at varying speeds. Nobody knows why this happens. This can happen at ANY age. You can develop Type 1 Diabetes at 2, at 12, at 22, 52, etc.....it is not solely something that happens to children. With those beta cells gone, the body does not produce any insulin on its own and so the person MUST give themselves insulin in order to survive. No diet, no exercise, no pills will help.
Type 2 Diabetes used to be referred to as Adult Onset Diabetes. In my grandmother's generation it often didn't present itself until a person reached retirement age. Today we are seeing it in people of all ages, including children. Type 2 Diabetes is a Genetic Disease. A person can be in excellent health and eat a perfect diet and develop Type 2 Diabetes. A person can eat nothing but Twinkies and Chips, drink four liters of soda a day, never exercise, and be obese and still not develop Type 2 Diabetes; it's about genetics. The disease can present with no causal factors, it can just pop up at any time. However, it can also be brought out earlier through a lack of activity or by poor diet. It is not caused by diet or lack of activity, those are only factors that can cause it to present earlier than it MIGHT otherwise have developed. With Type 2 Diabetes a person's body becomes resistant to the insulin it produces, as well as possible changes in the amount of insulin production. Additionally, the liver, which produces it's own glucose (a survival mechanism meant to save a person who is starving) decides for unknown reasons to dump it's glucose into the blood stream when it doesn't really need to. Type 2 Diabetes has a lot of varying ways it can be treated. For about 13% of Type 2s it can be controlled through diet and exercise. The largest percentage of Type 2s control their Blood Glucose numbers with oral medications combined with diet and exercise. It is also controlled with insulin sometimes combined with the oral medications, sometimes not. Type 2 Diabetes is a progressive disease. A person can be perfectly controlled with only diet and exercise and still have to go on insulin at some point as their diabetes becomes progressively worse.
For some people, diabetes is developed due to traumatic injury to their pancreas, or due to other health conditions, all of which are beyond their control. Their treatment depends on how much, if any, insulin their bodies can produce.
Gestational Diabetes develops during a pregnancy and must be strictly controlled for the safety of the unborn baby. It often does not last beyond the pregnancy, if it's been properly controlled. However, having gestational diabetes is an indicator that Type 2 Diabetes could develop at some point.
LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) or Type 1.5 diabetes is a type of diabetes that often presents as Type 2 Diabetes and is very often misdiagnosed as such. It is an autoimmune disorder where the beta cells of the pancreas are being attacked by the immune system but at a slower rate and therefore mimicking Type 2 at early stages. When the attack on the beta cells progresses and insulin production ceases it presents more as Type 1. There is a test that can be administered to determine if a person has Type 2 or Type 1.5 if the person and their doctor feel it's called for.
So! Those are the different categories of Diabetes, how they are developed, how they are generally treated.
A diabetic does not need to avoid eating sugar. It's not even "sugar" that a diabetic is watching anyway, it's all carbohydrates. Even so, a diabetic does not need to avoid carbs and SHOULD NOT avoid them. Carbs are a main source of fuel for our bodies and not eating them at all will actually cause a diabetic's blood glucose numbers to rise, not fall, due to that pesky thing I mentioned earlier about the liver. It's called a Liver Dump, and if you eat zero carbs your liver will dump glucose into your blood to save you. This raises blood glucose numbers. So avoiding all carbs accomplishes nothing and makes it all worse.
There are two types of diabetic emergencies: Blood Glucose going too low, and BG going too high.
When a person's blood glucose drops too low, also called Insulin Shock, it is a life threatening emergency and needs to be treated immediately. The signs that this is happening are similar to being drunk and often mistaken for that. Lightheaded, confusion, slurred speech, dizzy, nausea, hot flashes, cold sweats, loss of motor control, among others, and if not treated, loss of consciousness. To treat insulin shock, if the person is still awake, give them regular soda to drink, orange juice is an old stand-by, frosting is excellent. Many diabetics carry Glucose Tablets or Gel with them to administer when this happens. Some also have a kit with an injection to help if they lose consciousness. If a person is not conscious, if you have frosting, smear some along their gums but be cautious not to block the airway. Call 911 for assistance.
When a person's blood glucose rises beyond levels that their body is accustomed to, this is also very dangerous and can lead to a Diabetic Coma. The person often becomes lethargic and sleepy and may lose consciousness. There is nothing you can do to help them other than to call 911, as they need medical attention.
If you do not know which is the problem, too low or too high, you treat as if it's too low. If they're too low and you treat it you may save their life. If they're too high and you treat it as a low you will not be significantly changing anything.
ETA: emergency treatment is not something that should be administered without knowing the situation as it could make things worse. Your best move is to call 911 and do as you're told by the dispatcher. If you are a diabetic it's a smart plan to let the people around you know what to do if you feel off, or to make sure people you are often with know what to do for you in emergency situations. Wearing a Medic Alert bracelet is a smart move, too.
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So those memes and jokes like: Andrew had 10 candy bars and ate 8 of them, what does Andrew have? Andrew has diabetes! Those jokes may be amusing, but they are wrong and they do spread inaccuracies and misconceptions about diabetes. (I usually find them funny, but many diabetics are not so amused.)
And telling your diabetic cousin that maybe he shouldn't have any pie after Christmas dinner? Not cool. Unless you understand his diabetes, know what his blood glucose numbers are, know how he's medicated, and know what he should or shouldn't be eating, because he told you, then please keep your thoughts to yourself. You may be correct or you may be unaware and insulting.
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So those memes and jokes like: Andrew had 10 candy bars and ate 8 of them, what does Andrew have? Andrew has diabetes! Those jokes may be amusing, but they are wrong and they do spread inaccuracies and misconceptions about diabetes. (I usually find them funny, but many diabetics are not so amused.)
And telling your diabetic cousin that maybe he shouldn't have any pie after Christmas dinner? Not cool. Unless you understand his diabetes, know what his blood glucose numbers are, know how he's medicated, and know what he should or shouldn't be eating, because he told you, then please keep your thoughts to yourself. You may be correct or you may be unaware and insulting.
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