Diabetes Health Talk

My name is Lessa, and I’m the daughter of the previous writer of this blog, Barbara. She’s moved on with other things (but is still knitting away!) and when I opted to expand my list of sites to obsess over at 451Press, it seemed natural that take over here.

A little bit about me, while I’m getting my feet wet here on a ’serious’ blog. I, myself, am not diabetic currently (much to the shock of my doctors, as I am rather round and Rubenesque.) but as Barbara explained before me, my dad is, and has been battling the Diabetic Demons since I was but a wee lass. My sister also fights against her blood sugar among other ailments, in between running Triathlons. (If I’m not careful, she’s going to take over my ‘Good Daughter’ status!) It’s highly likely that if I don’t start to behave soon, I’ll be on that sugarless train too.

I’m a SAHM, 38 widowed with three kids - two teenagers (16 and 14) and a 9 year old. Oddly enough, I don’t worry so much for my health (Yes mom, I know I should even more now) but for that of my kids, though changes are hard to make. I’ve two kids who are overweight - though not as bad as me, not even close - and one with a metabolism that boggles the mind. She works off meals by BREATHING. Seriously. I’m hoping that while I write this blog, and delve farther into the issues, it will cause me to get off my ass and try something new.

Covered in butter. Dipped in chocolate. And wrapped in bacon.

…wait, where was I?

Introductions! Yeah!

Clearly I’m a bit more irreverent then your your every day medical type blogger. It stems from a severe dislike of research, and a healthy dose of snark. Please feel free to comment, use the comment form, say hello, say “OMG WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT WOMAN”, and be as opinionated as you wish. All I ask is for common courtesies - we’re not here to attack one another, but to help.

So bare with me while I get a handle on this here ’serious’ thing, hm? We’ll have fun. I promise. (Yes, I’m completely aware of the connundrum there. Heh.)

Back in September I wrote about Billy Garcia (from Survivor) doing a walk for Diabetes. I was privileged to be the one to put Billy over the top in his fundraising efforts. Of course, I hope that someone else gave even more money than I was able to donate - so that his fundraising totals would be even higher.

It seems that Billy has a heart for those with diabetes. He is going to compete in the Reality Castaways Dodgeball event in early December to benefit Reality for Diabetes.

How can you help?

Come watch or even better, play against, no wait, even better, play with your favorite past Contestants from the CBS show Survivor in a Celebrity Dodgeball tournament. Then hang out for a special VIP after party where you can rub elbows and hear stories about Reality TV’s biggest Reality TV Show.

In the First Tounament, Fans will compete with and against the Reality Castaways then in the second Tournament watch teams from Fiji, Cook Islands, Guatemala, Vanuatu, Asia(Thailand & a surpise), Panama(Exile & Allstars), and a Hybrid Bomb Squad compete(Palau, Pearl Islands & Exile).

There are 4 ways you can get involved to help raise money for a great cause.

1) Purchase a ticket to the event/after party - Cost $100
2) Purchase a VIP pass and participate in the tournament against your favorite Survivor contestants - Cost $150
3) Purchase the Immunity Idol pass and get to play on a team with your favorite Survivor contestants - Cost $200
4) Make a seperate donation to help us find a cure.

Check the above website for more VERY IMPORTANT!!! information, okay?

And, Billy . . . thanks from the bottoms of our hearts! Muah!

Billy Garcia, Survivor, diabetes, Survivor Dodgeball

for everyone

You say you’re a diabetic . . .

or

someone in your family is a diabetic . . .

AND

you say you’re an Idol-izer . . .

OR

you just love to watch American Idol . . .

AND

you love to write . . .

or

know someone who loves to write . . .

Well, then, friends . . . we have got something for you!

Elliott Yamin is

According to Idol Stalker and Watching American Idol You may win tickets to an Elliott Yamin concert.

It’s a “creative expressions contest” so put on your thinking caps and sharpen those pencils and get set to write. Here are the submission/format catergories:

Short essay or poem - 500 words or less
Photograph(s) - Up to three prints
Original drawing or painting - no larger than 43cm x 66cm (17″ x 26″)
Music - Original composition, up to three minutes in length (instrumental and lyric)

Participant categories in the Inspired by Diabetes contest are:
Children (age sub-groups 5-6, 7-8, 9-12, 13-17 years old; includes children with diabetes or family members or friends under 18)
Adult with diabetes (ages 18 and older)
Family member or friend of a person with diabetes
Health care professional

If you’re reading here, I’m pretty sure you fit in one of those categories!

Eliott will serve as judge of the entries, and will donate several ticket passes to his tour. The entry deadline is January 31, 2008.

To learn more about Inspired by Diabetes and how to enter the Creative Expression Competition, please visit the Inspired by Diabetes website.

elliott yamin, american idol, inspired by diabetes

Well, I went over to check out Billy Garcia’s donation page and discovered that he was just THIS close to meeting his goal . . . so I did what any red-blooded American mama would do - I put him over the top. (hey, now . . . this is a clean blog - you KNOW what I mean!)

Now - how about all of you all out there trying to double it for him? Hmmmmm? Come on, you KNOW you want to . . . help Billy help the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation reach their goal of raising $100,000 towards research.

Or maybe you want to help by walking on a team yourself???? Go check out the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation webpage and see if there is a walk in your neck of the woods.

Sounds like fun to me - and, if you DO sign up, comment here and let me know about it so I can talk about YOU, too! (in a very nice way, of course.)

thank ya, thank ya very much!

Billy Garcia, Survivor, juvenile diabetes, walk, juvenile diabetes research foundation

Daughter, Lessa, writes for 451 at www.watchingsurvivor.com. She has had some good communications with past Survivor contestants - one of whom is Billy Garcia.

Billy is going to walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fundraiser! Hey, it’s at King’s Island near Cincinnati!!! We’ve been there, Lessa! Well, you were little and all, but, hey - WE’VE BEEN THERE!!!

That’s kinda coolSeems he is going to take part in a walk for diabetes - and needs your help to meet his goal. So I am going to post a link both to Lessa’s story about it - and to his fundraising page. Hey! He only needs to raise another $60 to meet his goal!!!! Wouldn’t you like to be the one to boost him over? What are you waiting for . . . go on now - git! and then come back, of course.