Meet Laverne (#HAWMC)

Today's WEGO prompt: Health Activist Choice! Write about what you want today. (Maybe try a bonus prompt!)

Since today's prompt is whatever I want to write and it's getting late, I'll write about my latest critter, Laverne.

Laverne is a gargoyle gecko, named after the female gargoyle in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Of course when I talk about Laverne, everyone asks about Shirley. Sorry, wrong reference.

I saw her yesterday at the family-owned pet store I frequent. She is just plain adorable! I had to get her! (Gender is yet to be determined. If in fact she is a he, the name will change to Hugo, one of the other gargoyles in the same movie.) So I did the responsible thing... I told my pet shop lady to put the gecko on hold for a couple days so I could discuss it with hubby and get her new habitat ready.

It didn't take long. Yesterday afternoon I started cleaning out our two recently vacated habitats (anole and tree frog both died of old age). I was back there this morning, less than 24 hrs later, after our morning soccer games. She's so much fun! A little critter that I can hold. She is tame enough that I can let her climb on me. Yes, I love things that are different. I also picked up two fire bellied toads while I was there today (pictures later). We've had these before, so it was something easy to fill my other habitat.

I'm looking forward to lots of time with Laverne and the fire-bellied toads, named by my youngest two Camouflage and Leafy.



Photo credit: Disney's Laverne was found here.

Health Haiku (#HAWMC)

Today's WEGO prompt: Write a haiku about your health focus. 5 syllables/7 syllables/5 syllables. Write as many as you like.

Diabetes sucks!
Highs and lows and in between
Yes, it really sucks!

I got the 'betes
Can I give it back now please?
I want a cure now.

None of this is fun
Like Type 2 diabetes
Let us find a cure

Yes, you can do this
P.W.D. and awesomesauce
The D.O.C. rocks


Image credit: The Haiku image was found here.

Ekphrasis Post (#HAWMC)

Today's WEGO prompt: Go to flickr.com/explore and write a post inspired by the image. Can you link it to your health focus? Don’t forget to post the image!


This picture is entitled "Her only view of the world..." (photographer here) The image, along with the title, reminds me of the song "Bed by the Window" by Tony Melendez.

In this song we're introduced to two elderly men residing in a nursing home. One has his bed by the window, telling stories every day to his friend who doesn't have the view. When the man by the window passes, his friend is honored to take his place. Excited to see the sights his friend has talked about, he discovers that the view is not of a city park but a plain brick wall. Not to be discouraged, he then shares the same wonderful stories with his new roommate.

As a PWD (person with diabetes), I sometimes feel that I'm looking at a brick wall. A dead end of sorts. It's hard to realize that there's something beyond that wall. Sometimes it feels hopeless. But like the man in the bed by the window, our attitude and desire to help others can make even a plain brick wall a wonderful opportunity. We venture out beyond our own self-pity (brick wall) and focus on the silver lining. Yes, I believe that every negative situation has a blessing waiting to spring forth from it. Being diagnosed with diabetes has blessed me with many online friends that I would not have met otherwise. It has also allowed me to be a voice, to educate people about Type 2 diabetes and dispel myths.

I write about my health because... (#HAWMC)

Today's WEGO prompt: Reflect on why you write about your health for 15-20 minutes without stopping.

I've written before about why I advocate for diabetes, but I can't remember if I've actually written about why I blog (not going to waste my 15-20 min looking through my past posts to find out, feel free if you'd like to).

Shortly after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I started searching the internet. I've researched diabetes before, but that was as someone with gestational diabetes.  Gestational diabetes is a "temporary" condition, insulin resistance brought on by pregnancy. It's very serious as it can affect both mother and child, but I didn't put as much investment into the information gathering since I knew I'd be done with it once my child was born. In my search for information, I also wanted to explore the personal side, not just the information and research side. Blogs were my best bet for what I was looking for then. Unfortunately I wasn't having much luck finding blogs written by Type 2 diabetics in their 30s who were a healthy weight or only slightly overweight.

Then I found Kerri's original blog. (link is to current blog) Kerri is person with Type 1 diabetes, but she was still a great influence to me. In one of her entries she stated that she was only able to find six blogs written by PWDs (people with diabetes). That is the reason for the title of her blog, "Six Until Me." She decided to start her own blog, hoping that by sharing her own experience not only would she help someone else but also gather information for her own diabetes management.

That's it, I decided! If I was having trouble finding other non-stereotypical PWDs, maybe there were others out there trying to find someone like them as well. I wasn't very creative in naming my blog, RFamHere's Ramblings. Since I have the user name RFamHere many places (go ahead and Google, I'll wait...) and I love alliteration (yeah, you can Google that, too), RFamHere's Ramblings was born!

My blog is small and not very well-known, but that doesn't stop me from sharing. I will continue to share my ramblings on my blog, even if just for myself. It's a great outlet when I need to just "talk." It allows me creative expression. It allows me to have a voice that may someday be heard. It may be quiet, but sometimes all that is needed is a small voice in the silence.

Superpower Day (#HAWMC)

Today's WEGO prompt: If you had a superpower – what would it be? How would you use it?


This is a tough one. Right up there with, "If you found the genie's lamp, what would be your three wishes?" Would I want a traditional superpower: flying, x-ray vision, or super-human strength? Or would I want something non-traditional: the ability to feed and house the poor or the power to heal?


As a PWD (person with diabetes), the temptation is there to say the power to heal. How amazing would it be to rid the world of all illness and pain! Afterall, none of us likes to see anyone sick or hurting, even those we don't like. (Admit it, deep down!) But honestly, I don't know if I would want to do this. I've seen amazing things happen when people come together for a common cause. Many people take the pain of illness and turn it into advocacy. They seek out others with the same passion. Together they do amazing things! Thanks to diabetes, I have met some amazing people. It's because of this terrible, nasty chronic illness that I have taken to blogging and diabetes advocacy.


Compassion? If everyone was compassionate, we would lose those with the skills to teach others how to show compassion. Communication in different languages? I've seen first hand what happens with children who speak different languages try to communicate. Through their attempt to communicate, they learn compassion and build friendships.


How about the more traditional superpowers?  Flying? I'm afraid of heights. X-ray vision? I'm not sure if I'd want to see what's behind every closed door or around every corner. Super-human strength? I'd just like normal human strength in my hands and wrists.


Do I really have to chose one? Can I say "Thaks, but no thanks"? No? *sigh* Ok, let's see...

I would say the power of speed. Sometimes I need to do things really fast (like laundry or dishes) so I can do the things I enjoy (spending time with hubby and kids). I would need to resist the temptation to rush too much of life instead of just relaxing and letting things move at their own pace. 

Each of us has own own superpower if you think about it. For me, I think that's the power to take care of my five children while still appearing to have it all together.



Image credit: The Superman image was found here.

Quotation Inspiration (#HAWMC)

Today's WEGO prompt: Find a quote that inspires you (either positively or negatively) and free write about it for 15 minutes. 

No particular quote was coming to mind, so I searched the internet. I found a website called Inspirational Quotes, which lead me to the following quote:

Don't waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours or ages that follow it.  

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Setting timer... now...

There are so many areas of my life that I find littered with doubts and fears. Sometimes it can be almost paralyzing. Since this blog's focus is diabetes, I'm going to first address that area of my life. If time allows, I will then consider exploring other areas as well (though I might wind up on a tangent in that direction anyway..).

My biggest fear with diabetes circles around the possible complications and how they would affect my family. Loss of limb, loss of sight, loss of life. They're all very, very real and all very, very scary. As I've mentioned in the past, my grandfather lost both of his legs to diabetes. This possibility scares me! My mother also has Type 2 diabetes, and I'm scared for her. I'm scared that she may also develop complications as a result of diabetes. Thankfully she leads a pretty active lifestyle, though like most women puts the health concerns of those she loves above her own. She's a very loving person, but sometimes I'm afraid for her.

My doubts about diabetes come from two sides. Sometimes I doubt I actually have diabetes. I don't take medication (orally or injections) nor do I feel sick. Afterall, if you have a chronic condition, shouldn't you feel like you do? I also have doubts about my own diabetes management. Am I doing this right? Could I be doing this better?

Those fears and doubts sometimes far too often prevent me from moving forward. The above quote reminds me to "spend yourself on the work before you." The work I have before me is diabetes advocacy. If I'm focused on my doubts and fears, how can I properly advocate? How can I focus on helping others manage their diabetes, educate society, and fight for a cure if I'm all wrapped up in my little self-pity party?

Look toward the prize. Instead of focusing on what life would be like with the worst-case scenario, let me focus on what life could be like if I focus on my calling. What would it be like if everyone knew just a little more about diabetes? What would life be like if I gave encouragement to just one PWD (person with diabetes)? What would life be like if we had a cure?

My timer just went off, so I'll have to think about posting more about this quote another time. I'm looking forward to what the others have to say on this "Quotation Inspiration" topic.

Health Time Capsule (#HAWMC)

Today's WEGO prompt: Pretend you’re making a time capsule of you & your health focus that won’t be opened until 2112. What’s in it? What would people think of it when they found it?

Since my health focus is Type 2 diabetes, my time capsule would contain some obvious items: my glucose meter, test strips, lancing device, maybe even some glucose tablets. I might also include copies of some of my blog postings, sharing the emotional/human/non-medical side of living with diabetes. 

I pray that by 2112 there will be a cure for diabetes (all types!), so those who open my time capsule would have no personal experience with diabetes of any type. It would be something they only read about. Having the supplies preserved (hopefully) and the personal accounts hopefully gives these people of the future an account that would truly help them realize how difficult it is to live with diabetes. How hard it can be to live with a chronic condition where you don't look sick. When you deal with others telling you what you should or should not eat. How frustrating it can be to try to do right with obstacles around every corner.

However I also would like them to find hope in my time capsule. The hope in people dedicated to a common cause. I pray that the people of 2112 continue to have hope for their own cause and experience the beauty of advocacy.

Image credit: Time capsule image found here.