Guest Blogger - Susan Costley

Susan Costley is on a journey to wellness. Diabetes has hit her family and circle of friends very hard. Her daughter-in-law, one of her best friends (and ex-husband!), and many coworkers are fighting the battle to get the best of diabetes. Her dear friend Deb succumbed to complications of diabetes five years ago. Susan is committed to getting healthier and living longer and encouraging others to do the same. She is making major changes in her life for herself, in honor of Deb, and to be able to enjoy more years with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I'm Back

I am so glad to be back! From the end of January until just last night I was in Lancaster Pennsylvania working with exchange students and their teachers from France. I have done this twice a year for the past fifteen years. It is very rewarding to see the relationships formed between the visitors and their American host families.

The teachers were quite interested in the work Charles is doing with The Diabetic You. They are going to spread the word to colleagues and friends back in France.

Today what I write will be a sort of buffet of sorts...a little of this... a little of that. Ah buffets! The joy and curse of Lancaster County Pennsylvania. These restaurants are found all through the area. So many delicious but calorie laden treats. I have to confess to eating at several while I was away. The teachers from France loved them. How can I forget the sight of their breakfast plates piled high with crisp bacon strips? And how to explain the slim bodies of people that eat croissants with nutella, and cook with lots of butter and heavy cream.

Definition of Mogul

The word ʻmogulʼ has several definitions. One is ʻan important or powerful person.ʼ Another is ʻa hard bump of snow on a slope.ʼ Damon Dash is a mogul of the first definition and one that has never let any obstacle or bump in the road of life deter him from his goals.

"No one can keep me down." affirms Dash. He has not let being a diabetic keep him down either. "I donʼt remember life without it." At the age of 15, in the months prior to his diagnosis, the music mogul-to-be thought he was dying. "I was losing weight. I was dehydrated, tired all the time." When the doctor told him he had Type 1 diabetes his reaction was one that might seem surprising. "When I found out what it was, I was relieved. I thought it was something more serious."

Spice Drops

I love spice drops especially store brand ones. They are little and soft and colorful and sweet with absolutely no redeeming nutritional value. A serving size for most people would be about 10 pieces. For me, a bag. The result of this type of bad food choice and a number of other equally bad choices brings us to why I feel a kinship to the legendary Cyrano. This fictional character fell in love with the beautiful Roxanne. Cyrano had a large nose. He was ridiculed and teased and ended up choosing to hide rather than meet her face to face. He had another man tell Roxanne the words that expressed the feelings Cyrano was too embarrassed to say to her himself.

Blog 4 - The Diabetic You

My scale thinks it is a pirate. Every time I step on it says "err". Now I know pirates say "arg" but close enough. And my scale doesnʼt really talk but that "err" is what shows up where a number would if I did not weigh more than the scale is able to show. So it will be a little while before I know how much I am losing. And even then I will have to report I am "err" minus 5, 10,50 pounds or more.

My granddaughter Amber asked me what my goal is. My goal is to be healthy, to walk without a cane, to stop some of my meds, and to fly on a plane without having to buy an extra ticket and ask for a seat belt extension. I want to walk through security instead of being pushed through on a wheelchair. But if we are talking about numbers my first goal is to be 40 pounds less than "err".