Diabetes, life and all that - personal diary

Some more views of Cavo Greko National Park


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Fasting blood glucose this morning a round 100 mg/dl (5,6mmol/l)

Went for a 50 minute 6km walk and is now 93mg/dl reflecting the lowering effect on glucose levels of low intensity physical exercise.

Actually I believe that there is an additional indirect effect of such exercise on counts later on in the day, which is why I prefer morning to evening walks.

I leave you with this phot of some blooming hyacinths from my garden this morning. Unfortunately there is now way for me to let you smell them.


Have a great day

Pavlos


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Thinking back to yesterday's Cyprus youth chess tournament that my son participated in, I can't help feeling that once again he has showed me that he is made of a sterner metal than I am.

He finished in fourth position just outside the prizes, after going into his last game knowing victory would hove meant that he would be champion. He lost but accepted his defeat with grace admitting that he lost to a better opponent, at least on the day.

He finished on an equal number of wins and consequently points as the boy who placed third.

He lost third place by the tiniest of margins. When in chess two players finish on the same number of points then there are pre agreed ways of splitting them. In the case of this particular tournament, the method used was by comparing the total points scored by the opponents each player faced, which is considered a proxy for how difficult these opponents are. The player whose opponents have scored the most points is considered the winner. My son lost third place by 19,5 points to 20 i.e. By half a point, the smallest point increment possible in chess.

This must have been very disappointing for him, as third position was his minimum target going into the tournament and is the lowest position for which a cup is awarded.

Did he show his disappointment?

Not a bid of it!

He sat through the whole of the awards ceremony cheering every prize presentation. He cheered especially enthusiastically for the boy , actually a classmate and friend of his, who beat him so narrowly to third spot.

And when it was time for participants not finishing in the top three to receive their participation medal, he was first in line.



Sometimes, how a person responds to a setback and to disappointment can really set him apart as a true champion..... at least in the eyes of this proud parent.

Winning is important but it is not the only thing that matters and not at all costs.

Showing respect for your sport and your opponents and knowing how to accept defeat with grace are just as important life lessons for our children to learn.


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I really hate nights like last night, when minutes after taking my pills, I can not remember if I have taken them or not.

I remember taking the pills all right, but just can't decide if if what I remember happened last night or the night before that. What do I do? Risk taking a second dosage?

I usually don't. I just wait and take my normal morning pills, hoping for the best.

I took a reading at 4am and was at 106mg/dl and this morning's fasting level is 111mg/dl, so probably I did not forget after all.

I really must get myself one of those pill boxes were you can pre-sort a week's worth of pills into daily morning, lunch and evening dosages. Harder to lose track then.

Better start on the morning walk, 111mg is slightly higher than I have been used to so best burn some off. Although I changed counter today (found a box of strips I need to use) and from yesterday when I used this in parallel to my usual one, this one seem to read a little higher, which is somewhat irritating me but not enough to buy strips for my usual counter rather than use the ones I already have for this counter.

Update- glucose 100mg/dl after 5km walk. Breakfast will be some frozen blueberries 80g and 100g Greek yoghurt
.


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"We need to get you some new clothes. You look as if you are in someone else's ill fitting castoffs."

The rare, if roundabout, praise from my wife brought a beaming self satisfied smile to my face.

Que. my ten year old son, enthusiastically:

"Yeah dad! You should lose about 6 more kg and then join a gym and lift some weights to put some muscle on you"

My smile became distinctly more frozen, while the wife burst out laughing.

I guess we are outgrowing the "my-dad is-a-superhero-and-can-walk-on-water" years.

Teenage-rebel phase coming up next!Just hope he and I can restore diplomatic relations at the end of it.

Pavlos


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Taking the guesswork out of pill taking. My new super duper color coded pill organizer/dispenser!



Pavlos

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Lunch today is vegetable soup with a brown bread roll and some butter

Fresh strawberries for desert.

If anyone needs proof that God loves diabetics after all, strawberries are it. Delicious and low carb ! Absolutely love them!

Walking to restaurant and back to office gives me an easy 2km extra walking to add to the day's total.


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I quite like this advice a gave to a newly diagnosed today and as it is long and would like to have it for future reference I will post a link here

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/ind...to-constantly-feel-hungry?.53760/#post-492264

Pavlos


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Greek Orthodox Lent starts next Monday here in Cyprus so this week is carnival week. We were invited to a fancy dress do last night.



I thought I was reasonably good with what I ate but fasting level of 122mg/dl( 6,8 mmol) this morning.

Maybe it was the the red wine!

Well so much for my plans of a bit of a lie in this morning. Best get my walking shoes out!


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Jamrox said:

Pavlosn , strange question but do you know a Scottish man called Billy Storie, he is a magician who emigrated to protaros years ago, think he was a caretaker too.

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Sorry no but will keep an eye out for him. Protaras has many bars and pubs putting on shows for tourists in the Summer. So perhaps he does his magic act there.


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Here's another pretty picture from my garden this morning.



Why do I post this?

Is my life so perfect, full of pretty flowers, lovely looking dishes and fancy dress parties?

Far from it!

It's not that there is no pain, ugliness and problems in my life. Like everyone else, I have plenty of those.

It's just that I promised myself that I would make a special effort not to let the negative blind me to all that is good and beautiful in life. So I make a point of taking note and savoring the beauty that is around us and whatever fleeting moments of happiness comes our way.

It's not that there is no dark to counterbalance the light, it's that it is so easy to concentrate on the dark that I choose to underline and place an exclamation mark against the light, just to make sure I do not ignore it.

After all, we all need to draw inspiration from somewhere in order to keep on fighting and hopefully ultimately overcome adversity

Pavlos


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DiamondAsh said:

That's a beautiful flower.. I love it!

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Some kind of Aloe, I think. Don't know proper name but I will just think of it Aloe DiamondAsh from now on.

Pavlos


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Fattoush (left) and Taboulleh (right) - favorite middle eastern salads for lunch today with some grilled chicken


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I was struck by the beauty of these wild poppies, while taking my morning walk today.


And that set my of thinking how the image of a poppy has come to symbolize different things in our two countries.

In the UK it is impossible to look at a poppy and not bring Remembrance Day and the Great War(s) to mind. In Cyprus poppies will forever be associated with Easter. Traditionally Easter eggs (real not chocolate ones) are dyed red by boiling them with poppies.

And then it hit me!

In both cases, what is commemorated is rebirth and salvation through great personal sacrifice, the spilling of ones own blood for the sake of others.

Is it any surprise then that, the crimson red color of the poppy bursting like a spring beacon through previously unadorned fields, has come to be such an enduring visual metaphor for both.

Pavlos

PS Fasting level 89mg/dl this morning, up to 106mg after a small square of dark chocolate and my morning walk. Now having a slice of 100% rye toast. Never had it before and want to see if it spikes me or not.

Update

- 1 hr after breakfast 175mg/dl (9.8 mmol/l)! Maybe rye bread is not for me!

- 2 hrs after breakfast 129mg/dl (7.1 mmol/l better but still a bid too high.

I like to be at 140mg after 1 hour an 120 after two.


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