Feminine features

You said you fell in love with me for my fantastic calves. Those calves were the proof of my sporty nature. At least, that's what you thought. Either I was fond of riding my bicycle or I must go for long walks. I did neither one.. I don't know how I ended up with those nice muscular lower legs, but you were not the first to say. I have always liked my lower legs, just like you have. I still don't ride bicycles (what were you thinking) and I only walk from the front door to the car. But yes, I have convinced myself sports could be good for me. Well, I haven't convinced myself, my diabetic friends have. One of them told me I am really good at motivating others, but I don't work out myself. And he's absolutely right. I haven't been much of an example when it comes to exercising. I think I'm just too lazy for sports.

For a number of times now, I have packed my sports bag to go to the swimming pool. My first attempt was really pathetic. I didn't know how to swim right or keep my head under water. But I went and I got into the freezing cold water and yes, I complained and nagged a lot. Things have gone better over time. I even schedule my swim moment in my agenda, so I don't let anything interfere. Most of the times, hubby joins me, but if he can't or doesn't feel like it, I go by myself. I'm doing better now. Two new swimsuits, goggles and a  nose clip have been added to my back pack and that makes the swimming easier. It's good to know that Mr Baywatch is keeping an eye on me. He knows about my diabetes and he keeps an eye on my glucometer and Dexcom for me. I always bring a small can of regular coke, just in case. Whenever I stop swimming somewhere in the middle of the pool, he runs to me to check if I'm okay. I have told him now, that if I see he's worried, I will raise my thumb. If I don't, it means I'm in trouble.

Last week, I went to the pool all by myself. There weren't many school kids and I no longer fear the cold water. Now I can actually say I don't even mind the coldness. I march down the steps, right in to the water. Goggles in place, nose clip ready and there I go. I swim 10 lengths and I come out of the water to check my Dexcom. Most of the times, I need 1 small can of coke by then. I have my coke and I go back into the water. I can see people look at the transmitter on my upper arm, but I don't care. It's there to help me keep control and it makes me feel more secure in the water.

I'm proud of myself. If the swimming could turn my back into a V-shape, that would be awesome. It will probably never happen, but it can't harm to dream, can it?

An instant satisfaction

That's what people get when they work out: an instant satisfaction. People get this adrenalin boost that releases endorphin to make them feel good. It makes them long for more and I hear sports can be rather addictive. Some even work out every day, just because they know how good it is for their body. Sports gives them energy. It makes them happy and it makes their body look good. It strengthens their muscles and it makes them look slim and their bums tight. I wish I was born with at least a couple of sporty genes. I come out of a non-sporty family. The only sports I ever liked, was horseback riding. I did try gymnastics once I guess. I got hurt real badly, slipping of the balance beam, ending up with the beam in between my legs. I swear.. that was really painful. In school, I tried to skip the sports classes. I never understood my fellow students, playing catch on the playground. Why would you want to race around the school yard, trying not to get caught? I always ran real slowly, so I got caught first. That way, I could just sit down and cheer the others. I didn't even try to compete in swim class, I could care less who won the game. It's just not me.. I'm not that kind of person. I'm not driven to win. I don't give a darn if someone is faster than me or gets a medal. Good for them! I'll cheer for them and I won't shed a tear..

When you get diagnosed with diabetes, doctors tell you that you have to shoot up insulin, consider a healthy diet and exercise. I do well on two out of three conditions. I really suck on the third condition though. I guess I'm just lazy and bored by sports. I don't like to watch sports, I don't like to do sports. Period. Then why did I promise my D-friends I would give it another try? Because I don't want to let them down? Because the whippets would be real happy if I would take them out for a brief walk? Or because it would benefit my health? Maybe a combination of three.

I'm not ready yet. I need to think things over. But I promise I will give it a try. I have sneakers and sweatpants and an outdoor coat. I can climb stairs in the house ; we have plenty (did you hear my knees creak?). My kids are happy I'm too lazy to go all the way up to their rooms. Maybe they will clean their rooms more often if my condition gets better? I feel like I'm trying to persuade myself to get started. Like I said: I'll think about it.. 

Dive in!

Photo Eva Joos

You and your daddy are going to spend some special time together. As a teen, your father used to swim a lot. It gave him his broad and strong shoulders and a straight back. And of course the V-shape all men want to have.

For a couple of years, you were in a swimteam too. And you were pretty good at it! I loved to watch you swim. The way your head disappeared in the water and how you gasped for air, your head turned to the left. You were a fast swimmer and your teacher was proud of you. He was that fond of you, that he wanted you in his team of competitors. When he asked you to join that team, you were in doubt. On one hand, you were proud that he asked you. On the other hand, you're not a competitive girl. Your teacher didn't give you much options: you join the team or you quit swimming.. What a bummer.. Joining the team meant you would have to practice 5 days a week, sometimes even before school started. You decided not to join the team. Practice would be too tough. You always regretted getting out of the team, but there was no other choice at the time.

When your daddy read about Start to Swim, he knew you would love to join him. Your eyes sparkled and you said yes right away. It's too bad you have no friends who love to swim like you do. But your daddy will be your friend and the two of you will do real well together. Enjoy!

Canine Companions

A couple of months ago, I got a private message from the owner of Valerie. Valerie comes out of a nest of six whippet females. Happens to be the same nest Inthe came from. So they are sisters. And they had not yet met. Like their owners..

I heard about this pasture in Antwerp. A place where dogs can run freely, without their leash. Sounded like a plan to me, since Inthe and Rebba love to race around and enjoy nature. When Nicole - the owner of Valerie and Dee - invited us to go for a walk in Linkerwoefer, I didn't hesitate. It just took us longer than expected. To my surprise, she had invited some other whippet owners as well. We ended up with 7 whippets! Fun!

Valerie, sister of Inthe

We had a great time. The sun was out, the place wasn't too crowded and all dogs behaved well. Whippets tend to be a bit racist at times and ours are no different for that matter. Since all of these beauties are whippets, there was no problem. They chased their tennis balls, sniffed each other's rear ends and fooled around. There were meadows to race on, woods to explore and water to cool down. A wonderful place and only a half hour drive. Worth the effort! Although my blood sugars were a bit on the low side all afternoon, the jelly beans did the trick. So we kept going and our tan got more red by the hour.

I enjoyed this outing. Thank you Nicole and Bartje, for the invitation. It was fun meeting you and the whippies. Soon is never far away. That's when we will meet again.

Robijn

Gaffa

Dee

Inthe

Vito

Rebba

Let's get physical

I had been looking forward to this day. We were promised another walk of geocaching. The weather forecast sounded promising and we were packed and loaded with drinks and cookies. The hiking boots really come in handy. We were all set to discover the region of Affligem this time. The whippets were all excited about this journey as well. They were that nervous that breakfast had not been touched. I don't like it when they don't eat at all before they go out for the day, but there's not much I can do about it, is there?

The theme of this walk, was the Smurfs. You know, the little blue dwarfs with the white hats. They are cartoon figures, created by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo. As teens we were huge fans of the Smurfs, Gargamel and Azraël. We watched the cartoon on TV and bought the comic strips to read at home. Today we had to find several treasures. There were four of us to help find the hidden containers. They weren't that hard to find except for two. Nevertheless, only two of us found the treasures, because the other two were too busy chitchatting. I won't tell the names, no I won't.

We walked quite a bit this time: our tracking devices told us we had walked 16 kilometers. Not bad if you are not used to working out. Even the dogs were worn out. They were happy to see their benches. I guess they will sleep all day.. I don't blame them. I would love to join them.

Trying to get my balance back

Ever felt like you've been hit by a truck?

We have had a terrific day, geocaching and babbling all along. Our friend had kept our destination to himself until we had reached the meeting point. I had no idea where we were going to, but to my surprise, it was in my own neighborhood. It didn't come as a surprise that many people were of the same opinion this sunshiny day was the best day to go out for a walk. Comme d'habitude, both whippets accompanied us. One of my friends noticed a huge lump on Inthes hind leg. Right away it scared me.. I had not seen that lump before. It made her walk funny but it didn't seem to bother her. She had no problem with me touching the ugly lump on her knee, but I didn't like it one bit. That swelling needed to be checked out by a veterinarian to determine what it was. Since it didn't discomfort her, we decided to go ahead with the walk. I planned on making a phonecall to the vet the very next day.

Yes, the walk was quite muddy and adventurous. I was so happy with my hiking boots. High heels would not have done the trick. I'll keep those for cooking festive meals and going out for dinner. We had to find 11 caches, so there was some work to be done. I still don't get the game (caches, stashes, way points???) and no, I can't read nor understand coordinates or solve the most difficult puzzles. But that's okay, that's where the men came in handy. They did great at finding the caches. Never knew people could look at a tree or a bridge with so much interest and patience. I give up way too soon, I guess. I did find two treasures though!!! Okay okay, those were the easy ones and maybe my friends gave me a lead on purpose, pretending they had not seen the hidden container. They are real gentlemen for that manner..

Although signs asked us to keep the dogs on the leash, we set them free most part of the walk. They had a ball! Racing around the fields, daring the other to run for a contest, they ran like only whippets can run: like headhunters. As an arrow from a bow, they jumped over ditches, slipped through mud pools or chased their tennis ball. No cows were safe from the barking of our dogs. They must have felt like some desert lions I guess. They were pooped by the end of the day. We stopped our walk around 9:30 PM (neither one of the men wanted to give up - they just had to find that bonus cach - I guess one of them will come back to find it) and the sun was going down. Time to go and grab a bite..

The dogs were ready to take a shower when we came home late that night. They enjoyed the hot water and they did not protest one bit. Rebba had a big bruise on her chest and some cuts from running into barb wire, but they seemed content and happy..
This girl had huge blisters and a bruised ego because she couldn't find any difficult cach, but she was content as well.. Time for a good night's rest.

BG for the day: 290 - 272 - 199 - 105 - 110 - 185 - 90 - 99 - 118. Between that 185 and 90, I had a low, but no time to measure: I desperately needed that sugar boost..

Let's get moving

Hush... be quiet. I don't want to hear it. I know I have to exercise and no, I have not yet found my exercise button. But yes, today, I'm going for another geocach walk. I have been looking forward to this second walk. The whippets will join us again, since they truly enjoyed last time's walk. I did my best at motivating myself and to be honest, it was not much of an effort. Really. The idea behind geocaching interests me and I'm anxious to find out where our walk of the day will be. My friend is not prepared to reveal any information, besides that we will meet somewhere in Gent and that's where he will give us further instructions. But that's okay. I can deal with unexpected situations and surprises. I have learned to be patient over the years. This time, I will bring an extra polar sweatshirt and I even bought my first pair of hiking boots! They are hideous but very necessary. I really don't want to be cold or have wet feet. Hopefully, this time the dogs won't refuse to eat/drink. I have no idea why they are so hesitant to eat or drink. Maybe the different location? I don't know. But I'll bring their food and water and probably their toys too. I hope there will be a spot where they can race around freely like last time.

Thanks buddy for the invitation. I know you put a lot of effort in your preparation. It's most appreciated. See you this afternoon!

It was interesting to say the least

I did it!! I'm so proud of me! My friend took another friend and myself geocaching in Vlaams-Brabant. He had organized this game for us and his enthusiasm was so catching we couldn't stay behind. My other friend was even more eager to find out about this game, so he tried out some geocaching on his own in the days prior to D-day. Leaving me behind as the only geocaching-virgin..
I didn't mind though. I knew I was in good hands and we had 3 GPS's handy, so I was sure we were not going to get lost.

It was freezing cold and the wind was torturing our heads and hands. For once, I had traded my high heels for more comfortable ankle boots. That was definitely a very good idea. The narrow paths weren't that muddy, but absolutely not convenient if you were wearing your best high heels. I don't get the coordinate thing at all. It's too mathematical for me, so I leave that up to the boys. But I did enjoy the walk and the game and the treasure hunting. Okay, I didn't find any treasure myself, but at least I helped looking for it. I had no idea how many attributes you need when you are geocaching. Must haves: a torch, to take good peeks inside dead trees ; a mirror, to see the small sign underneath the railing of a rusty bridge ; a good camera, in case you want to take a picture of the hints instead of writing them down ; drinks and food - you never know how long the walk will take and you do not want to run out of water or food. You need extra glucose strips and glucose tablets too. That is, if you're a diabetic of course. Haha! it would be a bit silly to carry those around and not be a diabetic. The three of us were amongst the lucky bastards to have picked the winning lottery ticket saying: you have diabetes. There was no need to worry about holding up others because your blood sugar is low. It didn't matter if you had cookies while the others were not ready to snack yet. The empty containers of our glucose strips make the perfect box to hide little treasures or hints in for future geocaching.

My whippet girls enjoyed the afternoon just like we did. They had a great time, running around the fields and the narrow paths. Trying to avoid close contact with mules and woolly lambs, I let them run free whenever I got the chance. I would definitely love to take them along next time. Yes, you heard me all right: next time. That means that I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the serial. That is if you will have me.

There's a first time for everything

I still can't believe I agreed to do this...
I believe I'm the most unsportsmanlike person on this planet. Really... I hate sports. It doesn't do anything for me. No adrenalin rush, no good feeling afterwards, no weight loss, no better condition whatsoever. Did I mention the boredom sports brings me? How boring can it be? I can't keep my jaws from yawning while working out. Well, that is.. some decades ago I signed up to go to the gym. I even went 3 times a week and every single time I had to drag myself to go. I hated it from day one, every single minute. Not one person has been able to convince me of the contrary. I just don't get it. It's not my cup of tea.

My friend has a new hobby. They call it geocaching. Let me guess? You have never heard of it? That's exactly what I thought. I'll give you a short briefing. Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices. After the hunt, they share their experiences online. I assume you understand where I'm headed to? Exactly.. my friend has made me enthusiastic for this "hobby" (I refuse to call it sports, since I do not want to dislike it beforehand), by sharing his adventures. I do admit: it sounds appealing. He is as much a sportsman as I am (read: so not in to sports), but he loves this game. So yes, this Sunday, we're going to hunt for our first treasure. I really can't believe I'm going to wear hiking boots (where on Earth will I get those?? I'm so not buying hiking boots!) and a backpack on my raincoat. Cheese and rice... Really.. But nevertheless - I should use a smaller font now - I'm looking forward to the game (no, I'm not going to call it a walk - sports, remember?). There's a first time for everything. I'll get back to you. With or without the treasure..

Stirrups and reins

I have never liked sports. It's so not me... I don't like to compete and I never got the logic behind sports games.
I don't care who wins or loses. I just can't be bothered.
I don't like the yelling that comes with sports like soccer or the comments given on cycling on TV. The only sports that got my attention, was horse back riding. I didn't see it as sports, maybe that's why I liked it that much.

My favorite horse was Torro. He was huge! I know I was a kid back then and all horses were huge in our eyes, but really, Torro was immense. It was the sweetest and kindest horse I had ever met. I used to ride Wilstar before Torro came to stay in the riding school. There was something about Torro that was so appealing to me.
I could barely get on his back - the teacher used to help me - but once I found a good seat, the fun began. Torro was real gentle with me.
I loved the rhythm of the trotting, before we came one in a flowing gallop. For 5 years, Torro was my soulmate.
I went to the riding school twice a week. Cleaning stables to finance my riding lessons, I spent quite some time with Torro. So many occasions to caress the soft spot on his nose, to clean his eyes and brush his fur. He was all shiny after brushing him.

I have a bamboo box that keeps memories safe. I found several youth pictures in that box. One of those pictures was an old picture of me, sitting on Torro and stroking his neck. On the back of the photo, a piece of tape is holding 3 hairs. My fingers touched the picture and just for one moment, I could smell Torro. Whoever went horse back riding, knows what the specific scent of horses smells like. I closed my eyes and let my mind go back in time. It felt good and warm.

Torro got older and trotting wasn't easy for him in the end. So the stable owner decided Torro was ready to retire. They sold him and I never went back to the riding school.. I just couldn't ride a different horse..

Happy together

School will start in a couple of days. You enjoyed the time home, although you did miss your friends. Every now and then, you had a "playdate" and you always looked forward to that. Girls will be girls, I guess, and they do like to get together and have a good time.

This is you with your friends by your side. One was your roommate in boarding school, the other your classmate. Look at the three of you! How much fun can one have? That fun was tripled when you went for a sleep over. It was not the first time you made cupcakes, but making them with friends is still different. The three of you even went biking and of course... pictures were taken. That is so obvious.. at least, that's what you tell me.

Keep in touch with your friends Eva. They're worth it.

Killing calves

My husband claims my killing calves drew his attention when he first met me. He thought I was a sports fanatic and that maybe I loved to go biking. Because that's what my calves told him..

That is so funny, since I'm not sporty at all. Maybe my calves are a result of walking on high heels for over 20 years? I don't know. I surely don't do anything - except for shaving them silky smooth and treating them with body lotion - to make them look appealing. Although my legs are a bit short (I'm not tall either), I do like my legs so yes, you will often see me wear dresses or skirts. The time hasn't been that good this year, so my legs still need to get a tan, but I'm sure the Florida sun will solve that issue.

Sorry hun, you'll have to ride that bike all by yourself. Or invite our sister-in-law, she's looking for a partner to ride bikes together!

Bicycle Race

I still can't believe I signed up for a bicycle ride with my diabetes friends... O lord.. You all know I hate bikes, but this time, the love for my friends is more important than the displeasure riding a bike gives me.
I'm not even going to try to put my bike in the trunk of the car. I'll rent one. That might be safer as well, since my bike is being used for spare parts for everybody else's bike.

There will be around 10 people I guess. It'll be good to see my friends and have a chitchat. That is, if I can still catch my breath.. Is there enough time left to reconsider my registration for this totally out of your mind bicycle race???

Not at any price

All the time I hear this same line: you'd better work out. I hate sports! Not at any price will I go to the gym or start to run or dance Zumba. Go ahead, feel free and enjoy yourselves. I'm not going. Period.

It's a shame I don't like sports, I know that. It would make things a lot easier if I would be more of the sporty type. It would keep me in shape and healthy. It's just so boring! I know there are many different kinds of sports and yes, maybe I should try something else. It's just not going to happen, trust me. Working out doesn't give me that rush you people talk about. It doesn't give me any highs. I'm just drop dead after a work out and all I want to do is lay down and cry and be left alone. It leaves me with back pain, sore muscles, crazy bloodsugars and an overall crappy feeling. Nothing wonderful about that.. 

So maybe people need to be a bit more understanding, that not everyone is fitted to do sports. I know I'm not the only one out there. Feel free to do whatever you want, but just let me be the non-sporty type.

Soccer sucks..

I hate soccer. I really do. Not just the sports by itself, but also the noise it makes, the yelling in the audience, the violence between fanatics of opposite teams. I would never ever go see a soccer game. It's just so boring. I don't know if the soccer season started just recently, but last week, I've seen too much soccer games on TV. Hubby loves to watch the game and he cheers and jumps up and down when "the good guys" score. I don't even know why he cheers, because he's not even part of the team?? I'm sorry I don't cheer with you. I don't even bring you a beer. I try to deal with it, really. It's just so irritating..

I'm glad our TV records the programmes I like to watch. As soon as the crew is off to bed, it's my time. No more soccer games!!!! Thank goodness! I suppose hubby doesn't like to watch my programmes either, but I never make him watch, since I wait for everyone to go to bed. And yes, I do understand that recording a soccer game is not the same as watching it real time. O well.. maybe I should give him a set of headphones for Christmas. Then I won't hear the sound of the soccer games and that will take away a lot of my aggravation.

Keep your mind wide open

Your knees are still hurting. The pain started nearly two years ago. Some days are better than others and the pain comes and goes, but there haven't been many pain free days lately. You're an active girl and you love to dance and ride your bike and be a sporty teen. But the pain hasn't been very helpful in remaining active. In school you have to run in sports class. That's not the best sport around if your knees are not being very co-operative. Last year, you skipped all sports classes, in school but also in your leisure time.
You started dancing again in September and you're not overacting. But still, your knees are holding you back.

Last week, we went to see a sports doctor aka homeopath. He said he was going to do his best to help you get better. It was hocus pocus to me (and to you too, I guess), but we decided to give it a try and keep our minds wide open. You never know, right? If it doesn't heal you, it won't kill you either..

Zipp it!

www.pumpwearinc.com

Pumpwear is amazing! They keep coming up with new goodies for people with diabetes. That's really awesome! After all, we have diabetes 24/7 and it's great if you can get cool stuff to keep your diabetes supplies and pump handy.

This morning, I received one of their latest pump packs, called the ZIPPS. Now that is a neat and versatile pump pack! I put it on right away. It's so flat, you can barely notice it under your garments (not that it may not be seen - it looks great - but you don't always want a big lump showing under your shirt). You slide your pump in the ZIPPS, pull the line through the hole in the back and connect. The piece of line you don't need, can be tucked right back into the ZIPPS. So there's no danger your line will get hooked over door knobs or in your zipper. It is made out of soft material and it's attached to a band to be closed around the waistline.

Even if you are not a pumper, or even better: not a diabetic, ZIPPS come in handy at all times. You can use them for your iPod, cell phone, keys or even to keep your money safe. I think sportsmen, wearing the ZIPPS while working out (I think my husband will want one to keep his iPod for his running episodes - no, I'm not giving up on mine!). I think children with diabetes: it can hold their meter, strips and lancing device if they are not pumping!

You really have to check it out. ZIPPS come in different colors. Think pink, think polka dots or sparkle. But hey, they didn't forget about the boys, so there's also camo and even dual zipps with two divisions.
I'm not going to say any more. Just get one. Or two.

Fragrant bubble baths

Last year, before summer holidays, you started to complain about pain in your knees. Things have gone worse ever since. We have visited several doctors and specialists, and not one of them has been able to relieve your pain. They diagnosed you to have chondromalacia patellae. You will eventually outgrow it. It is painful, no doubt about that. The thing is, your pain threshold is low. Too low. At least, that's what the specialist tells us. We never thought of that. We thought you could bear a lot of pain. Apparently we were wrong. The specialist wants to test you for fibromyalgia... If you are indeed suffering from this condition, we will have a long way to go and you in particular. You will have to learn to focus on other things to forget about the pain. We are still hoping it will not be fibromyalgia and that you will outgrow the chondromalacia. Sometimes, the pain makes you skip school, because you have to walk in agony otherwise. You see physiotherapists on a regular basis and you also frequent a chiropractor. Sometimes it gives you some relief, but most of the times, the sessions make it even more painful.

You like to take a fragrant bubble bath every other day. It helps you to relax your muscles and let your mind drift off. You're too young to be in pain. I wish there would be a way to help you. I would take over your pain at any time, if only I could. You're such an energetic person and the pain no longer allows you to dance, your most favorite recreation. Riding your bike to school, is causing more pain. But you refuse to take the bus, because your girlfriends all ride their bikes. You don't want to be an exception, you want to go with the flow.

We're going to see the specialist in the beginning of March. I hope she will have your blood work done. Maybe there's another reason why the pain is so fierce. Maybe your knees are infected and she can give you pain relievers. I hope so sweetie... you deserve a pain free teenage life.. xx

Take a deep breath

Just like your mommy, your are not the best athlete ever. You are a very good swimmer, but you had to give up the swimming part, because there was too much practice (on a daily basis) plus the competitions every other weekend. There was hardly any time left for school work and relaxation. You are not very competitive, just like your mommy, again. You really liked to swim, but the competition was not your cup of tea. If you work out, you want it to be fun and not another effort.

In boarding school, the girls are invited to the runner's group on Monday evenings. Your friend and you subscribed and miraculously, the two of you are getting the hang of it. I got you a trainer suit and every Monday night, the runner's group heads of for a challenge in downtown Bruges. The fact that the group runs through downtown Bruges is appealing to you. Running on a track would not be as exciting. You love it when the many tourists make pictures of you and your friends.

Every week, you're getting better at it. I'm happy you are exercising again and that you enjoy it. That's something you and your mommy do not have in common..