There’s not much I like more in life than volunteering my time and energy to help advocate and find a cure for diabetes. This is especially true when I’m doing so alongside my husband Jaim.
Post-ride 2011 — Can you tell how exhausted I am here?!?! : )
How I came to learn about the Tour de Cure…
In 2011 I participated in my first ADA Tour de Cure. A friend I used to work with, Janae, was deeply involved with the event and loved everything about it. She told me all about being a Red Rider (rider w/ diabetes) and convinced me that the Tour de Cure was something I needed to do. She also talked to me about the volunteer opportunities available and encouraged me to help out. I was sold. I signed up for the Tour only a few short weeks before the ride. I also started volunteering my time to help make the ride better for all fellow people with food allergies.
Have you heard about TeamWILD? Or seen the name Mari Ruddy around the diabetes community? Mari is the founder of TeamWILD & CampWILD. WILD representing: We Inspire Life with Diabetes. I love this! Mari has also lived with Type 1 diabetes for over 30 years and survived breast cancer twice! What an inspiration she is! Along with TeamWILD, she also created the idea for the Red Rider jersey for the ADA Tour de Cure. I first heard about TeamWILD last year at the ADA Tour de Cure after-party when I met Mari for the first time. She came over to a group of us and enthusiastically shared about TeamWILD. I thought it sounded really cool but didn’t think I ever might do it. The program was for real athletes after all, right?
Editor’s note: This is a guest post for the American Diabetes Association. It will be featured in the ADA Tour de Cure’s Twin Cities April Red Rider Reader.
Hey Red Riders! Happy Spring to you! I hope this finds you both happy and healthy! I am excited to be bringing you another recipe for our April Red Rider Reader! We have had nice weather early this spring – I hope you are taking advantage of it and sneaking in some early training rides!
I am excited to share this recipe I created with you. It’s ingredients are super yummy yet healthy too! It kind of reminds me of a loaded baked potato! It is also the perfect meal to eat before a training ride for the Tour de Cure or any other workout. In need of a quick, balanced meal — it can also easily be served for lunch or dinner as well.
Therefore, if the amount of glucose supplied by the blood falls, the brain is one of the first organs affected. In most people, subtle reduction of mental efficiency can be observed when the glucose falls below 65 mg/dl (3.6 mM). Impairment of action and judgment usually becomes obvious below 40 mg/dl (2.2 mM). Seizures may occur as the glucose falls further. As blood glucose levels fall below 10 mg/dl (0.55 mM), most neurons become electrically silent and nonfunctional, resulting in coma. These brain effects are collectively referred to as neuroglycopenia. (link to article).
‘Dead in bed’ syndrome refers to unexplained deaths in young people with Type 1 diabetes. Research shows little definitive evidence as to the cause of this very rare phenomenon. There is a small amount of published evidence looking at the condition. One possible theory has been a link to hypoglycaemia (hypo) during the night. It is suggested that this may compound an abnormal heart rhythm, which can cause death.” (link to article).
I had a scary experience last night. I was sleeping and everything was going fine… so I thought. Since experiencing significant stress from caring for my critically ill cat the last few weeks, I have been completely exhausted and had no problem quickly falling into a deep slumber.