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This is my 2nd Ride for a Cure and I couldn't be more excited!! Last year my life was changed by participating in this ride. All of you were so generous that it often brought me to tears. The emotional support I received from my family especially my Mom, my very dear friends Marnie & Kristin, and my very supportive boyfriend was a dream come true. Robbie was there with me through every mile and was my own personal cheerleader through the entire ride. He is my godsent and I thank him for supporting me through training and the ride itself. We will again be riding together in 2013!
This year I will ride for my cousins, Matthew, Mallorie, & Mandi, my aunt Ellen, and my new dear friends whom I met training for the ride last year, Dana, Jenny, & Jacob. I will also be riding for myself. This year will mark my 25th diaversery. 25 years of tears, shots, reactions, carb counting, finger pricking, sleepless nights, high blood sugars, hospital stays, needles, insulin pumps, cgms, A1C's, continuous doctor appointments, a very high risk pregancy, and all the moment by moment stress caused by this disease.
I truly thank each and every one who donated in 2012 on my behalf from the bottom of my heart. The ride itself was AMAZING. It was so wonderful to feel normal in a world where being a Type 1 Diabetic is not very "normal." There were Diabetics everywhere in all shapes, sizes, and ages. We had Diabetic kids who rode 111 miles, even with insulin pump malfunctions. This event helped me to realize that even though we are a little different, we are determined. The San Diego team wore palm trees on our helmets and people loved them! We gots lots of cheers from viewers and fellow riders about our festive helmets.
So in 2013, I strive to once again set out on an adventure, raise money towards finding a cure, and sharing my experience with all of you. Thank you for all your support, I couldn't do this without you. Together, we can cure Diabetes! Here is my Diabetes story:
25 years ago, my life changed in a matter of a single moment. I was a normal 8 year old kid one day and suddenly a Type 1 Diabetic 8 year old kid the next. It's not the kind of Diabetes that most people hear about everyday on the news. This disease is genetic and it normally affects young children and not because they are overweight! It comes on suddenly, causes dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications.
Every Type 1 Diabetic has their own story and they are all worth listening to. We go through so much in 24 hours that a lot of people don't realize how much exactly it influences our day, our relationships, our life, our parenting, and just about anything else we try to do. We can not, even for a moment, forget about this disease.
This year, I'll be taking part in JDRF's Ride to Cure Diabetes, along with hundreds of other riders across the country, as we try to reach our goal of raising millions of dollars. I will again be participating in the 111 mile bike ride in Tucson, Arizona! My goal is to finish the 111 miles in 2013 and will think about all of you as I cross the finish line.
People treat insulin like a cure. Insulin is not a cure! Seriously, let's cure this Diabetes thing!
Now, more than ever, you can make a crucial difference!! Won't you please give to JDRF as generously as possible? Together, we can make the cure a reality! We can cure this disease that leads us to low blood sugar attacks, organ failure, comas, and sometimes even death. Please help to support my goal. Do it for me or just do it for whomever you know that has had their lives turned around by Diabetes. Just Do It as Nike says!
Please, help me meet my goal of raising $4,000 to help find a cure. It's been long enough and has affected enough people in our lifetime! Thank you very much. You are truly appreciated. I hope to see you soon.
XoXo,
Crystal
Read about my training experience by reading my blog: http://insulinisnotacure.wordpress.com
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Wow, that was no big deal!
Sometimes I feel as if I should write a daily blog about all my diabetic episodes. Yes, it may not be that interesting, but something comes up at least once a day. Today, it is my absolute anxiety and pure terror of my cgm.
A cgm is a continuous glucose monitor. After about 5 years of the doctors trying to convince my insurance I needed it, they approved it last year while I was training for the 2012 Ride to Cure Diabetes. I truly felt as if it was a god sent. The little sensor is able to tell my insulin pump what exactly my blood sugar is at any moment of the day. This really came in handy while I was on the bike for hours. I did not have to stop and check my blood sugar as often.
The first time I inserted the sensor, I was petrified. Can you believe someone who has given herself shots and inserted a insulin pump for a total of 25 years, can be scared of a little 1 inch sensor being inserted? I was and I couldn't believe it! I was at my boyfriend's house and it literally took me about an hour and a half and it had to be completely quiet (which is not exactly easy with 4 kids running around). I finally did it and thought to myself, wow, that was no big deal. However, it started bleeding and I had to re-do it. Blood can mess up the sensor's ability to tell what the blood sugar is. I was texting my diabetic bff, Dana, and she was trying to text me through it. Lol.
So, it is a year later and I am still petrified. This sensory emotion has still not gone away. Yes, it doesn't take me 1 1/2 hours but I have to mentally prepare myself for the insertion. I pretend to insert it and finally about 10 minutes later, I am able to do it (usually by chance and the "accidental" force of my finger pushing the inserter). It still has to be completely quiet. However, I always think to myself, wow, that was no big deal....
I can't wait for the day when I won't have to say, wow, that was no big deal when it comes to Diabetic stuff. Someday, my life will not be mesmerized by just Diabetes and I can focus a little attention to more important matters, like psyching myself out to bungee jump! Then, I can think to myself, wow that was no big deal! Someday.....
XoXo,
Crystal
by Crystal Wilson on Sat, Apr 20, 2013 @ 11:50 AM
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Training started TODAY
I have to be completely honest here, I was not looking forward to getting on the bike again. I seriously have not sat on my saddle since the ride last November. You may wonder why I decided to do the ride again since apparently I am not an avid bike rider. It is not the actual ride itself (even though it was quite an incredible experience to push myself that far) but me coming back was because of my experience during the whole weekend. JDRF's Ride for a Cure was such a life changing event and it helped to raise money to cure Type 1 Diabetes. All in all, it was worth the hard work and tears which got me across that finish line.
Anyways, back to the topic here, I was not looking forward to getting on the bike. Training started today for me as there was an official training session with Amazing Coach Mark this morning (isn't it cool that when you sign up, you get training sessions with real coaches??)
Rob and I took the hour long drive from Ramona and got there right on time. It was difficult getting up so early but we both knew we had to do it. On a side note, Rob, my amazingly sweet boyfriend, signed up officially to do the ride with me to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. This gesture was so heart moving that I am still starry eyed. <3 He did the ride with me but signed up through Tour de Tucson, therefore, he did not raise the money which benefits the research to find a cure for Diabetes. He went for moral support last year and I am sure that is why he is doing it again but it still was one of the best presents I have ever gotten.
God really blessed with me with him. Ok, ok back to bike ride, I got on the saddle this morning and the first loop around Fiesta Island was painful. Really painful. I was the last one in the group to finish the loop and most everyone besides Rob and Coach Mark were on their 2nd loop around the island when I finished the first loop. I have a new motto for this ride season, "Aww, there is nothing to it!"; however, on that note, I kept having thoughts run through my mind, "How am I going to do this? How am I going to be able to ride 111 miles this next November when I can't even go around the loop?"
Coach Mark suggested I get my bike fitted because he said it didn't look right. He then adjusted my seat about 2 inches higher. The 2nd loop around changed my entire bike riding experience! It wasn't hard to bike anymore. Yes, it can be exhausting, but I could petal without exerting myself so much! I could do this! I am getting the rest of the bike fitted to me this next weekend as I was clearly shown that just raising the seat made all the difference. I can't believe I rode 42 miles with this seat like that last November. Boy was that an experience!
I am excited now! More excited that I have every been about bike riding. It is not out of my reach. "Aww, there is nothing to it!" We rode about 15 miles and did some basic skills training. It was exciting to see my ride friends there from last year, Heidi and Janette. I just have a feeling this is going to be a great experience! It will push me like nothing else ever has, but it will be worth it in the end.
And you never know, I may just keep riding, even after Type 1 Diabetes is cured! Can't wait for the next ride!
XoXo,
Crystal
by Crystal Wilson on Sun, Apr 07, 2013 @ 3:58 PM
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