At Least She Agrees With Me

I went back to Joslin last week to see the Diabetes Educator.  I was scheduled to go back so that we could look at my overnight basal testing.  Well, I was only able to do one night of it because I was either low or high to start all the other nights, or unable to start it early because of work.  So when I walk in she asks me how I've been.  My response: I'm all over the place.  So she downloads and prints my meter info, and comes back and says "Holy shit.  I guess you're all over the place."  We talk about my ketone morning and the subsequent low later in the day, and figure out that from the information I was using, the 25 unit correction was correct, but that people forgot to remember that once you have a working pump, you're getting a basal too.  I filled out paperwork about what my basals are, and how much I'm bolusing for food and high BG's, and  my overnights have been changed, plus my lunch and dinner boluses and my active insulin, and so far I haven't noticed any differences, but it's also been over new years, and skiing, and vacation days and my first day back to work.  So this week I need to get "back in the habit" of paying attention to my diabetes.

Year End

How do I write a year end post when I've only been "here" a few short months?  Well, when I read Kerri's meme and I really like the simplicity of it.  And I thought of doing that, except I've only been blogging since September.  So today I'm picking a post from twelve of my favorite blogs (in no order other than the order in which I found you and saved you on my computer.)  To these twelve, thank you.  For everyone else, thank you too.  You're all awesome and I look forward to the years and years to come.

"January"

Those shoes lived in my apartment, and when I got the call saying "That picture I tagged you in?!  It's in that blog I was telling you about.  Now you HAVE to go read it."  Thanks Reb :)

"February"

I don't have a CGM :(, but I think we've all been there when a real-life something automatically & repeatedly reminds us of something diabetes related. 

"March"

You know I'm a sucker for camps, especially ones for children with diabetes, so this is the post that sucked me in. 

"April"

I learn so much here, that it definitely needs to be included, and this post made me do a "whaaaaaat?"

"May"

 I haven't really gotten into many of the D-Mom blogs, because as part of my blog I feel like I am gaining more independence in the diabetes sense from my own mother, but I feel I owe to this specific group of T3s to read at least one, and this is one I chose.  And this post caused tears streaming down my face.

"June"

What can I say, I'm a dog person!

"July"

I used to try and get pen pals through Diabetes Forecast, and this is like the adult, informative version from the ADA.

"August"
I'm getting better at getting the exact amount needed, but I still appreciate a whole post about smearing :)

"September"
These chats can feel like a lifeline to the DOC, and I look forward to the nights I can participate.

"October"
This picture completely grossed me out, but it also hooked me.

"November"
Sometimes we all need a little humor and other emotions to deal with diabetes.

"December"
This is my latest find, and while I'm entirely jealous of this post; putting that aside, I love it.

Maybe next year there can be a recap of my diabetes life, but for this year, here are some of the blogs that have really been helping me.  Enjoy, and happy new year to all :)

Not So Unflappable Me

This year for Christmas, my grandmother wrote all of us inspirational notes to accompany our gifts.  In my mother's note, she called her unflappable.  And it's true.  (And it probably drives my grandmother crazy.)  I, on the other hand, am not so unflappable.  So as we were enjoying our snow day, I was becoming more and more agitated with diabetes.
9:10 AM - 275
11:06 AM - 279
12:23 PM - 80
12:48 PM - 49
2:16 PM - 238
3:14 PM - 81
3:46 PM - 68
4:02 PM - 122
7:26 PM - 345
10: 21 PM - 274
11:19 PM - 133
And after being sick the day before, I yell out in frustration "It's a good thing I'm going tomorrow!"  (to Joslin) And then I finished my lunch, and sat down at my computer to read some blogs before going back out to shovel.  And I sit down and I start reading about Kerri being honest and I'm glued to my screen.  It's certainly not what I want to see (for any person with diabetes), but it's exactly what I need to see.  I remember when I first started reading sixuntilme, and I sent the link to my longest dia-buddy and she said, "Briley, I can't read this.  She thinks 160 is high."   I've been a 8._ A1C-er probably since I started college.  The lowest I ever got was 8.4.  So the 8.2 I got last time was huge for me.  And yet, I'm still sitting here going crazy.  As I'm glued to my computer, my mother is standing at the counter tapping her foot waiting for me to get my snow gear back on.  I talk to her about the blogs I read, but she doesn't quite understand how much they mean to me, and how much they help me, and especially how reading Kerri's has gotten me back on track.  (Kerri, if she only knew how much you help me, then you'd have a bigger fan than any of us in the DOC.)  By the time I finished reading I was furious.  I was mad that this post that is really helpful to me, is now tainted with this frustrated feeling.  I love to comment, but I couldn't.  I didn't want my anger highlighted for all to see.  Instead I've been stewing for a few days.  How we all get there.  How do we get out of it.  How do we get the help we need?  Do we have all the help/support we need?  Is there more I can do for me? for others?  Will I ever get under 8?  How hard will it be?  If I do, can I keep it there?  What about someday, way far off, when it absolutely needs to be lower?  Will I be able to do it?  So far there is no evidence (as an adult) that I can.  Did my unflappable mother ever have these doubts about herself when she was taking care of me?  If she did, I certainly never saw them.  How did she hide them? (Now that I'm an adult, I do know that she had them, but she never let me see.)  How do I go from working really hard and seeing results to working really hard and not seeing results?  And why?  And how do I not let it get the best of me?

Sick Day

When I woke up on December 26, there was something not right.  I rolled over and tested and I was 344, but still, there was something else.  I made my way downstairs, found my ketone strips and back upstairs.  Holy crap, that thing turned deep dark purple.  I had large ketones.  So now: do I feel gross because I have ketones or, do I have ketones because I am sick?

I don't look this cute sick anymore

I went downstairs and got out my phone (calculator) along with my pump, a piece of paper and a pen.  I figured out my correction, wrote that down.  I figured out 20% of my Total Daily Dose (TDD), wrote that down.  I was hungry, so I figured out my correction for my bagel and coffee and wrote that down.  I got out my insulin pen and dialed up 25 units of insulin.  I think the last time I took that much, it was in the form of Lantus.  I sat down in front of the wood stove and ate my bagel with my father and double fisted water and coffee.  When my mother got back from visiting my grandmother, I told her about the ketones and the not feeling good and I plopped my butt on the big comfy chair.  I finished watching Julie & Julia, and then I turned some other movie on until it was time to watch my boys with my dad.  I was a little bit nervous when the Bills scored first, but not really.  Dad even got me noodle soup.  I grabbed a pillow and I grabbed the hassock and I was basically laying down across the chair (so comfortable).  Throughout the morning, I was drinking tea and testing my ketones and before the game started, I was at negative, but I still didn't feel good.  I was forcing myself to stay awake, and I would "just rest" during half-time.  I fell asleep just before the end of the second quarter, woke up at some point during the second half, noticed the score was 31-3, and then fell back asleep.  I woke up after the game was over, and my mother looking me in the face and I was wondering who won the game.  So the game is over and I wander over to the table to test, and a beautiful 36 is staring me back in the face.  "mom.  fill up a big glass with juice. please. now." The incoherent-ness in me made my mother listen to me.  (The last time I demanded something from my mother and she listened was....)  I drank my juice, and I sat at the kitchen table.  I was coherent enough to know that if I plopped back down in the comfy chair, I felt like I'd fall asleep again.  My parents were getting ready to go to a party (and I wanted to be there too!) but I stayed in my pajamas, heated up some dinner, watched more movies and ate lots of food (without testing).  I was up in the 200s, then bolused realizing I forgot earlier.  Those damn lows mess with the brain!!  On Monday, I was feeling much better, although the diabetes was still crazy. :/

A Family Affair (or two)

As I was skiing with a lot of my cousins on Christmas Eve, Karolyn kept talking about the Italian feast her parents were making at home.  I knew that our only plans for the night were going to mass, but nothing else, so I kept joking that I was going to crash dinner. Well, after mass, we headed over and there was so much food.  Clam something-or-other as an appetizer, then homemade pasta for lasagna, and fettucine alfredo, meatballs & sausage, chicken parm and veal parm.  Yes, looking at this meal made me high (^400 to be exact).  As we're sitting around the counter, we were talking about how many year it had been since "something" passed (I don't remember what the something was), and of course the "I've had diabetes for 21 years so that means it's...." From there we figured out how long it had been since "something" had happened.  And then, my uncle turned around, looked at me and said, "Ya know, that day sucked."  We were at their house on that day, and then, of course, everything changed.  "You were so little, and so sick"  And then my mom looks at my aunt and says "And that's when Kate got chicken pox because you couldn't bring her to visit."  It's funny the things you remember based on the biggest day of your life; things that otherwise wouldn't be remembered.  Our conversation continued, not related to diabetes, but the impact of this dinner with family was altered, from just a few simple statements.


We have a lot of family & family friends with young children and/or expecting within the next year.  The topic of "sleeping in" on Christmas gets discussed and how no child ever sleeps in on December 25.  And that is when my mom and I pipe in with, "Well..."  I am the oldest grandchild on my father's side, and we have room in our house to host.  So my father's lone sister spent the night because really, who wants to miss a 3 year old on Christmas morning?  All four of my grandparents were also in attendance and the story goes that they were all awake and sitting in the living room, in front of the fireplace and the stockings and the evidence of Santa delivering his goodies, just waiting for precious little me to wake up.  I looked at my mother and said, "Was I three or four?"  And we both answered: I had to have been three because I wasn't allowed to sleep in post-diabetes-diagnosis.  One simple day, and all of a sudden a story has a specific date.

Diabetes gave me Santa

Santa from the Enchanted Village

Tonight, a very special man will visit lots of homes around the world.  My parents totally embraced Santa and all he stands for.  Mostly that the season is about giving, AND that he'll give you things you REALLY want even if your parents have said "No way Jose!"  And of course, there's the year I got an orange, when I should've gotten coal (the next year I got coal).  And oh yea, every Christmas I got REAL candy in my stocking.  This was my favorite.  And I got it one day a year, after Santa left it for me.  Even if I had the  opportunity to have it the rest of the year, I never did.  I got old enough where all my peers stopped believing; and then my friends joined them.  I can remember being outside for recess and all the kids talking about how NO ONE believed in Santa anymore and it was crazy if they did.  I just ran around with them and didn't say a word.  On the way to the Pops in sixth grade, I was in the car with my grandparents, mom and best friend, and I said something about Santa coming and my friend looked at me and said, "You know there's no such thing as Santa, right?"  Rather than believe her and be heart-broken, I said, "I only get the strawberry candy once a year and it's from Santa.  Of course there's such a thing as Santa!" And she said okay.  That was it, we kept going on and my friends knew, but no one ever said a word.  They knew why, and they knew me, so they just kept going on with their lives as if believing in Santa at 12 years old is completely normal.
Sometime that next year, my parents told me that there really isn't a Santa *gasp!* and that Christmas as a thirteen year old was the hardest Christmas I had ever experienced.  But now that I'm a nanny, the magic of Christmas is back, and this time it has nothing to do with diabetes :)

Between Christmas and Girl Genius not having school this week, the blog has been moved to the back burner. Enjoy your Christmas with family and friends and I'll see you on the other side :)

Getting on the Roller Coaster

If you follow me, thank you for putting up with my roller coaster since Thursday (and a little before).  I've certainly been in a "life isn't fair" mood, and while I try to get out of it, I've never experienced it so suddenly.
When I was twelve, I went to Symphony Hall for the first time during the Holiday Season.  I fell in love.  Now my mother goes with many of her friends and this year my father was going too.  Normally my father gladly gives me his ticket, but there still a seat available right near their tables, so I got to go to the Pops on Thursday night.  Mom had brought Buddy to the vet in the morning, and the ultrasound showed an enlarged heart.  He was okay for the night, but would go back the next morning for more tests.  As we sat there enjoying so many wonderful songs and performances, my father kept leaving when his phone went off.  I was appalled at how rude my father could be!  I was trying to ignore it though and just enjoy the music.  Because Christmas was officially here and nothing can bring me down.  I look up to the second balcony in the corner and there's this man, who looks EXACTLY like my grandfather.  But not the grandfather I had the last 5 years, the grandfather I remember playing tennis with, and who loved floating in the ocean with just his face and toes above the water, and the man who loved the snow.  I was mesmerized and I couldn't take my eyes off him.  I leaned over towards my mother and got her to notice this man too.  A moment or two later, my father got the last of the phone calls.  I "know" that when I saw this man, Buddy was leaving me.  When the show was over, I was the last of our group to leave the hall, and I walked out into the lobby, putting my coat on and I met my parents and my mother turned around and her face was bright red.  My eyes jumped between my parents and I just said "NO!"  That morning my mother told me not to worry and now I'm standing in the middle of Boston fancy-ness trying not to scream, but a river instantly running down my face.  My mother and I step to the side embracing each other, but thoughts of "what the hell happened" and "life sucks" and "I didn't get to say good bye" were instantly in my head.  They drove me home, and I walked up the stairs, opened the door, and the sobs came.  How my roommate didn't wake up is beyond me.  I was texting my closest friends, not knowing what to do.  I started playing The Big Bang Theory from the DVR and I was able to laugh.  At some point I moved into my bedroom and realized that my eyes were burning so I should turn out the lights and go to sleep.  Good old Rebel reminded me that I still needed to test, and I was in the 200s.  I bolused and sobbed into my pillow until I was asleep.  I woke up at some point in the middle of the night, and I knew I was low. I was still drained though, so I reached over to my bedside table and grabbed the bottle of tabs.  It was a brand new bottle, so I had to take off the plastic, open the jar, take off the seal and get the tabs.  And I managed to do it all while laying down.  I ate 2 tabs then rolled back over.  When I woke up in the morning, I was 72.  And I was ready for the ride.

December 20: White Christmas

On A Cold Winter's Night

You Can Count on Me

In Memory of Buddy

His name is Buddy, and he's my Babes.  

After seven glorious, funny, and loving years, he passed away last night.  

I'm a mess, because he's not "just a dog."  He's my everything.

Melting My Heart

Earlier this week, as I was eating lunch with Boy & Girl Genius, I was overcome with heat.  And I knew.  I knew that I was low.  I did a temp basal of 0% for a half hour, and after the kids were done with lunch, I went and tested and I was 56 mg/dl.  Girl Genius had just come back downstairs and she was talking to me about Coffee (the stuffed/pretend dog) and what we should name his friends.  I wish that I could get a picture of him for you, but they are attached at the hip.  Coffee eats lunch, breakfast and dinner every day, and when he wags his tail, he gets me in the knees. As Girl Genius was asking me how to spell Emily so she could make a nametag for Coffee's friend, I walked over to the fridge, grabbed the juice and poured myself a nice glass and sucked it down.  (Although, I like my juicy juice better because the cold makes it harder to gulp.)
Girl Genius looks at me, "Briley, are you low?"
Me: "Mmm."
Girl Genius: "Okay, I'll go in the playroom now.  Will you tell me when you're better so we can play again?"
This little 4 year old melts my heart.  She's been asking me "What temperature is your blood sugar?" when I test lately, so I thought she wasn't understanding any of it, but she's four, so I don't mind as much.  And then when my "patience" is wearing thin, she totally gets it!  This is the moment when it's worth it.  I'm sure that it stinks to have your nanny all of a sudden be sitting on the sideline, but she handled it with such grace!  Those symptoms hung around for quite a while, but as soon as they were over, we were singing Christmas music and making name tags for all the friends, as if nothing got in the way.

December 16: The Christmas Song

Low BG + No Parking Spots

Lately I've been going home, or somewhere else kinda far away every weekend.  Not that this is bad, it just means that I end up driving back late on Sunday.  I test before I drive, but BGs can change quite a bit in an hour.  There have been a few times lately where I start to feel low as I'm getting off the highway.  Luckily, I live within a mile of the exit.  Not luckily, I have to park on the street.  In the most perfect of conditions, I am not a good parallel parker. When I am feeling low, and I need to figure out whether my car will fit in certain spots or if there are spots at all, it is not good.  A few weeks ago, I had to go wait in the classy joint across the street because there were no spots.  I keep my tabs in the handy cup holder on my door, but the heat and weakness overwhelmed me.  I am literally two buildings and a street away from my apartment, and I can't go there!  When all I want is to be  in my cozy apartment, I'm stuck in my car.  Watching people go in and out, and generally on the phone.  But sometimes no one answers, and then I'm even more nervous.
Tonight I have synchronized swimming, so I'm hoping that my BGs and my neighborhood allow me to get off the highway, park my car and collapse in my apartment, rather than waiting in the parking lot.

December 15: Home for the Holidays

When I was skiing my sugars were good

When I got the pump when I was sixteen, skiing had to change.  In years past, I woke up, ate breakfast, went on the slopes, stopped at 10 for snack, back on the slopes, lunch at 12:30 then back outside after lunch.   Snack was at 2:30 and that's usually when we would end our day, because the trails are no where near as nice anymore. But all of a sudden I've got this $5,000 piece of equipment attached to me that needs to survive the elements.  Plus, up until that moment, I was a lente and regular user, so I didn't need to test before every snack.  Just meals and bedtime.  So I got my cousin's hand-me-up snowpants which were bulky and seriously nice with giant pockets.  (I am now 25, and she is now 18, and I got those snowpants when I was 16; in case you wanted evidence that I'm the short one in the family.)  I got my pump March 16, 2002 so there was less than a month left of ski season, and it was during the mild weather, so getting that pump to last through the elements wasn't as much of a problem.  It's the meter though that has always given me trouble.  We still stop for snacks because we like to warm up a little and need a little human replenishing, not diabetes replenishing.  I've spent countless ski snacks sitting there breathing on my meter waiting for it to be warm enough to use, while my mother sits there and tells me that I need to test before I can eat.  And in my head, all I can think is "Yes, I know this, but right now this THING is not cooperating with me and I'm hungry! And oh yea, everyone else is nearly done already."  So on Saturday I didn't bring my meter on the mountain.  I had my juice boxes, tabs, insulin pen, phone and camera.  And as we stood up to go buy a cup of coffee (in a different lodge than where our stuff is), my mother asks why I haven't tested yet.  I explain to her how it's the only meter I have at the moment so I didn't need it to freeze.  I get a "This is completely 100% unacceptable."  I know that I'm supposed to test before I eat, but I made the choice to make sure this one meter I have lasts.  I used to have two meters, but then the batteries leaked in the other one, so now I'm down to one.  So I made the conscious decision to make sure it lasts.  But since my A1C was good when Mom took care of it, she clearly knows better.  Keep in mind this was pre-pump and early teen years.  And that was about ten years ago.  So Mom is really upset at me as we walk to get our coffee.  But we drink our coffee and then we go back on the slopes.  We went in around 1, and my lunch time BG was in the low 100s.  I didn't make a big deal about it, but I wanted to yell "SEE!!"  My BGs kicked butt all afternoon and I was pretty darn excited about it.  When it was time to change my site though, I was in the high 200s.  So I bolused with the pump, then changed the pump, and then we went to dinner.
I sat in my favorite ski bar with my parents, I hear the distinctive "beep beep beep beep beep" and I know that I'm getting a No Delivery alarm.  When I changed my site, I started at 298 mg/dl, so I knew that I was already high, so no delivery was definitely not something that could be waited on.  I had already had one bad site change, and wasn't too excited that the second one failing too.  Somehow I remembered to put a new pen tip in my purse this week, so off to the bathroom I went and was soon able to go back to dinner.  As I sat back down, Mom said "Did you go to the bathroom to shoot up?"  And in between laughing, I said "Good thing Dad didn't say that because the whole restaurant would've heard and I'd be taken away by the police soon."  I gave myself a correction and a food bolus, and enjoyed my delicious drink and food.  We get back to the hotel and I change my site again, and test my ketones and there they are, small.  I felt high the rest of the night, but a little less than 2 hours later, I was back in the 100s, and negative ketones.  Unfortunately, I crashed at 3AM and then woke up low too.  But at least I know how to keep steady while on the slopes.

First failed site

December 13: Silent Night

Weekend Happiness

On Friday night, I drove up to Sunday River with my parents.  We drove through the snow, but we saw some beautiful places, like this in Twin Mountain, NH. 

On Saturday, we went skiing for the first time this season.  The sun never came out, but the skiing sure was great.  Here is my mother at the top of the trail Risky Business. 

This is looking down the trail American Express. 

And this is White Heat.  Closed right now, but I'll be back for it. 

We cut our ski day short, went in for lunch and then went walking with Earl :)

After going back to the beautifully decorated Jordan, we went out to dinner at our favorite restaurant. 

When we came back, Dad watched the Heisman show, while Mom and I watched It's A Wonderful Life. Sunday was a snowy, rainy day, so we needed to leave early.  We got up, drove to Jefferson, NH and went out to breakfast.  What a delicious way to end a short, but wonderful trip to Maine

December 13: You're A Mean One Mister Grinch

This was my favorite movie as a kid, and loved to watch it all year long. 

Every Highway Takes Me Where You Are

December 12: Little Wood Guitar

Hearts Will Be Glowing

December 11: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

"The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder."

For all of you who participated in #dsma on Wednesday night, I want to thank you for welcoming me with what felt like open arms, open minds and open hearts.  The replies & RTs made me feel like I've been there before.  I have to admit though, I'm not knowledgeable about insurance and insurance company policies, or how it can affect me.  I just got my own insurance, but have not had to pay for my own prescriptions since I still have insulin and strips from the last time on my parent's insurance.  And the only thing I knew about clinical trials is that Rebel got denied for one this summer because her pancreas still makes C-peptide (or something).  

As I was thinking over the entirety of the conversation yesterday, I remember sitting in class my freshmen year of college, and the professor talking about three different types of information.  There are things you know.  There are things you know you don't know.  And then there are things you don't know you don't know.  (Yes, it took me a long time to understand that last one.)  But one day it clicked.  And on Wednesday it clicked too.  First and foremost, I had no idea it would be so hard to read and respond simultaneously.  There's just so much awesome stuff being said!  But I got to read about others' experiences and I got to ask questions.  It was so helpful, especially to just read at times.  I wanted to research what was happening in front of me, but it was all happening so fast, and all of a sudden it was 10:00 and we were done.  

And then last night I listened in on the blogtalkradio show, and that left me feeling even more astounded.  There are so many smart, articulate people out there, and I'm glad that I have found you, but now where do I go?  My brain was trying to process what it was hearing and reading, but there was no output in return.  I asked questions, but I had nothing to give.  It feels good.  I know that there is more out there I need to learn about, and now I've got a reason to get started on it.  These conversations have lit the fire under me.

December 10: Let It Snow

"My Blood Sugar Must be Low"

As you will come to learn in the next few months, I LOVE to ski.  My "tagline" is that I've been skiing longer than I've had diabetes.  (By just a few months, but nonetheless, it is still true.)  In real people world, I'm also one of the shyest people you will ever meet.  That is why I joined the Boston Ski & Sports Club last spring so I could meet people.  I've played tennis and kickball with them, but now it's winter, and ski time.  So I joined the adult team racers (ATR).  It starts in January and I cannot wait.  On Tuesday night we had our get to know you/learn everything you need to know dinner.  As we were all mingling, a few of us were talking about how we were pretty hungry.  The girl I was talking to all of a sudden said, "my blood sugar must be low."  I needed a Twix moment so that I could pull up Kelly's Blog and respond.  But as I was trying to respond these thoughts kept running through my mind.
If I make a smartass comment, what if she actually does have diabetes too?  She never actually mentioned diabetes.  Her description is actually kinda sorta accurate.  She has no idea that I have diabetes either.  I ended up saying nothing, and went on through the rest of the night, but this has definitely been kicking around in my brain.

December 9: Holly Jolly Christmas

And who doesn't love clay-mation?!

And What A Wonderful Year It Has Been

Last year, on the first Friday in December, I babysat for Boy & Girl Genius.  After they went to bed, I watched It's A Wonderful Life on TV.  Shortly before George yells "I want to live!" Mom & Dad Genius came back.  I sat down with Mom Genius at the kitchen table and they offered me my job!!  It's my first "big girl" job, and my first job out of college.  And what a wonderful year it has been:

• I moved to Boston with my best friend.  We found a steal of an apartment and it is a place where when I walk in the door, I instantly feel safe, secure & calm.  
• I connected with old friends, and they have become so close once again.
• We had a big St. Patty's Day party where all our friends came to see our apartment for the first time.  The next day I went into the hospital with DKA.  I was in the ICU for three days, until I had a nurse whose husband has diabetes and she told me that after 20 years, to go with my gut, and not what the ICU docs said.  I came home, scared & weak, but prepared to start anew.  I started anew in September when I jumped into the DOC and have not looked back.  
• I joined a sports club, where I joined a kickball team and met a few new people.  This is a big step in my life because I showed up all by myself without knowing anyone.
• I welcomed Rebel to the East Coast and welcomed her into my apartment for the summer.  We traveled to the beaches, Fenway, the North End, Connecticut, New Hampshire and lots and lots of good times.
• I bought my first car!
• I said goodbye to my grandfather for the last time. 
• I went out to Oregon and paid for my very first vacation.  I got to visit with friends that I didn't think I'd get to see this year, and I became a renewed person
• I started my blog and joined the DOC!
• I transferred from my parents insurance to my own.  I then found a PCP so that I could go to Joslin.  I'm finally being proactive in taking care of me!

December 8: Auld Lang Syne