A Few Big Things on my Mind these days

A few Big Things are occupying my time these days........
Here's a snapshot of My Life Starring Me

1. Pregnancy
To be completely un-politically correct, I understand why fat people avoid exercise!  It's hard work when you are carrying all this extra weight!  I have a hard time remembering if I really and truly used to run 30min at 5.5MPH every lunch break on the treadmill.

I am now 30 weeks pregnant
I have gained 27lbs so far!  The Antenatal clinic has raised an eyebrow at all my weigh ins but at least I'm slowing down with the speed with which I'm gaining.

However, I am toooooooooooooooooooooooo heavy!
I walked 2 blocks and was exhausted and out of breath!  

Time to face facts! I froze my membership at the Nautilus Plus for one year.  Zumba, no more.
Plus my hip has moved out of place and my legs get tired if I stand too long.
(Clearly they are collapsing under the weight of my Fat-ness)

And people, Please stop asking if I'm having twins!!!!!
PLUS! As big as I am, I'm going to get BIGGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


But the tummy is fun!  I see elbows and knees and feet.  I'm never alone!
I feel the movement at specific times:
- like when I eat something sweet
-or when I'm reading my son his bedtime stories
- or when my husband sings
I'm filled with wonder at the little girl that is soon going to join us.
(If the heart burn doesn't kill me first)

2. Insulin & Blood Sugar Management
My average daily dose has gone from 34units/day to 60units/day
 I keep increasing and increasing.
What happens is, I have a few really good days where my numbers are all in range.
For 4 days I see something like this:
I wake up at 5.4mmol/L -perfect!
I eat 20g of carbs and inject 4 units of insulin - a big increase, but it's fine!
1 hour later I'm in the 5.5-6.2mmol/L range -perfect

last 2 days, one hour later I'm in the 8.5mmol/L zone....not good.
Time to increase, again
When you're pregnant, you are trying to be back in range 1 hour after eating.  

I'm still eating my 150g of carb per day.  Starving, mind you.  But since I've cut my exercise and continued eating the same, it all balances out.  Supposedly.

I now go to the clinic every 2 weeks for Ultrasounds and general follow up
I'm also looking to use all my vacation days and overtime towards leaving work in the month of June, it's just so tiring! 

3. Volunteer Work
My new volunteer role with the JDRF is going very well!
I am the RIV (Research Information Volunteer) for the Montreal chapter.
So I have monthly conference calls with the New York JDRF Head Office and hear all the scientific updates on the various Research projects in place.  So satisfying to hear progress reports on the diabetes cures they are researching, like Beta Cell Regeneration (the beta cells are the ones that MAKE insulin -which I don't have) and  Beta Cell Encapsulation (how to keep new Beta cells alive in someone, like me, whose body keeps killing them) and the diabetes treatments like Artificial Pancreas Project, (an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor that communicate and automatically respond to your blood sugar needs!)
ANYHOW, I take all this information and present it to all you fine people that are fund-raising.
People really like knowing where their money is going!
I do love this role!

4. The JDRF Walk
This June 10th is the JDRF Walk-A-Thon.  I'm trying to get a team together and raise $5,000 personally.
I'm having challenges.  I have a team of 4 people so far (this includes my husband and my best friend!)
And My goal is sort of very far away.  So far I raised $1,410.  So 28% there.
I wish I could make people understand how much fun the walk is as a family outing.
Personally, when the weather warms and the flowers are in bloom, I just can't spend another Sunday morning in pajamas inside the house with the TV on!  I want to be OUT! I want to GO! Is it just me?  

5. Baking with Molasses
Black Strap Molasses is iron rich!  Good for pregnant vegetarian me, good for picky fussy 2 year old my son, and just plain tasty!
A friend of mine (Thanks Gloria!) gave me a ginger cake recipe (possibly Martha Stewart of origin).  I modified it slightly to increase the protein content and reduce the carbs and we are loving it!  One slice is a 30g afternoon snack or breakfast.  Very well spent 30g!!!
I've baked one cake a week for the last 3 weeks and it's still the highlight of my lunch!
I wonder if I can bake sitting down?

I end on a sweet note.............
P.S. It's so 'ME' to start off complaining about my weight and end with talk about food and recipe!
Ginger Cake
Recipe:
1 cup blackstrap molasses 224g carbs
1 cup boiling water + 2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup softened butter 92g FAT
2 eggs PROTEIN
2 cups white whole weat flour (I like Robin Hood Multiflour) 176g carbs
1/2cup soy protein 16g carbs and PROTEIN
1/3 cup brown sugar 60g carbs
1/3 cup splenda 7.5g carbs
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves

1. Spray a bundt pan and preheat oven to 350F
2. Sift all the dry ingredients together, except for the brown sugar
3. In a very large bowl, beat the butter until fluffy.  4. Add the brown sugar and beat together until smooth
5. Add the molasses and the water/baking soda and beat until smooth,
6. Add the dry flour mix, and beat
7. Add one egg at a time, and beat
Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and bake for about 35 min (until toothpick test)

If you slice it in 16 slices, each slice is 30g carb and 6g fat!

Also, don't forget, when you lick the beaters and the bowl, those have no calories OK?

Ladies & Gentlemen

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A tale of civil war

v  The Main Characters

1.       Army unit I.S.

This army has 1 job:  identify and destroy threats

The unit I.S. has worked side by side with many other army units in Country T for many many years. 

2.       Army unit P.

This small army unit is in charge of: food processing

-          When food is delivered, it feeds all the other army units of country T

-          Also provides fluids to a few other units

v  Peaceful Times

Unit P. and Unit I.S.  are on the same side. 

Unit I.S. keeps Country T safe and

Unit P. keeps Country T fed.

They go waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back.

They actually grew up together

v  Civil War

One day, out of the blue,  Army unit I.S., all of a sudden, looks at Army unit P.  and points accusingly and screams ‘ENEMY!’

Army unit I.S. launches a full scale attack on Unit P. and wipes them out!

v  Aftermath

Country T is not doing well.  The other Army units try to carry on but they have no food supply and actually start snacking on the barracks out of starvation.

Country T’s other Armies are on shaky ground.  Without proper nourishment and fluids they are completely falling apart

v  The moral of the story:

There is no moral!  This is Juvenile Diabetes!

Country T. is me, Tamara Segall!

Army Unit I.S. is my Immune System

Army Unit P. is my pancreas

v  Now, about Me

I was 29 years old when I was diagnosed.  It happened July of 2005 during a heat wave.  In the span of 1 week,  I went from feeling tired and drinking 15 glasses of water a day, to feeling completely exhausted and drinking 50 glasses of water a day.

I ended up hospitalized learning to inject myself with the insulin that my pancreas can no longer create.  I need to check my blood sugar at least 7 times a day to see how much insulin I need to take and to make sure that I gave myself the proper dose.  If my blood sugar is high, I fix it with another injection of insulin, if my blood sugar is low, I fix it with Dex4.

My tale of civil war is a very stylized and dramatized explanation of what happened to me when I developed Juvenile Diabetes (AKA Type 1 Diabetes), an Auto-Immune Disease. 

v  Help may be on the way…

The JDRF is dedicated to finding a cure.  They raise money to fund their research with this Walk-a-Thon!

So that people like me, and over 300,000 other Canadians, will one day not need to give ourselves  5+ injections a day nor prick our fingers to test out blood sugar over 2,000 times a year.

PLUS, they made the fund raiser fun for the whole family and overall a great experience!

v  Now, You

Please sponsor me and come walk with me

On Sunday June 10^th, 2012 at the Centre de la Nature in Laval! 

Lace up your sneakers

Come and meet some good people and do something wonderful

Let’s hang out again together and have a picnic

I’m inviting you to join me and my husband and my parents and my good friends and my good colleagues for a few hours for the Telus Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund’s Walk-A-Thon taking place on June 10^th

Over the last 5 years this has really grown into an annual family event for many of us.

At first I had a team of 3, now  our team counts over 50 people and every single one of them told me this event is a highlight of the season!

It’s on a Sunday morning, at a lush park, packed with good people

We chat and get samples

We walk 5km through the park and catch up with old friends, we make new friends

Then we get a free prepared lunch, this year they will be in a DEX4 Lunchbag!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then we have a picnic, and the kids play, there are a couple of really fun things taking place as well

·         The MC is Bilal Butt Host of CHOM FMs drive home

·         There’s a Kids tent with coloring and balloons

·         There will be Inflatable games for the kids

·         There will be a 3 legged race you can sign up for on-line

·         And YES, lunch too!!!!!!!

To Join my team and Sponsor me

• Visit www.jdrf.ca and click on the TELUS Walk to the Cure icon
• Then choose to Register or Pledge a Participant
• Our walk is in Montreal June 10^th, Centre de la Nature
• To Sponsor me, just type in my name Tamara Segall
• Complete the registration fields and click submit

I’m available to help with this process and any others

I can also accept cash donations

Team AMG & Friends is aiming for $10,000 –at least!

Last year we came in at $7,000

I am personally aiming to raise $5,000.  I have raised, so far $100

The JDRF national goal is $7.9 million

SO, it’s time to get serious!

I’m very excited.  It’s going to be fantastic!

Thank you for your support

 

PS I will be waddling rather than walking, this year, because I will be 8 months pregnant!