Diabetes Expert Kelsey Bonilla shares Diabetes management news and commentary at MyDiabetesCentral.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868 http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868 http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/95214/news-hoping-share Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:18:00 -0500 Kelsey Bonilla While this story has nothing to do with my diabetes, I'd like to share my experience in the hope that it will shed light on this extremely common circumstance.  First, let me explain what happened and then I'll share my thoughts and feelings.   In early October I saw a positive pregnancy test and immediately called my doctor to set up my first prenatal appointment.  They weren't able to see me for two weeks.  During the... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/95214/news-hoping-share http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/90555/diabetic-pregnancy Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:26:00 -0400 Kelsey Bonilla Having had a healthy baby and pregnancy while managing type 1 diabetes is one of my greatest sources of personal satisfaction.  This exercise of discipline and determination has provided me a sense of confidence that I can handle many of life's other challenges.  That being said, I recently became extremely humbled by learning of the diabetic pregnancies of another type 1 diabetic.    The woman who trained me on both my... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/90555/diabetic-pregnancy http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/87170/basal-insulin Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:40:00 -0400 Kelsey Bonilla I don't know if this is a common opinion, but I am truly impressed by the power of basal insulin.  Even though, for me, the hourly rate of basal insulin is pretty low (between .40 and .70 units per hour) the adjustment of this rate can have a dramatic impact on my blood sugar control.    Several weeks ago I started tweaking my basal rates, particularly increasing my late morning to mid-afternoon rate from .40 to .50 units per... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/87170/basal-insulin http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/85930/glucose-monitoring Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:51:00 -0400 Kelsey Bonilla I've found that one of most liberating actions is changing your mind.  To that end, I've decided to give continuous glucose monitoring a try.   Since my recent post outlined the reasoning for avoiding CGMS for the time being, I'm sure most readers will be confused by my sudden change of heart.  However, if I'm completely honest, the previous post was written in an attempt to convince myself as much as anyone.  I've always... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/85930/glucose-monitoring http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/80200/significance Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:47:00 -0400 Kelsey Bonilla   Today is the 16th anniversary of my diabetes diagnosis.  Although each July 27 marks another year that I've lived with diabetes, what does it mean to acknowledge a "diabetes anniversary"?    Anniversaries are commonly acknowledged as significant dates among people with type 1 diabetes, I'm not sure if this practice is typical of other chronic conditions.  I think part of the reason that diabetics acknowledge their... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/80200/significance http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/80181/making-decision Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:40:00 -0400 Kelsey Bonilla As my second pregnancy draws near, I'm still struggling with the decision whether to use a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS).  These systems have helped countless diabetics manage their blood sugar and they have become more reliable and accurate as the second generation models enter the market.   The overachieving, type-A side of me wants to use every available tool and resource to achieve optimum blood glucose levels while... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/80181/making-decision http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/79428/diabetic-pregnancy Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:51:00 -0400 Kelsey Bonilla As I prepare my body for a second pregnancy, I'm constantly struck by how different this pregnancy will be from my first.  While pregnant with Sienna, my attention was nearly always focused on my blood sugar.  Other than the regular activities of life, I thought about my blood sugar control all the time!  Maintaining tight control was the biggest priority for me, since it had a direct impact on the health and development of my... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/79428/diabetic-pregnancy http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/72469/starting-pregnancy Wed, 27 May 2009 13:18:00 -0400 Kelsey Bonilla There's nothing typical about having a baby with you have diabetes, and the abnormalities start right at the beginning.  When I casually mentioned to friends and co-workers that I had my "preconception consultation" appointment last week, I saw many blank faces.    "A what?" they'd ask.    "An appointment with my doctor to see if I'm ready to start trying to conceive," I responded, all the while thinking it's so odd... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/72469/starting-pregnancy http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/69793/exercise-pregnancy Tue, 05 May 2009 11:28:00 -0400 Kelsey Bonilla The other day I overheard one of my coworkers describing a kickboxing instructor at her gym.  Apparently, this woman was nine months pregnant and due to give birth in less than two weeks and still teaching and participating in kickboxing.  Wow, that's impressive!   Luckily, exercise during pregnancy does not need to be - and probably for safety reasons shouldn't be - that strenuous.   However, moderate exercise is an... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/69793/exercise-pregnancy http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/69330/diabetes-dilemma Fri, 01 May 2009 11:00:00 -0400 Kelsey Bonilla When I first learned about the discontinuation of my current pump, the Deltec Cosmo, I was in the middle of tax busy season and too overwhelmed with work to pay much attention to the news or what it meant for my diabetes management.  Shortly after the 15th, I started researching my options.   Since I started pumping in September 2006, my Cosmo pump is covered under warranty until September 2010.  However, upon calling my medical... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/5868/69330/diabetes-dilemma