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Diabetes in the real with Karli - CDCES

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Diabetes in the real with Karli - CDCES

Diabetes in the real with Karli - CDCES Diabetes management less than perfect? I’ve been there, in fact 45 years worth of imperfection, but trying the best I can. Join us!

Share with us your unique story and Let’s do this together! Diabetes is HARD enough so don’t even try doing it alone.

05/11/2026

Where would we be without our beloved Mother’s who truly cared about our every need especially when our stomachs were empty?
And speaking of an empty stomach- Do you know that an empty stomach often times can precipitate HIGH blood sugar? You probably would think the opposite is true but often times going without food for too long causes the body to be under STRESS. Our bodies do NOT like being hungry and this can give rise to stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol) being released as well as glucose. We know what those do to us! So don’t follow little William’s example- Go and grab a cheese stick. And let dear ole Mom enjoy her Mother’s Day!

05/08/2026

Gotta take a minute to give some grace to my Sisters & Brothers in the trenches in the amazing profession of Nursing. It’s a TOUGH job- and only the MOST resolute, dedicated, competent and caring people can do it. I’m in AWE of you everyday!
(PS-thinking about becoming a Nurse? Give me a call- I’ll give you a MILLION reasons to give a final YES. It’s treated me well for about 37 years!)

05/07/2026

Announcement: Free Signed Copy Giveaway of a Children's Book about Type 1 Diabetes. I am offering a complimentary signed copy of my recently authored book about managing Type 1 Diabetes, which although titled for kids, is relevant to anyone living with T1 diabetes. To participate in this giveaway, please ensure you are following this account and tag one friend in the comments section. The winner will be announced next week.

05/04/2026

I had a dream lastnight that I was back to being a fairly “early” nurse in my career. This looked like a typical day at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, WA. It was clockwork to me then, but looks a bit daunting to me now.
But as I think on it- at least there’s a “science” to all of this. You hang certain drugs (we did lots of chemo), blood products, antibiotics- monitor the vital signs and oxygen concentration, follow the protocols and the procedures-watch for obvious complications (most of the time they were fairly predictable) and you get your work done.

Clockwork with diabetes? HA!
Predictable? DOUBLE HA!
Follow Protocols? YOU GET THE POINT
Yes my friends, in the Big Picture of medicine-this one is Chaos- the best we can do is try to organize it a bit!

05/03/2026

Ok Peeps let’s not be so hard on ourselves!!!
This is a TOUGH disease. No breaks. EVER. Most people don’t understand it AT ALL. We get told what we’re doing wrong- ALL THE TIME.
We have tough, hard days and some of those days are harder than others. We’re trying to do the best we can. Allow yourself to SCREW UP occasionally! Your ‘betes, sadly, isn’t going anywhere. We’ve GOT it for the long haul. So by all means- SCREW UP when you HAVE to- to take some of the pressure off because most days- you’re engulfed in it. Remember- there is NOTHING easy about this way of life.
No one knows this better than YOU do. 😑

05/01/2026

And since we’ve been on the subject lately of Coca Cola….
Remember back in the day that the 2 liter bottles came out?
Early 1980’s. They seemed HUGE, weighed in like barbell’s, and were made of glass?
We had about 4 of these in the garage when my T1 symptoms first started. By about Day #4 of starting to get sick, I drank 3 of them. I remember being so weak, I could barely lift those bottles up to my lips to drink it (I didn’t waste time pouring it in a glass. No time for that. I was needing it too fast so just drank straight from the bottle). For those of you math wizards-that’s ALOT of soda. About 6 liters in about 6 hours and yet I was STILL thirsty and wanting more. Never quenched- not even close. Landed in the ER with a glucose of 1496. Not pretty.

How many of you remember those symptoms before you were either officially diagnosed or in a coma? Those were some rough days. I remember telling the Residents who were teaching me about insulin that I wasn’t going to take insulin; that I’d “find another way.”
I remember the look I got and the comment from a rather cocky young MD; “well you’ve got about another 72 hours then.”
I knew what he meant.
He sure wasn’t vey nice bout it.
Not much compassion but that’s pretty much how it was for any of us with a diabetes diagnosis.
What is your Beginning Story?

04/29/2026

The answer to diabetes is finally revealed! Watch this 60 second explanation and FINALLY be enlightened!

04/27/2026

Managing diabetes often means making decisions throughout the day... some planned, some in the moment. From meals and activity to stress and sleep, many factors can influence how your body responds. Over time, learning to notice these patterns can make a big difference in how confident and prepared you feel.

It’s not about getting everything “right.” It’s about building awareness and making adjustments that work for you. Small changes, repeated consistently, tend to be more effective than trying to overhaul everything at once. Progress with diabetes is usually steady and gradual, not instant.

This page is here to share practical insights, real-life perspective, and conversations that help make diabetes feel more manageable. When people share experiences and ideas, it creates a stronger, more informed community for everyone involved.

Question: What’s one small change or habit that has made managing diabetes easier for you?

04/26/2026

Ok, Time for a little “Fantasy Food Fun!”
Your diabetes gets turned OFF for 24 Magical hours-
What are you grabbing in LARGE portions?
This is the Easiest conundrum ever asked of me-
Straight to a “Red Bottle NON-Diet” Coca-Cola, and perhaps GALLONS of purple grape juice please. Quantity is of NO consequence!

04/25/2026

So what’s wrong with sharing a bucket of popcorn, a diet soda and a bag of M&M’s (especially peanut ones) at a movie when you have diabetes?
Back when I was diagnosed in the early 80’s that was considered reckless, non-compliant and careless. Now in 2026? NORMAL!
I mean- I’m not saying “Put a lampshade on your head” and GO NUTZ like the girl here- But c’mon People!
(as we always say around here)
LET’S BE REAL!

04/23/2026

How true is this?
I don’t have a purse-I have a “Gift Shoppe.”
I can supply a neighborhood full of Trick-or-Treaters with its contents and perform surgery with all of my medical gadgets. And I’m able to support every able-bodied dead pancreas in a 3-county radius!
One thing about us that are “glucose-challenged”-
WE COME PREPARED🙂
(we have to!)

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