WOW Days

What a day today is shaping up to be! (and it's only 7am here!) I can't sleep coz it feels like Christmas! Of course World Diabetes Day is here (and I've got my Type 1 tee ready to pop on thanks to Type 1 Diabetes Memes) BUT Bigger news than that is this is my first official day as a fiance!

Eeekkkk! Mike and I hiked around Cradle Mountain National Park yesterday when he got down on bended knee to pop the question! Of course I said yes! A total surprise and I'm still pinching myself as it doesn't feel real yet!

I'm so proud of our hiking efforts yesterday. I'm not nearly close to being in great shape at the moment but we wanted to achieve something on our two year anniversary - something we could accomplish.. conquer! It seemed fitting to travel to Tasmania to do this (despite missing the solar eclipse in my home town!!) as we'd first fell deeply, wholeheartedly in love in Tassie in January of 2011, when as part of our trip we'd hiked at Wineglass Bay (Amazing and highly recommended!). But as most diabetics have found out at some point, no matter how prepared you might be, there always seems to be some curve balls! The moment we got out of the car in the national park I went to check my blood sugar. My finger pricker wasn't working! Whaaa!?!? That has never happened to me before! It was so strange, the 'prick' just wouldn't go in...like the mechanism in the pen has somehow got damaged and slipped further down the barrel than it is supposed to be at... so weird, and quite alarming! We fiddled with it and got it working...sort of...I usually use it at 1-3, now I'm using it at 5-8. I also told myself that I had plenty of lancets so at worse I'd just have to do it manually (which isn't much fun but I've had to do before).

The hiking was incredible, just like the weather! - and there weren't many other tourists around. Except for three very cute, very Japanese girls we passed on the way up - and we all took the obligatory pictures of each other complete with peace fingers of course. Then when Mike and I were almost at the peak (and after climbing for just over an hour - lots of huge lunge style steps involved with near vertical rocks we had to manoeuvre ourselves over!) I remembered I read that in colder climates diabetics may not be able to feel lows so well, so I yelled out to Mike that I needed to stop and refuel. (For some reason Mike had gone a little ahead of me at the stage and coincidentally there wasn't a soul around and we were surrounded by the most majestic view.........).

Well I sat to test and not much sooner after I pushed the last of a muesli bar in my mouth, Mike wanted to 'show me something by the edge of the cliff'. There he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Unfortunately I don't remember much of his speech through my tears and shaking, oh and then the perfectly timed cheer squad as the three very cute, very Japanese girls came up over the climb cheering and yelling with their cameras out!

My blood sugars were stable through the whole climb and while I ate small snacks along the way (3 times I had 20g of carbs) I certainly didn't need any insulin. I stayed between 7-9 and whole way (3 hours of climbing and walking). My blood sugar only dropped at the end when were just about stopped. I didn't feel it all...that cold environment factor I'm thinking!.. and only checked as Mike wanted to stop and sit by the lake to rest it sore feet. I was 3 and couldn't believe I didn't know, I'm usually so good. When I'm 3 at home in the sweltering tropics I can become all frantic and dizzy. Nothing here! Nadda! So I will definitely need to watch out while I'm down here.

After all the year has held, World Diabetes Day isn't quite what I thought it was going to be this year. Rather I'm taking time out to be thankful for the health and the life that I do have - and that I need to look after! Happy World Diabetes Day - How ever you end up celebrating, remember to be good to body and congratulate yourself for the mammoth job you do every single day.

Much Love & Best Wishes,

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