Saturday, April 30, 2011

Donut Holes

The final blogging prompt from the WEGO Health Blog's Health Activist Writer's Monthly Challenge is "Gobbledygook Day" and the challenge is to create a made-up word.

I was just listening to one of my favorite radio programs on my local NPR affiliate yesterday - A Way with Words - and they were discussing this very concept. Martha and Grant kept talking about "holes" in the English language just waiting for words to fill them.

They talked about the awkward sidewalk dance two people do when trying to decide how to maneuver around one another (a slidle?) and the sideways shuffle you do in the movie theater trying not stick your butt in someone's face or hit their knees as you "sluffle" out of the aisle to use the john.

The diabetic online community (DOC) has many 'gobbledygook' words or phrases currently in rotation:

  • ragebolus (when you take more insulin than you need just to bring down a stubborn high)
  • diabeversary (the day you were diagnosed)
  • bolus worthy (a meal/food/goodie so yummy it's worth the massive insulin dosage required to cover it
  • diabetes police (people in your life who nitpick your food choices)
  • type 3 (loved ones/spouse/caretaker/parent of a PWD)
  • sweatabetes (working out)
  • diabeatles (okay, so that one doesn't actually get thrown around, but I coined it and I'm proud!)

Communities of people are going to have their inside jokes, their shop talk, their lexicon. I don't know that I can throw a word out there and have it gain any momentum.

I am not an A-lister among D-bloggers. I'm not well known. I'm not in their happy family meetup pictures. I'm not at the summits and blogger conventions. I don't know quite how I fit in yet, but that's okay. I don't know who I want to be as a health blogger. I didn't really think I could consider myself a health activist writer until I started this challenge thirty days ago.

Speaking of which, I missed only two days of the challenge - one was the day we flew roundtrip in a matter of 12 hours to pick up our little houseguest. One was the day I was battling a house full of stomach flu. So I'd say I gave it my all.

Anyway, I have been thinking very hard for the last few weeks about who I am. What I've wanted for myself and family. What lies ahead. How my health condition will play into that. (Dia-cisions?)

I've been battling grief, exhaustion, stress, high blood sugars, forgotten boluses, low binges, cranky toddlers.

My emotional state and my certainty about any given topic have mirrored the peaks and valleys of my blood sugar line on my continuous glucose monitor - which I lost for three days. Lost, I say. And by lost, I mean that it sat IN PLAIN SIGHT on my nightstand for three days while I pulled my hair out and worried about where it ran off to.

So that should tell you something about my own challenges this month. BG Range: 40-370. Standard deviation: 50s. CGM line: rocky mountains.

In this emotional state, in my obscurity as a johnny-come-lately d-blogger, on the last day of this health activist writer's monthly challenge, I wonder what hole in my sugar-free vocabulary needs a little cream filling.

I think I will leave you hanging and just say that I'm glad the blogging challenge is finally complete. I won't feel bad now if I rest a while between posts.

No blobligation looming over my head before I nod off each night. :)

(See what I did there? Tee hee hee.)

3 comments:

  1. Yup, tee hee.
    You made me giggle - nifty new word!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your posts. :)

    While I do not combat the fluctuations of diabetes, I have been experiencing a lot of roller coaster rides lately. So, I feel ya.

    But, so you know, I think you are a great person! I have really enjoyed the small moments we've gotten to visit and hope we get to see more of each other.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I haven't heard back from you and wanted to reach out one last time. We're actively building up our health section, and I believe that our audience would be interested in what you have to say.

    We're not selling you (or anyone) anything, we'd simply like to publish your content.

    So please let me know if you have (or don't have) an interest in becoming a contributor on Opposing Views.

    Thanks for your time and consideration.

    Kate Wharmby Seldman
    Health and Entertainment Editor
    Opposing Views
    healtheditor@opposingviews.com

    ReplyDelete