Everything Happens for a Reason

So Jesse has a middle-school "girlfriend" named Madeline. 3 days ago she asked what the symptoms were for type 1 diabetes. She just called. She's in the hospital with a blood sugar of 516. She has type 1. Jesse just talked to her to tell her it sucks....she'll be fine....you get used to the shots...I'll help you at school....

Everything happens for a reason but right now, it doesn't feel very good. Yet, I know she is in the best hands......

Watch us

http://www.wkowtv.com/global/story.asp?s=8967420

Triabetes is the story for Ironman Wisconsin 08

Just a quick note before I take a nap. Ironman came and went. Go see the results if you like at www.ironmanwisconsin.com. Thanks so much to all of you for the support, the cheers, and the love. I will post a ton of pics, I promise. 11 of 12 crossed the finish line, all twelve are Ironmen to me. If you have facebook, please go to the "Triabetes 2008" page to see photos that have already been uploaded.

It was a very long and inspiring day. I saw that a million people checked my blog yesterday - sorry - i was out the course all day!

More to come...

Twitters, tweets and twhirls are the name of the game

Ok, kids. It's here. Ironman Eve. Yet no champagne? Hm...

Do you want to follow the athletes via computer tomorrow - check out:
http://search.twitter.com/search?q=triabetes

You can watch messages from people out on the course all day! They will be emailing any time they see a Triabetes Athlete on the course! You can join us, wanna know how???

If you are on the course follow these instructions:

Send a text message to phone # 40404
enter message "@triabetes hi michelle"
you will get a message back asking you to confirm by sending your name back.

Any time you see an athlete on the course, do the following:
Send a message to 40404
"@triabetes saw Dave Shack on Midtown"

Whomever you see, let us know! We will follow it and let our videographers know! We need you to make the documentary work. It's late...going to bed. questions? Give us a shout on the comment screen - I'll be checking throughout the day!

I should be in bed...but...

I can't sleep. I just knew it's THE weekend and you might be reading this. It's my Triabetes obligation to make sure you are up to date right? :)

So Thursday many new faces arrived. Matt and I attended the medical meeting for the volunteers put on my Ironman. Matt and I asked questions and made sure the volunteers were aware of the # of people with diabetes there would be on the course. Many of the athletes were worried about the swim. You see, try to envision them putting on their wetsuits inside the building. They walk down the large parking ramp called the "Helix". They put away their dry clothes. They get in line to get in the water with 2500 of their closet seal-bodied friends. Barked at in fact to get in the damn water. They tread for 20 minutes. The gun goes off. They finish the swim anywhere between 1:15-2:20 hours. They get out. Their wetsuit is peeled. They have to run back up the "helix" and get to their stuff.

Imagine you have diabetes. No insulin. No glucose meters. No fast acting sugar. Would you panic that you would be without for up to 3 hours minimum? The good news is we convinced IM to let me man a table right as they get in and out of the water for all of their needs - how COOL is that??? Three cheers for North American Sports!!

Lots of chaos, signing up, chip timing, and I can't believe they gave me a pink swim cap - seriously...really? ME? Sexist....grumble grumble.

But all of the athletes are here. As we all got in to practice the swim this morning I begged Ray to take footage of me with all of the newly buff triabetes athletes with their wetsuits half off - DAMN!! They are RIPPED!!!

Of course everyone did get tired of me oggling the 2000 male triathletes...wow...now there is a place to check out guys! WOOHOO!

My house is full of Ahns....and Stewarts...and I'm staying at the home of the Gorsuch family. 2 bedrooms for me, a bath, and a fridge full of beer. Tearin' up. :)

Tomorrow is the welcome reception - gettin' close....... do you smell it? Ironman finishes to come...

They're Here! They're Here!

Finally! I'm surrounded by real triabetes athletes - not just talking on the phone, instant messages, text messages or via email! Last night Bill Carlson, Peter Nerothin and Steve Chop arrived. Bill and I went for a bike ride with friends Mike Runnels and Sheryl (working pancreas), Stacy Cook, Miles Gerson (nonfunctioning) for a quick spin. Then came chinese food, a few beers and good times!

Back to my house with Bill and Steve. I woke up this morning to Bill suiting up for a run in a very cold rain. Not me, I waited for Chop to get us some coffee!

The gang spent the day down in the Ironman Village frolicking. I wish I could have joined them, but had a great day working at brava (for the record, brava is not Brava, it is brava, yes I know punctuation and capitalization, please don't point it out - it really IS brava..). Anyhow....

Tonight Matt Corcoran, our team doc, and I are meeting with the race director and medical director for IM. Pretty exciting. I am hoping they will allow me to have an area at the swim start where I will babysit the meters, the pumps, the cgms, emergency food, and give it up when they get out of the water. Ironman is very scary - but imagine not having your insulin or sugar sources for 3 hours! We are working to make that better.

Follow along, I'll update daily! It's here! It's really here!!!!

I Spy....Triabetes folks at the Governor's place

On August 21st, members of the Triabetes group had the honor of enjoying dinner at the Governor's mansion in Madison, WI. From left to right are Denise, Triabetes member Aaron Perry, Governor Jim Doyle, Andiamo Productions award winning team of Ray Ibsen, Nella Citino, with daughter, Elise, in front. Pioneer of stem cells (really!) Dr. Jamie Thomsen, Me with son Jesse in the triabetes tee, Triabetes athlete Joe Brady with wife, Cindy, and of course First Lady, Jessica Doyle.

It was a small group and lots of time to chat up the staff about the documentary and the amazing athletes. We hope to get invited back after the event and to hopefully show him the documentary!