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Good afternoon all I would like to introduce myself...

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Posted 3/26/2006 3:04 AM (GMT 0)
I am a Senior Environmental Engineer/Manager and I live in the great State of Alaska (Eagle River specifically - Anchorage area) for 4 years. I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 1996 as a result of a OSHA physical while living in Tucson, AZ...as an aside I'm a native Virginian but left the Commonwealth in 1989.

For years I kept my diabetes in check with Glucovance and then suddenly in February 2002 my #'s shot up into the 400's and I suffered lactic acidosis. Thanks to the swift actions of the medical staff where I work (I work on the NW Alaska Sea Coast - 120 miles N. of the Arctic Circle) I was airlifted back to Anchorage and given proper medical treatment. After that it took a few months to "figure" out my proper Rx routine, but a mixture of Avandamet 4/1000 and Glipzide 10 MG twice a day for the last 4 years has kept my blood sugar in the 82 - 135 range consistantly. It did range slightly higher back this fall and winter because I contracted a particularly nasty post surgical Group B Staph and Pseudomonas infection in early September in my lower right leg and right ankle that I'm still unfortunately feeling the effects of and for all intents and purposes has left me disabled with very limited use of my right leg (that's a whole other topic).

For the headache specialist out there I also have a silly little "disease" called Sluder's Syndrome which is a type of Neuralgia that I would not wish on my worse enemy...luckily it only rears it's head 3 or 4 times a year.

I am married to a wonderful RN who suffers from FMS, but is making a terrific go of it, 2 extremely spoiled dogs (a Pom and a Scotch Collie) and a very special 27 year old young man named Bryan who has Saul-Wilson's Disease and was the first of only 8 people world wide diagnosed with the disease (it's an associated Arthritis disease, with learning and growth disabilities). He's a strong little man and a constant inspiration to my wife and I.
Posted 3/27/2006 12:27 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the forum Major Kong! I hope that healingwell has helped you like it has me! I only post in the diabetes forum in my obesity topic or to others...I no longer have sugar problems thanks to being healed by wonderful Jesus! I hope that you feel better and that you can get good usage out of your leg....that it begins to feel better. Good luck with everything and congrats on having a wondeful supportive wife!
Posted 3/30/2006 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Major!
I'm Jeannie and one of the three Mods here on the Diabetes forum. Sounds like you have an interesting life going on. Alaska... wow! I want to visit sometime. I live in Michigan and run a licensed bakery in my home where I design and execute bride's wishes in wedding cake. I"m also a mod on the Fibromyalgia forum. You ought to get your wife to look in over there. We have some very good times laughing at the foibles of fibro-fog. Have to run. Just wanted to say hi.
Posted 3/31/2006 7:36 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the greetings Jeannie and Ashley. I appreciate it.

Jeannie we've lived in several great places and visited many more but I've never lived anywhere as spectacular as Alaska.

I'll have my wife give a look see over at the FMS forum also she is a cake fanatic. :D It's not fair she's 5' 10" & 135' and can eat a whole cake, wash it down with a Diet Coke and not gain one ounce and I'll gain 5' watching her eat it. :(
Posted 3/31/2006 5:30 PM (GMT 0)
I know exactly how you feel! I can gain weight just looking at food too...lol. I am an endormorph...I have the slowest metabolism there is, unfortunately! My husband has always wanted to go to Alaska. Have you ever seen a polar bear or penguin in the wild?
Posted 3/31/2006 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
Penguins are South Pole. :-)

I have seen Polar Bears in the winter at work. I've been fairly close about 200' from where I was standing on a platform and I tell you that's as close as I wanted to get...they are big, they are aggressive, they are mean and they will hunt and eat you...my wife refuses to believe this because she chooses to believe the Coca Cola commercials. tongue

Here at my house we have moose walking through the yard all of the time (think Northern Exposure)...fairly easy going but you don't want to make them mad and they absolutely hate dogs. Our Scotch Collie learned real fast when we moved up here from Arizona that moose do not want to be herded. For the most part though moose will not bother you if you do not bother them. Brown bears hang around the neighborhood in the summer...you have to be careful-even more so if it's a mom and her cubs.

I don't live in the Bush either I live in Eagle River which is part of Anchorage and a community of 30,000 people on it's own...Anchorage is ~260,000 people total. It isn't unusual to see a moose or other critter when going to Wal-Mart, Safeway, Costco or anywhere else. :-)
Posted 4/1/2006 2:49 AM (GMT 0)
Wow! it sounds like you have an amazing wild enviornment! I never knew that penguins were south pole...and I guess I would rather be like your wife and believe the coca cola commericals as far as polar bears. It must be awesome living there! It must have been a huge change moving from Arizona to Alaska! You went from too hot to too cold! I wish I lived there!
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