Living the high life on the water

Okay, first, I am not Bill Gates, where I never inhaled and neither does Sock Monkey (really, he doesn't).  I thought this would be a great opener for what I'm finding a VERY difficult blog to write.  I've been dwelling on how to put my experience that many of you saw and commented on my Instagram post, but I personally, do not remember too much, but my DH does.  

Since the '70s, as a Type 1 Diabetic, I took up the occasional puff puff when going out with friends.  It was mainly due to the fact that drinking alcohol was not one of my top things to relax with when out.  Being an introvert, it helped me loosen up a bit and at least remember the next day what I did.  Also, I tended to be the designated driver for my friends, since most of them couldn't afford the luxury of a car. 

Fast forward 40 years later, cannabis (weed) in Canada has been legal for both recreational and medicinal purposes since 2018.  Along with that, this year where I live, our small town that I believe still holds the record for the most Tim Horton's in Canada.  It looks like we are going the same route with shops opening up (and the one we went to called Shiny Bud... right across from, yuppers a Tim Horton ).  Think of these weed shops as being like a "candy store", which is how I felt when I stepped into one about a month ago to check out what it's all about.  Lots of goodies behind locked up display cases, etc.

My DH uses medicinal weed to help him deal with life.  Since he's started, I have seen an increase with my puff puff range during the week, unlike when he was working, it was just a weekend treat.  My main dislike is getting the munchies afterward, which we all know, will increase blood sugar control along with weight excess as a diabetic.  Of course, we all differ in how our bodies react, just like our insulin use.

Last weekend, my DH went to the shop to pick up some goodies, and the package you see above nestled in Sock Monkey's legs is a pre-rolled joint from Tweed.  It's a fat little bugger, and just a few puffs, sent me into a horrible spiral.

Here I was sitting on the side of our sailboat at our mooring ball, feet dangling over, relaxing after a day of work (I do a weekend shift) as we waited for dinner to cook on the BBQ.  I try to only smoke when I know that food will be involved since it works out better for the munchies along with insulin coverage. Basically from what I can remember over the period of an hour was my husband trying to hold onto me as I puked, sweated like I was in a sauna (I remember that bit), and slipping in/out of laa-laa-land so I wouldn't slip through the lifelines and fall into the water.  I swear I was hallucinating, and talking out loud (I thought I was shouting), but he said I wasn't quite making sense, even though it felt so real.  

What was alarming him was my Fitbit showing my heart racing away, and I think I remember telling him to check on it, along with my Dexcom to see if I was having a low blood sugar (see - we diabetics can't shut our brains down when we're in a bad place).  Blood sugars were perfect! 

What follows after that was him trying to get the attention of a few other moored boats for help, and when they did hear him, one of the members of our club who had experienced a stroke on his boat (where he voice-activated his mobile since he could not move, to get help).  I vaguely remember being rolled under the lifelines (and I'm no small person), into a dinghy. Being held, talked to keep me from passing out, it seemed like it took forever to get to shore (and the same thing with the ambulance ride).  The whole time I had my eyes closed for some reason. Weird, weird, weird.  Even composing this now, it feels like a dream.

So, this pukey coated old cat got loaded off onto the front dock of our club and whisked away by ambulance to the closest hospital about 20 minutes away.  Once I started to feel my body again, and be able to talk/think properly, it was basically determined that the higher concentration of TSH in this pre-rolled joint is probably the culprit.  The doctor pointed out as well, weed has come a long way since the early days, before it, and growers for the markets we have here in Canada are creating stronger and stronger high THC strains then what many of us smoked back in the day.  

So, all is good in my little world.  I've not smoked since then, and the smell of it makes me feel nauseated but that may soon pass, but for now, I think if I do partake in a puff puff session, using homegrown (we're allowed to grow 3 plants per household here in Canada) may be the way to go in future. My DH was so worried he was going to lose me, and in my brain during the whole time, I was trying to not freak out that I was having heart issues that are one of the many complications of diabetes.

Thank you to the members of our yacht club who did such a marvelous job of handling the situation, and because of what happened, we're planning on holding a course to teach people how to handle an offshore rescue like they did for me in the near future.  

Life is good on the water - one of my rescuers :)

Cancer or diabetes?

This blog post was originally posted back on September 19, 2009 at Diabetes1.org which owns the copyright of this blog.  Due to my inability to update some of the links that no longer work - I have had to resort to posting the blog here.   

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My friend Darlene's  daughter Jenna, was diagnosed with Stage IV Avealor Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer at the age of 15.  It is a cancerous form of tumor growth that originates in the soft tissues of the body, including the muscles, tendons, and connective tissues and is very aggressive. The most common sites for this tumor to be found include the head, neck, bladder, vagina, arms, legs, and trunk (abdomen).  Jenna had been battling this beast for the past 2 years - and her motto was "One Step at a Time".

I felt a very close connection to Jenna, as many of us did that knew her parents/family.  We were all fighting along side of her in her battle in one way or another.  I know I was ready to kick butt for her!!!  Also, since Spring time, Jenna had been using a pump to infuse morphine to deal with the pain.  I felt in some way very more connected to her, maybe because of my being on an insulin pump that keeps me alive and healthy.

Back in July I saw Jenna when she was visiting her Mum and stepdad Shawn in Rochester, NY (Jenna lives in Carleton Place, Ontario with her father Bob and his wife Jennifer).  She was in pretty good spirits - your usual spunky teenager 17 year old (she can really belt out a tune - I told her she should be on American Idol - and she looked at me like I was off my rockers with that comment ).  It was great to see her enjoying herself and it brought my hopes up for her, as I'm sure it did for others.

Sadly, a few weeks later, she started to experience alot of pain and had to go back to hospital.  During that time she fought the battle of her life and with all her might - but sadly she passed away this week - on September 16th, 2009.   All I know is that her spirit will continue on forever, she was not only beautiful, but also had great courage and remarkable strength.

I just know that if I could have traded my life as a diabetic for hers - I would not have hesitated in a nanosecond!  As I'm sure others would agree with if they thought about it.  If Jenna had been diagnosed with diabetes rather then this evil cancer - she would have been able to survive.  Yes, we have complications associated with diabetes, but we can live with them if we take care of ourselves.  

You can read more of Jenna's story from her father and stepmum's journal - at Jenna's Memorial Fund, Helping Kids with Cancer. 



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NOTE:  Jenna's Mum finally got to come on board to our Catalina 30 this past weekend - that is named Jenna's Journey.  Sadly, without her husband, as he himself had succumbed to cancer only a few years later after Jenna.  Another angel in heaven has earned their wings. 

The day I saw this boat back in the Spring of 2010, in the backyard of a house in Marblehead, MA, a butterfly flitted by and seemed to hover.  I felt a strange tingle go through me, and I started to cry for some reason (and I'm not a gal that takes easily to shedding a tear).   Jenna LOVED butterflies.  I looked up at the boat that my husband was taking a look at with the owner and it was like she was giving me signal.  That this was the boat she wanted to be on with us on our travels.  My tears were happy tears knowing she'd live on with us with her name and silhouette proudly displayed on the sides of our boat. 

How I Became FatCatAnna Within the #DOC

I've had a few people asking me at other forums I belong to as to how I came about using the name of FatCatAnna.  It's not something I talk about alot - not in detail like this - but here I go.

My name is Anna as you all know - but the Fat Cat bit came from having to think of a name for our Catalina 25 sailboat we bought when we decided to take up sailing instead of an expensive gas guzzling runabout (called " Le Putt Putt "). At the time we had a cat - by the name of Beauduoin (for those of you from Québec - remember Beauduoin? - the coke head in " Cruising Bar " with Michel Côté?).  Just think of me yelling "Beauduoin" and you'll laugh!!  Try it - yell out "Beauduoin" with much emotion in your voice.

Well, Beauduoin sort of lived up to his name from the character in the movie - but used legal drugs when he became an insulin dependent diabetic at the age of 10.  Low and behold – we both were shooting up together a few times a day (he used Lantus twice a day) – he’d crawl up my leg to ask for the shot at times (he knew shots equaled food ) – but I’d have to shove him away (gently) – because it was my turn and not his sometimes.  It was kind of neat having another diabetic in the house even though he was not human.  

On our sailboat – the Fat Cat - we had originally planned on bringing him on board when we did some of our travels on the “high seas” – only to discover that he was happy at port the most – sunning himself on the deck – but not quite into the heeling process when under sail in choppy water. So, we tended to leave him at the vets when we went away on holidays.  One year, 2007 – we had friends that insisted on taking care of him rather then taking him to the vets.  I showed them how to fill the syringe, inject, etc.  The strange thing is – when I left him at their house – I had this feeling something wasn’t right – and I should have trusted my instincts – urrrhhh!!!!

We were just entering into the 2^nd of our 3rd week of our journey to Lake Ontario – when we got a call from Montreal.  At that time we were at the port of Kingston - only a 4 hour drive away by car - but by boat - at least 3-4 days (for every day on the road in a car - it's 1 day sailing on a sailboat). 

We were told by our friends that Beauduoin had to be taken to the vets – that was ALL they told us – they seemed abit broken up.  We immediately called up the vets to discover that he was very ill – and that we should come back to Montreal right away.  Luckily Mike didn’t tell me the truth at that time – because if he had – I would have flown in a private jet to get home faster if I could.  We managed to leave our sailboat at a marina - renting a car to drive back to home.  

We managed to see Beauduoin for about an hour – before he had to be put down – they had kept him alive for us just to be able to say goodbye.  I’m sorry, I’m crying here – luckily I can type without seeing what is on the screen (former secretarial skills come in handy at times).  It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life.  For some reason – his body was infested with things I cannot write about – but it was something that is not seen in a cat that does not go outside.  The vets / nurses explained how he’d been brought to the office in a box and dropped off by our friends quickly – it was all very bizarre – and we were all shocked - even the staff. No one seemed to understand how he got into that state and unfortunately we have never found out the truth. 

I like to think he knew we were there wishing him the best – he was so drugged up against the pain – but he nudged my hand when I touched him (I had to wear surgical gloves he was that badly infected). What really still gets to me is that he was a well managed diabetic like myself (he had better A1C's then me) – and could have lived on for a lot longer – if it hadn’t been for this mishap.  Ten days at sea for us – and God knows what he went thru’ in those days without us.

Anyway, Beauduoin lives on in the memory of our sailboat the Fat Cat and is the pen name I use at all the forums I post in.  I miss him still (it’ll be 2 years this summer that he passed on). Meow!

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Please note - this blog was originally posted at Diabetes1.org on January 25th, 2009 at this link - this posted version you are reading here has been modified with new pictures and editing

Also, for those of you sailing in Lake Ontario - if you see a Catalina 25 - with logo you see in the pictures - that's our boat - a young couple purchased the boat from us when we went to a larger Catalina  - and when I told them the story about Beauduoin - they asked to keep the boats name the same - we felt very honoured.  The last time we saw our boat was in this video link off to it's new home with Jarrod & Karoline in GTA.