As those close to me know, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in December 2019 which meant a HUGE lifestyle change. No more bagels or pop tarts for breakfast, fast food on the run for lunch, and pasta for dinner. No more sitting around every evening watching TV (I’ve given up television besides some Food Network on the weekends — and binging Schitt’s Creek!). I stopped watching the news about 2 months in to the pandemic. I’ve limited my social media use to mostly business and I’ve ‘unfriended’ or ‘unfollowed’ people who cause me grief. …

I recently read an article about “Imposter Syndrome” on LinkedIn. And WOW, it really resonated with me. It struck a chord… then, it didn’t.

Read on, I’ll explain.

But first, what is Imposter Syndrome, you ask?
Imposter Syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. ‘Imposters’ suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence.

So back to my weird statement above. I read the article, listened to the podcast, and really felt something. I have been suffering from…

Let’s talk about the difference between opinions and facts.

o·pin·ion /əˈpinyən/ noun

noun: opinion; plural noun: opinions

a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

fact /fakt/ noun

noun: fact; plural noun: facts

a thing that is known or proved to be true.

Now, anyone who knows me knows I have A LOT of opinions. And I am not afraid to share them. A few that come to mind are:

✔ Every living, breathing person deserves basic human rights — food and water, shelter, love, respect, basic healthcare.

✔ Every person should be allowed to live their lives as they…

My family is working, studying, and contributing during the Covid-19 pandemic. They are, for the most part, carrying on “business as usual”. My current job is worrying.

It’s okay that I was laid off due to Covid-19’s restrictions and shutdowns. I, of all people, should be self-isolating and practicing social distancing. Having contracted H1N1 in 2014, I know things like this are to be taken very seriously. Having asthma and diabetes simply adds insult to injury. I must stay home. Wash my hands. Don’t touch my face.

I have found other things to do with my time… it’s become my…

… and beyond “ME”

I’m trying to break the worry and anxiety into categories:

✔ Health & Family

✔ Economy & Income

✔ Safety

I’m concerned, as we all should be, with the health and wellbeing of myself, my family and friends, and the general population. The longer people don’t follow this social distancing thing, the longer we will be forced to do it — and do even more. Other cities are shutting down, implementing curfews. Hospitals are being robbed of masks, gloves, and other protective gear. Facilities that have gear are saying they simply don’t have enough. …

Virtually or in person, how can we help others in times like this???

I’m trying to figure out how to make myself useful — from my comfy chair. I’d love to go out and physically led a hand, but I won’t. I’m at high risk for COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and I’m not taking any unnecessary chances. Plus I don’t want to risk harming others — you know, caring about others as much as I care about myself. Remember that?

I’m seeing a lot of things that need to be done that one needs to be in-person to accomplish. Here are some…

It’s a double whammy when you’re already at risk — then get laid off.

When this coronavirus stuff started, I was concerned. It took me back to January 2014 when I contracted H1N1, most likely from a coworker. I already had an existing risk factor — asthma — and I was sick enough to make multiple emergency room visits, and then, a few months later, be admitted for a few days. Anyone who has a lung disease or illness knows how incredibly awful it is to struggle to breathe. …

A fasting blood test for life insurance could have possibly saved my life.

2019 didn’t end on an upbeat note. I forgot about checking my online blood work results from November — and when I did, I was shocked to see my blood sugar was 244 and my A1C was 11.4. Anyone who knows anything about diabetes (at the time, I didn’t as much as I thought) knows this is indicative of being diabetic.

On December 19 I spent three hours at my primary care physician’s office. I met with the Physician’s Assistant, a Diabetic Nurse. But the most important…