JDRF kick-off dinner

Last night we went to the kick-off dinner for the upcoming Walk for a Cure here in the metroplex. It was fun, but very chaotic and crowded. We got there about 5 minutes late and by the time we found a table to sit at, they were pretty much out of food. I was so hungry I was about to gnaw my arm off!

Luckily Elise had already eaten dinner, and they had some more food out about 30 minutes later. Good thing, I was starting to get grouchy!

One of the speakers at the dinner was Toby Petersen; a hockey player from the Dallas Stars. He told his story about being diagnosed at the age of 5. It was inspiring to me because I am a huge hockey fan (Go Canucks!), and I know how much work and dedication it takes to make it to the NHL. It was just another reminder that you can't let diabetes hold you back from your dreams. It was also interesting to hear the things he has to do to take care of his diabetes on game days.

He did tell a rather frightening story of when he was 16 he didn't check his BG before he got in the car to drive. He got in a pretty bad accident, and wound up being arrested because the cops thought he was drunk. It all got sorted out, but he said he learned two very important lessons that day; ALWAYS check your BG before you get in the car to drive, and ALWAYS wear your medical ID.

The above picture is of Elise and I with Toby. If you look closely, you can see his pump on his belt.

Poor Elise didn't really enjoy the night because she had a pretty bad nap, and the big JDRF Rufus the bear mascot that was walking around scared the pants off of her. I can't say that I blame her!

It makes me excited for the upcoming walk on September 26. If you'd like to donate to Team Elise, just click here!