Author Archives: Phill

Good News Bad News

By 12 commentsDiabetes, Rides, Tat, , , ,

Good News and Bad News

This morning it was time to see my new GP.  I registered with a new surgery because, to be blunt, my last one was rubbish.  I’d put up with 3 years of having to ring after 10am to order prescriptions, then the phone being engaged until 12 noon.  I would spend my mornings at work, in work’s time, ringing them again and again just to order the drugs I need to manage my diabetes.

I’d had a letter to arrange a “routine appointment” with my new GP. So I did.  This morning I turned up, checked in via the fancy little touchscreen in reception and waited for less than 5 minutes before he called me in.

Good News

Up to this morning, I’d only ever been told what I was doing wrong by health professionals.  Sometimes a nodding approval of what I try to do, but usually just reminding me what I don’t do perfectly.  This morning was different though.

My HbA1C has been 7.6 the last 2 times it’s been measured.  I thought this was just about acceptable, but Dr. Parton said “That’s very good for a Type 1 diabetic”. Cool!  I think this is one of the problems with diabetes: everyone assumes that Type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependant)  is as easy to manage and should have the same parameters as Type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependant, usually in middle-aged or older folks).

My blood cholesterol is als pretty low.  The good Doctor asked how I was doing with the statins.  I replied “I’m not on statins”.  He then asked what other medication I was on besides my insulin.   “None”, I explained.   “So you keep the cholesterol down without statins or anything? Brilliant.” he said.  I was feeling better by the minute!

So, lots of good news.  My new Doctor is efficient, understanding, an expert on diabetes and a generally good guy.  Not just that though:  He’s also reinforced my belief that I am doing ok with my diabetes management, by just using a few encouraging and motivating words.

Bad News

Things can’t all be sunshine and roses.

A few weeks ago I took an elbow in the ribs during a Wednesday night football game.  It hurt when it was done, but over the last few weeks it’s hurt steadily more and more every time I’ve played.  On Wednesdays after footy and on Thursday mornings, it’s been creasing me.  Getting out of bed is a big job.  I’m only 40 for goodness’ sake.

Dr. Parton confirmed what I already knew.  I can’t keep my head in the sand any longer.  No more football for a few weeks, until at least 2 weeks after it stops hurting.  If I don’t rest I won’t be running in the Great Manchester 10k Run, or doing the Manchester to Blackpool bike ride this year.  Both of those are in my plans for 2010 and I’m using them to help raise money for the hospice where my Mum was so well looked after, so football will have to take a back seat until I’m properly better.

What Next?

Keeping fit is a must, so I’m going to ride the bike when I can but no bouncing around off-road for a while.  If the ribs are ok after a week or two, I’ll get back on the treadmill too and try to complete an 8 or 9-week training plan before the 10k run.  I won’t be running all the way, but I will be completing it and joining my colleagues (and anyone else who fancies joining us) in the Moon Under Water on Deansgate for a pint afterwards!

If you can join us there on May 16th, tell me I sent you!

The Habits Kill You Not The Treats

By 29 commentsDiabetes, Tat, , ,

Diabetes On The Wrong Side Of 40

I’ve got diabetes, but I don’t like to talk about it.  I don’t avoid it because I feel guilty: I feel fine.  I don’t avoid it because I’d prefer to pretend it doesn’t exist: it’s as much a part of my life as my shaving; my showering; my worrying about my children and my getting up for work.

I don’t talk about it much because, for the vast majority of people, it would be boring.  There are some excellent blogs about diabetes out there and I’m not going to print a list of them here.  Maybe I will one day, but not today.

Today, I’m not going to talk about what it’s like to live with diabetes. Nor am I going to share with you how it affects my day-to-day life (not right muchly).  Instead, I’m going to share with you my mantra for living, which has served me well through almost 20 years of insulin-dependant diabetes:

It’s The Habits That Kill You, Not The Treats

Over 20 years or so, I’ve used this phrase with every friend who’s ever told me about their diets, their lifestyle choice du jour or their inability to improve themselves in some small but frustrating way.  Life is about choices, but the most important choice as far as I see it is the one you make about your day-to-day existence.

I love cake.  You love cake too.  You know you do, you love it, you do.  Love it!  But we don’t eat it every day.  Well, I can’t speak for you but I don’t.  Last night I had a massive plateful of cottage pie, then at bedtime I had some cheesecake.  A cake made of cheese which was delicious.  This sort of thing doesn’t happen every day.  If it did, I’d be a right fatty.  As it is, I’m a skinny bloke with a little pot belly.  I can live with the little pot belly.

It is not the superfoods you occasionally eat; not the meal you skip once a day for a fortnight; not the meal replacement shakes you persist with until they run out and you can’t face re-filling your cupboards; not the frenetic jog aound the park on a sunny afternoon when the kids are being looked after.

It is your day-to-day routine; your habits that you live your life by.  These are the things that are more likely to make you what you are.  For “what you are“, you might be thinking… healthy; happy; quick on a bike; capable of that 10k run.  I hope you are.

If you’re thinking… overweight; unsatisfied; too slow; unfit… then have a think about your day-to-day routine.

Most of the people who read this blog are a lot fitter than me.  You ride faster and further; you run faster and further.  I like that.  I read your blogs because they help inspire me to become fitter myself, quite aside from making me laugh and keeping my feet firmly on the ground.

As far as the diabetes goes, it’s helped me to give a big reason for trying to live my life right.  I don’t want to go blind and have my kidneys fail; or to have my feet amputated.  But the same goes for us all: if you look after yourselves, the chances are much higher that you will live long and prosper.  To you, that might be earning loads; it might be doing that marathon or that massive ride.

To me, it’s watching my children grow into what I’ve started to make them, and what they’ll decide to be.

Just look after yourselves. 🙂

How To Fit the Topeak BarXTender

By 39 commentsReviews, Rides, , ,

Regular Readers will know that minimalism isn’t my middle name. It’s Neil: after Neil Armstrong, who walked on the moon a few weeks before I was introduced to Earth in the master bedroom of a dormer bungalow.

Why Buy a Topeak BarXTender?

I was struggling to mount my phone mount a couple of weeks ago.  I blogged about it here.  As a result, Jon came up with the idea of me getting the BarXtender.  You should buy one of these (at about £15 online) if:

  • You’ve already got too much schizzle on your handlebars; or
  • Your handlbars have too much girth for your lights and mounts.

How Do I Fit The Topeak BarXTender?

The unit is a clever bit of engineering.  It’s built to fit up the biggest handlebar or headset, and can be rotated so it will fit front-facing or left/right-facing tubes.  It also has a bar that be moved around it’s axis for finer adjustment once you’ve got the unit clamped to your bike.

The clamp part of the BarXtender contains a “belt” type metal strip which is held by an allen bolt.  You just adjust the belt strip to slightly larger than the diameter of your tube, then insert the obligatory rubber strip to stop your tube being scratched and tighten the allen bolt.  The belt is drawn upwards into the clamp housing and feels nice & strong when attached.

Next, simply screw the top half of the unit onto the clamp part, then adjust the rotation of the actual bar to suit yourself.

How Does It Look?

I much prefer my cockpit now that the BarXTender’s on.  One person (mentioning no names) commented that I’m just missing a kettle on my bike now, but I think it makes the handlebars a lot tidier, and safer, than they were before.

The Finished Topeak BarXTender Job

The completed job, with Big Light and Phone GPS Mount.

What do you think?

Blogging Lesson Learned

By 35 commentsTat,

Yesterday, I published a blog article asking for advice on how to get more interaction and readership.  I can honestly admit that I was shocked (but very happy) with the response!

Yesterday's Readership Surge

Your Response To Yesterday’s Readership Appeal

I’ll share with what I learned:

Illustrate Your Point

People seemed to love the Wordle I’d done.  I’d seen it in a presentation by a marketing agency to me at work on Monday and thought “I’ll nick that idea” and, quite rightly, it’s been nicked since by Jon, for one.  It’s a good thing, so why not? It’s what the internet is for.. Well, that and naughty pictures.

Address Your Audience

I posted the article because I thought it might be close to readers’ hearts, as well as my own.  It seemed to strike a chord and as a result lots of people gave feedback, even people who had previously been silent readers, hiding in the closet of internet anonymity.  I don’t expect them to suddenly become vociferous advocates, but it’s been nice to see them pipe up.  Howdy!

Act On Advice

I asked for ideas.  You gave me ideas.  As a result, I put a “Subscribe By Email” widget on here last night.  Already some of you have used it and I thank you.

There has been other advice which I will consider.  My writing style probably won’t change much on this site, but if I ever get myself together and focus on a specific niche blog, I will make sure my brevity, focus and thought leadership issues are carefully managed.  Basically, I’ll talk less crap on more useful sites.  This particular site is my mouthpiece and, as such, I’m sorry but the drivel will continue for the foreseeable future.

Self Pity Sells

If you ever want something, ask for it.  I wanted advice and more readers, so I got on my knees and asked for them.  You delivered: good advice and harsh truth, but I did get more subscribers and a lot  interaction.

What’s the worst that can happen? Somebody might take the mickey a little (Joby).  If you’re flaky, you might be left feeling insecure.  What the heck, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Actual Visitors

Visitors Stats

Feedburner Surge - Thanks!

Feedburner Figures

Now What?

This kind of jump can’t be expected to be sustainable, but I’m delighted there’s been a step change in response to a direct appeal.  As a marketeer, it can be recorded as a very successful niche marketing campaign.  I suppose all I have to do next is start adding some actual value before I lose all my new customers!

I’ll get my thinking cap on.

Why Does Nobody Read My Blog?

By 44 commentsReviews, Tat, ,

Recently, I’ve suffered the ignominy of not receiving a single comment on a couple of my blog posts.  The first time it happened, I shamelessly canvassed friends to put it right.  I was not proud of myself, but it made me feel a little bit better.  The second time, I took a more considered approach and decided to try and find out why.

Here is what I found:

I Talk Some Crap

I love words. Words are great. But I use too many.  When ten words would do, you often see fifty or a hundred.    Must do better.  I find rambling fun (not the walking kind.  See? There I go again) but you don’t have enough time to read all my rambling and that of all the other blogs you follow.

Here’s a Wordle of my blog content. As you can see, it’s very random indeed. Maybe I need some more direction, or to split my blog up a bit…?

What Crap I Write About In The Blind Leading The Blinds

What Gets Written About

I Post At The Wrong Time

Google Analytics and Google Reader tell me the hard truth: I post most of my blog entries at about 1pm.  You read blogs between 12 noon and 1pm.  So my post is a day old if you read it.  Also, the automatic thingummydoofer that posts my new blog entry to twitter does it after your lunch hour has finished.

There’s not much I can do about this.  I get a lunch break, during which I write my posts.  By the time I’ve written them, attached and edited photos, corrected my spelling and rubbish html, etc., you’re all back at work.  I just hope you don’t mind reading them late – I need to work out how to remind you to do that at the beginning of your lunch breaks, though.

I Need Help To Get More Subscribers

From the stats I’ve got my hands on, there are 15 subscribers to this blog via Feedburner, 3 from Google Reader and 8 Google Friends.  Now that you’ve realised you’re in such a select group, rather than a crowd of Papal Mass proportions, there are probably even fewer 😉

I need better ways to get my blog in front of people, automatically (but carefully and ethically)and via the people I know.   Or failing that, just tell your friends to read my bloody blog! … please. 🙂

I downloaded the Arkayne plugin recently, with the intention of finding other blogs I could link to automatically and broaden my exposure to other blogs.  This would help me read from a wider pool of writers, but also send my links to other people.  The sad truth though, is that Arkayne doesn’t seem to have enough members who like what I like.  I’m going to stick with it though, for a while at least, to see if I get any interesting new knowledge or visitors.

Can any of you recommend plugins or tools that will be handy?

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