What’s New Since August 2011?!

If you happened to read this blog about a year ago, you may have noticed that the description and about me has changed; there used to be a lot more references to “PERU.” Well life changed a little since August 2011…

I originally set up this blog as I had been assigned to serve in Peru starting September 15^th 2011. Well 4 weeks before hand through a kind of freak accident I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes…

I went to the doctor because I kept getting muscle cramps in my legs at night. I figured since I’ll be living in Peru I mine as well go ask the Doc why this is happening/how to manage/get rid of the cramps. He said it was nothing to worry about; I was just working outside all day (as a camp counselor) during a bad heat wave in Chicago that summer. Once the heat wave breaks the cramps should stop. But he took some blood just in case to see if I had a virus or anything else floating around my body. It turns out I did… a ton of glucose. I guess my pancreas had enough so here I am left with Type 1 diabetes (I hate the term “juvenile diabetes” because I was anything but juvenile when it happened; three weeks shy of 23 years old). Just to clarify for those of you who don’t know; the diabetes (Type 2) you see on TV and movies is caused by poor lifestyle (e.g. lousy diet, lack of exercise, etc.) and HAS A CURE- it’s called RUNNING! I’ve got the other kind, where there was nothing I could do, my pancreas just died and there’s no cure in sight. So I have to supplement with injecting insulin. The upside is I get to have all the chocolate cake I want!

I guess the Peace Corps didn’t think it was the best idea to send me off to Peru as a newly diagnosed diabetic (crazy right?!) So my placement was deferred until recently when I found out that I’ll be going to Guyana. So 20 months later, I’ll finally get the chance to fulfill a childhood dream by serving in the Peace Corps.

Please feel free to share this blog (http://dmedansky.blogspot.com) with friends/family or anyone else that seems interested in following my journey in Guyana. I hope to be updating it somewhat often with pictures and posts. And Comment! I’m not sure what you’re thinking or want to know about what it’s like where I am, so by commenting on my posts it can be a quasi-conversation.

Enjoy! Or as they say in Guyana (I think) “Enjoy!” – They speak English there, or I’ll find out real quickly that their English is totally different than mine.