This blog first appeared on the Diabetes UK website on 18th January 2013
As I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, I'm taking part in a clinical trial. It's called the REPOSE (Relative Effectiveness of Pumps over MDI and Structured Education) trial and is basically design to determine whether or not insulin pump therapy is more effective at treating adults with T1 diabetes. The trial splits particpants into two groups, half are randomised to receive an insulin pump and half continue with their daily injection regime. Everyone then attends a DAFNE course. You can read more about the trial on the National Institute for Health Research website.
I've been randomised to the pump half of the group and yesterday I spent the afternoon learning how to load operate, fill and attach the pump. It's currently filled with saline so it gives us chance to get used to wearing the device and having the cannula attached without actually using it to medicate. It's a Medtronic Paradigm Veo pump which you can find out more about on the Medtronic website
My DAFNE course starts at the end of January and I'll switch over to insulin the night before it starts. We'll then go through the DAFNE course getting support for the first week before we're left to fly solo.
I wrote in my own blog before I'd had my hospital visit about how I felt about making the change. I'm going to discuss my first impressions of having the pump and the "induction" process here.
Firstly there's a LOT to take in. To get the pump operational, you need to fill a new reservoir, tell the pump to rewind itself (similar to retracting the plunger on a pen), attach the infusion set (i.e. tubing) to the pump and insert the cannula into your stomach. Of course it's one of those things that will become second nature pretty quickly, but I imagine the first time I try it by myself will take a while.
Secondly, as I alluded to above, there's a lot of stuff needed to make all this work. The picture below shows you the contents of the goody bag I brough home from the hospital
As you can see, there's a lot more consumables required for a pump than for a pen!
Inserting the cannula was a bit daunting. As I think I mentioned before, I'm not actually very good with needles and I had a slight flash of wooziness as I was doing it but thankfully that passed. It's never good to be the one who passes out during the induction!! I remember having the same feeling the first time I used an insulin pen and now I don't think twice about that. I think removing the cannula for the first time is probably my last real challenge but as they stay in for 2-3 days at a time, I've not got that far yet!
I don't really notice the pump during the day which surprised me. I thought I'd be a lot more conscious of the device (currently clipped onto my belt) and the cannula than I actually am. There's a bout 2 feet of tubing which can be a bit tricky to conceal but it's nothing major. It was a bit of a broken night's sleep last night but that was to be expected. I'm going to try running with it tonight and I'm ordering a pouch I can wear to keep it a bit more concealed so I'm less likely to knock it.
Whilst the overall induction process took a lot out of me, I woke up feeling positive about the change. I've definitely got a steep learning curve ahead of me, but I see it as something to embrace rather than be afraid of. I'll write a follow up after DAFNE when I've been using the pump to actually control my diabetes and I'll be able to give an appraisal on how well the first week or so has gone.
Friday, 18 January 2013
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Standing on the edge
"Come to the edge, he said. They said: We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They came. He pushed them and they flew." - Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918)
Today is a strange day for me. It's the last full 24 hours that I'll be medicating my diabetes with multiple daily injections (MDI) for the foreseeable future. Tomorrow afternoon I'll be switching to an insulin pump as part of a two year clinical study aimed at determining what is more effective at treating people with Type 1 diabetes.
I won't go into too much of the detail about the study here. I'll be writing a blog for Diabetes UK about that later this week (and I'll post it here as well) so if you're curious, you can read that (or drop me a line on Twitter @Broomowl).
This blog is more focused on that greatest of intangible things - feelings.
I genuinely don't know how I feel about it to be honest. Overall I'm pretty positive about it I think. As I understand it, the pump will allow me greater control over my condition and allow me to alter my medication much more proactively around things like diet and exercise. There's also some altruistic benefit I guess as it will help determine whether or not an insulin pump is truly beneficial for people with diabetes. This should mean that, in the future, people being newly diagnosed with the condition will receive the best treatment possible.
If you've read a few of my blogs before, you're probably familiar with the concern I have that at some point, my daughter will also develop diabetes. I think the odds are roughly around 1 in 7 so I suppose I'm partly doing this for her as well as me.
The other side of the coin is the fear and the doubt that accompany any lifestyle change. For the most part, I control my condition pretty well. I don't struggle to understand what to do or how to comprehend the science behind it all. I struggle with self discipline. I'll have some chocolate because I'm feeling a bit down, or I'll forget/not bother to test my blood as often as I should. It's lazy and there's no excuse for it - I'm my own worst enemy.
But when all that's said and done, with the correct discipline, I can manage my condition pretty perfectly, which is something to be proud of. But it's taken me a number of years to get to that level and from tomorrow I'll have to start from scratch.
Thinking about it rationally, the principles aren't going to change overnight and the science will remain the same. I'll just have to learn a new way to practice it. I don't think it can be quite as terrifying as it was nearly 12 years ago. I'm also going to be part of a group of people all in the same boat, so I know I'm not alone.
My only other concern is how it will affect the day to day stuff I take for granted at the moment. I haven't figured out how I'm going to sleep with the pump attached to me yet (though I suspect "not very well" would be a good answer for the first few nights). I also don't want it to stop me playing games with my daughter because that's obviously a hugely important part of my life.
I think that overall this will be a good change for me once the learning period is over. There's a chance I might take to this blog a little more frequently to 'think out loud' about it but as a mechanism for ordering my thoughts a little, the blog really helps. I'm also lucky that I've got a group of close friends that I know I can rely on to help me when I need it.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Andy
Today is a strange day for me. It's the last full 24 hours that I'll be medicating my diabetes with multiple daily injections (MDI) for the foreseeable future. Tomorrow afternoon I'll be switching to an insulin pump as part of a two year clinical study aimed at determining what is more effective at treating people with Type 1 diabetes.
I won't go into too much of the detail about the study here. I'll be writing a blog for Diabetes UK about that later this week (and I'll post it here as well) so if you're curious, you can read that (or drop me a line on Twitter @Broomowl).
This blog is more focused on that greatest of intangible things - feelings.
I genuinely don't know how I feel about it to be honest. Overall I'm pretty positive about it I think. As I understand it, the pump will allow me greater control over my condition and allow me to alter my medication much more proactively around things like diet and exercise. There's also some altruistic benefit I guess as it will help determine whether or not an insulin pump is truly beneficial for people with diabetes. This should mean that, in the future, people being newly diagnosed with the condition will receive the best treatment possible.
If you've read a few of my blogs before, you're probably familiar with the concern I have that at some point, my daughter will also develop diabetes. I think the odds are roughly around 1 in 7 so I suppose I'm partly doing this for her as well as me.
The other side of the coin is the fear and the doubt that accompany any lifestyle change. For the most part, I control my condition pretty well. I don't struggle to understand what to do or how to comprehend the science behind it all. I struggle with self discipline. I'll have some chocolate because I'm feeling a bit down, or I'll forget/not bother to test my blood as often as I should. It's lazy and there's no excuse for it - I'm my own worst enemy.
But when all that's said and done, with the correct discipline, I can manage my condition pretty perfectly, which is something to be proud of. But it's taken me a number of years to get to that level and from tomorrow I'll have to start from scratch.
Thinking about it rationally, the principles aren't going to change overnight and the science will remain the same. I'll just have to learn a new way to practice it. I don't think it can be quite as terrifying as it was nearly 12 years ago. I'm also going to be part of a group of people all in the same boat, so I know I'm not alone.
My only other concern is how it will affect the day to day stuff I take for granted at the moment. I haven't figured out how I'm going to sleep with the pump attached to me yet (though I suspect "not very well" would be a good answer for the first few nights). I also don't want it to stop me playing games with my daughter because that's obviously a hugely important part of my life.
I think that overall this will be a good change for me once the learning period is over. There's a chance I might take to this blog a little more frequently to 'think out loud' about it but as a mechanism for ordering my thoughts a little, the blog really helps. I'm also lucky that I've got a group of close friends that I know I can rely on to help me when I need it.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Andy
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
2013 - Resolutions and more
Happy New Year! I hope you're all recovering from whatever you got up to last night.
The first few days in January are usually a time for people to think about what wholesale changes they'd like to make, and then persevere with them as much as possible. I wrote last year about how I'd been in a similar boat myself a number of times and all my good intentions had fallen by the wayside by late January.
There's traditionally talk of making major lifestyle changes which is usually difficult to achieve. Not through lack of desire per se, but through the difficulty in overhauling your day to day life and sustaining those changes. I'm as skeptical as the next man when people say that's what they're going to do, but this year, that's exactly what I'll be attempting.
At the end of this month, I'll be starting a two year clinical study to see if insulin pumps help people manage diabetes better than multiple daily injections (MDI). This will effectively mean a brand new type of medication, a brand new way of looking after myself and a lot of other changes that affect my day-to-day life.
I wrote in the the very first post on this blog how I do my best not to let being diabetic define my entire life, it's merely a part of who I am as a person. Whilst that remains the case, a complete change in a medical regime I've been used to for over 10 years will take some getting used to I suspect.
With that at the back of my mind, I've only made 7 resolutions this year but I'm hoping to keep them all (as opposed to the 8/10 from 2012)
1. Run the Sheffield Half Marathon and the Great Yorkshire Run
As regular readers will know, the Sheffield Half is my nemesis and I'm determined to conquer it this year. The Great Yorkshire Run eluded me last year as I'd pushed myself a little too much and wasn't able to compete when the day came.
2. Raise £500 for charity
After raising £1,500 last year, I'm taking an admittedly more modest approach this year (but then again I'm not running the London Marathon this year either). I'd like to be able to do more for charities that are important to me, but at the moment, I'm not sure how to do that other than run around and ask people to sponsor me for it. Hopefully I'll meet my target this year
3. See 12 gigs
This is the same as last year - I just like to be able to have a night out once a month so I'm hoping there'll be some great live shows to see this year
4. Read 11 books
Slightly more ambitious than last year's 10 - I ought to read more and having got some excellent books for Christmas, I'm confident I'll make this one.
5. Do a photo-a-day project
This is something I've wanted to do for a long time and I've never motivated myself to do it. I enjoy taking pictures and I'm probably quite reasonable at it. I'd like to become a lot more accomplished over the next 12 months and I think this will be a good way to do that. I'll be posting the results on a separate blog if you want to keep track of them
6. Keep my weight below 190lbs all year
There's a technicality that means I've got to get my weight back under 190 first (having lost 32lbs last year, a few have crept back on over Christmas). This one in itself is fairly ambitious as I've never maintained a weigh I'm happy with for more than about 6 months. I think the fact that I'll be in the clinical trial will help motivate me here.
7. Run 450 miles
That doesn't sound like too much - less than 10 miles a week shouldn't be that hard when you think about it. But I'm conscious I could end up injured again and I want a target that is attainable without having to put my body on the line in order to meet it. I'll be trying for 2/3 runs a week and supplementing that with sessions on the exercise bike at home.
So there you have it. That's my goals for the year in a few short paragraphs. It may not sound like too much (and I feel a little like I've copped out), but I think I have to be mindful of what else will be happening this year.
Once again, I hope you all have a wonderful 2013 and that you manage to keep any resolutions you've made.
Andy
The first few days in January are usually a time for people to think about what wholesale changes they'd like to make, and then persevere with them as much as possible. I wrote last year about how I'd been in a similar boat myself a number of times and all my good intentions had fallen by the wayside by late January.
There's traditionally talk of making major lifestyle changes which is usually difficult to achieve. Not through lack of desire per se, but through the difficulty in overhauling your day to day life and sustaining those changes. I'm as skeptical as the next man when people say that's what they're going to do, but this year, that's exactly what I'll be attempting.
At the end of this month, I'll be starting a two year clinical study to see if insulin pumps help people manage diabetes better than multiple daily injections (MDI). This will effectively mean a brand new type of medication, a brand new way of looking after myself and a lot of other changes that affect my day-to-day life.
I wrote in the the very first post on this blog how I do my best not to let being diabetic define my entire life, it's merely a part of who I am as a person. Whilst that remains the case, a complete change in a medical regime I've been used to for over 10 years will take some getting used to I suspect.
With that at the back of my mind, I've only made 7 resolutions this year but I'm hoping to keep them all (as opposed to the 8/10 from 2012)
1. Run the Sheffield Half Marathon and the Great Yorkshire Run
As regular readers will know, the Sheffield Half is my nemesis and I'm determined to conquer it this year. The Great Yorkshire Run eluded me last year as I'd pushed myself a little too much and wasn't able to compete when the day came.
2. Raise £500 for charity
After raising £1,500 last year, I'm taking an admittedly more modest approach this year (but then again I'm not running the London Marathon this year either). I'd like to be able to do more for charities that are important to me, but at the moment, I'm not sure how to do that other than run around and ask people to sponsor me for it. Hopefully I'll meet my target this year
3. See 12 gigs
This is the same as last year - I just like to be able to have a night out once a month so I'm hoping there'll be some great live shows to see this year
4. Read 11 books
Slightly more ambitious than last year's 10 - I ought to read more and having got some excellent books for Christmas, I'm confident I'll make this one.
5. Do a photo-a-day project
This is something I've wanted to do for a long time and I've never motivated myself to do it. I enjoy taking pictures and I'm probably quite reasonable at it. I'd like to become a lot more accomplished over the next 12 months and I think this will be a good way to do that. I'll be posting the results on a separate blog if you want to keep track of them
6. Keep my weight below 190lbs all year
There's a technicality that means I've got to get my weight back under 190 first (having lost 32lbs last year, a few have crept back on over Christmas). This one in itself is fairly ambitious as I've never maintained a weigh I'm happy with for more than about 6 months. I think the fact that I'll be in the clinical trial will help motivate me here.
7. Run 450 miles
That doesn't sound like too much - less than 10 miles a week shouldn't be that hard when you think about it. But I'm conscious I could end up injured again and I want a target that is attainable without having to put my body on the line in order to meet it. I'll be trying for 2/3 runs a week and supplementing that with sessions on the exercise bike at home.
So there you have it. That's my goals for the year in a few short paragraphs. It may not sound like too much (and I feel a little like I've copped out), but I think I have to be mindful of what else will be happening this year.
Once again, I hope you all have a wonderful 2013 and that you manage to keep any resolutions you've made.
Andy
Friday, 28 December 2012
2012 Review
Well the end of 2012 is almost nigh. It's usually nice to look back over some of the highlights of the year and ponder what there is to look forward to in the coming year.
I'm going to go through a few of my highlights of the year and then review my New Year's Resolutions I set myself in January. I'll do another blog in the first week of January to do a bit of a 2013 preview.
A personal highlight of mine was finally running the London Marathon in April. You can read about that in more detail by checking out the post-run blog post. It had been an ambition of mine for over 20 years and the feeling of achievement as I crossed the line was incredible.
In May, we flew out to Krakow for the wedding of some friends of ours. The entire day was wonderful and we had a great time. I'd never been to Poland before but had an amazing time. We'd managed to rent an apartment right on the Old Town Square and saw so much of the city in just a week. I also did a day trip to Auschwitz which was an incredible but very sobering experience. If you're looking for a city break holiday, I'd definitely recommend Krakow.
I managed to see some incredible gigs in 2012 and picking the best isn't easy. One of many highlights was the Watch The Throne tour in Manchester over the summer. To see two of the world's biggest music stars in Jay-Z and Kanye West together on stage for over two and a half hours was incredible! Watching Pulp play a home town arena show to over 12,000 fans was also pretty special and a great way to round off the year!
The end of the 2011/12 football season was also something to celebrate (for once). I was at Hillsborough to watch Sheffield Wednesday beat Wycombe to confirm promotion back to the Championship, ultimately at the expense of city rivals United. Whilst the current season is a bit unpredictable (to be diplomatic), the wild celebrations at the end of the season was incredible.
It wouldn't be right to review 2012 without mentioning the Olympic and Paralympic Games and I was incredibly fortunate to get tickets to see events at both. I took my dad to see Olympic football at Old Trafford, my wife and daughter to see tennis at Wimbledon as well as taking in Handball at the Copperbox and Volleyball at Earl's Court. It was incredible to see the wave of support our athletes had. Whilst the summer gave us a lot of memorable moments, I personally won't forget the drive back from Legoland to Sheffield, to get home just in time to see Jessica Ennis in her final event. Watching her cross the line and win gold was my moment of the Games.
Watching the Olympic torch go past the end of our road (and the incredible number of people that turned out to see it) really got me hooked on the Olympic spirit, and getting to hold one of the torches later that summer was an amazing feeling.
Obviously there were a few other newsworthy events in 2012 such as the Diamond Jubilee celebrations (I'll never say no to an extra day of work, thank you Ma'am), but one of the most iconic moments for me was Felix Baumgartner's freefall from space. I told my wife it was our generation's Moon Landing, and while that might be a bit of hyperbole, I'll remember my daughter sat on my knee on the landing watching it with me on my laptop.
And so onto a review of my 2012 Resolutions... I posted a half-year review (in that link) but it's worth doing a final summary to see how well this year went:
1. Run the London Marathon
A pretty easy one to tick off - 5:30:41!
2. Raise at least £1000 for charity
Yes. People were incredibly generous with their donations and I managed to raise over £1500 this year which I'm very proud of. Thanks again to everyone who donated - it was very generous of you.
3. Get a photograph published or sold
I'm counting this one as a success. I mentioned in the half year review that I'd done some promo shots for a great Wakefield band call Skint & Demoralised and I followed that up with the cover shot for their single "When Saturday Comes". You can listen to and download that song here (as well as seeing the
4. Carry on training to run the Sheffield Half Marathon 2013
I eased off the running in August after a 10k race as I was starting to feel a bit of pain. I did however switch to an exercise bike to keep fit (and managed to lose over 30lbs in the process). I start running again this week and I'm all ready for the Sheffield Half Marathon in May!
5. See at least 12 gigs
I think I ticked 13 off in the end which is quite a good effort. Obviously I've mentioned some of the highlights above, but also seeing Ladyhawke at The Leadmill in Sheffield was incredible. Here's to a few more in 2013
6. Read at least 10 books
I think I said at the time this was a pitiful number to aim for, but at least I managed it. If I can finish off my current book in the next few days, I'll have a clear 11 to my name for this year. Must try harder next year!
7. Continue my blog after the marathon
This was a tricky one. After all the effort of blogging on marathon training, I felt at a bit of a loss for what to write about. I dabbled a bit over the summer but I feel like I've finally got back into a bit of a groove towards the end of this year. I've also been really lucky to be able to write a monthly blog for Diabetes UK which I'm really looking forward to continuing next year
8. Support the community via sponsorship/donations etc
I'm chalking this down a success as well, though just barely. I sponsored a mini festival a friend of mine staged for charity earlier this year. The amount of work and effort she put in to making the day a success was incredible and sponsoring the event to ensure it could go ahead was a real privilege.
9. Expand the smaller areas of my company
This is my first failure, partially through lack of effort and partially through lack of time. I realised that diversifying from my main business can be good, but the amount of effort required compared to the return doesn't really make it viable. I'm having a rethink and a re-plan for next year so we'll see what comes of it...
10. Make some friends
I'm going to go through a few of my highlights of the year and then review my New Year's Resolutions I set myself in January. I'll do another blog in the first week of January to do a bit of a 2013 preview.
A personal highlight of mine was finally running the London Marathon in April. You can read about that in more detail by checking out the post-run blog post. It had been an ambition of mine for over 20 years and the feeling of achievement as I crossed the line was incredible.
 |
| Mile 25 |
In May, we flew out to Krakow for the wedding of some friends of ours. The entire day was wonderful and we had a great time. I'd never been to Poland before but had an amazing time. We'd managed to rent an apartment right on the Old Town Square and saw so much of the city in just a week. I also did a day trip to Auschwitz which was an incredible but very sobering experience. If you're looking for a city break holiday, I'd definitely recommend Krakow.
 |
| Saint Mary's in Krakow |
I managed to see some incredible gigs in 2012 and picking the best isn't easy. One of many highlights was the Watch The Throne tour in Manchester over the summer. To see two of the world's biggest music stars in Jay-Z and Kanye West together on stage for over two and a half hours was incredible! Watching Pulp play a home town arena show to over 12,000 fans was also pretty special and a great way to round off the year!
 |
| Jarvis on stage |
The end of the 2011/12 football season was also something to celebrate (for once). I was at Hillsborough to watch Sheffield Wednesday beat Wycombe to confirm promotion back to the Championship, ultimately at the expense of city rivals United. Whilst the current season is a bit unpredictable (to be diplomatic), the wild celebrations at the end of the season was incredible.
 |
| Some people are on the pitch... |
It wouldn't be right to review 2012 without mentioning the Olympic and Paralympic Games and I was incredibly fortunate to get tickets to see events at both. I took my dad to see Olympic football at Old Trafford, my wife and daughter to see tennis at Wimbledon as well as taking in Handball at the Copperbox and Volleyball at Earl's Court. It was incredible to see the wave of support our athletes had. Whilst the summer gave us a lot of memorable moments, I personally won't forget the drive back from Legoland to Sheffield, to get home just in time to see Jessica Ennis in her final event. Watching her cross the line and win gold was my moment of the Games.
 |
| Inside the Copperbox |
 |
| Olympic Stadium for the Paralympics |
Watching the Olympic torch go past the end of our road (and the incredible number of people that turned out to see it) really got me hooked on the Olympic spirit, and getting to hold one of the torches later that summer was an amazing feeling.
Obviously there were a few other newsworthy events in 2012 such as the Diamond Jubilee celebrations (I'll never say no to an extra day of work, thank you Ma'am), but one of the most iconic moments for me was Felix Baumgartner's freefall from space. I told my wife it was our generation's Moon Landing, and while that might be a bit of hyperbole, I'll remember my daughter sat on my knee on the landing watching it with me on my laptop.
And so onto a review of my 2012 Resolutions... I posted a half-year review (in that link) but it's worth doing a final summary to see how well this year went:
1. Run the London Marathon
A pretty easy one to tick off - 5:30:41!
2. Raise at least £1000 for charity
Yes. People were incredibly generous with their donations and I managed to raise over £1500 this year which I'm very proud of. Thanks again to everyone who donated - it was very generous of you.
3. Get a photograph published or sold
I'm counting this one as a success. I mentioned in the half year review that I'd done some promo shots for a great Wakefield band call Skint & Demoralised and I followed that up with the cover shot for their single "When Saturday Comes". You can listen to and download that song here (as well as seeing the
4. Carry on training to run the Sheffield Half Marathon 2013
I eased off the running in August after a 10k race as I was starting to feel a bit of pain. I did however switch to an exercise bike to keep fit (and managed to lose over 30lbs in the process). I start running again this week and I'm all ready for the Sheffield Half Marathon in May!
5. See at least 12 gigs
I think I ticked 13 off in the end which is quite a good effort. Obviously I've mentioned some of the highlights above, but also seeing Ladyhawke at The Leadmill in Sheffield was incredible. Here's to a few more in 2013
6. Read at least 10 books
I think I said at the time this was a pitiful number to aim for, but at least I managed it. If I can finish off my current book in the next few days, I'll have a clear 11 to my name for this year. Must try harder next year!
7. Continue my blog after the marathon
This was a tricky one. After all the effort of blogging on marathon training, I felt at a bit of a loss for what to write about. I dabbled a bit over the summer but I feel like I've finally got back into a bit of a groove towards the end of this year. I've also been really lucky to be able to write a monthly blog for Diabetes UK which I'm really looking forward to continuing next year
8. Support the community via sponsorship/donations etc
I'm chalking this down a success as well, though just barely. I sponsored a mini festival a friend of mine staged for charity earlier this year. The amount of work and effort she put in to making the day a success was incredible and sponsoring the event to ensure it could go ahead was a real privilege.
9. Expand the smaller areas of my company
This is my first failure, partially through lack of effort and partially through lack of time. I realised that diversifying from my main business can be good, but the amount of effort required compared to the return doesn't really make it viable. I'm having a rethink and a re-plan for next year so we'll see what comes of it...
10. Make some friends
Another tricky one. I've definitely built up some excellent relationships over 2012 - no doubt about it. I think what's proved trickier is to make those mainfest themselves in a non-digital environment. I do feel lucky to count some of my Twitter acquaintances as friends but should possibly try harder to turn some of those into "real life" friendships.
So there we go - 2012 in a nutshell. A fairly large nutshell, but nevertheless. If you made it this far, then thanks a lot. I hope you've had a look back at your 2012 and remembered some of the good times you've had.
I'm still pondering what 2013 might hold but I'll be back again in the first week of January to talk about that. In the mean time, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year
Speak soon
Andy x
Monday, 17 December 2012
Top 20 of 2012
Good evening
I was going to write a new intro for this post but I thought I'd
check last year's first. I think it's fine as it is, so I've lazily
lifted it and reposted here...
So below is my Top 20 of 2012. &nbs`;A few words before you
continue...
You won't agree with me. Some of you will think I'm
pretentious for including a raft of songs you've never heard of. Some of
you will think I'm too 'mainstream' in my choices. Some of you will think
this is a massive exercise in showing off. And that's fine. My
opinion is no better or worse than yours and my choices are no more or less
valid than yours would be. This is just my opinion - you might not like
it but I can't help that. But before you grumble to yourself or tell me
I'm an idiot, try and do this yourself.
The "rules" are simple - any song that has been released
(as a single, on an album or even as demo/give-away) is eligible to be
included. Pick 20 that represent your favourite and don't include more
than one per artist. I added a rule of my own where I'd limit myself to maximum one choice where collaborations had occurred. So for example,
both Arctic Monkeys and Alex Turner individually made the 2011 Longlist but I would
limit myself to a choice from one. This is only to add variety.
The list presented below is given as Track name - Artist ,/i>(Clbum).
They are not ranked in order of preference or greatness but rather the
order in which I personally think they make a good playlist. I'd love to
hear what you think so get involved in the comments or tweet me @BroooOwl a.d
tag your posts #top20of2012
1. Girl Like Me - Ladyhake (Anxiety) This was a tricky
choice as so many tracks of Ladyhawke's
second album are just amazing (Cellophane narrowly missed out here). I
was lucky enough to see her live with a friend of mine this year as well and
she's definitely incredible. Girl Like Me is a great way to kick this
off.
2. No Hope - The
Vacccines (Come Of Age) The Vaccines' second album is full of
cracking tracks and choosing one of this album also proved tricky. If my
daughter had her way, I think we'd have Teenage Icon on here but No Hope just
edged it for me - it's one where I think we can all relate to the lyrics at
some point in our lives.
3. Told
You Once - Howler (America Give Up) Some great guitar and a catchy chorus really
make this one for me. America Give Up is
a good album overall as well. I'd be
surprised if you manage to listen to this without playing it in your head for a
few hours afterwards
4. The
Swan - Cheatahs (Sans EP) I came into Cheatahs pretty late in 2012 but with the quality of their two EPs,
I'm glad I did. It was a bit of a
showdown between this and "Coared" off their other EP (also called
Coared). I think "The Swan"
made it through due to some fancy guitar work, but do listen to
"Coared" and let me know if you think it has a hit of "Monkey
Wrench" by Foo Fighters as I'm convinced it does. I suspect Cheatahs
will be one to watch next year.
5.&nbp; Time
Will Save The Day -
Ben Kweller (Go
Fly A Kite) I'm not sure where Ben Kweller came from to appear on my
iPod this year but Go Fly A Kite is an album that surprised me a fair bit. It's probably a bit poptastic in places (not
necessarily a bad thing - try "Jealous Girl" to see what I mean) but
this one is a real toe-tapper. It's also
one of those songs where you'll try and sing along but end up mumbling like an
idiot. What's not to like?
6. I
Belong In Your Arms - Chairlift (Something) I will openly tell anyone I meet that Chairlift are one of the most overlooked
bands ever as far as I'm concerned. Maybe
there's a whole gaggle of people who already know how amazing they are but I
could count on one hand the number of people I've ever spoken to that have
heard of them. This is a great track
from a quality album and was one of the first songs on the list for the final
20.
7. Capricornia
- Allo Darlin' (Europe) I saw Allo
Darlin' in Leeds in February and they played a great set with some great
support. The album isn't necessarily to
everyone's taste I suppose - I occasionally find myself drifting from one track
to another quite without knowing where each has ended, but this song stands out
for me. Beautiful and melodic.
8. I Feel
Better - Gotye (Making
Mirrors) Unless you've been living
under a rock this year, you'll have struggled to escape Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know. It's made it onto my daughter's playlist for
the car because of its unmistakeable likeness to Baa Baa Black Sheep at the
beginning. Such pop whimsy aside, I do
like the album and this track in particular is incredible. I'm still astounded it's not some secret
portal to the 60s. It's brilliant and I
think you'll love it.
9. Hip
(Eponymous) Poor Boy - Jack White (Blunderbuss) It seems anything Jack White touches turns
to gold and this solo album is no different.
Great beats combined with piano and guitar make "Blunderbuss"
one of my favourite albums of this year.
This track stands out for me in amongst a lot of good songs.
10. Emmylou
- First Aid Kit (The Lion's Roar) I love First Aid Kit. They're sort of my country music guilty
pleasure, though with some of the music I've listened to this year, I'm
wondering if I'm not becoming a full on country-convert. "Emmylou" is a wonderful song and I
defy you to be not singing along by the end.
11. Leland
- Cemeteries (The
Wildernes)&nbcp; This album is one that I
think you need to listen to from start to finish to appreciate, so it's rare
that you can pick a track out of the middle of it that holds its own. "Leland" has a dreamy bassline that
repeats and I'm always surprised when I find out it's less than 4 minutes long.
12. Angels
- The xx (Coexist) I was concerned that The xx wouldn't be able to follow up their first album with an
equally good second. Fortunately there
were no such problems. This is another
album where listening straight through (preferably with the lights off and your
eyes closed) should be the recommended listening approach. "Angels" is the opening track and
sets the tone for the whole LP
13. Au
cinema - Lianne La Havas (Is Your
Love Big Enough) Another album I came to late in the year but
I'm glad I did. I was trying to
articulate to someone why I like this track so much and think part of it is
because of the way she accentuates all the syllables. Hard to explain but give it a listen and I
think you'll see what I mean.
14. Nethertons
Teeth - The Magnetic North (Orkney:
Symphony of the Magnetic North) The Magnetic North feature Erland of Erland and the Carnival fame. I'll be honest when I say that this is a bit
of an odd album but there's something familiar about the melody of this one
that lets it make the final shortlist.
15. (I Should
Be) A Communist - This Many Boyfriends
(This Many Boyfriends) It was a
while back now, but I think This Many
Boyfriends were supporting Allo
Darlin' when I saw them in February.
Regardless, this track is brilliant.
A bit of a New Romantics vibe to it with a catchy chorus. Another one you'll be singing along to.
16. Anything
Could Happen - Ellie Goulding
(Halcyon) I know a lot of people aren't
huge fans of Ellie Goulding but it's
fair to say I am. Her second album is a definitely
a mixed bag but this one really stands out for me. I think it fits in well with the rest of the
playlist as well.
17. Black
Light - Diagrams (Black
Light) Diagrams are a bit of a mystery to me. I'm sure someone told me I had to listen to
them and if that was you, I'm very grateful.
"Black Light" narrowly beat "Ghost Lit" onto the
list but your life will be a little bit richer for listening to both
18. Down
Here In The Dark - Blood Red Shoes (In
Time To Voices) This is a bit of a
sultry sounding song with a slow beat to start off but picks up into something as
it progresses. I'll confess I'd not
listened to much Blood Red Shoes
before but I really like this one
19. R U
Mine - Arctic Monkeys (R U Mine
(single)) Anyone who knows me won't be
surprised to see Arctic Monkeys on
this list. They've had a quiet year
after their 4th album in 2011 but this track has a lot of play on my iPod this
year. It's heavier than anything from
"Suck It And See" but it's still amazing. I'm a huge fan of pretty much anything Alex
Turner does and this is no exception
20. Down
Into The Woods - Richard Hawley (Standing
At The Sky's Edge) Richard Hawley not
winning the Mercury prize this year was a bit of a travesty in my opinion. This is a fantastic album from start to
finish and choosing one track off it was incredibly tough. "Seek It" missed out by the tiniest
margin and I'd really urge you to listen to it as well. This song has some great guitar and Hawley's
voice is excellent.
As with last year, there's some
music I've been disappointed in and some other good albums that didn't make the
cut. The Killers' new album really let
me down - I think they've just moved too far away from the stuff I really liked
on Hot Fuss. The New Alicia Keys album
also didn't live up to what I was expecting.
Alt-J missed the final 20 by a short length - Tessellate is a great
track in my opinion. Whilst I know it
was also pretty fashionable to like Lana Del Rey in January and hate her by summer,
I really do like "Born To Die" and Diet Mountain Dew is a great track.
A new "award" for
this year is my Album of the Year which this year goes to Ladyhawke. Anxiety
is a superb LP in my opinion and it's hard to pick a poor song off it. If you were going to pick one album off the
Top 20 (or the longlist), then I'd really make it this one.
As with last year, I've done aSpotify playlist of the Top 20 of 2012 for you to listen to. Or at least I have in theory. I'm a bit hopeless with Spotify playlists,
something my friend Lorna will hopefully rectify for me if this doesn't
work. Give them a listen a see what you
think.
If you made it this far, then
thanks for reading. Hopefully you'll find
something new you've not heard before.
This is my last blog before
Christmas, so I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and eat/sleep/drink as much
as you like. Hopefully you'll get a few
decent presents too. I'll be back before
new year to give you my 2012 Review.
Thanks
Andy
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Coping With Christmas
This blog was first posted on the DiabetesUK website on 13th December 2012
Whilst Roy Wood famously pined for it to be Christmas every day, I sadly don't. That's not to say I'm some Dickensian miser who can't bear the sight of a bit of tinsel or the jingle of some bells (well maybe in October - I digress). I geninely look forward to Christmas, but I know it'll play havoc with me.
I'm a creature of habit, a person of routine, someone who enjoys certainty as much as it can ever be found. Christmas (and I suppose I'm talking about most of December really) destroys a lot of that and makes life a little more chaotic.
Whilst there are plus points like seeing family and friends, there are the downsides like over indulgence. Last year I was into my London Marathon training and was incredibly measured with what I ate, but that's not really the norm. I think it's totally natural to want to unwind and indulge during your Christmas holiday and being diabetic shouldn't stop me from doing that - it just means a little extra work on my part.
With all that in mind, I've come up with a few tips for surviving the festive period (note that I'm not offering any tips on dealing with your inlaws...)
I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and a very happy 2013. I'll be back in the new year to talk about my diabetes study and DAFNE (amongst a whole host of other things).
Merry Christmas!
Andy
Whilst Roy Wood famously pined for it to be Christmas every day, I sadly don't. That's not to say I'm some Dickensian miser who can't bear the sight of a bit of tinsel or the jingle of some bells (well maybe in October - I digress). I geninely look forward to Christmas, but I know it'll play havoc with me.
I'm a creature of habit, a person of routine, someone who enjoys certainty as much as it can ever be found. Christmas (and I suppose I'm talking about most of December really) destroys a lot of that and makes life a little more chaotic.
Whilst there are plus points like seeing family and friends, there are the downsides like over indulgence. Last year I was into my London Marathon training and was incredibly measured with what I ate, but that's not really the norm. I think it's totally natural to want to unwind and indulge during your Christmas holiday and being diabetic shouldn't stop me from doing that - it just means a little extra work on my part.
With all that in mind, I've come up with a few tips for surviving the festive period (note that I'm not offering any tips on dealing with your inlaws...)
- Don't worry. It's easy to get sidetracked by the number on your blood glucose meter at the best of times and with mince pies and chocolates flying around, I think it's inevitable that at some stage, you'll get a higher reading than you'd normally expect. That said...
- Test a bit more often. If your house is anything like mine, not only will you be eating things that aren't the norm, your mealtimes will end up being different too. If you normally test 4 times a day, sticking an extra one in should mean you don't stray too far off course.
- Don't deprive yourself. A slice of Christmas cake or an extra mince pie probably won't be your downfall (unless the slice of cake is the size of a house brick) and there's nothing worse than feeling like a martyr while everyone around you is having a great time.
- Keep the packets. I'm terrible for throwing away boxes with nutritional information on them. It's usually convenient to check the back of a packet for the carb values per serving (*cough* per mince pie *cough*) and adjust my dose accordingly. It's less convenient if I've stuck the box in the recycling bin along with all the wrapping paper so try sand save them if it'll help you.
- Take the help that's there. As you may have caught on, I'll definitely be sneaking the odd bit of dessert over the next few weeks but I'll make sure I've got things like low fat custard or reduced sugar ice cream to go with them. No-one else round the dinner table can tell the difference anyway. I've convinced myself I had low-sugar cranberry sauce last year but an internet search has proved fruitless (sorry!)
I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and a very happy 2013. I'll be back in the new year to talk about my diabetes study and DAFNE (amongst a whole host of other things).
Merry Christmas!
Andy
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