Last full day in Florida until after Christmas.  I can’t believe that I am already going back home tomorrow.  I haven’t backed, I haven’t done laundry, I haven’t cleaned, I haven’t done a single thing that I need to do in order to be ready to go home.  I finished up all of my Christmas shopping yesterday, and then by the way, my car wouldn’t start.  That was really great for my blood sugar.  I popped the hood and my battery was like disintegrated.  There was so much battery acid on there, it looked like blue whipped cream on top of there.  So I cleaned it off and had to jump it.  Oh, great, I’m not able to jump it because there are cars near me and I can’t reach my girlfriend’s car, so I have to go to Sear’s and get a longer cable.  Finally I get it to start and I cleaned it out with baking soda and water then and let it run for about 20-30 minutes and try to charge it up a bit, no luck.

I need to take the battery out and charge it, but there is a problem on that also, I can’t get the bolt off!  So after all that, I test my sugar and I was at about 325.  So I go to correct and I realize, oh crap I was out of insulin before all this started and I had to reload my pump and I totally forgot because of this whole ordeal.  So I fly home for a week tomorrow, so I will let the battery charge for a while since I will be gone and hopefully I come back and it is all ok.

Anyway, I received an e-mail with my A1C yesterday and I was highly disappointed.  It was exactly 7.0%.  My educator suggested that the reason could be elevations right after meals because I tend to not bolus until about 5 minutes before my meal or maybe in the middle of it.  So I need to start bolusing about 20 minutes before hand.  When I go out to eat, I usually do because after I decide on what I am going to eat, I will bolus and then by the time the food gets there, it has been a good 10 minutes or so.  I will continue to work on that, so my next goal is to be at about 6.5%, or at least between 6.5% – 7.0%

I probably won’t post again until after Christmas, so…. to all a good night

So I got the blood work done this morning, now I am just awaiting the results.  I will probably get an e-mail later today, or tomorrow morning from my educator, but I will get the actual paperwork and full results when I go to see her next week.  But, there wasn’t much work done this time.  It was just A1C and microalbumin.  It was a non-fasting, but I didn’t read that until this morning, so of course I fasted for the testing.  My sugar was 210 when I woke up, so I tried to correct it before the test, so I’m curious to see how much it dropped in about 30-45 minutes, not much I’m sure.

However, right afterwards I ate breakfast because I was starving, and I took too much insulin because at about 10:30, I tested at 54.  I ate a bunch of candy quickly and even drank a half of cup of regular sode (eww disgusting, more on this later).  I tested about an hour later and I was only up to about 110.  So, my sugar must have been low and still had acting insulin for it to only correct that little for the amount of sugar that I ate!

Now, back to the regular sode thing.  I have been drinking diet soda even before I was diabetic.  It was all that my mother bought when I was in high school.  I started out drinking diet Dr. Pepper because that was the only one that I couldn’t tell a difference in, then went to diet Barq’s root beer.  I could not do diet coke or pepsi, because I could definitely tell the difference and didn’t like it.  I then started drinking diet pepsi cans, not bottle because that was gross, but cans and then I slowly started drinking diet everything.  Then when I became diabetic, it was normal for me to be drinking all diet drinks, because that’s all I did anyway.

Everyone have a great day!

Christmas time has come so fast.  I will already be going back home in just a few days.  It seems like it was just yesterday that I was flying back home from Thanksgiving.  Well tomorrow is my A1C test, so that means fasting tonight.  I will probably eat some fruit right around 10:30-ish, and then that is it.  Drink some water in the morning to make the blood work go a little easier and hope that I’m under 7%.  I think that I may be this month.  It would be a great Christmas gift, plus it will make my educator happy.

I’m also in the process of trying to get approved for CGMS through the insurance company.  From what I’ve read, I have a long road in front of me.  But I can’t do anything other than just try and wish for the best.  I don’t know if I want to wear a whole new infusion set on my body along with the one that I already have, but if it helps me control my levels better, then I guess it is worth it.  I will do a little more research about it before I obviously go on it.  Either way, I still want to upgrade to the newer version of the pump I am on, just in case I do decide to go on the CGMS, at least I will have the right pump.

You know what, I have so much shopping and things I still have to do before Friday night.  We are having an early Christmas dinner and Christmas gift exchange since I will be flying back home this weekend.  I have no idea what to get anybody, and with time running out, who knows what I will settle on.  Maybe I should make a list, that would probably help.

What I just ate for lunch today is not going to help me out in my diet.  Chinese food.  I wasn’t going to eat it, but everybody pretty much, in the office was ordering it, so I decided, ahhh why not.  I made sure I got one of the dishes that has the most fattening sauce, and sugary things in it.  Honey Garlic chicken with a lot sauce, plus fried rice, and not to mention egg roll.  That should knock about 4-5 pounds off of my holiday weight loss attempt.

Well, I tested right before I ate and it was 125.  It’s only been about an hour or so since I ate, so I’m not going to test yet, but I’m hoping it is still within a good range.  I received a fax today to get my A1c test done.  So I better add that to my list of things that I need to do in the next week before I go back home for Christmas.  I have a lot to do tonight.  I was supposed to put my Christmas tree up last Saturday, but I didn’t have a chance to do it, so I will have to do it tonight.  Christmas music, lights, cookies, and a tree.  The worst part about doing this is that I fly home in less than 2 weeks and won’t be here for Christmas, so I will only see it for a little bit.

Hope you all have a great day!

Lately, my dawn phenomenon problem has not been so much of a problem.  I am not eating past 11 o’clock really anymore and that sems to be working.  When I do eat, it is just a little snack like some grapes or veggies and dip.  Sometimes it is a dessert, but I am trying to stay away from that.  My sugars were reading at about 250-300 in the morning, and now they are at about 160-180.  I know this still isn’t too good, but it is better then what the previous numbers were.  I am still working on decreasing this number.  Mornings that I have exercised the night before are giving me lower numbers compared to when I don’t exercise.  Maybe that’s a sign, more exercise equals losing weight, plus lower sugar levels.  Sounds like a win-win to me.

On another note, it is almost time for me to get another order of pump supplies.  This is going to be the first time that I won’t have to pay a single penny for them.  I love it!  I am going to start working on getting on a constant glucose monitoring system.  Any suggestions on the best system out there?

Thanks!

I’ve been looking for some plane tickets to fly back down to Florida after Christmas, but they are so expensive.  It’s cheap to fly up there, but almost $500 to fly back.  Ridiculous.  It makes me just want to stay there for that price.  I did a good job of testing my blood sugar frequently when I just was home for Thanksgiving, so I am going to try my best to do the samething during this trip home.  I have to get my A1C test done when I am at home, so hopefully that will be the best gift that I get this Christmas.

My dieting hasn’t been going according to plan since I get back from Thanksgiving.  The first few days I was good, but then I started slacking again.  I made it to the gym yesterday, but not for long.  I will be going to the gym tonight for at least 30 minutes on the bike, but I need to try and do some lifting also.  I burn about 300 calories on the bike, but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything at all.  The lifting will help tone things up a little bit also.  I really need to get this weight off before I go home for Christmas.  I think I eat more at Christmas time then I do at Thanksgiving time.

Have a great day everyday!

My blood sugars have been improving over the last month or so.  Other then last week’s holiday highs, they have been better.  I’m looking at about a 30 day average of about 130-140, which for me is probably one of the best month averages that I’ve had.  I’m looking for my A1C to also be the lowest it’s been.  Which reminds me, I have to schedule that appointment soon.  I actually just now e-mailed my doctor to get a script sent to me for the bloodwork.

This is a big weekend for sports for me again.  The most important is that the Eagles play the hated Giants, and it’s a huge game in a lot of fashions.  First, we have to win just because it is against the Giants and they beat us earlier this year.  Secondly, we have to win if we want to have any chance at all to make it to the play-offs.  The next big event is that tomorrow is the ACC championship game which Virginia Tech is playing Boston College for the 2nd straight year.  People counted us out, but if we win this game, we automatically go to a BCS Bowl game, so whose laughing now!  Finally, tomorrow night is the first Panthers game I’ll be going to since I left for the holiday.  I missed 3 straight home games, I don’t like that.  That also reminds me (I seem to be reminding myself of a lot of things), that I recorded last night’s game and I have to watch it before I check the article online.

So, how does all this relate to diabetes?  You know how, because I’m trying to prove a point that even though I have diabetes, I live a normal life.  So even though I talk about blood sugars and A1C and these type of things, I don’t ever talk about complications really because I live my life just like the people who don’t have diabetes, except I prick my finger several times a day (ok, maybe only once sometimes, but don’t tell me doctor!)

Well, everybody have a great weekend and hopefully you all cheer for my Eagles, Panthers, and Hokies!

Fly Eagles Fly, Go Cats Go, Hokie Hokie Hokie Pride!

Wait….the workday isn’t over yet!

My last patient of the week is one of my favorites.  Even with her “diabetes-denial issues”, she keeps her weekly appointments.  After reviewing her blood work, I tried to convince her that she had diabetes, but she was unable to be persuaded!  That was until I pointed out – a few times – that she was taking medication for diabetes and if she didn’t have the disease she’d pass out from low blood sugar!   At her third visit, she finally accepted the fact that she has diabetes and losing weight will help her control her glucose levels – tremendously.  Whew……..we got past that and have been working on a gradual change in her eating habits since. I’m so proud of her!

Although she has only lost a few pounds in the past month or two, more importantly, she has changed her eating patterns, and is thinking about her food choices differently.  She started out eating many sweets whether it be at home or when she dined out.  She had “stopped eating bread” but – of course, as she later would find out, that’s not as evil a food as we are made to believe.  Her first step was controlling the “sweet-eating” –  a huge accomplishment and her biggest challenge.  It has simmered down and she now has sweet cravings less frequently.  At our most current visit, she admitted that she is more accepting of her diabetes and is ready to take the next step – not rewarding herself with food!

Hello.  My name is Marci and I’m a registered dietitian and a certified diabetes educator.  I have so many inspiring patients!  Today I had the priviledge of educating my second 88 year old patient of the week!  The first one was a man who plays golf, recently was diagnosed with diabetes, loves his sweets and was interested in receiving diabetes counseling.  He brought his wife with him to learn about controlling diabetes  – practically - (my specialty) and how to use his new meter.  It wasn’t long after he sat down that he was confessing all of his poor eating habits.

His HbA1c (3-month blood sugar average) was 7.3% (not terrible, but we can get that number down to under 7% or even 6.5%) and his random blood sugar was 154 mg/dL.  By the end of the hour-long session (or maybe a little longer – I can’t resist helping people!), I made it clear that he could OF COURSE continue to have his sweets……….but moderately.  I knew, his wife knew and he knew – and admitted – that he loves his sweets and won’t/can’t give them up.  I suggested alternatives and foods/snacks to add to his sweet list and he seemed satisfied with those recommendations.  We’ll see when he returns in a few weeks.

My second 88 year old patient was a woman.  She lives on her own and is very intelligent and pleasant.  She no longer drives and was dropped off by a friend an hour earlier than our appointment.  Her dilemma was why her fasting blood glucose was high and the rest of her day was running quite normal.  After speaking with her and finding out her routine, it was clear that she has the Somogyi Effect.  What’s this – you might ask!?!  High morning (fasting) blood sugars – before you eat or drink anything – is the result of either (Dawn Phenomenon: hormones encouraging hepatic glucose release (in English: the liver kicks out sugar into the bloodstream) or a Somogyi Effect: rebound effect.  If you go to sleep with your blood sugar higher than it is in the morning,  and you’re not a sleep walker or sleep eater, you are probably getting lower blood sugar during the night and your liver spares you by sending out glucose into the bloodstream.  This is very nice of your liver except it becomes too generous and you wind up with high blood sugar, first thing in the morning.

My patient ate her dinner at 6:00 pm and took her diabetes medication and then ate nothing until the next morning.  Her bedtime glucose was 100 mg/dL and was dropping in the middle of the night.  I suggested that she have a bedtime snack of protein and carbs (a few crackers and low-fat cheese or a fruit and some nuts or even a Glucerna or Extend drink or snack bar or chips made for people with diabetes).  The other option was to speak to her doctor to lower her medication since this was a pattern with her and she didn’t want to eat more – she was trying to lose some weight.

Anyway, seeing these older patients is so inspiring for me.  Sure, some folks get old and lose their mental and physical abilities.  And then there are some, like these two lovely people, who prove that getting old is not all that bad.

So much to do and so little time to do it.  My flight takes off at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, which means I have to leave to go to the airport at 4:00 a.m.  So, that would mean that I have to get up at about 3:15 – 3:30, so what is really the point in even going to sleep.  I will be up watching football until almost midnight, I have a lot of cleaning to do, I haven’t even started packing.  I have tickets to the Panthers hockey game tonight, which I’m not even going to the game because I have so much stuff to do.

My blog will be back up and running with posts about my great trip home next Monday.  Check back then