Halloween - Back In The Day

Back in the day - when I was a child diabetic, Halloween wasn't the most fun time of year for me. Sure, the getting dressed up in costumes & going to the houses of friends & relatives was fun. But the stuff that ended up in my Halloween bag was far from fun for me. But the people who loved me tried to make it a special time anyway.

We always went just to the houses of people we knew. My parents would let us go to the few houses in our little neighborhood - which included my grandparents. These people knew I had diabetes so they made special arrangements to make sure they had something for me that was suitable for a child with diabetes.

I remember my Grandma S (who lived next door to us) made stuff for her trick-or-treaters. She made caramel-popcorn balls, homemade fudge, caramel apples, etc. Plus she always had store-bought candy bars, etc., too. Kids who went to my Grandma's house knew they were gonna get the good stuff.

But for me, it was a little different. I usually got a bag of plain popcorn, an apple, maybe a can of sugar-free 7up. There were a few sugar-free candy bars available at that time - they were pretty nasty - but it was nice to get a CANDY BAR - whether it tasted good or not. My Grandma always would give me one of those, too. She always tried to make sure I got the same amount of items as my little sister. My Grandma had T2 diabetes & understood the struggles so she always wanted me to feel like I was not that different from the other kids. I appreciated that.

My other grandparents lived in another town about 10 miles away so my parents would always drive us over there, too. These grandparents weren't as well-off as my next-door grandparents. But Grandma A always had something special for me, too. What I remember getting from her every year was a single-serving can of grape juice. I know it sounds silly, but I thought it was soooo cool. Grandma A did the best she could with what little they had & she made sure I didn't feel left out. That little can of grape juice was the best.

All of my grandparents have gone on to be with the Lord now & I miss them. But I have the fond memories of those Halloweens as a child & how they all made me feel special.

Late Nights

I've had a lot of late nights recently. Not due to MY diabetes. But my pump pack business has really picked up lately. I think it's because the holidays are right around the corner. Can you believe it?

I had so many orders over a 3 day period that I stayed up to midnight one night & past 11 the next night. I'm not used to staying up that late then getting up for work at 5:30. But it's been nice to have several orders.

I noticed the other day that my sewing machine is starting to act-up a little. So I think I'm going to have to invest in a new one soon. But that's okay. I love to sew; so that's good therapy for me.
Anyway, many of these orders have been for children. So I am happy to stay up to sew these packs to make the kids happy. It's bad enough that they have to have this disease; hopefully having a pack with their favorite character on it will make their lives a little happier. Knowing that makes staying up late worthwhile. (It's just not as easy as it used to be. LOL!)

My Diabetes Bag

Amylia mentioned her diabetes bag in her blog the other day so I decided to follow suit & include a photo of mine today. It has a picture of Sophie on it. It's a real conversation starter when I'm coming & going at work. Although I've never really talked to anyone about why I'm carrying it. They just want to know about Sophie. So I just leave it at that.

But what would I do without this bag? There are so many things I carry in it. I don't carry my meter in it as it is always in my purse. Yes, I carry a purse + this bag to work everyday.

Unfortunately, this bag is also a catch-all bag & I have a tendency to forget to clean it out very often. But it carries:

My log book (blue binder)
Hershey candy bars (for lows)
My insulin pump kit (inserter, extra tubing, extra vials, alcohol swabs, etc)
My daily supply of other meds which I just carry in an extra Tylenol bottle
Sore throat lozenges (just in case) Contact Solution (a must have) & hand lotion (the soap at work is very harsh on your hands)
Paperwork (like documentation for my VNS procedure, auto accidents, etc.)
Umbrella (you never know with Indiana weather)
Hair spray, toothbrush - self explanatory
Lint Roller (Hey, I have 5 indoor dogs - this is a basic necessity of life)
Assorted CDs - Eric Church, Boston, Eagles, Tom Petty, Chicago
Oh yeah - how could I forget? LUNCH
I weighed my bag today & it weighs 10.5 pounds! I wonder why my shoulder is always sore....

My Baby is 21!

I just wanted to wish a happy 21st birthday to my son, C, today.

C, It seems like only yesterday that you were that 8 pound 13 ounce bluish-red baby struggling to breath.

And now here you are - 21 years old with a good job, great friends, your own house, and dreams I know will all come true - all grown up.
Happy birthday, baby! I love you!

Autumn Skies

Nothing about diabetes today. Just a little weather update.

Here in the central Indiana, the skies of Autumn are upon us. We've had some rain, some temperatures from one end to the other, etc. I heard there's a chance of frost on Sunday morning...

This first picture was taken from my front porch during a rain storm we had a few days ago. It was raining while the sun was shining. My Grandma (who was very superstitious) was always terrified when it would rain & the sun would shine at the same time. Her parents were in a tornado in those kinds of conditions. So every time it would happen like that, she would be so scared. We would try to convince her that everything was okay. But she would still be afraid. (I miss my Grandma. She had some great stories.) To me, it looks like God is peaking through the clouds....or maybe it's Grandma...

This next picture was taken through the windshield of my car on my way to work one morning this week. It looks like fire in the sky, doesn't it?
It's beautiful - yet it made me remember (in prayer) the folks in California who are dealing with the terrible fires.

Site Change Surprise

You know - last week I got such a good report from my endo. He did adjust my basals slightly – just to keep me from having soooo many lows – which caused me to have to eat more to compensate for the hypo – which in turn was causing me to gain weight. I did well with those changes for few days; then it was time to change my infusion site.

So I did. I put it in the same general area where I had the “gusher” a while back – which is right along my waistline (what I have of a waistline). My clothes don’t rub on that part of my stomach so it seemed like a good spot. But I should have known better. It started feeling “weird” just after one day – but no blood in the line or anywhere. Then it started itching. I hate that! But the really bad part was the fact that my BGs started being sooooo HIGH. Something wasn’t right. I mean – I was in the 300s most of the time. Wow, did my head hurt!

When I checked my BG right before lunch (I didn’t eat breakfast), it was 310! Ahhh! So I changed my site again even though I had one more day left before it was time to change it. Well, at least it didn’t “gush” like it did before. But the whole site looked like it was infected pretty badly. I don’t know why either. I used an alcohol swab to clean it before I inserted it. But for some reason, my infusion set did NOT like this spot. So I won’t be using that area anymore (or at least for quite a while). I would show you a picture of how it looked, but I don’t want to gross you out. It was pretty disgusting!

I keep thinking of a couple of different episode of Friends on this one.

1) Chandler has a nubbin (3rd nipple) – (Episode 2.04 – The One With Phoebe’s Husband & Episode 3.14 - The One With Phoebe's Ex-Partner)
2) Ross has something growing on his behind that they can’t identify. (Episode 3.23 – The One With Ross’s Thing)

Sorry - I couldn't find clips of these episodes on You Tube, but believe me, they were hilarious!

Back to the topic at hand - At first, I thought the bad BGs were the result on the basal changes. But I really think it was the site itself. It had become a red splotch about the size of a large egg with a bump in the middle of it where the hole was. It felt hot to the touch & there was a knot in the middle of it. The BGs were still HIGH (347 one morning) & I just had a banana for supper the night before. So my friend, D, convinced me to call my endo. I explained everything to his nurse on the phone & she said they would call in an antibiotic for me at the pharmacy to help start the healing process & get my BGs back under control. I think that A1c of 6.4 is right out the window now!

I’ve been on the antibiotic for a few days & the site is started to look less red & it’s not hot anymore. But there is still a knot under the skin. This may take a while to go away. But I am so glad I called my endo. My BGs are getting back under control – finally.

I guess this was just another surprise from being on the pump. But it was pretty easy to fix. I think I’m done with surprises for a while. Has anyone else ever had this happened to them?

Anyway, at least it wasn’t a nubbin like Chandler had or whatever that was that was growing on Ross’s behind, huh?

VNS Appeal

I finally got around to sending my insurance company my appeal on their decision to deny the VNS procedure for me. They denied the initial predetermination back in September. I think my doctor's office has already sent in their appeal. But they thought it would be a good idea for me to appeal the decision also.

The appeal letter was really difficult to write. It was almost like I was whining. I didn't like the way it sounded. But I sent it in anyway. I needed to make sure they understood how badly I need this procedure & it seemed the only way to make them understand was to complain. So I did - in a nice way, of course. I explained all the treatments & medications I have taken for my depression over the years. I also explained the depressive symptoms I have on a daily basis. Then I told them that it also made my diabetes difficult to control - which it does. It turned out to be a two page letter.

I hope it works.

Sick Kid

I know this is silly & I shouldn't be worried about him. But my (almost) adult son - he will be 21 on Saturday - is sick. He has rarely been sick in his whole life - except when he was first born. He was born by C-Section at 36 weeks. His lungs weren't developed yet & he had a lot of gooooo in his lungs. They rushed him via ambulance to Riley Children's Hospital. They put him on a respirator to make his lungs work so his body could rest while his lungs developed. Luckily, he was a large baby for 36 weeks; he weighed 8 pounds, 13 ounces! So he was pretty strapping to start with which helped him. Other than the lung thing, he was very healthy. He was in the hospital for 10 days, came home, and has been pretty healthy most of his life.

About the only times he has needed medical attention was for Appendicitis in Jr High school & a few accidental injuries:

- ER visit for getting Drano in his eye when he was helping his dad unclog the drainage pipe under our house;
- ER visit for broken wrist from high school football game ;
- ER visit for slicing arm open (filleted it open actually) with piece of metal when helping his great-aunt clean up an area on her farm;
- ER visit for getting face paint in his eye when his high school basketball team went to Regionals & all the football guys painted their faces in the school's colors when they went to the game;
- Ambulance ride + ER visit for auto accident when a drunk man pulled out in front of him. My son ran into the drunk man's car, flipped upside down, skidded down the road, then flipped back over. My son ended up in the back seat of his Blazer (thank God) - he wasn't wearing his seat belt - which turned out to be a blessing this time. (When we went to look at his Blazer at the junkyard a few days later, I almost fainted when I saw the steering wheel jammed into the driver's seat. If my son had been strapped into the front seat, he would have either lost his legs completely or been crippled by the steering wheel.) A friend was driving his truck behind my son & saw the whole ordeal. He was the one who got him out of the Blazer before it caught on fire & called us to let us know they were taking my son by ambulance to a trauma hospital about 20 miles away. My son was so lucky - he only ended up with a tiny piece of glass in his forehead which was removed & stitched up with a few stitches, two broken back teeth (which were repaired a couple of days later), some scrapes on his back & a layer of skin burned off his forehead (where the angels flipped him into the back seat to keep him from being crushed by the steering wheel) & he brushed the ceiling in the Blazer which caused the skin injuries to his back & forehead. It's no use to try to convince me that angels & the good Lord aren't responsible for making sure my son ended up in the back seat. In my mind, there is no other explanation for him being alive - they saved him.

Other than that, he has been the picture of health. But yesterday, he called me while I was on my way home from work & said his throat was really sore & had white spots on it. He didn't sleep well last night & woke up sweating a couple of times. Then he also woke up a couple of times feeling like he was freezing. Then he overslept & was late for work. He woke up when his boss - who is a great guy - called him to make sure he was okay. My son is not one of those employees who is ever late to work. So he was worried about him & wanted to make sure he hadn't been in an accident or anything. Imagine that - someone thinking my son might be involved in an accident. LOL!

When my son called, he wanted to know what it meant when a person has little white spots on the back of their throat. I told him it sounded like he might have Strep Throat. Then he stopped by our house on his way home & showed me his throat. It looked like tonsils were terribly swollen also. So I gave him a bottle of Tylenol, some throat lozenges & told him to make a doctor's appointment tomorrow. He was going to need some antibiotics for this. I didn't think there was anything he could take over the counter that would heal his throat at that point.

So, he called and made a doctor appointment. This is a new experience for him since he's been so healthy. The doctor said he didn't have strep throat but he does have tonsillitis. So he gave him a prescription for some antibiotics.

I hate for him to be sick. But then I think of how blessed he has been with good health. Sure, he has had his share of accidents. But one thing that he has never had is Diabetes. He has never shown any signs of it. And for that, I am truly thankful. I grew up with Diabetes & I know what a struggle it is - especially when you have some type of infection or when you're sick. And today, even though he has tonsillitis, he doesn't have Diabetes on top of it. Thank you, Lord.

Carb Counting Refresher Course

I went to a carb counting refresher course last Saturday sponsored by Medtronic. It was interesting. I didn't realy learn anything new. But it was good to get a refresher course. You know, just something to help me remember the stuff I was told BEFORE I started on the pump.

They also discussed Medtronic's CGMS. Unfortunately, it's not covered by my insurance company yet. But perhaps someday it will be covered. It was much smaller than I had envisioned. So it might be something worth looking into later. But I already have an appeal for the VNS procedure being reviewed by my insurance company right now. So I'm not going to push the matter at this time.

Unfortunately, there were only three people who attended the refresher class. There was a couple there that have a son who is 19 & been on the pump for a few years and there was ME. That was it. Kind of sad. But I live in a pretty rural area where there may not be a lot of people on the pump yet.

Actually, I only know of one other person in my general area that is on the pump. I've known her since she was a little girl. She was one of my daughter's cheerleading coaches when she was in school. Please keep her in your prayers as she is pregnant & due in December. But I believe they will be taking the baby in November. She has always seemed to have had a lot of trouble with her diabetes throughout her life. She has a little boy in grade school who also has type 1 diabetes. So she has her hands full. But she's the only person I know of in this area who is on the pump.

But the class was good. We got a new little reference book about the carbs in everyday foods. I think it will be helpful to me. I think it was better for me that the class was small. I don't think I would have asked any questions or anything if there had been a lot of people there. Maybe that's why God planned it that way.

Instincts

I wish my diabetic instincts had been working before I went to bed last Monday night. Let me backup a minute.

About 9:00 p.m., I had a low of 61 - I don't know why - I just did. So I ate a little ice cream to bring it up. Then my husband & I watched most of Monday Night Football & I thought I should check my BG again - just to be on the safe side before I went to sleep. It was 98. Pretty good. But just below where I like it to be before I go to sleep. If my BG is below 100 before I go to bed, I always eat a snack. I hate waking up in the middle of the night with an extreme low - that's the worst!

But I was in a dilemma here. I was so close to that 100 threshold. I asked my husband what he thought. He would rather err on the side of caution so he thought I should go ahead and have a snack. So I had 18 grams of carbs & went to sleep. Feeling a lot better because I knew I was safe from having that dreaded low.

I didn't end up sleeping very well - tossing & turning - couldn't get comfortable, etc. Then when I got up at 5:30 am, my mouth was so dry that I actually wanted to drink some cold water. Now, any of you that have read my blog for a while probably know that I REALLY HATE WATER! I hardly ever drink it unless my BG is extremely high. Well guess what??? My BG was 268! (It's funny - I didn't used to think that was that high until I started paying better attention.) So I drank a little of the water & bolused. So by the time I left for work, it was down to 171 and was fine the rest of the day. (I even had a 100 show up right before dinner. I just love that number!)

But why didn't my instincts kick in that night when my BG was 98? It was soooo close to 100. But I was so afraid. Afraid of waking up sweating, lightheaded, confused, my stomach itching (that's my one weird low symptom). I didn't want to do that. So I took the chance & paid the price.

I wish we could know which way the BG is going when we get the result. Sure, 98 is great. But is it on it's way up or down? I guess we have to trust our instincts. You would think after 37 years, my instincts would work better than they did last night. But even after all these years, my diabetes likes to keep me guessing - never allowing me to know for sure what is truly happening.

I think that's what is so frustrating about this disease. As much as we try, we still can't actually TELL it what to do. Wouldn't that be great? I would tell mine to hit the road, wouldn't you?

My Gift of Hope Ornament

A few days ago, I got my ADA Gift of Hope Christmas ornament in the mail. I was so excited. I've written about these before. I just love adding to the collection every year. (I never did get around to contacting them about getting the few years I'm missing - maybe one day, I'll do that.) Above is a picture of this year's ornament. When I decorate my front window for the holidays with all of them, I'll take another picture & post it then so you can see all of them in the sunlight.

Blessed - A1c Update

I went for my quarterly endo appointment & my A1c was 6.4! Hooray!

My endo had moved to a new office so that was a little weird. He had been at the other location since my kids were babies. But the new office is really nice & very relaxing. I like that.

I asked him about me going to see a dietitian & he mentioned that there is a class this Saturday at our local hospital he would recommend. I am already signed up for the class so that's good. I told him I was concerned with all the weight I've gained in the last year & I need to figure out what I'm doing wrong. He said he doesn't really think I'm doing anything wrong. It's just that I have to treat so many lows that it's making me gain the weight. So he adjusted my basals & hopefully that will help. He said if the class doesn't help me and the basal adjustments don't work - to just let him know. He's great.

It sounds strange - but I do enjoy my visits with my endo. He is not only a great endo, but he is also such a great person. The people in his office are just wonderful & so nice. I look forward to seeing them every time & catching up on things with them.

I am very blessed to have such a good endo & to have received such a good A1c. I love the song "Blessed" by Rachel Lampa because that's how I feel today.

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Another Gusher

Is gusher a real word? I don't know. But I had another one today.

I was changing my infusion site; got the new one all set. Then I started to peal off the old infusion site tape - which was being a bit difficult. When I finally got it pulled it off, the site started gushing dark red blood everywhere. Luckily, I was standing in the kitchen close to some paper towels & was able to catch it before it got on my clothes or anything else.

I don't know why this happens. I hadn't had any trouble with this site. As a matter of fact, it had been very cooperative & definitely painless since I put it in. There was no blood in the infusion set either. So there was no indication that it was going to gush! But - surprise! It did.

My BGs has been excellent lately. I started using the logbook from Kevin a few days ago. (Thanks, Kevin!) I still use my own excel spreadsheet for daily use. Then I put all the information onto Kevin's logbook to check my averages, charts, etc.

But even though the BGs have been so good, something was definitely not quite right with my site or it wouldn't have bled so bad. But at least the BGs weren't negatively affected. But I'll bet I have a bruise there in a few days. That's okay, though. I'll take the bruises for good control any day!

My Car’s Return & Laryngitis

Well, I finally got my car back from the body shop. It sure is nice to have it home. I was so afraid to keep driving that second rental car (especially after the hit-and-run incident). It made me more cautious – which is good. But it also made me extremely nervous – which is bad.

After going over all the repairs after I got my car home, I noticed that the driver’s side headlight looked weird. After closer inspection, I realized that it wasn’t set in flush with the front and side of the car like the one on the passenger side. Plus, the rubber piece that goes around the headlight wasn’t attached very well & looked like it might come off at any minute.

So once again, I found myself on the phone with my insurance company and the body shop. (Did I mention that I’ve had a horrible case of laryngitis lately? I sound like one of the munchkins on the Wizard of Oz – who has laryngitis. My husband & my friend, M, try to make me laugh just because I sound so funny when I do it. I’m glad I can be a source of entertainment. (sarcasm) Now I just hope my voice holds together when I go up to the drive thru at Hardees for my Diet Coke. So far - so good. Anyway, all this talking on the phone isn’t helping my voice situation at all. I will be so glad when the whole car wreck thing is behind me - which I think it is now. I finalized everything with the rental car place today & everybody is paid.

Back to the headlight - So I left work & after getting my Diet Coke, I went to the body shop where they fixed my headlight in about 15 minutes. It looks so much better now.

They really did a great job fixing everything from the accident. Check out the BEFORE and AFTER photos below.

I'm glad to have it back. Now, if I could just get rid of this laryngitis....

Oh, What a Night

Remember the song by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons "Oh, What A Night (December 1963)" - I have that song on a 45 vinal record. I used to play it all the time when I was a kid - even though I really didn't understand the song - I was only 1 year old in December 1963, etc. Anyway, that was the first thing I thought of when I woke up this morning. I wasn't thinking of last night in a good way like the story they're singing. But, oh what a night!

Here's my timeline:

Checked BG at 10:15 pm - 65 - too low

Went to the kitchen to get some carbs

Went back to bed to watch some more "Without A Trace"

Rechecked BG at 10:45 pm - 61 - going the wrong way!

Went back to the kitchen for somemore carbs.

Didn't recheck it when "Without A Trace" was over. Felt better.

Woke up at 3:15 am - immediately knew something was wrong.

Felt on my stomach for my infusion site/tubing - GONE!

Pump, etc has come unglued & was laying on the floor.

(I knew it was a little loose, but was planning to change it in the morning - bad idea.)

Immediately checked by BG - 321! Ahhhh!

Grabbed supplies & went to the kitchen to reattach myself (in the light) - Didn't want to wake husband.

Got everything reattached & ready to go.

Bolused.

Husband's alarm clock went off at 6 am

Checked BG - 285 - still too high - but better than 321!

Bolused again

Kissed husband goodbye

Went back to sleep.

Woke up at 9:30 am (Wow - so late!). BG = 53.

Too low

Ate some carbs

Rechecked BG at 10 am - 42. Going the wrong way again!

It's a good thing I had planned to take the day off work today. I think it's going to be one of those days. And "Oh, What A Night". Enjoy the video from You Tube & have a great weekend!

My Very Good Friend, M

Today is my Very Good Friend (VGF), M’s birthday & I wanted to honor her today. We’ve always referred to each other as Very Good Friends – I don’t know how we arrived at that term. But that’s what we are. I’ve only known her for about 8 years, but she is like a sister to me. My biological family (BF) & I have had a bit of a “falling-out” & no longer communicate with one another – even though we live only a mile and a half apart. It’s difficult sometimes; but believe me, it’s for the best. I can’t say more about that situation for fear of legal repercussions. So as Forrest Gump would say, “That’s all I’ve got to say about that.”

Back to M. She has filled a void in my life since I know longer have my two biological sisters to talk to. I know M so well that she will be appalled that I ended that last sentence with a preposition! We’re both just a little OCD. So we really understand each other. And that’s nice (for us anyway.) At my daughter’s high school graduation party, we had two different flavors of cake – chocolate & white. M helped me put them order on the table so they were sitting there with every other one being chocolate vs white. Our husbands both made fun of us for this & at that moment they both understood what the other one had to live with everyday.

A few years ago, for my 40th birthday, I was feeling a little low (not BG low; emotionally low.) You know – lack of family with which to celebrate low. So my husband & M arranged for both of our immediate families to meet at O’Charley’s for my birthday celebration – as a surprise. That included me, my husband, my daughter, my son + M, her husband, their son + two surprises – M’s parents! They are the sweetest people & have informally adopted me as part of their family. I couldn’t have been happier. I’m not much of a hugger (social anxiety issues), but when these people hugged me when I met them, it just felt right. It felt like family & that was nice. I’m about to cry thinking about it – but in a good way.

M was there the day my daughter got married – ready to (politely) deter anyone from hugging me that I didn’t want to hug (social anxiety again.) She even practiced her stance of holding out her arms wide to stop anyone – it was hilarious & helped ease the stress of the wedding preparations, etc. Her (our) parents were there, too. They all sat in the row behind my biological parents (BPs). When my son-in-law’s mother & I went up front to light the candles & I turned around to walk down the steps to get to my seat in the front row, there they were – waving & smiling at me. I almost stumbled down the steps. Ahhh! But it was so funny & made me feel so good. At that moment, I didn’t even see my BPs, I just saw this “family” of people who loved me & my family & wanted this to be such a happy day. And it was. They helped make sure of that.


Also, at the wedding, the DJ had couples come out on the floor to slow dance along with my daughter & her new husband. Then he had the couples go sit back down based on the number of years they had been married. The couple that had been married the most years got to have a special dance with the newlyweds to offer any advice or whatever to the happy couple. Well, M's parents won! They were the ones who got to do that special dance with my daughter & son-in-law. It was really special. It was, once again, like we were family.


M & I have been to each other’s kids’ games, wedding, family gatherings, etc. I made her kitchen curtains for her new house (made out of the apple print fabric I’ve used for one of my pump packs.) She & her husband have given their old stove & microwave to my daughter & her husband for the house they are buying. Families do this kind of stuff. For a while after the disintegration of my own BF, I was really lonely & missed the family-type stuff – like cookouts, birthdays, etc. I had prayed to God to provide me with a new friend at that time. I was changing job locations & knew no one at the new office. So this was a perfect opportunity for me to find a new friend. But this sort of thing was difficult for me because of my social anxiety (kind of a trend I have.) But when I got to my new office – M was there – waiting on me as God had planned.

The more we learned about each other, the more commonalities we found. Like:
We’re both Christians – very important in our Very Good Friend relationship.
Her dad & my husband are so much alike, it’s almost scary. They are both big country boys with big hearts who know everybody & have loud, infectious laughs.
Our husbands have very different, yet strong personalities.
We both LOVE the show “Friends” & use references from that show on a daily basis. (My husband got me the DVDs for all 10 seasons at Christmas last year & we’ve been sharing them since then.)

Our desks are across the aisle from each other so we’re around each other a lot. But that’s okay. We help each other with our jobs & our lives. She has such good hearing, that she can hear the wrrrr sound of my meter when I’m testing my BG. She always makes sure I’m okay when she notices that I’m eating M&Ms. So she helps me with my diabetes, too – just like family.

What really makes a sister? (I’ve written a little about this a long time ago.) It’s not DNA. (I know you’ll agree, Cara.) Although that’s nice sometimes if it works out that way. But a sister is a person you have in your heart. She’s someone who is always there when you need her – like when you’ve had an argument with your spouse & she makes you realize you’re being silly for crying about it. She’s also there to lend a listening ear, a shoulder on which to cry or laughter when you need to laugh + knowing the difference. She also shares her parents or just a smile.

Thanks, M, for being my Very Good Friend. Happy Birthday!

Wednesday Weigh-In II

Well, today is my weekly weigh-in. Not good. I gained 1.0 pound since last Wednesday. But I’ve lost 0.4 pounds total! Wooohooo!

I did have a feeling I was going to gain some this week. I’ve slacked off on the treadmill, but I am still walking all the stairs & watching what I eat – except for last night. Oooops! My husband took me out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse in celebration of me getting my car back from the body shop. (Unfortunately, the repairs are not up to my satisfaction – but that’s another story.) Anyway, we went out to eat & that was that.

We seem to have a habit of going out to eat on Tuesday nights. We’re either going to have to change the eating-out night or my weigh-in day. The two aren’t working together very well. Even if I order something really healthy (which I usually don’t), I have a tendency to eat more than I should mainly because the portions are too big for one meal but not quite big enough for two. I don’t want to waste any so I just eat it all – even though I’m full. I know; it’s a bad habit. But eating out can be expensive & I hate to be wasteful. Unfortunately, that makes my waist-ful. I know that’s bad. Sorry.

Well, it’s back to the treadmill. I started taking Potassium tablets this week to help with the leg cramps. That way I won’t have to actually eat the carbs from the bananas and bolus for that. Hopefully, that will help a little. Maybe next week will be a better week & I will actually lose some real weight.

One good thing to note, though – my average BG over the last week has been 124!!! Yeah!!!!!

Predetermination Update & Other Things

I spoke to L at Dr C’s office today about the appeal to my insurance company for the VNS procedure. She did some follow up research & ended up sending a lot more information into the insurance company. (They would not accept the appeal information via fax so she had to send it snail-mail.) Anyway, she is going to send me copies of that information so I can start my own appeal with them & maybe that will help.

But while talking to a friend this morning, she was telling me about a child in her son’s middle school class that has Epilepsy & is having problems with her seizures. She is on medication – but is still having seizures. Now I don’t know very much about this disease except that the person has seizures. Poor thing - seizures, seizures, seizures.... I also know that the VNS procedure that I am waiting on approval from my insurance company for my depression was originally developed for people with Epilepsy. So I gave my friend the name of my Neurologist & some information on the procedure for her to pass onto this child’s parent.

I wonder – is that my place in this situation – to help myself or possibly to help someone else. If they could do this procedure on this little girl & keep her from suffering from these seizures, would that be great? Even if they can't help me, maybe they can help this little girl have a more normal life. What a blessing!

Stealing an Insulin Pump?

The following article came from The Buffalo News.

$5,000 insulin pump taken from duffel bag
Updated: 10/06/07 7:45 AM
NIAGARA FALLS — A $5,000 insulin pump was stolen from the duffel bag of a 15-year-old North Tonawanda resident as he played hockey at the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion on Thursday afternoon, police said.
The teenager told police he left the bag next to the bleachers, and when he returned from play, the pump was gone.

Okay, I'm at a loss here and I have a few questions on this:

Why would someone steal an insulin pump?
What good is it going to do someone other than the owner of the pump?
Would another diabetic steal someone's insulin pump for their own use?
Did someone think they were stealing something else - like an IPod?
Why would someone steal?

Not Disabled Enough?

I’ve always been fortunate in the job I have that I have the flexibility to take care of my diabetes needs without worrying about losing my job. I have my meter on my desk at all times & ready to check my BG anytime I need. Before I got on the insulin pump, I used to give myself insulin injections right at my desk. I can have food & drink (diet coke, of course) at my desk. So I can treat a low anytime.

Now that I’m on the pump, I can bolus or make changes to my basals – whatever is needed without worrying about my boss saying something to me about it. If she ever does ask, it’s always in a manner of “is everything okay?”. It’s never, “what do you think you’re doing?” or “you can’t do that here!”. My boss is wonderful. (Thank you, Lord!)

But there are so many people with diabetes that don’t have this luxury / freedom. The link below describes this situation where people are losing their jobs because they are trying to take care of their diabetes. It talks about how they aren’t disabled enough to be protected by law. How sad.


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/84686.php


Hopefully, this restoration act will get the law back to the manner is which it was intended – to protect those hard-working people trying to make a living & trying to take care of a disease that can be so debilitating if not properly treated. Or as I’ve said for a long time, my boss needs to teach management classes on how to be a good manager. Then we wouldn’t need this law. But in the meantime, unfortunately, this restoration act needs to happen so people with diabetes & other diseases can be protected.


Have a great weekend, everyone!

Hallelujah! HMO!

I know saying the word "hallelujah" & "HMO" in the same sentence sounds strange. But it is true!

I am so excited! I just found out yesterday that I will be able to keep my HMO insurance for 2008. I was really worried that I was going to be forced into one of those health savings accounts. I guess those do work well for some people. But after reviewing the options last year, it was evident that I was better off staying with HMO – even though the premiums were a little higher than the HSAs. But that’s okay. Sometimes you get what you pay for, right?

The premiums come right out of my paycheck & my company contributes a significant portion of the premium for me. So it’s a win-win situation.

Since I will still have the same coverage, my predetermination for the VNS procedure shouldn’t be an issue either. I was afraid that if I had to switch to different coverage (through a different carrier) that would have to be restarted. But, in this case, it can continue with the current process of me waiting for them to review the appeal. My doctor has already started the appeal process & as soon as I receive all the information they provided to the insurance company, I can also start an appeal. We’re going to bombard them with information. Hopefully, that will work.

And we won’t have to start over with a different insurance company. Hallelujah ! I get to keep my HMO policy!

Wednesday Weigh-In

Okay, I know I've slacked off on my exercizing a little bit lately. All of these auto accidents have taken the wind out of my sails. But I'm still using the treadmill - just not every night. But I am walking all the stairs at work & watching what I eat. I'm just not pushing myself as much as I was that first week.

But still - what’s wrong with this picture? I guess it’s the same thing that’s been wrong with me all along. I CANNOT lose weight. I actually gained back 1.4 pounds after last weeks 2.4 pound loss.

I’ve been walking the treadmill, walking the stairs, parking far away in the parking lot of the grocery store (like always). I’m really watching what I eat. I’m not eating when my BGs are high. I’m not snacking just to snack. About the only time I eat anything outside of my 3 meals a day is when my BG is low. So what’s wrong with me?

On average, I eat about 150 carbs per day – including the stuff I eat when I’m low. If I have to start keeping track of calories along with everything else = carbs, BGs, weight, basals, boluses, exercise, etc., I think I’ll go crazy!

I rarely snack. And if I do, it something like cheese cubes, a banana or raisins. So that’s not a problem. However, I do not each a lot of vegetables – I actually HATE vegetables (except Veggie Tales)! So if I ever have to eat a salad, I drown it in salad dressing so that kills that. I also do not drink milk. Milk makes my BGs go nuts! Plus it makes me bloat up & gain more weight. So I take Calcium with Vitamin D instead.

I do eat mainly protein, some carbs & a little fruit. I take vitamins & supplements to get all those things I’m missing by not eating vegetables & drinking milk.

Along with the exercise and the little amount of food I eat, you’d think I’d be skinny as a rail. But no; I’m not. The BGs have been great so I'm bolusing like crazy either.

Maybe my post tomorrow will be a little more positive. I know that lately I've been pretty negative. Sorry about that. So here's my positive statement for the day: "I do love Veggie Tales!"

Lows When Driving

I've been writing lately about some auto accidents that I have, unfortunately, been involved. I've talked with my husband quite a bit about the first accident a couple of Fridays ago when I rear-ended the other car. I said it all happened so fast that I don't really remember what happened. That is such a weird feeling. All at once the other person's bumper was in my face! How could something happen so fast?

I wasn't even reaching for my Taco Bell lunch or a drink of my Hardees diet coke. I wasn't even talking on my cell phone. I wasn't changing the radio station or anything. Even if I was changing the radio station, I have all those controls on my steering wheel & I can change the station/volume/etc. without even looking down. So that wasn't it either.

My husband asked me if I was low at the time. But I wasn't. I had checked my BG right before I left Walmart. It was 158. A little high; but pretty safe for driving. Then I went through the Taco Bell drive-thru. Then I went through the Hardees drive-thru. Then it was only a mile or so before the wreck happened.

So it couldn't have been a low BG that caused it. Why do I keep second-guessing myself on this? Why can't I just accept that an accident happened & that's all it was - an accident? A non-diabetic person doesn't have to think about this. But since diabetes is always on the mind of the diabetic, I guess that's what is thought of first.

So I guess it will probably take me longer to get over this than a non-diabetic person, huh?

Am I An Accident Magnet?

I have decided that I am a magnet. Yes, that's right. I'm a magnet for auto accidents. My fault or someone else's - it doesn't matter. It's going to find me. It doesn't even matter what I'm driving - my car, rental car, whatever.

Last Friday, I wrote about the accident I had the previous Friday & how thankful I am to have good auto insurance.

Well, today, I'm here to tell you that I was involved in another auto accident. This one was 100% NOT MY FAULT! My husband & I had been out to eat & were about a mile and a half from home, when BAM! The back right bumper of my rental car came up off the ground & a little red station wagon-looking car went whizzing past us. We thought he was going to pull over to the right side of the road. But NOOOOOO! He sped off out of site before we knew what had happened. So we pulled over into the local gas station parking lot & I called 911. The damage is to the rear right bumper/fender & hubcap. Great.

About 20 minutes later a county deputy arrived - it was a kid that my daughter went to school with & he played briefly in a band with my son. It's is so weird how these kids grow up to have responsible jobs. I am getting so old!

I just kept thinking about Miranda Lambert's new song, "Everybody Dies Famous in a Small Town." For those of you who have ever lived in a small town, you will definitely be able to relate.
http://www.mirandalambert.com/music/player.php?album=2

He took all the information & filed a crime report since it was a hit and run. Then he & my husband reminisced about the the good old days when all these kids went to high school & how he had been to our house for band practice a few years ago. It was like a strange kind of reunion.
I was really hoping to be home by 9:00 pm since the season premier of CSI was going to be on, but I missed the first 15 minutes. So I have no idea how Sarah got out in the desert. Oh well....

Anyway, I had to complete another Proof of Insurance Form for my insurance agent to send into the BMV within 7 days. Wasn't I just in her office a few days ago filling out one of these forms? Yes, that's right; I was. When I walked in her office this afternoon, she jokingly said, "Hi, Crash." She is really sweet & was just trying to make me feel better. So I guess Crash is my new nickname. I'm not sure I like it. Hopefully, it will go away.

Not only did I get to do that, I had to contact the rental car place & let them know that their car has been damaged. It was a little confusing because the guy there was pretty new & not real sure about what he was supposed to do. So he was on the phone with his boss quite a bit. The one thing they wanted from me that I couldn't produce was the police report. Where I live, this sort of thing is done by hand by the deputies; they have 72 hours to submit it to their supervisor; then he/she has to approve it. Then when all of that is done, I have to contact them to make sure it's ready & I have to pay to get a copy of it. Well, the guy at the rental car place couldn't believe it. He thought they just gave you a copy of the police report before you left the scene of an accident. Sorry, kiddo, you're in a rural county now & that's not how things are done in these parts. After I finally got all that through his thick head, he just asked that I bring the report by their office as soon as it was available. So that was okay. They only had one car left so I got one just like the last one - only this one was black instead of red. Luckily my auto insurance covers the rental car, too.

Then I went past the body shop where MY car had been moved to the inside of the building. So hopefully, they're looking at it. The last time I drove past, it was still sitting in their parking lot & there was some kind of tag hanging from the rear view mirror - kind of reminded me of a toe tag. I wonder if that means it's on it's way to the morgue. Poor thing! I called the shop later & they said they're still on target to have it completed by this Wednesday. That seems a little aggressive, but we'll see.

But I am so thankful I have good auto insurance - AGAIN. I just wish I didn't have to use it so much - kind of like the health insurance.