More of the Same

So the other day I had my 3rd or 4th visit to the DRI since January. I still absolutely love it there. Dr. M is great and keeps me in check. She burst my bubble though because I haven't been logging my life so I started to log my life... what I eat at what time and what my BS is and how much exercise I get... throwing in my weight too so I can keep track of that better. I gained a few pounds since the last visit which I am not too pleased with... but it could just be muscle because I've been working out ridiculously. Most of the morning lows I was having at the previous visit are done and gone. We changed up my Lantus regime and have been playing with Novolog doses. Hopefully, by my next visit I'll have this down better. There are so many factors that affect BS levels sometimes I just want to give up. After 9 years, I was getting worn down but Dr. M and my CDE are amazing and have been a great addition to my hectic life. But really, what else can you do?! C'est la vie.

Progress

Today was my first appointment at the DRI here in Miami. I was very pleasantly surprised. I didn't have to wait for very long [other than for the actual appt...] and the doctors were very nice and actually spent time talking to me. Other than the "yeah ok you have diabetes... how are your numbers?? need refills??" in and out kind of visits. How refreshing. People that care. Feels good. I like.
My past endo visits have been less than thrilling to say the least and had left the office more frustrated than ever. I hadn't found an endo that I liked since I was first diagnosed at Children's Hospital in New Orleans. Geez. What a relief. I feel better just knowing that I like my doctors!
And right then and there they checked my HbA1c... only took 6 minutes. 6 freaking minutes can you believe that!? Even got all the bloodwork taken care of after talking with my new doc across the hall from the room. So simple. Except the girl who drew my blood was a newbie and pressed down a little too hard during the process... made me feel faint. But all is well. No fainting.
Aaaaand my A1c is down! Woohooo!! I've really been working hard on that and I think I would have gone crazy if it hadn't... even though I still don't believe in the complete accuracy of them [and you can read a prior post for why]. But still it gives me a major sense of accomplishment.
Dr. M also suggested that I go talk to a CDE about management since I've been having too many low's in the AM [because of the lantus I say...] so I'm obliging and going on Monday afternoon. I hope my insurance won't freak out about so many doctor's visits... I go back to see Dr. M in two months. Hopefully with less morning lows.

To tomorrow.

Momma always said...

there'd be days like this... eat all your veggies... stop bugging your sister... go outside and play.
ok momma always said a lot of different things. as a future public health practitioner i must agree with all of the above. which brings me to my point. i'm taking a course this semester in which we've had two very interesting assignments so far. 1. track everything i consume for 2 weeks then analyze it. 2. track all physical activity for 1 week then analyze it. for those of us with diabetes we know how important physical activity is for management. i'm still in the middle of week 1 of assignment 2 but i get a lot of physical activity... not quite sure how to analyze it or change any behaviors that i already have. maybe i could buy that bike i've been thinking about??so as i was consuming my 100 calorie yoplait light vanilla yogurt [thanks assignment 1] the thought crossed my mind... what would i have to do to burn off these 100 calories... so i googled it. here are some very humorous and rather random things one could do to burn 100 calories:
-run a mile in 5 minutes [or less]
-jump rope for 9.5 minutes while humming the "Rocky" theme song
-play racquet ball for 7 minutes, 17 seconds
-play tennis for 9 minutes
-tread water for 14.5 minutes
-walk uphill for 13 minutes
-go two rounds with Mike Tyson [geez i thought it'd be less...]
-play half a period of hockey
-slow dance through 7 songs
-sip ice water all day long. 8 16- oz glasses of ice water raises your metabolism (the rate which your body burns calories) and burns an extra 100 calories.
-paint the house or clean gutters for 16 minutes
-shovel snow for 12 minutes [thank goodness i don't have to worry about that! maybe i could shovel sand....]
-push a pencil for 45 minutes
-type for 48 minutes
-jump up and down on the bed 1336 times
-do 97 pushups @ 10/minute
-plant 2 medium sized trees [does size really matter?!]
-do 146 crunches @ 15/minute
-ride your bike to work [as long as it takes about 20 minutes]
-man a sailboat for 26 minutes
-read the newspaper for about an hour
click the link on the first one for more ideas ;)
Good Housekeeping also had some ideas for those who keep good houses...
or you may prefer this quick 10-minute workout.

on another note... tomorrow in the AM is my first endo appointment here in Miami. It's at the DRI. I'm anxious to say the least because my last HbA1c was, well, not what i expected.

and stop biting your nails!

Baby steps...

Some quick and exciting news on the stem cell research front ... to begin this summer in patients with spinal cord injuries...
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/23/stem.cell/index.html?iref=werecommend
This could lead to major developments for other injuries and conditions... like ::ahem:: diabetes. Could a cure be closer than we think?

I know...

I've been M.I.A. in MIA... what can I say, I'm a busy lady. But in the midst of all the New Year commotion and new President excitement I saw a link to this article on PubMed from Children with Diabetes. It's a study of young children with Type 1 in which they were randomized to either be on the pump or a rigorous insulin regime [geez who isn't!?] and the results they found were rather... interesting.

Here's the link again in case it doesn't work:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=19140899

Loving the change.

Dream

Last night I had a dream that I was in a plane crash.
I was on a big 737 with one of my best friends who I've known practically my whole life. Just us. Her and I. And the pilot. The pilot was old with grey hair and a white beard and moustache.
The crash happened fast but nothing even happened to the plane. We landed in a river right on the side of a town. All the townspeople were watching from the shops along the river. My friend opened the plane dooor for the emergency exit and a yellow slide blew up that we could slide down into the water. The water was brown and dirty. She held her breath and jumped out and slide down into the water. I think the water was even shallow enough to stand in. But I wouldn't jump. I was running around the empty plane looking for my purse. She kept screaming for me to get out of the plane, that it might explode, but I wouldn't without my purse. I needed it. Then when I found it I was looking for something I could put it in so it wouldn't get wet. She kept screaming, "get out! get out!" I shouted back, "I need my purse! My insulin is in it!" So I finally got my bag and jumped and slide down into the water. When I hit the water I made sure to hold my bag above my head so it wouldn't get wet. We swam to shore. All three of us. Then I woke up.

Even in my dreams I have diabetes. I guess there is no escaping.

In the news...

This is a rather good [although quick] "day in the life" of someone like us with type 1. Her name is Dominique and still in the honeymoon phase. Oh how I miss the honeymoon phase...

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/a-day-in-the-life-of-type-1-diabetes/

It's good that we're finally getting a little more attention. Although, it's probably just due to the fact that it's National Diabetes Awareness Month or whatever bull shis they made up to make us feel appreciated... kind of like Boss's Day or Valentine's Day. The only other things I've seen in the media are ads at CVS for diabetes supplies for like ketone strips and glucotabs [watermellon is my new favorite]... But I could be wrong there may be more stuff circulating out there... I don't watch TV so maybe there have been some fantabulous stories. Please send me a link if there are...
However, I am very happy about World Diabetes Day. Global attention... that's what we need!

Spread the word. Tell your friends. Celebrate life!

I am

I am a citizen of the United States of America. I am a civilian, not a soldier. I am a 20-something woman, a student, a daughter, a sister, a best friend. I am employed and well-educated and living with a chronic condition.
And you? You couldn't care less.
Except I have a feeling we are not so different. We are worried about the future. The future of our economy, our planet, our health. Since moving to Florida, I have had a very difficult time finding a job so I've had to settle for a job in a restaurant. However, the restaurant industry is not what it used to be with the economy and all... It fits my school schedule and right now that's what is most important. What about after I graduate and am in debt up to my eyeballs with an impeccable piece of paper that says I've Mastered the field of Public Health. Will there be a job for me doing something I actually want to do? That is the American Dream isn't it? To be the person we most dream to be? I have a dream....
Change is never easy. I can attest to that. I've lived in 5 states, 4 of which have been in the last 3 years. Starting over each time. New friends. New faces. New places to get lost. Change. It is never easy but it is inevitable. At some point in our lives we will have to accept it and embrace it. Barack Obama is "change" personified. He is the epitome of the America we used to dream of.
With the two very different presidential candidates, we have the potential for two very different Americas... two very different futures. Imagine those two Americas.
Which one do you want to live in?
Because once we make our choice we cannot go back and erase it.
I believe Obama has the ability to steer our country in the right direction. A direction worthy of its citizens. We deserve better, happier, prosperous lives. If we were voting for who should be the next Army General or Secretary of Defense my vote would be for McCain. Hands down. He's the most qualified man for the job. However, we're not. We're voting for the next President of the United States of America. There are greater issues than the war we are currently engulfed in, thanks to the current regime. McCain would lead our troops excellently. As Commander in Chief, yes that would be ONE of his jobs. But America has issues here on American soil that have not been addressed properly in the last eight years. That needs to change and I most agree with Obama's plans. I'm voting for change. Not just change we can believe in but a change I need to believe in. Freedom. Health insurance. Financial stability. Peace. Education for all. Liberty. Freedom of speech. A vibrant place to raise a family. Health care. The basic human rights our country was founded on that seem to have been lost along the way. I'm voting for change and I hope you do too.
And in a nutshell, that is my opinion. Obama has my vote.

But whatever your choice, just vote. At least that hasn't been taken away... yet.