On Tuesday I got the lab results back from my holistic doctor. He checked my thyroid, thyroid antibodies, and Vitamin D.
He said my thyroid levels are looking good, so he's going to keep me on the Armour Thyroid as I have been for the past 3 months. Yay! It's been a while since I've found a dose where I could just STAY and it works!
My anti-TPO antibodies have come down from 610 to 394, which is good! That means the anti-inflammatory supplements are working and I need to keep taking them to get it down even more.
My Vitamin D levels came back low (at 39, and he wants to see them around 90), but I'm really not surprised as I know I'm deficient and I haven't been taking supplements regularly.
He prescribed me Vitamin D to take and I hope to order it soon. I also need to order refills of some of my other supplements, as I've run out of a few of them, but I haven't had the money to re-order yet.
He was really happy to hear that my A1C is now 5.6, and said that he'd like to see me under 5.5. I told him I'll be taking a home A1C test in September and hope to be kicking it down close to 5.0 by then. I will be getting my labs re-checked with him in 3 months so I just have to keep doing what I'm doing!
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
A Day in the Life - July 5, 2016
I promised y'all a "day in the life" post a while ago (4 months! yikes!), and I've finally picked a day to share. Starting at midnight, here's how things went on July 5, 2016:
1:09am: My blood sugar was 100. I went to sleep.
8am: My alarm went off for my morning Levemir shot. I checked my blood sugar and it was 85. I took 7 units of Levemir and tried to fall back asleep but couldn't so I just lounged in bed.
10am: My blood sugar was still 85. My stomach was growling so I got up and ate a yummy breakfast, including a low carb breakfast cookie, a mozzarella cheese stick, an avocado with Himalayan Pink Salt, and a Chocolate Praline Fat Bomb, along with a bottle of sugar free flavored water.
11:30am: Calibrated Dex with a blood sugar of 99.
12pm: Took my Armour Thyroid medication.
1:08pm: Checked Dex (as I do often throughout the day) and noticed that my blood sugar had been trending upwards since around noon. Blood sugar was 124, so I took 1 unit of Apidra via an IM injection.
1:56pm: Blood sugar was 98.
3:35pm: Blood sugar was still 98. Dex showed steady at 99 (almost a unicorn!). I made myself my second meal: 3 hot dogs, 5 boiled asparagus spears smothered in Kerrygold butter, and a Molokai Coconut Bai drink.
4pm: Took 7 units of Levemir, as well as 0.5 unit of Apidra (IM) for food. I then sat down to refill my weekly pill box and noticed I was almost out of Armour Thyroid. I called the pharmacy and ordered refills for my Armour and Apidra prescriptions, then went back to filling up the pill compartments. Then I took my 4pm supplements, drinking down plenty of sugar free flavored water.
5:26pm: Dex buzzed HIGH with a blood sugar of 120. Finger-stick confirmed blood sugar was 123. Decided to give insulin another 1/2 hour to leave system before re-checking and correcting again.
6pm: Dex showed 119. Blood sugar tested at 113. Blood sugar seemed to be coming down somewhat so I decided to wait it out to avoid over-correcting.
6:42pm: Dex buzzed again at 120 (HIGH). Blood sugar tested at 110. I decided to do another 1/2 unit correction while I figured out what to make for dinner.
(This is a prime example of why I don't correct based on Dexcom's readings. If I had done a correction of 1 unit instead of 1/2 unit I would've gone low! 1 unit brings me down 50 points, 1/2 unit brings me down 25 points. So at 110, if I had taken 1 unit thinking I was 120, I would've dropped to 60 instead of 83. I wait 2 hours in between correction shots given as an IM because they start working faster and leave my system faster than regular subcutaneous shots given in non-muscular locations. I have to constantly think ahead about how things will affect me.)
The Rule of Small Numbers for the win!
7:30pm: I finally chose to make Lemon Butter Chicken with Cheesy Broccoli for dinner. I pour myself a tall cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk to go with it. Dex was showing 106 with a slightly downward-angled line. It has been 40 minutes since my shot and I can start to see it working. I also just received a text message alerting me that my Apidra and Armour prescriptions are ready for pickup. I'll have to get them tomorrow.
8:06pm: Dex reads 92. Blood sugar is 79, according to glucometer. Dinner has already been put on the stove so not much longer before I can eat. I can already tell I'll be doing a delayed bolus, as veggies and protein don't usually kick in right away.
8:55pm: Dex 89, finger stick 81. Dinner is finally ready! Hubby and I sat down to eat and watched an episode of 24.
9:40pm: Dex alerted 122 (HIGH) and trending upwards, blood sugar was really 112. Again, appearances were deceiving! Dex made it look like I was higher than I really was. This caused me to debate between taking 1/2 a unit and 1 unit; I figured 1/2 unit would be the current safe amount, as I could always give more later. I then realized that I wanted some of the low carb chocolate pudding I'd made yesterday. (Mmmm...yummy!) I took 1/2 unit and ate my pudding.
10:51pm: Blood sugar is 116. (Dex shows 125, gradually coming down.)
11:35pm: Dex prompts for calibration (for the second time). I test and put in 128.
11:55pm: Dex is now showing steady at 123. Two hours have passed since my last shot, so I figure it is safe enough to do another 1 unit correction of Apidra along with my 7 units of Levemir before bed. I grab a bottle of water out of the fridge and take all of the bedtime supplements in my pill box, including my Armour Thyroid.
Here is my Dex graph for the day:
Dex = Dexcom CGM
IM = intramuscular; given in the deltoid of the upper arm
Apidra = rapid acting insulin, used for meals and high blood sugar corrections, as needed
Levemir = long lasting insulin, used for basal rate to keep blood sugars steady while in fasting mode. I take in 3 small doses every 8 hours (at midnight, 8am, and 4pm).
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Midnight: Took 7 units of Levemir (long-acting basal insulin), along with my nighttime supplements.1:09am: My blood sugar was 100. I went to sleep.
8am: My alarm went off for my morning Levemir shot. I checked my blood sugar and it was 85. I took 7 units of Levemir and tried to fall back asleep but couldn't so I just lounged in bed.
10am: My blood sugar was still 85. My stomach was growling so I got up and ate a yummy breakfast, including a low carb breakfast cookie, a mozzarella cheese stick, an avocado with Himalayan Pink Salt, and a Chocolate Praline Fat Bomb, along with a bottle of sugar free flavored water.
11:30am: Calibrated Dex with a blood sugar of 99.
12pm: Took my Armour Thyroid medication.
1:08pm: Checked Dex (as I do often throughout the day) and noticed that my blood sugar had been trending upwards since around noon. Blood sugar was 124, so I took 1 unit of Apidra via an IM injection.
1:56pm: Blood sugar was 98.
3:35pm: Blood sugar was still 98. Dex showed steady at 99 (almost a unicorn!). I made myself my second meal: 3 hot dogs, 5 boiled asparagus spears smothered in Kerrygold butter, and a Molokai Coconut Bai drink.
4pm: Took 7 units of Levemir, as well as 0.5 unit of Apidra (IM) for food. I then sat down to refill my weekly pill box and noticed I was almost out of Armour Thyroid. I called the pharmacy and ordered refills for my Armour and Apidra prescriptions, then went back to filling up the pill compartments. Then I took my 4pm supplements, drinking down plenty of sugar free flavored water.
This thing seriously helps me keep track of all the supplements I'm taking!
5:26pm: Dex buzzed HIGH with a blood sugar of 120. Finger-stick confirmed blood sugar was 123. Decided to give insulin another 1/2 hour to leave system before re-checking and correcting again.
6pm: Dex showed 119. Blood sugar tested at 113. Blood sugar seemed to be coming down somewhat so I decided to wait it out to avoid over-correcting.
6:42pm: Dex buzzed again at 120 (HIGH). Blood sugar tested at 110. I decided to do another 1/2 unit correction while I figured out what to make for dinner.
(This is a prime example of why I don't correct based on Dexcom's readings. If I had done a correction of 1 unit instead of 1/2 unit I would've gone low! 1 unit brings me down 50 points, 1/2 unit brings me down 25 points. So at 110, if I had taken 1 unit thinking I was 120, I would've dropped to 60 instead of 83. I wait 2 hours in between correction shots given as an IM because they start working faster and leave my system faster than regular subcutaneous shots given in non-muscular locations. I have to constantly think ahead about how things will affect me.)
The Rule of Small Numbers for the win!
7:30pm: I finally chose to make Lemon Butter Chicken with Cheesy Broccoli for dinner. I pour myself a tall cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk to go with it. Dex was showing 106 with a slightly downward-angled line. It has been 40 minutes since my shot and I can start to see it working. I also just received a text message alerting me that my Apidra and Armour prescriptions are ready for pickup. I'll have to get them tomorrow.
8:06pm: Dex reads 92. Blood sugar is 79, according to glucometer. Dinner has already been put on the stove so not much longer before I can eat. I can already tell I'll be doing a delayed bolus, as veggies and protein don't usually kick in right away.
8:55pm: Dex 89, finger stick 81. Dinner is finally ready! Hubby and I sat down to eat and watched an episode of 24.
9:40pm: Dex alerted 122 (HIGH) and trending upwards, blood sugar was really 112. Again, appearances were deceiving! Dex made it look like I was higher than I really was. This caused me to debate between taking 1/2 a unit and 1 unit; I figured 1/2 unit would be the current safe amount, as I could always give more later. I then realized that I wanted some of the low carb chocolate pudding I'd made yesterday. (Mmmm...yummy!) I took 1/2 unit and ate my pudding.
10:51pm: Blood sugar is 116. (Dex shows 125, gradually coming down.)
11:35pm: Dex prompts for calibration (for the second time). I test and put in 128.
11:55pm: Dex is now showing steady at 123. Two hours have passed since my last shot, so I figure it is safe enough to do another 1 unit correction of Apidra along with my 7 units of Levemir before bed. I grab a bottle of water out of the fridge and take all of the bedtime supplements in my pill box, including my Armour Thyroid.
Here is my Dex graph for the day:
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
And that, my friends, is just one day in the life of a Type 1 Diabetic.
Unfamiliar terms:And that, my friends, is just one day in the life of a Type 1 Diabetic.
Dex = Dexcom CGM
IM = intramuscular; given in the deltoid of the upper arm
Apidra = rapid acting insulin, used for meals and high blood sugar corrections, as needed
Levemir = long lasting insulin, used for basal rate to keep blood sugars steady while in fasting mode. I take in 3 small doses every 8 hours (at midnight, 8am, and 4pm).
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
20th Diaversary
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the day I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
I can honestly say I never thought I'd see myself where I am today, or that it'd take 20 years for me to get to this point.
I have to be my own advocate. No one else is going to advocate for me. No one else knows my body like I do. No one else can live my life...I'm the only one who can. I make the ultimate decisions about my care.
I have to be pro-active about ensuring the foods I eat won't cause me harm. I have to be pro-active about ensuring that I get adequate insulin. I have to be pro-active about ensuring the high standard of my health care.
Having diabetes has caused me to grow in so many ways.
In that order.
If I had not set my priorities in place, I never would have been willing to surrender the things I needed to sacrifice. If I had not sacrificed the things I once loved but were unhealthy for me, I never would have achieved normal blood sugars.
Discipline did not come easy. It was a long, hard road but, in the end, it was well worth it. I am now closer to my goal than I ever dreamed possible (I used to believe it was impossible!) and it's all thanks to God's patience, mercy, and grace.
Diabetes has shaped me in so many ways I don't know who I'd be without it. I don't remember living without it, other than remembering the feeling of my whole world crashing down on me. I was too young to understand the Lord's plan to refine and mold me into a more holy vessel, a cherished daughter.
I believe that having one autoimmune disease opened the door for me to be more trusting of Him upon my two most recent diagnoses of Celiac and Hashimoto's. All three are connected, lifelong conditions, but because of my spiritual growth over the years, I was able to handle things better when they showed up on my doorstep. I had answers, and I was already well on my way to treating my conditions with the care they needed.
I pray now that as I move forward toward the future and, Lord willing, child-bearing, that I will continue to praise Him on the hard days and easy days, and that I'll never forget the salvation He extended to me in my darkest hour. Thank you, Lord, for using Diabetes to show me my need for you.
I can honestly say I never thought I'd see myself where I am today, or that it'd take 20 years for me to get to this point.
- The point of wanting to take care of myself.
- The point of complete and total surrender.
- The point of achieving normal blood sugars.
I have to be my own advocate. No one else is going to advocate for me. No one else knows my body like I do. No one else can live my life...I'm the only one who can. I make the ultimate decisions about my care.
I have to be pro-active about ensuring the foods I eat won't cause me harm. I have to be pro-active about ensuring that I get adequate insulin. I have to be pro-active about ensuring the high standard of my health care.
Having diabetes has caused me to grow in so many ways.
- I recognize my body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and I desire to nurture and protect it as best I can.
- I recognize that there are lots of foods (even ones that I absolutely LOVED) that are not good for me or my body, and I have willingly given them up in order to keep my blood sugar from spiking.
- I recognize that achieving normal blood sugars is the only way to ensure the prevention of future complications and secure the good, long life I want to live.
In that order.
If I had not set my priorities in place, I never would have been willing to surrender the things I needed to sacrifice. If I had not sacrificed the things I once loved but were unhealthy for me, I never would have achieved normal blood sugars.
Discipline did not come easy. It was a long, hard road but, in the end, it was well worth it. I am now closer to my goal than I ever dreamed possible (I used to believe it was impossible!) and it's all thanks to God's patience, mercy, and grace.
Diabetes has shaped me in so many ways I don't know who I'd be without it. I don't remember living without it, other than remembering the feeling of my whole world crashing down on me. I was too young to understand the Lord's plan to refine and mold me into a more holy vessel, a cherished daughter.
I believe that having one autoimmune disease opened the door for me to be more trusting of Him upon my two most recent diagnoses of Celiac and Hashimoto's. All three are connected, lifelong conditions, but because of my spiritual growth over the years, I was able to handle things better when they showed up on my doorstep. I had answers, and I was already well on my way to treating my conditions with the care they needed.
I pray now that as I move forward toward the future and, Lord willing, child-bearing, that I will continue to praise Him on the hard days and easy days, and that I'll never forget the salvation He extended to me in my darkest hour. Thank you, Lord, for using Diabetes to show me my need for you.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Happy 20th Diaversary, me!
"For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them."
Psalm 139: 13-16
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them."
Psalm 139: 13-16
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)