Fasting Labs

I went in for fasting labs today - they only drew blood.  I was in and out real quick, but I've gone through a bit of an ordeal for these labs.  I would've gone in yesterday morning, only I woke up with a headache that stuck around all day.  I had a headache this morning too but today was the only other day I could go in so I had to push through it.  Nausea has also made things more difficult for me.  Nothing has really helped relieve my symptoms, and I'm not sure what's causing them.

I'm on edge waiting for Thursday to get here.  I'm hoping Carrie will have good news for me regarding my A1C.  I also have a few questions for her and I'm eager to hear her thoughts.

I've noticed (again) that my sensor doesn't seem to do as well on my right side as it does on my left side.  I've been having a bit of difficulty with it since I put it in a few days ago.  It seems to be having a harder time picking up my numbers.  Here's what my roller coaster looks like:
  


Needless to say, I've been facing some frustration and discouragement.  My number seems to be stuck averaging around 200.  How am I supposed to get it to stay more in the 100 range? 

Dexcom Adventures - Thwarted Again!

The week before Christmas, as we were preparing for our trip to MD to visit hubby's family, I realized that the sensors I was ordering would be shipped to an empty house for the holidays unless I had them shipped to the in-laws'.  Thankfully, the Dexcom rep was more than happy to accommodate my wishes and placed my order with the new one-time address.  We left Saturday morning and arrived safe and sound in time for dinner.  The kitties travelled so well and were very curious about their new surroundings. 

On Tuesday, the sensors arrived on the front step and I rushed downstairs with them to insert my long-missed accessory.  I had just finished putting it in place when a horrible thought occurred to me...my transmitter was still in the drawer next to my side of the bed at home!  After a few minutes of beating myself up for forgetting it, I called my Mom to see if she could run over to our house, grab it, and mail it to me.  She was more than willing and did so the next day, but unfortunately, it was Christmas Eve and the FedEx store was closed.  With a useless sensor in place and my transmitter 8 hours away, I was thwarted...again.  I knew I'd have to wait until I got home to start using my Dexcom again.     



Today, after a long 23-day hiatus, I am happily reconnected to my Dexcom.  I never want to be disconnected again! 

Sensor-less

(Blue line drawn for ease of viewing)

My sensor finally died a week ago.  I was contacted by a Dexcom rep about re-ordering but we still don't have the money to buy more.  She also told me that if my sensor ever fails to call Tech Support and they'll replace it free of charge.  I plan to do that in the future!

According to my Dexcom's Success Report, my average blood sugar has been 198, or 8.5% A1C.  We'll see if I can hold onto that through Christmas and New Years for my next appointment.  If that's truly my A1C, that is the best it's ever been since I was diagnosed!  I'm still having quite a few highs, but nothing like what I used to have.  Oy, was I a mess. 

Sensor on the Fritz

I've now been using my Dexcom G4 Platinum for 95 days.  I cannot begin to express how much easier it has made managing my diabetes.  Being able to see my daily trends is amazing.  I no longer feel like I am aimlessly shooting in the dark when it comes to my numbers because I can see them on the little screen I hold in my hand and fit in my pocket. 

I don't feel like I am "connected" to my Dexcom the way I felt I was connected to a pump.  The wireless transmitter rarely feels like it's there (although I do have to remind my hubby which side it's on so that he doesn't bump it).  I have noticed that my readings are picked up better on my left side for some reason.  And I still input my readings even when my sensor is on the fritz...like it is right now. 



It really stinks that this is the last sensor I have on hand and I have to wait until our next paycheck to order more.  I'm not looking forward to being without my Dexcom. 

I've been trying to stick to a low carb, high fat diet as much as possible, and I've noticed great success with my numbers when I do.  However, the holiday season has made sticking to it a little bit more difficult. 

My body reacts so strongly to sugar.  I have realized that even though lows scare me, I have to have self-control when treating them.  The rule of treatment for lows is take 15 grams, wait 15 minutes, and retest.  If still low, take another 15 grams.  Repeat until number responds/rises. 

My body sometimes takes longer than 15 minutes to react to the initial 15 grams of sugar I give myself, so rather than give another 15 grams every 15 minutes, I need to only give 15 grams once and wait for it to rise...otherwise I skyrocket (and then I have to correct with insulin, ugh!).  Trying to prevent the roller coaster highs is especially hard when you're busy or on the go. 

My average blood glucose has still managed to hover around the 200mg/dl range, translating to an A1C of 8.6%. 

If I can get my average number to stay around the 180mg/dl mark (20 points lower), I will reach my goal of an A1C in the 7% range by year's end.  I only have a month until that time, and my next checkup, fasting labs, and A1C check is on January 8.  Will I be able to reach my goal?  Is my A1C even in the 8% range?  Last time it was checked officially it was in the 10% range (end of August).  I am continually asking God to help me manage my numbers.   

Looking Forward to the Eternal Cure

Ever since I was little and diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, I've been told by some people that they wish they could take my Diabetes away. 

I know they meant well, they were trying to comfort me, but you know what?  I don't ever want to be "comforted" by this phrase again. 

Don't tell me you wish you could take away the very thing that saved my life.

Yup, Diabetes saved my life.  I didn't realize it until I turned 18, after I'd thrown myself into a fit of anger and depression.  I turned my back on God because I couldn't understand why He would allow me to have such an awful disease. 

Of course I didn't understand.  I was a naive little girl.  I've grown up now and I've done a lot of learning and growing.  I can see now that Diabetes is the very tool that God used to show me my need for a Savior.  And I don't want it taken away for anything.  I'm glad I have Diabetes.  I'm glad I have Celiac.  I'm glad I have hypothyroidism. 

Having a broken body keeps me humble and meek.  It helps me focus on God as my source of strength.  It reminds me that I am nothing without Him.  I am NOT self-sufficient.  I am NOT self-reliant.  I am NOT the center of the Universe. 

My trials, pains, and frustrations are for my good and His glory.  It's taken me years...YEARS, to learn this.  But I am grateful that these lessons were part of His plan for me.  He made me this way and He did it for my good, for my salvation. 

Every trial has a purpose. Every setback has a reason. Every health issue keeps us humbly reliant on the One who created us. Our lives are about more than overcoming these obstacles; our lives are about glorifying God through them.

 It has taken me 18 years to come to this point...to be able to say that I want to glorify God with every step I take as I work to manage my invisible illnesses. Diabetes, Celiac, and hypothyroidism do not define or identify me; they are merely a part of me. And yet, only for a fleeting moment, for they too shall pass and I will have the eternal cure for all 3 of them.

What will remain will be my True Identity, which is found in nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

Dexcom Appointment

My appointment with Carrie went really well.  She really liked how I printed out my Dexcom readings.  It gave her a day by day glance at my roller coaster ride with the corresponding insulin doses and carbohydrate intakes. 

She made a few changes:

1. Increased my midnight basal from 10 to 12 units (and told me to watch to see if any lows come about)
2. Took me off my simvastatin drug (yay!)
3. Told me to be careful not to over-correct when low or high (because a few of my high peaks were from doing just that)
4. Told me to take a partial (rather than a full) insulin dose before bed and to eat enough carbs while exercising in order to prevent lows

 They didn't test my A1C this time but Carrie said that since my average BG (blood glucose/sugar) is at 196 and it was around 232 at my last appointment that I've made good progress!
                   
My next appointment isn't until January 8 (1pm) so I won't have an official A1C check until then, but according to my A1C chart an average BG of 196 is 8.5!

Crazy Numbers

I decreased my HIGH alert for the last time.  It now rests at 200.

Today and yesterday I saw some pretty crazy numbers.  I'm not sure what caused them but it felt like everything was going the exact opposite of the previous days with good numbers.  Possibly too many carbs in my diet, or too much exercise?  Stress?  All of the above?  I have been slightly more active so that lends itself to the lows.  I try not to over-correct for them but with how active I've been it's hard to gauge how much sugar I need to raise my blood sugar.



The bedtime highs are the worst because I keep waking up with dry mouth and having to use the bathroom.  I've literally gone from a super low (45) to a super high (361) these past two days.  No real rhyme or reason... *sigh*

Yesterday's numbers - Awesome!

I had a pretty amazing day yesterday.  I stayed under 200 and in my target range (and even a bit low!) until about 9pm!  I stayed pretty strictly low carb and it did wonders!

I think I experienced the lows because I over-calculated the carbs in my "lunch" around 4:30pm.

A correction last night brought them down and they seem to have stabilized now.

Lowering my HIGH alert

Over the weekend I once again lowered my HIGH alert on my Dexcom G4.  It is now at 250.  I have to say, this slow introduction to the HIGH alert has helped me become even more motivated to keep my numbers under control.  I feel like I haven't been rushed but rather I've been gradually helped along in reaching my goal.  It's a nice feeling - to not be pressured or thrown head-long into an annoyingly overwhelming task.  Easing myself into things has always been my way of adjusting.  I'm so grateful that my diabetes team (especially Carrie) understands that this is a good way to start me off on the Dexcom. 

My next appointment is scheduled for October 9...a little over 2 weeks away.  I wonder what Carrie will say about my numbers.

Staying on top of things

The other day I set my HIGH alert to 300.  Next week I'll set it down to 250.  The week after that I'll set it down to 200 and leave it there.  I'm really trying to crack down on these high numbers, a little at a time.  So far, I seem to be pretty successful, and eating a low carb diet is going to help me do that.  I had to stay on top of my carb-counting yesterday while I was at a family reunion, but it ended up being pretty easy since most of the food wasn't gluten-free.

I've noticed that my numbers seem to stay pretty steady overnight if I don't eat or bolus beforehand.  This is good.

I'm currently watching my number drop - I may have counted too many carbs this morning for breakfast.  I'm down into the 70s...time to take action.

Really Good Day!

Today has gone exceedingly well for me.  I stayed between 200 and 86 all day.



I think it had something to do with 2 factors:
1.  I have been testing the GC Control shake from Melaleuca, gifted to me by my best friend, Amanda.  :)  It has been clinically proven to improve your blood sugars and your insulin effectiveness by controlling sugar and carbohydrate cravings.  They are also full of chromium, cinnamon, and other yummy nutrients that help to stabilize your blood sugars.  I really want to get more of these shakes after this package runs out!  They are so good!!  

2.  I've been eating low carbs...I think I've literally had 30g today.  I've been eating lots of meat, veggies, and cheese, plus two GC Control shakes.  Because I haven't been eating that many carbs, my numbers have not been spiking like they normally do.  I've only had to bolus for the two shakes, and I haven't had to take any correction injections.  It's been wonderful and I've felt a lot less stressed, albeit a bit tired from all the running around I've done!

Also, I set my HIGH alert to 350 like Carrie told me to last week.   

Rough Day

Yesterday and today have been pretty rough for me, diabetes-wise.  It was Dexcom Day for me, or the day I'm supposed to change my sensor.  My first sensor was on my right side and seemed to still be holding up pretty well.  I decided to try to make it last a little longer and reset the sensor session.  After a 2 hour wait to recalibrate it, everything seemed to be going fine.  Then, around 8pm, it gave me the alert that it couldn't pick up readings from my sensor.  I waited for about an hour, since it had been able to sort itself out last time.  As bedtime neared, I decided to just go ahead and start over with a new sensor.  I inserted the new sensor on my left side and waited the 2 hour time period for calibration.

Upon calibrating, I noticed that the system wasn't recognizing the correct blood sugar values as it had done the first time.  In fact, it was saying I was low when I was actually in the 160s.  Then, the Dexcom stopped showing me numbers.  I had some tea and bolused for it, and then went to bed around 2am.

I slept off and on, waking up and checking my Dexcom to see what it was doing throughout the night.  It was HIGH all night.

Most of my nights this week have been filled with waking and checking - not very restful!  I'm continually tired and frustrated.

Around 6:40, I woke to my Dexcom telling me my number was still high.  I calculated a correction and gave myself a shot.  As I rolled over to go back to sleep, I had the notion to check my number on my glucometer.  It came back at a shocking 187.  I realized I had just given myself an overdose and ran into the kitchen for more tea and raisins (they have lots of sugar!) to equal the "bolus" I'd just given.  My number stayed safe and I was able to go back to sleep.

Lesson learned.  Always check your meter!  Don't do anything without a fingerstick!  Unfortunately, lack of sleep caused a lapse in judgment this time.

It's just hard because I'm trying to conserve test strips.  I'm not sure when I will be able to get more.  I need to call the pharmacy to see if my endo's new prescription has come in. 

Roller Coaster Readings

Today is Day 6 of Dexcom readings.  I now have physical proof of the roller coaster I am riding with my blood sugar numbers.   Now I can clearly see why my numbers have been so frustrating...!!  (the red dots are my glucometer readings - very accurate!)



My average blood sugar number:  188
My highest blood sugar number:  336
My lowest blood sugar number:  68

I've been experimenting with a slight increase in overnight basal insulin because of a noticed pattern of waking up high.  It seemed to be that my number was rising around 8 am or so.

Three nights ago, I took 11 units of basal insulin, going to bed at 245 (took no correction) and woke up at 4:20 to a low of 72.  6 glucotabs and 2 hours later I was up to 173.

Two nights ago, I took 10 units of basal insulin and went to bed at 170, and woke up the next morning at 8:30 to a big fat 310 after steadily going higher throughout the night.

Last night I took 10.5 units of basal insulin and went to bed at 141.  It seems from there I stayed steady in the 130s for half the night, and then I slowly started to go lower around 4 am.

My alert woke me up this morning at 6:40 to tell me I was 70.  I treated with 2 glucotabs and waited 15 minutes.  At 6:55 I was 68.  I took 2 more glucotabs and waited another 15 minutes.  At 7:15 I was back up to 85 and rising.  I slept off and on until about 10.  It didn't feel all that restful.

And now I'm experiencing my first issue with my sensor.  It is not communicating with the transmitter/receiver.  I am waiting for it to correct itself.  If it goes for another 2 hours without resolving itself, I'll need to call Tech Support.

Stay on Target

I went in for fasting labs on Monday morning.  They were quick and painless...3 tubes full of blood and I was done.   

On Wednesday, I got an email saying that my transmitter had finally been shipped...and what's more, it had already been delivered!  I ran out of the bedroom to find that it was laying on the kitchen floor in the FedEx box, which DP had brought in before he left for work.  I opened it up and praised God for its timely delivery (it had been over-nighted to me before I knew it had even been shipped!).  I would've put it on right then and there but I was delayed by a family emergency.  ;)

Today, I went in for my 3pm appointment.  After the nurse went over the usual questions and medicine doses, Carrie came in to discuss my numbers and lab work.  The first thing she pointed out was my A1C.  It had dropped a whole percentage from 11.1 to 10.1!!  I was so thrilled!  I reached my goal for August!

She then went on to say that both my HDL & LDL cholesterol levels were normal and the rest of my lab work came back normal.  Even my thyroid is where it should be!  I couldn't believe it!  Even though my A1C is still high, I found it to be a very good health report card!

She suggested that I start my Dexcom today and set my low at 70 and not to set my high alert so that I wouldn't get annoyed at it right off the bat for going off all the time.  Every week or two I'll set it 50 points lower until I get it down to about 200.  I'll be coming back in 6 weeks so they can see how my Dexcom is doing.

I told her I'd be pressing on toward my next goal...9%!!  And 7% by the year's end.  She smiled and said, "Then you can start baby-making."  Yup!   

After watching the tutorial video, I now have my Dexcom sensor and transmitter in place.  My receiver is all set up and ready for action.  At 6:45pm, I'll do my first calibration session.  Until then, I've got a yummy dinner to make in celebration of this wonderful news and God's goodness!

My Dexcom Finally Arrived!

Yesterday, my Dexcom finally arrived in the mail. It came with a box of 4 sensors, too, but the transmitter was not included in the order. It is still being processed. There was a hiccup with the insurance company and Dexcom. They thought that I had ordered 2 transmitters and so they weren't going to cover the 2nd one. However, someone misread or misunderstood and thought that that meant BOTH transmitters were denied...so Dexcom didn't send me ANY. 

I'm still waiting to hear from Dexcom about the status of the transmitter. I tried to see if the problem originated in my endo's office but I couldn't get through in time. Thankfully I am going in on Monday and Thursday next week for labs and an appointment so I'll be able to talk to them then. Sadly, until my transmitter comes, I can't start using my Dexcom. It is a pretty cool looking device though, and it's so nice to finally have it in my hands.

Awaiting Their Decision and More Good Numbers!

I decided to call the insurance company today to check on the status of my Dexcom authorization.  They are still in process of making the decision and probably won't have it made until next week.  *sigh*  I'm depressed. 

Thankfully, my numbers have continued to remain in my target range for the past 3 days.  I'm so happy to finally be on a positive roll with them.  I don't remember them ever being so good for so long.  That's sad, but also encouraging.  I am getting closer to my endo appointment on the 28th and I'm really hopeful about my A1C.  I'm pretty sure it will be much better than May's A1C at 11.1%.  If it dips down into the 10% range, I'll have met my first goal.
 
A1C Goals:
August - 10%
September - 9%
October - 8 %
November - 7%
December 31, 2014 - 7% or lower

Of course, I won't be able to check my A1C every month (only every 3 months, I think) so my next check should be November sometime. 

Today, my numbers have all been between 166 and 127! 
12:30am - 127
1:15am - 143 (bedtime)
10:45am - 144 (wake up - it stayed perfect all night!!)
11:25am - 166 (Basal insulin given)
12:50pm - 165
4:45pm - 152

Average BG so far - 149.5!

Two Days of Decent Blood Sugars!

A full day of good blood sugars is possible!  Yesterday was one of my best days in a long time as far as blood sugars go.  This is what I’m aiming for – more days like this and better!

1:15am – 205 (no correction insulin, just basal given)
8am – 87
12:20pm – 230
3:30pm – 143
5:10pm – 123
7:30pm – 197
8:40pm – 180
10:40pm – 135
12:40am – 103 (basal insulin given)

Daily average blood sugar number:  155

Today’s numbers have been decent too:

1:40am – 134
9am – 147
11:20am – 183
12pm – 197 (no correction insulin, just basal given)
1:05pm – 214
2:10pm – 195
3:40pm – 155
5:20pm – 214
6:40pm – 149
Today’s average so far: 176

From 10-2 I was at work and doing some manual labor.  I’m kind of surprised to see that my numbers were staying around 200…I thought they would come down from the exercise.  Still, I am pleased with what I’ve managed to do as far as management…staying between 230 and 87 is major!

Waiting for my birthday present

My birthday's not til tomorrow but I still consider my Dexcom an early birthday present. They never gave me a tracking number so I have no idea where it could be...I just know it's supposed to be delivered today.

~*~*~*~
4:40pm

I've been waiting by the door and the window in great anticipation today.  Around 3:30 I decided to check on the Dexcom website to see if I could track down the tracking number for my order.  I noticed that my order status was "prepare for shipping."  My heart sank as I realized that the reason I hadn't received a tracking number was because it hadn't shipped yet. 

I called Dexcom to see what was going on.  They informed me that my order had not been shipped yet because the insurance sent it through the quality department and they were still waiting for authorization from them to ship it to me...whatever that means. When I spoke to the Dexcom guy on Monday I was under the impression that there wouldn't be any more delays and that I'd have it in my hands today. Since that's obviously not the case I am sorely disappointed.

Why does this have to be so difficult? That's always been my question. Why are simple things made complicated unnecessarily? I know God has a purpose in all of this but it's so hard to see it.  

My numbers have been bouncing around all over the place today.  I woke up low, at 70, and now I'm waiting for the insulin I bolused to kick it back down out of the 280s.  This battle is wearing me down.

My Dexcom is on the way!

Today started out rough - dealing with some introvert fatigue and other minor annoyances.  I missed a call from Dexcom but called them back and left a message.  4 1/2 hours later, they called back.  I am now happy to report that...
I placed my order for a pink Dexcom G4 Platinum!  

 The rep I talked to asked how often I check my blood sugar.  I told him 5-10 times a day and he said I'd only have to test it twice with the Dexcom.  Wow, that is going to help me out even more than I thought!  It will cut down on my test strip needs!  I go through 150 of them in 15-30 days.  Now they'll last me up to 75 days!

I asked him when I would receive my Dexcom in the mail.  He said it should arrive via FedEx on Thursday!  I couldn't believe my ears!  That's just in time for my birthday!  I had been hoping that I would have it by then!  I started crying tears of joy once I got off the phone.  I'm still shaking a little from amazement...how good God is!  

Thursday can't come soon enough!

My Insulin Pump Decision

I read a blog post/article the other day that helped me figure out what I should do about my pump decision.  The author mentioned a few things to take into consideration when deciding between a pump and injections. 

1.     The cost.  Pumps are more expensive and I don’t know how much my insurance will cover (probably only half, like with my Dexcom).

2.    Pumps can have more things go wrong than syringes can.  The battery can die; kinks and air bubbles can prevent insulin delivery; scar tissue build up will prevent insulin absorption; water damage and other malfunctions, etc. 

3.    Pumps don’t work for everyone.  The machine is only as good as its user.  Being on a pump before showed me that I wasn't a very good user.   

4.    Being connected to a pump was something I didn’t like years ago…in fact, I hated it.  The tubing would get caught on things if I wasn’t careful (and I’m clumsy, so that doesn’t help matters), the infusion site sometimes got yanked out prematurely (so annoying!), and I would sometimes drop the pump or it would fall from my hands (I fumble with things a lot).

5.    I want to see how well I do with being “connected” to the Dexcom.  Even though there’s no tubing connecting me to the receiver, I want to see how well I do with changing the transmitter site every week.  Most likely I will do well because it will be showing me patterns in my numbers and I will want to stay on top of them.  I like following numbers on charts and stuff.  Once a week is a whole lot better than every 3 days! 

Therefore, I have decided to not get a pump at this time.  I will be staying on shots.  They are working for me and I see no need to switch.  I just need to choke up on my discipline and I’ll be doing great.