Best appointment EVER!!

After fighting all night with blood sugars that wouldn't come down despite multiple injections, I finally got a reprieve in the morning when they smoothed out.  I figure my high protein meal after 8pm is what kept them higher than normal, so I won't dwell too much on that.  You can only do what you can do...it is what it is.

I got up and got ready, had a fat bomb for breakfast and headed over to the office.  I prayed on the way, asking God to bless the appointment, for the NP to be agreeable, and for me to not be too disappointed with my A1C results.

I checked in, handed my meter in so they could log my numbers and my Dexcom records so they could make copies.  The wait was only 5 minutes or so, then they took my weight and vitals.  No mention of ketones, or other blood work, so I figured everything was normal.

The nurse asked the usual questions about my insulin doses and logged my answers, then left saying the NP, Ty, would be in shortly.

When she came in, she introduced herself and mentioned Carrie and her new baby, then went on to hand me the lab results.  "Your control is awesome, your A1C is 5.6% (114 mg/dl, which is 5.4% by Dr. B's chart).  I was looking over your Dexcom reports and it doesn't look like you're having many lows, so what you're doing is awesome."

I was floored!  5.6?!  Really?  Thank you, Jesus!  My face was all smiles as I told her I'd been working so hard to get it down that much.  She asked if my Dexcom was a help in achieving good control, and I said "Yes, it's been a lifesaver."  She went on to say that she wished more of her patients were on the Dexcom, because it's such a great tool and so advanced compared to the other brands on the market.  I told her I'd had it since August 2014 and wished I had known about it sooner, but I'm so thankful to have it now.  She then went on to say that my control is awesome, and said I'm "awesomeballs" for taking charge of things.  She asked about my diet, and I told her that I was eating low carb, high fat, moderate protein and that too was a huge factor in my good blood sugar control.  I mentioned some of the foods I eat, and Dr. Bernstein's book, which helped me turn things around last year.

She asked about my ring, married or engaged?, I said married and explained how I'd been in denial and depression upon my diagnosis 20 years ago and that getting married and preparing for childbearing was a big motivator for me to get my blood sugars under control.  Without that motivation, I wouldn't have started looking for other alternatives to my care.  She mentioned a patient a few years younger than me who is struggling and looking for help and support, so I gave her the name of my Facebook support groups and told her she could give the girl my name.  I could totally relate to the girl; she sounded like me. 

She noticed I'd lost a little weight (about 6 pounds) and said she was trying to lose weight herself.  Ty joked about me adopting her and letting her stay at my house so she could eat all the yummy foods I eat.  :D  She was completely supportive of the low carb way of eating and completely understood when I mentioned that I don't eat much fruit because of the natural sugars they contain, and that I have to bolus for protein because of gluconeogenesis.

She checked my feet, my heart, and lungs, and said she was thrilled to have met me and I said likewise!  I was so overwhelmingly excited that I could share all of my info with her without feeling put down.  She told me I didn't have to come back for 6 months and that I'd see Carrie at my next appointment in December.  I have to admit, I would love to see Ty again!

YES!  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, LORD!!!

"Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised." - Psalm 48:1    

Next appointment coming up!

I've been prepping in anticipation for my next appointment this Thursday.  I've been trying to hard to keep my numbers down, but today and yesterday determined to prove difficult for me.  After dinner last night my number spiked up to 170 and today it's fighting me again in the 140s.  Arg!  My A1C is going to reflect that and I'm not happy.  I just hope it doesn't go up any higher than it was last time, although since I'm going by Dr. B's A1C chart it will still be relatively lower than my endo's.  So I can take comfort in that, but still...

My numbers have seemed to trend lower and steadier, so hopefully that will help, and I'm happy with my ability to maintain good numbers for the majority of the time.  Last night was not fun, though, as I spent most of the night fighting the highs that were determined to plague me. 

Numbers from June 15 - June 19

Anyway, I'm going in on Tuesday to get my blood work done for my labs, and then Thursday is my appointment.  I'll be seeing a different nurse practitioner than Carrie, since she's still on maternity leave.  I'm hoping this other NP will be just as nice as Carrie. 

Stats from Today

It's been a while since I've updated so I thought it'd be a good idea to post another shot of my stats for today.  This is a small improvement from last month's stats, which looked like this: 

I've still been fighting to get my basal figured out but I'm happy to see that I'm having more numbers in range and fewer highs.  I think I've become a bit lax because of my basal uncertainty...I don't always bolus with meals and wait to see how high my blood sugar goes up after I eat.  That usually results in a high blood sugar that I have to correct.  *sigh*  So I need to crack down on my basals (which fluctuate throughout the month).  My next endo/NP appointment is in 23 days so these next few weeks will be crucial A1C-wise.

Starting My Supplements

All my pill supplements are now in my possession.  All that's left is to order the fish oil.

I was able to buy the Kyolic at the vitamin store in the mall and I took my first doses of them after dinner.  Here's to healing!

Official Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Diagnosis

Today, my holistic doctor gave me an official diagnosis:  Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  You can read about it more here:  http://www.thyroidawareness.com/hashimotos
Basically, it is an autoimmune disease (like Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease) where my body mistakes my thyroid cells for foreign invaders and attacks them with antibodies, preventing them from doing their job (which is regulating metabolism).  My immune system is all out of whack, and I've got a ton of inflammation because of it. 

My antibodies should be less than 35u/mL (or 0, as my doctor said) and they were way off the charts at 610!  He prescribed me a new thyroid medication (Armour Thyroid 30mg), which is being ordered by the pharmacy and should be ready in a few days.  I've already sent my labs to Carrie's office, and I'll tell them about my new diagnosis and prescription.  Hopefully they'll be okay with it because, honestly, I know my levothyroxine hasn't been cutting it.  I need to take this new Armour medication - it's my body and my choice to pick up the slack that's been lacking for who knows how long...I still can't believe I was never diagnosed with Hashmoto's before I went to this holistic doctor!  I'm truly thankful that I found them!

Along with my Hashimoto's diagnosis, he told me that in order to cut down on the inflammation in my body and decrease my CRP result (which measures for risk of cardiovascular issues) there are some supplements I need to take that not only serve the purpose of reducing inflammation but will also help improve my blood sugar levels and my insulin effectiveness!  I've been looking into purchasing them but there are quite a few and they are going to be a bit pricey.  They are:

Tumeric/Curcumin (anti-inflammatory)
Chromium (improves insulin resistance and blood sugar regulation)
Boswellia (anti-inflammatory)
Biotin (a B vitamin that promotes healthy skin, hair and nails, and also helps regulate blood sugar levels)
Fish Oil (anti-inflammatory)
DHEA (which is depleted by injected insulin - regulates sex hormone development and metabolism)
Theanine (improves stress levels and sleep)
Aged Garlic (cardiovascular protection/anti-inflammatory)


Once I get started on these I know I'll start seeing improvements in my blood sugar levels, as well as my energy levels!  I'm due to go back for more labs the last week of June to see how things are going, and to get my Vitamin D levels checked.  So in the meantime, I'll be figuring out how I'm going to get these supplements and work on improving my health.  I also need to spend 90 minutes a week doing some exercise, like walking.  Now that the weather is finally starting to warm up, I'll be able to go for walks on the Greenway.  :) 

Lowering my Target Range

So I took the plunge today because it's time to buckle down and get my A1C under 6.  I lowered my high alert on my Dexcom from 130 to 120.  So now when Dex senses that I'm at 120 it will alert me to being high.  

I have noticed that sometimes Dex is off and says I am in my target range when really I'm in the 120s, 130s, and 140s, so I know I can't always go by what Dex says I am...I have to test to confirm and treat!  And usually I test more than 4 times a day, especially when I am unsure of my blood sugar level.  

In doing this, I hope that setting my alert lower will help me stay on top of my numbers better and prevent higher numbers before they happen.  

Here are my stats now that I've changed the Target Range:

 

And here is my 90 day blood sugar graph.  I've been very fortunate to stay under 200, even with holidays, sickness, hormones, and stress.  I know I can do better, and I will!  

 

My next appointment is in June, but it's with a different nurse practitioner because Carrie will be on maternity leave (so excited for her!).  I'm not sure how it will go but I hope it goes well!

Tomorrow I have my appointment with the holistic doctor to go over my blood work results and thyroid labs.  I may be getting a Vitamin D panel done too, since it's been a while since I've had one done.  I pray it goes well and I come home with a health game plan!  Stay tuned!

April Update

I had my blood work from the holistic doctor sent to me.  My results showed high levels of thyroid antibodies and a low free T3 level.  I have an appointment scheduled for next week to hear what he has to say.  I'm expecting to be diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease, as I've been hypothyroid for as long as I can remember and have been taking levothyroxin for it.  However, because I have two other autoimmune diseases (Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac disease) he (and I!) feel that it is highly likely that Hashimoto's is what is causing my hypothyroidism. 

I am very interested in hearing what steps I need to take to begin healing, as gut health ultimately impacts my immune system and health.  Your immune system lives in your gut, so the health of your gut affects your immunity!  Super important to know that they are all connected.  I'm actually very excited to begin walking this path toward bodily healing! 

Lemon Zest Cookies

I made Lemon Zest Cookies today!  They turned out really good!

Here's the recipe I used.

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Pyure
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp Pyure liquid stevia extract

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sweetener, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice and stevia extract. Beat in almond flour mixture until well combined.
4. Form by hand into 8 to 10 even balls. Flatten with the palm of your hand to about 1/2 inch thick circles.
5. Bake about 20 minutes, until set and just barely brown around the edges. Remove and let cool on pan.
   

Adapted from http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2014/11/low-carb-lemon-poppyseed-breakfast-cookies.html

New sensor spot + new recipes to try!

I changed my Dexcom sensor today to my other arm.  My other sensor was going on the fritz so I figured it was done.  It was giving me false high and low alerts, which is annoying because that will mess up my figures in the Dexcom Studio software some.  *sigh*  Oh well.  This new one seems to be doing well now!

I have a few low carb recipes lined up to make and try!  I'm really excited!  One is for lemon cookies and the other is for pudding!  I'll post them after I try them and let you know what I think!

Reflections of a Diabetic

I've had a lot of thoughts running through my head lately; in particular, thoughts about the Gospel and diabetes and the low carb diet.  

I never realized how much they are alike.  

What is the Gospel?
The Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, came to Earth to redeem us (sinners) to Himself by dying the death that we deserve and being raised to life on the third day, defeating death and offering us eternal life and salvation if we would believe in Him.  He is the only way to this salvation and eternal life.  Without Him we face separation from God and spiritual death when our physical bodies die.  With Him we have hope and life everlasting. 

This is the good news, but not everyone accepts it.  Not everyone accepts it as truth.  They reject it, scoff at it, and persecute those who do believe it.  They make up other false beliefs and religions to try to create their own truth, and then manage to deceive other people into following them. 

What is the good news for diabetics?
In a very similar way, the good news for diabetics is the low carb/ketogenic diet.  It has been around for hundreds, even thousands of years, and was the diet that diabetics were placed on at the turn of the 20th century, before insulin was discovered in 1921 and successfully used in a patient in 1922.  Medical professionals at that time understood that diabetics could not metabolize carbohydrates and sugar, and placing them on carbohydrate restricted diets was the only thing they could do for their patients. 

Then, in the mid-1970s, the low fat, high carb diets began gaining popularity and became the normal recommended diet for all patients, diabetics included.  This proved catastrophic as the number of patients who developed both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes skyrocketed in the next 40+ years.  However, the medical professionals still turn a blind eye to these facts and continue to push for high carb diets for their diabetic patients.  A few doctors and patients have turned against the tide, and are facing resistance, but are seeing high levels of success.  

In the same way that the Gospel is being shared in a world that fights against it, the low carb diet is fighting against nay-sayers for the benefit of diabetics. 

Both meet resistance, persecution, scorn, and ridicule. 
Both are being pushed aside as false, or folly, or myth. 
Both offer hope, life, and good things for those that follow them (though the Gospel is highly superior, of course!). 
But truth is being shunned, cast before swine, and falling on deaf ears.  

In the same way that Christians should share their faith (with excitement and enthusiasm), diabetics and health professionals should share the truth and benefits of a low carb diet with other diabetic patients.  No one else is going to step up and proclaim the truth, especially when they are so blinded by the deception that is being passed off as truth by the rest of the world. 

Only those with eyes to see can lead the blind. 
Only those with ears to hear and mouths to speak can share the good news.
Only those who have seen and tasted the good fruit of their labor can adequately share it with others.      

Truth be told, I'm a very reserved person and don't like to toot my own horn.  I have improved a little but it still doesn't feel "right" to me.  I think my comfort with sharing my personal successes has improved only because I do my best to give credit where credit is due and that's to the Lord for showering me with so much loving-kindness.  I have to remind myself that it's all because of Him that I'm doing as well as I am, because I'm nothing on my own.

You can feel uncomfortable with sharing your own good news, but you can also think of it as a celebration - something is working for you and you're excited, so why wouldn't you share it? 

Especially when it can bring light and life to those around you.

A Perfect Day

I'm blown away by God's kindness and goodness to me.  My blood sugars yesterday and even today have been pretty much perfect!  Check it out:

Later on I'm going to share with y'all what it's like to go through a day in the life of a diabetic.  Most people have no idea what kinds of things I have to do to manage my diabetes.  So I'm going to show you.

Today's Results

Today's appointment went pretty well, over all, but I have to admit I was disappointed.  I was praying my A1C would be lower - in the 5s - but that proved to not be the case.  It came back at 128 mg/dl, or 6.1%.  Everything else looked good, although my thyroid was a little higher than Carrie would've liked.  She left my dose as is though, since there isn't an in between dose.  We'll see how things look in a few months when I go back on June 23rd.  

Anyway, I was so disappointed when I got home that I took one of the home A1C tests I'd bought not too long ago to see how it compared.  This is the result I got:

Yes, it's in the 5s.  And Dr. B's A1C chart says I'm in the high 5s (5.8) so I guess that's where I am.  I'm trying to figure out how to get out of this rut.  I thought I'd been cracking down on things but I guess I haven't as much as I thought.  I feel so close yet so far...again.  And it's annoying because even though it's ever so slight, I've gone backwards a bit.  I know I had a bunch of false lows on my Dexcom (which I pointed out to Carrie and showed her what my actual readings were), and some random highs here and there, which I'm sure messed up my A1C since they were so close to my appointment date. 

A1C is measured as:
50% - 30 days
25% - 30-60 days
25% - 60-90 days 

So the closer you are to your test day, the more heavily weighted those readings are toward your results. 

Maybe next time I won't get my hopes up so much.  I'll probably just be disappointed again.

Insurance, doctors, and tests...oh my!

I'm still trying to figure out how to get these tests done without spending an arm and a leg.  It seems the best option is to go to an in-network doctor and have them order the tests, then transfer the results to the holistic doctor who's going to oversee my care.  I called the insurance company today and had them send me a list of in-network doctors in my area, and then I called the one that I've actually seen before (a year or two ago, when I was with a different insurance company).  Seems I'm going to have to make an appointment with them because they haven't seen me in a while.  *sigh*

I'm annoyed.  Why do all the medical expenses have to occur at the beginning of the year?  Why can't medical stuff be less complicated?

I also found a new medical supplier for my Dexcom supplies.  They called my endo's office today and requested a prescription for my sensors.  

I'm going in for lab work on Monday or Tuesday for my appointment with Carrie on Thursday.  My numbers have really been improving and I'm hoping for a great A1C in the 5s!  (Well, according to Dr. B, I already am in the 5s, but I mean according to the endo's office.  That will really get their attention!)

Here's my new and improved statistics chart:

I was also selected to participate in a low carb survey!  It's really exciting!

New Stats and Medical Supply Company

December 20, 2015

February 19, 2016

As you can see from the stat graphs above, I've been having a little bit of success with better numbers!  This makes me really happy!

~*~*~*~*~

Unfortunately, I received word that my old medical supply company, Edgepark, does not partner with my new insurance company (BCBS TN).  So now I have to find a new in-network medical supply company from which to get my Dexcom supplies.  *sigh*  BCBS sent me a list of companies to go through so now comes the fun part of picking one.

Lovely Overnight Numbers

I gotta say, I never get tired of seeing this sight.  Beautiful overnight numbers!  Let's keep this up.

16 more days until my next endo appointment.  Sure hope my A1C will be in the 5s this time!

The plan moving forward

Ever since my kidney infection ended I've been battling panic attacks.  Chest tightness and shortness of breath have accompanied them, and there haven't been any pinpointed triggers.  A few of them were so bad I thought I was having a heart attack, but I know now that that's how panic attacks feel.

I came across a holistic doctor in my area while doing a Google search and made an appointment with them this past Wednesday, the 10th.  It couldn't come time for my appointment soon enough.

The gist of it is this:  we're going to do lots of tests (5 different kinds, to be exact) to gather as much data about my body as possible.  Along with the panic attacks, I have nutritional deficiencies and I want to check on my gut health (since Celiac, Diabetes and hypothyroidism, which is now believed to be Hashimoto's, are all connected), which may help explain some things.  The doctor was super nice and told me that their office focuses on absolutely personalized care, which means I'll get exactly what my body needs and not just a blanket treatment.  Once we get all the tests done we'll have a pretty clear picture of what that all looks like.  I have my first two tests this coming Wednesday (the 17th).  Please be praying we'll be able to get the other tests scheduled and done soon as the cost for those tests is significant.   

My Adapt Bars have Arrived!

I got a package in the mail containing my Adapt Bars and Fat Shots, which I've just learned are like fat bombs for your hot drinks (they give your drink a boost of fat content!).  Pretty cool!  I got chocolate praline fat shots but I'm not sure what drink they'd be good to supplement.

Anyway, I tried one of the lemon cheesecake bars and it's a lot smaller than I thought, but pretty good!  They are very flavorful; I tasted half lemon, half coconut.  Very satisfying!   

Battling My 2nd Kidney Infection

Around January 8  or 9 I started feeling some abdominal pain which at first felt like bloating.  It slowly moved over to the right side and varied between dull and sharp at irregular intervals.  It continued over the weekend, and I decided to go to the Urgent Care Center on Tuesday to avoid another hospital visit like the last time (we really don't need any more unnecessary hospital bills!). 


I was also running a 100.9 degree fever, had a headache, and was lightheaded/dizzy. The day before I had experienced some shortness of breath, but that went away pretty quickly. I told the PA that I’d had a kidney infection before, a year ago, which was accompanied by a stone that soon passed on its own (very painful!). I highly doubted this was appendicitis, as the pain had been going on since Friday, was not painful when touched, and was not excruciating, nor was I nauseous, vomiting, or in a line of family members who had had appendicitis.

They ran a urine test and came back to tell me 2 things: my Absolute Segmented was high at 13.5 (normal range 1.8-7.0), indicating the presence of white blood cells and an infection; my ketones were 160 mg/dl. I told her I wasn’t worried about my ketones because I was on a low carb diet. She asked how long I’d been on a low carb diet and I told her a year. She then proceeded to ask me if my endo knew about my low carb diet, to which I said yes. She asked how many carbs I eat, I said 30g a day. She said I needed to eat more carbs.  (Yeah, not going to happen!)
She erroneously went on to tell me that ketones are from burning muscle (I corrected her and said they were the by-product of fat burning, which she later admitted was correct). She did a thump test, where she thumped the left and right side of my back to check for tenderness…only the right side hurt in the back…then she said that they were going to do some blood tests and get an IV going. I at first thought the IV was for treating possible dehydration, and I explained that I try to drink 8 cups of water a day. I asked to make sure it didn’t contain any glucose, and the nurse said no (it was 0.9% sodium chloride, looked safe). It became clear, however, that she was trying to flush out the ketones.
After the first IV was done, they did blood work and came back to tell me that my potassium levels were low, at 3.3 mmol/L (normal range 3.6-5.0) and my sodium levels were low, at 131 mmol/L (normal range 137-145). She also pointed out that my carbon dioxide was low, ever SO slightly!! It was 21 mmol/L (normal range 22-30) and she said it was because my body was acidic. She gave me a printed study from 2001 (15 years ago!) where 2 people (a WHOLE 2 PEOPLE!) were found to be in “euglycemic ketoacidosis”, or diabetic ketoacidosis with normal blood sugars, “which was originally described whereby the initial blood glucose was less than 16.7 mmol/L (300 mg/dl).” 

I was incredulous! Not only did the study not specify what these 2 people reported as “normal” blood sugars, it seemed to imply that anything less than 300mg/dl was considered normal!!  (As I've said before, high ketones are not worrisome when normal blood sugars are present, and being on a ketogenic or low carb diet like I am, ketones will be present as they are by-products of my body's fat burning.  They are used as fuel instead of carbs, and any ketones that are not used for fuel are eliminated in the urine.)
They hooked up a second IV and I was left to shiver from my fever with a small blanket in that room for over 3 hours.  While I understood her concern about high ketones, it was clear to me that she knew very little on the subject.  If I had not been feeling so lousy, I would've happily given her a lesson!  But anyway, I was kinda irked that she was more concerned about my high ketones than my kidney infection.  She wanted me to go to the ER to get a low dose insulin and glucose IV to combat the ketones, but I refused, telling her I was more concerned about my infection. I signed a paper stating I refused ER treatment and she gave me a script for Cipro and sent me on my way.
(Note:  I relayed my experience to some of my friends and one of them told me that Cipro is fluoride based.  I loathe fluoride and completely feared fluoride poisoning!)

After 3 days of taking the Cipro, however, I started experiencing some awful side effects, including panic attacks (which I've never experienced before), insomnia, lower blood sugars, and chest tightness (due to stress/panic attacks).  I contacted the clinic and told them the side effects and another worker at the clinic, who happens to be a friend, gave me Bactrim instead and I've been doing much better.  I have 2 more days left of antibiotics to take and then I'll be good.  I finally started getting my energy back on Monday and have been doing my best to drink plenty of water.  Egg drop soup has also become a new favorite during this time of sickness.

My First Order of Adapt Bars!

I'm so excited!  I found a great new source of low carb keto bars and I placed my first order yesterday!  It is always exciting to find good, healthy foods that are low in carbs!  I ordered them from AdaptYourLife.com, and they come in lots of different flavors.  I decided I wanted to try the Lemon Cheesecake and Chocolate Praline bars.  I'm sure I'll love them!
You can see them all here:  https://www.adaptyourlife.com/store/

They should be arriving next week!

My glucometer data cable finally came!

Before Christmas I ordered a data cable for my glucometer so I can upload my blood sugar readings onto my computer.  I do so much better at record keeping when I can upload data to my laptop. 

It finally came today (after the UPS driver couldn't find my house and I found a note card in my mailbox telling me to come pick it up from their warehouse nearby)!!   

Here's what the cable looks like:


(For anyone who uses a Relion Prime (or other Arkray glucometer), the cable and online data software cost $29.95 plus $5 shipping & handling.) 

And these are the graphs and charts that I saw when I checked out my readings on the software program:




I definitely have some choking up to do on the reins.  ;)