Trying to Do Things Differently This Year

I know each day I wake up I never know what I am going to feel. Today I woke up feeling really great. I was able to start getting the lows while exercising back to no lows again at least for yesterday. I was low when I got home but I tried some new things and was able to get my blood sugar up to 120 by the time I started to exercise. So I am going back to using more Gatorade during my workouts as wells. Most of my lows are towards the end of my workout in the last ten minutes. So if I sip as I am working out before I go low most of the time I can make it to the end of my workout. Sometimes I even make it several hours after working out with no lows until around midnight. So I am making some progress. Normally I was only using Shot Bloks but that does not seem to be working as well so now I will do both in the hopes that I can get through my workouts and deal with come with after. I do have some of the nights where I am not having lows afterwards so I am still making some changes as I go. I know at times I have to make changes as my body seems to change. I know recently it has felt like every five minutes I need to adjust things.

I know I am feeling overall very optimistic in general about my Diabetes in general even with my recent low in December. I know we all face obstacles and I know getting my recent procedure will most likely help in the grand scheme of things especially Diabetes related. I know I am glad I got everything done quickly and efficiently before it go to the point I was burnt out. Last year I struggled a great deal with feeling burnt out so I am going to try my best to keep things as simple as possible. I also know that I can call my Dr. and get advise at any time but I tend to try to figure it out on my own. I am very stubborn and like to make those decision on my own. So I am going to ask for help when I need it more often this year. I am hoping that I can stay more optimistic as I encounter issues and try my best to solve them as quickly as possible. I know recently I am making bigger movements on changes and have seen great results so far.

Lows and More Lows

I normally do well with exercise but yesterday I went the gym and I test before I start working out it was 95 which is lower than I like so I eat some fruit slices and I wait a bit then I start to work out. Duchess was all over the place would not stop moving around because my blood sugar kept dropping. I was even using my shot bloks which I swear by as being a huge help to me. I even was using temp basals before I got to the gym but I still continued to drop. I tried to exercise at a slower pace and not do as vigorious exercise but all my body wanted to do is be low. I know it took me about an hour after being low to get things to go back up to normal. I was so frustrated because I was rushing around just trying to get to the gym at the normal time I do.

I know then I get there and there is very few machines available. The worst part is that during these frequent lows I was having people kept trying to pet Duchess. Thankfully Duchess knew she needed to focus on me. I really wish people understood when I am working out I am really prone to large drops and my Dexcom will not catch them till its too late. So during those times I really depend upon Duchess to alert me as soon as possible of these drops. I know people think they are not doing anything wrong by distracting her but they could cause me a really bad low by doing so especially yesterday with my blood sugars dropping dramatically. I know since I was just getting back to my routine I did not want to go home and not work out. I find that if I can at least try to finish my workout I normally do pretty well.

Overall even with fighting the lows I really felt better having worked out. I know I am taking in more carbohydrates before I workout tonight. I am hoping that I will get back to less lows during working out but I also know that my recent procedure also could be causing havoc on my blood sugars still. I know after my procedure lows have been an issue which my PA at my Endocrinologist predicted as much. So I am hoping to find just the right temp basal the issues is knowing how long I will need to deal with temp basals to fight off lows. Thankfully I have had less lows at night after recent changes which is awesome. I am just taking things one step at a time.

Great Deal of Errors

I have been frustrated recently by ??? every time after I shower when I am wearing my Dexcom. I did call technical support this weekend for two failed sensors which they replaced. I know I was talking with the gal and she mentioned that the questions marks normally mean that the body is having a hard time understanding the sensor readings. The interesting things is that I just switched to a new Dexcom G4 replacement system. My warranty was up on my previous one so I switched to the new one before I went on vacation. It seems since the change it is a constant thing. I know either the new
 device is not working well or I need to move back to using my legs and arms again.

 






I know I depend upon my Dexcom at night especially but I also know it has been really inaccurate since I changed to my new Dexcom equipment verses my old Dexcom G4. I know I have had several calibration errors as well where you wait 15 minutes or 1 hour to enter new calibrations.. I also get the hour glass icon as well. I normally have not experienced so many errors popping up. I know normally I would be contacting my Dexcom Representative which I will if it continues. I am going to try a new spot next time I insert the new Dexcom sensor. I am not sure what is causing the issue but I know I will have to do some work as usual to figure out what is wrong. Thankfully I have an appointment with my Endocrinologist at the end of the month so hopefully I will get some help in trying to narrow out what the real issues is.

Straight Across Red

I knew going back to my normal routine would have challenges and it has so far. I am adjusting my night time basal rates to adjust for my regular exercise. So far all this week all night it has been red straight across my graph every night. I have also been putting my Dexcom under my pillow to sleep which is not good either. I know I need to figure out some new plan to get this resolved quickly because I really am one who needs my sleep. I don't get as much done when I am tired and then try to work out either. So at this point I am back to more adjustments for night time but I am making more dramatic changes to make the process faster.

I know during Christmas I was sailing across the nights around 130 or in the 90's most nights which is so nice. I was really able to sleep well and really enjoy my vacation time. I did have a couple nights of lows but for the most part I had found a really great basal rate. I know I was on a great routine before I left and I tried that basal rate again but no luck. Some times I can stay on the same rate for a while but other times I just need a new basal rate. I know the recent cold fronts are contributing to my changes as well. I know that I will find a good rate but I have no patience right now so I am not caring if I end up higher one night instead of being a straight line across all night long except for like 10 minutes. I also have found that my night time rates when I have test are normally higher than my Dexcom has been showing so I could be only slightly off and not really what the graph is showing.

I love having my Dexcom but I really wish I got the same results as others do when the Dexcom is showing their actual blood sugars. Most of the time the Dexcom is hyper sensitive when I not moving up fast the DexCom has up arrows and I test 130 and ten minutes later 131 with two up arrows. Even with the software upgrade I still get the wonky numbers I always have. I know my body does not seem to show the same results which I have to accept. I just wish I could trust the numbers to be a little close to what is showing. 

Procedure Went Well

Well today went much better than expected I have my procedure which was not really that bad. The Dr. is very experienced and did everything she could to reduce pain and make me as comfortable as possible which was nice. I read a great deal about what the normal procedure it and this Dr. did more which I appreciate from a Dr. is one who tries to make things as quick and easy as possible. I will have to wait several months to know if this option I choose will alleviate my issues I have been experiencing. I am really hoping this will help me out. I know other health issues can really cause havoc on my blood sugars which this issues was. I know after a couple lows recently which I know this issue played a part in I am hoping to see things calm down to an extent. Last year had quite a few issues that popped up unexpectedly and not in a good way.

I do know that my exercise has really given me a chance to get my health better and more stable. It really has seemed to give me a faster recovery from bad lows. I have also noticed less crazy swings in blood sugars as well as not as many higher blood sugars. I have also noticed that my stress is less and that my overall attitude is generally better with working out. I am hoping that in combination with my procedure today and my continued exercise will allow me to have less emergencies and bad lows ideally. I know I am continuing to look for more options and I know I am looking forward to getting my Animas Vibe this month. All these things will help me hopefully to have better luck this year. Thank you for understanding me not sharing my other health issue. I need some privacy at times and this is one of those times.

Just Floored By Experiences

I know when I was on my Vacation in Seattle/University Place area for Christmas I noticed some big issues. I know when I was close to my Dad's house on more than 8 occasions when we were at the store a person who brought their dog in the store was barking at Duchess. I know I try to keep my calm but when a person knowingly takes their pet in the store who is untrained and then acts like I am the person who has issues makes me furious. I know it seems so tempting but it caused me great issues. A person little dog was trying to bit Duchess leg so I kicked the dog away because at the end of the day the safety of Duchess is the most important thing to me. Considering I had no real time to react the dog jumped from a cart and started running towards us so the only thing I had time to do is get the dog away as quickly as possible while the woman stood their just watching. I know I did not harm the dog but I am not willing to risk the safety of Duchess because people feel entitled to bring their pets to the store. I did have a very firm talk with the woman stating next she brings her dog to the store their would be consequence when I called the cops.

I am tired of people having a need to have their dogs with them when it can cause harm to a real service dog team who needs their dog to actually assist them with a disability. I am not sure why we have this need or why it seems so magical but I have to say I find it overwhelming and tough having Duchess with me all the time. Keep in mind I love Duchess beyond belief but their is so many dangers, obstacles and other issues that makes the process very difficult even with having over 4 years of experience. I know I found the issue to be a growing issues when I was visiting two years ago there was quite a few dogs but I am astonished that the stores seemed to not care because they are worried about being sued by a service dog team. I find this to be frustrating because most of the time the dogs I run into in the stores by far are the worst behaving animals. I have seen children bit and others bit by these dogs. I am not sure why we need to have our dogs with us when it is overwhelming to the dog because they have not been exposed to this type of environment.

Twisted in Thoughts

I know I have been thinking a great deal about complications recently. I know most people hate to read about complications but since it is truly part of my life I feel the need to discuss it. I also know there is a great deal of people out there with complications that need to feel the connections with others who understand what they are going through. We all have struggles with Diabetes and issues that we all experience. I know my road with complications has been scary and with little information available to assist me with making choices. I know several years ago I had to make choices I never thought would come this soon. I know I had to make decision about the quality of my life. My Dr.'s wanted me to run blood sugars higher to reduce the risks of lows and I wanted to keep things under a 7 Alc to prevent further complications. So I made the decision that running with tighter control gave me the ability to have a life with out developing more complications if possible.

I know still today I am haunted by the fact that everyday I get to wake up knowing I played a part in where I am today. I know the times I did not react fast enough to a high blood sugar or did not get it down as fast as I could are probably part of that as well. Another contributing factor has been my untreated depression that went on for several years when I was a teenager. I also know my experience through out my life with seizures and bad lows and fear of lows have created some of the issue as well. I know I had a time where I ran things higher because I felt safer than trying to figure it all out. So now I am left with the constant thoughts of what if I had done more but it is really hard looking back to know if that in the long run would have made a huge difference. I am working on dealing with all the baggage I carry because of my complications and also fighting for Dr.'s who get that I work hard and don't look at me as a failure because at the end of the day I am still human. I am working to reduce my load this year in hopes that I will let me concentrate on what I need to do.

I know with all my hard work that I have kept myself as healthy as possible. I know that my work is paying off but I also know I will forever fight to be treated with respect by nurses and Dr.'s who will make assumptions about me as the patient. I wish they would understand that I have not by in anyways given up even in the midst of a bad low I get up the next day and go to work as normal. I don't let it stop me but I know all the stigmas attached to having complications won't go away and it is sadly part of my life. I know my voice as an advocate is important and a good reminder for physicians that they need to look at where the patients are at and do the best to assist them. I am hoping that with continued education that I can change my experience and others.

Frustrated With Physician Responses To Lows

With my recent low just before Christmas I know I have been kind of irritated by a few things that happened. The number one thing is that the Dr. assumed I was not controlled but that is not the case I take a great deal of the time looking at graphs making adjustments and taking care of myself. I know the Dr. of the emergency department was like you need to come to the hospital to be evaluated which means hours of waiting with only to be told to go see my Endocrinologist who I called that following Monday morning. I know this Dr. made me furious because the recommendation has nothing to do with my safety as much as the hospital making money. I have refused transport almost everytime and I seem to do fine. I do what I need to do but when you are the hospital you are the mercy of a nurse with too many patients. I know the couple of times I have been transported they do nothing when I am at the hospital they don't make many changes and they always say to see my Endocrinologist. They actually know me as a patient and who understands that I know my condition better than a physician who know nothing about me and will make assumptions about my health condition.

I know Dr. has a normal protocol but for me I never really fit the typical protocol and they normally do nothing for me after a low except test my blood sugar around every four hours and then wake you up in the middle of the night. So I find this to be pointless about a minor low that I recovered from quickly. I know the firefighters were mentioning they have never seen a person with a blood sugar of 12 or 15 talking with them. My dad had gotten me to drink juice so it was starting to rebound slightly so they feed me juice with a whole bunch of sugar added which is really gross but worked. I know my Diabetes has never been a typical and so I am used to it but I am also tired of Dr.'s who think all patients fit into what is described in medical books.

I know that I will continue to do what works for me regardless of what one Dr. thinks because at the end of the day no one knows my condition better than me. I know I have had to make very difficult decisions the past couple of years and I will continue to do what works for me. I know as a patient with complications they see me as a way to make money or as a person who needs more education etc. I find it insulting because I know a great deal because I make it a point to be extremely educated about my condition. I know this year I plan to continue to work on keeping exercising and doing what works I am always hoping for less lows. I am working on that continuously but I know with Hypoglycemia Unawareness that I am more prone to lows.