Lows and All That Comes With It

                I had an interesting conversation when I was Friends for Life Conference. It was about lows and some of the crazy things you wake up too. I have woken up to food all over my bed on plates in bowls. Other times I have woken up to skittle in my hair and was laying on quite a few skittles I was really surprised I could even sleep that way but I guess I could. Thankfully it was fairly easy to get the skittles out of my hair but I have also had times where I had left a mess in the kitchen with juice glasses everywhere, food left on the counter and half eaten food in the fridge. I know there has been times where I woke up and I spilled a jar of glucose tablets on the bed or my bag of candy and thankfully Duchess leaves the candy alone and did not eat any. She is very hyper at times so giving her sugar is not really recommended. I know there has been time I knew I went to bed clothed and wake up naked so I know there is a great deal of things i have done when I was low. I know most of the time the next morning everything is very sketchy because those lows I have limited memory except that I knew I needed to eat something to get my blood sugar up. I know after the skittle incident I am trying to stay away from having skittles in bed because it was not fun trying to get all the skittles out of my hair. I thankfully have not had another skittle incident since but I am sure that could happen again. I know quite a few of us that were talking all seem to have our events not all the same but I know someone out there has woken up with candy in their hair like I have. I know I had such a great time just chatting about the crazy parts that no one else would get except another diabetic.

Dating Challenges

            I know when I first got Duchess three years ago I was so happy to my have my freedom back again and to feel more at ease being out and about by myself. I knew things would change with having a service animal but in some ways I was surprised how much.  I knew that my dating would change but I was not expecting such a steep decline in being asked out. I know my life has a great deal of scariness to it and different obstacles than some people face. I have found in some ways the one's I have meet in many ways are much better than before because I call  Duchess my personal dating assistant. If she does not like the guy honestly I won't date him. She is such a huge part of my life as well I need to date people who understand that. I know having a service dog screams you have an issue which is not always helpful. I know I have dated some long term friends I have know most recently and it is interesting how much they are accepting of my crazy life. I know I am in a much safer place with Duchess but it was also nice in many ways to feel normal. I do miss my old life where it was just me but I also love the fact that Duchess is with me through the good and the bad. Dating with a service dog can be an extreme challenge but I also have noticed a beautiful dog equals meeting a great deal of people as well. I know the dates I have currently tend to be friends of friends and not some person I meet randomly. This is good because I also have someone else who knows the person which can make dating much easier. I know I am blessed in so many ways but it can be a challenge to add another person to the mix at times.

Hoping to Prevent Seizures This Summer

               I really despise this time of year the temperature is elevated and I also am working really long hours. I try my best to avoid seizures from lows and I honestly even though it has been a while since my last one I never really forget those experiences regardless of how much time has gone bye. I trying to come up with a plan of action to avoid the seizures if possible. I am not adding a snack to my daily routine and eating more often to help lessen the chance of a seizure but we all know there is only so much you can do to prevent something but I am going to give it my best shot. I know I wish my job was less stressful and its gets more stressful the longer I have worked here. The problem is micromanaging drives me crazy and that is currently what they are doing. I also plan to keep up my exercise and keep as hydrated as possible. If you are dehydrated it can increase chance of lows as well. So I am hoping to stay on the seizure free track because having seizures once could mean others if things are not addressed quickly for me. Last year I had a total of 3 from July through September. I thankfully was able to get back on track with having Duchess and the Dexcom to help. I not too worried at this point but I am trying to avoid repeats of last year because I am really far behind at work which is normal for this time of year so the extras stress, heat and long hours do not help in preventing seizures. I know in the future I need to find another job which is not quite as intense. I do well with most things but when I do month of overtime it tends to catch up with me. Hoping to find a balance to keep everything in check.

Mental Health

                I know I have to say that after my DSMA (Diabetes Social Media Advocacy) experience talking about mental health issues related to diabetes. I really have to say I am blessed with my Endocrinologist and PA I see regularly. They both ask how I am feeling about things and for example if I feel burned out or in general struggling. They ask me if I am having trouble solving any issue such my site issues or Dexcom how it has been since switching to the arms and legs. I think they know that any of these things can contribute to burn out and other issues. I know they ask me if I feel like I am getting what I need from them such as proper resources or If I would like to see the CDE they have on staff or if I want to talk to someone about my diabetes in general. I have found that I could not be more pleased. I know in all the years as a diabetic I have never been asked how I am doing or how I felt about things as a diabetic. I know I was depressed for the whole time I was in high school for the most part and no one even noticed which is not good. I have needed to speak about my diabetes on off over the years but what is the saddest aspect is that no one every asked until my first appointment with my new Endocrinologist. I know I have dealt with depression over the years and I know it has never been easy. I feel now that I am in a great place because I do a great deal of things to help reduce the chance of being depressed but also know when I need to ask for help. I know that this weeks DSMA was a really great topic and I wish more physicians realized how important mental health can be to properly managing your diabetes.

                This blog post was spurred from a discussion with a friend about DSMA on Wednesday night. She told me she thought that in general mental health issues are never well managed for anyone but especially with diabetics. Our discussion went on and on about the fact how as a whole their solutions normally our just take this pill and everything will be fine but pills don't always solve the problem especially with a chronic illness like diabetes. I know I am so shocked to hear about a Dr. even asking how a patient was doing in general most of the time it is a game of how quickly can I get in and out of the room. So I am not surprised at the state of mental health care in the US because how badly it is handled with most diabetics I have meet.

Continuation of the Spikes

                  I had a feeling that the spikes would eventually end up with a bad low and sure enough it did. This morning I was low from 4:30-8:00am. I did not do that much of an increase but more temporary basals. I was late for work so that was less than ideal. I was too low after mass consumption of carbs and it really just took time so I could feel like I could get to work safely. I will not go to work unless I feel I am high enough to get my self safely to my job. I am really very good at not missing work and it only happens occasionally so I feel like me being safe is what is most important for me. I also realized that my Dexcom this new sensor is really off on average around 50 points which is less than ideal. So I am trying to battle the crazy spikes with a bad sensor is not very efficient. Thankfully Duchess has been on her game. I am hoping to get all the crazy spikes but I have a feeling this could be hormone related issue. It is just a guess but at this point I am still at a loss as too what is causing the spikes. I am at this point extremely frustrated. Hopefully I can figure it out quickly I have a very busy time of the year which August and September. I know Duchess is probably getting tired of the quick rising blood sugars those tend to scare her because she does not like fast rising or fast drops because she has seen what happens with fast drops. Hoping to really get this figured out soon. I have gotten thing to where things do not spike nearly as much but I have not solved the problem which is driving me crazy.

Good Reminder From Friend

                I know with the recent crazy spikes in my blood sugars I know I am not very happy. I know I will always some what struggle when my blood sugars are not in range even with major effort which does happen. At a conference recently a friend was having his blood sugars put up on a screen which was 312 I think. I have to give him some major credit for having them put up on a screen where everyone could see for a test of several things. I personally would struggle with doing so but I also think we all can learn some lessons from that which is that no matter what our blood sugars we really need to be kind to ourselves Diabetes is the math quiz that you don't always pass or even get most of them right and other times you are right on. I have never meet a person that is well controlled that will tell you it is easy. There is so many factors that can equal low or high blood sugars in my opinion too many. I know I am constantly working on not beating myself up completely when I am making the best effort to handle something that is not easy. I need to remember I am more than my number. I think getting diabetes way back when it was easiest to blame the patient and call them bad if things did not go well or uncompliant. I absolutely hate the work uncompliant in my book my best effort should never be considered uncompliant. I think we all struggle with the feelings we get when high or low but I know we all could learn a great deal from my friend who handled in stride like it was no big deal that his blood sugars were being broadcast for all too see. I know even today I am not a fun of people checking my meter I guess we all at the end of  the day do not want to be judged by our numbers.

At Times Overwhelmed By it All

              Life has always been interesting having Duchess to say the least but I have learned through interactions with people the kind of attention she draws. I know at Friend for Life there was so many people that at times it could be over whelming the attention she would draw. I had lines at times of people wanting to talk about Duchess which is fine I am used to speaking about her, but when there is a line I get a little overwhelmed. I know she will always draw attention but the interesting part is that more people know her name than mine which I find really amusing as well. I knew when I got her that people would notice her but I never dreamed the amount of attention she can draw and how long it would take me to get used to it. I knew the conference would be fun but I never realized how many people wanted to talk about Duchess. I know she is not the only diabetic alert dog around so I assumed that it would not really be a big deal. I was really wrong and I learned next year I need to prepare myself for the many questions that will come. I really enjoyed by experience but at times it makes you feel like you are living under a microscope at times which is never really what I wanted. I always struggled as a kid with the attention I received because of my diabetes and so I always equate that attention in a negative manner. I know there will be questions but hopefully not as overwhelming as this year. I felt at times I never got to eat or stop to take in everything with all the people hanging around.

             I know I have also learned a great deal from these experiences as well. I need to work on pushing on my boundaries and moving beyond what holds me back. I also have learned that for many people I interact with on a regular basis having Duchess brings to light the fact how dangerous my life can be at times for diabetics. I am very used to dealing with that aspect but others are more sensitive to that . I know my bus drivers who I see daily always worry if I don't ride the bus that something may happen or my friends who ride the bus. I know most of the time when I have a bad incident I am not on the bus as usual. I know my family worries about me but I hear the worry more from my friends than I do from my own family I guess my friends who see me more have seen all the crazy things that have happened the past 5 years or so. I am thankful everyday for Duchess who keeps me safe and brings a great deal of positives to my life.  I know I don't think I would be pushing myself as much without here being here with me. I know my new friends from the conference who hung out frequently all got to see and experience the great things a diabetic alert dog can do.

Soaring Highs and Major Drops/ Interesting get together

              I had a really rough weekend of crazy overnight lows and highs. I know the highs in particular are driving me crazy. Each nigh Friday on I would have a quick moving high in less than an hour I would start around 90 and end up in the 240-270 range. I am clueless as to why it is shooting up so quickly. So I have been doing basal changes and temp basals to reduce these crazy highs. I have been woken up so much by my Dexcom because I treat less than I normally would give for the high and end up low for hours. I am really having a difficult time trying to get a quick handle on this issues whatever it is. Normally I can up the temp basal overnight and that would help but the highs also vary at what time they happen last night for example it was high around 12pm the night before 2 am, and the Friday was at 1am so it defiantly makes it hard to make changes with when the highs are happening over a two hour period of time at least I can set a temp basal for that time period and see what happens tonight. I don't feel sick so I don't think I caught anything. I have been really busy with catching up with the hundreds of emails that I received when I was on vacation so stress could be a factor but the odd part is that it was on the weekend and I really had not highs up till this point. I am really hoping to get this problem addressed pretty quickly nothing makes me more grumpy than when I am high in the middle of the night. I am trying to get back to where I am not being woke up by low and high alerts on my Dexcom but hopefully the changes I made to my basals will resolve this issue or otherwise and I going to be a very sleep deprived person which is never helpful during the busiest times of year at work for me.  I am hoping this is the last night I have to make more tweaks to my setting at least for a while. I need a break from the changes.

                     I went to a going away party this weekend and said good bye to a good friend. I was at the party and my Dexcom was on my arm. So some of the people I had never meet where curious as to what it was. My friend replied we call her the bionic woman these days she has two medical devices she wears all the time. Then one guy said well she must be made of steel to handle all the medical devices. I know I would not have the guts to wear it out and seem so confident said the guy. I thought it was a really nice compliment. I bet he really has no clue but still nice to hear someone acknowledge that it is not easy as it seems. I had a great evening but as always saying goodbye to friends is never fun but at least it was a fun get together.

              

Pictures from CWD FFL Conference

Picture at Disney world

Cornoado Springs Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom was so much fun

Great Friends who I am missing now. FFL what such a great adventure

The Good and the Bad

                   The Children with Diabetes Friend for Life Conference has had a great deal of positives and some I was not expecting. I knew when I was there I would feel more energized and have an even better outlook on my diabetes which was true. I know I knew Duchess would handle the whole event in stride even with being surrounded by people who were interested in diabetic alert dogs. I know I could not of been more proud of Duchess and how well she did at the conference. She made it look easy which is what I am aiming for. I know all the constant work keeping up with her training did show through her good behavior at the conference. I felt like a very proud parent at these moments. I know I was not expecting to have Duchess alerting be even more sharp after alerting to all my new friends at the conference. I thought she might be slightly off for the first day or two back home but she was on top of it and has not missed one yet. I think she was also refreshed by our vacation even though we we up late every night and going non stop the whole time she seems to be even more passionate about her job now. I know all my new friends were worried they would wear her out but she is sharp as ever. I think she enjoyed the conference more than I realized. Always a bonus when my service dog can get something out of an event as well.

                   The conference also made me realize that I have seen some new service dogs that displayed bad behavior at the conference as well. I know a family had a SDIT (service dog in training) and the dog I think was over a  year old and popped all over the floor at the conference registration desk. This kind of behavior is not acceptable for a service dog or SDIT. A SDIT should be potty trained before going into public places. I was startled by this. These kind of situations hurt all of the well trained service dogs out there who work hard to have a well trained and well behaved service animal.There also was another service dog that was owned by another little girl and this dog was pulling the little girl around and she was not in control. I have seen service dogs owned by children who do not pull and drag the child around but it is a great deal of work and I have a feeling that the family is not doing regular training with the dog. I also noticed that the dog seemed overwhelmed in many ways. I also noticed they were using a chock chain which I try not to use. If I have to start using a chock chain I will usually increase my training to get things back in order. There is times that I have had to use it but it is not a regular thing for me. I know having a service dog is great deal of work but when you own one everything you do is a reflection on all service dogs good and bad. So I always try my best to be a good example of a service dog team. The little girl was also letting everyone pet her service dog and that also creates issues for teams like me who do not want our service dogs pet because it can cause issues with focus and overall bond of the team.

Great Endocrinologist Visit

                   I know I always get so out of whack just before I have to go to an Endocrinologist appointment. Even though my Dr.'s work with me I am always anxious and nervous not matter how prepared I am. I had my list of questions to ask, list of prescriptions I need refills for and input on some adjustments. I was all ready but my blood sugar decided to go crazy I was 42 by the time they called my name to go into the appointment. I know it was a fast dropping blood sugar because I had just treated a 75 a little before I left and Duchess was very insistent I needed to act quickly. I think I scared the nurse she was like that is very low but she really had not idea I have seen so much lower and I think because I am used to them to an extent I do not react act as fast as I would have in the past. I treated with some fruit slices and a gluten free granola bar. I knew it would rise but was moving rather slow yesterday. Then I hear my pump going off low battery shutting down. I know I have batteries but they were in my pack in the car and I needed to wait for the Dr. and then nurse told me they had a spare and she would just put one in for me. I love my Dr.'s office they are great. Sometimes when I am low things like this really can help.

                     So the Dr. comes in and hands me my blood work bad news I am still sub-optimal on my vitamin D levels and have been on and off this year. So I will continue on with the prescription Vitamin D until my next appointment which is not hard its a once a week pill. Then I mentioned by recent appointment to my Retina Specialist who told me that 90 percent of all people with Retinopathy have Kidney issues. I thought that was a really high number to be accurate. So I was really skeptical because I have never heard that before. My Dr. looked at me funny and said Tarra your creatinine levels are currently better than some non-diabetics levels. They said they had checked it several times this year and there is not need to see a Nephrologist at this point because my levels are great. I know my Dr. was upset at the misinformation the Retina Specialist is spreading. I know my Dr. was going to call him personally to discuss the fact that their is not need for me to see a nephrologist. I know I was relieved to hear that their was no reason to go to another specialist. I feel like that is all I do at times. The good news is that the Dr. notice right away the dramatic drop in lows in general which is wonderful. I know except for Friends for Life Conference I had a lot less lows which I am really proud of. I really have to give Duchess credit for the as well. I know she had really helped me to accomplish this goal as well. She is an amazing service dog and best friend.

Funny Moments

         I still just can't say enough about my whole Friends for Life conference experience. I know Duchess was affected by the conference in many ways as well. When it came time to leave Orlando Duchess was not very happy in fact still was not very pleased today. I think she misses all her new diabetic buddies. I know I just can't say it enough about what incredible people I meet there. I had so much fun and great deal of laughs and emotional moments. I was really surprised how bummed out I was too be leaving the conference it went by so quickly and I just wanted more time to take it all in. I had such a great time just hanging out. I know I also had my fair share of lows but that is not completely unusual to an extent. I find sometimes when I travel things can get a little out of whack at times. I know the first night I was Orlando I was heading back to the Convention center to stop and get a refill on Soda before I headed to my room to relax. I know Duchess alerted and it was 42 so I knew I should sit down and relax while my blood sugars went back up. So I sat down and two families were in the hall way of the convention center with three little girls. Duchess re-alerts again so I know my blood sugar is not moving up like I would like. So the families stop to ask questions about Duchess. The two little girls approach to ask about Duchess. Then one little girl notices my Pink Animas One Touch Ping Pump. She get this really big smile on her face and seems to get all excited. Next thing I know the little girls are both lifting up their dresses to show me their insulin pumps and their green bracelets. I know one of the little girl also had to show me her spy belt that she had her insulin pump in. I know she was so excited to hear that I also owned a purple spy belt as well. I know when all the dress lifing was going on I had to laugh a little bit. I am not sure why it caught me so off guard but I am sure the low was not helping.

                   I had such a great little conversation with the family and the little girls. I was so surprised at how excited the little girls were about Duchess and the fact that I was diabetic as well. I know I wish I knew more kids that were diabetic when i was younger. I feel like friends for life provides the children and adults alike such an incredible opportunities to interact with each other. I know I thought it was so cute and special how these two little girls wanted to share with me there pumps it was incredibly sweet and great reminder how much we all benefit from connecting with one another. I know I was blessed to have meet so many of you.

CWD Friends for Life Conference

                I still feel like my head is still spinning for my whirl wind trip to Children with diabetes Friends for Life Conference in Orlando Florida. I so loved meeting so many of the bloggers that I have been following for several years and others that I meet there. I know it was so incredible to meet the bloggers because of the fact that I felt in some ways like I know them to an extent. Friends for life was a real test for me in many ways. I know some of the people who meet me I am sure would be surprised to hear me say that I actually can be very shy and I am always working on getting myself to be more out going if possible. I know this really pushes me beyond my comfort zone which I need to do. I know I approached several bloggers I know from following them and I am sure they probably had no idea how shy I can be at times from our interactions. I actually think that my blogging activities have really helped me to be more outgoing when I need to be because I feel like I am putting things out there for all to see so I gain more confidence in general.
           

                  I know the conference is so large it can make a first timers head spin from trying to find the right rooms and keep track of the conference schedule of classes. I know I loved the iPhone app they had which allowed for me not to carry more stuff around which I am thankful for. I tend to carry enough stuff for me and Duchess most of the time without adding more. I still can't say enough about the time I spent getting to meet all the wonderful families and all the funny things that happened. I know I spent some long nights hanging out with quite few of the sweetest people who I have been following for years now and I can't say enough about how much I loved meeting them all in person. I also meet some really incredible people who support all the type 1 diabetics at the conference as well. I know the days were so jam packed with activities it can be all so much to take in. I am sure I will be writing more blogs this week about some things in particular about my trip to CWD FFL as a first timer. I know it was incredible seeing all the green bands on the wrists, pumps, cgms and meters every where. I know most of the time I don't feel alone with being involved with the DOC community but this week I know I have never felt so not alone. It was wonderful to be able to share things in person because I think you get to know the people even better than on twitter or through blogs. I know that the conference even affected Duchess in many ways as well.
      

                    Duchess loved some well know bloggers and loved alerting to them as well. She was on top of not only my blood sugars but also theirs as well. I know they really appreciated her alerts because she was alerting some times up to several hours before which is wonderful and quite helpful. I know Duchess made quite the impression and many of the families we meet. I know I did have moments that I was surrounded by families and who all had questions about Duchess which did feel a little over whelming for me. I love meeting people but I was not expecting that much attention from so many people. I know it was all so much to take in for both of us. I knew going in that Duchess could handle such a crazy task of alerting to me when there was so many smells of all the diabetics in the room. I know from previous conferences she did really well but I know this one really make me so proud of her because she handled so much and made it look easy. Duchess did not miss one alert through the whole conference. I know people commented they could see her concern she had when she alerted that there blood sugars were off. I know she cares a great deal about me and my new friends. I am incredibly blessed to have her beyond what I can even express.
       

                    I have to say I have never been more proud to wear a green bracelet. Thank you to all the people who have inspired me and taught me a great deal. To the people I was able to hang out and get to know I absolutely loved getting to know you all. I so blessed to be at the conference and I plan on coming back next year. To people who have not attended before I recommend you attending it will change your life. I know it did for me. I will see you all next year.

                               

              

Oh Here Comes Lows

             

Duchess after her Birthday celebration with her new pig.

                I am hoping that my trip and blood sugars all cooperate for a relaxing fun time. Recently I am back to more lows again so I am trying to look at my Dexcom graphs and blood sugars to see what basal changes I can make as well. I know the weather has been fluctuating as well which things to makes things for challenging. I am just trying to make my trip to Orland as safe as possible and it will be with having Duchess with me. I had a pretty good stent of less lows and very few highs which is what I was aiming for. I have made some adjustments so far and seems to be helping but I would like things just a little more steady before leaving. I know when I travel I can get stressed which will only add more lows to the mix. So I am trying to make things as simple as possible and make for a more enjoyable travel time. Days like these having Duchess is so incredibly helpful and wonderful. I know I don't worry as much about the lows like I did before I got her. I am hoping for safe travels to all who are going to Friends for life and I look forward to meeting you all.

Flying With Duchess

                  I know I have already started packing for Friends for Life Conference in Orlando Florida. I will not be flying in until Wednesday wish I was flying in on today instead but I would not of been able to get that much time off from work sadly. I am really looking forward to meeting everyone at the conference. I know I have been looking forward to this for months. I have never been to Florida so this will be quite fun I am sure.

                  Duchess has started to pack her toys already into my suitcase as always. She is excited anytime she see's me getting out my suitcase. She knows we are going some where and that usually means we are flying. I have done numerous flights with Duchess so far and she always does so well. In fact she seems to like it. I know there is always several things I do before I leave. I always carry a copy of Duchess's vaccination  information (vet records), prescription information for my diabetic supplies, copy of TSA procedures for dealing with service animals and diabetics. I carry the TSA information so they cannot tell me I am unable to do things in a certain manner. I normally take all of Duchess's vest, leash collar so she will not set off metal detector. I also leave her in a down stay behind me and then call her through after I have went through the metal detector. I do this so they do not do an inspection of Duchess I do not want people touching her including the TSA. I had a friend who's service dog was manhandled by them and so I tried to avoid that happening. I have used the TSA paper work when a person tried to make me take Duchess through with her collar on. I told them no because I have right to go through the process in the manner that works for us as a team. I also am always to the airport as early as possible just because of the fact that it will take me longer to go through security with my computer and Duchess. These things all slow me down even being in the disabled section I know people can get anxious when they are behind me which drives me crazy. I know I try my best to get through the process as quickly as possible but when traveling by myself there is not much I can do to get through it faster at times.

                    I have found being prepared for travel really can make the stressful process much easier even with traveling Duchess. The time I take in advance has made most flights more enjoyable and quite fast. I am a big fan of getting through TSA without having to have a pat down etc. Thankfully having Duchess they do not ask me to go through the body scanner and I can just go through the metal detector and have my hands swabbed for explosives instead which takes just minutes.

Test Strip Accuracy

                   I know that test strip safety is always a concern for most diabetics. I know I make a great deal of decisions off of one test. I know if it is higher I will do a correction or if low I will reduce basal etc. I know for me the scariest part is that if the number is wrong I am not able to feel low or high so I could go off incorrect information and make the wrong decisions. I know I also use the Dexcom as well but I know that can be off as well so what can you trust. I know luckily for me Duchess is rarely ever wrong if she keeps alerting I know somethings is off and most of the time I retest on a different meter to just double check the figure and I also will wash my hands to make sure that something is not on my hand as well. I like to have the most accurate information because at the end of the day the test strip accuracy will affect my A1c and other things as well. I rely upon the test strips to provide me with a number of where I am at not just maybe where I am at. It is quite disturbing that there is so many on the market that do not meet the already bad variance level of 20 percent. I know if it is above that I can see how this could really affect one A1c but also their long term ability to avoid complications. I know I have had some meters that the tests show up as higher than another brand meter. I also have seen where one meter shows lower on average than the other brand meter. So this really in many ways leaves us without the correct or accurate information we need to make proper decisions for our blood sugars. I know I have observed first hand that at times my meter says it was 95 but Duchess was alerting non stop so i treated it but I know that I believe I was actually in the 70's most likely she normally will go nuts if I am below 80 so that is very fitting with what is going on.

                       I know I have thought for a while that the 20 percent variance is too much but I had heard that some are off as much as 40 percent which is terrible. I know the FDA really needs to do more checks on the accuracy of all brands and also push for a lower variance to help all of diabetics to have the most accurate information so we can properly care for ourselves. Diabetes is already frustrating and tough to deal with without adding test strip accuracy to the mix of things. I know not feeling my lows I feel like that is huge part to deal with but I rely so heavily on this information for my 16-18 tests a day that I average. I know if the accuracy was better it would be one less thing for all of us to worry about.

Happy 4th of July and Happy Birthday Duchess!!!

               I wanted to wish everyone a happy and safer 4th of July. I also wanted to say Happy Birthday to my angel Duchess. I know she has enjoyed her dog cupcakes, treats and toys she received this year. I also got her a new mesh vest as well. I know she looks great in her new vest. I know she seem to love that the vest is much cooler than her other one is especially when it is in the higher temps.

Eye's One Year Later

                           I have thinking a lot recently about my proliferative diabetic retinopathy it is hard to believe I have been dealing with it over a year now. I have to say it was a very scary experience having a hemorrhage in my eye and not really knowing what was going to happen. I know my eyes have done quite well in fact my left eye is really showing no signs of retinopathy but I have also kept my A1c in check as well. I have been under 6.2 the whole time which is great. I also have 20/20 in my left which is wonderful. So I know you can deal with retinopathy and still come out okay with a lot of work. I have to say that I am still pleased with the fact that I have had a couple of weeks were my vision was completely clear over the past year which is wonderful. I know that even with these periods of time I still would love to have my eye as stable as possible that is why I am going to go forward with surgery. The surgery will be an incision into the retina to remove the gel between the lenses which will remove any dried blood but will also allow them to laser certain problem areas more efficiently which will equal more stability for my eye hopefully. I know the laser procedures done will also cause scar tissue but the surgery on my eye will also address that as well. So even though surgery is not fun it will also have better benefits in the long run. It has not been a fun process from firing my first Retina Specialist to enduring injections in my eye to laser procedures and many appointments. It has been quite the journey but I have to say that it has been manageable. I am happy that I have been able to keep things as normal as possible and get to the point where I am comfortable where I am at and that yes I was able to maintain my sanity through it all. Thank you for all the support during this time as well. I know sharing my experience has been interesting but at the end of the day I hope I have helped others as well. I am a big supporter of sharing my journey through complications and sharing where I am with them. I know I found that many do not share this because of fear or because it makes them feel vulnerable but I have found it really makes me stronger and better able to deal with what is in front of me.

Recent Interview with Decade of Discovery

                   I wanted to share my interview with Decade of Discovery from June. It goes into a little more detail about my story and why I continue to blog. I hope you are all having a great day!!

http://www.decadeofdiscovery.org/featured-stories/blogger-spotlight-tarra-robinson-of-my-crazy-life-with-my-diabetic-service-dog/

Dog Boots

                     I know with the Texas heat every year Duchess has to wear dog boots to keep her paws from burning. She does not seem to understand the purpose of the boots nor the fact that I care enough to make sure her paws do don't get burned. She absolutely hates to wear them but thankfully each day she does have to wear them the more she gets used to them and it becomes less of an issue. The funny part is that she prances when she wears them. She also will kick back her legs to the side as well. I feel terrible but I do laugh at her funny walk it it too funny to not laugh but then again Duchess really does infuse a real sense of laughter into my life which is great. I am big fan of the boots because this past Saturday I think it was 106 around 2pm and when its that hot it can be really dangerous to take Duchess onto the hot cement. So the boots do allow me to go out in this weather and still get everything I need done still and Duchess to be safe. I have been using Ruff Wear Grip Trex boots for a year and half now. I have to say they have held up well and they can also be used during hiking and camping as well. I like the soles on the shoes because they grip well and are also some what breathable as well.

      
                                                        



                         The most interesting thing about wearing these boots is how much they love chatting about her boots or shoes as some call them. I know some people are smart enough to figure out that they are because how hot the concrete is but others seem to have not clue. I was really quite surprised this weekend when a parent was explaining to a child that the concrete can burn the dogs paws so she wears the boots to protect her paws when it hot. I also use the boots during the winter when it rains heavily and I need to go into places it easier to have the boots to wipe off verses wet dog paws.  I know when I went to the store I go the funniest looks why does that crazy lady put shoes on her dog. I know another person told another that lady takes this dressing up her dog way too far lol. I almost died laughing when I heard that. I also heard a lot of I wonder why the dog is wearing boots on when it is so hot outside its not winter. I had a good time with that one as well. I know I do the sandal test if it is hot to the touch on my foot it is also too hot for my dog but normally anything over 93 she is in her boots normally. I try to keep my DAD as safe and happy as possible.