Happy D-versary!

33 years ago today, my mom took that picture of me. I was at Children's Hospital after being diagnosed with diabetes. (and I don't have a scanner, so I just took and picture of the picture...)

I was diagnosed by accident. I was at the doctor for a run of the mill check up for my entrance to first grade. They did a random urine test, and then told my mom that she would have to take me to the hospital to have blood taken to confirm the diagnosis. That's why I don't look like a skinny, sick kid in the picture.

Today, I am proud to have lived well for 33 years with diabetes. I'm proud that even after all these year, I find the motivation to keep in good control. (at least, most of the time! ;-) Today is the day that I remember my accomplishments, and forget my mistakes.

Tonight, Dixie and I will celebrate like I always do. With cake and beer.

Cheers!

Dam diabetes

I had a hell of an early morning.

I got up at 3:30 am (Dixie was pawing at me) and felt horrible! Tested and was 371. I am flabbergasted! I rarely am even above 200. I check ketones and they are large. I must not have been getting insulin for a couple hours. My infusion set was wet, so I knew that it must be kinked. I wasn't getting any insulin.

I changed the site, and then my pump gave me an "occluded" alarm. I tried clearing it and continuing to prime the line. I thought maybe the new site was kinked. I pulled it out. It was straight and perfect. I couldn't get the pump to deliver any insulin. I tried attaching a new line of tubing to it. Still, it just kept telling me that it was occluded. (sure, now it tells me. wish it would have alarmed hours ago)

I was frustrated with the pump, so I went downstairs to get the box from Smith that had a new pump in it for me. Last week, I noticed that my pump screen had a funny line on it, so I called Smith Medical and they sent me a new one. I hadn't set it up yet. I knew that it would take me a little while to get it up and running. I had to hand program all my personal data.

I decide that I can't wait for the pump. I needed insulin pronto!! I gave a BIG shot of insulin. (which, frankly, I haven't done for years and am glad that I don't do multiple daily injections..it hurts!!) I went back upstairs with my now programmed pump. I put in another infusion set and hooked up to the new pump.

Then I started vomiting. (I am really sensitive to blood sugars over 180) I'm laying on the bathroom floor, waiting for the insulin to kick in. My blood sugar finally starts to come down because of the insulin I took with the syringe. I crawl into bed, shivering, and try to rest. No luck. I have to get up again and vomit. Finally around 5:30am, I fell asleep.

I get up this morning and have a decent blood sugar. A little low--72. I get up and head down to the kitchen to have some powerade. I pull up my shirt to inspect the new pump site. It's wet. I wipe it with my finger and smell it. It's insulin. All the insulin that I took with the syringe must have held me for a couple hours, because I certainly wasn't getting any insulin from the pump.

I go upstairs and put in ANOTHER pump site. (the third one in the last 5 hours) I pull the old one out, and it's KINKED. What the heck??? I don't know if I have a bad batch of sets, or what is the problem.

This has maybe happened to me 6 times in the 15 years I've been pumping. Now it happens two times in one morning.

Now I sit with a new pump site in, wondering if it's kinked too. I have a horrible headache, my muscles hurt from throwing up, and I am really frustrated.

Dixie has been glued to me all day.

Thank goodness I don't work in the summer. I would have called in sick today.

Dam diabetes!

Five point freakin' six!!

Dixie and I just returned from our summer trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. (BWCAW) We had an EXCELLENT time.

It's been a crazy summer. Really, it's been a crazy 2008. Thanks to all of you who sent support my way after my father's accident. He is doing well. His burns are continuing to recover as they should. He is very lucky.

The timing of this year's trip couldn't have come at a better time. I was desperately in need of a break from civilization.

The trip was great. The weather was superb. (highs in the mid 70s, lows in the mid 40s, low 50s) We only had one afternoon of rain. We paddled and portaged through some beautiful places. Dixie loves being in the wilderness as much as I do. The photo above is of Dixie chewing on a stick. She was roughing it too-- she had to find natural toys in the wilderness.

I returned and realized that I had scheduled an appointment with my endocrinologist. (probably before I knew when my BWCAW trip was scheduled) I scrambled with all of my blood testing meters to record three weeks worth of blood sugars to bring with me. It's really quite a site to see. Me sitting in pile of meters and trying to get all the numbers organized. Fortunately, I got it done.

My appointment was at noon today. I filled out the miscellaneous paperwork, and was guided to an exam room by the nurse. I got out my computer to share my results with my endo. While I was waiting for her to come into the room, the nurse appeared and said that she was going to do my A1c with me. This was a surprise. The clinic that I go to still uses the lab to do A1c's. I go there after my appointment to do all the lab work. I asked if I could use my poker to lance my finger. (yes) She collected the drop of blood from my finger and then left the room, telling me that she would return after the results appeared. (approximately 11 minutes)

My endo came in and we went through my records. She told me that the lab there gives lab values that are 5% higher than the rest of the labs in Minnesota. This portable machine would give results more like the rest of the state. (or something like that... she gave a long explanation, but I stopped listening) She said that my result would likely be lower than what it usually has been. (My last several A1c's have been 6.2 or 6.3)

The nurse came back in the room while we were chatting, and said that my A1c was 5.6.

5.6!!!

I was a little shocked. The average on my computer said 103, but it usually is somewhere around that, and my results are always 6.2 or 6.3. Try as I have, I've never been able to crack the 6.0 barrier. When I said that to my endo, she said that I could "...tell my friends that my A1c has probably always been in the 5.5-5.9 range."

She also said that I need to reduce my basal rates (which she had me do in front of her because she knows that I don't like to mess with my basals), and she would like me to shoot for 3 lows per week or less. (low being below 65)

But friends, today is a special day. My first A1c under 6. An average blood sugar around 100.

YES! (happy dance :-)