Back on the Pump!

I never thought I would say this, but I'm actually going to try going on the pump again. I tried it for a day about four years ago and I hated it. I had an appointment with my endo the other day and I was finally talked into giving it another try. This time I'm not as against it. I think I'm ready to give up the daily shots and finger pricks (I'm going to try the continuous glucose monitor as well). It sounds like a lot of things stuck to my body 24/7, but I'm hoping I'll get used to it this time. I was told that if I want to try to get pregnant in another year or two, I should really go on the pump. So I shall!

I'm not going to lie, I'm really nervous about it. I've been trying to figure out how I can make it work in my daily life. For instance, I started cardio kickboxing a few weeks ago (which I would recommend to anyone---it's a tough workout, but awesome). Is the pump going to get in the way of doing crunches? Is it going to fall out from all the sweat? It would have been helpful this morning though. Before class started, my sugar was down to 31! I was having a weird morning with my levels, but was hoping it would be normal by the time I got there. Of course it wasn't and I had already gone through three juice boxes by that point. Luckily this sweet girl in class offered me some cookies she had in her car, which did the trick. If I had the continuous glucose monitor I would have known my sugar levels before hand and could have corrected it early on. I'm looking forward to having that.

The other thing I'm worried about is where am I going to put the pump when I'm wearing a dress? I'm in a friend's wedding in October and I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the pump while wearing the bridesmaid dress. I guess I'll worry about that when the time comes. For now, I'm just looking forward to getting this thing started...again. This time I'll give it more than a day to get used to it.

Life After a Cure--Diabetes Blog Week Day 7

Life after a cure would be pretty amazing. Here some of the things (in no particular order)that immediately come to mind that I would no longer have to worry about. I used to take these things for granted before I was diabetic!

Having to carry a big purse. Sometimes I want to carry a small purse, but can't because then where would I put my insulin pens, glucose meter, juice box, granola bar, ice pack to keep insulin cool in the summer, etc.

Accidentally staining my shirt with blood. Sometimes after pricking my finger, I don't realize it's still bleeding and I'll get it on my clothes! Or I'll give myself a shot in my tummy and not realize I bled a little---on my shirt!I hate that...

Having to always see the doctor. I feel like I always have an appointment. It would be nice to not have to worry about my health all the time.

Diabetes is expensive! It's like having an extra bill every month. I feel like I'm paying to have a chronic disease. It would be great to not have to budget for it anymore.

All the health risks that I would no longer have to worry about is by far the thing that I would be most happy about. I hate that I'm considered "high risk" when it comes to everything. I would love to be considered
"normal risk" again.

And lastly, I would never have to worry about what I would do if I were ever on a plane that crashed onto an island. I would be the first to go because my insulin supply would run out in a matter of days. If there were a cure, it would be one less thing to worry about. I really have thought about this.

To Carb or Not to Carb--Diabetes Blog Week Day 4

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes a few years ago, I was really confused about what I was supposed to eat and not eat. During my hospital stay, I was taught about all the restrictions I would have to put on my diet. A nutritionist visited me and completely overwhelmed me with all these new rules. I was given a chart that showed examples of types of meals I should be eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner and for snacks. I was not even allowed to go over a certain amount of calories per week. I was about 88 pounds at this point and the thought of being on a diet confused me to no end. Did the hospital not see me? I was wilting away to nothing! I was completely miserable after leaving the hospital because I was always hungry and was not gaining any of my weight back. During my first visit to my endocrinologist at the time, I was asked why I still weighed around 90 pounds. I told him that I was put on a strict diet that entailed measuring out all my food. He explained that I really could be eating anything I wanted just as long as I gave myself enough insulin to cover the amount of carbs I was eating. I was so excited to eat a cheeseburger right after that appointment! I still don’t know why the hospital made me watch my calorie intake!

Nowadays, I really do eat whatever I want, just as long as I measure out the right amount of insulin for what my meal is. I do, however, still eat as healthy as I can, with some fried foods thrown in there too. If there is a sugar free or “light” option for something, I’ll usually go with that (unless it’s chocolate. I can’t eat sugar free chocolate, it’s just not the same). While lows are never fun, sometimes I don’t mind them because it gives me an excuse to eat some sweets! I would consider my eating habits pretty normal and nothing really out of the ordinary!

Your Biggest Supporter--Diabetes Blog Week Day 3

I’m a little late jumping in, but I just discovered Karen’s Bitter-Sweet diabetes blog http://bittersweet-karen.blogspot.com/ and her post about Diabetes Blog Week. In an effort to post on a more consistent basis, I thought it would be fun to participate!

Figuring out my biggest supporter is tough because all my friends and family care about me and my health. I’m always asked how I’m feeling and if I’m ok. They let me give insulin injections right in front of them without looking grossed out and I love that they ask questions to try to understand more about what I’m going through.

Although, I have to say, my biggest supporter would have to be my husband. He’s there with me every day so he gets to be involved in it all. I was diagnosed about five years ago when I turned 21. It wasn't the most fun experience, but as my boyfriend at the time, he was there for me 100%. Every day after class at college, he would visit me at the hospital, which was about two hours away (I was there for a few days) and he showed no sign of wanting to bail out of the situation. It was comforting to know I could count on him. Since then, he’s had to deal with me and my fluctuating blood sugars on a constant basis. For the most part I’m pretty normal, but I do have my off days. When I am really stressed about it, I’m sure it effects him too.

Yay for all the awesome supporters in my life!

Continuous Glucose Monitor

A few days ago I received a call from someone at Medtronic to see how I'm doing with my insulin pump. Unfortunately, I had to tell her that I haven't used the pump in about 4 years. I basically tried it for one day and hated it. I know I should have given it more of a chance, but I just couldn't handle my life with it on. I think I was bitter because the nurse who was showing me how to use it was trying to make it more appealing by comparing it to a beeper. Now why would I want people to think I'm wearing a beeper? Am I that lame? The best part was that it was never actually explained to me how to properly remove the stupid thing. I pretty much just ripped it off myself, which was the worst idea ever. It left this huge hole where the tube was inserted and the blood immediately started flowing. I looked like I was shot! I ruined a nice pair of jeans because of that. Maybe one day I'll want to try it again--I do see the benefits of having a pump (once I learn how to remove it the right way).

So the Medtronic rep. on the phone proceeded to tell me about this other device that she thought I might like. It's a continuous glucose monitoring system that attaches to your body and continuously checks your blood sugar throughout the day. This doesn't scare me as much because it's about the size of a quarter and there are no tubes attached to it. I like that it alerts you when you are too high or too low. I love that the data can upload to a computer and you can view the results in a graph. I think it would be interesting to see what my blood sugar patterns are throughout the day. I'm considering trying it, but want to talk to my doctor first to see what she thinks. We will see!

Clumsy Lows

I’m always walking into things, tripping over myself, etc. When my sugar is low, I’m 10 times clumsier. Last night for instance, my sugar level was around 45 or so, which is low enough for me to feel the effects of it. I was of course craving anything sweet so I grabbed a chocolate granola bar and poured myself a glass of milk to go with it. As I was walking back to the table I somehow walked into the wall and spilled the milk all over the carpet and myself. The funny part was that I sat there eating my food drenched in milk, not really caring. I looked ridiculous. It’s great though, because I can always pull out the “low blood sugar” card and blame it on that.

Artificial Pancreas

A few weeks ago I found out that an artificial pancreas is in the works. Thanks to Johnson & Johnson and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, it could be on the market in about four years. At first I was a little skeptical because it sounded a little like it would end up being similar to the pump (which I was not a fan of after wearing it for one day). After reading more about it, I realized it would be much better.

Apparently, this thing would actually calculate insulin doses for me based on how many carbs I'm eating. That is amazing considering I'm often times lazy when it comes to carb counting. I'm terribly guilty of guessing how much insulin I need instead of calculating the right amount. The thing is, not every piece of food has the carb amount on the packaging, especially if you're at a restaurant. The device would also constantly track my blood sugar levels, which is also amazing--pricking my fingers can get very annoying. The worst is when I accidentally get blood on my shirt because I don't realize my finger is still bleeding.

I'm very excited about this new device and look forward to trying it out when it becomes available.