OMG... Two days in a row!

So there is a lot I've been meaning to vent about, you know... share with the world all of my deep and personal secrets! ;)

I was denied the CGMS by my insurance. BIG FAT DENIAL! I found out last week... I think on Wednesday. It felt pretty defeating too. I contacted the representative at Medtronic who has been working to get it for me and she said that she had spoken with someone from my insurance who said that they would never approve it. That is wasn't covered under what my insurance believes is necessary medical equipment. I'd like to show them what necessary is! Show them the 30,000 holes I have in my fingers from what seems like a million bg checks. Show them the worry and stress that I feel now over my blood sugars being crazy... I can't imagine what that will be like when I'm carrying a baby around with me all the time! Ugh... I just hate how insurance companies can be so greedy sometimes. I ask if I could still pay for it out of pocket and Kathryn at Medtronic said that I could... Tally up all the costs and it adds up to about $4,500 per year. I talked with Adam about it and he said maybe once I know I am pregnant that we could get it, but that still makes me feel sad about it all.

I'm not sure why either, but my blood sugars have been a lot higher lately. I know I had my perfect bg after dinner at the beach, but my averages have increased by almost 40mg/dl over the last two weeks, which thoroughly depresses me! My 7 day average is currently higher than it was the last time I had my a1c checked (it was 6.3 then). At one point about two weeks ago I had my average down to 98mg/dl for the week and two week and 99 for the month average. Something is awry here! I know I am off birth control now, which could make for some changes, but I am also about to start my period. My endo once mentioned to me that some women experience some insulin resistance in the week before their period, but I've never had that problem when I was on BC. We've been using back up BC, so I know I'm not preggers, but man... If I could just beat myself up over my BGs I would... or wait... I already am.

And one more thing while I'm on my soap box rant.... My mother told me while I was at home that she has a date (my dad died in 2008) with the man who she used to date while my parents were separated when I was 14. Not only is she going to go on a date with this man, but she is meeting him in Birmingham (where I live) to go on this date. She hasn't come to Birmingham to visit us since July 2009. Seriously?!? Ugh... Parents... what can you do, you know?

So... I still haven't heard anything about the Medtronic Revel, so I'm just going to go and sent another email about that one... and as far as CGMS goes, I'm going to try again with my insurance, just for the hell of it, I guess. And hopefully I can reign in these blood sugars again (crossing fingers). And as far as my mom... I want her to be happy, so what can I do?

Ah... anyways!

VACATION !!!

Hey there! Long time... no post! Adam and I have been really busy lately and I've neglected the online community very badly... hope I can be forgiven.

First of all... I got home from my mom's (she is doing well by the way) and then it was right back to work! I have been working about 60 hours/ week at the hospital in preparation for our new online charting go live. I had to take a few extra classes since I was a superuser for the program. We went live with it two weeks ago, and because of my extra training I had to work a few extra shifts to help troubleshoot any problems that arose. There were a few minor glitches, but all is working out.

Last weekend Adam and I were both working 12 hour shifts and on the way to work we passed a billboard advertising for Panama City Beach (saying that the "Gulf Coast is still open for business!"). It hit me so hard I couldn't help but go. I get urges like that... where I just have to get out of town... go on to somewhere nice and relaxing. So I talked Adam into rearranging his schedule... and I rearranged my schedule and we went to Carillon Beach (West of Panama City) this weekend. We left at 8pm Thursday and made it to our condo by 1am on Friday morning.

We had a fantastic time at the beach... eating, drinking, and laying in the sun. We went to The Boatyard for dinner on Friday and then Red Bar for dinner last night. Food was amazing! On Friday night we had this paradiso maki sushi roll (it had salmon, pineapple, creamy dill sauce, asparagus, and fried tempura- it was DELICIOUS), then for dinner I had the Key Lime Garlic Shrimp and Adam had Shrimp and Grits. Altogether it was a wonderful meal. (Complete with 2 Cosmopolitans- yum!) Then Saturday night we went to Red Bar at Grayton, Beach and met up with some friends. Adam got crabcakes, and I got the blackened grouper that came with a fried cheese grit cake! Finished off the food with 2 Mojitos (that were absolutely perfectly mixed- not too sweet) and 1 Mic Ultra. BG after dinner-- 100mg/dl exactly! GO ME! :)

The beach was also nice... I don't know how much of the news spreads to the world outside of the south, but everyone down here is worried SICK about the oil pouring into our beautiful gulf! You hear rumors everyday about this beach or that beach being closed because of black oily water and beaches. And tar balls... everyone talks about "Oh, well, you know... Panama City has all the tar balls washing up!" Well, we were just there and I can tell you the truth... no tar balls, no oil slicks, just sea weed. (As far as our trip was concerned anyway) Our friends that we met for dinner did text me today and said that tar balls were showing up on the beach at Destin. It truly is a tragedy for everyone... makes me so sad!

So anyways... now we are home and I am getting back to reality. No more extravagance or guilty pleasures... back to work, and the gym, and drinking water. Back to trying to lose a few pounds before we have a baby on board. Back to counting all those calories and balancing them carefully. Back to stressing over the blood sugars and worrying what they are going to do to me when I am pregnant. Pretty much just back to life as usual around here. :) But, at least now I can say that I've gotten a vacation... I've had a break and gotten away from it all. I'm glad to be home... and to get back to a routine... and gosh... there were some darn cute kids at the beach... Made us wonder how ours will turn out!

Home... Away from home

Hello readers! So, that "Symlin feeling" I was feeling turned out to be a stomach virus! The second one I've had in the past three months, which was AWFUL! I ended up leaving work early on Tuesday and calling in on Wednesday (I hate calling in, it always makes me feel guilty even when I am sick). Thursday morning I had to get it together and get up to Huntsville for my mom's surgery.

I remember that in the very early hours of Thursday (around 4 am) I rolled over and told Adam that I felt awful and didn't want to go. In the same breath I said, "but I want to be a mother, and that's all about sacrificing your own wants and needs for the better of someone you love." So up I got, and off I went.

I made it to Huntsville by 7:45am and my aunt was there with my mom. Her surgery started at 8am. She had her saphenous vein harvested on both legs. She had been suffering from terrible varicose veins for years, and had had ulcers on her legs from decreased circulation. Her doctor told her that they had to come out for fear of blood clots, and here we are. The surgery lasted until about 11:45am and we were out of the hospital by 1:15pm. Her doctor wasn't very comfortable with her going home, but since I am a nurse and staying with her until Sunday, he released her home.

So... here I have been since Thursday. It is very different here. Not at all like I remember it when I was growing up. I've done some tasks for my mom and some of her requests have been a little off the wall. She wants me to shampoo her carpets, highlight her hair, and mow her grass. So far, only the mowing has been accomplished... We'll see!

The food here is very different too. I finally was able to eat by Thursday! Since then I've done what feels like nothing but eat! I also have no place to exercise here, which makes me feel awful! My BGs have been alright, good ole AF started, so that keeps my BGs low. Thank goodness for that, because I would be so high if it weren't for that!

I miss home. Not this one, but my own. I'm not sure when the home I grew up in became no longer my home, but I'm there. I miss my husband, my bed, my TV, my backyard, my porch swing, my kitchen, my food, and my bathroom. I miss our neighborhood. I miss home!

But... mother is doing well. The bandages came off today and she is able to get up and roam around pretty well, so Lord willing I will be headed home tomorrow night. I have to get up and go to church in the morning and then help her with those carpets tomorrow and then I will be on my way to see my wonderful, sweet husband.

Just as a side note, we were supposed to be on vacation this week in Savannah, GA. We aren't. At first I was a little bitter about that, but I got over that fast. I really just hate that Adam and I both had so much time off and weren't able to spend it together. I miss him.

I've got that Symlin feeling...

I feel so terrible today! I woke up feeling bad and it just hasn't gone away yet! It feels like when you take Symlin and you feel like you have what I can only describe as a "sour stomach." Yucky!! I feel nauseated and like there is a brick in my tummy. I'm not pregnant yet... we haven't even started trying yet. Just so ready for the work day to be over so I can go home and lay on the couch where I belong!! :o(