Big Moves and some food for cynics thought

Just for a quick update on what is going on... I worked this last weekend in PI and then yesterday and today in the endocrine clinic. I've been very busy and sleep deprived and now (on my Friday) I am so tired! But things are moving forward... life just doesn't stop for work! :o) Today I spoke with Kathryn at Medtronic who is going to assist me in processing my CGMS (although I learned that my current insurance has never approved at CGMS- yikes!). I am also working on using the Pathway program to process an upgrade to the new Revel pump so that I will have a larger insulin resevior for those days of insulin resistance that I hope are in my future (what a weird thing to say!). I am putting on an ipro tomorrow to wear for a week and I'm hoping that with that information plus the Carelink reports I have will help make a case for my CGMS. I have an appointment with my usual OB/GYN for next Thursday for what is called a "pre-pregnancy counseling" appointment. I need help coming up with questions for her. I know I won't be able to use her for my delivering OB and that makes me really sad, because I love her. I know she is going to "get on to me" for my weight. I am technically overweight according to my BMI and she likes to point that out. So... anyways... things are moving forward, and I will keep you all updated. I also "met" someone through http://www.diabeticmommy.com/ who is my age from Birmingham so I am looking so forward to hearing from her about her experience with UAB hospital and the OB she used.

Now... for something totally unrelated to my diabetes, TTC journey, or anything in the blog. A strange occurrence of selflessness and giving happened in my life this week thanks to my friend Jill. I am completely a self proclaimed cynic. I have worked in ICU for almost 5 years and let's just say I've seen how cruel some people can be. I've also just lived in B'ham for a while and I've seen the same homeless people give the same story over and over again to beg for money, but my eyes were opened a little wider this week and it gave me a new perspective. I would like to share this with any fellow cynics out there.

Jill and I went to lunch Monday at McAllister's and on our way back to clinic we were stopped by this 30's-something black man pushing a what-looked-like 1 year old boy in a stroller. He walked up to us and ask us for 75 cents in order for him to catch the bus. (Here is where I will say that I would have given him the change if I had it, but I didn't have any change or cash on me, just a debit card) Well Jill and I both said no-that all we had was a card. Then, when he walked off she was very upset. She felt like she couldn't live with herself without helping him out, so we went after him. When we got up to where he was there was a lady giving the man a dollar. (Which I made sure to point out to Jill - cynic me) She walks up to him and tells him to wait on her- she is going to go to the ATM across the street and get him money. He said he would wait and stood on the corner of the street in the shade with his baby. He gave the baby a bottle and pulled out his cell phone and his cigarettes. We went off across the street!

Jill pulled $20 out of her bank account and took it back across the street to the man. (While on the way across the street I pointed out to her that he was smoking and obviously wasn't to poor to buy cigarettes or a cell phone- cynic) When we got up to him, she started up a conversation with him. She ask where he lived- the projects, which he talked about wanting to get out of. He talked about his other two daughters, the bad living conditions he lived in, selling his food stamps to pay bills, not having enough money to buy food for his kids, not having any money to pay bills, etc. He said he was going to catch the bus to go to his mom's to ask her for money to pay his $155 light bill. Jill mentioned that she went to a church that had programs in place to assist people like him. He talked about how he had gone to a church as a kid, but not anymore. His phone rang, he answered, and he told us thank you, and God bless you girls.

We walked off and Jill said she wished she had the $155 to give him to pay his bill. She said that even if he spent the money on something bad she was glad she was able to help him. She said that she has been guided by her pastor to be giving and not judge. I've never seen such an example of not judging. I'm not saying that I don't help out people, or believe in the "What you do for the least of us, you do for me" philosophy, but me and Adam have always been the if you're hungry, we'll give you food people. This whole experience opened my eyes to the idea that maybe all people should at least be heard... maybe I shouldn't be so quick to judge... maybe we all should lend an ear, a hand, some acts of kindness, some money if we have it. I don't know, but I think I can feel the tough, hard shell around my heart cracking... don't think that shell is going anywhere anytime soon, but she cracked it. Just some food for thought. Have a good day everybody!

how low can you go?

Hello world!!! What's that you ask? Why am I awake at 2am on a school night?? Well.... since you ask....

My BG (blood glucose or sugar) is 42! Yikes I know!!

It's okay though... I'm working on getting it up... suspended the pump (Insulin pump... I have Medtronic Paradigm 522),;Coke and mini chocolate chip (horribleforyou) muffins at side! Trying despirately not to binge. Should have drank the milk like I started, but then I felt that twinge of oh-my-god-you-are-still-dropping-and-you-are-gonna-die!!

I've been awake for about 30 minutes lying in my bed. Thinking "CHECK YOUR SUGAR." So after carefully and quitely using my cell phone as a light, I finally found my meter, strips, and (after checking to see if I could just squeeze my finger and make blood appear) my lancet. All while despirately trying to not wake Adam (my awesome hubby) who has to wake up to go to work in about 3 hours.

I was already on high alert for this one though... I had such roller coaster day today.

Usually I use what is called a quickset for my insertion set or site. Night before last I had TWO go bad on me (one was kinked and the other was just in a bad place)!! Totally wrecking my BG and leaving me at 400 with ketones half of the night. The next morning I went in to work at the endo (diabetes) clinic where I help out teaching insulin pumps two days a week. I found something called a SURE T which is an infusion set that uses a real needle instead of a catheter. I poped it in with slight reservation and to my surprise... it felt fine. Problem solved... almost... since I've been wearing the sure t I've had better insulin absorbtion, running with a temp basal at 75% of my regular basal rate and still living with a BG in the 60's sipping on real coke.

So, when some friends ask me to meet them for Mexican and drinks I thought... sure... my blood sugar could use a little Mexican boost! haha... 9pm BG 257!! (Side note... one of my fav mex restaurant around pelham just started serving margaritas made with SPLENDA... love!!) But alas... I corrected my high and here I am... sitting on my couch in the dark, basking in the low of knowing that my pump site is working and the mexican food is now gone from my tummy along with the high that it caused.

Well... feeling better now... guess I'll head back to bed!

Waiting

So....  I'm waiting... My husband and I are ready to try for kids, but before any of this can happen, we have to have the approval.

Not of one another. Not of our mothers (our fathers both tragically died the first year we were married). But of doctors.... and not just one doctor but lots of doctors... First my endo. I see him every three months (plus I work with him on occasion). We've been talking hypothetically about me getting pregnant for a while now, and he's been supportive and really willing to help me out. But, now that I've emailed him saying... "we're ready and what do we do?" I haven't heard from him. I'm kinda freaking out... I really really really need to hear from him that he thinks it is going to be okay. I need his advice. But I'm waiting...

After we hear from him I will need to meet with my OB GYN. Even though she will not be able to deliver the baby (because she is not a high risk OB) I will need her approval as well. She is great though, and I'm really sad she won't be able to be the one that helps me through the process.

Then there is my eye doctor... I see them next week.

And the dentist (who knew this was important before getting pregnant?!?)... I see them in July.

And then I will need to pick a high risk ob gyn who I will want to work with throughout the pregnancy. This is going to be important because I will have to see this person A LOT for the nine months and they will call a lot of the shots on how much I will be able to participate in my own care.

And then there are the issues of getting started on a CGM and getting a pump upgrade to the REVEL so that I can have a 300 unit cartridge to deal with the quadrupaling of my insulin requirements.

But until then... I am just waiting... waiting... waiting...