Dexcom Seven

I decided to write about my first week with the continuous glucose monitor. The first few hours I was constantly checking the receiver to see what my blood sugars were doing. As the week went on, I found myself checking the receiver less frequently. My first sensor was placed on my stomach as you can see in the picture below. I've also included a picture of the receiver and a good three hours! I hate giving myself shots in my stomach and have never placed a insulin pump infusion set there because it is the most uncomfortable spot for me. The first few days it was pretty uncomfortable, but I thought it would just take a little getting used to. As the week went on it just seemed to get more uncomfortable and I never got used to it being there. I took it off last night because it was really bothering me and the results I was getting were all over the place and not very accurate. I wasn't going to put a new one on until tomorrow, but I had a little extra time before dinner tonight with the girls, so I decided to try a new site. I decided to try my lower back and so far, so good! It's much more comfortable and I can't even feel it now. I figured I tend to sleep on my side, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue while sleeping. It was a little tricky bending back that way to insert the sensor, but not nearly as difficult as inserting my insulin pump infusion set! Here's a cool video of almost the same site that I used tonight. I really wanted to try the back of my arm, but I couldn't figure out a way to do it by myself...I might need the help of friend when I decide to try that! :) Well enough for now, I have to make Jell-O for tomorrow and then do a little last minute shopping in the morning before I head north for a few days!

Approved!

I was approved Tuesday for the Dexcom Seven! I can't believe it was that easy and apparently I didn't need prior approval from my insurance company, which is often not the case. I think more insurance companies are starting to cover them because of this trial. I'm getting excited and can't wait for it to arrive. I'll update everyone on how the new gadget and me are getting along once I figure everything out, but for now it's time to get back to studying for my five finals next week...

Continuous Glucose Monitoring System

I recently decided that I'm finally ready to get serious about getting a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) and I'm in the process of working with DexCom to see what my insurance will cover. I've thought about getting this device in the past, but I have issues with be "hooked up" to two machines at once. I figure I will try it out and wear the machine as needed (like when my blood sugars are being chaotic) or to get an idea of trends in my blood sugars. The machine starts at $600 and the sensors are about $250 for four and the sensors last about one week. It's pretty expensive, but I believe it will be very beneficial and allow me even tighter control of my blood sugars. I also called my insurance company the other day and the lady I spoke with said that CGMS's and sensors are covered at 90% if I choose an in-network provider, so now I just have to fax a few papers to the DexCom representative and hopefully the approval process won't take very long! I'm getting excited because I think this may help me get my HbA1c to 6.0%!

This is what I have to look forward to! I love this blog and Kerri's experience and another person I have spoken to have also made me want to take this next step in my diabetes management! I'll let everyone know when (and if) I get approved for the CGMS!

Fall!

I just wanted to share a picture of my pumpkin that I recently carved! It took forever and this will probably be the last time I try to use a stencil labeled difficult! But I think it turned out pretty good!

And some other photos from a fall party we had at Meg and Alex's house!

Early Mornings

I realized I hadn't posted in quite sometime, so I figured I needed an update! So this quarter is already making me drained and training for a half marathon doesn't make it much easier! I have class at 7:30 am every day except Tuesday. I also ran 10 miles on Monday and took Tuesday off and tonight I ran four, but I'm still a little sore from the 10 miler.

I've been keeping busy as usual, but the weekend of the 19th I went whitewater rafting in West Virginia and had a great time. It was perfect weather and I haven't been camping in so long. It was nice little break before school started up the next week :)

I also made a trip to Put-In-Bay with my parents and cousin Ryan over Labor Day Weekend. It was a fun time and I want to go back to go kayaking before it gets too cold...but it already might be too cold for that!

Pump Issues

My pump had a bad day today and when it's having a bad day I get upset because I tend not to function very well without it attached to me! The screen just started fading out on me after dinner tonight. Never had this problem before, so I called Animas and they are sending out another overnight. It had been doing better tonight, but it will occasionally fade out when I'm trying to do something on it. I also need to get a new bottle of Lantus, since my current one expired five days ago. So going on Lantus wasn't really an option, unless I wanted to risk it and end up getting high blood sugar readings when it runs out (one shot of Lantus can act as my pump would---for 24 hours; the problem with expired or older Lantus is that is doesn't work for the full 24 hours). As for the other issue...I just changed my infusion set on Monday and ever since then the site had been extremely painful when it shoots the insulin in during a bolus. And the first bolus I took after the site change, I get an occlusion alarm and this often occurs when the cannula is bent or there is a blockage in the cannula or tubing. Not wanting to change it, I just tried the bolus again and it went through fine. Well needless to say throughout the past two days I've had a few occlusion alarms go off, but my blood sugars have been very good so I figured the insulin must be getting in fine so I would just deal with the pain upon bolusing because my least favorite part of being on the insulin pump is changing the infusion set. I'll refer you to this article and this one too about the occasional pain that infusion sets can cause. I feel like I could have wrote those myself! So tonight, I'd had enough pain and occlusion alarms, so I took the infusion set out and went for a run and my blood sugar was 105 when I was done running! Perfect! As for the nasty infusion set...

Yes, I now know what the problem was...looks like the cannula had a bit of a kink in it. Not sure what all the pain was from though, because usually bent or kinked cannulas only cause problems with insulin delivery and don't cause a significant amount of pain. I'm just glad to have that stupid thing out of me and feel free for a little bit tonight!

Motivation Where Have You Gone?

My old computer decided it had had enough, so I got a new MacBook!

Jen and I :)

Mo and Jen!

So I was contacted by someone requesting an update. I haven't forgotten about my blog, I've just been busy with classes and trying to stay on top of everything while lacking the motivation to do much of anything else. I had the entire day off today and while I did get laundry done and made a visit to the dentist to get my temporary filling replaced with a permanent one, I haven't been very productive at all. I don't want to blame it on the fact that I haven't been feeling that great the past few days, but I'm not sure what else is to blame. Hopefully I'll be able to have a productive weekend because Tuesday through Thursday of next week I have finals! Then I will have over a month off of classes and I will only have clinic on Wednesday mornings and Friday evenings! I'm looking forward to the break from classes and my mini-vacation with my mom, aunt, and cousin! :) 

4th of July!

I have to start out with the shoes I found several days before the 4th...I think it was meant to be! I got a great deal on them and it always makes me happy when I find them online for way more than I paid. I wore them downtown on Thursdsay and walked over two miles in them! I did have the Insolia insoles in them though so I can't take all the credit!

Robyn and I at Red, White, and Boom!

Fireworks at Red, White, and Boom!

View of Cedar Point from the boat!

Fireworks at Cedar Point!

I had a pretty good holiday and enjoyed the nice long weekend as well as I could considering I had two tests the next week! I went to Columbus's celebration on Thursday, then drove up to Cedar Point Friday morning and spend the rest of the day relaxing on the boat and then went into Cedar Point and rode a few rides at night! I finally rode the Maverick and it was so sweet! I also got to ride it at night and in the front seat! :-)

Weekend in Cleveland!

The family

Lily and Betty

Lily and Chris's awesome cake

Trent and Betty

Lily trying to decide if this is Chris or not...

I just wanted to say a little bit about Lily and Chris's wedding this past weekend... Even though the weather wasn't the greatest at least the wedding wasn't outside! I had a great time and even danced! Guess I just needed a little Captain in me! They also had filet mignon as one of the entrees and there was no way I would have ordered anything else! It was so good too! 

Looking for a New Doctor

Why is it so hard to find a good doctor? Maybe I expect too much from my doctor. All I really want is someone who cares about me and is willing to understand that I'm human and can't be perfect all the time. I also would like someone who is respectful and doesn't think they're so much better than me. Sorry for the rant. I sometimes wish I could just forget about my diabetes for one day. But unfortunately that's not an option.

Milk...It Does a Body Good!

I've been drinking more milk lately, but not because it's good for me. I've actually been having cravings for it. This is quite strange, because I normally can't stand to just drink it. I also buy the 1/2 gallon jug, but tonight I decided to get the 1 gallon jug instead. The 1 gallon was only 50 cents more too. I normally wouldn't even think about getting that much milk because it would spoil before I could use it all, but being only a little bit more than the 1/2 gallon, I figured why not. I was just thinking about when I bought the 1/2 gallon that I just finished tonight and I got it on  Sunday afternoon. Yep, I've drank a 1/2 gallon since Sunday. Wow, I guess I was thirsty. I did use a little for cereal yesterday, but the rest I just drank!

Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day!

Diabetes...

I was diagnosed at age 12 and will turn 25 in October. Approaching 13 years...

It doesn't seem like that long, but I think I've adapted as well as I can and some days are definitely better than others. Today was a good day. I slept in till 1:00PM and my blood sugar was 103 when I woke up. I couldn't ask for much better. My blood sugars tend to be lower in the morning and often I wake earlier than I would like to with low blood sugar. I am grateful that my body knows that I need to wake up and I'm always aware and know what I need to do. I'm also grateful that I can live a healthy life and although diabetes sucks at times, I know life could be worse. I've learned to do things a certain way and although I have a lot more things to think about than most people, I try not to let it rule my life or get me down. There are times where I get upset about it, but I think that's normal with any chronic disease.

Carb Counting...

Sometimes I wish I could just eat anything and not worry about how many carbs are in it. I'm always adding and estimating the amount of carbs in any food that I eat. Try counting the carbs for every food you eat for one day. At the beginning when I started counting carbs, I had no clue how many were in all the foods I ate. For a month or so I carried about a carb counting book until I got the hang of things. I also love the nutritional labeling that accompanies almost every food product out there. It makes my life a lot easier, but there are still fruits and fresh things that make carb counting more challenging. I also love the "free" foods where I can pretty much eat any amount of that food and not count a single carb. Hard boiled egg whites, deli ham or turkey, almonds, sugar-free hard candy, light cheese sticks, salad, and green beans are some of my favorites. I'm always trying to find more foods that are low in carbs, but actually taste good and are healthy. Now that the Atkin's Diet Fad has gone away, it's harder to find too many low carb foods, but they're still out there and I just have to look harder to find them. Oh and probably the most annoying thing that people always assume is that I can't eat sweets or candy. I can eat anything I want to! Now, in saying that, I don't eat everything that I want to all the time. Having diabetes has made me very concerned about my diet and I usually try and eat a healthy diet. Blood sugar control is also a lot easier if you eat healthy. I also feel a lot better if I eat well. I do allow myself the occasional sweet, because I have a huge sweet tooth and if I didn't eat real sugar once in awhile I'd go insane. I also try not to keep real candy in my apartment. I do have some sugar free hard candy that I keep around for those times I need a little something sweet. I've found the sugar free Lifesavers are the best and I just recently bought the Lifesaver sugar free butter toffee hard candies and those are pretty good too. As far as chocolate goes, I'm going to eat the real stuff if I need a chocolate fix, because sugar free chocolate has the same amount of fat in it that regular does and regular chocolate is a lot better than sugar free chocolate. I don't really get chocolate cravings though and I keep diet hot chocolate mix around in case I feel the need for some chocolate. As you can see, I've tried almost every sugar free product out there. 

Exercise...

So I love running, but it always makes my blood sugar go down. I've now started taking off my insulin pump while I run, which usually helps my blood sugar stay steady, but I still have frequent lows when I run too far. I used to make sure my blood sugar was 200+ before I ran so it wouldn't get low, but I've noticed I don't feel as good running when it's that high to begin with. I'd prefer to drink water when I run too, but to keep my blood sugar steady I've been drinking Vitamin Water since it's not as sugary as Powerade and Gatorade. As for playing basketball, my blood sugar always increases. So while I'd like to take my insulin pump off when I'm playing because basketball tends to get quite intense, I don't like to because my blood sugar will then go even higher. 

Insulin pump...

I'm on my second insulin pump and this one (Animas IR1250) is waterproof which is nice feature that my last one didn't have. But, all machines tend to break at one time or another and recently it somehow got water in it and stopped working. This episode has happened several times with the Animas pump. The first time, there was crack near the battery well so I figured that is how the water got in. The second time, around the screen there was a suspicious area where I thought water may have been able to get in. This last time, I couldn't find any cracks or suspicious areas, so I'm not exactly sure how water got in it. And I hadn't taken it in any water recently, so I was really puzzled.

Sometimes I wish I didn't have the pump attached to me, but then again it's nice not to have to take several shots each day. And I love telling people about it, because it's a pretty cool little device and most people have no clue how it works.

Well, I'm tired of writing. This was pretty lengthy and if you got to the end I'm impressed. Sorry if I bored you, but hopefully I gave you some insight into what it's like. Oh and I forgot to add that I also prick my finger almost 10 times a day to check my blood sugar. Some people think that my insulin pump checks my sugar too, but maybe one day we'll see a device where it's all integrated and you won't have to wear a separate device to monitor your blood sugars!

Shoes

I went shoe shopping this week because my sweet gray patent shoes ripped! I guess I danced too much in them when I went out with the girls the other weekend! I got them back in November and I figured there was no chance they'd still sell the same ones, but...they do and they had my size! So I ended up getting the same pair and well I found another pair that I of course had to have. Then I was at Target last Friday and somehow ended up in the shoe section and found a pair of pointy flats that I needed. Actually, pointy flats was one of the pairs of shoes that I felt I could use in my collection and I found the cutest shoe at Macy's in NYC in March and they went to get the other shoe and came back and said they couldn't find the other one. I was livid because I had waited over 20 minutes for the guy to go find the other shoe. And they were originally around $100 and they would have been about $30. Oh and last night I ordered this pair that I was thinking about getting when I was in NYC. I also saw them at Century 21 in NYC and was going to have Betty get them when she was downtown, but I decided I should just order them because I'm planning on wearing them to Lily's wedding in June and they're a dressy sandal that'll go perfect with a dress that I already have! I also bought them through a site that accepted Paypal and I had some money in my Paypal account from when I sold some things on eBay, so the sandals ended up only being about $12 once my Paypal credit was applied! Oh and don't think of it like my mom did. She said, so Tia, that means you bought ____ pairs of shoes in one week. I don't like to think of it that way. And I can actually wear all of the pairs except the sandals for clinic. I was thinking practically too when I bought these shoes. Well, enough about shoes, I need to study for a little bit and then get some sleep.

In Need of a New Car

I'm going to start car shopping soon because I can't deal with my car and it's problems. I might even go tomorrow if I get some studying done tomorrow morning! I was going to get up and study this morning since I didn't have class all day, but instead I slept till noon. Yes, noon. I guess I was tired. I did have a long day on Tuesday that consisted of eight hours of class, three games of sand volleyball and running 5 kilometers. I went and got my car today and it ended up being a little over $200, which I guess isn't too bad. But then my car stalled twice today. It has this problem when it is really hot outside where it will just stop running, but it was only 70 degrees at the most today and this was around 5:30 tonight, so it definitely wasn't that hot.  The good news is it started right back up, but I'm not really sure why it shuts off. It's always when the cars not moving either, like when I'm just idling. Hmm...I need to get rid of this car ASAP! 

Things Don't Always Go As Planned

So, my weekend had a very interesting start...

I had a dentist appointment at 8:30am and was over a 1/2 hour late to that because I woke up and just shut off my alarm. Guess I didn't want to get up that early. I was glad my student was able to get me in and I got everything taken care of! Then I only had three hours of class (normally I have four) and after class I had to go to the bank to make a deposit. I was then going to go to the grocery store and run some errands. Well, I never made it past the bank. My car started fine in the parking lot at home, but when I went to start it up after I had been in the bank for a few minutes, nothing happened. I was even just talking to my mom about how

 I really think I should have a more reliable car, because it's had it's share of problems in the past. I'm honestly thinking about leasing one too, because I can't handle any more problems with this car.

So you're thinking big deal, AAA comes and tows the car to a nearby shop and it'll get fixed. Oh and by the way, they think it's the starter. I hope that's all it is. Anyways, I ended up taking the bus home because conveniently there was the right bus stop right in front of the bank. So I guess one thing went my way. And I already pay $9 per quarter to ride the city buses that I haven't rode all year. I was on my way home, when I realized that the bus had a stop at Target, so I decided to get eggs and other various grocery items there since I wouldn't be going to the grocery store anytime soon. I was planning on taking the bus back home, but I ran into a friend who lives really close to me and she offered me a ride home! So, yes another good thing! But...

The night isn't over yet...

I got home and went for a short run (5K) because sometimes running just makes everything better. I then cooked a nice dinner and Karen came over and showed me her dress for a wedding this coming weekend. After dinner, my insulin pump was bugging me (as it had been all day) about it's low battery.

So I figured I should change it. As I'm taking the battery out I notice the entire + end of the battery is corroded. Great. Seriously, could this come at a better time? So I called Animas and since it was late Friday night I wouldn't get a new pump till Monday. I'm just glad I have a good supply of Lantus and lots of needles. I always look forward to taking numerous shots per day. It's sort of nice not having the pump attached to me, but I have to say it definitely has it's advantages and I'm getting sick of the whole shot thing each and every time I eat anything. 

Hopefully next time I update, everything will be in working order. I guess my apartment is extremely organized and clean right now. I had this urge to clean this weekend and I basically cleaned the entire place. I didn't get around to sweeping, but that doesn't take that long and there is always tomorrow! 

NYC in Two Days!

So I'm supposed to be packing for NYC, but I can't seem to get myself motivated. I even cancelled going to Robyn's place tonight because I was too tired and knew I still had to pack. I basically took two naps today and feel like I could take another now. I guess I'm still tired from the sleep deprivation that occurs during finals. I did have to be at the optometrist today for a 10:30AM appointment which came way too early, especially after going to bed around 4:00AM because I didn't start the movie until about 2:30AM! I then took a nap before my 3:00PM doctor's appointment. My HbA1C wasn't bad, but of course not what I would like. It keeps staying the same, but I'm not happy with mediocre and I'm determined to get my HbA1C lower! I really like the doctor though and she wants me to send two weeks worth of blood sugars and boluses to see if she can see where we can make some changes. I'm not excited about having to write down everything, but if that's what it takes to get my numbers down I'll do it!

On another note, it's so warm here! I just hope this weather carries over for the next week or so! It's probably about time I clean up my apartment (and try to pack) since yesterday I someone how trashed the place and didn't have the energy nor the motivation to get it in order today! Oh and here's a picture of my suitcase after I finished packing for NYC when I visited in December. I thought it was such a good job and honestly who's suitcase looks that organized. I guess I just have talent:-) And the rolling things technique definitely allows you to fit more in your suitcase just for those who were curious.

Updates!

I just realized I never updated everyone on a few important things! When I went to NYC in December I did get to go ice skating! Only for a mere 15 minutes, but I did it and next year we need to plan a little better and get there earlier than 15 minutes till close. I knew when it closed, but it took us forever to decide on a place to eat dinner and dinner took forever (but we had great Indian food so I wasn't too sad). 

As for the running challenge (competitors are pictured above- L to R: Me, Betty) that ended on the 26th of February, I lost. I'm not happy about it and I plan to redeem myself in the next challenge. I do have to say I only lost by 6.4 miles and I attribute that to me slacking off and only running 7.0 miles during one particular week. I did run a total of 56.22 miles though and I feel a lot better overall so I did get something out of this! We also started a new challenge as of yesterday to see who could be the 1st to run 40 miles (we have two weeks to do this). I did get in a run last night, but I took it easy because I've been sick for almost two weeks and am just getting over it. At least the cough seems to be going away!

Spring Break!

I made it! I'm done with winter quarter finals and happy I made it through in one piece! I went out with Jess and Robyn tonight to El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant. The food was amazing and so was the margarita! I'm glad I got to see them before I head off to NYC for the break. 

I'm staying a week in NYC and hope the weather is nice so I can enjoy my last full spring break! I'm really looking forward to getting a frrrozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3 and I'd like to take my cousin Tiffany there to experience this amazing concoction. She is coming to NYC for the first time and will only be there for three days, so I was trying to think of the most exciting things I could show her around the city. I could definitely show her tons of great places to shop, but she'll probably want to see what else the city has to offer! 

I'm going to go relax and watch a movie. I haven't had time to watch a movie in quite some time and it's one of my favorite things to do.

Goodnight!

Busy, but Great Day!

I said I wouldn't post until finals were finished, but I just have to because it was such a great day and I feel like I got a lot accomplished! I had class from 8-12, then a 1 hour lunch break, then class from 1-4:30. I came home for about 30 minutes for dinner and then I went back to the college to observe an exam for one of my classes. I got home around 8 and went for a run and had to stop for a while because my blood sugar got a little low. I even drank some pomegranate juice before I started because I was 85. I waited awhile then went for another run and now I'm 90! I also didn't have time to make much for dinner so I got sushi and grapes from downstairs. It was so good!

Now it's time to be more productive and get my optics quiz done and possibly studying some pharm.

Here's a picture of the bento box I got at Toyama Sushi in Midtown NYC back in December. If you want amazing food at an amazing price I recommend going there!

Midterms

I'm taking a break from studying for midterms just to make a quick post since it has been a long time since my last post. I have midterms every week for the next few weeks so I probably won't be posting until after finals end on March 13th. I'm leaving for NYC on March 15th for a week also! I'm excited to see T & B because I miss them already! I talked to B tonight for a long time and tomorrow we start our running challenge to see who can run the most in 30 days. Should be interesting on my part. I'll see if I can keep up with B! Probably not, but maybe this will be the motivation I need!

Here is a picture of Betty in an Kaufman's Army Surplus Store on 42nd Street in NYC. The hat is from WWII and I probably should have bought it for Betty because I think it fits her well.