The End is Near!

Only seven more days of optometry school left. A lot has happened since my last post and I'm going to try to make more regular posts in the future! I'm moving back home in June and will live with my parents while I do my residency in ocular disease. I may move to Toledo once winter rolls around so I'll be closer to the residency, but for now I plan on making the commute each day. My residency will be one year long and early next year I'll have to decide where I want to looks for jobs. I have an idea where I want to live, but haven't made any definite decisions yet.

I wasn't actually planning on posting tonight, but I sit here waiting to go for a run. I've been on shots and Dex (see here) for the past few days and keep getting lows... Blood sugar was great after dinner tonight and only went up to about 110mg/dL after my meal. I may have over-bolused a little bit, because about 2.5 hours after dinner I went low, so I ate a banana and planned to go running about 20 minutes later...well all was well and blood sugar went up to 139mg/dL, so I went upstairs to get my running shoes and change and when I came back downstairs blood sugar was a mere 91mg/dL...seriously!? grrr...ate a protein bar and I sit here and wait...Dex just buzzed low again...80mg/dL...go up already blood sugar!!!!

Things That Make Me Happy!

Recently I read a post on the blog Six Until Me and it made me realize that even though diabetes makes me frustrated a lot, there are many things that make me happy. And many of the things that make me happy are related to my diabetes; how ironic! So I've decided to make my own list of things that make me happy! :)

1. Finding watermelon glucose tabs at Kroger after I had to switch to grape because I couldn't find any store that sold watermelon.

2. Getting a mani/pedi and massage all in the same night!

3. Singing in the car.

4. Taking a "free" shower; AKA not having anything related to diabetes "hooked" up to me.

5. When the infusion set insertion is pain-free. 

6. Not having to take a bolus of insulin for a meal.

7. Running in a light rain.

8. Getting things organized.

9. Walking barefoot in the grass.

10. Making the perfect marshmallow over a campfire. I'm really good at roasting marshmallows and they're never burnt!

11. Meeting others with diabetes.

12. Explaining to others how all my cool diabetes gadgets work.

13. When my continuous glucose monitor and blood glucose meter match exactly.

14. My Garmin nüvi.

15. Having a diet soda every once in awhile.

16. Sugar-free Jell-O; definitely my favorite free food.

17. Sugar-free Tang.

18. Having my Dexcom sensor last longer than a week.

19. Not setting an alarm clock and waking up whenever I wake up.

20. Reading Cosmo or a variety of other magazines.

So those were just a few of the things that I randomly thought of in the past few minutes. Hopefully you enjoyed it! I'll end this post with one of my favorite quotes that I think has a good point...

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." –Buddha

Blood Glucose Meters...

So I realized that the meters that check my blood sugar aren't exact, but 29 mg/dL difference from one hand to another? When I first calibrate my continuous glucose monitor I have to check my blood sugar twice in a row (once from one hand and once from the other) and the numbers have always been within 10 mg/dL. I thought maybe it was the strips so I used the control solution, but that test came back normal. 

Meanwhile, I sort of want to check again because I feel dizzy and lightheaded yet I'm not low. I just finished drinking some Vitamin water because I was low when I got home from work :( It's been about an hour and I still feel crappy...

Enough!

Really? Again!? I woke up from my nap tonight at 38 mg/dL and and then ate way too much because I felt so crappy. Then I had to bolus (taking a dose of insulin for the excess food) and about 30 minutes ago I was getting ready to go for a run and checked my blood sugar to make sure I was good to go and voila! 63 mg/dL...I didn't really feel all that low, but apparently I was. So I drink some vitamin water so I can run the three miles I need to and I get to 1.5 miles and feel kind of crappy and weak, so I check and what do I see...48 mg/dL...no this can't be right...check again 43 mg/dL...yep, must be right...more vitamin water. I figured I'd write about all my lows while I was waiting for my sugar to get back to normal so I can finish my run...grrrrr...This is when I get irritated with my diabetes...I have work to do, can't you just not get in my way right now!? Thanks.

Spring Break!

So I made it through part I of boards! I won't find out how I did until April or May though, so that kind of sucks, but I'm just glad it's over with. Now I can see my friends again and get back to being myself! Jen and Mo's wedding is less than three months away! I have to get working on my tan and finish something I'm working on for Jen! :) I have so many things to do in the next week before it's time to go back to classes. I still have clinic on Wednesday morning and Friday afternoon, but other than that it's technically spring break! I also just decided on Tuesday that I'm going to head to Chicago this weekend for a few days because I wanted to see my cousin and I needed a vacation! Well, I need to get ready to take Karen to the airport then I'm going to get a massage and then it's dinner with my mom, dad, and aunt because they're in town for the girls state basketball tourney today.

Finals and Boards

So finals (Monday and Tuesday) and boards (March 17 and 18) are quickly approaching and I'm as busy as ever and just a little stressed. It doesn't help that I seem to be constantly tired and feeling sick all too often lately. If I seem too busy to do much of anything between now and then, it's because I am :( I'll also try to have a post once boards are over, because it's long over due.

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!