Author: kathleen

Basically, blood pressure and cholesterol are the most important factors.  We (medical team and I) were working on that at the time of diabetes diagnosis.  However, we couldn’t get the blood pressure where it needed to be UNTIL I got my blood sugar under control.  When I got down to under 7.0, it was like “pop” the blood pressure normalized as did the cholesterol.

The notes on hypoglycemic makes sense too — having been through a few of those events (mostly on injections rather than on pump), they can’t be good for you either long term OR short term.

The third of three diabetes studies testing whether aggressively lowering blood sugar reduces risk of heart attacks and death from cardiovascular disease offers doctors and patients some clarity amid conflicting reports on the issue, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Health Blog : Third Diabetes Study Is the Charm on Advice for Preventing Heart Risk

Baby steps, but I’ve been able to walk 15 minutes straight in the late morning, twice this week. I can’t later in the day, especially if I did it earlier, but I am getting there.

I’m also making progress on the insulin usage front.  I’m doing my — try to walk off the blood sugar from a meal, rather than bolus.  I don’t recommend it for anyone but a Type 2, and then only if you do a lot of testing.  I’m still doing my basal insulin (about 40 units a day), and I correct two hours after I ate like usual.  Yesterday I was able to get to 64 units, so I’m doing better, last weekend I was at 70 units.

I’m also still doing Symlin when I perform this experiment so I’m not completely not treating.  The good news, is that it prevents a lot of lows from exercise and it’s easier than reducing the basal — since I tend not to plan exactly when I am going to exercise.

I’ve been watching these studies — but, when they didn’t report, is are the short terms effects of tight control? For me, keeping tight control is important as high blood sugar makes me tired, and makes it harder for me to think. So I am sticking with the plan.

Quoted from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/health/research/07diabetes.html?em&ex=1212984000&en=bd430c985dfecda0&ei=5087%0A:

Tight Rein on Blood Sugar Has No Heart Benefits – NYTimes.com

Thus both studies failed to confirm a dearly held hypothesis that people with Type 2 diabetes could be protected from cardiovascular disease if they strictly controlled their blood sugar.

For me, the school year goes from June to June.  Yes, I signed out yesterday but I’ve already started next year’s work.  I’ve got curriculum to write, finals to write, and this year I’m probably in charge of a group of Seniors — I will find out more next Thursday.

Today, I went to the endo’s office for blood draws, then Denny’s for breakfast and then to the mall to walk off breakfast.  Did about 4000 steps.  It was nice and cool, and I could stop and sit down for a bit.

The best news is that I really DID walk off the breakfast.  I injected Symlin with breakfast but no bolus insulin for the food (but did correct for the morning, as I was at 125.  When I finished at the mall about 2 hours later I was at 165. I’m often higher than that with insulin!

Nice start to the break.

We kicked the kids out of the building this morning, after giving them their final exam.  Mine actually helped me pack up the lab which was a huge relief.  Honestly didn’t expect them to help at all, because, well, that class was lazy.

I believe I’ve lost 5 pounds.  Hard to know for sure because of the water weight thing — my weight really fluxs back and forth.  But my activity level has increased, and I’m able to do slightly more.  I can tell because I’ve been weighing a pedometer.

Blood sugar has remained a lot smother, and my TDD is still at the lower rate, approaching a 80 unit average — I was doing as much as 130 units without good control, so this great.

I really think I got into a stress, not sleeping, not taking care of myself cycle once again this year, and am going to work hard this summer to try to fix all that.  It isn’t good for me, my husband OR my students.

FYI: Love fit4d.com — check them out.  They are helping me pull myself out of the hole I am in.

All of a sudden my TDD has dropped about 30 units.  That means I am consuming much less calories, especially the carb kind.

I’m not sure if it is the Fit4D class or the fact that the school year is finally winding down (last full day was yesterday), but it’s actually a relief.

And the blood sugar has been fairly smooth.  Especially no highs which I’ll take. 

I am doing the diuretic thing all weekend.  Back during spring break the cardiologist looked at me and claimed that I had at least 20 pounds of water weight.  I did a day of diuretics then but it didn’t do much good.

Decided to do all three days,no matter what it does to the blood sugar, and to low carb as much as possible.

The good news is that my blood sugar doesn’t seem to be very elevated — and my TDD hasn’t gone up.  I think I feel better between the Celebrix and even getting a couple of pounds off.  My activity level was higher yesterday than it was Saturday, without as much effort.

School countdown:
3 teaching days
4 exam days
1 week day

However I don’t get much of a break, I’ve got consistent staff development between now and then.

“You would think with that many people in the plan, we would get better coverage at a reasonable price, but it doesn’t seem to have helped,” he said, contending that coverage under DISD’s old plan – discontinued in 2004 when the district jointed TRS-ActiveCare – was better.

Texas teachers health plan’s reach grows | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News

I sure disagree with the above statement.  Now, I have no idea what it costs to have family members on the plan, but coverage is infinity better for the individual teacher, plus the costs have remained fairly stable.

The first Fit4D webinaire was on Wednesday.  Was a good session but a lot of information at once.  Our homework is huge!

Got a call Wednesday (as I was waiting for the Fit4D webinaire), from Matt at Dexcom.  He told me that they couldn’t send out a replacement label for my receiver, but would send me a new reciever.  It arrived yesterday — and here’s weirdness, they sent everything I need to return the old receiver BUT the FedEx envelope.  I need to email them and ask them for one.

I was hoping that it would have the new software on it, but no dice.  I did enter another box of sensors — but I don’t plan to use them until the new software is available (but I do need to watch the expiration date).