Author: kathleen

To be honest, I haven't thought about my lapband for a while.  It's there, it keeps me feeling full, and occasionally reminds me it is still there.

However, you're supposed to do regular maintenance.  I was going to Forest Park Medical in Dallas for lap band fills, and the last time I was there, probably over a year ago, they said it was fine and that they wouldn't put any more in it.  I didn't really want them to, was just in for a check.

I just called the number I had for lapband fills, and it goes to some kind of billing department.  Very interesting.

So if you keep up with the news in Dallas, Forest Park Medical center has shut down and there have been over 21 people implicated in an indictment.  The major people advertising bariatric surgery are on the list so I was convinced my surgeon was one of them.  Especially since there is another doctor with the same last name on the list.

Good news, it's a different doctor.  I've got an email out to them now — seems he is even in network with my insurance.

I was looking forward to a pump I could see — I got that and more.  

This system is far better than any I have worn in the past. I have been pumping since 2004 and call it what you will, but I am extremely sugar sensitive-the whole reason for wearing an insulin pump. . Since putting this pump on, I have only gone below the red line once, and that was in the middle of the night last night.  By the time it woke me up, I was back normal without a peep from the diabetes alert dog. 

For those who are new to the diabetes world, here is what happened, the pump alarmed that I was going down but I slept through it. When I hit 90, the pump stopped delivering insulin and by the time I was fully awake, over 10 minutes later, I was back where I should be, 90-100.  I turned the pump back on, tested my blood sugar, went to the bathroom, etc and was fine after that.  

For those of you on pills, my mother, a good friend and a former professor, my 90 isn't your 90.  In fact, none of my numbers are yours. You are on a different regimen, probably pills and your body still produces insulin and all the other hormones. I resemble the typical type 1 more than the typical type 2. Who knows why, that is why it is called practicing medicine.  Also you have a different meter than I do.  The firth thing you learn with CGMS is that it's the trend not the number  

If my body still produces insulin, it is at a very low rate. I have both hypo and hyper glycemic unawareness.  Meaning I rarely know when I am high or low. I feel absolutely miserable if I eat too many carbs at once, and as a result often spread meals out. I eat slower than anyone I know, partly due to the lap band.  I get headaches and muscle aches when I don't have enough sugar in my system to fuel it.

Now, as I get to know this pump, I might change the threshold but for right now 90 is a good number.  I am most comfortable in the 150 range when physically active and driving.  I try never to go over 220 but it happens, especially this time of year.  I am currently at the gym trying to head off a high I caused by eating a snack.  Sure thought I used the right numbers.

But back to the Minimed 630G  It works and works better than any pump/CGMS technology   I have worn it in the pool, yoga, and cardio   Also showing the new dog and my numbers are smoother than ever before   Confession:  I am dosing off the pump and rarely did that with the old system.

i a, signing up for the upgrade in the Spring and I would not have based on the old pump experience.

I love, love this new pump. 

First, the new sensor calibration rocks.  I’m always within the same decade on the figure sticks and the calibration.  I was skeptical that we would be able to actual dose off the system, but I see no problem with it. 

Second, two nights a row without being woke up by lost sensor alarm or false low.

Finally Jenny Craig update.  I continue to lose weight!  I’m close to my half way goal – though I’m not sure how I’ll ever meet a goal since I keep changing them.  I went in on a 20 pounds for $20 promotion, lost almost 20 and changed my goal to 210 pounds.  I’m almost halfway there.

I had a love hate relationship with my old pump.  Loved it during the day, hated it at night.  Plus, the whole sensor thing wasn’t that accurate.  It almost always work me up with a lost sensor alarm sometime during the night.  Well I also hated the screen, I couldn’t see it.

I finally got everything hooked up yesterday evening.  I was at the dentist all day when the sensor came in.  Fortunately it had a full charge when it got here and I was able to hook it up right away.  That was the reason the pump was sitting on my desk all week.

Anyway, last night it didn’t wake me, and this morning the sensor reading matched my blood sugar reading EXACTLY.

Just answered my first question, I can have up to 6 compatible meters.  Now I need to snag one or two for free.  I don’t see needing six, but I had quite a few of the old ones.

So first, I get comfortable with the way I regularly used the old pump and then I start figuring out features that I haven’t used but should or new ones.

And no I don’t advise people to hook up the pump without training, but I’ve been pumping since 2004 and I’ve been doing CGMS off and on since it came out.

I had everything I needed medically to have a pleasant trip.

This was a surprise — my new dog came with dog show entries — we spent three days in Conroe, Texas.  My box of sensors was missing tape, but I went to CVS and they had a good substitute.  At least the tape is still on 🙂

Next dog show trip I need to add makeup.  I also need a better bag for dog show stuff.

And this is a diabetes issue. 

First both human and dog diabetics are in debt to Banting and the dogs used in his reasearch. If it weren't for the animal model who knows when insulin would have been discovered.  

I have a good friend who is a vet and is supervising a beagle colony in reasearch currently and she has in the past. She is that type of vet proecisely because she can help both animals and humans live better lives. The current colony will be homed afterwards though I am not sure that is the best thing. They have lived in a rescue colony all of their lives and changing that environment is difficult. 

One of the biggest issues in medicine these days is aging. The animal model is a good choice and she has worked with those studies. Unfortunately to do a complete study they need to be necropsied when the study is finished but  that is usual at age 13! In my own beagles cases, quality of life was not good after that age. 

The reason I am bringing this up today is that I have run into this group as an alternative fund giving opportunity to the group I am in the board of. First at a friends funeral which appalled me since she was a diabetic.  Yesterday at a club that I was considering joining. This an another reason is why I am not joining.  Don't want to fight that battle.

However, it is apparent to me that their overhead is more costly than ours.  Ours is less that 5%  

The warranty went out on my insulin pump earlier this week.  The new Minimed 630G arrived today.  I asked all the right questions, but one, and wasn’t told this.

It needs a new sensor transmitter!

The good news, is that they are sending me a new one that will work with the 630G system, arriving probably by the end of next week.

I like being able to see the screen!

Yes, I’m still at my lowest weight and very close to my half way weight with Jenny Craig.  My consultant had me set a higher goal weight than I really wanted, but it made sense.

Here’s my frustration, which is really weird because it’s also the reason I didn’t lose weight for so long.  My clothing still fits.

Well my sports bras are too big, and I’m trying to solve that.  I’ve got three different bras coming to see which one fits.  The smallest I ordered last, one that is a band size and a cup size smaller and one that is only a cup size smaller.  Nordstrom, so getting the bra fitting department to help will be easy.  I should have had them ship to store as I think about it, but running over there during the week, early in the day, with them is no problem.

My regular bras still fit, and are much more comfortable. 

My tops should still work because we chose styles that weren’t form fitting, but I would think a size smaller jean would work, but they don’t.

I have a feeling part of the problem is my skin.  I have a lot of extra.

This picture was taken about a year after my lap band:

And here is one from last week:

Though it is a bit difficult to tell, I was super bundled up in the first picture.

And I still think I ran better back then.