Category: Blog

I have been barely escaping periodontal problems most of my adult life.   I was sent to a periodontist when I first moved to Dallas.   I have even had some medication injected into my gums.

Also gum (periodontal) disease is a common complication of diabetes.

A few years ago, I had to have a tooth extracted and ended up going to Baylor Dental School for it.  The experience was pretty good as dental issues goes, so I signed up to be a patient for students.  I don't think it is cheaper than private dentistry but I trust them more.

The good and bad thing — at least one professor is going to be in your mouth, in my case, generally 2 or 3 each visit.

My dental student has not been able to clear up my gum problems so I was sent to the grad school and have been working with a great graduate student.  She did a really deep cleaning, but I was still left with two pockets.  She wanted to repair them but agreed to wait and see.  I was actually scheduled for surgery in December, but ended up with a root canal and a crown removal instead.

The crown removal was the worst — my student couldn't get a temporary crown to stay so I was referred to periodontal for a crown lengthening.  That was scheduled for yesterday.

The best news is that the pockets have healed and we're still watching them.  I did have the crown lengthening on the right side.  The 4th year wanted the left side done too, but there is no way I could have tolerated having both sides done, so we have the second crown lengthening schedule for March.

I still think we can skip that.

The crown lengthening itself was a bit scary but not as scary as the pocket repair is to me.  I left with a sore jaw and after care directions.  Basically soft food and nothing hot for 24 hours.  I've managed to do that.  The good news is that I'm not sensitive to cold, so last night was ice cream and room temperature tomato soup.  Yogurt before I went to bed.

The absolute worse part — being "benched" from all activity.

I just read an online article about how a woman was body shamed while shopping at Lululemom.

I've had retail sales people be rude to me, and I can tell you from experience, getting the apology doesn't get me back in the store.   There is an Avenue near me that I haven't shopped at since one of the employees accused me of having a fake service dog.  I rarely even go into any of their stores now, even though I don't use the service dog. 

On the other hand, I've always been treated graciously at Nordstrom, with or without dog.  Their small touches, such as giving gift cards, merchandise and their generous return policy get me going back.

I will say that getting a substantial gift card has gotten me back into stores, but only if the employees are gracious.  Retail needs to treat all customers with open arms. 

This week has been full of @SunstoneFIT milestones.

First Barre class, and I will be back.  

Third 90 challenge, though I still don't think they count them right. 

And drumroll…

My 200th class, mostly hot yoga. 

If you would like to try Sunstone, let me know, I have 15 free class passes I can give away. 

Though I still think I made the right decisions.  My pump warranty expired in November, and at the visit before that, I learned my endo was leaving private practice for the VA.

I wanted his support through the pump change, which I had.  And he did renew MOST of my prescriptions in December, but missed one.  That’s when I realized I may have waiting too long.  Last week I got emails from my pharmacy saying they couldn’t get a script signed off.  I had to call the office and be on hold for awhile before I got through.

Then last Wednesday when I got labs had to wait outside while the office got him to sign off on the labs.  And while they took lots of bodily fluids, only my A1C came back.

While I had made the decision to switch and who to switch to, I hadn’t pulled the trigger yet.  So as soon as I said good bye to Doctor Milburn and got in the car, I called Diabetes Center of America.  I was halfway home when I found out that I needed to fill out a paper form so the medical records would get transferred, so I had to turn around and go back.

But I do have an appointment next week, and I won’t have to go in Fasting.

Oddly enough people do recognize me without her, and it still generates conversations.

But at least they are people who have at least a nodding acquaintance with me and not total strangers.

I started using Dulce because I couldn't control my blood sugar, it was affecting my health and it was driving her crazy.  Training her and listening to her made her a better dog.  I stopped using her for a while because I was working as a contractor and just couldn't wrap my head around making it work.  I did use her at home and for some outings.

Back in the spring when we went to Alaska I had a nasty low with no warning and ended up eating every bit of sugar I had on me and begging people on the tour bus for more.

However, with the new A1C of 6.4, and the new pump and CGMS sensor that actually work, Dulce is not working.  I even left her home all weekend while Summer and I went out of town.  Yes, we were only 1 and 1/2 hours a way, and I could have come home and got her, but I foresee doing this in the future.

She is a lot happier and relaxed with my good A1C.  I think I'm moving around better.  I actually set up jumps at agility yesterday, something I rarely have the energy to do.  I have other people say I move better too. 

But ethically, I believe its wrong to use a service dog if you don't need one.  Yes, sometimes it would make my life a bit easier if I used her — it would have been nice to go into Fry's yesterday after agility but it wasn't necessary.

It was Summer but I wouldn't be surprised if Dulce told her to do it. 

We had gone out to the hot tub and I left it on a table. She and the other dogs went back in the house and I came in to see them lying contentedly in the living room with Summer chewing on my pump.  

Tubing peirced, screen pierced, hole chewed off the silicon case I just got. The factory black one, not the purple that is back ordered.

Should be getting a new pump on Friday. Though we are expecting snow. 

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.