Category: Blog

My endo set a goal of 140 average glucose and 80% in range 

I was 123 this week and 123 average glucose with 8 units of insulin. 

I have also lost two pounds. 

The new plan is working really well.  Really glad I got upset and pushed. 

It's only been two days on Performance, but the scale is moving in the correct direction.

Being on the Reboot/Reduce plan and doing 90 minutes of exercise a day was just too hard.  My coach was encouraging and felt that I should add some protein to the plan, but that was still leaving me hungry in the evenings, and making me feel like I was cheating.

On Performance/ Reduce I'm not hungry at the end of the day and I'm not tempted to eat the wrong food.  That's a huge difference for my mental attitude.

I don't want to reduce my workouts.  My ultimate goal is to participate in  Agiity Trials again.  I also need a great deal of strength and endurance to be able to compete at conformation.

I have to share an "OOPS".  I have been logging food at MyFitnessPal and I thought I was eating too much until I realized I had set MyFitnessPal to lose two pounds a week.  I'm actually right there.

Man, you have to watch out.

I do clinical trials as often as possible.  It helps everyone else.  If we don't do clinical trials we won't have new technology.

I'm currently enrolled in the Pfizer Covid clinical trial and it's great.  I took Summer to a vet for a clinical trial, and it again it was great.  In fact, I tried to spend money with them.

However, I also signed up for a clinical trial with a local physical therapy place.  However, I can tell from the appointment process, it's a scam.  Yes, maybe someone is gathering data for someone, BUT they wanted my insurance information.  The people doing the Pfizer study didn't do that.  I am pretty sure it's a way to get people in the door.

This was my second visit with a new provider.  She's very young.

My previous primary care doctor was great, but he has gone to a concierge practice.  I have a feeling that's not allowed by my plan.  

My biggest question is when should I get tested for Covid and she says that Baylor Scott and White is still working on the — test only if you have sympthoms.

I saw my endochronolist yesterday.  My A1C was up, but I attribute that to cortisone shots, I forgot to tell her that… darn.

Anyway, we added Farxigo, which I picked up and took one this morning.  CVS is running a tad slow, but she might have needed to do a prior authorization.

I'm using less insulin, but I miss some dosing sometimes with getting accomplished to the InPen.

She actually doesn't want me to dose in the morning anymore and wants to start dosing around 1:00 pm I think.  She says my blood sugar starts climbing around 3:00 pm

She set a goal of 140 average blood sugar and 80% time in range.  Otherwise everything is the same.

It's interesting but I didn't feel the same during the Dallas Show.

However, the Dallas Show is indoors, cement / tiled floor.  

Glen Rose is dirt, where livestock has been.  There is a huge steep ramp to get into the show arena.  It was very hard to move the crate stack.  I have friends who call it "Satan's Outhouse".

I also had a 90 minute drive.  I will also share that I didn't sleep well.

I have until February 2 to decide if I want to enter Midland.  

Saturday didn't seem bad at all.  Sunday, I couldn't decide if I wanted to stay for owner-handler so napped in the car for a few hours.  I didn't stay.  Probably a good decision.

When I got home, I was completely stiff and locked up which I haven't seen for a while.  It eased up after about 5 steps.

My knees were also bothering me more than usual when I walked later in the evening.

The good news is that I have until February 2 to decide on the next show.  

They do say that this is a one year recovery.

Obi took Reserve.  

Summer took Owner Handler Best of Variety and competed and won against a dog. 

We have groups later in the day.  

Kathleen Weaver

This weekend is the Glen Rose show.  I was planning on taking two dogs and staying at the hotel across from the show site, but I was really dreading the show.

I realized this morning that this is the first time I'm driving more than an hour since the surgery.

First time I'm traveling with two dogs since the surgery — driving to dog agility doesn't count.  

Also, it's in a small town with very few restaurants and grocery stores.   Plus, I might not need both dogs.

So, I'm taking baby steps and driving there each day — it's a 70 minute drive each way, so it will be a good test.  If the major breaks, I only have to take one dog on Sunday and Monday and don't have to worry about the extra dog. Or worry about getting food.

I do have hotel reservations for Midland, but haven't entered that dog show yet.

This is crazy, as I don't remember just how much in pain I was, but I couldn't stand or walk without a walker for more than say two minutes.

Standing is still a problem, but I think that will come with time and strength training.

I finally broke down and went to the recommended surgeon — Dr. Timon with All Star Orthopedics, back in July.  He wasn't hopeful at the time, as he didn't see anything he can fix on the XRay but sent me for an MIR.  He was really excited after seeing it.  He saw a herniated disk which he knew he could fix.

I cancelled dog shows — especially driving to Ohio for the National Beagle Speciality and scheduled the surgery immediately.  It was set up for Monday, September 13.

Got there, did all the prep and was waiting for surgery and Dr. Timon comes in.  He was furious because the facility wasn't climate controlled enough to guarateen that the surgical field would be sterile enough.  I had to get dressed and go home.  Got a call later in the day and the surgery was scheduled for the next day at a different facility.  Of course, I had to prep a second time which was hard on the skin.

That surgery went off without a hitch, but the staff at that hospital was difficult.  Dr. Timon insists that his patients walk every three hours for 24 hours after surgery.  Well, you tell me something and I'll do it to the best of my ability.  Unfortunately the staff wasn't on the same page.  Also they were lazy and disconnected my IV which caused it to clog.  It hurts a lot to unclog it.  Also I had no idea that they weren't alerted when the alarm went off.  They also didn't bother to tell me until the last bag of IV antibotics, that it was diluted with glucose (my endo said they should have used saline).

They did put 15 pounds of fluid on me (I know, I weighed before and after surgery).

Once I got home, recovery was easy.  I did insist on home health care which consisted on an OT and a nurse.  The OT came out two times — first recommendation, get a hip kit BEFORE surgery.  That is tools that will help you to keep from BLTing (Bend, Lift, or Twist — which you can't do for 6 weeks).

The wound got pink once, they threw antibotics on it, and it was all good.

I got cleared for PT after 6 weeks and scheduled it immediately. 

Did exactly that the PT people said — and used All Star Orthopedics Physical Therapy — it was my third round with them.  Was cleared after 6 weeks of 3 days a week – about an hour a day.   Did an extra 45 minutes of cardio each day.

I gained a bit of weight before surgery.  Took it off, and have been maintaining ever since.

Managed to accomplish my goal — show my dogs at the Dallas Dog Show — and was able to do it by myself, as always.  

I had a checkup yesterday, got a clean bill of health, and will go back in 6 months.  The PA said I was a textbook case!

Fun appointment. 

My tricuspid valve isn’t leaking as much as it was last year when I was thinking about weight loss. The cardiologist was patting herself on the back for the improvement. 

This puzzled me because I couldn’t remember what she did. 

She said it was because she counseled me weight loss.  

Oh well, if she wants to take credit, okay. 

Kathleen Weaver