Category: Blog

Had to go to two medical offices.

The first was at Forest Park Medical Plaza to get my lap band looked at.  We decided on a 1/2 cc fill.  Several of the staff visited with Dulce but more of the visitors did.  By the way, the band looks really good and I’ve lost 10 pounds since I was there last. 

Then since I was near school, I just had to stop by.  Got my room keys, and visited with a couple of people.  They were setting up computers for Parent Portal so I ended up helping and volunteering to help with that on Monday.  I think I’ll even see if I can get in early enough on Monday so we can have my lab for overflow if needed.

My room is a mess.

Then we went for my second appointment, to my new Ob/Gyn.  I have been having trouble seeing my old one who I liked, but they kept canceling my appointments both this summer and last so I couldn’t get in to see them.  I’ve run into an interesting issue so I wanted to get it checked out and the primary care physician wasn’t up for it.  They asked about her, but was cool with it as soon as they realized what her purpose was.

I’m not sure if she alerted or not.  I’m thinking not.  I’m on a bariatric diet which is hard on me blood sugar wise.  Full liquids.  Also weight wise.  But it will be worth it in the long run.

You have a school nurse?

Well, she’s downstairs, in a different part of the building.  She can’t tell if my blood sugar is low or high from there.  If I need her, we’re not having class that day.

That’s come up in idle conversation. 

Dog can tell if I need a piece of candy to fix the low.  Or a unit of insulin to fix the high.  I honestly think that any disruption that the dog will cause the first few days will be much less than any disruption caused by having the school nurse come up. 

Oh, that’s happened.  We didn’t have class that day.

My diabetes alert dog is alerting.  My meter indicated that I needed another unit of insulin to bring my blood sugar down to 100.  However, I’m the high 180’s. 

Frankly, I’m confused.  I don’t think it is a bad thing she is alerting – my meter clearly agrees with her.

I’m just not sure what to do about it.   I’m praising but not jack potting.

I do want tight control.  Thoughts?

Went well.

Dulce alerted when we got there.  Wasn’t real high but I did check and correct – and gave me a chance to do some talking about it whole issue.

They had good questions.  I think I had good answers.

Biggest issues were:

• distractions
• allergies
• fear of dogs

Waiting

I have been utilizing just about every resource the school district gives in trying to fix my diabetes control issue including the BCBS nurse.  I think they sent her to me.

Well she called this afternoon and asked how I was doing.

I told her, well, you probably haven’t heard this one before, but I’m doing loads better and it’s because I decided to train my own diabetes alert dog.

She thought it was awesome and very cool and couldn’t wait until she told her supervisor.  She agreed that it really didn’t matter how I got there, as long as I did.  I explained how it worked – that Dulce alerts when I’m just out of range so I can fix the problem before it gets too bad.

Now if I can just do a better job on controlling my environment!

Today I got up with the following plans:

Get nails done
Go to the gym
Deal with small problems

Didn't actually end up doing things in that order but picked up a small mocha on the way to nails and dosed for half, knowing the gym was the next stop.

Nail salon took longer, and Dulce alerted her way, stretching placing her feet in my knee several times and making eye contact. Dog was right, blood sugar in the 240s, did a half adjustment and headed for the gym where we are now.

Sent from my Windows Phone

Okay, the electronic CGM’s are easy.  You go high, you give yourself some insulin and you wait for your blood sugar go down.

Isn’t that simple with a Diabetic Alert Dog.

By the way I was just asking for advice – what do you do if the dog comes up with an alert different than what you want, do you go with it, or do you train for the alert.

Well, Dulce decided today to go for the alert I wanted.  Not sure why.  She’s been putting her paws on my lap and making eye contact, but I have a leash with a knot in it on the living room floor and she went for that today.

I even decided I wasn’t out of range – there we go with that assumption again – I know I have hypo and hyper glycemic unawareness.

But she alerted, I tested and fixed.  Now we wait.  But turning her off isn’t that easy.  She’s nagging now.

Yesterday I was in a situation that kept my blood sugar high.  It was totally out of my control and was completely unpredictable.

So setting a temp basal was out of the question. 

I had no idea when it would end, or how it would end.

Basically I was screwed.

It was hard on both me and the dog.  She kept alerting that I was high.  I kept testing and adjusting my blood sugar – I believe this may be called “rage bolusing”.  The good news is that I was just at the edge of my high range.  Nothing super dangerous, just really annoying.

I know if I get into this particular situation again, the best thing is to just walk out of it – walking out would have not changed the outcome, but it would have not endangered my own health or outset the dog.  All we can do is learn.

The best news-  keeping your blood sugar in range keeps the diabetes alert dog happy.

Can’t talk publically about the weird part yet.

But I had a Type 1 person come up to me at a dog agility trial and tell me that if I completely changed my eating habits my diabetes would go away.

Okay….

So which type am I?

I’m definitely insulin resistive.

I’m definitely don’t produce enough insulin to live.

I am both hyper and hypo glycemic unaware.

I have been on insulin only up until recently, at least 9 years.  I’ve been on an insulin pump for 8 years.

Weird.