Category: Blog

I've lost about 5 pounds since my last fill.  That was a week and a half a go, so that isn't bad.  That means I've lost over 30 pounds.  Right now, the 5 pounds is just a number on the scale, can't feel it in my clothing, nor can I feel it in my activity level, but I am SO tired.

I'm really having trouble with the new mask.  When it gets displaced it squeals.  Also tonight (last night, whatever), my house is full of people I don't know, which makes it hard to sleep — in-laws are here.  Husband, sister, brother and niece.  Nice people but strange people.

So I met with the lady at Baylor — she was actually waiting for me at the lobby and I got there at 4:00 pm  And I didn't get charged for her time.

Cons:

• Apparently this weight loss thing is a whole lot harder than I was let to believe, and I was led to believe it was pretty hard.
• She wants me to have a different surgery.

Pros:

• She gave me a concrete plan — unlike the vague stuff I've been getting.
• She's got some support groups coming up in January (makes since, it is close to the middle of December.  Probably past since we lose the last week.

Inbetweens

• She wants me to go back to Square One, and go on a liquid diet again for a few days starting Monday. 
• She wants me to be on a planned, 1000 calorie diet a day diet for a while.
• She really doesn't want me walking on the treadmill until I'm at 250, as I'm doing bone on bone.  I have to see finances, as that means an added gym membership somewhere with water.
• She wants me to log everything.  <sigh>

She says she'll be available email — and I need to go down and get her stuff and get going on that part.

So I guess I'm going to get it all a try.

I talked with Baylor Carrollton and their Bariatric specialist will see me Thursday.  She is also going to see about getting me fills.

Her program has been inactive but they are cranking it up again, since they are a BCBS Blue Site.

Unfortuntely I don't know when support group is, but will find out on Thursday.

Of course, I haven't heard from any of the TLC Edge people.

I do have an email out to Baylor in Carrollton, I'll try downtown Baylor next, and will give the Baylor in Carrollton people a chance using the phone.

Good news, blood sugar was 112 this morning, probably the best it's been in the morning since the surgery.  For those who are not diabetics reading this, that means I'm not spending the day chasing a high blood sugar.

I also did a quick scan of my TDD, and I was consistently running between 100 and 110 units a day and am now down to the 80s. 

Running a quick Excel spreadsheet, right now, I have an average TDD of 93.31  — That means my carb ratio is REALLY off (I've been doing 9 and should be at 5), but my correction factor is okay.  So that's another reason I've been chasing highs.

I just put all that in my pump, and hopefully start doing a better job of checking my blood sugar and monitoring, I'll be honest, my diabetic habits have been sucking lately.

…but as I told someone this morning — the reason I like Macy so much is because she likes to cuddle, and she just walked up to me and asked if she could sit in my chair … and of course I said yes, and she's curled up behind me.

I don't know if it was the weather, the ambien, or my frustration over my weight BUT

We sucked today, and wasn't great yesterday.  Well, jumpers wasn't too bad yesterday, she had every obstacle until she crashed into the bars on the second to the last jump.  Then had an off course on the last jump, but there wasn't any point.

The good news, my agility instructor told me to not put her on a teeter until we'd done some other work, and we didn't get to the teeter either day.

I really am glad I left early, as I was close to Operation Kindness — our local non-kill shelter — and I looked at my phone and realized they were still open for Santa pictures.  I've been getting Santa pictures with each of my dogs every year since they started the fund raiser and wasn't sure I would get it done next weekend as we have company.

They were quite pleased we made it, and we'll have the Santa picture in a few days.

By the way, it didn't hit 40 degree today, and I think it barely hit the 50's in yesterday.   But at least we had sunshine yesterday.

I have not lost any weight other than through the surgical process.

Yes, i have stayed the same weight since I had my surgery.  Tuesday was the last straw–the fill technician told me they haven't been giving "as  much in my fills because they didn't think I was eating enough protein".  I've had 5 fills, and my ;insurance has paid for at least three and I'm not losing weight ….  maybe it's time my insurance has had a word with TLC Edge?

I've been going  to support group and their answer has been – to to the dietician, which of course, generates income when support gro9up doesn't.

And yes, I did go to their dietcian, and that was two weeks ago, and I can't expect a lot.

My other issue has been with their billing.  Twice now, I've made payments that weren't credited to my account and were sent final notices.  Both times, i had receipts and it took over three months to resolve.  Excuse me?

My other straw is with Saturday's support group.  TLC Edge pays two people to run their support group, they sent out an email message saying Saturday's meeting was from 2:00 – 4:30 at a restaurant.  I showed up at 3:45 from a dog show and I have never been treated so rudely by a group of people in my life.

Cynthia response was "where have you been?" and mine was, "I just got out of the ring after showing my dog".  And that was true.  I shoed my dog in agility, put her in the car, and headed straight for the restaurant.  Of course, I was dressed for 40 degree weather, and it was very uncomfortable for me in the restaurant and the orginal plan was to order food, go to the restroom and take off the extra clothing, and sit down and visit and eat.

But no, two people left as soon as I sat down — I really didn't think I was dressed that badly, or stepped in anything — and two more people excused themselves a few minutes later.  Cynthia at least did not leave immediately and listened to me whine.  I don't like the restaurant food enough to sit there by myself and eat, so I walked out her out the place, and guess what, the Michael and the other person will still out in the parking lot!  Yes, in 40 degree weather.

<sigh>

And that hasn't been the only time I've been ruded by the support group.  I'm about to go shopping for support in Dallas.  Baylor has been suggested to me by the dog people,

That describes yesterday.  Didn't sleep at all Monday night, so was very sleep deprived all day.

Did make it for my 5th fill at the end of the school day.  Those are not painful just annoying and i was on liquid diet all day yesterday since I a) have trouble keeping anything down while I am at school and b) didn't take any time to eat.

So have been pushing the liquids since the fill and have had no trouble staying on them.  The plan today is to do my normal food, McCafe Mocha and add unjury chocalate power to it — that wasn't too bad last night == and it puts me up to 30 grams of protein with only a few carbs.

Then do a slim fast or too during the day.

Right now the weight is good  — right around my lowest post surgery weight, but that's in the morning without clothing, which never matches the doctor's scales.

I took an Ambien CR about 9:00 pm last night, and while most of it is cleared out my system (when I took up an hour ago, I was having trouble maintaining balance.  I woke up several times with my mask riden up when is never very comfortable.

I'm supposed to hear about new equipment today, and picking that up on the way home, and using my last Ambien would be a good choice.  I'm going to call doctor and ask what alternative we have since the Ambien is still in my system 8 hours later.  It will probably be regular ambien, which is easier to get from the pharmacy.

I had a really bad pump day yesterday — two site in a row failed, but I was pretty bad the second was bad, and was just crossing my fingers.  Blood sugar hit 360, and at that point, I injected 10 units in my calf.  That seemed to work, and the new site seems to be working too.  I took my blood sugar an hour ago, and then just how, and their was a difference (136 to 125).  Will be watching close today.

Had a very good visit with the sleep doctor, he says the machine is doing it's job, but understands that I am tired and waking up a lot.

We decided to go back to a below the chin fast, as this mask is ending up in my mouth (riding up).  I think that is what is waking me up.  The reason we left the below the chin mask is that it woke me up popping — leaking.  The new model is supposed to fix that problem, not sure when I'll get it, probably by the end of the week, I'll know better tomorrow.

He also gave me Abien CR samples (2) and I'm going to save them for the new mask and changing a mask that much will really mess me up.  Has every other time.

He also thinks my machine is due for replacement, the new one isn't much different than mine but he doesn't think any new ones are coming out, and the new model is three months old.  I'm not as "oh, need new technology" with CPAP.  I'm also not convinced that the new machine is smaller or even the same size (I think it is bigger), but we'll see.  I can always travel with the old one, and I can put it downstairs so I could possibly nap down there. 

And yeah, I understand why Michael Jackson and Heath Ledger died, but I haven't gotten to that point yet, but I've almost been there.

I really liked Supernanny Friday night, when she visited a home with a Type 1 Diabetic.

First, the medical information was spot on.  Whoever wrote the script, and did the research did their job.

Second, I've watched Supernanny for quite some time as the techniques shown are right down the positive behavior techniques I use and am a fan of.  Comes straight from Skinner, through Marian Breland-Bailey, through Karen Pryor etc.  Lots of people have been branching off that path, but the path is there and shows.

I think there are quite a few people with better knowledge of diabetes, and especially Type 1 diabetes.  I also think she was spot on with changing the boy's behavior.  Frankly, I'd rather see the kid on a pump so he can safely skip meals, but I don't know what their insurance / doctor situation is.

After all the modeling we did last week — http://www.kweaver.us/MacyStudioPictures/MacyStudioPictures.html and the Hollywood Dog Class, I realized that Macy didn't really know how to move away from me.  In other words, she didn't know backup.  That comes in real handy in photo shoots as you really can't get into the set.

So I've been working on that several times a day, and just about have a crawl back, and sometimes I get a walk back and occasionally I get a backup in a bow position.

In fact, I've started to put the crawl back on cue.

I'm also working on the stay at the start line.  We don't have one, and that would also come in handy for modeling, so I've put a set up in the living room and working it as a back chain.  I started out sitting in a chair and clicking whenever Macy was on the other side of the jump and have added a sit, and have started moving while she is sitting.  Hopefully it will come soon.  We've only been working on a stay for 3 1/2 years.