Category: Current Status

Speaking of dog agility … (and I lied, I ended up walking 60 minutes today because I wanted to eat more).

We placed every run we finished. This afternoon we waited around too long, and it was too hot, and I decided to end the run in the middle. She’s a mostly black dog, and being a drug dog handler for a long time, you just don’t do anything to spoil the dog’s mood. Or at least I work that way.

So we took 1 1st pace, 2 2nd places, and a 4th place. I’m running easier, actually breathing once in a while, and was in front of her a few times. Mostly because I was short cutting and because she was hot, and has to run in a fur coat. She’s a beagle, mostly black as I said early, and experience shows that they get hot fast.

But working out and losing weight is paying off, even if it is taking forever.

As I predicted the other day, my insulin usage is really dropping. I’m consistently under 50 units a day this week. I am using the 1800 and 500 rule for calculating corrections and boluses.

What you do is you divide your average usage by 1800 and 500. So, of course, the less you use, the less you need.

I’m down to a 10 carb unit to insulin unit, and correction of around 38 blood sugar units to insulin unit. And of course, as those go down, total usage goes down. Actually my program says 11 carbs to 1, but I’ve only been on the 10 carb to one for two days, and that’s working okay. I don’t want to go on the high side.

You do too many corrections, and you end up roller coastering. Yesterday I stayed between 110 and 150 all day, except for two hours after breakfast, and that one was definately a wild ass guess.

Weight is going down too, but man is it slow. Something like .5 pound per week. Part of that is my choice as I don’t want to go much under 600 calories a day under what I burn. In fact, this weekend is hard for me because I’m not doing any extra exercise — we’re doing the dog agility thing, and that would just be too much pressure.

I signed out yesterday and am now out for the summer.

For those who are wondering, it isn’t a complete vacation for me. I have about two weeks worth of staff development and most of that is scheduled for June. I did that on purpose. Get it over with.

I am also writing a test for the district, and that’s about 40 hours of work. I also plan to get as much of that done early as possible, but that depends on my partner’s schedule. In fact, I really want to get the first draft in by the 15th.

I’m going to do some dog agility, have one trial scheduled already.
I’m also taking one course towards my Master’s.

Last summer, I had serious control issues. Part of it was the schedule. For example, today, I slept in, but did get up and work out by and got all that done by 10:00.

On staff development days, I’ll have to be up and out earlier. Plus those are sit in one place days, and can be very stressful, since we’re often covering new material — some material that we DON’T want to cover.

But I have the tools now, I think to manage things better.

Good visit with the CDE. She did, however, confirm that I hadn’t lost weight. I actually think I’ve been shifting fat around to muscle, but not enough to show on the scales. The scales at home are showing a slow amount of progress, but progress none the less.

She agreed however, that 1500 calories was too few and that what I was doing was fine. She is also concerned about the Provigil’s affect on bloodsugar and thinks that might have some influence on the weight. (Provigil is a drug for keeping people awake — but it ONLY does that, it doesn’t allieve any of the other symthoms of not sleeping).

I personally think keep it for emergencies and that’s it.

You know, when you positively can’t sleep and as a result can’t stay awake the next day, even if you have to drive.

Anyway, we both decided to blow off the sleep doctor, and I did ask her to see if she could find me a new one.

Went on a three week followup with the sleep doctor.

Oh, and the last couple of days — since the major bad night on Sunday — I’ve been sleeping better. Haven’t woke up lately.

Good news
Oximeter study was excellent, never go below 90%

Gave me more Provigil to play with. I really only like it in an emergency. It only falls the falling asleep thing. It fixes nothing else.

Since they couldn’t find the oximeter study, doctor and I had time to converse and he asked GOOD questions about the pump. I kinda of wish I had been dressed to show if off better. I was wearing a long dress.

SoSo News
Compliant 6.8 or so hours on the machine. And nap times showing as compliant. First, I knew I had some bad news in the 3 weeks. Second, I keep telling them I’m compliant, sad it takes data to prove it.

Bad News
Got on me about my weight. Yeah, I know it didn’t change. It was 3 weeks, I’m trying to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. So 3 pounds can be the salad I haven’t finished processing. Plus the nurse just writes down a number close to what the scale says and never weights for it to settle.

Not gaining was a good thing with the lack of sleep!

As I have mentioned in several posts, included the last one, I’ve been doing iShape — http://www.iShape.com It’s owned by the people who do Shape magazine and Muscle & Fitness (I think), they have a men’s fitness magazine too.

It’s working well. I’ve lost somewhere between 15 and 20 pounds, and that’s comparing doctor’s scales too. And iShape isn’t just for women.

In 13 weeks, I’ve gone from using 70-110 units of insulin to 50-70 units. I’ve rarely gone above 70, lately.

Here’s what I am doing.

I delete their meals, and log mine. I already use a local service called Diet Gourmet. If you are in the Dallas area, they are super, deliver, and prices can’t be beat.

That accounts for about 1600 calories a day, and then I pick and choose as much low carb snacks as I can, but maintain saturation.

My goal is to eat 600 calories less than iShape says I burned. I don’t always do that but it averages out.

I’ve got it set up to give me weight workouts 5 times a week. And I also have it set up to give me 7 cardio workouts, but it usually only gives me 5.

I usually do exactly what the weight workout says. If I don’t have the equipment, then I change the exercise that does have it. I have a stability ball, 3, 5, 8, 10, and 15 pound weights, and that seems to be enough. I keep watching for when I might need to buy 20 pound weights.

I always do what the cardio says as a minimum. I usually do 20 minutes on the off days, but sometimes I do take them off. Lately I’ve been adding swimming.

Other good news, is that I’ve been able to get up in the mornings and work out.

I do have to watch my blood sugar levels more carefully. I have had to made some adjustments, and I figure on making more as we go along. I am seeing my CDE once a month right now, so I know I have help coming at any point. In fact, I see her on Thursday.

Yahoo! News – House Backs Two Health Bills on ‘Uninsured Week’

FYI: I love my flexible spending account. I have been putting aside $100 in pre tax dollars a month for medical bills since January. They’ve already reimbursed me for $200 more than I’ve contributed!

It’s super. And they reimburse just about everything copays, contacts, etc. In fact, I dropped my vision insurance because the pre-tax dollars is a better deal.

Even better yet, we’ll be getting a health spending account in August, and that’s where the state contribution towards our insurance will go. We have to spend out of the flexible first, but then can get reimbursed from that. It will even have a debit card.

And I’d LOVE to have a debit card from the flexible spending account too. That would really make life easier.

I’ve been doing iShape for 12 weeks, according to the program. It’s been a good 12 weeks.

I’ve gotten back to getting up and working out in the mornings.

I’ve gone from doing around 1.5 mph to 2.1 mph on the treadmill. It’s actually better than that, because I did 35 minutes this morning, 2.1 for 10, 2.5 for 7 1/2, 2.4 for 7 1/2 and 2.1 for the last 10.

I’ve lost 15 pounds.
I’ve reduced my BMI by about 2 points.
I’m wearing a size smaller clothing.
I’ve gone from using around 80-100 units of insulin a day to 50-60 units.

So I am making some progress. Not a lot, but then I use insulin.

I didn’t wake up until around 2:30. And then didn’t wake up again until just before 5:00 which is when the alarm clock goes off. This is a good thing and much better than I’d been doing.

I also feel better, though was sleepy on the drive in, and still a bit cranky — but honestly these kids don’t READ and it makes me nuts.

We have only 8 more class days before finals. 1 of those days will involve PSAT/SAT testing of all 9 and 10 graders, and one day will involve ITBS testing of at least the 9th graders so I think I can make it. Then we have partial days of finals.

We’re out the Thursday before Memorial day.

But don’t think I play all summer. I play a LOT of the summer, but I have a mandatory one week AP Computer Science Workshop. I’ll do one day of training for Webmastering teachers — that is mandatory if I teach webmastering next year, plus I need the time to keep that certification current.

If I teach geometry — which I doubt, I have good CS counts, and my extra class will probably be webmastering — they need somewhere to put the kids that drive the other webmastering teacher nuts, I need to do two days of geometry training and one day of SIOP training — I have no idea what the initials mean but it’s focused towards LEP learners (Limited English Proficiency).

I am also working on a Master’s — about half way done and just got the grade back from the current class — got an “A”. It’s an education major and one the district is paying for.

I know that a lot of people think teachers are over paid and that we can make more money working in the summer. While a lot of teachers do, it’s pretty hard for a computer science teacher. I could code, but you need to have continuity to do it right, and I certainly wouldn’t have any continuity with the amount of training I have to do.

I’m not whining — I really like the life, and luckily my husband makes a very good salary and we don’t have children. Just dog children.

The biggest plus on this job, is the insurance. We have very good insurance and I picked the highest level. Since our district has gone with the state plan, we’re on a PPO, rather than an HMO, and so far, they have not balked at any of the expenses.

We have a Flexible Spending Account, and starting in August, we’ll have a Health Savings Account — the thing that Medrants is always praising. I’m not sure when the state contribution goes up — right now its at $48 dollars a month, but it will be at $100 soon again, and then the Health Savings Account will be super.

I am still waking up after about 4 hours though last night it was the silly humidifier. I ran out of water which always makes everything stink. I just pulled the humidifer out of the loop, and was able to sleep again, even though I kept waking from the smell.

The good news, is that I was able to get up and work out.

I’m getting a small amount of extra cardio in, right now, because I’ve been braving our pool. It’s 78 degrees, so braving is the right phrase.