Living with Diabetes

Blog

  • Day 19 with the Band

    YEAH! My weight is back down to it’s lowest.

    Yesterday is exactly why I did my surgery when I did.  Absolutely no time to think about eating, much less doing it.

    I see shrink today, and I have two issues to work on — dealing with the band and dealing with coworkers.  Especially since I’m campus technologist again next year.  At least now I understand my job.  Last year it took a long time to get a handle on it. 

    I’m going to a bandster dinner Thursday night, I really need help in learning how to eat like a bandster (bandster is term for someone who has had lapband surgery). 

    And I’m also getting plans together for trip, I have 3 days of travel, 3 days of sightseeing, 2 days of workshop and 3 days of travel.

    I’m also proud of myself for turning DOWN a paying gig.  My specialist wanted to know how many hours do I need to fix curriculum and I asked for 20.  At the same time I said that PreAP needed 30 hours and I wanted a more experienced teacher to do it, the new Townview teacher.  Hope she at least appreciates the thought!  And I did it in a way that didn’t close any doors.

    Probably more later on today.

  • Day 18 with the band

    Sorry, there is a blog post missing, I’ll try to find it.  Have to figure out what computer it’s on.

    Today is exactly why I wanted to do the band now – have been too busy to eat.  Literally.  I had my protein bullet after camp and on the way to a meeting.  Had my lunch around 1:00 scrambled eggs at the house, and am my car eating dinner while I am waiting for time for dog class.  Jason’s baked potato.  Still on mushies.  Probably have soup after dog class.

    I am gaining a slight amount of weight and then immediately losing it.  Partly because of what I am eating.  Clear liquids about 500 calories a day, full liquids about 1000, and mushies close to 2000, I’m beating.  Starting tomorrow I’ll be on Diet Gourmet’s 1200 calorie a day diet, and should be doing better.

    Every one says I am happier but I think part of that is some of the stress is gone.

    I had major stress over campus technologist, minor stress over curriculum project, and major stress over the surgery itself.  I’m done with all of those problems.

    I also no longer have the stress over feeling hungry all the time.  That’s a big thing.

    Plus the blood sugar is better now that I figured out I needed my old rates.

    So yes I feel better.

  • Day 17 with Lapband

    Found my missing blog entry, it was on the wrong blog.  Will try to put it on the right date.

    Okay, I lied, I was having a slight weight gain when I went to full liquids and mushies — about the same time my blood sugar got wonkie. Now that my blood sugar is back where it belongs I'm losing a slight amount of weight, better yet, my desire to eat has gone away. I have been dealing with food cravings all week and I thought it was due to the several weeks of deprivation — nope, it was out of control blood sugar.

    So how do I feel. Pretty good. It's nice not to be hungry all the time. I am trying to get over the diabetic "eat all the food syndrome", and trying to feel okay about throwing out food, but I'm not there yet. There are definetely foods that I have trouble digesting but if I just slow down and wait, its fine.

    I'm also not as frustrated. That has affected my mood a lot. Amazing what a few hours of controlled blood sugar does. I still have trouble drinking enough water.

    Baby steps.

  • Trip to Virginia

    I am scheduled to attend a workshop from July 14-16.  I can leave Dallas as early July 8, but have to be home on the 20th.  I have been thinking of driving, and stopping at my mother’s in Brandon, Mississippi, on the way and the way back. I am thinking of staying at the Embassy Suites in Alexandria and making that my base the days before the trip.  I am thinking of taking the train to either Philadelphia and or New York.  I also want to see the sights in Washington D.C.

    I know I want to see the Smithsonian Museum that has the Faberge Eggs and the Museum that has the Spirt of St. Louis.  I’m open to suggestions for everything else.

    Any ideas?

    AND the thing I really want to do is to meet some of the East Coast Diabetes Bloggers, is there a place where we can get together on my trip?

  • Blood Sugar fixed

    Or at least it is on it’s way.

    Had to go back to my presurgery basal and boluses to get there <pout>.

  • Day 16 with Lapband

    I feel pretty much recovered from the surgery, so I am going to change my post title.

    My incisions are pretty close to completely healed and the only restrictions remain when it comes to eating and lifting weight.  Still have 2 weeks to go before it is “safe” to lift over 20 pounds.

    I’m still on mushies and most of the time doing okay digestion wise.  However, I find myself going back to my old habits which I need to fix proto.

    The lab band is not a magic fix, that’s for sure, I’m finding out already.

    Had a good workout with my personal trainer, and looking forward to next week, teaching middle school girl’s camp.

    Blood sugar is still a mess.

  • Ping Remote Stopped Working

    Totally freaked me out — these things all do.  My Ping Meter stopped working yesterday — I got an “Error 2” Problem with Test Strip or Meter.

    Well, all my test strips are new — I test about every two hours, so I go through them fairly quickly.  Had a unopened vial with me, and it didn’t work either, so I immediately called Animas.

    They are always great and calming but since Lifescan makes the meter had to send me to Lifescan Tech support whose rep was NOT listening.  She did finally get through everything and told me my new meter would be sent UPS and would arrive Tuesday or Wednesday. Wasn’t real happy but what can you do.

    I tested with my alternative meter for the next two tests then decided to give my Ping a try and it was working again, of course, I don’t trust it.

    Well, I was up early — was thinking of going to a fun match but was having an arthritis day so didn’t go — glad I didn’t because about 9:00 the door bell rang and to my surprise, there was a UPS man at the doorstep with an Animas box.  NOW THAT’S THE CUSTOMER SERVICE I LOVE AND RESPECT!

    So the old meter is in the shipping box and the new meter is up and working — of course I’ve lost my log in the meter — though I just downloaded it.

    Very happy!

  • Day 15 after Surgery

    Today I am a training for Summer Enrichment training.  My blood sugar is completely out of control, started at 179 and was just at 229.  I’ve bolused and I have set my basal rate at +50%.   Hopefully that will help and I am trying to not eat until it is back under control.

    Yesterday I was a bit better at blood sugar control, but obviously don’t have it together yet. 

    I definitely see a difference in how I process food.  I had some pureed pot roast last night and it did get a little stuck and I certainly couldn’t eat my usual amount.

    I just learned the secret to mushies – which not knowing caused the problems last night.  Everything has to be the consistency of soup.   I was kind of of told that, but didn’t “get it”.  Unfortunately it’s “eating” around the band, but that is the stage I’m in.

    My TDD is going up and my weight is going up slightly but it is to be expected as I am eating more calories.

    Did walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes yesterday and the personal trainer is coming today.

  • Day 14

    Two weeks after surgery.  In the mushie stage so had tomato soup (from Tom Thumb) and chicken salad for lunch.

    Had Slim Fast and Protein Bullet for breakfast — kept it simple.

    Today is our last day at school, and in fact I'm home.

    I'm trying to walk — it's been hard this week between the cold fronts and the after school training.

    Weight about the same, TDD about the same, but my blood sugar has been out of control so I'm making a real effort to get it back under control.

  • Day 13 after surgery

    Now don't count on a post every single day.  And sometimes they will be late in the day like this one.

    Today was my first day with "food".  We had our end of school luncheon and we had Mexican baked potatos.

    I picked a small one, and got lots of butter and sour creme and some cheese.  Then turned it in to a mashed potato.  We also had macaroni and cheese with some mexican flavoring.  It was over cooked so it was also good.

    I will say that I didn't finish the baked potato but still felt REALLY REALLY full.  It is also different to get used to eating without drinking.

    I did do some prep work last night — had a cream of potato soup the night before, so it wasn't a complete shock to my system. 

    Still maintaining my weight — and that's to be expected and okay.

    Still can see my ankles.

    TDD is still the same.