Living with Diabetes

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  • Traveling Tips

    I’m back, and I have some tips to share…

    Using the medication bottles Medco sent me wasn’t that bad.  I’ve got them set aside in a big plastic bag for the next trip, and plan to rotate them out with empty bottles. By the way, no one wanted to see them.

    See my earlier notes on traveling with the CPAP and TSA.  I want to find a better way to handle that, especially since next trip is on the train.  I was able to consolidate everything into two bags for the trip back and that was easier.

    Be assertive when it comes to assistance, and sitting near the restroom IS a good thing. 

    Extra sets are a good idea, and having extra sets with you, not in checked baggage is good.  I went through 3 sets on the first day of traveling, but it got better later.

    My biggest problem on the ship was going low.  Have all the locations for quick food in your mind.  I ended up eating some things I wouldn’t have otherwise if I had not gone low.  You do a LOT of walking, especially if you are doing a conference like I did. My room and the restaurants were in the front end of the ship, my sessions were all in the back end.

    Traveling isn’t as intimidating now, and I think I can handle it.

    Did I over pack?  I had two more dressy dreses than I needed, one less pair of panties, and one more exercise outfit than it needed.  In the scheme of things, I don’t think I over packed, the stuff I didn’t use did not take up that much room.

  • Weight-loss surgery and the effect on diabetes | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Health Columnist Judy Foreman | The Dallas Morning News

    I absolutely despise articles like these …

     

    Weight-loss surgery and the effect on diabetes | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Health Columnist Judy Foreman | The Dallas Morning News

     


    Elizabeth Soto used to say no when her husband suggested they go dancing. “I didn’t want to go,” she would say. “I felt tired and ugly.” She also was carrying 314 pounds on her 5-7 frame and had Type 2 diabetes

     

    One of my dear friends brought this article to school for me.

     

    Of course, she couldn’t answer the two most important questions about the surgery:

     

    a) How is the complication rate and in particular the death rate?

    b) How much will it cost? 

     

    Well the biggest answer is that our insurance won’t cover it, last time I looked.

     

    And the complication rate scares the heck out of me.

    Besides if my pancreatis hadn’t been damaged, going on the nuitrion protocol would probably make me not need insulin too.

     

    None of the above was in the article at all.

  • TSA Problem

    I have emailed TSA and complained, but I had problems both in Dallas
    leaving for my cruise and in Miami, returning.

    In Dallas, TSA managed to disconnect my insulin and in my stress, I
    didn’t realize it until two meals later. I was NOT feeling well.

     

    Both Miami and Dallas has the same problem though — since I am
    required to travel with an insulin pump, a CPAP machine and a
    computer, I end up putting very valuable equipment in about 5 bins.
    That takes up a lot of conveyor space. Once my Dexcom Seven system
    set off the metal detector, I have to be screened and was put in a
    glass "cage" with no access to my items. HOWEVER, other passengers
    have access and did mess with the items in both cases.

     

    I am sure they were just trying to get to their stuff, but their
    bodies were blocking my view so I could not see what exactly they were
    doing and a woman in Miami put her hands ON my CPAP machine. This did
    not make me a happy camper. After I alerted the TSA agent twice (in
    both cases), they picked up my bins and put them somewhere out of
    access of passengers but still within my site.

     

    I have suggested that as soon as they put a passenger in the box, that
    the move that passenger’s bins to a secure area. Hopefully they will
    listen.

  • I am home

    It is going to take a long time to catch up, both when it comes to blogging, but also grading, etc.  The grading thing is the most important, since my deadline is 4:00 pm today. When I get that task done, I’ll blog.

  • 5 years

    I have been blogging now for 5 years. Not every day but I have.
    I have learned a lot and not just about diabetes.
    I am slowly coming to the realization that I am a good technical and educational writer. I am really good at writing grants and filling out state forms.
    I have learned I am a good teacher. The kids I teach do not always learn what I think they should but they do usually get what they want out of my class. I wish I could fix that more. it is a tough balance to teach an elective – you have to do it in such a way to attract the masses so that the few who really want what I teach can even have me.
    I have also learned that diabetes is a small female beage who won’t grow up to be a good dog – in other words a real bitch….
    You can not let you guard for a moment as when you do it all goes to hell.

  • Man i can be dumb

    We got to 365 and 121 – almost to the airport when I remembered I had not taken the bag of injectables out of the refrigator.
    It was 4:20 and the flight boarded at 5:30. We had to go back. Took 45 minutes total.
    Thank got for outside baggage check in. that helped mt get my bearings.
    TSA took forever, they had to see my sensor and at each step of the way, the next person was not available.
    However I am currently on the plane and about 2 hours from Miami.
    Oh and I was disconnected for at least an hour maybe two because my tubing wasn’t connected.
    But maybe I should start at the beginning.
    At about 1:30 Macy was barking because Marcie would not let her in the room. I was to tired to think beyound that.
    I got up at 3:00 and found my good leather Ameribag chewed up. Okay just one pocket. I am wondering if they can fix it but probably not.
    Maggie was laying next to my thankfully unchewed passport and everything I carefully packed was scattered around the room. I still do not know if I have everything but at least I found the contacts intact.
    Whoever chewed up the pocket destroyed my lancing device. Thankfully I stocked up on them when they were cheap as they are 25 dollars.
    yes I know I ahould have put the bag up.
    I also know that it was probably not Maggie but Macy but there you go. I am not rational at that time of day. Of course there are doubts about the rest of the day too.
    I really hate that the bag is chewed up though. I really liked it.
    The good news is that I have 20 off fromebags so I might order a new one before I get on the boat. unfortunately I am not wild about the colors available.

  • I am tired!

    I am here, listening to one of the keynotes and interesting but preaching to the choir.
    I already know games make the most money in computer science.
    Anyway, my plane got in early. I waited patiently and was last off and the IDIOT who was supposed to help me wanted push the wheelchair on the ramp. it wasn’t a steep ramp but it causes problems.
    sShe was ready to help when we were on the level but I told her don’t bother. I even waited a few extra minutes.
    Oh have I mentioned I had not eaten?
    I got to baggage claim and no luggage. Finally a lady came to us and said the equipment to bring the luggage was not available and so I asked about food. I went upstairs and grabbed a Burger King breakfast sandwich.
    Didn’t have a hand free to mess with a drink but had passed a soda machine with bottles. unforunately it did not work.
    The best news is that my bag was there so I grabbed it. I walked a ways hoping to find a diet coke in bottles but nope couldn’t find them.
    however I was able to grab a taxi and get to the port.
    Probably the worst part of the day was waiting in line to get on the ship. They had some sort of machine that took pictures for our ship passes and they were not working.

  • Finally better

    My blood sugar has been normal for the last day and a half. Blood sugar was actually at 126 in the morning, only exciting if you realize that my fasting blood sugar has been around 170 if not higher.

    I actually got to get on the treadmill and walk tonight and able to skip my dinner bolus.  Something I haven’t been able to do in months.

    Starting to wonder if I have been sick for months, not just days or weeks.  Of course, there is the chicken and the egg thing, which came first, the illness or the high blood sugar. 

  • Health blogs provide a port in life’s storms | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Life/Travel

    Here’s real article — I was interviewed for this back before World Diabetes day but they decided to save it for a later time, since they were focusing on children and mostly Type 1 at the time.

    When Kathleen Weaver got her Type 2 diabetes diagnosis five years ago, she started the fight of her life. The disease that took her father wasn’t about to get the best of her.

    Source: Health blogs provide a port in life’s storms | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Life/Travel

  • Don’t look for a diagnosis online | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Health | Dallas Morning News

    I’m in the Dallas Morning News, not a great thing when you work for Dallas ISD, but at least it’s about blogging and not school … 

    But even blogger Kathleen Weaver, a diabetes patient, admits that the Internet can take her only so far.

    “If it’s a real question and I’m really worried about it, I e-mail my doctor first,” she says. “I have a really good endocrinologist who e-mails back.”

    Source: Don’t look for a diagnosis online | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Health | Dallas Morning News