Living with Diabetes

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  • Dexcom

    Came home from dog class, covered in dirt, sweat, sun block and bug spray.  Shed the clothing (leaving the receiver in my skirt) and dumped it into the hamper and hopped into the hot tub.

    Completely bypassed the shower covers.

    Oh well, I thought, probably have to replace it — and that’s after thinking I’d popped out the sensor in the humidity, but had popped out a set instead.

    WOW!  Got out of the hot tub, dried off, pulled out the transmitter and it was dry and STILL working — after retrieving the receiver from the hamper.

    Are the numbers 100% accurate?  Are the meters?  Of course not (and those of you who still think they are, do two fingers sticks in a row and measure with your meter. Heck, measure the blood twice from the SAME finger stick.

    Does the graph of the meter match what is happening in my body?  Yeah, it think so.  It peaks when I eat, it falls when I exercise or take insulin.

    Am I going to use Dexcom every day?  I don’t know — it depends on if I can afford it and if I need it.  I’m certainly going to use it the next few weeks while life is weird, especially since I’m driving so much.

  • Lousy night

    Dexcom is still working well. 

    Weight is going well. 

    Exercise with Fitness for Diabetics is going well.

     However … apparently it hit the whole city — no storm, but the power kept going out.  It would go out, then back on for a few minutes than out again.

    First, that’s a huge problem with the CPAP, because all of a sudden I don’t get any air and I start strangling.  Needless to say, the mask comes off.

    I did grab my emergency battery and use it.

    However, I need a cool room to sleep and the humidifier on the cpap, neither of which was happening.

    I’m hoping to finish the major project I was whining about this week.  Hopefully tomorrow.

    Dog classes have been completely rescheduled — those of you who read the real news would have seen we had major flooding in north Texas which flooded the agility barn.  Not a major problem since our school is the only school that has been able to hold classes on a regular basis.

  • Diabetes Mine: The Other iPort

    I’ve actually TRIED the iPort — and still have a partial box.  I’ll save them in case I have surgery again but they aren’t worth the hassle.  You’ll find more about them if you check my archives. 

    The other iPort stands for injection port, a little extended-wear doohickey that attaches to your skin for easy injecting, without the need for repeated skin punctures.

    Diabetes Mine: The Other iPort

  • Dexcom – Morning of Day 3

    Yesterday was interesting — numbers were really off — missing a lot of night time data but the trends definitely matched what was going on.  Things settled back down in the late afternoon.

    I think I saved the cost of an insertion set last night.  Dexcom woke me up about 4:00 am saying I was low.  I was at 101 according to my blood glucose monitor and extremely groggy.  I couldn’t wake up enough to really do anything about it but got up, moved around and I think that was enough to fix this.  Same thing happened about 6:30.

    In the past, I think I would have woke up enough to pull the set and roll over and go back to sleep until things got fixed.  I do that two or three times a month. 

    Yes, I’m still happy with it.

    I got brave and took a shower with out a shower cover, and haven’t lost communications yet. 

  • Scott Verplank came in 7th in the US Open

    Scott Verplank is my athletic hero — he was even before I knew he was a diabetic and an pumper — he is a graduate of my school district (next high school over), grew up at the golf course down the street, etc.  He is having a fabulous year, placing in the top 10 at several tournaments and winning the Nelson this year. 

    Former Oklahoma State golf standout Scott Verplank finishes tied for seventh behind Cabrera. Verplank closed with a 2-over-par 72 and ended at 10-over 290 for the tournament. He earned a little more than $194,000.

    Angel Cabrera captures U.S. open title – FOX23 News

  • Waxahachie Daily Light – News – Man calls for EMS, gets police Tasers

    Okay — Diabetes OC — time to get on the band wagon again.  This one happened down the road from me. 

    Waxahachie resident Allen Nelms says a call to 911 to get medical attention for his diabetic seizure got him Tasered by police instead.

    Waxahachie Daily Light – News – Man calls for EMS, gets police Tasers

  • Dexcom – wild excusion

    The Dexcom showed a wild excusion this morning – I was going high but not as high as the Dexcom. it settled down though after a few fingersticks and calibrations.
    goes to show that fingersticks are still important.
    and the trend is right on, just not the variation.

  • Dexcom – Morning of Day 3

    Still working well — however again at night,  I am missing lots of data points.  I’m going to try keeping the receiver closer to the transmitter tonight, I’m not sure head of the bed is working.

    Used an IV3000 during my shower this morning and haven’t lost contact because of it.  I’m too superstitious to try doing it without.

    I have to be up in McKinney at 6:45, so this will be short, the group I train agility with is putting on a fun match.

  • Do I continue?

    I am working on a project with two other people.  I have been working with them for a portion of the last two weeks.

    They drive me nuts.  One has only shown up when he said he was going to once.  He often leaves long before he said he was going to — and spends most of the time on the phone.  He does have excuses, but I’m not sure I am buying it.

    The other person does show up on time, but is very bitter about everything.  She is extremely stubborn.  The only way I can work with her, is to make her make all the decisions and tell me what to do.  I can sometimes get my way by just doing something.  I certainly can’t if I ask first.  Also she mumbles.  She spends a great deal of her time spinning her wheels, visiting with others, etc.

    I think most readers can tell that when I’m assigned to do something, I do it as quickly as possible to get it done.  I think we wasted at least two sessions if you chain all the time together.

    I need to spend at least another week to get the second half of the project done.  Then we need to sit down and proof our work in at least 4 more sessions. 

    I honestly don’t want to work on the project next week, but it’s the last time we can get together for a concentrated effort before the end of July.  What I really want to do is quit and not worry about it.  I think that is an option.

    In the meantime, I’m trying to have some summer, and am going to double check in on Monday morning, that it is even worth coming in — we need some data before we can do the next part of the project.

  • Dexcom – Shower Cover

    Just did a nice relax in the hot tub and then took a shower — figured that would be the most efficient use of a shower cover.  Worked very well, haven’t missed any data points.  I’m going to pick up some press and seal later on today — I figure using a razor blade to pre cut it might work.

    Numbers are still fascinating — watched the graph rise after breakfast, fall while I was on the treadmill and then rise again when I got out of the shower.