Living with Diabetes

Blog

  • Trying to get some fitness back

    I type this after pulling a game playing all nighter and suffering from a strained muscle.  I knew as soon as I did it, that I did the wrong move – carrying too heavy of a bag and slinging it across the car seat.  Bad combination.

    But right now, I have memberships at a set of Yoga facilities, and two different fitness places plus the city gym.  I may shift back to one, we’ll see.

    The goal is to get a least one fitness activity in a day – so far today is Yoga and it looks like that is it.

    Gym P is in a nasty parking lot that is shared with a very low end grocery.   You think Walmart shoppers are bad, you haven’t been to a cheap hispanic grocery store Dallas.  It’s not the management of the parking lot OR the grocery store.  They can come in and clean, and 30 minutes later, we’re back to every kind of discarded food you can think of, bags, and yes, the occasionally dirty diaper though they tend to only change those once a day.  I have to walk Dulce through a parking lot with inconsiderate drivers. 

    There are several facilities at around the city who have safer, cleaner parking.

    They are open 24 hour, but only have cardio and strength but do have massage chairs and beds.  And tanning beds.

    Gym L has it’s own parking lot that only its patrons use.  It tends to stay clean, though they don’t clean as often as Gym P.  They have a pool, hot tub and steam room.  Their hours are good during the week but short on the weekend. They do have facilities all over town with extended hours.

    Also there is always close parking.

    The city pool is very nice, but small and can get over crowded.  Like this week in the afternoons.  Parking is okay most of the time, and if it isn’t, its time to go to a different workout. 

    Since I can afford it and it’s at the top of the priority list, yeah, I’m going to keep up with all of them.  I’ll drop Club P first, if money gets tight.  Plus Yoga is paid through the year, and Club L is paid for three (signed up on Friday after another crappy parking lot day at Club P).

    Besides Club P is closest and most convenient hours.

  • Service Dog Issues

    If you sit 4’ away from some at a restaurant don’t make nasty comments about service dogs. Especially fake ones.
    Apparently they assumed she was a hearing dog.
     
    And nope, no apology, just a nasty reply.
     
    Sent from my Windows 10 phone
     

  • Test Post 2

    Testing a scheduled post

  • Sleep is SO much better

    I think it is because my stress level is so much better, but I’ve been getting more than 6 hours a sleep and often more than 7.5  — that’s one thing nice about the Microsoft Band, when I remember to wear it.  Which is most of the time lately.  I do forget to set it for sleep but it can calculate it.

    The stress level has been slowly reducing – sometime in the fall, I finally realized that what I did and said didn’t really matter anymore.  That’s hard for people to get, if they haven’t taught.  But when you are a teacher, you have to watch every single thing you say and do.  Probably still do that well on the internet, but it doesn’t stress me out like it did.

    I did have some bad nights while I was dealing with the gas leak, and a bad one over the whole celebrex thing, but I’m hoping we have that solved.

    The whole retirement thing is really helping the stress level – I started working on our taxes this weekend, since most of our paperwork has come in.  I realize that if something would happen that my husband’s income disappeared, I could manage without it.  That helps.  As a woman who has lived in Mississippi that is more important than you realize.  It isn’t a community property state.

    Also the other important numbers are coming down – weight and overall blood sugar.  In fact, my blood sugar this morning was the lowest fasting blood sugar I’ve seen in a while.

  • Service Dog Victory–Yoga

    I have been doing Yoga since we got back from the cruise and of course, Dulce has been accompanying me.  We had some issues, other participants didn’t realize that the heat wasn’t harmful.   Even had to get a letter from the vet. 

     

    She handles the yoga fine, just like everything.  If my blood is fine, she naps, otherwise she is aggitated.

     

    We went through the same progression there as we have everything else – started out with her in the cage, now she’s got her own mat and she’s on leash – though I think I’ll take a towel next time.  Your average dog bed is pretty heat retaining.  By the way, the only time she’s off leash is at home and at dog agility  — one of our issues.

     

    Also by the way, I’ve been working on our taxes, and my income is sufficient for me to live on if I had to – one of my goals throughout my adult life.  I’ve only had a few time periods – when I went back to school to get my teaching certificate and the last few months when that wasn’t true.

  • Enlight Sensors–Express Script Coverage

    Not only does Express Script cover Enlight sensors at $40.00 a month, but they cover them at $80 per 90 day supply.

    Doctor’s office has the paperwork.

    Medtronics has the out of pocket sensors, as per UPS yesterday.

    I got 1 month supply at $40.00, now working on the $80.00 supply. Will update.

  • Absolutely Crazy–Express Scripts has actually improved customer service and Pillpack has failed

    I finally got back on an insurance that I am comfortable with – yeah, paying almost $400 a month, but full coverage.  I knew this and got ready for it in December.

    Got my logins for the new plans, and went to set up PillPack again.  I even went so far to find out what drugs needed pre-authorizations and let them know that.

    Now I know how to play this game.  Apparently PillPack doesn’t.  Also I will acknowledge that Express Scripts is probably playing their own form of passive aggressiveness.

    Neithor of my doctor’s offices have received any of the pre-authorization paperwork.  I’ve had to move the three medications to Express Scripts mail order pharmacy.  Depending how the next few weeks go, we’ll see where the other ones go.

    It’s going to be interesting.

  • Things are slowly getting better

    There are two numbers that aren’t budging and they are frustrating me – my weight and my A1C.

    One number is getting better – that’s my sleep number.  I’m getting over 7 hours a night lately which is much better than it was in December.  I think I was average about 4 hours, even less some nights, especially when I was dealing with the gas line.

    I do know that number has to improve before the other ones will.

    I’ve got one more doctor’s appointment next week – primary care.

    I’ve got all of my medical supplies ordered, and most of them are here.  The last box was here, but we did the billing wrong, so that box is on it’s way back to Medtronics, and its’ replacement will be here next week.

    My prescriptions are on the way, one arrived today.  So yes, life is MUCH better.

  • Medtronic Sensors covered by Express Scripts Pharmacy

    Okay, now this gets weird.  Express Scripts won’t cover the Bayor Countour glucose test strips but they will cover the sensors? 

    Whatever, sensor exchange happening.

  • Getting used to SemiRetirement

    Actually it isn’t that hard.  Layers of stress have been rolling off. 

    First I got my medical insurance card.  And leave it to Express Scripts to make sure I get my presciption stuff on January 2.   I did get my information from them in advance and had PillPack working on things as soon as they opened after the 1st.

    I’ve been getting all the medical appointments done that I’ve put off because of the $3500 deductible.  Well woman last week, endo this week, primary care next week.

    Get my CPAP supplies last week, insulin pumps supplies are shipping today.  Have that all on autoship now.  Well, the CPAP stuff I pick up because the office is in Dallas and they are nice.

    Nice to know that everything is covered with the reasonable deductible.  Yes, I pay more each month, but its all piece of mine.

    Oh, and best yet, I show up in the Texas Teacher Retirement system as retired and I know what my gross pay is.

    All good!  Now if I can get my A1C down.  It’s 8.1, was 8.0 and of course during the holidays.

    Oh, and I ended up not scheduling a retirement party because the process brought out my social anxiety disorder.