So the first part of a training session is making sure that your blood sugar is in range. I’m at 185 and did a correction to pull it down to 110, so I should be good.
Next I prepared a sample of high blood sugar. I took a gauze pad from the freezer, tore it in half since she’s a beagle and put it in a small salt shaker.
Here are the two I am going to use today.
I am going to let the sample thaw a bit, while I gather camera and swirl and get rid of the extra dogs.
Had to go to two medical offices.
The first was at Forest Park Medical Plaza to get my lap band looked at. We decided on a 1/2 cc fill. Several of the staff visited with Dulce but more of the visitors did. By the way, the band looks really good and I’ve lost 10 pounds since I was there last.
Then since I was near school, I just had to stop by. Got my room keys, and visited with a couple of people. They were setting up computers for Parent Portal so I ended up helping and volunteering to help with that on Monday. I think I’ll even see if I can get in early enough on Monday so we can have my lab for overflow if needed.
My room is a mess.
Then we went for my second appointment, to my new Ob/Gyn. I have been having trouble seeing my old one who I liked, but they kept canceling my appointments both this summer and last so I couldn’t get in to see them. I’ve run into an interesting issue so I wanted to get it checked out and the primary care physician wasn’t up for it. They asked about her, but was cool with it as soon as they realized what her purpose was.
I’m not sure if she alerted or not. I’m thinking not. I’m on a bariatric diet which is hard on me blood sugar wise. Full liquids. Also weight wise. But it will be worth it in the long run.
I’m waiting on my school district to decide if Dulce can come to school with me as a diabetes alert dog.
I talked with my counselor about it last night, and have made some decisions on her help. I am going to continue working with her, training her, and using her even if they don’t let me use her at school.
Here’s the deal. Since I started working with her, my A1C is better. My over all blood sugar is better. My fasting blood sugar is better. Under 140 today, before Dulce it was lucky to be under 180.
I know for the past two school years, my blood sugar control has sucked, even though I have started out each day wanting good control. It’s not that I have said – screw this. Though I admit there are some days I didn’t test at all as it was too much freaking trouble. But I didn’t wake up saying, I’m not going to control my diabetes today. It was usually – well, I missed this test, I’ll catch up later today and later never happened.
By the way, dealing with medical professions can be exhausting. Especially the ones that don’t have a clue about diabetes. She had no idea that lows come with control and that you can’t prevent them. Just like you really can’t prevent the odd highs. Of course, I had to explain that during the meeting with the school committee but it’s less frustrating talking with lay people as you know they don’t get it.
You have a school nurse?
Well, she’s downstairs, in a different part of the building. She can’t tell if my blood sugar is low or high from there. If I need her, we’re not having class that day.
That’s come up in idle conversation.
Dog can tell if I need a piece of candy to fix the low. Or a unit of insulin to fix the high. I honestly think that any disruption that the dog will cause the first few days will be much less than any disruption caused by having the school nurse come up.
Oh, that’s happened. We didn’t have class that day.
In October, I’m planning to go to the Grace Hopper Celebration 2012 in Baltimore. A few weeks ago I had one of my “oh, my god moments”, and almost cancelled.
However, I took a deep breath and Tweeted @GHC . Man have they been helpful. Or it might be one she.
I’ve let @southwestair know and they have been helpful. I’ve emailed them, and they marked my confirmation and I’ve talked to them on the phone. Here’s the cool part with Southwest. They don’t charge for two bags, and I think they are including checked her cage in that. I’m not sure, as I prefer to travel as light as possible. Last year, I went for two days, and took two bags on carryon. That included my purse and CPAP. This time I’m going Tuesday night until Sunday, hoping to be included in the high school day on Saturday, or maybe go to the Open Source day.
For this trip, I’ll need 4 days of clothing, dog food, dog stuff, diabetes stuff and 4 days of clothing, so probably 5 times as much stuff. Some of that I can probably get in Baltimore since she is a small dog, and maybe even get a Syster or a Hopper to bring it to the Hotel for me.
The convention center has been great too. I should probably actually call the hotel, but I did just mark the hotel reservation.
Though I just had heart failure when I saw the hotel room charge! The taxes are as much as one night's stay.
My diabetes alert dog is alerting. My meter indicated that I needed another unit of insulin to bring my blood sugar down to 100. However, I’m the high 180’s.
Frankly, I’m confused. I don’t think it is a bad thing she is alerting – my meter clearly agrees with her.
I’m just not sure what to do about it. I’m praising but not jack potting.
I do want tight control. Thoughts?
Went well.
Dulce alerted when we got there. Wasn’t real high but I did check and correct – and gave me a chance to do some talking about it whole issue.
They had good questions. I think I had good answers.
Biggest issues were:
Waiting
I have been utilizing just about every resource the school district gives in trying to fix my diabetes control issue including the BCBS nurse. I think they sent her to me.
Well she called this afternoon and asked how I was doing.
I told her, well, you probably haven’t heard this one before, but I’m doing loads better and it’s because I decided to train my own diabetes alert dog.
She thought it was awesome and very cool and couldn’t wait until she told her supervisor. She agreed that it really didn’t matter how I got there, as long as I did. I explained how it worked – that Dulce alerts when I’m just out of range so I can fix the problem before it gets too bad.
Now if I can just do a better job on controlling my environment!
Today I got up with the following plans:
Get nails done
Go to the gym
Deal with small problems
Didn't actually end up doing things in that order but picked up a small mocha on the way to nails and dosed for half, knowing the gym was the next stop.
Nail salon took longer, and Dulce alerted her way, stretching placing her feet in my knee several times and making eye contact. Dog was right, blood sugar in the 240s, did a half adjustment and headed for the gym where we are now.
Sent from my Windows Phone
Okay, the electronic CGM’s are easy. You go high, you give yourself some insulin and you wait for your blood sugar go down.
Isn’t that simple with a Diabetic Alert Dog.
By the way I was just asking for advice – what do you do if the dog comes up with an alert different than what you want, do you go with it, or do you train for the alert.
Well, Dulce decided today to go for the alert I wanted. Not sure why. She’s been putting her paws on my lap and making eye contact, but I have a leash with a knot in it on the living room floor and she went for that today.
I even decided I wasn’t out of range – there we go with that assumption again – I know I have hypo and hyper glycemic unawareness.
But she alerted, I tested and fixed. Now we wait. But turning her off isn’t that easy. She’s nagging now.