Blog

  • Day 1

    Blood sugar was in range all day.

    Had no trouble traveling with Dulce. Two comments about not being able to bring pets in but were retracted as soon as I reminded them she was a service dog.

    Seriously her vest is as big as she is.

    Sent from my Windows Phone

  • Traveling with a Service Dog

    Dulce and I are leaving in a little bit for Duluth Minnesota for a teacher conference (from Dallas).  It will be interesting.

    But I entered an agility trial, not realizing until I went to enter it in the calendar that it was the same weekend as #GraceHopper2013 and had to immediately cancel.

    Then I realized I was going to have to travel with Dulce.  Having her under the seat won’t be a problem, it will just be another cage to her, but CPAP, laptop, etc.  Then I remembered I went to Portland with netbook, Kindle and Windows Phone, and have better setup now.

    In fact, right now, I have CPAP, Kindle Fire, Nexus 7, and Windows Phone in the CPAP  and I think there is still room for the netbook but that might be over kill.

    I’m going Southwest, and they do check bags free.  I think for that trip, I will check a suitcase.

  • Blood Glucose Chart with dog

    Here’s one with the dog.

    Notice that the average is smoother, and there are more readings.

  • Blood Glucose Chart Before Dog

    Here’s a blood glucose chart from my pump before I started working with the diabetic alert dog.

  • So how is that dog working out?

    She is really good at picking up the knot on the leash when she smells the sample of “high” scent.  She hasn’t put it together with my being high. 

    However, when my blood sugar is high, she pulls “stubborn” beagle on me.   And I think it’s more the process of an escalating blood sugar than an actual high.

    She does the same then when I have a crashing low.  I get “stubborn” beagle. 

    By the way, I’ve seen “stubborn” beagle before.  You have to understand that I have beagles that listen to me, do what I tell them to do, but when my health isn’t right, I get stubborn beagle.  Stubborn beagle won’t listen, won’t do what I want them to do,

    In her case, she won’t stay in the open cage, pulls on the leash, doesn’t want to stay near me.  Means it’s time to check my blood sugar, lock her in the cage, and ignore her until things normalize.  Pretty interesting.

    Be nice when we have a communication system going.  I think it will come soon.

    She is well behaved in public.  Usually snoozes when we are in workshop situations.  Walks nicely on a leash, and when people are watching, puts on her runway walk.  Does pretty good at restaurants, though all bets are off when someone drops food on the floor (no self-respecting beagle ignores the opportunity to eat calories).  Cafeterias are hard, and its best if we pick a quiet corner.

    So far, no issues with access.  Of course, walking in with confidence and 100 degree plus days helps.

  • Weight Success

    So I am finally going in the right direction and am at lightest in a long while.  Not at my smallest, still carrying a lot of weight in my midsection, and I am not physically feeling the weight loss.  Weird.

    Stress level is good.  House is organized, almost finished with the staff development of the summer and at a good place at curriculum development for the district.

    I’ve got about three more weeks of summer, and headed to the far north of the country for almost a week.

    Weight is going down at a nice slow steady pace.

    It’s nice.

  • Good news about these lows

    They have been slow drops, not panic causing, and easily fixed.  I've also been able to get training samples on two of them.

  • Listen to the dog….

    We haven't taught a formal alert for lows.  Dulce was trying to tell me that I was going low, and didn't know how.

    Listen to the dog!

    May have to start teaching it, as I've headed towards low daily now.

  • Bad Part about “Normalizing” your blood sugar?

    You go low.

    I’ve been running around with my blood sugar way too high for two years.  For the past three to four weeks, I’ve made an effort to change that and I’m checking my blood sugar, doing boluses when I should and in other words, not ignoring the fact I’m diabetic.

    I’ve gone in the low range three days in a row at the gym.  Not treatable on Thursday, not even low enough for dog training samples.  Definitely treatable and dog training samples today and yesterday. 

    So the good news, is when I get back from Milwaukie, I’ll have something to work with.  Today I even did a temporary basal which helped, but not enough.  I’ll have to think on this.

    I didn’t used to really have to worry about it.

    I’ll take hints.

  • Being without is as bad as being with the dog

    Well, not really, but I had been out with Dulce at the local Discount Tire when I found out my tires were bad.  Each of the store staff had to hear the story.  At least only one of the guys had to know why she wasn’t with me – I’d given her the day off.

    I know better than to not take her to my gym – I have to go to another gym if I want to work out without her. 

    Thursday is when the district will first meet after receiving the paperwork.