Living with Diabetes

Blog

  • Joined Profile by Sanford

    I am frustrated since we removed the fluid out of the band.  I’m still not ready for surgery though.

    I had to get labs done yesterday then pick up CPAP equipment and on the way, I noticed a new storefront.  “Profile – Weight Loss Coaching”.  So while I waited for my CPAP equipment I looked them up and liked what I saw.

    I went back to the storefront, sat in the parking lot and did more online research.  Liked what I saw even more.

    Things I really liked: can go on month to month membership and the initial fee more than covered the stuff they give you:

    Smart scale for weight

    Food Scale

    Shake mixing ball container

    Water bottle (like I don’t have a lot of those)

    A couple of booklets.

    I don’t start officially until Tuesday.  We’re waiting to hear from my endo and primary care physician to decide which plan to go on.

    It’s low carb, which I’ve been able to do before.

    I have to confess some issues with the scale — you have to push the user button before you can use it.  And some issues with their app.  Their tech support isn’t very responsive.

  • Pfizer Covid Study

    I haven’t been comfortable about discussing the Pfizer Covid study as usually when I work with a pharmaceutical company I’ve signed a non-disclosure agreement. Not in this case, and people are coming out about it.

    I will admit that many scary thoughts crossed my mind, especially since Pfizer is a new type of study.  I was shocked because a good friend who is a veterinarian working for research labs didn’t want me to do it.

    Here are the deciding factors for me to do this:

    Jumping the line for vaccination (doing the study gave me a 50% chance of getting a vaccine) 

    Getting paid well.  

    Helping society get out of this covid thing.

    Learning more about a cool new technology.

     

    So far, that’s been all been going on.  I have no idea whether or not I got the real thing, and I’ve got a debit card with a good budget.

    I’ve had two needle jabs, a blood draw and I interact with an app weekly.  The first visit literally took most of an afternoon.  The second visit also took most of an afternoon, but probably an hour shorter.

    Most of the time taken up in those visits was paperwork.  I did have to wait for an time period to make sure I didn’t have an immediate reaction.

    I was very fatigued for about 5 days after each jab and I’ve had a sore arm at the injection site.  These are standard reactions for me after any vaccination.  I get yearly flu shots and any thing else my primary care physician wants to throw at me.

    I’m very excited as I got an email today saying that we will get an official email after FDA EUA which is projected to unblind us and then let us know how to schedule a vaccination if we were given the placebo.

    I have faith in the Pfizer vaccine, even with the few allergic reactions that were seen on the first day of injections in Great Britain.

    I also believe you should take whichever vaccine that is available to you as soon as possible.

  • Leaving Precision Nutrition – score refund!

    I have been doing Precision Nutrition and I really recommend them.

    I think they have kept me from gaining more weight than I have. I have done one and a half years with them.

    However I am not seeing the change I need and I am going with something new. More on that.

    Best thing is that refunded my unused account and it will fund the new program. I honestly did not expect the refund.

    Sent from my iPhone

  • Fun Dexcom Day

    Wasn’t paying attention, and my Dexcom transmitter failed.

    Fun fact: I activated it on 9/23 and it’s supposed to last 90 days.

    So I contacted my CVS pharmacy where I fill these things, and they did have one on the shelf, and filled it before 5:00 pm.  Saints, these people are.

    Then I found another spare sitting on a shelf downstairs.  Hopefully I’ll remember.

    I shouldn’t need another transmitter for 270 days!

    —-

    So then I go to put everything on, and the inserter didn’t release.  Jiggled it and everything.

    So I put a different sensor on.

    And yes — had to make a second call to Dexcom.

    —-

    Their employees are no longer in the US, <URG> and so of course don’t know that shipping will get further delayed as we get closer to December 25.

    Which is also why I’m already ordering Christmas and Birthday gifts for December.

  • Bariatric surgery decisions

    I’ve decided to let things be.
    The surgeon has removed all the fluid from the band. I’ve been slowly getting used to eating anything I want.
    The best part is that my digestive system seems to be working normally again. I was having horrible constipation.
    I’ve decided to leave it alone and get checked for erosions and other issues. That’s on October 1.
    The nice thing that is that I can always change my mind.

  • First time doing a full gym workout

    I froze my gym membership back in March when it was free. It unfroze on Tuesday and I went in and did some cardio to see how it was going to be. Saw some regulars, saw some things I didn’t like == mostly people without masks.
    I’ll probably start using the pool next week. Some lockers are open and half the showers.
    Today I went in and did a full leg and arm workout and 30 minutes of cardio. Saw some more regulars. Nice to see that people have survived the quarantine, especially the employees.
    I can always freeze again, but I think I’ll keep it unfrozen.
    It an be lonely teaching online.

  • Looking at a Revision

    I haven’t been happy with the lap band for a while. I’ve been stuck. I had lost over 90 pounds, then started gaining again and I’m at a total of 70 pounds lost.
    I’ve tried a bunch of stuff, but nothing has worked. Well, that’s not true, I started losing weight again with Precision Nutition – an online program.
    I went saw the bariatric surgeon who initially did the lap band surgery but wasn’t happy with his attitude. He wanted to put me under and look at the band. He didn’t explain what he was talking about until I asked, and that was about 5 minutes of talking to me, with me totally confused. Before I left, I mentioned to the office staff I would rather talk to him about a revision before we did anything else, but that request went ignored.
    When I went to looking for him, he didn’t come as being covered by my insurance. Another surgeon that I had seen for aftercare DID come up and after not hearing from the initial surgeon about the revision, I made an appointment with her.
    I’m very happy with her, and I’ve proceeded with her suggestions. Since I’m 60, we did a cardiac workout and apparently I’m cleared — but haven’t gotten the official word yet.
    I’ve also had an upper GI, and apparently the band has slipped slightly. I’ll know more after the surgeon gets back from vacation.
    The best part is that I’ve gotten the office staff work with me. They wanted a sleep study and I finally got across to them that I don’t need one because I’m under the care of sleep doctor and am on CPAP therapy.
    I’m happiest because I found a dietitian I like in June and I can use her instead of the one they referred that I don’t like. That also means I’ve checked off two of the four visits I need for that. I’m hoping I can keep her.

  • Great Endo visit

    Fortunately my quarterly Endo visit was scheduled the day after the doctor's office opened and I could get my labs done the day before.

    I don't believe that the standards for diabetes care have changed much before and after covid.

    I did have to have my temperature checked before I came into the office.  Everyone was wearing face masks and shields.  It did make it difficult to hear my Endo because she is soft spoken.

    A1C was 6.6 — my other labs were all within range — I've lost 4 pounds since the visit in January.

    We discussed several important things -> don't go to the hospital.

    We also tweaked my insulin pump.  I've programmed it since I've come home.

    I'll see my primary care physician next week –> all my normal standard of care.

  • I’m glad we’re opening back up

    I don't post about politics much. It's because I don't like fighting with people.  The whole shutting down the country and now opening it up again was about politics.
     
    I love the way people get brainwashed.  We never closed the country to get rid of the virus or even to keep people from dying.  We closed the country to flatten the curve, to reduce the number of people who needed personal protective gear, and to give our scientists a chance to learn more.  It's been pushed so hard that we should stay home, now people don't want to go out.
     
    I like Governor Abbot (Texas) a lot. More than most lawyers and more than most politicians, though I have liked a lot of politicians through the years, campaigned for a few (Reagan/Dole).
     
    I was raised to respect our countries leaders, even if we don't agree with them.  I've respected all our country's leaders, even if their actions were not with respect.  Sadly, if our president says the sky is blue, there are people who will immediately believe the sky is bright red, they hate him that much.
     
    My dad was diagnosed with congestive heart failure when he was 46 years old. He and we were told that he would die if he caught anything like a cold or the flu. He didn't go out (and he was on oxygen, and that was LONG before the portable oxygen concentrators) and we didn't go visit if we were sick. People came to the house every day and brought him lunch. Lots of people that mom and I didn't know about — I was working about 30 minutes from the house.
     
    I'm 60 and diabetic.  I have to take care.
     
    I'm glad we're opening the country back up. Not working is driving my husband crazy — so crazy that he took everything out of our storage shed today and had me tell him what I wanted to keep.  We did get positive news today but that doesn't mean he will be able to go back to work.
     
    I was in tears to see that the Perry dog show is going to reschedule. Happy tears. I don't know when I will feel comfortable enough to go to a dog show, but I have friends who aren't making money and I know are going as crazy as my husband is, who make their living at dog shows. I don't know which one of them will go and who will send their dogs. I also have friends that go to dog shows to have a good time. Again, I don't know who will go.  I know I won't.  It means that the AKC can take people off of furlough and start working again.

    Our national specialty is going to be an anniversary year, but I had already decided not to go.  It's in October and they are still trying to have it.
     
    The Dallas shows are still on the calendar.  I'll probably go, but I'll do it the way I did the Dallas show when we had canine influenza.  I'll groom at home and only be on-site when it's time for me to show.  I will wear a mask.

    Opening Texas is a good thing.  I didn't go to a state park today and probably won't — but I didn't do that before.  Our stores will be open for drive-up service on Friday — not all of them, the craft stores didn't open today as they didn't get enough warning.  I probably won't buy anything but I didn't before they closed.

    I probably will buy something from Nordstrom and will do pickup but I did that a lot.  I will go to the Nordstrom cafe as soon as it opens.  That's my almost weekly treat and I miss them so much, not the food, but the people.

    Everyone just settle down.  And do what you can do.  If it is stay home, stay home.  If it is go out and do what you did before the closures, do that!

  • Current Status and Thoughts – Covid19 and Diabetes

    Scary times.
    I’m 60 and diabetic so I am at high risk of ending up in the hospital and on a respirator. I’m also high risk for dying.
    Frankly, I don’t want to take up resources a younger person might need, especially if those resources are in shortage. I don’t want to be unconscious in a hospital where my husband can’t visit. Of course that time when you are on the vent, is the best time to visit, but there are a few days after where company is nice.
    I have talked about the possibility of having it with my primary care physician. Back in February and today. Both times he said my respiratory symptoms are my normal spring pollen symptoms and at this time he doesn’t recommend testing.
    Here’s the deal: They have their own lab, so if he doesn’t think I need to be tested, I don’t need to be tested.
    I didn’t put it as this succinctly, but a friend did. The virus is just like Schrödinger’s cat.
    You can get tested and be positive. But that could be a false positive. You can positive and not have symptoms. You can be positive and have symptoms.
    If you don’t have symptoms, you should self quarantine for 2-3 weeks. If you do have symptoms, you should treat the symptoms and self quarantine for 2-3 weeks.
    You can get tested and be negative. It could be a false negative. At the moment, I’m in Texas and Dallas County and my movements are restricted. Basically in quarantine for 2-3 weeks. You could get the virus two days after you get tested — see above.
    I do think that shutting things down enough so that every one is quarantined for 2-3 weeks. I do think this is something we’re going to have to live with. I think the things we have done have not only allowed the virus to stop circulating is also allowing the flu virus to stop circulating.
    We’re going to be wearing face masks for a while, and that when we see a community outbreak, we’re going to have to shut down community down for a 2-3 week.