Dupyutren's Contracture.....surgery to fix this next Wednesday......more on this later
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
I fell in Love
i was at my appointment at my Diabetes Education Centre today. i love going there. Cecelia never, ever, makes me feel bad about my numbers, or my blood pressure or anything else for that matter. i thought for sure my A1c was going to be up. my last one was 7.2 and i figured this one would be somewhere around 8 or so. not so. 7.3. not bad! i have only been pumping since May, and she said that it is not unusual for people's A1c to go up a bit when starting the pump because they are afraid to make changes that were so easy to make before. we made a few changes to my basals, and also lowered my target from 8 to 7.
while sitting in the office i noticed a poster on the wall. i fell in love with it immediately! let me share it with you. 8-)
Diabetes Etiquette ~ for people who DON'T have Diabetes
1) DON'T offer unsolicited advice about my eating or other aspects of diabetes
3) DON'T tell me horror stories about your grandmother or other people with diabetes you have heard about.
diabetes is scary enough, and stories like these are not reassuring! besides we now know that with good management, odds are good that you can live a long, healthy and happy life with diabetes.
4) DO offer to join me in making healthy lifestyle changes.
not having to be alone with efforts to change, like starting an exercise program, is one of the most powerful ways you can be helpful. after all, healthy lifestyle changes can benifit everyone!
5) DON'T look so horrified when i check my blood sugars, or give myself an injection.
it is not alot of fun for me either. checking blood sugars and taking medications are things i must do to manage diabetes well. if i have to hide while i do so, it makes it much harder for me.
6) DO ask how you might be helpful.
if you want to be supportive, there may be lots of little things i would appreciate your help with. However, what i really need, may be very different than what you think i need, so please ask first.
7) DON'T offer thoughtless reassurances.
when you first learn about my diabetes, you may want to reassure me by saying things like, "hey it could be worse; you could have Cancer". this won't make me feel better, and the implicit message seems to be that diabetes is no big deal. however, diabetes (like Cancer) IS a big deal.
8) DO be supportive of my efforts for self-care.
help me set up an environment for success by supporting healthy food choices. please honour my decision to decline a particular food, even when you really want me to try it. you are most helpful when you are not being a source of unnecessary temptation.
9) DON'T peek at, or comment on my blood glucose numbers without asking me first.
these numbers are private, unless i choose to share them. it is normal to have numbers that are sometimes too low or too high. your unsolicited comments about these numbers can add to the disappointment, frustration and anger i already feel.
10) DO offer you love and encouragement.
as i work hard to manage diabetes successfully, sometimes just knowing that you care can be very helpful and motivating.
i think my favourites are #'s 3,5,7 & 9.
the original poster can be found here, at the Behavioral Diabetes Institute. there is lots of very interesting information to be found. things for both Type 1's and Type 2's, parents of diabetic teens, and stuff about the "real-life" aspects of living with this disease, to name a few.
while sitting in the office i noticed a poster on the wall. i fell in love with it immediately! let me share it with you. 8-)
Diabetes Etiquette ~ for people who DON'T have Diabetes
1) DON'T offer unsolicited advice about my eating or other aspects of diabetes
you may mean well, but giving advice about someone’s personal habits, especially when it is not requested, isn’t very nice. besides, many of the popularly held beliefs about diabetes (“you should just stop eating sugar”) are out of date or just plain wrong.
2) DO realize and appreciate that diabetes is hard work
diabetes management is a full-time job that I didn’t apply for, didn’t want and can’t quit. it involves thinking about what, when, and how much i eat, while also factoring in exercise, medication, stress, blood sugar monitoring, and so much more – each and every day.
3) DON'T tell me horror stories about your grandmother or other people with diabetes you have heard about.
diabetes is scary enough, and stories like these are not reassuring! besides we now know that with good management, odds are good that you can live a long, healthy and happy life with diabetes.
4) DO offer to join me in making healthy lifestyle changes.
not having to be alone with efforts to change, like starting an exercise program, is one of the most powerful ways you can be helpful. after all, healthy lifestyle changes can benifit everyone!
5) DON'T look so horrified when i check my blood sugars, or give myself an injection.
it is not alot of fun for me either. checking blood sugars and taking medications are things i must do to manage diabetes well. if i have to hide while i do so, it makes it much harder for me.
6) DO ask how you might be helpful.
if you want to be supportive, there may be lots of little things i would appreciate your help with. However, what i really need, may be very different than what you think i need, so please ask first.
7) DON'T offer thoughtless reassurances.
when you first learn about my diabetes, you may want to reassure me by saying things like, "hey it could be worse; you could have Cancer". this won't make me feel better, and the implicit message seems to be that diabetes is no big deal. however, diabetes (like Cancer) IS a big deal.
8) DO be supportive of my efforts for self-care.
help me set up an environment for success by supporting healthy food choices. please honour my decision to decline a particular food, even when you really want me to try it. you are most helpful when you are not being a source of unnecessary temptation.
9) DON'T peek at, or comment on my blood glucose numbers without asking me first.
these numbers are private, unless i choose to share them. it is normal to have numbers that are sometimes too low or too high. your unsolicited comments about these numbers can add to the disappointment, frustration and anger i already feel.
10) DO offer you love and encouragement.
as i work hard to manage diabetes successfully, sometimes just knowing that you care can be very helpful and motivating.
i think my favourites are #'s 3,5,7 & 9.
the original poster can be found here, at the Behavioral Diabetes Institute. there is lots of very interesting information to be found. things for both Type 1's and Type 2's, parents of diabetic teens, and stuff about the "real-life" aspects of living with this disease, to name a few.
,
Saturday, October 22, 2011
battling exhaustion
it's been a little while since i have been on here. i try to read a few blogs every day, but writing has been difficult.
my schedule lately has been hectic (working 7 days a week), and there doesn't seem to be much "me" time.
i read about everyone's wonderful "Simonpalooza" experiences and i must say, i am a tad bit jealous. it sounds like everyone involved had a spectacular time, and i am glad for them! travelling across the world to meet people that have helped change your life, that is an unbelievable adventure!!! how brave Simon was, and how nice that so many people came out to embrace him. i wish i could have been there.
right now, though, i don't think i would have the energy to answer the door if a whole carload of DOC'ers showed up. I.AM.SO.TIRED.
i know i am a bit anemic, and should probably be taking more iron, and eating a diet including a little more iron. but iron and me don't really get along. i was at the hospital yesterday for a pre-op anesthetic consult (hand surgery on Nov2), and the nurse asked if i was tired alot. I said yes, but assumed it was because i am working about 65-70 hrs a week. she wondered if i was taking an iron supplement. i told her yes, and the name of it. she suggested that i try Proferrin. it is a Heme Iron Supplement. she said it is much easier on the stomach and you need less of it because it is more easily absorbed by the body than the Non-heme Iron supplements(called Iron Salts).
when i am tired and not getting the sleep i need, my mind and body suffer. i cant stay focused. i lose my temper easily. i ache everywhere my BG's are all over the place. they are up, they are down, they are back up again. i try to count, and keep track of my carbs, but still things are wacky.
i am thinking about doing a trial run with a CGM. i have surgery coming up on my hand, and i would like my BG's to be fairly steady. i believe i can do a trial with my DEC(diabetic education centre).
i have sunday off, so i will try to do a little research, maybe have a day to relax and not worry about all the things i should be doing, that never seem to get done. for now though, i am off to bed.
i'm tired of battling exhaustion.
my schedule lately has been hectic (working 7 days a week), and there doesn't seem to be much "me" time.
i read about everyone's wonderful "Simonpalooza" experiences and i must say, i am a tad bit jealous. it sounds like everyone involved had a spectacular time, and i am glad for them! travelling across the world to meet people that have helped change your life, that is an unbelievable adventure!!! how brave Simon was, and how nice that so many people came out to embrace him. i wish i could have been there.
right now, though, i don't think i would have the energy to answer the door if a whole carload of DOC'ers showed up. I.AM.SO.TIRED.
i know i am a bit anemic, and should probably be taking more iron, and eating a diet including a little more iron. but iron and me don't really get along. i was at the hospital yesterday for a pre-op anesthetic consult (hand surgery on Nov2), and the nurse asked if i was tired alot. I said yes, but assumed it was because i am working about 65-70 hrs a week. she wondered if i was taking an iron supplement. i told her yes, and the name of it. she suggested that i try Proferrin. it is a Heme Iron Supplement. she said it is much easier on the stomach and you need less of it because it is more easily absorbed by the body than the Non-heme Iron supplements(called Iron Salts).
when i am tired and not getting the sleep i need, my mind and body suffer. i cant stay focused. i lose my temper easily. i ache everywhere my BG's are all over the place. they are up, they are down, they are back up again. i try to count, and keep track of my carbs, but still things are wacky.
i am thinking about doing a trial run with a CGM. i have surgery coming up on my hand, and i would like my BG's to be fairly steady. i believe i can do a trial with my DEC(diabetic education centre).
i have sunday off, so i will try to do a little research, maybe have a day to relax and not worry about all the things i should be doing, that never seem to get done. for now though, i am off to bed.
i'm tired of battling exhaustion.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Strange little man and Fibre
so a little while back i wrote about fibre. or rather, about whether or not to subtract the amount of fibre in a meal from the total carbs in said meal. the gist of this was to decide whether or not the fibre actually affects the blood sugar one way or the other.
so my little (un)science experiment is over. for the past two days i have eaten the same thing. EXACTLY the same. not just the same amount of carbs, but the EXACT SAME FOOD. at the exact same time my grandson said "boring!!" (he is only 5 and i must say, that it was just me that did this, not my whole family). the only difference being that on the first day i did not subtract the fibre, and on the second day i did.
the results are in.........................
my BG results did not really differ AT ALL. what i was looking at was the pp blood sugars. i was told by my dietitian that when you subtract the fibre you are using only the carbs that convert to glucose. because fibre does not convert to glucose, if you include it you "may be inclined to have a low BG after eating because of incorrect carb counting".
you can feed him the same thing at the same time every day for a month, and never get the same results twice.
in this instance i found that it did not matter whether i subracted or not, my pp BG (at 2hrs) had gone up as much as 2 points. and within 4hrs, it was back down to within range.
so for myself, i think i will just continue to do as i have been doing. and that for the most part, my friends, is to just base my bolus on the "total carbs", without bothering to do the subtraction.
please keep in mind that this is just my own opinion. should you have questions regarding this, it would be best to consult with your Diabetes Health Care Team.
so my little (un)science experiment is over. for the past two days i have eaten the same thing. EXACTLY the same. not just the same amount of carbs, but the EXACT SAME FOOD. at the exact same time my grandson said "boring!!" (he is only 5 and i must say, that it was just me that did this, not my whole family). the only difference being that on the first day i did not subtract the fibre, and on the second day i did.
the results are in.........................
my BG results did not really differ AT ALL. what i was looking at was the pp blood sugars. i was told by my dietitian that when you subtract the fibre you are using only the carbs that convert to glucose. because fibre does not convert to glucose, if you include it you "may be inclined to have a low BG after eating because of incorrect carb counting".
as we all know, Diabetes is a strange little man.
you can feed him the same thing at the same time every day for a month, and never get the same results twice.
in this instance i found that it did not matter whether i subracted or not, my pp BG (at 2hrs) had gone up as much as 2 points. and within 4hrs, it was back down to within range.
so for myself, i think i will just continue to do as i have been doing. and that for the most part, my friends, is to just base my bolus on the "total carbs", without bothering to do the subtraction.
please keep in mind that this is just my own opinion. should you have questions regarding this, it would be best to consult with your Diabetes Health Care Team.
Friday, October 07, 2011
international flavour
Today is No D Day. George over at Ninjabetic has declared Oct 7 to be the day that we DO NOT blog about our disease. We do NOT write about it anywhere. not FB or Twitter, or anywhere. click here to read all the No D Day posts!
so what to write about. hmmmm.... i thought about this alot last night. i tried to think of things that might be of interest to the DOC, that i enjoy.
i enjoy reading, listening to music, singing along with the radio, hanging with family, and i love to cook. i have been cooking since i was about 12 years old. i cooked for my family everynight of the week except the weekend.
both my parents worked so it became my job to make dinner every night. some days, after picking up my younger sister from school, i would come home to find a note on the counter telling me what to make for supper. my mom would have jotted down whatever is was she wanted me to make, and what time to start things.
eventually i started to collect recipes. when we visited family, i would search through their recipe books, and write out the ones that sounded interesting. i would go through magazines with scissors in hand. cutting and pasting these finds in a scrapbook of sorts. it didn't take long before i was making out a list of ingredients and sending my mother off to the grocery store with my list. (i think she secretly enjoyed this!)
over the years i have collected many, many recipe books. some of the ones i have belonged to my gramma, and came from the local church ladies group. some are old family favourites. one of my aunts lived in many places all over the world including Pakistan and Brazil. some of her recipes are my favourites.
in the last several years, my husband and i and a group of friends have been having a monthly dinner party during the winter months. we call them our "international dinners". it is a great way to get together through the cold winter instead of sitting at home every saturday night watching The Leafs lose another game. what we do is put a bunch of different countries in a "hat" and each couple pulls one out. We then put the months of November, January, February, March, April and sometimes May (depending on how many couples we have participating) in the hat and pick one of them too. We go from house to house. The host house supplies the main dish for the chosen country. each couple then brings either, a side, a salad or soup, an appetizer and a dessert. this is all determined by a sort of schedule that works so that you get a different course to bring each month. each item must be homemade. nothing from a box, or frozen package (so no frozen lasagna for our italian dinner!).
we have had meals from so many different countries, and each one was delicious! we have sampled fare from such places as Italy, Sweden, Japan, India, Morroco, Portugal, Argentina, China, Scotland, and Greece.
We will be meeting up next week to decide this years plans. I can't wait!! if any of you have ideas for Countries please let me know!
Thursday, October 06, 2011
record keeping and pie
back on september 21st, i wrote about fibre. i said that i would be back with some results in 2 weeks. well....2 weeks is a really long time to test out my theory. i was never any good at keeping a log(just ask my doctor!). so i have decided that i WILL do this, however, it will be over a 2 DAY span instead. reason being, i can definately eat the same thing, and keep a record for 2 days. and my schedule for 2 days is easier to keep basically the same. so because this is our Thanksgiving weekend, and i will probably be eating WAY too many carbs, i will re-start this theory on monday (i mean i can't be expected to eat turkey and pumpkin pie 2 days in a row can i??).
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