I mentioned a couple of posts back (see here) that I have been running. Not the first time I try to take it up, but this is the longest it has stuck. I ran 5K for the first time September 5, 2010. When I started in June, I couldn't run solid for 1.5K. So, some improvement, and I was aware of it. I was proud of myself.
Lately I have been feeling that I am not fast enough. I know I am not fast, I run at my own pace, and for me it is as fast as I can manage. But I looked at my time for the 5K I ran in September, and it was 51 minutes. Now, I can do it in under 45. That's an improvement, I do believe!
I want to run it in under 30. I can't do it today, but I will do it one day. Seeing the minutes that dropped in the last months remind me that even if it's a long road, it's shorter every day.
Me, my glucose tabs, my meter and the somewhat shorter, long road. Here's to us!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Resolutions-I Choose to Choose
It's a new year and the time when all good people swear they're going to be better people. We all want to be better than we are, which is why, after some consideration, I have decided that resolutions are good things.
It's a good thing to challenge yourself to be the best you can be.
It's a good thing to think about how you can live a better life.
It's a good thing to reflect on how you can be in charge of what happens to you.
The problem arises when you pick unrealistic resolutions...when you choose not to be the best you that you can be, but someone else entirely.
No one can do that.
So I choose to choose. That's all. I choose to think about the things I do, and be mindful of how they will affect me; body, mind, and spirit. I don't think you can go wrong with that.
Happy New Year.
It's a good thing to challenge yourself to be the best you can be.
It's a good thing to think about how you can live a better life.
It's a good thing to reflect on how you can be in charge of what happens to you.
The problem arises when you pick unrealistic resolutions...when you choose not to be the best you that you can be, but someone else entirely.
No one can do that.
So I choose to choose. That's all. I choose to think about the things I do, and be mindful of how they will affect me; body, mind, and spirit. I don't think you can go wrong with that.
Happy New Year.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Christmas-abetes
This is the hardest time of the year as far as managing diabetes goes, in my books. Easter has chocolate, and Halloween has candy seemingly sprouting out of the walls. But Christmas, oh Christmas...
I can pretty much resist candy. It's the chips, cheesies, dips, nachos, potatoes, stuffing, etc, etc that get to me. There's non-stop food coming at me from all directions. And my willpower is not up to the task.
Which all boils down to my blood sugars being oh-so-high....so high. Often over 15 mmol/l, which is roughly (very roughly, I'm not checking the math!) 300mg/dl. Which feels like BLAH! My own fault, I know.
So what did I do?
I rescheduled my endo appointment next week until late February. I wasn't ready to face the A1c I knew was waiting for me if I had my blood drawn now. Cop out, I know. But I have a plan. I don't know about willpower, but I have a plan.
I took up running in June, and I still love it (which is saying something!!). So I plan to run. I plan to eat a little less. And I plan to test more reliably-when I am supposed to, rather than sporadically. My A1c was still 7.8 last time I went in, so my hope is my plan will get it down to 7 by the end of February. I don't know if it's realistic...I may have to shoot for May (which would be my next appointment) since February will still be carrying the Christmas numbers. If we're talking May, I expect it to be less than 7, because that's enough time to make a real change.
But I have a plan.
I'll keep you up to date :)
I can pretty much resist candy. It's the chips, cheesies, dips, nachos, potatoes, stuffing, etc, etc that get to me. There's non-stop food coming at me from all directions. And my willpower is not up to the task.
Which all boils down to my blood sugars being oh-so-high....so high. Often over 15 mmol/l, which is roughly (very roughly, I'm not checking the math!) 300mg/dl. Which feels like BLAH! My own fault, I know.
So what did I do?
I rescheduled my endo appointment next week until late February. I wasn't ready to face the A1c I knew was waiting for me if I had my blood drawn now. Cop out, I know. But I have a plan. I don't know about willpower, but I have a plan.
I took up running in June, and I still love it (which is saying something!!). So I plan to run. I plan to eat a little less. And I plan to test more reliably-when I am supposed to, rather than sporadically. My A1c was still 7.8 last time I went in, so my hope is my plan will get it down to 7 by the end of February. I don't know if it's realistic...I may have to shoot for May (which would be my next appointment) since February will still be carrying the Christmas numbers. If we're talking May, I expect it to be less than 7, because that's enough time to make a real change.
But I have a plan.
I'll keep you up to date :)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Less Carbs
I'd say low carb, or even no-carb, but I can't do that. I like me some carbs, at least. so, today I made mac and cheese and replaced part of the mac with cauliflower, which I dumped in while the rest of the mac was cooking.
It was ok. I liked the cauliflower, I like it cooked anyway. My daughter picked every piece out-defeating the purpose, but then she isn't diabetic, so I suppose it's ok. My husband thought it was cool to have less carbs-it's a goal we're both working on for different reasons.
So, you know, it wasn't bad, man-but I'm not sure if it was my best performance. It was just ok for me. (quoting Randy Jackson here-although out of context. He's never had my half-mac-n-cheese).
Cheese out.
It was ok. I liked the cauliflower, I like it cooked anyway. My daughter picked every piece out-defeating the purpose, but then she isn't diabetic, so I suppose it's ok. My husband thought it was cool to have less carbs-it's a goal we're both working on for different reasons.
So, you know, it wasn't bad, man-but I'm not sure if it was my best performance. It was just ok for me. (quoting Randy Jackson here-although out of context. He's never had my half-mac-n-cheese).
Cheese out.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
CGM-Too Many Bugs?
I have been having lots of highs in the morning, and my endo suggests it could be as a result of lows at night.
So I asked if that might make me a good candidate for CGM (continuous glucose monitoring). She made a bit of a face, and said the technology was still weak. (??)
Apparently, at a recent conference, some docs wore the CGM at night and were getting alarms, but they weren't even diabetic.
So they have doubts about the efficacy.
My questions are:
1. Did they then pull out a meter and check if the numbers the CGM was getting were right?
and
2. Doesn't every one's blood sugar fluctuate? Yes. Couldn't a non-diabetic's blood sugar be dropping during the night and causing the alarm to go off? I would think so.How could the monitor tell you weren't really diabetic? If your sugar is dropping and you're wearing a monitor, presumably you inject insulin and that kind of drop (which is natural in a non-diabetic) could be a threat (and usually is) to a diabetic person. Thus the alarm. Sure, if you aren't diabetic, any alarm at all would seem stupid.
But if you were dropping, on insulin, wouldn't you like to know?
So I asked if that might make me a good candidate for CGM (continuous glucose monitoring). She made a bit of a face, and said the technology was still weak. (??)
Apparently, at a recent conference, some docs wore the CGM at night and were getting alarms, but they weren't even diabetic.
So they have doubts about the efficacy.
My questions are:
1. Did they then pull out a meter and check if the numbers the CGM was getting were right?
and
2. Doesn't every one's blood sugar fluctuate? Yes. Couldn't a non-diabetic's blood sugar be dropping during the night and causing the alarm to go off? I would think so.How could the monitor tell you weren't really diabetic? If your sugar is dropping and you're wearing a monitor, presumably you inject insulin and that kind of drop (which is natural in a non-diabetic) could be a threat (and usually is) to a diabetic person. Thus the alarm. Sure, if you aren't diabetic, any alarm at all would seem stupid.
But if you were dropping, on insulin, wouldn't you like to know?
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Argh....7.8?
My last numbers at the endo were not great...I was sitting at a 7.1 last time I was there, about 5 months ago. My cholesterol was a little high for the first time in my life...so I was nervous about going in this week.
It was a weird appointment.
My cholesterol is back down, good.
But my a1c is up to 7.8. Not so good, and annoying!
I know, I know, I haven't been exercising. So it shouldn't have been a huge surprise, but somehow it was.
She asked me when my numbers seem highest and honestly, it's the morning. But I don't know why! They always seem fine at bedtime and I take 3 units of lantus, then BLAM I'm high in the morning.
She said, as I sort of knew she would, that I may be going low at night, and should cut out the night time insulin. I may be having lows I don't wake up to, and going high after my liver kicks in.
So...I don't take any insulin last night, and lo and behold I am at 6.5 this morning. Not perfect, but waaay better than 10-13 mmol/l I have been running in the morning.
Not sure how to adjust for the little bit I still need to bring it down...maybe 1 unit of lantus at bedtime? Is it even going to do anything?
I'll try it out and let you know.
My goal is to be under 7.0 in September when I go back. This will require:
1. exercise
2. record keeping (you can't control diabetes properly without keeping track of what you are doing...I have set up a logbook that I think might work....based on a couple of models)
3. willpower
Willpower, eesh. I can do it.
It was a weird appointment.
My cholesterol is back down, good.
But my a1c is up to 7.8. Not so good, and annoying!
I know, I know, I haven't been exercising. So it shouldn't have been a huge surprise, but somehow it was.
She asked me when my numbers seem highest and honestly, it's the morning. But I don't know why! They always seem fine at bedtime and I take 3 units of lantus, then BLAM I'm high in the morning.
She said, as I sort of knew she would, that I may be going low at night, and should cut out the night time insulin. I may be having lows I don't wake up to, and going high after my liver kicks in.
So...I don't take any insulin last night, and lo and behold I am at 6.5 this morning. Not perfect, but waaay better than 10-13 mmol/l I have been running in the morning.
Not sure how to adjust for the little bit I still need to bring it down...maybe 1 unit of lantus at bedtime? Is it even going to do anything?
I'll try it out and let you know.
My goal is to be under 7.0 in September when I go back. This will require:
1. exercise
2. record keeping (you can't control diabetes properly without keeping track of what you are doing...I have set up a logbook that I think might work....based on a couple of models)
3. willpower
Willpower, eesh. I can do it.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Keeping Track
Am I the only one with diabetes that can't find a user-friendly, all encompassing way to keep track of all the numbers I have to deal with every day?
Is it too much to ask that someone, somewhere, produce a logbook that has room for glucose readings pre and post meal, carb notes (with a reasonable amount of room to actually record more than a number), and a little room in-between for extras like exercise or random lows?
And how about making it cute?
I can't tell you how happy I was when I got my Jr. pen, which is technically meant for kids, and it was blue and yellow and had happy spots all over it. It was....exciting, different, a change. And in a world where not much changes...after all, I am diabetic for life, it was refreshing. It wasn't grey (yeah I am in Canada-I can't bring myself to write gray-lol!).
Life shouldn't always be grey! The colour (again-Canada) boosts me every time I see it. So why doesn't someone make a logbook that looks like a happy journal-and includes all the entry options your average pumping and/or multiple injecting (me) modern-day diabetic needs? I am imagining something in the kinds of patterns and colours you see in scrapbooking paper-fun, bright, encouraging.
I have tried to do it myself, but I am not very good at formatting documents, creating spreadsheets and the like. I am still trying, but man. What I wouldn't give to walk into a bookstore and see a little logbook, all patterned up, colours on the interior pages, and a great layout that helps you see patterns and make changes to your routine if you must. Imagine!
If anyone stumbles across this post, and knows of a system or logbook like the one I am imagining, let me know!!
Is it too much to ask that someone, somewhere, produce a logbook that has room for glucose readings pre and post meal, carb notes (with a reasonable amount of room to actually record more than a number), and a little room in-between for extras like exercise or random lows?
And how about making it cute?
I can't tell you how happy I was when I got my Jr. pen, which is technically meant for kids, and it was blue and yellow and had happy spots all over it. It was....exciting, different, a change. And in a world where not much changes...after all, I am diabetic for life, it was refreshing. It wasn't grey (yeah I am in Canada-I can't bring myself to write gray-lol!).
Life shouldn't always be grey! The colour (again-Canada) boosts me every time I see it. So why doesn't someone make a logbook that looks like a happy journal-and includes all the entry options your average pumping and/or multiple injecting (me) modern-day diabetic needs? I am imagining something in the kinds of patterns and colours you see in scrapbooking paper-fun, bright, encouraging.
I have tried to do it myself, but I am not very good at formatting documents, creating spreadsheets and the like. I am still trying, but man. What I wouldn't give to walk into a bookstore and see a little logbook, all patterned up, colours on the interior pages, and a great layout that helps you see patterns and make changes to your routine if you must. Imagine!
If anyone stumbles across this post, and knows of a system or logbook like the one I am imagining, let me know!!
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