Comments (11)

By shannon, May 10, 2010 9:00 am

So, I decided to participate in Karen’s brilliant idea:  The First Annual Diabetes Blog Week .  All week, I’ll be blogging about the different aspects of my life with diabetes.  When I last checked, there were a TON of bloggers who are also participating, so when you’re done here, check them out.

Today’s topic is: A Day in the Life … With Diabetes

12:01am – 5:29am:  Sleep.

5:30am: Alarm.  Ugh.  I want to go back to sleep.  I decide to let Dexcom decide.  If my BG is in range, I’ll get up; if it’s not, I’ll correct and go back to sleep.  Dex shows a nice flat line with a BG of 87 mg/dl.  I decide that the agreement wasn’t in writing and, therefore, is not binding.  I roll over and go back to sleep.

6:08am:  Brian brings me a cup of coffee because he’s the greatest husband ever.  I slowly come to life.  I check my BG and confirm Dex’s assessment with a PDM reading of 92 mg/dl.  Thankful that my nighttime basals are spot on, I check my iPhone for email and Twitter updates.

6:18am:  I finally get up and stumble into the bathroom.  I brush my teeth, shower (thankful that I no longer have to suspend and disconnect a pump to do so), and get ready for work.  I peek at Dex a few times just to confirm that I’m not rising or dropping unexpectedly.

7:10am:  I do a quick finger test to confirm that it’s safe to drive – 102 mg/dl.  I hop (well, not really– it is still morning, after all) into the car and brave the Baltimore traffic.

7:45am: I arrive at work and unload my various d-tools that I’ll use throughout the day:  PDM, Dex, glucose tabs, iPhone, etc.

7:50am – 9:00am: I work. At staying awake.

9:00am: Prepare a bowl of oatmeal.  BG check is 100 mg/dl, so I inject 60mcg of Symlin and eat. 

9:10am: Finished eating, I bolus for the meal.

9:10 – 11:30am: Work.  Meetings.  More work. Bathroom break.

11:35am:  Dex shows that my breakfast bolus didn’t do its job.  I confirm with a finger stick and take 1.5U to correct.

12:30pm:  Lunch time!  Since I keep a mini fridge at work, I often have lunch stuff available.  Today, I decide to make a turkey and cheese sandwich with mustard.  Dex shows the correction dose finally dropping me to normal range. 

12:35pm:  I do a finger stick to check my BG: 112 mg/dl.  I dial up 60mcg of Symlin and eat my sandwich.  When I’m done, I program an extended bolus and get back to work.

1:10pm:  Feeling weird.  I hear Dex’s low alarm and, after a quick peek, I see that I’m dropping.  FAST.  Looks like the Symlin is working faster than the carbs are being absorbed.  SHIT!  I do a finger stick and look with almost disbelief at the 52 mg/dl staring back at me.  I have no idea what to do.  The Symlin will delay any fast acting glucose I take, so I won’t rebound quickly, AND I’ll be high later.  I decide to wait it out.

1:15pm:  WTF is taking so long?  I’m still hovering at 50 mg/dl.

1:20pm:  Sweating now?  Really? 

1:21pm:  Screw it.  I drink some juice and hope that it helps.

1:30pm:  Finally beginning to rise, I feel well enough to get back to work. 

2:38pm:  Dex HIGH alarm.  Son of a …!!!  Sure enough, finger stick shows 185 mg/dl.  Dex has one arrow straight up, so I know it’s not over.  I correct the 185 and continue working.

3:15pm:  Bathroom break.  Wash hands and test BG – 174 mg/dl.  Damnit!  Correct again.

3:45pm:  Pack up, test BG, and drive home.  Correction dose still not working, but I don’t want to rage bolus only to crash later.

4:15pm:  Home.  Aaaaaah.  I change clothes, go to the bathroom, pet animals, and clean up the kitchen.  I don’t even look at Dex because I’m tired and I just don’t care.

5:00pm:  Waiting for Brian to get home, I begin thinking about dinner.  I check Dex to see if carbs are even an option tonight.  Sure enough, I’m dropping again.  At least this time, it’s a gradual drop and not a jumping-off-a-cliff drop.  More like coasting, really. 

5:30pm:  Brian comes home.  We try to come up with a dinner plan.  “What do you want?”  “I don’t know.  What do YOU want?”  “I don’t know.”  This can go on for hours.

6:02pm:  Dex’s low alarm makes the dinner debate more important.  We decide to go out.  I grab a juice box, and we head out to the restaurant.

6:28pm:  We are seated.  The waitress brings bread (bitch!) and our drink order (iced tea, unsweetened).  After a few minutes, our salads arrive.  I test my BG with a finger stick – still too low for Symlin.  I begin eating the salad, which is soooo good.  I LOVE Carrabba’s Caesar salad. 

6:50pm:  Dinner arrives.  I ordered the Salmon with a pasta side, which I calculate to be about 45g carbs (for ½ of the serving).  I program a 30/70 dual-wave bolus for 2 hours – lots of fat in that lemon butter sauce – and dig in.

7:25pm:  Waitress clears plates and offers us dessert (bitch, again!).  We decline, pay the check, and go home.

7:56pm:  Home.  Again.  Aaaaah.  Dex shows two arrows straight up, so I know that the carbs are hitting me faster than I anticipated.  What to do?  If I attempt to head it off, I WILL go low later.  If not, I’m going to be spiking well above 250 mg/dl before it’s over.  I still don’t know what to do in these situations.  I wait.  I feed the cats and watch some TV with Bri.

9:30pm:  Dex has been bitching at me since we got home.  Since my extended bolus only finished a few minutes ago, I decide to wait a little longer.

10:00pm:  Bed time.  I wash my face, brush and Waterpik my teeth, apply zit cream (don’t even get me started on *that*), and put on PJs.  I grab a juice box from the fridge and put it next to the rest of my diabetes arsenal on my nightstand.  I check my BG with a finger stick – 213 mg/dl.  FUCK!  I take a correction bolus, turn off the lights, and go to sleep.

11:37pm:  Dex alarm – falling faster than 3mg/dl per minute.  Well duh!  I drink the juice box and hope that tomorrow is a better day.  But, I accept the knowledge that today was just another typical day in my diabetes life, and tomorrow is probably going to be similar.

Comments (6)

By shannon, May 7, 2010 9:41 am

Everybody’s talking about it.  Most D-bloggers will be doing it.  It’s Diabetes Blog Week, and I’m so there!

Thanks to Karen’s super-cool idea, next week, I’ll be taking a break from my drama-filled life and writing about various diabetes topics.  In her own words, here’s the deal:

Participation is easy.  Below I’ve listed seven blog topics for next week – just in case you want to start drafting your posts in advance.  Use these topics as a starting point for your post each day and see where it takes you.  Write as much or as little as you like.  There are no right or wrong answers – just read over the topic and start blogging!  I’ve also included a wild card topic – use that if you find a day when you just can’t think of anything to write about the chosen topic.

Monday 5/10 – A day in the life . . . with diabetes. Take us through a quick rundown of an average day and all the ways in which diabetes touches it. Blood tests, site changes, high and low blood sugars, meal planning, anything that comes along. This can be a log of an actual day, or a fictional compilation of pieces from many days.

Tuesday 5/11 – Making the low go. Tell us about your favorite way to treat a low. Juice? Glucose tabs? Secret candy stash? What’s your favorite thing to indulge in when you are low? What do you find brings your blood sugar up fast without spiking it too high?

Wednesday 5/12 – Your Biggest Supporter. Sure, our diabetes care is ultimately up to us and us alone. But it’s important to have someone around to encourage you, cheer you, and even help you when you need it. Today it’s time to gush and brag about your biggest supporter. Is it your spouse or significant other? Your best friend, sibling, parent or child? Maybe it’s your endo or a great CDE? Or perhaps it’s another member of the D-OC who is always there for you? Go ahead, tell them just how much they mean to you!

Thursday 5/13 – To carb or not to carb. Today let’s blog about what we eat. And perhaps what we don’t eat. Some believe a low carb diet is important in diabetes management, while others believe carbs are fine as long as they are counted and bolused for. Which side of the fence do you fall on? What kind of things do you eat for meals and snacks? What foods do you deem bolus-worthy? What other foodie wisdom would you like to share?

Friday 5/14 – Let’s get moving. Exercise . . . love it or hate it? Do you have a regular exercise routine? Or do you have trouble finding your exercise motivation? How do you manage your insulin and food to avoid bottoming out during your workout? Today is the day to tell us all about your exercise habits, or lack thereof.

Saturday 5/15 – Diabetes snapshots. Inspired by the Diabetes 365 project, let’s snap a few d-related pictures to share today. Post as many or as few as you’d like. Be creative! Feel free to blog your thoughts on or explanations of your pictures. Or leave out the written words and let the pictures speak for themselves.

Sunday 5/16 – Dream a little dream – life after a cure. To wrap up Diabetes Blog Week, let’s pretend a cure has been found. We are all given a tiny little pill to swallow and *poof* our pancreases are back in working order. No side effects. No more insulin resistance. No more diabetes. Tell us what your life is now like. Or take us through your first day celebrating life without the Big D. Blog about how you imagine you would feel if you no longer were a Person With Diabetes.

Wild card – Blood Sugar Nirvana or Moronic Moment.  (inspired by the lovely Kelly Kunik) Blog about the time you ate a meal that tends to spike you to the moon, but your perfectly calculated and timed bolus kept your blood sugar happy. Or tell us about that time your brain had a little diabetes-blip and you did something you think is “stupid”. (Because chances are, we’ve done it too!!) Go ahead, brag about your triumph or commiserate about your d-blooper. 

So, are you in?  It’s going to be awesome!

Comments (7)

By shannon, April 23, 2010 10:28 am

Yesterday, after an emotional sob fest, I was sitting at my desk waiting for the workday to end.  All of a sudden, my boss (I’ll call her K-Mom because she’s like the “mom” of the group) rushes over to my desk and tells me that she needs my help.  A woman (I’ll call A), who I only know in passing, had collapsed in the ladies room.  She was shaking, cold, and scared.  A has type 2 diabetes.  Since I’ve never concealed my diabetes, quite the opposite, I’m not surprised that I was the first person they thought of. 

Here’s the thing … A is morbidly obese.  I mean, not just by BMI standards.  Do not interpret this as a judgment of her as a person; that is not why I’m bringing it up.  She is simply very large, and I feared that something far worse than low blood sugar was happening.

So, I grabbed my meter and some glucose tabs and rushed to the ladies room.  As we were walking, I asked K-Mom if A was taking any medications.  She said that she was taking something that began with an “M.”  Obviously, Metformin.  Since I know that Met doesn’t normally cause hypoglycemia, I asked if there was anything else.  K-Mom didn’t know.

When we got to the ladies room, A was seated on the bench, white as a sheet.  She was visibly shaking, and her hands were ice cold.  I knew that her cold hands were going to make the finger stick hurt more, but time was critical.  As I switched lancets and loaded the meter with a test strip, I asked A if she was taking any other meds.  She said that she had recently started taking something “glye…,”  “glii…,” something like that. 

“Glipizide,” I asked.

“Yes, that’s it,” She responded.

Ah ha!  I knew that Glipizide is a sulfonylurea, which can cause low blood sugar. 

<Side note – I’m very well-versed in T2 meds because I was put on almost all of them during my initial misdiagnosis period. /side note> 

So, I lanced her finger, squeezed out some blood, and loaded up the test strip.  I knew, almost immediately, that she wasn’t low.  It was taking too long to read the result for a low number.

137 mg/dl.

Since K-Mom had already called for an ambulance, we waited with A for the paramedics.  There was the possibility that she was dropping really fast, but I didn’t think her shaking was related to the diabetes.  No, I’m not an expert, but I know that A has other health problems.   More than anything, she was scared.  When the paramedics arrived, it was decided that the best course of action was to take A to the hospital.  The helped her walk to the ambulance, loaded her inside, and drove away.

An hour or so later, K-Mom came by to tell me that A was being admitted.  She was running a high fever, and they wanted her on fluids and IV antibiotics. 

While I’m sorry that A had to experience such a scary feeling, I am happy to know that people feel comfortable coming to me with this sort of problem.  I’m happy that living with this crap disease has given me some purpose; even if it’s only to be the office superhero for an afternoon.

Comments (5)

By shannon, April 9, 2010 1:44 pm

Two things:

1.  If you write a D-blog, and you read mine, please add me to your blogroll.  If you would like to be added to my blogroll, please leave a comment, and I’ll add you right away.

2.  Last month, I wrote a guest blog for Cherise at Diabetic Iz Me.  I realized that I never re-posted it here, and I think that some of my regular readers might appreciate it, too.  Plus, it’s Friday and my brain has decided to start the weekend early.

So, here it is:

I was never much of a joiner.  Even when I was a little kid, I wasn’t fond of things like Girl Scouts or ballet class.  I was a loner; one who preferred books over people.  When I read a book, I was able to escape my unpleasant life and enter a different world.  It was wonderful.

A little over 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with diabetes.  As is my usual approach, I bought books on the subject and researched it to death.  I learned all about what to eat, when to exercise (not that I follow that one), how insulin works, what causes it, the complications of poorly-controlled diabetes, and the fact that there is no cure.

What I didn’t learn was how to LIVE with diabetes.  Being diagnosed with Type 1 in your twenties is difficult.  It’s even more difficult when you’re initially misdiagnosed as Type 2.  You’re sent home with a prescription for meds and a pamphlet.  The single diabetes education class I took was a joke.  I was the youngest (by a lot) person in the class, and the only one who wasn’t significantly overweight.  I learned all about diabetic exchanges and the food pyramid, and how if I’d just lose some weight, I could eliminate the pills from my life.  When I raised my hand to point out that I was taking insulin, my questions were brushed off as if I didn’t matter.  So, I stopped going to diabetes education classes.

For almost 10 years, I lived this disease alone.  I had little support from my family, and none of my friends had ever known anyone with Type 1 diabetes.  I can remember the night I had to give myself my first insulin shot alone.  I called my sister (and stayed on the phone with her) so that if I passed out (I really had a severe needle phobia), she would come over and help me.  I didn’t pass out; I gave myself hundreds (probably thousands) of shots without ever passing out.

Then, one day, my endo told me that I should do some overnight basal testing.  Being me, I said “absolutely” when he asked me if I knew what that was.  I didn’t know because I’d never had any diabetes education related to my actual kind of diabetes.  Also being me, I came home and googled basal testing.

That’s when my entire life changed.  That one, simple search plummeted me into an entire world of Type 1 diabetes awareness, support, and education.  I read blogs; I joined online groups; I learned more than I ever knew existed.  I had been living with Type 1 diabetes completely alone, and with that single search, I was part of a Community.  And it wasn’t just a “let’s blow sunshine up each others’ butts” kind of Community, it was a real-life, tell-it-like-it-is Community.  I’d finally found a group that I could belong to.

For a few years, I was a silent, but active member of the Community.  I read blogs for hours (if you’ve got a D-blog, chances are good that I’ve read it).  I voraciously absorbed all of the information I read; these real-life experiences were far more valuable to me than the clinical examples described in books.  I began participating in various forums.  I asked questions and answered some; I got lots of fantastic advice and some I wish I’d never read.  But, through it all, I felt like I belonged, and it was wonderful.

Then, one day, there was a rather contentious discussion started by a Type 1 who was insulted because people thought he was a Type 2.  He said that Type 2s were fat and lazy, and that they deserved to get diabetes.  Being an overweight Type 1, I was offended.  Not just because I was overweight, but because there are so many Type 2s who struggle with these assumptions every day.  They’ve been criticized for being overweight for most of their lives.  Even before diabetes, they lived with the pain and ridicule of being fat.  To learn that they caused their diabetes because they’re fat just heaps on more guilt.  The worst part is that IT IS NOT TRUE.  But, when you’re fat, your self esteem is so low that despite all evidence to the contrary, you still believe that it’s all your fault.

The “us vs. them” rhetoric took on a life of its own, and before long, I‘d had enough.  I left the Community entirely.  I deleted my accounts and decided that I was better off.  After all, I’d gotten so involved in diabetes, that it was encompassing my entire life.

For almost a year, I stayed away.  I went through the daily rituals of testing my BG, pumping, etc., but I was just another person living with diabetes again.  I wasn’t learning about this cool new way to program an extended bolus, or that if I ate a certain food, it will actually help lower my BG.  I wasn’t learning anything; I wasn’t contributing anything either.

So, one day, I decided to end my self-imposed exile.  I rejoined that online Community (but vowed to steer clear of any controversial discussions).  I began writing my blog.  I did it for myself; I did it to release some of my diabetes demons.  I never expected people to read it or learn from it, and I certainly never expected the kind of response that I’ve gotten.

Writing is such an amazing release.  When I write about something, it’s almost as if I process it and can finally move past it.  I’m not a big talker; I never have been.  I’m a listener.  And I’m a writer.

That year I spent away was hard, but beneficial because I did learn a few things.  I realized that without the D-Community, I only just live with diabetes.  With the Community, I thrive.  The support and camaraderie we all give and share is something amazing; it’s inspiring and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my life.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Comments (1)

By shannon, April 6, 2010 1:57 pm

Last week, I got a call from my attorney.  I’ve written about my car accident before, but I haven’t really written about the legal aspects of it all.  This is not something I know a lot about – this was my first major car crash and the only one with injuries, so I’m relying heavily on the experts (read: my lawyer) to guide me.

Not long after the crash, the other driver’s insurance company came back with a settlement offer.  For everything I’d been through, they offered me $26,000.  Of that, my lawyer would get 1/3, and my health insurance would exercise their $1,000 medical lien.  So, in the end, I’d walk (limp) away with a little more than $16,000. 

This seems like a decent amount of money, until you start adding up my expenses.  I missed weeks and weeks of work (unpaid), spent thousands in out-of-pocket medical expenses (co-pays, Rx, etc.), and endured multiple painful procedures, surgery, and physical therapy.  On top of that, I still have some injuries that will last forever.

Before the accident, I never had back pain.  NEVER.  Now, I can’t even wash the dishes without feeling this incredible tightness in my lower back.  Vacuuming is painful, and even simple things like blow-drying my hair cause significant discomfort.

Then, there are my legs.  As I wrote before, the force of the impact caused my legs to slam into the steering wheel (or seat belt – we’re not sure which).  The impact created these huge pockets of fluid called seromas.  Having already attempted to remove them once (they came back after one week), I sought out an orthopedic trauma surgeon.  I was advised to forgo any additional surgery because the procedure I needed would require significant recovery time with Wound Vac therapy.  The risk of infection is high with this kind of procedure, and being a diabetic would add an additional layer of risk.  I would be unable to work for at least three months, and it will hurt.

So, I decided against the surgery.  And now, more than two years after the accident, I still have a huge lump on each thigh.  But now, they each have a large, vertical scar, as well.  I know that I’ll never be a swimsuit model, but I would have preferred not being a freak show either.

After that insult of a settlement offer, my attorney and I agreed that the best course of action was to file a lawsuit, which we did.  As expected, the insurance company came back with a higher offer – $40,000.  Unfortunately, because we have moved into the lawsuit phase, the attorney fees jumped to 40%.  So this means that after everyone gets their piece of the pie, I’d walk away with $23,000.

This is a lot of money, but it still isn’t sufficient for what I’ve been through.  My attorney feels confident that the insurance company will make another offer, and we’ve countered their last with a much higher figure.  It’s a gamble, but one that my attorney thinks will pay off once I give my deposition (he’s got more confidence in me than I do).  His feeling is that once I’m deposed, and the defense sees that I’m a very credible witness with valid injuries (which they’d know if they really looked at my medical records), we’ll get a better offer.

So that leads to the question of what’s fair.  I’m not looking for a financial windfall, here, but I do know that *I’m* the one who’s going to have to live with the pain, both physical and emotional, of this crash.  *I’m* the one who bears the internal and external scars.  Brian and I have run up thousands of dollars in credit card debt because I was unable to work for so long. 

So what’s fair?  I don’t know.  I do know that I wouldn’t accept a million dollars to experience what I have all over again.  Does that mean I expect to get a million dollars?  No.  Not even close.  I just want to know what’s fair.

Comments (9)

By shannon, April 5, 2010 8:49 am

On Friday, after a particularly nasty low BG, I decided to write the following email to everyone on my project (approximately 20 people).  I did this for two reasons:

1.  Some people were “put off” by the way I responded when they offered me candy during said low.  Evidently, I was too stern in my insistence that I drink juice to treat.

2.  People are getting offended when I do not want to try their homemade cakes, cookies, Indian dishes, or other carb mysteries.  As you guys know, I can SWAG, but I’d rather not have to – especially when I’m desperately trying to get my A1c down.

So, here’s what I wrote:

Team,

I know that some of you already know this, but for those who don’t, please be aware that I have Type 1 diabetes.  Due to this, I sometimes experience episodes of extreme high or low Blood Glucose (BG), which can affect me in odd ways.  I work very hard to keep my BG steady, but it is a 24-hour-per-day job, and sometimes, I fail.  I use an insulin pump, which provides me with a constant supply of insulin.  I also use a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS), which will sound an alarm if my BG goes too high or too low (everyone who sits near me will hear this beeping from time-to-time).

If you see me, and I appear to be drunk (i.e., slurred speech, stumbling, passed out, etc.), I am most likely having a very low BG reaction (i.e., too much insulin in my body).  I keep a supply of fruit juice in the small refrigerator under my desk – this is what I use to treat low BG.  If I’m low, please help me to drink some juice.  If I’m unconscious, I keep an emergency GlucaGen Kit in my purse (in a bright orange plastic container).  Inside the container, there are instructions on how to mix and administer the injection.  I understand if some people are squeamish around needles, so if you are, please find someone who isn’t ASAP (you could save my life).  In all of my years of having diabetes, I have NEVER had to use the emergency kit.  I don’t intend to start now, but sometimes crazy things happen.

For the most part, I try to avoid foods with unknown carbohydrate values.  This makes pot lucks and other food-sharing activities difficult.  Please do not be offended if I am unwilling to try a particular dish – it has nothing to do with the cooking or the cook.  It’s just about my need to keep my BG as steady as possible.  Keep in mind that I *can* eat anything, so if you see me munching on birthday cake with everyone else, don’t scold me.  As long as I know the carbohydrate count in any food, I can program my insulin pump to accommodate it.

Finally, please do not be offended if I seem short-tempered or overly emotional when I have low BG.  This is not something that I can control, and a short temper is usually my first sign that my BG is dropping.  But other times, I may look and sound perfectly normal – that’s why they call it an “invisible illness.”  Usually, the one symptom of low BG that I always have is an inability to speak.  When I’m low, I just can’t make my brain connect with my mouth.  Again, please don’t be offended if I don’t respond to you right away.  FYI – other visible symptoms of a low BG are sweating, shaking, pale color, and rapid breathing.

So, if you have any questions about diabetes (the most common questions are about the difference between type 1 and type 2), please feel free to ask.  I’m an open book about this aspect of my life.

Thanks in advance for your help and understanding.

Shannon

Comments (2)

By shannon, April 3, 2010 9:50 am

I have finally reached my goal of 120 mcg of Symlin.  I still can’t believe I was able to do it – I’m such a wuss when it comes to nausea.

Now, lets see what it will do for me …

Comments (7)

By shannon, March 30, 2010 10:00 am

It’s been a couple of weeks since I started on Symlin.  I haven’t really seen much weight loss, which is hugely disappointing, but I have seen significantly better BG control.

I’m up to 105mcg, on my way to 120mcg.  I know that the typical dose for a T1 is 60mcg, but after reading this, I felt that I would get the greatest benefits at 120mcg. 

It hasn’t been an easy process.  I’ve been nauseas three times per day, every day, for three weeks.  Every.  Single.  Day.  My appetite has definitely decreased; I’m eating about ½ of what I used to eat (pre-Symlin).  So why am I not dropping lbs like crazy?  Seriously, if you know why, please enlighten me.

Comments (3)

By shannon, March 29, 2010 11:05 am

So, there was some drama at the Jester III prison (where Roddy is incarcerated) yesterday.  Apparently, Jacie and her adorable little boy went to visit Roddy.  Shortly after they sat down, guards surrounded their table. They were loud, hostile, and aggressive. The Lt. made them all move to another table, where a guard was stationed for the duration.  Remember, Roddy is a non-violent, first-time offender.  He does not need an armed guard in his face when trying to visit with his wife and stepchild.  They did this for the sole purpose of harrassing and intimidating Roddy and his family.

But wait, it gets better … They made a big deal over the diet (DIET!) soda that Jacie (Roddy’s wife) brought with her.  Essentially, the guards accused them of trying to manipulate Roddy’s BG with a diet soda! Keep in mind that Jacie brings a diet soda EVERY VISIT.  Roddy was really angry, but for the most part, he maintained control.  Theyactually had a nurse confirm that a diet soda is “bad” for a diabetic! 

Here’s the thing; guards just do not do this stuff unless trying to provoke a reaction. We do not yet know if things escalated after Jacie left or if they filed some disciplinary action against him.   We can only hope that things quieted down and that Roddy had a peaceful evening.

Guys, I know you’re probably getting tired of hearing me preach about this, but it has to stop.  There are things that you can do.  The Sr. Warden of the Jester III prison is Kenneth Negbenebor, and the head of the Administrative Section is Ramona Petrovsky (she is the one behind that memo restricting Roddy’s activities including going to church and recreation). 

I’m working on getting email addresses for both of these folks, but in the meantime, please (PLEASE!) write to them so they know that WE ARE WATCHING.  They need to know that people are aware of what’s going on and, if anything happens, they will be held accountable.  The address of the Jester III prison is: 

Flood the place with phone calls if you have to – just don’t let them forget that we, as fellow diabetics, will not let Roddy suffer in silence!

Comments (4)

By shannon, March 18, 2010 10:10 am

Last night, I tweeted this photo:

I wrote that I was afraid to say it out loud, but it looks like the Symlin is working.  I can’t remember the last time I went for 24 hours without a single high or low alarm (which are set for 180 and 70, respectively).  I usually spike up to the mid-200s after meals, even when I bolus early.

But, since using Symlin, I’ve managed to avoid those spikes, I’m taking less insulin, and I’ve lost three pounds.  I’m eating less food because it takes very little to fill me up, and what I do eat is better for me.

I know that there is probably a huge psychological element to this – I think I should be full, so I feel full, etc., but I can’t discount the physical stuff, either.  I can’t ignore the nausea that I feel after every meal – believe me, I’ve tried.  And I can’t deny what my eyes are seeing – fewer BG spikes after meals.

I’m up to 60mcg of Symlin before every meal, and my plan is to go all the way to 120mcg.  I even had Dr. S. call in the Rx for the 60/120 pens.  I figure that if I can’t tolerate 120mcg, at least I can still use the 60mcg setting (and get 2x the meds at the same copay).

So, if anyone out there is desperately trying to lower his or her A1c, experiences high BG spikes after meals, is becoming insulin resistant, or just wants to reduce the TDD of insulin, think about giving Symlin a try.  Yes, the side effect sucks.  I hate nausea more than most people, I think, but it’s worth it.

********UPDATE*********

Not long after writing this post, I was cursed with an inexplicable 237 mg/dl.  WTF?