[Diabetes-talk] Good News?
Mike Freeman
k7uij at panix.com
Mon Sep 7 20:25:31 UTC 2015
I never cared (and still don't) who knows what about my medical
conditions/problems. Different strokes, etc. In any event, I believe people
can learn from your situation since it's one that's so beyond my ken that I
can hardly conceive of it.
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-talk
Sent: Monday, September 07, 2015 12:24 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Good News?
Mike,
Thanks. Yes, I really don't like sharing much about my personal life,
especially darker stuff like an eating disorder. I never addressed it openly
until recently, and I often feel vulnerable when doing so. But someone told
me that perhaps being more open may help others potentially, and if someone
can avoid the pit-falls I fell into, then maybe a little vulnerability is
okay, smile.
Bridgit
-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Mike Freeman via Diabetes-talk
Sent: Monday, September 07, 2015 11:51 AM
To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Mike Freeman <k7uij at panix.com>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Good News?
Bridgit:
I didn't think you were representing your case as typical; each of us is
just relating his/her experiences. I think you wrote a wonderful post. I'm
sure it took courage to admit that you had gone through an eating disorder!
Your post helps us all.
When I got back from my DKA experience in the hospital when I was diagnosed
with diabetes, I experienced symptoos of hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) at
98. So definitely what one's body gets used to makes a difference.
Anyway, keep the anecdotes coming, folks. It's all great stuff!
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-talk
<diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
To: "'Diabetes Talk for the Bl'" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Date: Monday, September 7, 2015 6:29
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
>
> Mike,
>
> Thanks for pointing this out. And sorry if I came across as stating my
symptoms and experiences are indicative for all diabetics. It's an
individual disease, and everything varies from person to person.
>
> As I've said, I am hyper sensitive to insulin and have always tended
> to
run lower than higher. I also feel symptoms of low sugars beginning in the
70's, and those symptoms can be anything to feeling hungry to light-headed
to dizzy and shaky to fatigue. It's different every time. And I can run
super low, say 40, and one time, I'm completely lucid and able to treat on
my own, then the next time I'm 40, I need assistance. Weird how that works.
Like how at 40 degrees it just rains sometimes, then other times it snows,
smile. And for me, glucose tablets do not work to bring up lows. For me, I
usually require juice and a snack. But for many glucose tablets work just
fine for treating lows.
>
> And with highs, I tend to drop quickly after a correction. I feel high
starting around 200, and my symtoms can, again, vary to be anything from
headaches to feeling thirsty to fatigue to flu-like symptoms when high
enough, though thank god I rarely run this high.
>
> I think it's also worth pointing out that symptoms can change once
> your body adjust to different glucose levels. For example, I'm not
> proud of this, but in my teens and early 20's, I struggled with an
> eating disorder. I don't talk about this much, but due to my anorexia,
> my diabetes got out of control. I lived in the 300 to 500 range for
> years, so my body was used to being high all the time. Beyond extreme
> thirst all the time and occasionally some nausea, I felt fine and
> functioned for far longer than I should have been able too. It was a
> decade that this went on. When I dropped to 150, I would start feeling
> symptoms of a low because my body was so use to being high, anything
> lower than 200 gave me low-like symptoms. When I came to some
> difficult realizations, I started taking care of myself, and
> eventually, got my glucose levels in control. Once adjusting to
> normal, better sugars, my body not only started feeling high at 200,
> but the symptoms are such that I don't know how
I lived for so long that way. And oddly enough, this experience is not how
I lost my sight.
>
> So for anyone still working on glucose control, especially if bringing
levels down, your symptoms may change once your body adjust to a different
level.
>
> But anyway, as I've said before, so many variables go into the
> diabetic
equation, and each individual experience can be different from person to
person.
>
> Bridgit
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Mike Freeman via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Saturday, September 05, 2015 4:49 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Bl' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Mike Freeman <k7uij at panix.com>
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
> Bridgit and veronica:
>
> I'm glad all these stories are coming out because it's truly helpful
> for
newly-diagnosed persons to have some ideas concerning how they may react to
bg highs and lows etc. But I want readers of this list to know that each
person reacts to life, food, insulin and everything differently. Diabetes
really ininis* a disease (if it is a single disease) that manifests
differently for each person who has it.
> I, for instance (and I hate to think what this shows of my past life)
don't really show much of a reaction in terms of blood sugar levels when I
drink alcohol (either the hard stuff which is supposed to make one prone to
going low because the liver is busy metabolizing the alcohol) or high (as in
drinking wine or beer when one should make sure to count their carbs). I
have tested before and after drinking and my bg just isn't affected. But I
would caution each person to not take my word for it and to verify for
himself/herself how he/she reacts.
> By the same token, I very rarely go low and as long as I'm not trying
> to
run a marathon, I can run at 70 mg/dl all day and not notice it. And when I
have gone too low during the day, I usually just get one heck of a cold
sweat and my head is drenched but don't show other reactions. And when I
have gone low at night (which is rare for me), I tend to have weird
reactions like dreams when I am the gunner or bombardier in a heavy WW2
bomber which has been attacked causing the plane to go out-of-control in
weird aerobatics. (the plane never crashes; I just wake up and eat a couple
glucose tablets.) I remember I described this once on this list five or
eight years ago.
> And I, too, have had to vary my basal rates over the years (more or
> less
lantus) but not very often. For the most part except when I'm under stress,
my metabolism appears quite predictable. I'm pretty lucky that way.
> One final weird observation: when I had a partial colectomy a few
> years
ago, for about a month, my insulin requirements went ininway* down. But
after about a month, they went back to what they were before the operation.
I found that quite freaky and asked my internist about it and he said that
this wasn't uncommon.
> Which makes no logical sense: after all, the colon contributes
ininnothing* to nutrition; its total purpose is to allow water to be
absorbed from digestive waste and then to eliminate that waste.
> Which is why I'm rather suspicious of all the bariatric surgeons who
> go
nuts about staving off diabetes with bypasses and such. I think everyone's
missing something here and it's the act of messing with the digestive system
itself rather than drastically reducing nutrition absorption that's doing
the trick.
> Oh well; that's enough irrelevant prattling from me for the moment.
> This
discussion is very worthwhile and people should take it as illustrative
rather than indicative.
>
> Mike Freeman
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Saturday, September 05, 2015 2:23 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Bl'
> Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
> Veronica,
>
> It seems to be about every three to four months that my basal needs
change. It's weird, but like you, I make the changes and carry on with life,
smile.
>
> Because I feel symptoms of being low early, and usually I can gage
> just
how low I am, and how much time I have before I actually crash, I don't
always test. But yes, I definitely test an hour after a low to make sure I'm
not jumping up. I don't mess with highs. When I feel high, I test so I know
how much insulin I need to correct. And I also rarely bolus after meals
without testing because my bolus can change depending on what my sugars are
running. I like to test roughly every three hours in a day, adding in more
for when I exercise, which is usually five times a week, so this is why I
test 6 to 8 times a day. When I was pregnant, I was testing 15 times a day,
and boy-oh-boy, that was intense, smile.
>
> Funny story, a few months ago, I woke up low in the morning, and my
husband was still at home. I knew instantly, so I asked the hubby for juice,
but I was a little disorientated. I knew where I was and who I was, but I
wasn't sure who my husband was. I asked for the juice, and while he
retrieved it, I thought to myself, "Who is this guy? Is he my husband?" I
knew I was married, but I just wasn't sure if this guy was my husband. When
he returned with juice, I asked, "Are you Ross?" Like ten seconds later, I
realized it, but to this day, Ross and my endocrine joke about this. LOL!
>
> As a kid, I had awful insulin reactions. I hallucinated, seizure and
screamed then passed out for a few seconds. The worse thing is that I was
simultaneously aware of what was happening while all the bad stuff was
happening. As I grew older, these type of reactions stopped, and I just got
really tired when dropping too low. In the last couple of years though, when
I'm low and sleeping, I wake myself up, but often I'm disorientated. This
didn't use to happen. I've always been able to wake myself up when low (I
think since I can lucid dream, this has a little something to do with it)
but I was always aware of everything. But now, usually when I wake up with a
low, I know enough that I need to get juice and eat food, but I am confused
about where I am, or what objects are. This doesn't happen when awake and
low, even if crashing, I just fall asleep when awake and dropping, but when
asleep and wake up low, it's weird, I can become so confused and
disorientated.
>
> When my husband and I were dating, he wanted to meet with my diabetes
nurse educator and do a training, so he had a crash course in diabetes,
including how to inject glucagon. He knows what to watch for and how to
treat various symptoms. He also knows how to operate my pump.
>
> Another funny story, when we announced our engagement, my
> mother-in-law
told my husband that people with diabetes can get crazy. She had read an
article about how when high or low, the symptoms can vary, and it can
include erratic behavior during the low or high. But she interpreted it as
actually developing psychological conditions, ha-ha! Ross and I still joke
about this comment, grin.
>
> Bridgit
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Veronica Elsea via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Saturday, September 05, 2015 3:33 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Bl' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Veronica Elsea <veronica at laurelcreekmusic.com>
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
> I'm with you here, Bridgit. I do seem to have to change my basal rates
> for
winter and summer. Nobody seemed to think that analysis made sense but there
it is. I change the basals and get the results I want so there! <grin> And
of course, just when I think I know what I'm doing, there will be an
occasional misbehaving cannula and surprise! And I too never guess what to
do if I think I'm high. I've treated many lows before or without testing
because, well, as long as it sometimes takes me to test, why risk going even
lower. <grin> If my fingers cooperate, I like to test about an hour after a
low to make sure I'm not heading too far in the other direction.
> Veronica
>
> "Guide Dogs, First Hand", Veronica Elsea's classic album is now
> available
on iTunes, along with other music from her and from the Guide Dog Glee Club.
> To learn more, visit:
> http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
> Veronica Elsea, Owner
> Laurel Creek Music Designs
> Santa Cruz, California
> Phone: 831-429-6407
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Friday, September 04, 2015 6:09 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Bl'
> Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
> Veronica,
>
> Yes, I definitely have days where I don't test as often as I like.
> Some days, I get caught up doing something, and before I know it,
> hours have gone by without me testing. I start feeling lows in the
> 70's, and sometimes I treat before knowing exactly how low I am, but I
> never correct when high without knowing exactly how high. My variables
> tend to change frequently too, even when I do things on the same
> schedule. I can eat the exact same food every day at the exact same
> time, exercise at the same time, doing the same activity each day, get
> up and go to bed at the same time, and still, things change frequently
> for me, like every couple of months, though at times, it has happened
> in a matter of weeks. But suddenly I will run high in the morning and
> low at night. When one per 20 for a bolus had been working, all of a
> sudden, I need one per 15. If I didn't test frequently, I wouldn't
> always catch this, and I wouldn't be able to track the trends, knowing
> where exactly I need to
adjust. Others may be able to remain much steadier than this, and I wish I
would, but ever since I was little, this is how my diabetes has been. I like
that since being on the pump, I can set basal rates to deliver different
amounts of insulin at different parts of the day, adjusting as I need too.
For me, this has helped tremendously in keeping my sugars more even-keeled.
>
> Bridgit
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Veronica Elsea via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Friday, September 04, 2015 4:04 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Bl' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Veronica Elsea <veronica at laurelcreekmusic.com>
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
> Bridgit, my answer when I don't get in those regular or extra tests
> is, I
don't. I fret or worry about what they are. I have never understood how
people could say oh I know I am, fill in the blank. Yes, if I'm really high
I can feel it. If I'm low, thank goodness I can feel it. But I can't know
how much insulin to take to bring me down appropriately without testing.
Unfortunately for me, I've had to accept the fact that sometimes I don't get
a number and I have to just go on with life. But it bugs me!
> Veronica
>
> "Guide Dogs, First Hand", Veronica Elsea's classic album is now
> available
on iTunes, along with other music from her and from the Guide Dog Glee Club.
> To learn more, visit:
> http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
> Veronica Elsea, Owner
> Laurel Creek Music Designs
> Santa Cruz, California
> Phone: 831-429-6407
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Friday, September 04, 2015 10:50 AM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Bl'
> Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
> I have a legitimate question, and this is not directed at anyone, it's
sheer curiosity. Regardless if type one or two, how do you know what you're
sugars are running without testing several times throughout the day? And I
have noticed that the type two's I know who test infrequently or not at all,
do so under the supervision of a general practitioner or internal med doc.
Whereas those who see an endocrine, tend to test regularly and frequently,
for two's usually being four times a day. But without testing throughout the
day, you don't honestly know what your numbers are running, and as Veronica
pointed out, A1-C's, while usually more accurate than a glucose meter, they
are not precise either. For best control and monitoring of sugars, how can
this happen without testing frequently daily?
>
> Bridgit
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Mike Freeman via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Friday, September 04, 2015 12:11 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Bl' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Mike Freeman <k7uij at panix.com>
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
> I dare say that goes for all of us.
>
> Mike
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Mark Tardif via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2015 5:58 PM
> To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
> Cc: Mark Tardif
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
> And if it becomes necessary and my doctor recommends it, I will test 3
> or
4 times a day and become stricter about exercise and diet. Actually, my
exercise routine is good, (a lot of walking, and in this neighborhood we
have a lot of hills,) but my food intake certainly needs modification.
>
>
>
> Mark Tardif
> Nuclear arms will not hold you.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2015 8:50 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Bl'
> Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
> Mark,
>
> That's one big difference between ones and twos: two's tend to remain
> more
consistent than type one's, and that's why two's can usually test less
frequently. Personally, I think two's, regardless of A1-C's, should test
four times a day, but as long as you're managing things and are healthy,
what works for you is what works. One's have much more problems with
inconsistencies, and that's why it's important we test as frequently as
possible. At 200 and higher, I can definitely feel it, and I don't like how
I feel in these ranges. Even if bolusing correctly, one's still tend to have
more potential problems with inconsistencies.
>
> Bridgit
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Mark Tardif via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2015 6:51 PM
> To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Mark Tardif <markspark at roadrunner.com>
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
> I think what you said here is very important. I have type two
> diabetes,
don't take insulin yet, just metformin, and my last A1C level was 5.9, and I
felt perfectly fine and my doctor thought that was very appropriate in my
case. Even though I like ice cream, my glucose readings rarely go above
200, and I can test once or twice a day with no problem.
>
>
>
> Mark Tardif
> Nuclear arms will not hold you.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2015 11:53 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Bl'
> Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
> Eileen,
>
> Diabetes is an individual disease, at the end of the day. Some
> regimines
work better for some, and not so much for others. So many variables go into
the equation, and while there are some constants, so much more is variable.
>
> What's an acceptable A1-C depends on a lot. For me, going below 7
> means
I'm running too low. For others, they can go below 7 and be totally fine.
Type two's can usually have lower A1-C's too. There are differences between
type one and two, and people don't always understand that. My grandma is a
type two, and I'm a type one. She typically has A1-C's 6. 5 and lower. She
doesn't understand why I shouldn't have mine lower, but the difference
between one and two can be varied enough to create such differences.
>
> Like Veronica, I need to get my daily work-out in. As a teen and in my
early 20's, I ran three to five miles a day, and I danced ballet, tap,
jazz and while I still incorporate ballet barre exercises into my work-out,
I like to either power walk outside or use my elliptical at home for cardio.
I do my ballet barre exercises and stretches afterwards. Sometimes I jog on
a mini-trampoline too. In total, my work-outs last an hour to an
hour-and-a-half. I usually have to disconnect during cardio then hook back
up an hour afterwards. I test before working out then an hour-and-a-half
after the work-out. Have you tried exercising at the same time each day?
> This can help with consistency, and you can usually judge what your
> sugars will run before and after since doing it at the same time. You
could also do it after a meal, adding a little more carbs to that meal. I
have a three-year-old, so I tend to work-out late at night, like between
nine and ten, since that's usually when I can get a lot done without
distractions, smile. I tend to run higher at night, mid to upper 100's, so
this actually works out. I also don't eat much during the day, mostly
grabbing what I can Greek yogurt, Clif bars, salads and I usually don't
snack unless low, so I try to make supper the one meal I sit down and have a
full course with all the wonderful foods you are suppose to fit into each
meal, smile.
>
> But it's really individually based. You can't always judge your
> treatment
and effects of by how others are treated and their results. I can eat a
candy bar, bolus and remain at 120, while a friend of mine will eat candy,
bolus and have crazy, inconsistent sugars all the rest of the day. If I do
run high, say 300 or higher, which happens during my lady time, when I
correct, I can drop in an hour. The same friend will take all day to come
down from a high sugar. For breakfast and lunch, my carb/insulin ratio is
one per 22, while at supper, it's one per 15. And this ratio can also change
depending on the carb I'm eating. Like if pasta, no matter the time of day,
I usually do one per 15, though I eat pasta sparingly. My friend always
needs to do one per 10, regardless of time of day or carb.
>
> So what works for one, doesn't always work for another person. Do what
works for you and what your doctors recommend, and as long as you achieve
results you're happy with, it's okay. And if you want to try to get your
A1-C below 7, try. If you start running low frequently, then you likely are
good staying in the 7 to 8 range.
>
> Bridgit
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Eileen Scrivani via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2015 6:40 PM
> To: NFB Diabetes Talk <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Eileen Scrivani <etscrivani at verizon.net>
> Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Fw: Good News?
>
>
> Hi Veronica and all:
>
> This for me has been a really interesting topic.
>
> I too have been using a pump for a year and a half now. While my
> numbers
are certainly better than what I had been experiencing, they are in my mind,
still not perfect or the perfect I'd like them to be. I've found that
getting rid of the long acting Lantus in my insulin regiment has totally
eliminated extreme highs. That's not to say I don't have highs & lows, but
the highs are at least contained to being no more than the high 200's which
I can live with and fix.
>
> Usually, when I go high its due to poor estimating of my carb
> intake/insulin ratio. I've been a diabetic since I was 5, and I have
> had good control with really good A1C's. However, weird things
> started happening to my control in my 40's. When I was using Lantus I
> would see BG numbers that could be in the 300's, 400's and even
> higher! I found it really stressful and was constantly fretting over
> the numbers. Its not like I wasn't watching my diet or not
> exercising. . . Making the change to the pump and only having
> Novolog in my system has made a big difference and leveled out the
> numbers. The only thing I have been left questioning has been my A1C
> results. I've pretty much been around 7.4 to 7.8. Last year when I
> first started the pump I did get the A1C down to 6.3, but that's
> because I was having far too many lows while adjusting insulin rates.
> My doctor and Diabetic Educator have told me over and over that the
> numbers I'm running are fine and they don't want me
down around 6.something because that would leave me having too many low
BGs and could be damaging to the heart and heart function.
>
> I've been questioning the advice, because I've heard other diabetics
always insisting that the closer to a 6 you can get the A1C the better your
control and the less the chance of complications. This just has left me
feeling like I was doing something, somewhere so wrong by having a
7.whatever A1C number.
>
> So, bottom line is I feel a lot better after reading the posts by
> Bridget,
yourself & everet today.
>
> As for exercising for a full hour I wish I could! Even after a short
workout of 20 or 30 minutes my BG level crashes. I disconnect the pump
during and then leave it off for another half hour to a full hour. Still, I
can sometimes have horrible lows. I wish I could get a better handle on
getting that leveled out so I could exercise with a bit less worry.
>
> Thanks for the great topic today and we'll all just keep striving
> together
to improve control.
>
> Eileen
>
>
> From: Veronica Elsea via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Wednesday, September 2, 2015 5:22 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Bl'
> Cc: Veronica Elsea
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Good News?
>
> Hi Everett!
> Oh how I loved reading your post. Congrats and bravo for you. When I
> was first diagnosed at age 34, for the first couple of years my A1C
> ran between
> 13 and 16 no matter what I seemed to do. NPH insulin just didn't
> obsorb
consistently and no amount of fiddling seemed to sort me out. Within two
months on a pump, I had my A1C down to 7 to 8 range, where I seem to spend a
lot of time. I seem to go from being really on top of things to phases of
burn out, then back at it again, then burn out. So what I really like here
is that ability to be, well, human, knowing that sometimes it's okay to ride
the ups and downs with a supportive group. The sanity for me is exercise. I
feel really weird if I don't walk at least an hour a day.
> My biggest struggle right now is blood testing. My callouses are
> really a
problem and the swollen fingers from rheumatoid arthritis don't help much.
> But as you said, just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. <grin> Oh wait!
> Striving! <laughing!
> So go for it, all of us!
> Veronica
>
> "Guide Dogs, First Hand", Veronica Elsea's classic album is now
> available
on iTunes, along with other music from her and from the Guide Dog Glee Club.
> To learn more, visit:
> http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
> Veronica Elsea, Owner
> Laurel Creek Music Designs
> Santa Cruz, California
> Phone: 831-429-6407
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Mike Freeman via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2015 12:55 PM
> To: 'Everett Gavel'; 'Diabetes Talk for the Bl'
> Cc: Mike Freeman
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Good News?
>
> Hey Everett! Bravo, my man! Glad your attitude adjustment is working!
> Keep
it up!
>
> Mike
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Everett Gavel via Diabetes-talk
> Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2015 11:56 AM
> To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Everett Gavel
> Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Good News?
>
> Hello All,
>
> I just realized that, while I've recently begun sharing a little more
about my personal situation with my diabetes publicly on some 'blind
diabetic'
> lists, I've yet to share it here on my original and most favorite,
> most
read, bestest list of them all for blind diabetics. Please forgive me for
that.
>
> I do have some good news to share. Good for me, at least. A week or
> two
ago, my doc told me my a1c was 8.0. Now, that may not be all that great, but
try to understand, I'm pretty sure it's not been that low, personally, since
I was a young teenager, and possibly even before that.
>
> I got diabetes when I was 10, and all through my teens and 20's, and
> I'll
admit, even into my 30's truly, I was as stupid, er, stubborn as they come.
> At least in regards to my diabetes. I pretty much ignored it as much
> as I
could without bringing on a quick death. About all I did for the first
couple of decades (I'm 45 now) was to take my insulin once and for a while
twice a day. That's it.
>
> I never cared what my a1c was on those 3-month appointments I
> sometimes
kept with my docs. But a few years ago I started smartening up a bit.
> Little by little I tried taking better care of my diabetes. I finally
> gave
in and got a Medtronic pump about 1.5 years ago.
>
> Today, I can say I finally made the mental switch and gave into the
> need,
the smarter choice, to actually monitor my glucose levels regularly.
> Nowadays, if I don't test at least 4 times a day, I feel wierd. Maybe
> it's
some kind of guilt or something, I don't know. But I ininl* that it feels
wrong to not test at least 4 times a day, these days.
>
> So, all that being rambled on about, while I realize it may be along
> the
lines of too little too late, I'm hoping for the other cliche to be more
true, where it says, better late than never.
> ;com)
>
> So my BS levels are 8.0. Well, okay, my 'Bs' (and
> sarcasm) levels are often far higher than that, but, my blood sugar
> levels
are now most often under 200, and for me, that's great. For decades, my
average has been between 300 & 400 when I'd test it. I've been clocked more
times than I can count, back in the day when the Joslin Diabetes Center was
where I went for my 3-month check ups as a teen, at over 700. These days, I
can't seem to find a monitor that doesn't quit counting around 599 or 600,
seems like. But I don't test em out like that too much anymore either, so
who knows? I'm glad I can say I don't know that for sure, actually.
>
> Anyway, I'm newly inspired by my 8.0 a1c. In 3 months, my new goal is 7.0.
> I'm not just counting carbs and taking insulin to cover, now. It's a
challenge, and I love a good challenge. So I'm actually (gasp) paying
attention to what I'm eating, and not just counting carbs. I'm actually
focusing on, go figure, EATING BETTER.
>
> So, I just wanted to share my small bit of good news and new inspiration.
> You all, here, have been inspiring to me over the years, and I truly
appreciate all that you share.
>
>
> Strive On!
> Everett
> In Colorado Springs, USA
>
>
>
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> laurel
> creekmusic.com
>
>
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