2008 is now here!

I have just began to realize that I have survived another trip around the sun. Many things have come and gone. I have managed to control Diabetes instead of Diabetes controlling me. I have met many great people. Paige of Tennessee Mountain Cur is a favorite blogger and recommended reading. I have also learned how to Blog and enjoy posting this for all. I am getting comfortable with dealing with toddlers with Diabetes after several crises.

I have also learned that I am not a good candidate for the Baclofen pump, so a different direction on spasticity is needed. Most oral medicines don't do well for me at doses which work. The side effects aren't livable. So back to Siskin for advice. I am also in the process of setting up an appointment with a new endocrinologist.

I desire to lose weight and gain more energy and confidence and keep blood sugar in the same excellent range. My HbA1C has been between 5.4-5.7 all of 2007. So I am wishing all a fine 2008 and may all drink in life's possibilities. I am hoping spina bifida doesn't give me any new issues and we do fine. I hope to get my hip more stable.

Today's new D adventure!

T0day began as an ordinary day off and routine. I got a message that my new Diabetic shoes were ready in Knoxville. I then got an invitation to lunch with a friend and colleague. So, I drove to Knoxville and checked on my shoes. They were the wrong size (size 10 1/2) and I wear a 8 1/2. They are going to order new shoes and modify those. I had lunch with my colleague. We ate at a Peruvian restaurant which just opened. Not a good choice. Our stomachs ached and digestion wasn't good. I also had swollen hip and knee joints from 4 days of adventure. I visited my friendly nurse practioner and got a Toradol injection and a steroid shot. Not the best thing for blood sugars. But neither is extreme pain. I plan on resting up. I also had an allergic reaction to lunch. Turns out to have had guacamole. Not a fine day.

Major upgrades!

Yesterday, I received my replacement pump from Animas. I changed to a Silver colored pump from a blue pump. Working fine at the moment. Had fine blood sugars except for a drop suddenly to 46! I had to get out the glucagon and prepare and inject it. Got my blood sugar up to 123. Had a rash which started spreading. Breathing got a little tight. Out came the Epipen! After 2 doses, I started improving and returned to my day. Turned out my basal rate was on my high setting.

I have decided to change blog styles since I felt the current style looked cleaner. I am doing OK outside of stiff hamstrings and hip muscles. Spasticity and aging disabled body rear their ugly head. Did do some stretching. Am getting very hard on shoes due to gait being an issue. I will have to change approaches to spasticity control. This is also having bearings on my basal insulin needs and even insulin/carbohydrate ratios. So, some basal tests and a meet with my diabetes team is in order. I have been listening to a great deal of jazz lately. Especially the work of John Coltrane. A Love Supreme has gotten me through much meditation and stretching. I do some Yoga but couldn't get within 50 miles of the Lotus Position. The good news is I am still upright. Does make dressing and transfers a bear. Gotta leave for now and see my internist at clinic and my PT for advice. Also, I play caregiver to my 86 year old grandmother who has a lot of issues and my lady friend and her toddler, Erik!

I have had quite a weekend!

I have had an interesting weekend! First, my left hip went out of socket 3 times and was swollen and inflamed. Meaning a late night trip to the emergency room for a Toradol shot in my left hip to calm that down.

I also had issues with my Animas IR 1250 insulin pump. I had a difficult time with priming cycles on the pump. Would go to prime my pump and the pump would get stuck in the middle of the priming cycle. It usually worked fine on the second attempt. Then I got a Call Service alarm on the pump. So I called Animas Pump Support (wonderful people) and they walked me through the issue. I had to take the battery out of the pump and reinsert it, I then had to rewind and prime the pump. So far, so good. Until Saturday night.

I was at WJSQ/WLAR studios in Athens, during a Nascar race broadcast. My Blood Glucose was dropping (misjudged a carb count on the supper bolus). So I opted for a 70% basal reduction, I entered TEMPBASAL on the pump, it wouldn't let me enter one. So another call to Animas Pump Support. After trying several different things, the support engineer recommended sending me another IR 1250 pump. I chose Silver instead of my usual Blue. Superstition perhaps. I called my girlfriend and let her know about the issue. She suggested I try activating Child Lock as Pump Support said I had a stuck button on my pump. The pump is OK for now.

I attended a street fair in Athens Saturday morning. It's PumpkinFest. There were many booths with community services and businesses, food vendors, and arts and craftspeople and a large crowd. Beautiful old small town, Athens is. I got quite a workout in my chair with my mom, Helen and my nephew, Alex. Had a superb time. Slept in this morning. I am taking Helen and Alex back to meet Stephanie, Alex's mom in Lenoir City, TN halfway. Then back to reality for the week.