My Costly Mishap

My middle name has never been "grace" but when it comes to being a klutz, I can't AFFORD to make the mistake I did earlier this week.

I was just going about my business in the kitchen, probably getting one of my boys their snacks or something when I opened the door to the refrigerator possibly a little too fast and one of my vials of Lantus (estimated cost $105) came tumbling out and hit the floor just at the perfect angle to make it it bottom out and spill all over the place. If anyone has ever smelled insulin, it smells like a hospital (or maybe that's just me). I had to quickly maneuver to pick the baby up and put him somewhere safe so he wouldn't crawl through the glass. I can't quite remember (disclaimer) if any colorful vocabulary escaped my lips, but I can almost guarantee I thought them! All I could think of was that the vial was definitely more full than empty and how much one of those suckers cost! Luckily I have back-ups for circumstances like this one still in the fridge.

This has happened 3 times in the last 4.5 years. Hopefully after 3 strikes I am done. I am going to situate my vials in a place where they won't come falling out of the fridge like that anymore.

Changes.....

After the last post I meant to update this blog more often, but alas we have been busy or I have just been way too lazy to write anything.

I am at my 4.5 year mark of having diabetes. In those 4.5 years I have learned some things and I am regrettably lax on others. I have decided this summer is going to be about getting back in shape both mentally and physically when it comes to my diabetes management. When I say mentally, I mean taking my disease and its management a little more seriously. I want to set some goals that will enable me to improve my perspective and attitude on dealing with things on a daily basis. When I say physically, I mean that I want to start taking better steps to improve my daily eating habits, become more religious about knowing when to say no to things that I shouldn't eat, and when I do eat things I know my body can handle that I will exercise portion control. I also want to keep jogging when I can, though there are weeks where B is so busy during the evenings, that I don't get the chance to really go for a jog.

I feel good about some of these changes. I want to do what I can now to prevent complications from coming sooner than later, if not totally usurping the chances of developing any of them period! Wish me luck!

Bad News? Give It to Me Straight

About a month ago I went to my endocrinologist for a check up that was a little over due.

And as a result of my recklessness in eating things I shouldn't, or sometimes forgetting to give myself insulin after I eat, I had a pretty nasty A1C. This came as a wake up call for me.... again. And I will even admit that I didn't immediately come home from that visit and dive right back in to a better routine and frame of mind for eating the way I should. I have continued jogging even running in a 5k this month and taking care of my boys. This week I have tried jumping back on the bandwagon of diabetes care and it's been difficult.

Yesterday my husband and I took all my Rx's to the local pharmacy and spent $550 dollars on my supplies. I came home and started testing again. I had a high of 243 after lunch at Taco Maker, but after that it was great the rest of the day. Right before I went to bed last night, I tested and was pleasantly surprised to find a 143 on my meter. I gave myself my dose of Lantus and went to bed, but not without eating a yummy snack first. That didn't help....

I woke up at 5 am this morning with a glucose of 53. Talk about feeling a little defeated! I dragged myself in my "stupor" up the stairs to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of cookies, and a glass of juice. I went back to bed, and woke up this morning with a glucose of 134. These are the numbers that help me reflect on once again establishing better goals and ranges for glucose.

Recently, I watched Michael J. Fox's documentary on his chronic disease and remaining optimistic in life. He said something that struck a serious chord with me (don't quote me verbatim on this) "Of all the things this disease has taken from me, there has been so much given in return". He means that though there have been so many tough times or lost opportunities because of his disease, he has learned so much in return, and is grateful for the little things. I realize I need to re-focus my energies on remaining positive no matter what hardships this disease brings, but recognizing that I am human, and I will at times feel some defeat despite my best efforts not to.