SweetLifeStories Diabetes Blog

Today is just one of those days when I find myself running around like a chicken with my head cut off!  BUSY and catching up, like we all find ourselves doing so often. So when I stopped for a few minutes to test my blood sugar level before fixing lunch, I played my daily guessing game. “Sixty-seven,” I announced to myself. “Sixty-five,” came back the reading on my meter. Hmmmm, not bad . . . you rock, girl! I was thrilled to be in such close touch with sensing my body signals and being in “good” control.

Ah–there’s that word that invokes guilt; control. What does it mean? Not every day is under your control when you live with diabetes, right? Hour to hour can find me moving from plummeting sugars to skyrocketing ones that make me feel sick as a dog. This happened to me earlier in the week during a four-day local dog show where I showed my 9 month old puppy Tess. I started off the morning congratulating myself on having a great blood sugar of 109. Ate a plate of eggs, knowing the protein would hold me. Three hours later amid the jitters (and adrenaline) of waiting, worrying, and then going into the show ring, my body was itching from the inside out. What was it? A blood sugar level of 311! Had I eaten anything? No. But stress and stress alone did me in. I had to go home after taking a large bolus of insulin from my pump and sleep it off–aggravated to have wasted the rest of the day.

A friend later asked, “Hey, isn’t the reason you wear an insulin pump so you can give more insulin when you need it–or not?” Guilt being my middle name, the question about why I didn’t test sooner to pre-empt my terribly high sugar level really bothered me.

Then, I realized what I was thinking at the time–sometimes, to figure out what works in terms of patterns, we have to grant ourselves time to experience what it really is that we have to do to function well and maintain control. In other words, I knew I had to observe the impact of stress on my blood sugar while handling my dog in the show ring. After it happened, I knew for sure that I had to counteract the rise in my sugar level the next day with just a touch of insulin.

What a fine line we have to walk–always deciding on not taking or doing too little versus not taking or doing too much–just to stay in control. Food, special treats, exercise, sleep, meds, travel–it’s all the same. Doing what works best to control your own health and enjoying your own life is what counts. That’s what I call being in control–but in a meaningful way.

And speaking of control, this week, the TCOYD (Taking Control of Your Diabetes) conference comes to Albuquerque! Looking forward to sharing my blog with others and inviting you to join in on sharing your thoughts about the challenges of living with or being touched by diabetes, as well as how and where you find the inspiration to overcome its challenges and live life to the fullest every single day!

Until later, b well, b happy. Kath

So, here I am, still working 8 weeks later to adjust to fitting back into my routine life after a whirlwind 3+ weeks traveling in Japan and then a crazy but fun-filled four days of photographing red rock formations in Moab, Utah!

The small amount of Japanese language I had begun to understand and use has mostly faded from my brain cells, and I find I’m missing the excitement of trying to function between two languages, two geographic places, two cultures! But I still find myself processing what went well for me as a traveler with diabetes; someone who had the luxury (guided by my Tokyoite friend Chikako who traveled with me) of being so immersed in the Japanese culture, and what didn’t go so well in terms of living with my diabetes.

The basic staples of the Japanese diet: rice and noodles (udon; ramen; soba), served in huge amounts, were definitely an obstacle to good control. I am embarrassed to admit my recent HA1C was 8.5; gulp! one of my highest ever. Yet I found I needed to eat these carbs in Japan, since I had to be sure my blood sugar level didn’t fall too low while I walked miles every single day! That’s a common dilemma for many of my friends who have diabetes and travel anywhere. What I learned to do was add good protein, when available, to my meals, in the forms of fish (all types cooked and yes, even raw), egg, and chicken. The amount of protein served in meals was very small compared to what we eat in the U.S., so I supplemented my diet with protein bars and spoonfuls of peanut butter (which I brought in a plastic jar with me) when needed. This helped me survive pretty well!

The “new” carb that seems to be helping to skyrocket the number of Japanese being diagnosed with diabetes is, of all things, bread. White bread. Lots of it, everywhere, in patisserie specialty shops. And lots of sweets in the form of cakes, cookies, pastries. The Japanese definitely have a sweet tooth, and I was saddened to hear (and see) that many are paying for it . . . becoming overweight and diabetic. This was almost unheard of a generation ago, so it’s something to think about.

With the exception of battling high blood sugar levels after carb-laden lunches of noodles, ramen or udon soups, or rice dishes, I’m confident I managed my blood sugars and tweaking my insulin in such a distant land quite well!  I’m working on bringing that high average HA1C level down. But traveling definitely makes me quite grateful for home glucose testing (which most of us probably take for granted these days) and my insulin pump (for which I often give thanks for its ability to enable me to sleep later, switch time zones, cover extra carbs with boluses of insulin, and even suspend insulin, as  needed)!

Thanksgiving may be over on this year’s calendar. But in living my own life, there’s reason to celebrate and give thanks every day in terms of my gratefulness and sheer pleasure at the possibility of being immersed in the zest and best of life.

B well, b happy. Until next time (my procrastinating days are over; I’ll be writing again soon!), Kath

Spending a week in winterproof Florida; the so-called Sunshine State known for its immunity from major coldspells, sirens calling me to the beach anytime, right?

My recent vacation with my better half (here for a conference) began with two stormy days. Drove from Ft. Lauderdale thru the Upper and Middle Keys down to Key West. Fun stops, though–first to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo with walks among the mangroves. Wish I could get up the nerve to learn to dive, but that’s always worried me since I wear an insulin pump. I wonder how many other people taking insulin have managed to dive–how in the world do they manage their sugars and taking insulin? It’s on my to-do list but still a huge stretch for me to grapple with since i’m on short-acting insulin only!

Islamorada was our next stop; very picturesque despite the brewing storm clouds overhead. Then on to Marathon, Big Pine Key and the Lower Keys. Lots of sitting led to many blood sugar level checks. Where was my anticipated sun?

Four hours later, we finally arrived in Key West. Grey water and dark angry skies. So much rain made us crave seeking cozy eating spots (yep; had to keep “juicing up” with insulin!) between our adventures to the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory (where we captured some great photos indoors) and the mind-boggling above-ground historic cemetery (which was mysteriously beautiful with crumbling crypts, family plots, and gravestones awash with puddled water). So much for walks on the beach or swimming laps in the beautiful hotel pool! An hour before sunset, though, the storm clouds broke and rays of warm sunlight streaked through the sky, leaving us with the magic of a stunning sunset on our last day there.

The next morning, we retraced our route to Ft. Lauderdale, allowing for a few nature walks/bird search diversions and a stop for an inexpensive but oh-so-tasty (yep: high carb, too!) Cuban lunch. Delightful.

The last two days have been cool and rainy. I learned something today: native Floridians told me that they experience winter weather thru the end of March! I pride myself on learning something new every day, but I’ll ruefully admit that this wasn’t news I really wanted to understand or embrace!

Ha, ha: the last laugh (hopefully) isn’t on me, becuz with the sun finally out, I got to walk a few miles on Hollywood Beach Boardwalk today. Northern weathered sunbirds (retirees from colder climes) were out in force–sunning themselves to brilliant crimson hues. What a kick to see everyone, turned toward the sun like rows of egrets drying their feathers, warming their beleaguered cold-weary bodies. A soft kiss on their cheeks, and mine.  So welcome! Winter, it seems, is definitely in the eyes of the beholder, and differently defined and appreciated.

January 17, 2010

Argggggghhh! Wouldn’t you know it? Decent blood sugar control smashed to smithereens by an unforeseen detail: My rising blood stubbornly refused to respond to more and more boluses of insulin, so when I got up just the other morning, I decided to take a more careful look at what might be causing this “insulin resistance.” What did I discover? Jeez; the insulin I’d put into my newly-changed pump which was flowing into my body for the last 2-3 days actually had an expired date on the bottle! I can’t believe that an expiration date of just 3 months can make all the difference in the insulin being effective, but apparently it does. Of all the stupid things to discover. Sometimes being too familiar with my routine of self-care really backfires, as in this case. I guess I only thought I was being conscientious. Glad I discovered the problem, though, and only had to suffer thru 2 days of high blood sugars–which was unpleasant enough. One step forward–and a little gold star, please, for being conscientious. Two steps back, I’m afraid, for being too rushed to check the details when I loaded my pump, thereby ruining my blood sugar average for the month! Where do I go now–to detention?

Dec 20, 2009

Boy oh boy how a week or two or three can upend the sometimes happy status quo of life! I decided to try a new insulin pump infusion set-up–one that’s different from the Sof-Set QR I’d been successfully using with my treasured Minimed pump for years–and have been chasing very high blood sugars. Like in the high 400′s and then crashing down to glucose levels in the 30′s & 40′s with heart-pounding vision-darkening effects that are all part of the package. Wanting to give up, even. Jeez: I thought I’d left these sensations behind when I switched from shots to the more measured control offered by an insulin pump! But here it is again, just to humble me and remind me that sometimes, there’s no real winning in the war on diabetes. Sigh.

So after my last go-round of being tossed smack into the whirling eddy of failure, I somehow accessed my desire to master this overwhelming battle by going back to my trusty old set-up. Sure enough, almost a full day later, my blood sugars are leveling out. I want to shout: Take that! You can’t win! What I do and want . . . matters! But I don’t want the gods of retribution to hear me . . . so I’m just offering a small thanks for riding out these episodes to move forward in this battle and reclaim doing more of what fuels me . . . family, friends, photography, playing with clay. Another lesson learned to help me walk into another day. Grateful, but definitely tired.

Later, friends.

Kath