From FatCatAnna

Last week I went to visit my Mum and Dad in Ottawa.  It's only a 2 hour drive, I'm used to longer drives by myself, but this was going to be my first time ever driving, alone, without Salvador Dali aka my Animas 2020 being plugged into me.

Of course, being stressed out about this, my blood sugars (BG's) didn't start off that great in the morning.  Because I was afraid of giving too much insulin by MDI (multiple doseage injecting) I probably gave less then I should have, but I did not want to experience having a hypo on the road.   It almost felt like I was learning how to drive again, with the way I was feeling when I left.

I arrived at my parents home, and of course, they are all set to eat (my Mum eats by the clock - if she was a diabetic - she would be very well controlled).  My first thing I wanted to do, test my BG.  Of course, it was high and here was my Dad wanting to know if I wanted a pizza (yikes - high in carbs) or a tuna fish sandwich.  Like all we PWD's do, calculations are going off in my head as to how many carbs are in this, how much extra insulin to give for the correction.  At this point in time, I was wishing I had Salvador Dali with me - I was REALLY missing him big time.  Meanwhile, everything my parents are serving up screams carbs glorious carbs, e.g. did I want a V8 juice, apricots, biscuits.  I know they mean well, but it's too many carbs for me to handle when I'm high like I am and personally even if my BG's were alright, I just can't stuff that much into me.

The jist of my story is, that, yes, I do miss Salvador.  I find when it comes to controlling my BG's that I have better control with him.  Having to pull out the pen needle, find some flesh to inject, is abit annoying at times. With Salvador, he looks like a fancy cell phone / camera (I've had people comment about him looking like one).  No one really questions what I'm doing (is she texting to her lover boy?).  Bing, bang, boom, it's all over and done with.  With MDI, it's put on a new pen needle (31 gauge, 8mm length - sweet - no pain), and you know the rest if you've injected as long as I have over the years.

What I find funny now, is that before going on the pump, I never thought about what I was doing, but 3 years ago, before I started on the pump, I was often just guessing in the dark as to how much insulin to give to cover foods/correction.  I'm sometimes amazed that I had the A1C's back then that I did (I tended to be in the lower 7% range).

Week 2 is almost over - still have 3 vials of Lantus to "play with" - before I head off to give Levemir a go (am really anxious to try that out - heard so many good things about using that insulin compared to Lantus).  My BG's this week incase you are wondering - are not bad - considering I'm still playing around with my basal injections with Lantus and I'm averaging 6 mmol/l (108 mg/dl).

From FatCatAnna

Okay – I’ve got the tune (a remake from Le Braghe Corte a great SKA/punk band) going thru’ my head right now as I type this out.  Today is Day 3 of being on a pump break due to having some issues with high blood sugars the last week.  It has been a relearning experience with going back to MDI (multiple dosage injections) after almost 3 years of pumping insulin.  I’ve now got my basal rate of insulin (Lantus every 12 hours) sorted out and today haven’t had to do any corrections with NovoRapid in-between my meals (aka bolus).  I do inject for the amount of carbs I’m going to eat of course!! 

Now, this may all change as I’m seeing my endocrinologist on Thursday to get permission to go on Levemir, which thru’ the grape vine of other PWD’s is better at keeping the blood sugars more level, as 3 shots can be done during the day with this insulin.  Also, as my friend Doris Dickson pointed out, when I have to do a basal test with Levemir, it’ll be a shorter span of time then with Lantus. Sweet!  Though I'm not quite up to that point yet to do a basal test.

So, what am I enjoying right now?  I went clothing shopping for a skirt after seeing a woman in line at IKEA wearing a cute little denim skirt.  I asked her where she got it from, and viola, I was on a mission.  Shopping is something I really don’t like to do unless it’s food shopping.  Strange thing for a woman to say, but it’s never been high on my “what to do with myself today” thing (I’d rather be walking thru’ the woods, or by the ocean, or motorcycling thru’ the mountains).  Of course, my husband is probably very happy I’m this way, as he counts the pile of money under the bed at night.

The thing that was special today, not wearing my pump.  When I’ve gone shopping for clothing it’s always a drag having to unclip the pump, tuck it somewhere safe, while I try on various clothing.  Today my hands went to my waistband, and then I remembered … “no pump”.  All I can say is, I did quick changes, found what I wanted.  Bing, bang, boom – flash of the credit card – sold to the Happy Customer (who also got the skirt of sale – whoo! Haa!)!

So, after spending ½ the day just loafing around (haven’t done this in awhile).  My blood sugars have stayed on average between 4.7 - 7.0 mmol/l (85 – 126 mg/dl).  The only thing I have found with MDI, because of eating breakfast late (10:15 – and I usually eat at 8:00 – 9:00) due to my friend I think I have to be more diligent with eating meals at the correct time.  This was something I found I had more flexibility with when on the pump.  

Off to try on my new skirt and show off my hairy legs!  Oh I’m one happy girl!

From FatCatAnna

Of all days, I am hankering to eat breakfast. I rarely eat breakfast during the work week as it's never been a big thing for me.  I'm happy with my usual Americano which gets me by until noon. C'est tout!

Today though I woke up thinking ... it's time to do my a.m. basal test to see how my basal settings are doing on my insulin pump. I've only ever done the overnight basal test so far. My blood sugar (BG) was good, so I switched off the espresso machine that I'd had warming up for my Americano, and I went downstairs to my office to start working.

I am now soooo hungry right now as I type away to you.  Why of all days does this happen to me ? I know I can resist the urge, I can do it.  To make myself stick to the "plan" I'm tweeting every hour my #bgnow results so I do what I set out to do in the first place.  My first test was 5.9 mmol/l (106 mg/dl) and the latest test was 7.1 mmol/l (128 mg/dl) - so it's looking like I'll be adjusting my basal settings on my pump program.

How often do you do test out your basal setting?  Whether you use injections of Lantus/NPH/Levemir or a pump, do you ever question how your slow acting insulin is doing its' job?  Trying to replicate what a functioning pancreas does is a tricky thing, but it can be done as long as you follow the guidelines (I'm using the Pumping Insulin  book by John Walsh/Ruth Roberts to lead me thru' the steps).

So, tap, tap, tap, it's almost 11h00, and I only have until 16h00 to do the basal test. I thought the night time was was difficult (you always have to perform the overnight one first before attempting the daytime basal tests) but this is hard.  I'm awake, my body wants food (which it usually doesn't demand ).

The only good thing that's binging in my mind is that if my BG's keep on rising up, then I'll have to stop the test to correct with insulin.  At that point in time, test can't be continued, then I can eat.  Oh dear, is it horrible for me to be thinking this?  Okay, wiping out the pictures of a baguette smeared with butter and strawberry jam.  Back to work I go.

From FatCatAnna

Back in my clubbing days of the 80's (am I aging myself here? ) - Freak Out was the chic song to dance to!  Right now, this song is going thru' my head as I try to cope with having low blood sugars since basically the last few days.  Add to the top of my problems with having a computer shutting down on me at its will as I try to type this out to you.  It's another Freak Out, as my bread and butter depends on a functioning computer and just trying to cope like a normal human being. Scream!!  Who said diabetics lead an easy life, wait, wasn't that me at the IDF World Diabetes Congress, spreading the gospel truth of life with diabetes is easy ... NOT!!!!

I thought at first this was due to my having the H1N1 vaccine yesterday.  I've heard other diabetics having to cope with high blood sugars due to the vaccine, and of course, I seem to be the odd one out (why should that not surprise me one bit) in experiencing low blood sugars.

Well, so far, no curly pig tail has developed with my having the vaccine.  I'm feelling fine, except for having to deal with life as a space cadet and at the same time, function as a normal human being.  I am NOT happy.  It's day like this that I wish I had an endo or medical team at my finger tips that understood what we diabetics go thru', and also someone that understands a diabetic on a pump.  Scream!

So, I am now going to go and test my BG.  It's not something I really have to do, as I know I'm low, again, but I'm just curious as to what number I'm sitting at, after having food to eat, again. It doesn't seem to really bring me up much past 5.0 mmol/l -which is fine, but then I'm back down to 3.0 mmol/l range again, and that's without any insulin!  This is not fun when I'm spinning the roulette wheel of life with trying to figure out, what the heck is causing me to use very little insulin at meal times, snack times, whatever times!  What is freaking me out more is that 'm going on holidays in a few weeks, where I use less insulin.  I want to remember this holiday without having continual episodes of lows and going into la-la-land!!!  Scream (please note - I am not a screamer - it's just appropriate at the moment for my frustratiion).

Any advise is much appreciated, as I try my best to cope with this latest curve ball in the life of a diabetic, looking thru' a semi haze here (thank goodness I can type without looking at the keyboard or screen).  Wait, maybe I'm no longer needing as much insulin after 42 years with this disease???Maybe I've been cured by the H1N1 vaccine???

From FatCatAnna

After experiencing some wacky daytime blood sugars (BG's) during the last week, I decided to go ahead and test out my basal settings on my Animas 2020 insulin pump today.  I have never a daytime basal testing  before, sad to say, and as in my prevous blog, I had asked others - "how often do you test your basal rates?".  No comments yet, and it makes me wonder, are they like myself, not finding the time to test their basal rates, when perhaps we should from time to time when BG's become abit wacky?

I just know for myself, that if I'm going to get the most use out of my pump, I have to learn how to use it properly, so that my BG's stay stable and not having to do continual BG corrections and giving extra insulin.  I mean, I might as well go back to multiple doseage injection (MDI) - ugh!  To me, that defeats the purpose of owning/using a pump, because theory wise, if the pump settings are correct, you should have steady, stable BG's, depending on what is happening in your life of course. 

Well this morning, I decided, this is the day to do a 09h00 - 17h00 basal test, as I'm not doing anything strenuous (no Running of the Bulls), no work deadlines, etc.  I already know that my night time basal rates that I have set on my pump are working fine for me, since John Walsh/Ruth Roberts the coauthors of the Pumping Insulin advise you to get this figured out first prior to doing any other basal tests.  Also, the basal test should only be done when your BG is 5.6 - 8.3 mmol/l (100 - 150 mg/dl) OR between 6.7 - 10 mmol/l (120 - 180 mg/dl) if you have hypoglycemia unawareness or a fear of going low.  I woke up with a 5.5 mmol/l (99 mg/dl) BG, a little bit below what is recommended, but I felt good to go, as I'm not sure when I'll have another "stress free" day like this to do it.

So, I proceeded to wait for my next 2 hour test of my BG, and when that approached an hour ago, I tested  - 8.8 mmol/l (159 mg/dl).  Darn .  The directions in the book say to STOP - correct the BG and retest another day.  Double Darn!  I've gone and made the adjustment to my basal rate according to the table in the book (it's pretty straight forward to read even for a non technical gal like myself). In my case it was .2 units of insulin, seems abit scary to go from .65 units per hour to .85 units, but according to the book "the suggested basal changes below are less than may be needed".  So, I feel abit secure in going ahead as I trust these authors, they know their stuff.   I have presently programmed my new basal settings into my pump and will have to wait for another day to perform the test. 

I have to admit I'm abit disappointed that I had to stop the test and I guess I shouldn't have really said "D Minus" in the title above, at least I'm one step ahead in the game is the  main thing, I'm finely doing it!   Hopefully my basal settings in my pump will soon be perfected so that I have the freedom that a pump allows you to have over MDI.  I  mean, my life has changed so much since going on the pump, I know so much more about diabetes now then before, even after 42 years, I'm still learning!  Just to be able to have balanced BG's when I  skip a meal and not go low or high is what I'd really like to attain.

So, off I trot upstairs to have an Americano (I so missed not having my morning cup of java as the caffeine we all know would have buggered up the test even more LOL ). Oh and a nice slice of  toasted whole grain bread smothered in butter and jam, and abit of cottage cheese!  I am famished!!! Drool! Drool!