From FatCatAnna

Well, since starting Ginger Viera's 15 week weight loss challenge I've been having a few issues with trying to complete my 30 minute exercise every day due to low blood sugars in the morning.  I've managed to get in abit of exercise by parking the car further away from the store front (I've always done that - now I go ... further).  Last night I managed to get my hubby to go for almost an hours walk along the river, we haven't done that in years! Only thing I forgot to bring was my Dex4 since my blood sugar went down.

Also, I'm just trying to rethink how each little thing I do, can help burn off some of the foods I'm eating.  I'm using small hand weights every day (3 lbs) - nothing like Ginger does, but I'm pretty happy with the progress of building up muscles in my arms and upper back.  I need these muscles more then ever now for the bigger jib sheet I have to work with on our 30' sailboat  (I was cursing / grunting like a sailor on the w/e even with the 2 speed winches we have as we were tacking alot for practise).

Today, I decided to step on the old scale.  I've never been a big lover of doing this, as I often find my bubble gets burst.  I go more by how my clothing fits me, and how I feel.  I'm now at 150 lbs / 68 kg and I'm really amazed at this.  I've not weighted this low for a long time.  I've been fighting not to go over 160 since I'm not a tall girl (my endo said recently that I'm 5' 3 1/2" / 1.61 m - my GP said last year I'm 5' 4 1/2" / 1.64 - go figure that one out).  I know, it's only an inch / 2.54 cm - but it makes a big difference to me!

 
And since I won't have Internet useage on the weekend to write - as I'm heading off to the floating cottage - here's a little picture for all you Dad's out there - Happy Father's Day.  Don't do what the Fat Cat does below - and guzzle too much beer (it's got alot of carbs in it - belch).

From FatCatAnna

Life has been busy lately - between having gum surgery (will write about that experience later) - and just the fact that suddenly "summer" is upon us with temperatures of 32C / 90F - no time to sit down and type out my usual entertaining thoughts.

Most of you know, I'm taking a break from my pump aka Salvador Dali and back to my grassroots so to speak - of MDI (multiple doseage injections).  I started back in April - and so far - the experience has been interesting - and the results of my next A1C in July will show if all of what I have learned while using the insulin pump.  I have much more awareness of how my insulin(s) work - along with carb counting.  It also has helped with having other MDI experts helping me out when I ask for help.

I finally finished up my Lantus supply of insulin - and began to use Levemir insulin.  I wanted to go onto Levemir mainly for the fact it is not supposed to cause weight gain which Lantus has a reputation for.  I've read though in forums that Levemir doesn't have as long a life span in our body as Lantus does and wondered how it would work.  With Lantus, I was taking 2 shots a day and my blood glucose (BG) have been pretty good and not many hypos which is one reason I had gone onto the pump in the first place.

I had to stop after 7 days sad to say with the Levemir. I was waking up with fasting BG's between 8-13 mmol/l (144-234 mg/dl) - and having problems with bringing them to my normal range of 4-7 mmol/l (72-126 mg/dl).  I've read in some forums that with Levemir they have to use double the amount of insulin that they used with Lantus, and they still did not have good BG control. 

Also, one thing I'm curious about, has anyone experienced hard/hot/swelling in the site that they inject their Levemir?  I was getting this a few times with Levemir injections, and on those days, of course, BG's were out of whack.  I have a feeling that the insulin wasn't being absorbed properly at that point.  The picture below  my thigh, and it remained like this for a few days (swelling was about 3.8 cm/1 1/2" in diameter).

One thing that I'm still having to do some research on is that one reason for my wanting to go onto Levemir was due to the news release last year that Lantus could cause cancer.  One of the diabetic forums I belong to has mentioned that the actual research done on Lantus was funded by Levemir.  Hmm, can pharmaceutical companies be this nasty with getting their market share? It makes me shudder to think so.

On the bright side of this post, have a laugh at what I woke up to on my face today.  No, I did not have any nip tuck done, this is how I woke up this morning.  I just seem to be a gal prone to swelling lately don't I?  Perhaps due to the heat we are having here in Montreal? I have no idea, all I know is, Lady Gaga look out, you've got competition.  Revlon if you need a lip model - you know who to come to!

From FatCatAnna

To carb or not to carb – that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The ups and downs of blood sugar fortune

Or to take arms against a sea of cheese sauce on broccoli ...

I feel like I’m in London at the Globe Theatre getting ready to watch Hamlet holding a high carb banana in one hand and a cheese curd in the other.  What fate befalls us as we contemplate their destinies!

When I was younger, my Mum followed the Canadian Diabetes Association way of eating (aka American Diabetes Association).   It was what all diabetics followed, and as a child, full of energy I had no problems with the diet which was maybe higher in carbs then what the CDA recommends today.  This is all my Mum had to follow on, since young children with diabetes were a very small percentage of diagnosed diabetics (less then 1%).  She was VERY strict with measuring out my food, no seconds, even if I was hungry, you ate what you had on your plate.  Going to friends house was my way of escaping her careful food planning.  It seemed that my friends had food like there was no tomorrow, but then, none of them had diabetes.  Even worse, going to a birthday party was something that my Mum had I think a hard time dealing with, as there was really no control with what I ate again.  So, birthday parties, sleepovers, didn’t happen too often.  I keep on wondering, if I had been a Mum with a diabetic child like myself, if I would have been the same way, maybe not so much now, but still I can understand her worry. 

When I left home at 19, it was hard to not break the “training” my Mum had taught me, with measuring out food since the age of 7.  Though as most of us know, with time, we eyeball what we are eating, but still, we always are calculating in the back of our minds.  Take for instance the spaghetti (tossed with tomato pesto sauce) that I just had for lunch.  It’s about ¾’s of a cup, so I’m “guesstimating” about 30 grams of carbs.  My blood sugar (BG) at the time was 4.9 mmol/l or 88 mg/dl – so I took a few units of fast acting insulin and hopefully I’ll stay within range.  That’s one thing I miss with my pump holiday – the combo bolus – where you can spread out the insulin coverage.  I’ll probably be checking my BG’s in about 2 hours and a correction may have to be made.  I am a human dart board for the pen needle these days, but it’s okay, 32 gauge needle, way better then needles of the “Stone Age” when I first got diagnosed.

 So, as you can tell, I love to eat carbs with a limit (though sometimes I go hog wild and don’t feel bad about it as it’s only once in awhile)!  I try not to go over 30 grams of carbs per meal if I can help it.  I do tend to eat smaller portions then what my friends would eat.  I find that this way of eating, to me is subconsciously done (calculate, calculate), is how I have kept my diabetes in control of 43 years.  I’m not sure if a really low crab (LOL on Kerri Morrone Sparling blog post today)  diet would work for me since I do cook a few vegan meals, and of course, beans are high in carbs, so those meals generally are >30 grams or more. 

Off to test my BG's - as I have a feeling the insulin is doing it's job a wee bit too well for what I just ate!  The Roller Coaster Ride of Diabetes - Whoo! Whoo!

From FatCatAnna

From FatCatAnna