From FatCatAnna

I think I have finally found the answer to this.  Maybe women will understand this better then men, but I will do my best explain this in a nutshell (big one).

PMS, perimenopause - this is what a hypo feels like when your mood/body is out of control! 

I just realised this on the weekend.  I have never experienced some of the mood swings and other things that are associated with the monthly curse until now, when entering into the next phase of life - perimenopause.  I used to think my friends that would take time off for this monthly occurrence were off their rockers, but now I'm beginning to understand what it's all about, as I'm experiencing these emotions at the ripe old age of 49! Ugh!  Now I get what you were going on about (am I a late bloomer?).  It is not NICE!!

How this all dawned on me was on Saturday night, after dinner, time to relax and enjoy the evening ... right? No, not for this Tasmanian Devil - aka Fat Cat Anna.  I could not find a coupon that I had clipped out for a hair colour product ($4 dollars off!).  I started to go into a frenzy, looking for this little friggin' slip of paper.  My poor husband Mike, is wondering ... WTF as I keep on saying "Sorry, sorry it's this hormonal thing" as I go around our little house. looking for this slip of paper!  Anyway, I was fighting an inner demon inside of me, trying to stay the normal calm/happy Fat Cat Anna, while the other side of me was wanting to cry (and yes, I did cry and scream and stomp - see Taz clip above to have sample of my behaviour).

My emotions were all over the place, and yes, my blood sugar (BG) was fine, neither high nor low.  I was just freaking out with all the hormonal overload.  Trying to be me was a real challenge during this little light bulb moment for me.

This is how it is when we diabetics go through a hypo (or low BG).  We are not in control.  Some people become quite violent (have a friend who says her hubby will hit her - ouch), we all vary with how we react to having a low, we are NOT OURSELVES.  I know for myself, I'm not always this bad, but it all depends on the situation at the time.  Imagine if I was having a hypo at the time I was looking for this coupon (which was found in the end by (( hug)) Mike).

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

I'm a late bloomer, I'm not ashamed to admit this (or should I be?).  I took up reading the first of 4 books of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, which Laura, my niece is telling me are really good - PLUS she's got 2 tickets for the midnight premiere of New Moon on Nov 19^th at 12:01.  Sweet.

I am so involved in the characters, that I think they are in my dreams.  So much so, that last night, 02h30 to be precise, I woke up in abit of a sweat, heart thumping away, thinking to myself "Would Edward know that my blood isn't smelling sweet anymore (aka am I going low)?"  LOL - I mean, I'm not a teenager anymore - which is who these books are aimed at - am I regressing back into childhood here?

I tried something different for treating my hypo.  No getting out of my cozy bed (it went down to 12C/54F last night) - going into the kitchen to test my BG to confirm what my reading is - then consume perhaps more then I should to treat it.  No, I was a wise ol' "teenage heartthrob" diabetic gal - I drank a juice box - 22 grams of carbs - to treat my low.  Meanwhile as I sipped away on my juice box, Manouchka my cat aka crotch cat - where she sleeps for most of the night - just purred away.  Too easy, I thought to myself - it's like having 1^st class service on an airplane - not having to move.  About 5 minutes, no more passed, and then I was off to sleep again into la la land.

I woke up this morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed, wondering to myself, "will I have elevated BG's?"  Which is sometimes common for me when I've had a hypo - but in this case with treating it  just with a juice box - I was amazed to see I was reading 5.3 mmol/l (95 mg/dl ) .  Wow!  Maybe in future I will treat my BG's this way - it's too easy!

So, how many of you treat your overnight hypo's this way - right from your bedside without confirming your readings with your BG meter, etc.?   Just curious.

From FatCatAnna

Not sure if any of you have checked out the forum area of Diabetes1.org lately - but I posted a discussion about Steve Krueger - a Canadian - who died 3 years ago after his Medtronic pump (MMT-511) overdosed him with insulin.  When I first came across the story - I was shocked at what had happened - thinking - what if this happened to me - or one of my many friends that wears a pump?  The other thing that went off in my mind was the fact that the story was only coming to light 3 years later after the fact!

The D and his Guy had posted the same story that I had - but with more discussion going on there - and in my quest to figure out how it happened - had put out a few questions to one person that seemed to know more about this terrible tragedy - and it came to light that they were friends of Steven's and his parents. They shared some information that has left me even more stunned - to the point that I didn't sleep very well - as it has disturbed me to no end.

After Health Canada had completed their investigations that the pump was indeed at fault - they proceeded to hand over the pump to Medtronic - so they could also investigate why their pump had performed this act that lead to the death of Steven.  They did not feel that is was important  and send the pump back without any further testing!

One thing I have come across in searching Health Canada  is that in August 2007 - a recall notice was put out on Medtronic insulin pumps - due to strong magnetic field exposure - and I quote -  "If the pump is exposed to strong magnetic fields, it may exhibit over-delivery potentially resulting in severe hypoglcemia. Users muse avoid exposing the pump to stong magnetic fields such as MRI as stated in the labelling." Could Steven's pump been exposed?  I am not sure what he did for a living - but perhaps he was in the medical field.

WTF - if a plane or car had caused something similar - a death - or accident that could not be explained - the manufacturer would no doubt want to do further investigations of what caused it.  Am I being silly in thinking this way? I feel like I'm losing my marbles trying to grasp at why Medtronic isn't going further into the investigation.

The other thing that is going thru' my sponge brain - Steven's pump was 4 years old - according to what I have read.  Meaning it was perhaps nearing the end of it's warranty (I know with my Animas 2020 I have a warranty of 4 years).  I know of some diabetics - who have had their pumps for much longer - and no problems as of yet with how it works - but there is always a chance something might go wrong.  I am thinking perhaps pump manufacturers might want to have their product go thru' a diagnostic check up from time to time perhaps.  Now, yes, it might cost the consumer - but at the price of a pump - it's a small amount compared to what they would pay for a new pump or perhaps have what happened to Steven occur.

Anyway, I am to the point of trying to get a petition together within some of the diabetic communities I am in - to send to Medtronic to ask them why they proceeded this way in not doing further investigations.  At this point in time - I am so glad I did not purchase a Medtronic pump.  One of the reason I didn't at the time (I had test run the MiniMed Paradigm REAL-Time System for 4 months prior to trying out the Animas 2020) was due to the the Customer Service which I did not find as good as Animas.

I want to be the Ralph Nader of Diabetics!!!

From FatCatAnna

I was talking to my neighbours out front just now.  They are Egyptian - such sweet little ladies. They always want to know what's going on it in our lives.  I think they live thru' us - which is kind of sweet.  One of the ladies is Type 2 - and her younger sister is always telling me how worried she is about her.  So, Mike and I watch out for her when her family doesn't come around to see her.  She is intrigued by my insulin pump - and between my splattering of French and her English - we have an interesting conversation.  She's not looking too well this a.m. - am hoping she's alright - so I may go over in abit with some fresh peppermint and make up some tea for us and see how she is doing.  I know her sister says she eats bad food (define bad that is my question  - I eat bad as well) - and she doesn't test her blood sugars enough.  Sigh, I want to save the world sometimes - only I'm not blond and I don't act on the show Heroes.

So, we went on a cruise on the w/e with a few of our friends from our yacht club to a quaint little town called Waddington, New York along the St. Lawrence Seaway.  This town has been around since the early 1800's - and if memory serves me - one of the churches that I took a picture of (beautiful stained glass windows) - is the oldest in North East section of the States.

I managed to not drink too much (I'm getting better with age - hangovers and a few hours of memory lost - nope) - and had a great time. Only had abit of a problem with my blood sugars the first night as I had to do an insulin correction before heading to beddy byes on Friday night.  I was fine in the morning - so the miracle legal drug insulin does its' wonderful things again! Of course,  I was munching on foods I don't usually eat, but man oh man, tasting chip flavours that I'd never heard of before, well, how could I deny my salivary glands!  As I've written before, the foods that Americans have that we don't have here is overwhelming.  I almost bought a jar of a sugary marshmallow substance called "Fluff".  Pure sugar, great for treating hypos was what went thru' my sponge brain!  A few of the sailors are Type 2's, so they talked me out of buying it - sigh.  Next time, I'll somehow manage to sneak it into my grocery bag!!!  I will find a way!!!

We had such a great sail back on Sunday - winds coming from the south/west - so we just had the jib sheet out (front sail at the front of the boat for you non-boaters - and trust me - I'm still learning all the sailor lingo even 5 years later - so you may correct me if I'm wrong in my descriptions).  We were cruising along at an average speed of 5.5 knots (our hull is rated at 6 knots).  It was an awesome sail - not heeling over - just very nice and relaxing sail.  I managed to change my infusion set in-between the "pack of wolves" (power boaters from Quebec are on holidays - and they are always in a mad rush to get everywhere - just like on the roads - wait - I'm from Quebec - what am I saying?).  When alot of power boats go by - they set up alot of waves - and sailboats get the brunt of their waves.  As our boats get tossed around - this is when you know if you've got a demon child inside the boat or not - as things go flying around as the boat hits the water if they're not secured properly.  I am getting better with keeping that "child" from having a tantrum inside.

A few of us anchored in this little bay on the American side of the St. Lawrence on our way back - our 25' sailboat, a 27' and 45' (we call that one the Mothership). The 27' is the MiniMotherShip and ours is the EntertainmentShip, as we have all the good tunes blasting out.   We are in the planning stages for a rendezvous at "Skinny Dip Bay" for a Caribbean Island party (I just have to find a few floating palm trees to bob around all the boats).  I'll be looking for some Rasta style wigs for us to throw on our heads.  I know, sounds crazy but you only live once on this big blue marble. 

So, now it's back to regular programming - and we'll wait for Friday to come again - and hopefully head out for the wild blue yonder again (good thing is gas prices have gone down - amazing for the summer - as usually they go up!).