Dexcom

• A secondary high alert.  I see 2 options with this:

1. One alarm could be set at 160, then another one at 220 (just for example).  So you would get notified when you went high, then notified again if you went really high.
2. One alarm set at 160 (for example).  But then, if you stayed above 160 for an extended period (user-configurable), it would notify you again.

• Different ranges for day/night.  I hung out at 130 all night last night.  This isn't high enough to trigger my high alert, but it's not really acceptable for overnight.  I could manually set my ranges before I go to bed and when I wake up, but that's a waste of time.

Cozmo

• Super bolus option.  I am currently doing a workaround which involves taking the basal-as-bolus via the "fill cannula" method.  As far as I can tell, the insulin given that way is not calculated anywhere in my daily totals.  Given that they can do combo boluses, super boluses aren't really that different.

I would think that these things could be easily implemented with some software updates.  They're small changes, but would make a big impact on my overall quality of life.  Got any other ideas?

Needless to say, I got asked about "that thing on [my] arm."  I took the opportunity to explain what it was.  My usual speech goes something like this:

It's a sensor for my continuous glucose monitoring system.  It checks my blood sugar every 5 minutes and I can see the results on this graph. (At which point, I click on the receiver and show the graph)

This seems sufficient for most people, but I do get some interesting follow-up questions/comments.  One woman said "oh, I'm so sorry".  She quickly asked about something else, so I didn't get to respond, but there's no reason to be sorry.  I may have diabetes, but it's very well managed.

Another woman asked if I had it "really bad" because I have this sensor.  I find this to be the most common response.  I politely explained "Not really.  It's just that I plan on getting pregnant in the near future and this will help me stay under control much easier."  This is also a sufficient response most of the time, but this particular woman made an interesting comment.  "Yeah, when you get pregnant, you can get that other kind of diabetes.  Gestational diabetes."  I know I should have corrected her, but I was too busy laughing to myself.  While technically, I would have diabetes while I was pregnant, it's still Type 1.  It doesn't transform itself into gestational.  I did comment, though, that my aunt had gestational diabetes and she managed to have 3 kids, so I think I'll be okay.

I do not go to great lengths to hide my diabetes (Lucy and Charlie are always on my hips, my sensor is often clearly visible, I test my blood sugar when/where I need to, etc), but it's not something I ever flaunt or actively bring up in conversation.  I usually wait until someone asks, then I give a clear and simple answer.  Hopefully I've helped some people understand a little more about diabetes and the technologies available.

From what we can guess, it's EXACTLY like a super bolus, but it's just used to correct a very high blood sugar.  Just like a "correction bolus" is just a meal bolus without the meal, a "super correct" is just a "super bolus" without the meal.

I have found that if my blood sugar is above 200, a "2 hour super correct" does the trick.  I take 2 hours of basal ahead of time as a bolus, then reduce my basal to 0 for those 2 hours.  If I'm hovering in the 160-ish range, a "1 hour super correct" is fine.

HOWEVER!  I will guarantee you right now that I am not doing this correctly.  According to Bernard, the basal portion of the super bolus should be taken via the "fill cannula" method so as to not mess up IOB calculations.  I do not do this.

My #1 biggest fear about using the fill cannula method is the fact that my Cozmo defaults to the last amount used.  For example, if I use the fill cannula to deliver 1.2 units of basal, then the next time I go to fill my cannula, 1.2 will be auto-filled.  Now, when I switch out my infusion set, I do this VERY FAST.  I have got this down to a science, people.  So, imagine with me the horror of accidentally delivering 1.2 units instead of .2.  This spells serious trouble.

I know for a fact that delivering the basal portion directly via the correction mechanism really messes with my Delivery Summary.  So according to my pump, I have occasionally taken a LOT of correction, when in fact some of that has been basal.  Of course, my diabetes control should take into a large number of factors and not just my Delivery Summary, but that's a discussion for another time.

So what do I do?  Right now I am doing my own vague mental calculations of IOB, but that's not very effective.  I suppose I could learn to slow down and pay more attention to filling my cannula, but that will be a hard habit to break.  Any tips/suggestions?

Bad

• The test strips seems "wobbly" when I put it into the meter.  Like it's not as secure or something.
• The backlight is either on or off, no quick button to toggle it.
• No light down the strip.  I got really spoiled on this when using the Freestyle products (Flash and Lite).
• Numbers tend toward the center, which could result in missed lows.
• Still need to code the meter.
• You MUST get all the blood on in one go.  This is the deal breaker, sorry.

Good

• Considerably less extreme values, which prevents over-treating lows and highs
• Excellent form factor (small, light, grippy sides)

So, as you can see, I'm not all that happy with the Keynote for regular use.  However, once I get my Dexcom (still waiting to hear from the insurance!), I plan on using the Keynote for calibration.  Thanks to Agamatrix for letting me try this out!

1. I would love to learn to play the cello.  Yo-Yo Ma is my hero.
2. I would like to visit Poland.  My mom's entire side of the family is Polish, so it will always have a soft spot in my heart.
3. I cannot STAND peppermint, in any forms.  I also do not like most other flavors of mint.  This makes it very hard to find a toothpaste that I can tolerate.  I also cannot kiss GiR after he's had a mind.  Nasty....
4. I have eaten the exact same breakfast nearly every day for at least a year.  It's very predictable.  One frozen waffle (blueberry is preferred) with a little butter and sugar-free syrup.  16-18g carbs, depending on the brand of waffle.
5. I save all the cans of soda I drink at work (one in the morning and one at lunch) so that I can recycle them.  I don't have many decorations in my cube, but my soda can wall is definitely the most prominent.  Currently I have nearly 80 cans stacked up (10 cans wide, 4 cans deep, 2 cans tall) ready to recycle.
6. GiR and I have pretty much picked out the names that we would give our kids when/if we have them.  We probably spend way too much time talking about it.  =)
7. I have always dreamed of opening my own bakery/pastry shop.  It would specialize in foods for people with dietary restrictions:  sugar-free, low-carb, no aspartame, no MSG, lactose-free, no fried potatoes, no food dyes, gluten-free, no coconut, no nuts, etc.  Tasty food should be available to all people, no matter their "restrictions."
8. I always spell the past tense of the word "cancel" as "cancelled."  My spell checkers consistently tell me that it is incorrect and it should be "canceled."  I'm sorry, but "canceled" just doesn't look right.  "Cancelled" is an acceptable spelling anyway, so I'm going to continue to spell it that way.
9. For the most part, I refuse to talk in "IM speak."  I use full spelling, mostly correct grammar, and very few abbreviations.  bc srsly, do u get wut I'm sayin?
10. I would love to live in a city that has reasonable temperatures.  I don't like snow and I don't like heat.  Just something in the middle would be nice.  And not too much rain or gray skies.  As far as I know, a place like this doesn't exist, but hey, I can dream, right?

HOWEVER, I did get a date set up for my Dexcom training. It won't be until next Friday (the 23rd), which seems like soooo far away. According to my Dexcom rep, I should be getting my kit either today or tomorrow, so I'll have a week of tortuous waiting. I am halfway tempted to try it out ahead of time, but I don't really feel like messing up a $60 sensor.

There is (potential) good news about insurance coverage though. Dexcom says that they have an in-network supplier for the sensors, so they're going to try to get it covered. If they do, the sensors will end up being fairly reasonably priced, which will be totally sweet.

Question 1: How do I feel?

1. Loopy
2. Fine
3. I want to kill something

If 1, blood sugar is low. Eat something.
If 2, blood sugar is normal.
If 3, blood sugar is high. Then ask Question 2: What do I want to kill?

1. Myself
2. My friends and family
3. The entire world
4. The entire universe

If 1, blood sugar is 150.
If 2, blood sugar is 200.
If 3, blood sugar is 250.
If 4, blood sugar is 300.

=D

What's really frustrating about the comparisons between meters is that I now see that I can't really trust any of my numbers at all. If, with the same blood drop, I get numbers that are 20+ points different, then what's the point of being so accurate at all? My pump can calculate very, very precise doses of insulin. But! They are based on this vague result of a blood sugar test. Sometimes it feels like I could just pull a number out of a hat (or take GiR's questionnaire) and it would be close enough.

First test before dinner:  Flash = 72, Keynote = 92

To me, this is a fairly dangerous situation.  72 would be a low that I would need to treat, but a 92 is normal and doesn't need to be treated.

Further tests throughout the evening and this morning have shown that the Keynote pulls up numbers that are "closer to center", as GiR put it.  This makes sense considering the Keynote's claim that is has a lower margin of error.  As such, it would be reasonable to say that my Flash would produce more extreme values, while the Keynote would produce more consistent values.

HOWEVER!  There is one small bug/feature that makes the Keynote not worth switching to:  You have to get the full amount of blood on the strip at one time.  If it starts sucking your blood and you don't get enough the first time, you just wasted a strip.  I HATE THIS SOOOO MUCH!  This is why I love my Flash.  If you don't get enough blood, it's okay.  You have a small window of time to finish filling the test strip.

I will continue using the Keynote for awhile because half a day is hardly enough to fuss about just yet.  GiR suggested that maybe I use the Keynote to calibrate my Dexcom, since the Keynote is more likely to be accurate.  We'll see.

This past weekend was crazy busy.  So many parties and get-togethers and SWAGing for homemade tasty food.  This whole month will be equally crazy, so I'm trying to figure out what things I can do to keep myself from getting too stressed out.  In theory, I'd like to stop beating myself up over my blood sugar, but I'm not sure that'll ever happen.  My diabetes is just too important right now.

Next week is my follow-up appointment at the diabetes center.  I'm planning on requesting a Dexcom.  I think it will ease some of my stress about trends so I know whether to fend off a low or a high.  I've already got a name picked out, but I will save that reveal until I actually have it it my hands.  Wish me luck!

For those who have gotten insurance coverage, what does that mean exactly?  Do they cover 20% of the costs?  50%  90%  What?  Does the part that goes through the insurance go towards the deductible?  Even if they decide not to pay for it, is it possible to have it still go towards the deductible?  Example:  at one point in my diabetes life, I found that I could buy biohazard containers through the insurance.  They didn't actual pay for any of it, but it went towards paying off the deductible.  I hope that made sense.

My endo recommended either Dexcom or Abbott's Navigator.  I looked at the Navigator, but man, the transmitter is HUGE.  No thanks.  Also, does the Dexcom allow manual blood sugar entry yet?  My endo said yes, but I couldn't verify that on their website.

I'm pretty sure I will have a hard time convincing my insurance to pay for it.  I have some hypoglycemia, but no unawareness and no need for hospital visits.  I am looking to get pregnant, but not for another couple years.  Any other ideas for reasons?

Oh man, this is a scary new place.  But, I want CGMS so bad...

Notice anything missing in that routine?

You got it.  I forgot to take the old site out.  Oops.

Later on, I was checking something in my pocket and I felt something on my hip.  As soon as I figured it out, I just had to laugh at myself.  I didn't want to take it out just yet because I didn't have any antibiotic cream on me, so I just left it in until I got home.  It secretly made me laugh the whole time I was at class.  =)

I've been trying really hard to exercise nearly every day.  Unfortunately, it's really hard to be motivated.  To me at least, exercise is like a huge undertaking.  It just takes forever.

1. Test blood sugar
2. Set temp rate
3. Get off my ass
4. Change out of work clothes
5. Change into exercise clothes
6. Rig up Lucy on my armband
7. Grab Starburst, inhaler. (and cell phone if GiR doesn't come with)
8. Put on gloves and headband (it's still chilly around here)
9. Actually run
10. Collapse and drink tons of water
11. Check blood sugar
12. Strip and get Lucy situated back to normal
13. Shower
14. Change into lounging/bedtime clothes

Yeesh.  14 steps.  And that doesn't even include if I have to treat lows or do extra stretching or anything.   It takes me like over an hour to do a 30 min exercise.  That just seems like so much time to invest in something that actually doesn't take that long.  I know this is what's best for me, but how do I make the process better?

P.S.  I managed to run a whole mile without stopping to walk yesterday.  Took me 12 minutes, but hey, I gotta start somewhere.

Here is me in a dress that is vaguely similar in style to the one I will be wearing at the wedding.  The one for the wedding is more flow-y past the knees, and the sheer overlay thing is over the whole dress and not just a little strip thing.  Also, it is a fantastic blue instead of this ugly pink that clashes with my pale, pale skin.

Now, here is where you can see where I stashed Lucy.  She is right below my knee, a little to the back.  This armband is not the most 100% comfortable thing, but it will do for a one hour wedding service and resulting reception.  Also, I will not be wearing those silly socks.  It just happened to be what I had on.  =)  (Note, the left sock is actually a knee sock as well, it's just pushed down)

I am pretty sure I can rig things so that there will be no alarms during the ceremony.  It will just take some advance planning on my part.  Thanks all, for your tips and tricks.  I will probably have to give an update once the dress actually comes in around April or so.

And now you have all seen my legs on the internet.  Ugh.

For the fitting, I tucked her in my bra, which works out fine.  However, that's not really a good place if I need to access her during the reception or *gasp* during the ceremony.  (more about that later)

I've talked to my mom and some relatives, and we think that a Leg Thing is going to be the way to go.  However, the picture leaves a lot to be desired.  Is it Velcro?  How does the Velcro work?  How far out will Lucy stick (she's a Cozmo, so she's pretty thick)?  The pic is of a guy, but I'm a chick with thinner legs, how will that work out?  Also, it seems kinda pricey, so I wonder if I could make my own.

Anyone with a Leg Thing care to offer tips, suggestions, details, pics, anything?!?!  I know I've got some time, but I'd like to get it figured out sooner rather than later.

As I mentioned earlier, I am also concerned about what to do if Lucy has a fit during the ceremony.  It seems there is always something going on.  2-hour after alarm, site change alarm, low reservoir alarm, change battery alarm, take pills alarm (although that one will not happen during the ceremony).  I'm afraid to turn off the various alarms because I don't want something to happen and not catch it.  I also don't want to disconnect because it's going to be a Catholic ceremony that will last at least an hour.  That's just too long for my tastes if I can avoid it.

I'm hoping a Leg Thing will allow me to more easily check Lucy (hence why the bra idea wouldn't work), but I'm still afraid that I'll look stupid.  Not to mention if I need to test or treat a low or whatever.

What's funny, though, is that I managed my own wedding just fine.  Of course, I was on MDI then, so Lucy interruptions were not an issue.  Also, we had a short ceremony, so I wasn't as concerned about lows and such.

Anyway, any help you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

However, I'm not losing weight anymore.  I gained back what I had lost and now I'm steady at 132 again.  It seems like I'm going to have to choose between good blood sugar and weight loss.  I'm sure I'll be able to do both someday, but that day is not right now.

Which is worse in the long run?  Higher blood sugars or higher weight?

The recipe is very easy to make and put together.  It baked nicely, smelled good, and looked great.  The taste, however, was definitely lacking.  Even though it seemed moist upon first bite, further bites felt "stuck" in your mouth.  It did not taste very chocolaty, and the nuts were a serious detractor (although I admit I am not positive I ground them finely enough).

However, a dollop of whipped cream made this cake much more palatable.  The smooth texture of the whipped cream, combined with the chocolate cake made for a better experience.  And, for the low, low price of only 10 carbs (12 w/ whipped cream) per slice, I'll take it!

1. Tweak basal rates?

I know my numbers improved a lot when I did a small shift from .75 per hour to .8 per hour (during the day). Should I try another small shift to .85?  At the very least, I would like to do an overnight basal test to make sure that's set correctly because I haven't checked that in awhile.

2. Tweak insulin/carb ratio?

I've already adjusted my morning i/c ratio to 9.5 (compared to 10 for the rest of the day) and it does seem to reduce that post-prandial a bit.

3.  Tweak correction factor?

I already feel discouraged when I have a high that Won't Come Down, but now I wonder if it's because I don't have my correction factor set properly.   I've already adjusted it to 55 (down from 60), but maybe that needs more looking into.

4.  Try bolusing 20 minutes before eating?

This CANNOT be done in the morning because I just don't have enough time.  But, I think I can swing it during the rest of the day.  I almost always bring my lunch in to work and I eat at a regular time, so this might be the meal to start with.

Overall, I feel like I'm doing okay.  Basal is around 53% of TDD,  correction is around 5% of TDD, average blood sugar is below 130.  But I know I can do better.  Any other ideas?

I had a moment of "ugh, diabetes" earlier this week. I just got sick of having Lucy attached all the time. I mean, I love her dearly, but it's so frustrating to never be able to step away for a minute. Thanks to an accidental tug on my infusion site, I treated myself to an infusion-site-free shower. It was a welcome separation from the constant reminder of diabetes.

I started my next semester of baking class and it will be interesting to figure out how much blood sugar will fare. I fought a string of lows during class, probably due to the fact that I'm standing the whole time and working my butt off to get stuff baked. I'm moving constantly, resulting in burning off a lot of energy. Of course, that is offset by the fact that there is soooo much good food to taste at the end. I generally don't eat anything at class and just take it home for me to bolus for later. However, I have noticed that this textbook includes nutritional information for Every Single Formula. I am doomed to eat more food that I really want. Great.... Maybe the increased exercise makes up for it? Right?

Which brings me to part number 3. Losing weight. *sigh* I'm sure anyone who sees me thinks I'm so thin or whatever, but I know that 5 or 10 pounds can make a huge difference. My BMI is not where I want it to be, so I'm taking small steps to change that.

1. Eat fewer snacks. I had been raiding the vending machine at least once a day for snacks, mostly just because I was bored. I have skipped the vending machine in favor of either no snacks, or cashews brought from home. I have found that I don't really need the snacks and I'm saving money too.
2. Do crunches every day. Most of my problem lies in my stomach. As such, crunches are my way to get started working on that. I also have a problem with my thighs, but that's mostly genetic, so I'm giving up on on that area for now.
3. Keep daily carb count under 160g.  This is merely my current goal.  I plan on lowering that to 150, then 140, etc. until I get a daily carb count around 120.  I think this is a good number for me and hopefully it will lead me (and GiR) to preparing more lower carb meals.

Anyway, there's my diabetes dump for the fortnight.  Enjoy!

I went ahead and did a NaBloPoMo no-no and back-dated the posts I had prepared in advance. I was hoping to be able to hop onto a computer real quick and just hit "post" while on vacation, but it didn't happen. However, I didn't think you all would mind.

Also, I would like to give another serious thanks to Lucy. I was able to get through Thanksgiving without nary a high or low. Huzzah!

I've only had that one severe low, and I'm not often below 50. In fact, I'm not often below 60. I guess I just don't see the need of carrying something that I'll almost for sure never use, especially if it expires after six months.

I suppose that once I get truly serious about bringing my A1c down to crazy low levels to prepare for getting/being pregnant (no worries, many years off), then maybe I should worry about it. But for now, I'm just not going to bother.

Yesterday was site-change day (hurray for infusion site-free showers!). I was running out of good places on my hips, so I switched back to my stomach. I typically go above the belly button to avoid waistband issues, but I'm more muscle-y there, and I was getting tired of it being sore all the time. So, I decided to try a below the belly button site, where I am squishier.

Sadly, I picked exactly the wrong spot. It's too high to go below my waistband, and it's too low to go above my waistband. It's in exactly the wrong spot. I am, of course, too cheap to throw it out, so I guess I get to be annoyed for the next few days about my unfortunate choice in infusion sites.

Also, GiR was too busy and was not able to get his guest post done last night.  Or today, for that matter.  ><  And finally, we are going on vacation, so I may or may not be able to post over the next two days.  We shall see.  Happy Turkey Day!

The Rules

1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.
4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

Thing 1: I play the piano. Well, it's been a long time, but I could still bang out Moonlight Sonata if I wanted. I think.

Thing 2: The only reason I bought Underworld was because I thought Kate Beckinsale looked really hot on the cover.

Thing 3: I own/ed a Nintendo 64, a GameCube, a Wii, a DS Lite and recently, a PlayStation 2. As you can see, I am a Nintendo fan. Actually, more accurately, I am a Zelda fan. Relatedly, the only reason I bought a PS2 was to play Soulcalibur III.

Thing 4: I am afraid of car accidents and falling down the stairs. The latter more so than the former.

Thing 5: Like Bernard, I also love to bake. I find it quite ironic for a diabetic to be drawn to making cookies, cakes, and other sweets and desserts. Then again, maybe that's not ironic at all...

Thing 6: I was part of Mu Alpha Theta in high school. Our club T-shirts had our names on the back, and mine was "Sweetie π". I kid you not. Stop laughing. Seriously.

Thing 7: GiR and I (well, GiR more so than me) know how to fence (the sword kind, not the white picket kind). That's how we met in college. =D I've since dropped it, but GiR keeps it up at a local club.

Like Allison, I am also going to take the cop-out method and tag everyone/no one. I'm pretty sure this has made the rounds to everyone already, so I'm going to be lazy.

Also, coming up later today (hopefully), guest post from GiR!