Diaversary: It Was 40 Years Ago Today

40 years with diabetes has gone by like "THAT!" 

I plan to hang with friends tonight and tomorrow night. Initially I wanted to throw a big 40th Diaversary party - but it's been a crazy quarter. So I've decided to celebrate throughout the year!

######

14,600 days ago, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. 

It was 40 years ago, today - THAT'S CRAZY. 

Also: 40 years - W.T.F. How the heck can my diabetes be older than me?! 

So what have I learned since I was dx’d way back in 77? 

A hell of a lot and quite frankly, too much for one post. 

Diabetes has taught me to appreciate and celebrate the good days - and to acknowledge the not so great ones. 

That it’s OK to laugh at diabetes and I strongly suggest that you do - and as often as possible. 

On the flip- side, It is also absolutely OK to cry because of diabetes and I encourage it.

Keeping “it” all inside is overrated and detrimental to our mental and physical health. 

It took me almost 40 years to realize that my parents weren't mad at me - they were upset at the number on the meter. Parents, keep your game face on - kids can't differentiate.  

I discovered that diabetes guilt can be an anchor around your neck that you didn’t even know you were wearing. Get rid of that accessory, ASAP - it holds you back and keeps you down. 

Diabetes is still teaching me to choose my battles and focus my energies on things that are important.

Diabetes proved to me that I was actually good at math. 

Four decades with a busted pancreas has taught me that there are moments when you feel alone with and because of your diabetes - but that if you have a d tribe - you are never alone. 

Find your tribe and never let them go. 

Finding the Diabetes Online Community has taught and continues to teach me that my diabetes isn’t better than yours - it’s just different... and in some ways, very much the same. 

So no matter what type of diabetes you have - I got your back. 

I will stand beside you and fight for you. 

I will listen and I will defend and I will not blame. 

Life and life with diabetes has showed me that you can do everything right, and still not get the results you want - but you have to keep trying. 

Life has reinforced the fact that there are worse things than diabetes.

Things like losing your parents and the people you love.

Diabetes has shown me that words matter - and that what you say and how you say it, does indeed matter. Choose your words wisely, check your tone often.

Diabetes was the catalyst for training and developing my voice, because diabetes forced me to speak up and speak out from a young age - even when it was the last thing I felt like doing.

Diabetes made me that realize that saying “I’M HIGH,” after checking my blood sugar, can result in shocked looks from strangers. 

Also: Obviously diabetes has been a huge influence on my twisted sense of humor. 

After 40 years of life with D, my empathy skills are dialed up to 11 - and that is the gift that keeps on giving. 

And during these last 40 years, I have learned that's OK to fall down - as long as you get back up. and that ssometimes getting back requires multiple attempts. 

Finally, 40 years of living with diabetes, but mostly because I am my mother’s daughter, 
I have learned that seeing the positives in life helps you get through life..  

And every year on my diaverary I make a list of positives, based on the Diaversary number I’m celebrating - here's what I came up with this year.

40 Positives

1. The color of the sky 10 minutes before the sun goes down - it’s never the same canvas and it ALWAYS takes my breath away

2. Making homemade soup - it relaxes me and clears my head 

3. Eating homemade soup

4. Clean, crispy sheets

5. Swimming in the ocean

6. Salt water  - swimming in, floating on

7. Dogs - I love dogs and dogs love me

8  Photography. I love taking pictures. Photography makes me appreciate colors and expressions, and allows me to see the little things that I might never have noticed.

9. Super sweet strawberries

10. Halloween and dressing up in costume

11. Music 

12. Not many in the DOC know this, but I love to sing. I took voice lessons for years, and in college I used to rock out on the mike. 

13. Speaking of singing, SHOW TUNES are my jam

14  Hearing/seeing my nieces and nephews sing. I love watching them perform. 

It’s in the genes and it makes me happy 

15. Nailing carb count when it comes to a crazy difficult carb meal 

16. Christmas lights

17 Clouds. CLOUDS ARE MAGIC 

18. Diabetes meet-ups - also MAGICAL 

19. The DOC. I’m damn grateful that I found the DOC in 2007 - you guys have changed my life and rocked my world

20. Diabetes technology - you’ve come a long way baby! 

Now, if we could just get the prices down!

21. My DOC and non DOC children. I don’t have bio children and that door is probably closing for good sooner rather than later- but I have amazing DOC and non DOC kids who enrich my life and make my heart happy. 
Littles, Middles, Teens, and College age. I love them, I learn from them, and I am so proud of them!

22. Children With Diabetes

23. D moms and dads who have become my friends, substitute parents, and friends for life. 

SO THANKFUL

24. The way certain shades of green make my eyes pop - Same goes for purple, turquoise, and yellow. 

25. Riding my bike on perfect day

26. Traveling - I love to travel - I need to do more of it

27. Jeans that make my ass look fantastic

28. My friends (diabetes and not,) who are family - I would be lost without them

29. Cupcakes make me happy, and for the most part - I can nail the carb count by eyeballing the circumference and thickness of the icing on the cupcake - It’s a gift, and a tasty one at that!

30. My family

31. When kismet happens

32. My parents. They are gone, I miss them terribly. 

I hate that they no longer walk this earth and the very thought of them brings me to tears. 

But I had them, they loved me, I loved them

33. Being an Aunt. No words except I love them all more than I love myself

34. Red wine, presecco, and Tito’s vodka - but not all in the same glass

35. Books. Books have been my friends since forever

36. City lights

37. Great sex and lots of it

38. The word MAGNIFICENT. It’s well… MAGNIFICENT. People don’t use the word “magnificent” nearly enough  - but I do. Learn from me. Embrace magnificent, say the word and use it often - And always let the world see how truly magnificent you are!

39. Indian Summer. Perfect weather, amazing colors and light - TRULY MAGNIFICENT, INDEED

40. Hope floats, even in the roughest of waters ~

via Diabetesaliciousness

Diabetes Origin. Just Hypotheses. October 29, 2017

       Diabetes, especially diabetes type 2, widely presented as it is result of obesity. one out of ten people in US is diabetic. 95% of diabetic population is diabetics type 2. So, is this really true to assume that obesity is cause of diabetes type 2? If so, then autopsy of all diabetics will show the same picture, and it is not. Usually we are, diabetics type 2, do have education how to change lifestyle, or what to eat/do not eat. There is no one education what really happened in our pancreas, and why pancreases of diabetics are so different? 
      From 811 cases of pancreas 271 or 33% of all cases show that Langerhans Island is practically normal. Still diabetic died as result of diabetes, why? Also it is known that in all those cases diabetic was on insulin therapy. Pre-insulin era, or in cases when insulin dose was not adequate  Langerhans Island was not normal in autopsy. There are a few hypothesis why it is so. But still, it is no clear understanding.
       There are a few cases when coma as result of hypoglycemia developed, and even very small dose of insulin lead to death. Many questions.  So little answers.
       What I try to understand why it is so widely spread that there is only one cause why diabetes type 2 developed, obesity. Who benefit from so wide abuse of ill, fatally ill people? Most interesting, why so many people present that they cured diabetes type 2 with proper life style. At the same time they are not really able to answer to the very simple question, how diabetes they do have effect them, every one of them. They are easy to say all the standards which widely available on internet. But to say any personal experience, they cannot Why? Really why.
       As I just said, Langerhans Island can be healthy and work normally if diabetic treated with insulin. From info avalable to every one we do know that diabetics type 1 who take insulin since childhood, can live over 60 years with insulin injections. Different with diabetes type 2.
      Autopsy of Hypertrophy in diabetes pancreas show that diabetes occurred ten years before death. During 7 years it was easy controlled, but never cured. After 7 years diabetes become insulin-resistant. Death followed. This is price Diabetic type 2 pay for diabetes-reverse. It never will go away. It still present all the time. It is just hide, and it looks like diabetes is under control. Dose of insulin decreased. Sugar in blood decreased from 13.2% down to the 6.3% (very odd and difficult to believe). It is all good and under control.
      In many cases like this finally withing ten years of masked diabetes progression, diabetic turn point "no Return". In other cases like this diabetes can be turned back and diabetic can get a few more years of life. But treatment with usually standards like life style modifications no longer mask the potentially fatal condition, and new way to therapy must be adapted. By whom? Diabetic is not medical pro. And MD never will take the rist to Rx insulin in dose diabetic type 2 need.  Only a few of us survive.

via Ravenvoron

Just thinking. October 28, 2017

       I am just thinking, why people need to post they do have diabetes? Yesterday in one of diabetic's forum some lady posted she dropped her A1c blood sugar level from 13.3% down to 6.3% just withing three month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fantastic result! Of cause if it is not fake. So, I asked a few questions, and there are answers. Her highest reading was 278 mg/dl. her MD was shocked when MD saw this number, really? Just within three weeks her numbers returned back to 6.3%. almost normal.normal. She takes Metformin and 10 units of insulin (I did not ask her the name of insulin). So fantastic results! There is only one problem, it is no one way that sugar drop from a1c 13.2% down to 6.3% just withing three month. It is understandable she is diabetic. Still, there is no way to have A1c=13.2%. But probably I am wrong. All people are different. She is 37. I am 65. We are not comparable.
      Ok, I am not so lucky. I try very hard to hold numbers as low as I can. Still, it is all the time ups and downs. Today sugar is 133 mg/dl at 11:43 am. Yesterday last shot of insulin was taken 100 units at 01:47 am. Why it was so late? We went to Met Opera. The reading was after we returned home. Before we left for Lincoln Center I took 100 units. So, total was 300 units for Yesterday. Today in the morning sugar is 133 mg/dl. Odd, as I do think. But this is as it is. Right now I injected 100 units. I just took my morning meal.
       Now it looks I cannot curb numbers from climbing up. Is this because of Flu season? Because of Winter? Or it is severe edema I suffer right now so I have to do so, and this treatment increase numbers on glucose meter? I do not know. I just try to do my best to keep up with numbers, and do not let them get out of control.
      Person on forum obviously has no one idea what diabetes is, and how really 13,2% looks like. For her it is just numbers. Not for us. But those who has no one idea where post is true or fake she sound more true then I do. People usually have not acceptance that one can take 300 units of insulin daily. I also would not believe in that if it was not I, and if this insulin was not injected into my own belly. I do not try to convince anyone I am true and lady on forum has no diabetes at all.  Probably I am not right and she has the diabetes, Really it does not matter. It is not only does she have diabetes or not, she still do not know that not possible to drop A1c from 13,2% down to 6,3% within 3 month.
    BTW, she all the time post she injected insulin. She never say, what type of insulin she inject. Very odd. Every insulin has name. It is baby of different companies, and every baby has its own name. I inject insulin. I do know name of many medicine.

via Ravenvoron

How to Prevent Diabetes: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Source: National Library of Medicine -

via Diabetes

Embracing Low Carb Dinners - And Trying Not To Over Bolus

If at first you don't succeed..... 

Since Monday (OK, really since Sunday, but that was because I had big lunch and didn't feel like eating much dinner,) night I’ve been consciously trying to eat low carb dinners for a multitude of reasons . 

Better blood sugars, trying to drop a few pounds, upping my veggie intake - all that stuff. 

Plus, low carb is easier to cook and requires less clean-up - at least in my kitchen. 

But while cooking/preparing low carb meals have been easy (tuna salad loaded with raw veggies, yogurt and fruit, eggs with 1/2 a baked sweet potato and lots of veggies, Homemade Bastard Chicken Soup,) I tend to over bolus for meals that are considered low carb. And then 9 times out of 10, I end up running low either a few hours after my meal or in the middle of the night - both of which negates the whole “trying to eat low carb dinners,” thing. 

So for the past 3 days I’ve been working hard on my bolusing skills for low carb.

As in actually looking up carb counts (which by the way - I’ve been freakishly spot on with,)  and not counting the carbs in my animal protein ( I always count the carbs in legumes or quinoa) at dinner. 

Animal protein is where I usually make my mistake when it comes to bolusing. 

As always, your diabetes may vary.

To be balls out honest, it was weird to see such a small amount of insulin flash up on my Omnipod PDM. 

On Tuesday night I had a meeting with myself and was like: If the 2.20 units don’t work out for my eggs,1/2 a medium size sweet potato, and green beans with hot sauce, no big deal - that’s what a correction bolus is for. 

Things went well. 100 blood sugar two hours later with insulin onboard, a very small glass of cranberry apple juice and a 130 bg blood sugar before bed.  

Cut to Wednesday morning, a blood sugar of 120 and no middle of the night lows. 

I ROCK. 

Wednesday dinner blood sugar was 111 and I made a tuna salad loaded with raw veggies and served with gluten free crackers. 

1.75 units did the trick and again - a little freaked out by the small dinner bolus - but I went with it. 

Went to bed with a bg of 135 and woke up at 116. 

And as I was drinking my coffee I may have uttered: WHO’S YOUR F^CKING DADDY, DIABETES?!

Pickings are officially slim in my fridge, and last night's dinner was a repeat performance. 

Eggs over medium, the other half of baked sweet potato, and the last of the green beans. 

2.75 units to cover my meal and 153 bg - all seemed right with my world. 

178 bedtime bg. 

hmmmmmm and interesting. I chalked it off as being tired - considered a full correction dose - but only gave 0.90 unit instead of the 1.50 correction because I was going to bed and I was worried going low. 

Sidebar: I don’t wear a Dex. I need to be careful with bedtime corrections  because nighttime is the right time for my blood sugar to drop.

Blood sugar this morning: 297

Clearly - diabetes was sending me a message and that message was: WHO’S THE F^CKING DADDY NOW, KELLY!!? 

And sometimes diabetes likes to f^ck with me.... because it can. 

Also, I should have known something was up when I woke up at 4:30 to go to pee and then couldn’t go back to bed.

This morning required a 6.25 correction bolus in the form of a shot and including insulin to cover the carbs for copious amounts of coffee. Then like we all do every damn day when it comes to living with our diabetes, I forged ahead. 

By lunchtime my blood sugar was 159. 

Current blood sugar: 131 as of 1 minute ago.

Takeaways

I was once again reminded diabetes is never the same disease two days in a row - and will prove that too you - and just when you think you’ve figured it out.

Diabetes can do whatever it wants - so can I. And want I want to do is to continue trying and fine tuning when it comes to managing my diabetes. 

And I’m going to take it one day... one carb... and one number at a time. 

via Diabetesaliciousness

No News

 

A couple of days ago, my daughter's Dexcom stopped sending data to her phone. So therefore her phone has stopped sending data to my phone.

 

Because we have a Dexcom G4 model with a receiver she keeps with her at all times, and because this receiver is still streaming her data, this is really no big deal. She never looks at her data on her phone, only on the receiver she wears on her person, so she was unaware, until I informed her, that the phone communication piece had stopped working.

 

Interestingly, I also did not notice for over 24 hours.

 

We know how to fix this problem. It's a glitch which happens occasionally and is repaired by disconnecting and reconnecting the Bluetooth connection between the receiver and my daughter's phone. It takes several minutes and sometimes a couple of tries, but it's not a big deal.

 

Yet now it is Friday and I still have "NO DATA." This is not a surprise, since everything about the past two days is a complete blur. In addition to the usual school schedule there have been 3 or 4 hour evening band rehearsals, a stage crew meeting for the fall play, the usual mountain of homework, and I think she managed to eat and sleep.

 

Having NO DATA at my immediate disposal has been interesting. I don't miss the alarms and the concurrent worry. I am not feeling anxious about missing the highs and lows, trusting that my daughter is handling any issues on her own, and knowing that she would have informed me had there been any major problems requiring multiple juice boxes or site replacements. We're still using the receiver in our bedroom at night to alert us to any nighttime blood sugar excursions, so I would have been involved in any overnight issues anyway.

 

No news is not all good news, though. What I do miss is being able to look at the big picture. One peek a day (or noticing alarms at the same time every day) provides an opportunity to fix problems in a timely manner. And, while I'm the third string back-up for any marching band emergency, I do miss being alerted to any significant blood sugars while she's at those nighttime rehearsals.

 

My daughter has a quiet evening tonight before the last big weekend of marching band. She'll need to get some homework done and practice the piano, but she'll get to eat dinner without homework in front of her, and maybe even watch a favorite t.v. show.

 

And she'll find a few minutes to reconnect her Dexcom to her phone, just in time for what promises to be a chaotic weekend diabetes-wise.

 

Cue the alarms.

 

 

via Adventures in Diabetes Parenting

Hospital Management Protoco 1995. October 25, 2017

Sugar is good. all day it is around 100 mg/dl.
        I do not sleep at night. I sleep at day time. It is partly because of we wrap my legs, so at night it is severe pain and I prefer to sleep at day time, it is less painful. Even when it is pain I can take off wrap at day time and take good sleep. Then before night my man will wrap legs back, and it will let water to be reduced. It is very visible right now when water reduced on legs. It is also reduced in full body.
       Tonight my man wrapped my legs.As he started to put on one wrap over another, it is comfort, worm, satisfaction, pleasure. Looks like for now it is best way to live. My legs must be dressed all the time. It is very uncomfortable when they opened to the air. But toes must be opened. It is very uncomfortable when wrap cover the toes. I have no one idea why. I just feel it as it is, and this is why I have to let toe opened, no cover no wrap on the toes.
      My sugar is good, but I am almost do not eat today. I have no one idea why. I simple do not want to eat. It is complicated. I am very worry to get low sugar. I take regular dose of insulin, 307 units daily. Still, I do not want to eat. Sugar run around 100 mg/dl. Usually I feel it is as 'low'. Not today. I am good all day. I even done some house work. Not too much but it is already good. At least I am started to do something.
      I already posted I started to read some books I got on Amazon. I do have good Medical Library. Actually it is all about Diabetes. But there are other books too. I was looking to get some books published before 1980. It is important. After 1980 it started to be used as diabetics type 2 do not need insulin. I was looking, why this was adapted so widely and aggressively. So I try to read books published before 1980, and also Pathology books. Today as I said I done some housekeeping. I found book

Hospital Management Protocol by M.E.J.Lean.  published by Mark Allen 1995 Britain. ISBN 1 85642 021 3.

 At first very interesting point: "Adjust insulin dose ( it is understantable) or sulphonylurea in smal steps."
        Say me, how to do so? It is understandable with insulin. Unit is very small dose, and it is all in my diabetic's hands. What about SU? How to do it with oral type of medicine? We do have only one tablet, and it is not all active ingredients in it. It is only 2.5 mg in one tablet I have to take two times daily, and I still have low blood sugar. Very severe low, aggressive. So, say me, ho wto adjust the dose of SU?
      Actually, it is even more interesting. No one MD ever told me that SU is the reall treatment to reduce Blood Sugar level. I all time was given the idea that it is Metformin I have to take to control my level of sugar in blood, and Metformin never worked  in this direction. I was all the time on the swing, high in the eve before I took my eve medicine. Then low at day time after I took my morning medicine SU including and left to work. It always was low blood sugar, and I even did not know why did I feel so bad. No any info from my doctor. OK, it is past, and now it is better to let past  be forgotten. Probably. Just do not try to do same things and expect another. I do not take ether Metformin nether SU right now, and not going to take it back to my routine.
        Another important point. Treatment of newly diagnosed diabetes. At first it is presumed it is diabetes type 2, NIDD, not-insulin dependent diabetes. Interesting point. Patient is in hospital. There are blood sugar monitoring, urine test for glucosuria (sugar in urine) and all the staff to be done to diagnose diabetes. But at first it is already presumed, it it type 2 diabetes, not insulin dependent. So, according to diagnose, and because of it is non insulin dependent type of diabetes, treatment arranged:

• Weight loss and diet;
• SU, type of medicine which force diabetic's pancreas to increase insulin secretion;
• Metformin, to increas diabetic's sensitivity to insulin, so there are more insulin would be needed, and it is already in limited secretion, according to diagnose. Otherwise why SU must be taken?
• Acarbose, type of medicine wish work in colon and increase colon discharge, so diarrhea is side effect, and very often it is severe;
• Insulin. Well, usually never Rx due to increased risk of low sugar and decrease the level of complications, not good for medical care. There are some points in protocol when insulin must be initiated. But together with SU and Acosorbite it is too difficult to dose and avoid low blood sugar. They simple do not go together.
• Lastly, it is alcohol. It decrease level of sugar, this is why wed wine is highly recommended for good health.

         Good list of treatment and recommendations. Of cause, there are never Rx to alcohol. So sad. I would like to have this Rx. Regarding to the rest of the list, I would not recommend it. Well, there are some special thanks to other MD who helped with this book and author appreciate their advice. One of them some diabetic, 50 years on insulin therapy. 50 years on insulin. Still working, on two legs, and no heart attack or stroke. Difference with us, type 2 diabetics on SU, Metformin, and Acosorbite. WE die less then 10 yeas after being diagnosed with diabetes type 2. So, read it with own logic. Do you really so afrade of needle that you are ready to give up 40 years of your life? I am not. This is why in spite of all attempt to return me to Metformin and SU I still alive, on two legs, and no Metformin or Acosorbite. I do have good metabolize. I do not like Diarrhea.
        Now at last the drugs which interfere with diabetes.

• thinzide diuretics;
• chlorthailodine;
• metalazone;
• diaszodone;
• rormone replacement therapy;
• thiroxine;
• somatostantin;
• pentamidine;
• beta-adrenergic stimulants;
• rifampicin;
• cyclosporine.
•       Drugs that impare recovery:
• beta-blokers;
• alcohol.

        What is must interesting in this medicine that I did know I cannot tolerate this medicine or recommendations. As long as I do remember I never was good with alcohol. I simple could not tolerate it. Of cause I do have severe headaches from my childhood. Also I usually take some medicine, and I do not remember any day I am out of medicine. Often I am very sick, or recovery after surgery, and recovery takes long time. Then it is high blood pressure and migraine attacks.  It is easy to accept with alcohol.
       Still, I do not tolerate :

• Metformin, Poison effect.
• I do not tolerate Acosorbite. Poison effect.
• I do not tolerate diuretics. Rush. Poison effect. Blood sugar rising. Weight increasing. 
• I do not tolerate beta-blockers. Very severe headache. So severe that I am disfunctional and easy to pass out.

I am very sensitive to any medicine. If medicine is wrong I cannot take it. I trust in myself. Finally I got what I had to do in past, and I never did. I simple trusted in all people, but never in myself. It was wrong. It must be changed.

via Ravenvoron

Do Statins Raise Odds for Type 2 Diabetes?

Maybe, but heart benefits likely outweigh any potential risk from the drugs, experts say

Source: HealthDay


via Diabetes

Overnight thinking. October 25, 2017

       As a good student I tried to follow directions teachers or professors gave to us to study subject. Very often I fail. I simple cannot do it because of it is way which leads to fail. So, there is no one way to learn and do good study. I followed someone who educated me. Teaching is very complicated task. One one hand it is very difficult to teach someone and get positive very sufficient learning. On the other hand, it is easy just pretend to teach and in reality know nothing about the subject. It is easy way. No hard work, no responsibility. It is in any time can be presented that teacher tried the best, but student is short mined, so there is nothing what teacher could do.
        In America there are many students that drop out of the school. Why? What is wrong? Is this really true that student not capable to learn, or it is teaching?
       The biggest tragedy in all education system is, that the same person who teaching, responsible to grate of the student. So, in this case there is no one way that student would pass the subject of study, class. Also there is no one way to check up is the teacher deserve paycheck.
      In American System there are three branches or power, President, Senate, and Court. In teaching there is only one power, the power of educator. So, there is no one controlling test for teacher if teacher do know the subject one pretend to teach students. But if in contrary with modern system testing would be separated from teaching then probably American Students would graduate from colleges, and have greater education then they do have in present time. Just separate teaching, and scouring. Make it three branches; Student, teacher, and the educator who test the student level of education. In this case, it would be easy to see if teacher got paid for the job one had done, or it is better to find another professor to teach students.
      
     The same problem as with education happened with our medical treatment. It is insurance company and MD who compromise or just follow own interests. Patient used as tool, and nothing more then tool to carry on  money from one pocket to another. Patient is 100% depended from MD. If MD said, one is not diabetic then one never will be diagnosed with diabetes by this clinic or hospital. If MD said patient does not need insulin then diabetic will have all medicine which easy to kill, but never insulin which will treat and cure. This is system. There are no personal responsibility for the job one is doing.
      We all do know very well that our clinic has nothing do with our health. It is only reason to go to clinic just to let MD get pay for the service many of them did not provide.

      I think, what if diagnose, treatment, payment, and  quality control collected in different hands?Really, why the same person diagnose patient, determine the treatment options according to the personal ability to practice in Art of medicine, and the same person check up if treatment effective or not? Of cause it will be effective. And most important that MD has payment regardless of the effect of treatment. The result is, MD Rx many tests, which usually would be done in his own clinic, or the clinic of his/her fellow MD, and there is no diagnose of any medical problem till primary MD said it is OK for patient to have this diagnose.
       Actually this system is disgusting. It is all about money, but never about patient and patient's needs and safety.
       Recently it is crossed my mind that it is degradation of all our educational and medical system. Even MD wish to treat patient right, MD no loner able to do so. Does someone familiar with Dr. Oz and his 'education' what to do and how to live properly? In my blog there are some responses that people pay for the system how to lose weight or get rid of diabetes type 2, and never have any response from Dr. Oz.  But really, what response one wish to have? Dr. Ox is con man. You wish to get rid of diabetes, so he conform you, you will not have it, just pay to him, and he will do the rest. Say me, how it is possible to get rid of diabetes within 11 days? But people buy it. They trust in MD with prominent University education. They simple do suppress own logic, and do not trust in own reason. Sad.

     I do trust in no one. I trust in my own reason, in my logic, in my instinct, and in my destiny. But it is system, and there is nothing what I can do. If MD refuse to Rx medicine, and I need that medicine, I cannot survive without it, I have no choice but except it. Just try my best, but probably it is my Destiny. I cannot say my life was bad, or it is suffering by now. Not at all. I do have very nice Health plan, thanks to my man who still working at age of 67. Really, what we will doing if he lost his job as he lost it last time and I lost Medicaid and insulin delivery was terminated. But today he is going to work, and Yesterday Insulin Supply was right under my door. 18 boxes. 5 pens each box. 300 units each pen. I can breath right now.
      It is late night, and I still not able to go to sleep. It is my legs. Too much pain, edema. But MD refuse to Rx blood thinner, heparin, and now tromps ride in my blood. There is no way to stop to develop edema. All my body watered. Water between cells, inside cells, and because of there is no space inside, the yellow liquid brake skin on legs and arms, and go away running on the my limbs.

Very sad story. I asked many different MD to Rx heparin. No one take this responsibility. If I lost my legs, or just die, there is no one who will responsible. It is just my fate. Anyway, I have to lose weight. It is my diet, 370 pounds of body fat, to blame. But if I will have bleeding then it is MD who Rx heparin. So, no one will take this risk.
    I try to keep my legs wrapped. Some day water go out. But still next day it come back. Wrap work as riser. Pain is not bearable. If water go away then there is no pain soon after wrap, and wrap actually drop down. Leg shrinking.
      It is not first time happened. Usually there are many infections. Now it is edema, anemia, and pain. All this make me dysfunctional. Thanks to Aetna, I do have scooter right now. I can go out of home, can go to clinic, o to Lincoln Center.  So happy right now.
     Why it is so difficult to just try. What if there would not be bleeding? What if in contrary I will get better and in stead of collect pounds I will lost them. It is water. Water is not only has weight, but also it kill cells. It is very danger to regain water, and let all body tissue watered.

via Ravenvoron

Diabetes And The Little Things That Can Mess With Our Heads

It’s the little unexpected diabetes things that catch us off-guard...and can cause us to second guess ourselves in other ways and areas.

And we have to deal, acknowledge, shake it off and get on with the business of living. 

#####

Sunday night with spoon in hand, I headed for the fridge, grabbed a yogurt and some clean red grapes from a chilled glass bowl, closed the door and headed towards the TV room  to watch one of my favorite shows, OUTLANDER. 

Claire and Jaimie were about to get together for the first time in 20 years (and through the time and space continuum, which made it more like 200 years,) and I didn’t want to miss a thing. 

SIdebar: If you’re not watching OUTLANDER on Starz, rectify that situation, IMMEDIATELY.

Fresh out of the shower after a day out in the sun -vanilla yogurt and red grapes in front of the TV were the perfect light and easy dinner.

15 minutes to Claire and Jamie “officially reuniting,” I’d bolused accordingly, I was giggling like a school girl, and my yogurt and red grapes were hitting the spot. 

10 minutes to Outlander, spoon in midair, half way through my yogurt and out of the blue, I realized that I hadn’t actually heard the fridge door close behind me. 

I put down my spoon, got up, went to the kitchen and saw that the refrigerator door was more than slightly ajar - the damn door was wide open! 

I went over and went in, checked in the produce drawer to make sure my insulin supply was still cold. And of course it was - it had only been like 5 minutes. 

But for my peace of mind I had to double check - insulin was too damn expensive to leave it chance. 

I closed the drawer, shut the door, and watched it close shut. 

And then I brushed my hand over the door handle and gave it a little pat.

CRISIS AVERTED. 5 minutes to OUTLANDER and all I could think was what if I hadn’t realized or wasn’t home to realize that I’d left the fridge door open. 

I didn’t care about the food - there wasn't much in there anyway. 

But the “what ifs” re: 4 bottles of insulin going bad had me hyper focusing on diabetes.

And diabetes was the last fucking thing I wanted to focus on. 

I took some deep breaths and did my best to shake it off. 

And I did. 

By the time the OUTLANDER theme music started, I was focused on a print shop in Edinburgh, Scotland, circa 1768 and on a reunion  20/200 years in the making. 

Also: SUCH A GOOD EPISODE.

Claire & Jamie back together!
Photo Credit: Aimee Spinks/Starz Entertainment, LLC

Cut to yesterday morning, after locking my front door and just as I was about to walk to my car, my thoughts went back to the opened fridge door from the night before.

I took a deep breath, unlocked the door, went to the kitchen and did a quick double check that my fridge door was right and tight like a drum. 

It was. 

I ran back outside, shut the front door without a second thought..... until I was about to put the car key in the ignition and drive away - and then I wondered out-loud if I had locked the front door.

I let out a string of F-bombs, removed my seat-belt, and opened my car door. 

For the record, I had locked the front door.

But after the Sunday night insulin “could have beens and thank God it wasn't,” I found my second guessing and checking, again - because diabetes had messed with my head and my confidence - and for the third time in 24 hours. 

Yep - it was a Monday vibe for sure. Monday vibes and diabetes be damned, I put the key in the ignition and forged ahead~ 

via Diabetesaliciousness

semaglutide is a new drug to suppress appetite. October 24, 2017

A drug that targets the appetite control system in the brain could bring about significant weight loss in people with clinical obesity, according to new research.

Drug can dramatically reduce weight of people with obesity

  http://ift.tt/2yGZAI8

Probably it is OK to suppress appetite and reduce weight. The point is not in the drug if these drug do the job or not, but in the most important issue, does it really appetite to blame high pounds? If so then does not matter how appetite suppressed the body will get bigger and bigger with every next attempt to lose weight. It is simple wrong way to go, soo this way never will bring to the right destination.

On average, people lost 5kg (11lbs) over a 12 week period after receiving weekly doses of semaglutide, a compound currently being developed as a treatment for Diabetes.

So, it is appears that diabetes is caused by abnormal appetite and this is why  semaglutide was developed. The problem is, no one test for diabetes type 2 diagnose what caused diabetes type 2. The cause of diabetes can be very very different. One of it is hydropic change. With insulin treatment this very danger and speedy developing type of diabetes would be slow down and with time it probable reverse changing back to normal. This is lesion of pancreas watered cell. If this is the case of diabetes development then no appetite involved, but insulin therapy can suppress the diabetes development and even reverse it if case is mild.

Notably, the 40-week study evaluated the efficacy and safety of two dosages of semaglutide, in addition to initial standard-of-care therapy metformin against dulaglutide plus metformin. While 0.5 mg semaglutide was compared with 0.75 dulaglutide, 1.0 mg semaglutide was compared with 1.5 mg dulaglutide, when added to metformin.        

      I am a little bit lost in this explanations.
so, 40 weeks of study.
two doses of 0.5 mg; 0.75 mg; 1.0 mg; or 1,5 mg. of semiglutide.
metformin as standard care.
 So, what I will have? I really do not know how to be sure that it is fat go away rather then water. Most of the weight loss came from a reduction in body fat. There is no test to separate fat from water.

We saw results in 12 weeks which may take as long as six months with other anti-obesity medication.

Good. What about sugar? Does sugar go up? or down? Still, there are no numbers how drug effect blood sugar level.
Also, it is easy to lose weight withing 12 weeks. Then it is slow down, and with time weight come back. This is how it works with diuretics. A new drug suppresses appetite. It work in brain. For how long it can be used? If it is used too long atrophy can be developed and appetite would be suppressed so highly that actually it is eating disorder, clinical case.

"The drug reduced hunger but also cravings for food and the sensation of wanting to eat -- and these had previously been thought to stem from different parts of the brain."

Does someone ready to get ticket to the train? I am not. The train is heading in wrong direction, and I am not going to that point as long as I would. Personally I prefer to keep my brain impact. 

In the study, the drug was given to 28 people with a body mass index (BMI) range of 30 to 45 kg/m2 -- meaning they were very overweight with a lot of body fat.

As long as I do remember the new drug was developed to treat diabetes type 2. So, now, if someone without diabetes type 2 would take it, what about sugar level: Would they have low blood sugar? It is the case if insulin taken by non diabetic. One would develop  low blood sugar. So, treatment obese person without diabetes with medicine which developed to treat diabetes will lead to low blood sugar if medicine works, and will have no effect on person if  a new medicine does not effect blood sugar level. If so then how it can be pretended to treat diabetes type 2?
      Very complicated I would say.

via Ravenvoron

Day-by-Day. October 24, 2017

Sugar is 167 mg/dl.
It is early morning, just 4:57 am. But it is not fasting sugar. Or maybe it is fasting sugar? I do not really know what 'fasting sugar' and when it is not fasting. It is early morning. I did not sleep all night. I was sleeping, and soon I woke up because of severe, very severe pain. I had to in-wrap my legs, and I do not like it. In the morning my man cannot wrap them, he must go to work. His shift starts at 6 am. So, legs can be wrapped only at eve. So, when I take wraps off, what is the next? How I suppose to press water out? So, by now I sleep at day time when I can, and do not sleep at night. Too much pain in legs.
     Needless to say, I have to eat something at night. I do so. Usually it is apples, and coffee. So, do I take reading fasting? I have no clue.
     Now I started to look at the readings differently. It is all the time presented that we have to keep to control fasting sugar. I tried many times, and I never was able to do so. One apple, and sugar get over the sky. Is this 'normal'? Or it is abnormal? All the time there is no answer to this question. But if I take as anchor the 200 mg/dl at any time, it can be very very reliable. I can take 180 mg/dl, and it will be all the time abnormal reading. I am diabetic type 2, insulin resistant diabetic. My demand in insulin is very high, higher then 300 units. Sometimes I take 400 units, and even more. So, it is not possible for me to take 180 mg/dl as my 'normal' reading. So, I take 200 mg/dl in stead.
     It is all the time big problem for me to understand, how to control blood sugar level? Really, blood sugar control, what is it? How can I do so?
      Very simple, it is not possible. To pretend that my blood sugar under control I have to have readings all the time withing normal ranger. If I do have these kinds of readings, then why I am diabetic? I am not. Diabetes was cured, or suppressed. Another point is, control blood sugar level with insulin, is this possible? Not at all. To understand my point just pretend, you control your own life, day after day, hour after hour. If someone can do it? Not at all. Our life is in constant changing. So do our level of sugar in blood. It is all the time different, and it is not possible to keep the same meter reading day after day even when dose of insulin is the same.
       So, when I am in clinic, what is in my record? It is all the time stated, diabetes is not under control.
      According to the ADA we can control blood sugar level with proper diet and active life style. We are, diabetics type 2. Just take right food every day, and right amount of fat, carbs, and proteins. But as I just said, with the same dose of insulin reading on meter are all the time different. They go over 200 mg/dl at any time. This means, I still diabetic, and diabetes is not under control.
        So, I try to develop my own system how to consider do I control level of sugar in blood or not? When I have to increase dose of insulin, and when I have to drop some units in attempt to avoid low sugar?  As I said, at first it is not fasting, or 2 hours after meal readings. I need to take 2 hour reading during all day, and see, if there is no readings above 200 mg/dl. If I am within this range, I am in good control. If reading above 'normal' such as above 250 mg/dl, I have to increase dose of insulin, and not on regular time but right away. Just take a few units, 20, 50.... . It is depends.
      When sugar is low I do not rush to decrease dose of insulin. I prefer to take some meal. I like apples, and all the time my man take good care for apple supply from Costco. I do have soup in ref. And there are all the time chicken in ref. It is good chicken, home made. Why do not I decreas dose of insulin? From my experience I do know, it is temporary. Just a few says, and sometimes just one day, and sugar got up. So, I prefer to keep dose of insulin the same. But if low sugar getting lower, then I have to drop about 20 units at bed time. I prefer to drop dose at bed time rather then at day time. This regime suite me better.

via Ravenvoron

Day-by-Day. October 22, 2017

Blood sugar is 71 mg/dl
It is perfect sugar. A few days ago I posted another reading, and it was perfect too.  So, do I have blood sugar control? Not at all. Yesterday it was 265 mg/dl, fasting. Any reading I took Yesterday were above 200 mg/dl, even last one, around Midnight. Why sugar skipped out of control? Did I increased amount of carbs? Of cause, if one will ask my primary doctor. My weight got up, and still rising. How weight can go up? Because of diet, carbs and fatty diet.
        It is all the time very easy to present that potentially ill patient did all for him/her self. In this case, what doctor or nurse can do about it? Perfect solution to all our problems.
      Yesterday we went to Lincoln Center. Before we were out my man wrapped both my legs. It was nice how he done it, and there were no discomfort all eve. when we returned home we took our supper, I took 80 units of insulin, last shot for Yesterday and total dose was 334units, 34 units up of regular dose, and U went to bed.
       During night a few times I woke up from very severe pain. Legs. I hardly was able to bear this pain. I tried my best, went back to sleep, woke up from pain, and went back to sleep. Why pain is all the time at night time? It was told I have to hold my legs up to reduce water retention. At day time legs all day down. But still there is almost no pain. At night time I am not able to tolerate this pain.
       Finally I woke up and did not go back to sleep. I took my readings. It was 71 mg/dl. I felt 'low sugar' Why do I feel it is low? It is not low. It is pretty good. But I felt if I do not take me meal right now I would not be able to eat at all. So, I took my morning meal as soon as I could. I took 67 units of Lantus Solo Star before meal, and now I am going to take additional 80 units after meal. Today we go to Lincoln Center, Chamber Music concert.
      Many times I ask many doctors I need Blood Thinner, Heparin. Still, they refuse to Rx it to me. "You will bleed, and nothing would be able to stop this bleeding" - all the time doctor use to say. So, regardless of all requirement I meet, there is no heparin or coumadin for me.

Coumadin (warfarin) is an anticoagulant (blood thinner). Warfarin reduces the formation of blood clots.

Right now I am heading to the condition I was in March when I went to ER with legs meting from the bones. At that time it was left leg. Now it is right leg. Now so severe so far, but getting worse and worse with every day. No any changes in medical treatment. Simple, ignored all and pretended, it is all my fault, just because of pounds.
       As I said, blame the victim why one is sick. Every one able to control blood sugar with work out and diet, and without any diet or work outs. 9 out of ten do it. Really, why 1 out of 10 cannot do what 9 out of 10 easy able to do?
Bad mood today.

via Ravenvoron

Ravens vs Dr. A. Peters Tips for Demystifying Injections in Diabetes. October 20, 2017

Blood sugar is 79 mg/dl.
       It is perfect sugar, and I do not feel 'low'. Why i have to feel low if sugar is perfect? Simple, I do have high blood sugar, sometimes above glucose meter limits, 599 mg/dl, so it is easy to tolerate high sugar then 'normal' sugar level. It takes time to tolerate perfect sugar as it is normal. I can feel 'low' with sugar 100 mg/dl.  This is tip which Anne Peters, MD would never give to her patients. She simple do not know anything behind to copy instructions every diabetic do have in every box of insulin or needles we do have. But she proud to educate diabetic.
        This is the problem with diabetes. Treatment is Insulin only. But insulin therapy is very complicated. We have to be good observers and very brave in attempt to control blood sugar level. We have to be brave to take that swings, and ride from up to down. With every ride sugar mast go down, high sugar lower and low sugar higher, so eventually dose of insulin and level of  sugar come in balance, in medium. Is this 'blood sugar control'? No. It is not. "Control' is only when there is no 'ups' and no 'downs' every day, day after day, regardless if it is flu season and diabetic dot cold, or it is migraine headache.
       Really, it is easy to educate diabetic that before insulin shot would be taken diabetic needs to put off cup from insulin pen. What really does she think about us? That we are idiots with brain swelled by fat? It is not true. No one of us will inset needle on pen with paper cover on the back. But MD has no one idea about it. She does know there is cup on the insulin pen, but  she has no one idea that there are two cups on the needle and there is paper cover on the needle. Also she does not know very important point. After shot spot must be covered by alcohol pad, or any paper towel and hold tight about two seconds. It does prevent spot from getting blue, black spot.
     Usually I count 'one-by-one, two - by -two, three-by-three, four - by - four .... ten-by-ten". This is time I take to let insulin to enter into body, and to hold small soft paper on the spot of injection.
      Then I wright in my log book:

•  what is the insulin type,
•  what is the dose of insulin, 
• what is the time of injection.

 It is important. It is my log book, and I never discharge these books. I keep all of them. Now it is # 17. I do not use log books which are standards. It  is not good. They do have too small spot to wright, and really too much needless instructions. My log book is more convenient.
      I use page for every day, never put of two days on one page, so it is easy to navigate. If I need, I can use two pages. In this case I try to use two pages on one side of book, I do not know how to say it better. It is list, and every list has two pages. So, there would be two pages on two lists rather then one list. It is for reason to have all info right on the eyes.
      Also I use pens of different colors. It is easy for me to see what I need to see:

• insulin Dose is in one color, 
• ordinary info such as date in other color,
• all another info such as headache, of swelling on legs, or other med I take or any condition I do have, it is all go in another color. 

So, my log book is pretty colorful.
      Log book is all the time on the same place. I do have box of old log books, and they are in storage just for time which probably never would come. The log book I use all the time on the same place, and it is right near computer on wall shelf. This is important. All my family do know about this book  so they can find it at any time any emergency.
      Also I use this book for short needed info such as orders on Walmart, Amazon, or when my man put car in shot and how much did he paid. This is info which has no connection with health or my condition, but it is so easy to find, and it is so easy to use that we all love this book. Short leave info such as orders would be lost if they were not on the some info. Computer can be out off order at any time. So where to find this info? In my book. Easy and convenient.
       I do have small box where I put needles which I used today. It is for my convenience. I can easy to forget to put in my log book that I took shot. I never discharge needle after shot right away. I put it in small box. Every morning I discharge all needles I used day before, but I do it only in the morning, never on eve. This is for my memory. In the morning I will discharge all used needles, and put a new used needle in this small box. Probably no one else need this tip. But those of us who has problem with memory and concentration, it is good to be used.
       Now I use small needles, 5 mm. Before it was 8 mm. Now there are 5 mm. A.Peters MD posted that needles are 4mm. I never used this type of needles, never did know they can be ordered. I am not sure I ever will  use them, why? Because of it is too small. I am not sure it will go into body deep to do the job. I even do think to return back to 8 mm needles. 5 mm needles less painful. I do think they are good for lean diabetics. For me, it is better to use 8 mm. Still today I use 5 mm, and it is good too.
      MD did not mention that we have to spring the needle before injection. It is two units. I stopped to do so when I was on very limited supply of insulin. Then right now I do have needed insulin supply, and I even do have some extra for emergency. Still, I do not spring needle. I would not suggest to use this tip. But I do use this way to inject insulin. I take a new needle every time. Needles are sterile. Every time when I spring insulin how can I do it? Medicine goes up and then fall down. It is dirty around my spot. It would be all around me in sprinted medicine. This is the reason I do not spring insulin. It is two units with every injection, and it is my apartment, not medical setting.
      Pain. When medicine go into body there  can be pain. This pain is short, very acute, and go away very fast. But it is still pain, and it is hard to tolerate. If pain happened, I do freeze, no move, slow to breath. Just freeze. Needle still inside of the body. No move till pain go away. Then injection can be finished in regular way. This is the reason to use a new needle every time. Needles have special cover to reduce pain. After being used these needle no longer have protection, so pain can be, and it is very sharp pain.
        Another reason to take a new needle every time is that needle can be banded when it was used, so medicine will not go into body. In this case I take off needle from the body, hold pen up to prevent medicine dropped out, put on a new needle, and finish the shot. It is important do not use dose monitoring because it is difficult to count how much medicine was used. So, shot must be finished without new count of dose. This is the reason to use a new needle every time.
      Probably there are many other tips can be posted. I just put on some of them, most important as I do think.       

via Ravenvoron