gigo

The phrase takes me back to keyboarding class, 8th grade. We were actually mostly learning how to type properly, but the class was still called keyboarding. Our teacher, Mrs. H., drilled into us the concept of "gigo" or "garbage in, garbage out." It's the basic principle of computer programmers everywhere: you put garbage in, you're gonna get garbage out.

It probably would have been relevant if any of us had grown up to become computer programmers. To my knowledge, none of us did.

I heard it again in college, of course delving a little deeper into the concept. Computer 101 and 102 with Mr. F. Nice guy, that Mr. F. But still, I memorized the concepts to pass the class and went on with my life. No real relevance from that either.

Until a few months ago. I finally realized that, for probably 90% of us out there, the "garbage in, garbage out" concept more readily applies to the most complex machine ever created--the human body. Something we all own and are responsible for.

And if you have children, you are responsible for them. You are responsible for teaching them and training them until they're old enough to make decisions for their own complex machine themselves. That's the very foundation of parenthood.

Our life train hasn't made the stop at Parenthood yet. Why? Because I'm working on fixing my own complex machine. I'm working on changes so that good decisions come naturally when I'm {even more} stressed out and sleep deprived and just want to get. out. of. the. house.

So it stands to reason that the opposite also holds true. Good stuff in, good stuff out {"gsigsu" doesn't quite have the same ring to it though}.

We wonder why our kids have so many diseases these days--as we pour their 3rd soda for the day and serve them pre-packaged meals where the ingredients list is longer than the nutrition facts.

We wonder why more people are dying of seemingly preventable problems at younger and younger ages--as we pop our daily statins and ACE-inhibitors.

We look around at other people watching them feel tired all the time and rationalize that it must be normal. Everyone feels like that. It's just part of aging. See your doctor for the proper symptom-masking medication and you'll be fine.

Uh, hello?

Stop.

Think.

Garbage in, garbage out.

If I opened some programming software, pounded on the keyboard like a 9-month old for a minute, then expected the software to spit out a usable program....you'd think I was crazy. "You have to put in the proper code," you'd say. "Computers are a great tool, but only if you give them what they need."

Should we not also do the same with our bodies?

I'm not able to sit down and write computer programming. I haven't been trained.

We {as a nation in general} have stopped being trained to put the proper code into our own programs. That's a big-picture problem and part of the underlying cause of this mess called healthcare {ie: sickcare}. It's not going to be fixed in a day, a week, or even a year. Maybe not even for years {Lord, help us!}.

But we can each make better individual choices. One step at a time until you get to where you need to be.

When a computer programmer finds a bug in his code, he works his way line by line, bit by bit, until he finds it and can figure out how to fix it.

I found bugs in my code and I'm fixing them bit by bit. It sometimes seems like this program will never run properly, but I know I have to keep on. I know the end result is a smooth running program. Will it be bug-free and happy days from there on out? No, definitely not. But I'll be so familiar with my code that I'll be able to quarantine the problem and have it fixed before it causes bigger issues. When I find a bug I'm unfamiliar with, I research the mess out of it until I have at least a basic understanding and steps to take to fix it. I learn, I grow, I change. Good stuff in.

Garbage in--processed, unhealthy foods; synthetic vitamins that end up flushed; pill-shaped chemicals we're told are good for us by the people who create them; known neuro-toxins in our food & water.

Garbage out--stress, anxiety, exhaustion, emotional instability, irregularity, hormonal imbalances.

Good stuff in--fresh foods free of pesticides; using God-given herbs and plants to treat minor {and even not-so-minor} issues; natural forms of vitamins and minerals our bodies need in order to function properly.

Good stuff out--energy to make it through the day; ability to better deal with stressful situations; peacefulness; the knowing that your body is functioning properly.

I know it's hard. It's freaking HARD. I have to shop at the same grocery stores as anyone else. We're on a budget, same as anyone else. There are steps I know we need to take that we just haven't been able to yet. Yes, we need to prioritize better. But we're working on it. One step at a time. I've recently taken another step that I didn't even see coming, but I'm pretty excited about where it can lead.

Life will never be completely perfect. We still live in an imperfect world.

"I feel fine," you say. "There's nothing wrong with me." To that I raise my eyebrow and answer, "Really? You are 100% convinced that you are functioning at 100%?"

"My kids won't eat that." Really? Don't give them a choice, Parent. They are the child and you are training and teaching them. Be the adult in your house. They won't go hungry for long.

Think about it. Use the brain you were given {er, unless you don't have enough good stuff in your diet, then you probably have a legit reason for not using your brain--hint, that's what cholesterol helps with}.

Garbage in, garbage out.
Good stuff in, good stuff out.

**This is NOT a recommendation to stop your medication. I am, thankfully, not a medical professional. Do your research, then do what you feel is best for you after talking with your doctor.

this is gonna be good

I'm lucky to have pretty good insurance here at my job. Yeah, yeah, all insurance companies are tough to deal with and all the terminology and lingo can get stupid complicated but I also have access to a great case manager to help with stuff like that.

So through our employee "wellness" program for the upcoming year (July 2013 - June 2014) we're having a free pre-screening day with a free consultation with a health coach. First we thought it was optional, but now we realize, if we want to actually even be in the wellness program this year (we earn points towards days off or $$ in our paychecks) we have to do this.

They're going to check bp, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and cotinine (which is tobacco if you're like me and don't smoke and have no idea what that is). Then they'll check other biometrics and send us over to the health coach.

I have a strong feeling that I'm going to know just a smidgen more about my health and body than these people....

"Hi, I have Type 1 diabetes and Hashimoto's;" {at this point I imagine a blank look as they digest the word 'Hashimoto's'} "my last A1c was July 3rd and it was 5.9; oh and here's my glucose sensor that checks my blood sugar every 5 minutes--ha, looks like I'm a little high right now, but it's been exactly two hours since I ate and I have insulin on board, so I'll just let it do it's job before I freak out about that number; I don't know what my cholesterol is but I'm sure if it was anywhere near bad my doctor would be pushing statins at me; my blood pressure is always really good at my doctor's visits and I'm trying to remember to check it when I'm at a grocery store with one of those free machines--my last bp was 111/78 two weeks ago; I know my bmi and hip to waist ratio might be high but I've been eating rabbit food for several months now with no change on that front; I've cut out soda, processed foods, and refined sugar and I've been gluten free for almost two months now. So now, stranger, you go ahead and coach me on how to do this better than I've been doing. Hm? No advice for me, you say? Thanks, sign my paper so I can get my 500 points and get back to work. Kthnxbai."

As I said, it's free--otherwise I wouldn't bother. Might get a laugh or two out of it all.

[untitled]

ok, in my last post i was....ehhh, whiney? frustrated? whatever.

but now i've moved to the point where i'm mad and about to steamroll over some people in order to get what i want.

correction: what i NEED.

at my 3 month endo check up last week, my PA told me that my a1c was 5.9, which is a new record for me! then she follows that up with, "that's great if you were trying to get pregnant, but there's really no need for it to even be that low. it means you're having too many lows." thanks, lady. really.

i have a lot of lows that i just can't get back up and i have a lot of highs that i just. can't. get. down. and apparently that translates to a lower a1c. even dexcom's software, which is supposed to be all algorithm-y and smart, cannot pinpoint any pattern as to why i go high or low. that's telling. now i just have to remember that when i get frustrated at myself for doing & eating the same things day in and day out and seeing different results.

but back to my appointment-

i feel like she kind of blitzkrieg's me, even though we probably spend a good 20 minutes in there. i brought the lab results that my naturopath had done (revealing my Hashimoto's diagnosis) and told her that i had been avoiding gluten and i think my blood sugar's were starting to rebound faster because of that.
she says, "well this isn't surprising, we knew you were hashi's..."
'scuse me just a minute there, doc, we most certainly did NOT know. i can't remember if i said, "well no one's ever said that to me..." or if i just thought it in my head. a LARGE part of treating hashi's is eliminating gluten in the diet and no one has ever, EVER even used the word "gluten" at my appointments. much less the word "hashimoto's."

then she guided the discussion about how i should still consider going on metformin. i can't remember if i brought it up or what, but all of a sudden she remembered a study she read recently about how natural thyroid meds were working better (yeah, duh because they're not chemicals, they're actual thyroid hormone) and maybe we should try that!

that was my goal going in to that appointment, but i was kind of surprised that she thought of it by herself and i didn't have to push for it. she still pushed the metformin, but in the end i said, "how about we try one new thing at a time?" and she said, "oh that's an even better idea!" hmm. yeah.

then it seemed like we were out the door, she was telling us to be careful driving home because of the storms, and i was checking out and setting up my next appointment.

now i've had a week to think {stew} on how that all went down.

i realized today that i've been thinking too much and need to take action. the hubs and i have been praying that God would show us what to do.....so i realized this morning that i've only been thinking and not actually doing anything.

duh.

so i sent an email to my doctor's office. i told them that i didn't feel my a1c was the total picture of my complete health and that there were other things i had wanted to discuss with her at my appointment, but just didn't have the time. i told them the six labs that i wanted them to run {to start with} and i told them where i wanted to have them done. we'll see what happens.

the more i think about it, the more i feel like she just doesn't know. i mean, she's a smart woman. she's had more education than i have. but she doesn't know what i feel like day to day. she doesn't live in my shoes and see everything i do that doesn't seem to make a difference. she's compartmentalized me in these two boxes "People with Type 1" and "People with Hashimoto's" and she hands out the appropriate prescriptions for each and scribbles in my chart that she's counseled me about my high blood sugars in the morning and weight loss and whatever....and then she goes to her next appointment.

nothing changes.

i'm not dumb. i have a hard-won college education. i know there's stuff about the human body that is beyond my comprehension. but i can read and comprehend the basic principle's of a system or process. i've done a bunch of research on hashimoto's and i've found a lot of patients who don't agree with the standard treatment because they still feel like crap and have found a better way to manage.

i do my own research and read labels and watch every bite that i put into my mouth. i've felt for several months now that something has been off, but i can't quite pinpoint what it is. the hashi's diagnosis helped, but since then i haven't really felt much different from avoiding gluten. which leads me to believe there's still something off.

i'm changing what i can, when i can. now it's time to make other people realize that too.

frenemy - and bullet points again

hiiiiii again. i promise--i'm still here. my thoughts are illogical and scattered lately, so bullet points will have to do. sorry.

not really.

here goes.

• so as the title of this post states, i have a new frenemy. his name is hashimoto's disease. but i just like to call him hashimoto's or even just hashi's for short. because when you're talking to people who just don't know and you tack on the word "disease" either their eyes widen and they subconsciously take a step away from you or they get a very confused look on their face. either way, you have to explain.
• and then they either still don't get it or jump in with a story about how their aunt/friend/cousin/brother's roommate's dog has that and doesn't that just make us that much more similar in life??
• why "frenemy," you ask? well, friend because, hello i can identify you now! you're no longer a stranger! and enemy because, heck, who really WANTS you around??
• i just had to add "frenemy" to the dictionary on here because the red squiggly line under it was driving me crazy. [yeah yeah, short trip, har-dee-har-har]
• now har-dee-har-har is added to the dictionary too.
• the super moon last week made people super dumb. i think most are still recovering.
• back to my frenemy--i have my next endo appointment on the 3rd and i don't think i've ever been so excited to fight traffic and park in a parking deck in my whole life. i'm going to get on the right medicine for my frenemy and things will get better! 
• i just have to make it until wednesday. i can do that, right? right??
• i have to call dexcom again. i finally got another transmitter (my 3rd since Feb) that works and they sent all the correct stuff to return the other two, but they didn't send the correct stuff to return the 3 sensors that failed because of it. they sent one bio-hazard cup for one sensor. i didn't mention that they sent folded up fedex bags, one folded up sheet of instructions, and one shipping label inside of a large fedex box. times 3. maybe it cost the same to them to ship that little folded up packet in a box vs a smaller padded envelope....but that's a lot of cardboard going to the dump! also...i need a replenishment order.
• still no word on upgrading to the new omnipod system. i think i have 2.5 boxes of pods left, so it might be a while.
• why do people call up a place and ask for generic information then have to scramble around when the person they called has no idea what they're talking about and needs specifics? here's an example:
  me: "hello, My Company, this is me, how can i help you?"
  them: "hi, yes, i need to check the status on an order i placed last week!"
  me: "ok, sure. what was your order number?"
  them: "oh, i'm not sure, hold on--" rustling papers, a "hmmm" in there, clicking keyboard keys...
  me: trying not to breathe too loudly in their ear, hoping this conversation doesn't move much closer to that awkward silence should-i-say-something-or-wait-for-them-to-say-something-or-are-they-waiting-for-me-to-say-something?
  them: (finally) "oh, here it is! man, just so much stuff on my desk, you know? ok, it's 4500..."
  me: typetypetype "ok, well it looks like that actually delivered yesterday..."
  them: "wow, i guess i better check with receiving then. who knows where they put it! ha ha!"
  .....::awkward shared laughter::.....
  me: thinking, that's not really...funny...
  them: "ok thanks for your help! have a good day!"
  me: "you too! mmmkay, bye."
• in similar-but-other news, when i answer the phone and its not for me, i sound like the lady from office space, "corporate accounts payable, this is nina...JUST a moment!" and sometimes i say it louder just to bug people in here....because, you know, i NEVER answer the phone and i MUST TURN IT UP TO FULL VOLUME TO MAKE SURE I HEAR IT when all along, i have been answering the phone, keeping track of who else in here does NOT answer the phone (since that's not in my job description), like EVER, and since my coworker's phone is all the way up to rock concert decibels, i figured i can hear the phone ring pretty well.
• we need a receptionist here, can you tell?
• i have a lot more to share, but i'm still in the whiney phase of figuring it all out in my head, so i think i'll spare y'all as much of that as possible. plus i'm hungry and its time for lunch....
  
  
  

birthday boy

Last year when we got Yoshi, we were told he was a day short of being 7 weeks old. I counted backwards and put his birthday on my phone's calendar. I can't believe that day is already here!!

Happy first birthday to our little guy!

Leaving his mama for the first time!

We kept him in a bedroom until he was big enough to be able to explore on his own. And until his big sister got used to him being around. She was Not Thrilled for a long time, but there was never any bloodshed!

So little!

Having a kitten was a new experience! It had been so long since his older sister was little that we'd forgotten how quickly kittens get into things and how much they love to play.

 

He loved playing in his "house" and soon destroyed it with his needle-like claws.

 

We soon learned that he could fall asleep anywhere, in any position....

But he absolutely loved being held. He's so cute that we never minded!

As you can see, he sometimes likes to get rightupclosetoyourface when he sleeps. He especially likes to rub his cheeks on his daddy's prickly chin.

He is curious about e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Sometimes it gets him into trouble...

He shares his sister's love of bags and boxes of any kind.

Speaking of his sister, they get along exist together. He has reached the point that I call "typical pre-teen boy." He likes to annoy his sister just because he can, then manages to look completely innocent when he gets into trouble for it. Just this morning, we had the "I'm not touching you!" scenario.

He likes to surf the internet with his dad. Or he could be keeping an eye on the mouse....

He even prays with us.

Dear Lord, bless that bite of chicken I'm about to attack...

All in all, life would be very quiet and boring without him around!

spontaneous trip

Hi guys.

Long time no bloggy. I've been around. Just. . . around. Nothing much new going on.

Well. There's always new going on, but this is nothing-new-that-I-want-to-blog-about-because-I'm-still-in-the-whiny-stage-and-no-one-wants-to-hear-that.

So here's some happy pics from our recent trip.

The hubs and I decided to take some time off together since we both had it available. We thought we'd just hang out at home, go into Atlanta, maybe finally go see the aquarium, etc. Nothing big.

So a week before our time off was to start, we came home from church, sat down to eat lunch, and he said, "You know, maybe we should go to the beach."

Of course, I didn't need much convincing. We had just been at the beach in October (-ish because the one day we made it to the beach it was cloudy and really windy and we just couldn't enjoy it as much as we wanted to--although we can say it was a good experience and we've been there, done that) but I'm always up for a beach trip.

I jumped online, found a pretty good rate at a beachside hotel on Tybee and the next week, we packed up and headed out!

I love spontaneous trips.

 

The day we arrived, it was overcast. We parked at the lighthouse and couldn't wait to get our feet in the sand!

 

The water was pretty cold too!
That night it poured rain (hence the start of our Downton Abbey addiction!) and was supposed to rain all the next day too, so we made plans to head into Savannah and take in the sights on River Street. It was fun checking out all the shops, even though they all pretty much carried the same tourist-y souvenirs and stuff.

Everywhere you go, you have to pay to park. In Savannah, it was only about $1 an hour. That's Jeremy in the picture, paying at the little station.

There are several restaurants on Tybee and I was set on trying the best ones. I had only eaten at one place on Tybee before, in all my time here, so I was excited. I think my favorite was this place on the marsh. NOT because there were kitties all around, waiting for a nice, seafood-y hand out . . .

Finally, on our last day, the rain moved out and the sun shone bright. First we rented some bicycles and rode up and down the beach for a bit. That was fun. Er. Kinda. Then we went back to the room, changed and grabbed our beach gear and made it down to the water about 11 a.m. Hardly anyone else was out there then.

It was so nice to just be able to relax! I had brought an old sheet to lay on instead of using our towels. My pod was on my stomach so all I had to do was dig a little hole in the sand through the sheet and line up my body accordingly. Haha!

I could probably have spent the remainder of the week there, just like that, but we had to leave the next morning. That evening we took a final walk on the pier as the sun set.

The south end of the island where the pier is located is not my favorite part, but during the week it's fairly quiet. Most of the restaurants and several shops are located at this end too. We watched some people fishing off the pier. No one seemed to be catching anything though.

On our way home the next day, we first stopped by to see my favorite customer (hi Sheila!) and then we stopped at a large Bass Pro Shop. Why? I don't know. Neither of us are particularly sporty or outdoorsy. But it was entertainment. Then we stopped at the outlets and picked up some kitchen gizmos--I definitely could have spent more time around there, but didn't really need to.

Home again, home again!
First the kids acted like they didn't even realize we had been gone. Until later that evening when they started going crazy. What can I say? Cats are strange.

Yoshi will be a year old next week and is pretty much just as big as Sophie. His paws are finally proportional to the rest of him! He's in a pretty jumpy stage--meaning he jumps at the slightest movement if he's not expecting it. He's also I.N.S.A.N.E. for the laser pointer. More on that next week!

i'm still here

I thought, huh, I haven't posted a blog in a couple weeks....

Um....it's been a month!! So....sorry bout that.

There hasn't been much new in our lives here. I've been getting used to my Dexcom mostly, so I thought I'd post a mini-review.

Likes:

• The receiver is small! It fits/hides more places.
• Range--I can usually leave the receiver on my coffee table and do things around the house that I need to do without losing the signal.
• The transmitter is not small, necessarily, but it is smaller than my pods. So for me, I like.
• The alarms are plenty loud enough. I keep it on the "Normal" setting, but I usually hear it vibrate, especially in the middle of the night.
• The sensors can go more places than my pod. Yes!
• No batteries! I charge it every couple of days and its good to go.
• Their customer service is pretty good.
• There's a LOT of information that you didn't have before.

Dislikes:

• There's a little TOO much information. It can be overwhelming at first. I'm very glad my doctor didn't want me to start on a pump and a cgm around the same time.
• It has a similar look to an iPod. I'm not an iFan.
• The little tiny ledge of plastic that holds the slider that covers the charging port has broken off already. It's not a deal breaker for me as long as I don't have trouble charging it when I need to.
• I had an issue last week with the transmitter not wanting to send the signal more than a few inches. After I talked to tech support (on a Saturday), they promised to overnight a new transmitter to me on Monday. Well, they didn't overnight it, so I had to put up with no range until Thursday, literally wearing my sensor/transmitter AND the receiver. Kind of annoying and the reason I didn't rate their customer service as excellent above.

Other than that, things look good!

I had my first doctor appointment today since starting with the Dexcom and she cautioned me to wait two hours after treating a high blood sugar reading before treating again. Two hours is too long for me. No? This is 2013! We can't create insulin that works any faster than that?? Oy.

We also talked about my thyroid and are going to be trying a couple new (to me) meds to see if they make any difference in how I feel. My numbers are all perfect, but I just don't feel any different. Who cares what numbers look like if you still feel UGH on a day to day basis, you know? It is NOT something I should have to "just deal with." I have a different brand to try for a couple weeks, and then I'll be trying an all-natural med. Hopefully this will help with some weight loss too.

Finally, I had some blood drawn for them to do lab work. As usual, my veins are shy and were hiding. Unusually, the lab tech decided not to try my other arm, no...She went for the top of my hand. OW.

war wound

diaversary & cure v. cause

This month is my diaversary. Fourteen years.

Whoop-dee-freakin'-do.

Can you tell I'm excited? I really am.

Not.

Lately here it seems like diabetes wants to take me on a different trek every. single. day. Same breakfast? Different numbers. Same activity level? Bah, let's throw some lows in there to trip her out.

I may be experiencing the burn-out that I hear so many people talk about. Because I'm tired and sick of this and stressed but trying not to be stressed because that makes my numbers worse but that just stresses me out more and just don't feel like handling it anymore, so can you please just go away now stupid-abetes?

I will say that just about the only good thing in having this stupid-abetes is the great community of people online who, between all hundreds of thousands of them out there, have gone through just about every situation imaginable. So thank you to all of you. You probably don't know me, but I know you and I appreciate you.

Now, onto this "cure" that's been in the news lately. A great big PHOOEY on you all.

PHOOEY for getting peoples hopes up.

PHOOEY for telling them "another 5-10 years."

PHOOEY for telling them to just give more money for research. (As if we don't give enough? If you corporate big-wigs believe in this so much, YOU take a paycut and YOU give moremoremore money to research. We're tapped out from buying YOUR drugs and trying to keep our heads above water for just another day.)

PHOOEY for telling them about all the hurdles you still have to overcome--like, HUGE ones! Meaning, you haven't gotten it figured out at all.

PHOOEY on all of you. I refuse to get my hopes up. I don't believe in a "cure." I believe in a CAUSE.

What is causing this increase in children and adolescents and adults and even senior adults being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes?

Let's think about that. Because I promise you, it's not just random.

THEN let's think about changing the cause and PREVENTING babies and children and people from getting this stupid-abetes in the first place.

urgh

I try not to rant-post so that could be why you haven't heard a lot from me lately. As much as I like to whine, I have to remind myself that no one likes to hear it and to keep it in my head.

You know how when one small thing goes wrong, it seems to just be the last straw and suddenly a bunch of other little wrong things seem so HUGE and it just all adds up and you're tired and cranky and don't want to deal with any of it but you want to vent because you want someone--ANYONE--to understand and help but no one really can help because it's completely out of anyone's control?

So there's that.

AND THEN people just HAVE to keep asking you the dumbest stuff when the answers are quite obvious and you've already told them several times and when they don't get the answer they want, they call someone else and try to go around you and they get the answer they want but there is absolutely no path from here to there and they can't understand that even though you've told them THREE times and the stupidity keeps piling up and piling up and you're really REALLY tempted to just tell them to go away but you know the second you do you'll be the one in trouble for it.

So there's that too.



 

first week

So it's technically been a full week since I got my Dexcom---yaaaaaaay!

I got my first alert to "Change sensor soon" today at lunchtime. Or whatever it said.

The only thing that I wish was different about the entire set up was that I wish there was an option in the "Events" list for a pump site change. While I'm guessing I can make a note of that once I download the information, I'm also guessing that I'll forget what day I changed out my pod. It's just easier to be able to click the button and add it in right away like I do for blood sugar readings, carbs eaten, and insulin.

And it would also mitigate the guilt that I know I'll feel when I'm sitting in my doc's office and she's reviewing the information and looking for patterns and, lo and behold, there's a steady 12 hours of high blood sugar right before a pod change.

I'm not sure how to fix that yet.

I feel like I've already been taking more insulin than normal, just in an attempt to nudge those higher numbers back down. But I don't WANT to take more insulin!! But I don't want my blood sugar to be high. And especially days like today when it feels like nothing is working even AFTER I've changed my pod out.

We are regularly awakened at unholy a.m. by the BZZZZT BZZZZT of this little gizmo on my nightstand. "HIGH" it tells me, pointing at that 200 number. That's nice, I think, and fall back asleep.

I'm giving myself a couple weeks of adjustment here. Can you tell? (Come on! We don't have kids! We should be able to sleep through the night!)

(Except we have fur babies, so that doesn't even really happen.)

Ignorance sometimes really is bliss. (Can't you just look at some people and tell that's their life motto?)

Even though I'm glad to have the data, today I generally feel like throwing this thing at something. Except I wouldn't. Ok, maybe something soft. But I'm really not mad at it, so it wouldn't be fair. So no throwing things today.

Onward.

approval

I can't remember if I said this before, but high praise and kudos to my cousin Lauren who reads my blog {hiiiiiii!!) and asked if she could put me in touch with her friend Brittany because she thought I could use some advice regarding my struggle with my insurance to approve me for a Dexcom system.

Super high praise, thanks, and I'll-totally-be-your-2,500-mile-away-BFF-in-Georgia to Brittany for suggesting I get a case manager and have them help me with the appeals process.

I finally talked to a case manager a couple weeks ago. She was SO nice. I don't know why I didn't call sooner.

Oh, yeah, because I pretty much hate talking on the phone. I do it all. day. long. It's so awkward.

Or maybe that's me. But whatever.

The POINT is, I did it and I'm glad I did. After talking to my case manager, I contacted my doctor's office and asked them to send the info she requested--it wasn't even much, just something saying that I had diabetes, that I was responsible about it, and that I was over 25 years old (what that has to do with it, I dunno).

Last Friday, my case manager called me and said she was really hoping there would have been a decision made that day, but she hadn't seen anything uploaded into her system yet and that she would call me on Monday when she heard. Throughout the whole process she was very positive about this working out for me. The only hang-up (??) was my "good" A1c of 6.6 --anything under 7.0 is apparently considered good. But she was pretty sure she could talk them around that point since it had crept up from 6.2.

Monday I was on pins and needles all day. ALL. DAY!!!!

I went ahead and emailed my contact at Dexcom to kind of get the ball rolling on that end. 

She finally called around 4 and gave me the good news. I AM APPROVED!!!

I again emailed my contact at Dexcom, told him the good news, gave him her name and number and he said, "What color do you want and where do you want it shipped?" Of course I'm getting the pink one.

A couple more back-and-forths with some paperwork and, of course, payment and I should be all set.

YAY!!!

adventures in paleo

It's new(ish) to us, but I know the trend has been around a while. PALEO.

Basically it's cutting out the processed c.r.a.p. that is so prevalent in our foodology today (you like that word? I think I just made it up) and eating whole, unprocessed, natural foods the way our ancestors did.  Technically, you should eat only grass-fed meats, pasture-raised chicken/eggs, yada yada. . . but we can't quite do that yet.

Last February I quit drinking sodas cold turkey and starting drinking only water and coffee during the day. There was a short period where I drank some all-natural soda, but after a couple months, I didn't even like it anymore. I couldn't stand the taste.

(Do whatever research you want, it all shows that soda is bad for you. Bottom line is--it will contribute to your declining health if you continue to drink it and there are absolutely NO downsides to quitting it.)

So anyways, I'm done with that and I don't miss it at all. I'm not even tempted by the "icy cold refreshment" at the checkout line at the grocery store. Or the "drink this and you'll be cool like this supermodel/athlete/popstar/person-of-the-moment" ads with not-so-subliminal messages on TV. I'm not going to apologize for tooting my own horn here. If you quit, I'll toot your horn too!

Maybe that came out wrong. . . but you get the point!

Then last fall, the hubs and I started really trying to cut out junk food. Sugary treats are out (much to my donut-loving husband's dismay); extra carbs for me are out-- and I've already seen an effect on my blood sugars (not assisted by my doctor's admonition to "eat more fruit!")--and I've added a Green Pastures brand fermented cod liver oil supplement to my daily regimen (no, it does not taste like anything, for you Pickies out there).

I'm definitely not saying we're perfect at this yet. It's a journey. A long, long journey. We still have nights where the hubs and I look at each other and can tell that we both need a chocolate fix. I get a little discouraged when my blood sugar tanks and the only thing I can do to get it back in the safe zone is fruit juice. (Or chalk-o tablets--bleeeeeck.)
But will this journey be worth it? You bet your sweet, sugary, soda-butt it will. Some journey's in life we don't get to choose, but everyone can choose to have better health. (Preachy much? Maybe. But if you're offended, then you most definitely need to hear it. In fact, read it all again. Then go do your own research and take a long hard look at your lifestyle.)

Here are some other things we've tried:

• roasted eggplant {fail}
• roasted cauliflower {epic success--J even tried it with some chipotle seasoning last time. Yum!}
• spaghetti squash {just last night, actually--success!}
• "ice cream" {fail--so far only one attempt was made. I'm looking forward to my next attempt, because this has potential!}
• zucchini bites {success! They're even better the next day!}
• bone broth {this one is not as cut & dry, but I would rate it a success}

 Through my mom, I discovered Practical Paleo and read it through almost in one sitting. This book is great! We're not ready to attempt one of the 30 Day Meal Plans yet, but we'll be working our way through the recipes. My next "to do" is baconaise. . . .

I'm reading labels. I've tossed several things in our pantry or fridge that just weren't good for us (sorry honey, but not really :) ). I've put several things back on the shelf at the grocery store, even things I used to always buy, because I realized there were things & chemicals in it that I don't really want to ingest. Basically, if the ingredients list is longer than the nutrition facts, don't buy it. And if you don't know what an ingredient is, it's probably not good for you so don't buy it. Simple.

I've also discovered a lot of information on the Weston A Price Foundation website. There are probably hundreds of articles on there about every health topic imaginable. There are sections devoted to women's health, men's health, children's health, dentistry, obesity, homeopathy, etc. I won't tell you everything because I think you should discover for yourself.

A few things that are helpful for me {and you!} to keep in mind:

1. Your body will take time to heal naturally. It won't be fixed overnight. Our quick-fix, immediate-gratification culture does not understand this and it takes time to change this mindset! 
2. What works for someone else might not work for you! That being said, don't give up on the whole idea just because one thing doesn't work! It is a p.r.o.c.e.s.s. Say it with me class, "PROCESS!" Grains don't work for me right now. But if you can eat natural, organic grains then go for it. Yogurt is working for me right now. But if you can't tolerate dairy, don't eat/drink it because *I* said it's good for you. If you haven't liked a vegetable in the past, find a new recipe for it and try it again. I didn't think I would like cauliflower or spaghetti squash either. Figure it out for yourself. Which kind of leads me to point #3. . . 
3. Do not depend on others. to. tell. you. anything. This means everyone from your doctor (ESPECIALLY!) to your parents to your spouse. Do your own research, apply the gray matter that God gave you between your ears, and be smart. Do not take anything at face value in this world or you will be in for a lot of hurt. Be continually devoted to learning. You might not always like what you learn and it will most likely be hard to apply to your life but why wouldn't you want to know? Why wouldn't you want to be the best you can be? (I'm seeing a huge parallel to our spiritual walk here.) Bottom line, as a Christian, we are called to that.

I know this is kind of a long post, but I hope something I've said here will inspire someone to start their own journey. Even if you don't decide to start a paleo journey like we have, I hope some of the links and websites I've shared will help you find answers.

(In other news, I started this post about 11 a.m. this morning and it's now almost 4 p.m. Work much??)

usps

Perhaps this is why the USPS has had financial difficulties as of late.

I never officially took a Geography class, but I know my states. I know cardinal directions. And I'm pretty sure that when you're coming south from Rhode Island, you'll cross the Georgia state line before you get into Florida.

And traveling north from Florida, you'll cross the Georgia state line long, LONG before you make it back to New Hampshire.

Apparently my package wanted a tour of the eastern seaboard.





This is why I prefer UPS.

How many people have put their hands on my package already? Or how many machines has it passed through that can't read a barcode? Waste of time and money.

I'm fully expecting it to be completely unusable when it finally --if ever-- arrives.

the appointment

My doctor's appointment yesterday went. . . fine. Not superb and not horrible. Just fine.

Nothing bad. Just no new information and nothing really helpful.

I saw the actual-factual doctor instead of my normal PA because she is still on maternity leave. Thankfully, she'll be back by the time my next appointment rolls around in April.

The lab tech couldn't find a vein. So instead of trying the other arm (which, to be honest, I told her would probably not be any better) she dug for one. Yeah. Awesome. Surprisingly I do not have a huge bruise and consequently look like a drug user today. In semi-related news, I was chosen for a random drug test at work yesterday morning.

Two labs in one day? A new record for me!

Other things:

• What is with the short sleeve sweaters this year? I had the hardest time finding winter wear that would actually keep me warm. . . .and now it is 60+ degrees outside.
• I possibly have the cutest niece in the history of ever.
• I believe the "research" paper I had planned on writing to my insurance company to help my case for coverage of a Dexcom system is back on.
• Does anyone else have THIS in their closet?

 

oopsie

I've been gone a while, huh? Thanksgiving to Christmas is always a busy time for everyone, but we really weren't that busy. We had one Christmas party to attend early in December and then of course the various and random visits to parents and in-laws around Christmas day and New Years. I guess I've just been lazy!

Everyone is blogging about the new year and their new goals--most people are refusing to call them "resolutions" though. The word "goal" seems a little more forgiving and lenient for if/when you fall short of what you set out to do.

I haven't made any new ones. Mine are a continuation of last years that really didn't even start until February-ish. ;)

Although now that I think back on it, last year's goals may have been a continuation from the year before that. Or actually, the year before THAT since 2011 was kind of distracting with a new house and wedding and all that jazz!

My biggest goal is to get my insurance to cover a Dexcom system for me. The third party who reviewed my appeal last year stated that I did not have enough middle of the night lows to justify my insurance coverage for the system.

(Apparently that is all she thinks a Dex is good for.)

She also stated I could achieve better control on my own.
Number one: she obviously does NOT have diabetes herself;
Number two: she may be an endo, but she might not be the most up-to-speed on the newest technology;
Number three: middle of the night lows are scary and so so so annoying! Why should I have to put myself through that to "prove" I need something?
Number four: this past year I have had the best control I have had in a long, long time. Her telling me it wasn't good enough is like a slap in the face (see Number one).

I have my first endo appointment of the year next week. We'll see how that goes. I'm meeting with a new doctor since my previous PA is on maternity leave for another few weeks. I'm a little nervous about meeting her and if our personalities will mesh well. But the good news is that it will probably be the only time I have to meet with her.

This Christmas was my first with my Omnipod and even though I ate drastically fewer sweets than in previous years, it still felt like too much after cutting out almost all of them in months prior. I burned through pods/insulin faster than normal because of the junk I ate. I burned through my last pod a full 24 hours early and had to change out this morning. Fun.

So no more wasting money burning through pods & insulin! Fewer carbs! A good doctor visit! And a happy new year!