Doing Just Fine

Sometimes the anticipation is totally worth it - anyone else remember being 8 years old and completely unable to sleep as you listened for the sound of Santa on the roof and tried to guess what he was bringing you?

Sometimes the anticipation is almost more fun than the actual event - anyone else count down the months, weeks, and days until a movie comes out only to discover that it really isn't very good?

And sometimes the anticipation (read: worry and planning) seems ridiculous in hindsight because the actual event turns out to be a piece of cake.

Yep, I went to the Diabetes Centre yesterday - food and blood sugar diary in tow - ready to get my blood test results and explain my ups and downs.

My doctor walked it and announced that my A1C was...

wait for it...

6.9!

She announced that my kidneys are fine.

She looked through my meticulous little diary of meals and blood sugar readings (15 a day) and piles of notes trying to explain every up and down - and announced that I obviously know what I'm doing, know how to correct for highs and lows and that nothing jumps out as a problem.

She checked my blood pressure (107/69) and said that she only did it in case it was high so we could actually have something to talk about.

I grinned. She grinned.

It's nice to stump the doctor and make her struggle for something to say.

So I asked my three questions:

Can you prescribe me something to check my ketones? I haven't done that in a few years now and probably should get back in the habit when I'm sick or fighting highs.

So she prescribed test strips for blood ketone testing.

Can you prescribe glucagon? I haven't kept any on hand in years and probably should. It might save my life one day.

So she prescribed glucagon.

Can you tell me if there are any options to save $ on continuous glucose monitoring supplies? I want to use it more but can't afford it at $50 a pop.

"Doesn't your insurance cover it?" she asked.

Ummmm, I haven't actually asked (how sad is that?). I was told that no insurance covers it and it never occurred to me that this might have changed in the last three years.

"Several of them do now - check it out and I'll fill out any paperwork they might need. You're an ideal candidate for it because of all the sports you do."

Wicked!

I didn't ask my fourth question because the person I wanted to talk to wasn't there.

Last year, right around this time, I applied to be a Medtronic Global Hero. I wasn't chosen so I'm trying again this year. I figure if I don't grab their attention with my story, I'll grab it with my perseverance. Anyway, I can ask three people to recommend me and I thought I'd ask one of the nurses at the Diabetes Centre. She and I have a pretty cool relationship because, every time she meets someone with T1 diabetes who is struggling with their diagnosis, who wants to start running or who just wants to talk to someone who gets it - she calls me. And I email them. And another relationship is formed.

So I'm going to call her tomorrow to ask her to submit a recommendation.

I walked out of the appointment, past a waiting room full of people and thought "I'm doing just fine!"