Last night, after work, I headed down to a small little house with a sign out from that, among other things, confirmed that I was at the right place.
For better or for worse, I was about to head into my first naturopath appointment.
I wasn't sure what to expect but I had some pretty good ideas of what I did and did not want.
I did not want to be told to dramatically change my diet, to give up sugar (wouldn't that be a neat trick for a type 1?), red wine, chocolate, my morning coffee etc etc.
I did not want to be told that I need to take a bunch of weird smelling herbs and tinctures at every meal to balance my chakras or realign my feng shui.
I did want someone who understood type 1 diabetes, the challenges of eating properly to fuel all the activity I do. I wanted someone who would listen to my list of issues (fatigue, ear plugging weirdness, lower than ideal bone density) and work me me to see if there are things I can do feel a little better, a little more energized and a little less prone to breaking.
Guess what?
I got it!
We chatted for an hour and a half and didn't even get to everything. He had obviously done his homework and asked intelligent questions about diabetes, continuous glucose monitors, insulin usage etc. He even laughed at my subtle diabetes jokes that only people who get it would laugh at.
He listened to my concerns and suggested some blood tests based on what I said. I was handed a requisition form to have my ferritin tested, my B12 levels, vitamin D and thyroid. Things I have either never had tested or haven't been checked for in years.
He thought I might have difficulty absorbing minerals (iron, calcium etc) and suggested a digestive enzyme test for a few days. He gave me some samples to try and I am to report back at my next appointment as to how things felt.
He suggested a tablespoon of fish oil in my breakfast shake which is an antioxidant and will help reduce inflammation. He promised that it doesn't taste like fish. "More like lemons" he insisted.
He suggested vitamin K2. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium but Vitamin K2 is important in helping get the calcium from the blood into the bones. "Like how insulin gets sugar from my blood to my muscles?" I asked. "Exactly!" was the response.
Finally, he suggested Vitamin C with bioflavenoids. It's an antioxidant, improves collagen production (which helps strengthen bones) and improves immune function.
That was about the point when I asked for tips re when to take what. Iron shouldn't be taken with anything else other than vitamin C. Calcium and Vitamin D should be taken together - ideally not at meals. Vitamin K2 should be taken with a meal. It gets tricky.
We talked about what to take when. I got my blood work form. I booked a follow-up appointment in a few weeks and I promised to email a week's worth of food diary info. "Everything I eat and drink? Even Dex 4s and 3am fig newtons?" I asked.
"Everything" he said.
Right-o.
The only thing that didn't get resolved? My ear plugging thing. I described it, he asked a ton of questions. At the end, he was just as perplexed as every other doctor I've spoken to.
"Let me do some more research" he said.
Next appointment is November 22nd. Stay tuned for blood work results and a report on how well my digestive enzymes are doing.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
No Rest for the Wicked
So far so good. I've had two days of rest since Sunday's race and my blood sugars have yet to go through the roof.
When I say two days off I mean two days without exercise. Not even going for a walk.
I am doing this to let my legs recover from their tough run and to let my body rest a bit by sleeping in.
Two days in a row of waking up at 6:30am instead of 5:00am was pretty sweet. Especially when the blood sugars are behaving themselves.
I'm still off running for a few more days at least. The earliest I will do anything will be Saturday and that would be an easy 30 minute trot...if anything at all. There are no races looming so I'm taking my time to make sure everything has had the downtime it needs.
I am, however, going to venture back into the pool. In fact, at the time this post goes up, I'll be pulling myself up out of the pool after my regular Wednesday morning workout.
As of Tuesday night my quads were still pretty tight and sore. The stairs are easier now but I still feel it - especially on the way down.
I asked Doug last night if a week off meant a week off from everything or just from running. "I'm not a sports doctor" he said. "I know, but I want to know what Doug would do. Would he sleep in two more days and go swim on Friday? Or would he get up early on Wednesday and head to the pool?"
Get up early on Wednesday and head to the pool was the response.
The lazy part of me wanted him to say sleep in just so I could without any feelings of guilt.
His rationale was that, when he's tight and sore after a hard run, he often feels better once he starts moving again. Swimming won't put any pressure on my joints, no pounding on my feet, no stress on my quads.
It will, however, get the blood flowing and get my body loosened up a bit.
So I'm off to the pool. Sore quads and all.
In other news, here is my latest training update:
When I say two days off I mean two days without exercise. Not even going for a walk.
I am doing this to let my legs recover from their tough run and to let my body rest a bit by sleeping in.
Two days in a row of waking up at 6:30am instead of 5:00am was pretty sweet. Especially when the blood sugars are behaving themselves.
I'm still off running for a few more days at least. The earliest I will do anything will be Saturday and that would be an easy 30 minute trot...if anything at all. There are no races looming so I'm taking my time to make sure everything has had the downtime it needs.
I am, however, going to venture back into the pool. In fact, at the time this post goes up, I'll be pulling myself up out of the pool after my regular Wednesday morning workout.
As of Tuesday night my quads were still pretty tight and sore. The stairs are easier now but I still feel it - especially on the way down.
I asked Doug last night if a week off meant a week off from everything or just from running. "I'm not a sports doctor" he said. "I know, but I want to know what Doug would do. Would he sleep in two more days and go swim on Friday? Or would he get up early on Wednesday and head to the pool?"
Get up early on Wednesday and head to the pool was the response.
The lazy part of me wanted him to say sleep in just so I could without any feelings of guilt.
His rationale was that, when he's tight and sore after a hard run, he often feels better once he starts moving again. Swimming won't put any pressure on my joints, no pounding on my feet, no stress on my quads.
It will, however, get the blood flowing and get my body loosened up a bit.
So I'm off to the pool. Sore quads and all.
In other news, here is my latest training update:
Rocking the compression pants and sexy sandals look.
Walked around for an hour and even ventured up and down the stairs.
There is hope yet for Saturday night!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Fancy Shoes
If I'm not training for one thing, I'm training for another.
My half marathon medal is still warm and I'm already tying on my shoes to prepare for my next challenge.
Another race you ask?
Nope.
A new sport perhaps?
Wrong again.
This time I'm training my feet for an event that is taking place in less than a week. The training program is very rushed but I had to wait until I finished my race before I started the next challenge. I didn't want to mess up one race by training too early for the next.
Any guesses yet?
That's ok. I wouldn't have believed it either except I'm the one doing it.
Thursday night - wear shoes for 90 minutes and go up and down the stairs at least five times
Friday night - off for curling
Saturday night - put on fancy dress, matching bracelet and silver shoes. Try not to fall, twist my ankle, spill my wine or develop a stress fracture.
Sunday - running shoes and compression socks
Wish me luck!
My half marathon medal is still warm and I'm already tying on my shoes to prepare for my next challenge.
Another race you ask?
Nope.
A new sport perhaps?
Wrong again.
This time I'm training my feet for an event that is taking place in less than a week. The training program is very rushed but I had to wait until I finished my race before I started the next challenge. I didn't want to mess up one race by training too early for the next.
Any guesses yet?
That's ok. I wouldn't have believed it either except I'm the one doing it.
That's right folks. I'm wearing heels.
Doug and I are going to a fancy fundraiser on the weekend. I am wearing an honest to goodness dress, complete with little black purse, shiny earrings and fancy bracelet.
My running shoes, even brand new and still clean, do not match my outfit. Neither do my go to black flats that I wear when I dress up a notch for work meetings.
I don't wear heels very often. Once every year or two at most. Putting those puppies on and surviving a night of walking around a winery while balancing a wine glass and plate of gourmet food is not something I can just wing. I must prepare.
My training program is as follows:
Monday night - wear shoes and walk around the house for 30 minutes
Tuesday night - wear shoes and walk around the house for 45 minutes
Wednesday night - wear shoes for 60 minutes and go up and down the stairs at least five timesThursday night - wear shoes for 90 minutes and go up and down the stairs at least five times
Friday night - off for curling
Saturday night - put on fancy dress, matching bracelet and silver shoes. Try not to fall, twist my ankle, spill my wine or develop a stress fracture.
Sunday - running shoes and compression socks
Wish me luck!
Monday, October 28, 2013
The Little Metronome That Could
I started running late in 2007. I ran my first half marathon in the fall of 2008. I ran two more in 2009,
three in 2010, two in 2012, and two more in 2013. No halfs (halves?) were run in 2011 as I was training for a full (which never happened incidentally).
Oh yes my friends. I have now reached double digits. I have ten half marathon medals on my medal rack. Ten, for some reason, feels way bigger than simply 9+1. It feels like I've now earned the right to call myself a half-marathoner.
When I look back on those 10, I have had fabulous races. I ran races with nagging pain or barely recovered injuries. I have run in lovely weather and weather seemingly sent from the bowels of hell (hello Tel Aviv half!). I have had horrid blood sugar races and I have had races that have gone so well that I seemed to be cured...at least temporarily.
No matter the race, the injuries or lack thereof, the weather, the blood sugar or any other variable, there is one thing that is pretty damn consistent. And that is my time.
Take a look:
1. Run for the Grapes (Sept 2008): 2:30:26
2. Ottawa half (May 2009): 2:30:50
3. Run for the Grapes (Sept 2009): 2:25:39
4. Grimsby half (Feb 2010): 2:18:16
5. Cleveland half (May 2010): 2:22:22
6. Run for the Grapes (Sept 2010): 2:22:10
7. Women's half (June 2012): 2:18:30
8. Niagara Falls half (Oct 2012): 2:19:48
9. Tel Aviv half (March 2013): 2:28:10
10. Niagara half (October 2013): 2:24:31
I am, as it turns out, pretty damn consistent. My last 8 half marathons all fell within 10 minutes of each other regardless of how well or how poorly the day went.
Yesterday's run in Niagara Falls went well overall. My injured foot didn't put up any sort of fuss and felt fine from start to finish. So fine that, after a while, I forgot to worry about it.
My blood sugar behaved quite well. I was 4.9 before the start and I had a Clif bar to bump it up. I was 9.0 at the 7k mark and had about 10 raisins. At 14k I was 6.7 so I had a gel. Towards 19k they were handing out jelly beans which I grabbed because I was tired and hungry. At the finish I was 7.0. Pretty stellar numbers there.
My running fitness was a tad disappointing. I ran the first 7k really well but not so fast as to pay later. The second third was pretty good too although I was already flagging. A little slower overall but still strong. The last third fell apart. My ears started plugging up despite my best attempts to stay hydrated and keep my heart rate controlled. My breathing became a little more laboured and I started doing the ol' run a kilometre and then walk a minute or two routine. I hate when I end up doing that because a) once you stop, it's hard to convince your body that it really should start running again and b) I start every race saying I will only walk at the water stations and have yet to run a race where I didn't succumb to the walk.
For the record, I have run long runs where I run the whole thing (other than blood sugar stops) so I know deep down I can do it.
That being said, I am pretty happy with the overall results, especially considering that I started the training back in September not even sure if I'd be fit enough to get to the start line.
I am starting to form a list of goals in my head for 2014. One of them will be to work on increasing my speed so that I can, perhaps, run a sub 2:15 half marathon.
three in 2010, two in 2012, and two more in 2013. No halfs (halves?) were run in 2011 as I was training for a full (which never happened incidentally).
Oh yes my friends. I have now reached double digits. I have ten half marathon medals on my medal rack. Ten, for some reason, feels way bigger than simply 9+1. It feels like I've now earned the right to call myself a half-marathoner.
When I look back on those 10, I have had fabulous races. I ran races with nagging pain or barely recovered injuries. I have run in lovely weather and weather seemingly sent from the bowels of hell (hello Tel Aviv half!). I have had horrid blood sugar races and I have had races that have gone so well that I seemed to be cured...at least temporarily.
No matter the race, the injuries or lack thereof, the weather, the blood sugar or any other variable, there is one thing that is pretty damn consistent. And that is my time.
Take a look:
1. Run for the Grapes (Sept 2008): 2:30:26
2. Ottawa half (May 2009): 2:30:50
3. Run for the Grapes (Sept 2009): 2:25:39
4. Grimsby half (Feb 2010): 2:18:16
5. Cleveland half (May 2010): 2:22:22
6. Run for the Grapes (Sept 2010): 2:22:10
7. Women's half (June 2012): 2:18:30
8. Niagara Falls half (Oct 2012): 2:19:48
9. Tel Aviv half (March 2013): 2:28:10
10. Niagara half (October 2013): 2:24:31
I am, as it turns out, pretty damn consistent. My last 8 half marathons all fell within 10 minutes of each other regardless of how well or how poorly the day went.
Yesterday's run in Niagara Falls went well overall. My injured foot didn't put up any sort of fuss and felt fine from start to finish. So fine that, after a while, I forgot to worry about it.
My blood sugar behaved quite well. I was 4.9 before the start and I had a Clif bar to bump it up. I was 9.0 at the 7k mark and had about 10 raisins. At 14k I was 6.7 so I had a gel. Towards 19k they were handing out jelly beans which I grabbed because I was tired and hungry. At the finish I was 7.0. Pretty stellar numbers there.
My running fitness was a tad disappointing. I ran the first 7k really well but not so fast as to pay later. The second third was pretty good too although I was already flagging. A little slower overall but still strong. The last third fell apart. My ears started plugging up despite my best attempts to stay hydrated and keep my heart rate controlled. My breathing became a little more laboured and I started doing the ol' run a kilometre and then walk a minute or two routine. I hate when I end up doing that because a) once you stop, it's hard to convince your body that it really should start running again and b) I start every race saying I will only walk at the water stations and have yet to run a race where I didn't succumb to the walk.
For the record, I have run long runs where I run the whole thing (other than blood sugar stops) so I know deep down I can do it.
That being said, I am pretty happy with the overall results, especially considering that I started the training back in September not even sure if I'd be fit enough to get to the start line.
I am starting to form a list of goals in my head for 2014. One of them will be to work on increasing my speed so that I can, perhaps, run a sub 2:15 half marathon.
Friday, October 25, 2013
The Week in Review
Lots of little things happened this week so I thought a weekly report, complete with bullet points, was the way to go.
- On Tuesday I received information re the cost of new Dexcom that is coming to Canada.
- On Wednesday I called my insurance company who said that they would cover $1000 of the $1500 cost for the receiver and transmitter and 100% of the cost for the sensors. All I needed was a prescription from my doctor for all three things. Woohoo!
- On Thursday I called my best contact at the Niagara Diabetes Centre and explained the situation. My next appointment there is not until February and they are booked so tightly that I won't be able to get in any earlier. She said to email her all the details of what I need and she will speak with the doctor who will be back next Tuesday (October 29th). She said that she did not think it would be a problem to get me a prescription written. Yes!
- On Tuesday AND Thursday I ran with my new earbuds. The Yurbuds for women. I was more than a little skeptical when I put them in and they felt like they were barely hanging on. I was more than a little impressed when I ran six kilometres and they held on tight and sounded great. I never once had to reach up and adjust. They did not slip or slide nor did the cord bunch or pull. I love them and they will definitely be joining me on the half marathon this Sunday.
- A few weeks ago I wrote a blog wondering about naturopaths. I had never been to one but thought I might like to try. I looked up several in our area. I contacted one by email who was slow to respond and rather unhelpful. I contacted another, asked if they were knowledgeable of type 1 diabetes and athletes. He responded saying yes, he understood type 1 diabetes, knew a lot about sports nutrition and also guessed (correctly) that I might be running in the Niagara half marathon this weekend. My gut said go so I booked an appointment for next Wednesday after work. I am really looking forward to it.
- On Thursday I went to my favourite running store after work. I was all excited because my Brooks adrenaline shoes now came in a fabulous colour combo of purple and lime green.
Pretty eh?
- They had my size which was pretty exciting in and of itself as I wear a rather uncommon 10.5 Wide.
- They opened the box to show me and I looked down to see these shoes staring back at me.
What!?!
- I asked for the purple ones like the ones on the shelf. I was told that Brooks does not make the colourful options available in the wide sizes. Just in the regular sizes. I asked if Brooks discriminates against wide people for any particular reason. I was told that this is how they always do it. I suggested that the next time the Brooks rep comes to the store they could be told about their very unhappy customer with the extra wide feet who likes bright colours. I left with yet another pair of boring, sissy, blue and white shoes. Perhaps the 2014 edition will be a little flashier?
- I was reading an article in Triathlete magazine about on-line dating for triathletes. The article gave a list of things not to talk about on your dating profile or on the first few dates with non-triathletes. One of them was bedtimes. The article strongly suggested that you don't mention about going to bed every night at 8:30pm in order to get up at the crack of dawn. I just want to say, for the record, that it was 8:45pm when I read the article, lying in bed. I read the line out loud to Doug who was happily lying right beside me reading his own bedtime story. Guess it helps to date within the tribe doesn't it?
And that, my friends, is all she wrote.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Les Fractions
Who knew grade six math would come in handy at the ripe old age of 39?
Well, other than my grade six math teacher who assured us that it would.
I was not always stellar in math. In fact, OAC Calculus took two kicks at the can before I got a grade high enough for university application. I was pretty good at multiplication but division came a little slower. I was great at math tricks (ask me to multiply any 2-digit number by 11 and watch how fast I can do it). Math puzzles are fun too...although my skills are a little random in that department. Either I'm really good...or I'm not.
When it comes right down to it, I just really like fiddling with numbers and making them fit nicely into patterns.
I also always make myself do the math in my head before I double check on paper or, gasp!, on my calculator. It's important to keep those wheels greased lest they rust and fall off.
(I just realized that not everyone knows what OAC is. OAC is what we used to call Grade 13, at least in Ontario. Grade 13, something else that kids these days who head off to post-secondary education after Grade 12 also don't know about. Gosheroonies, I am beginning to sound rather dated aren't I?)
Back to the grade six math.
The other night, Doug and I had a very yummy chicken pot pie for dinner. Not homemade this time but from a box. It was warm and delicious....AND had a nutrition label which is always helpful.
Doug had popped the pie into the toaster oven and I was perched on my usual stool sipping wine so I asked him how much of the pie he thought I would eat.
"One third" he responded. "A quarter is not enough and half is too much."
Ok.
I checked the nutrition label. The service size was one quarter of the pie.
Well, other than my grade six math teacher who assured us that it would.
I was not always stellar in math. In fact, OAC Calculus took two kicks at the can before I got a grade high enough for university application. I was pretty good at multiplication but division came a little slower. I was great at math tricks (ask me to multiply any 2-digit number by 11 and watch how fast I can do it). Math puzzles are fun too...although my skills are a little random in that department. Either I'm really good...or I'm not.
When it comes right down to it, I just really like fiddling with numbers and making them fit nicely into patterns.
I also always make myself do the math in my head before I double check on paper or, gasp!, on my calculator. It's important to keep those wheels greased lest they rust and fall off.
(I just realized that not everyone knows what OAC is. OAC is what we used to call Grade 13, at least in Ontario. Grade 13, something else that kids these days who head off to post-secondary education after Grade 12 also don't know about. Gosheroonies, I am beginning to sound rather dated aren't I?)
Back to the grade six math.
The other night, Doug and I had a very yummy chicken pot pie for dinner. Not homemade this time but from a box. It was warm and delicious....AND had a nutrition label which is always helpful.
Doug had popped the pie into the toaster oven and I was perched on my usual stool sipping wine so I asked him how much of the pie he thought I would eat.
"One third" he responded. "A quarter is not enough and half is too much."
Ok.
I checked the nutrition label. The service size was one quarter of the pie.
So folks, pretend you have diabetes (unless you actually do and then don't worry about pretending) and you need to calculate the number of carbs in your dinner in order to take the correct amount of insulin. No calculators allowed.
How many carbs in 1/3 of the chicken pot pie?
If you want to be even more precise, we technically subtract the number of grams of fibre from the number of grams of carbs when we calculate. In other words, 1/4 of the pie is 28 grams of cards - not 30. In this case, it actually made the math a lot easier - at least for me.
Sure I could pull out my calculator. Sure I could just guesstimate it.
Instead, I relied on my grade six fractions classes to pull me through. And pull me through they did. Who know all those fraction homework sheets would one day help me calculate how to keep myself safe and healthy?
I am very glad I paid attention.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Dexcom eh?
Good news! Dexcom is coming to Canada!!
There have already been sightings and it should apparently be ready for wide release by mid-November.
Pretty exciting stuff considering I have read all about it from my US blogger friends who have been using it for years.
What?!?
You don't know who Dexcom is?
First of all, it's not a who. It's a what. Second, it's a CGM which stands for a continuous glucose monitor. In a nutshell, it tests your blood sugar every few minutes and you can see what it's doing by looking at the little screen on the receiver.
Some pictures for those of you who prefer the visuals...
The beauty of a CGM is that, instead of just testing your blood sugar and getting a random number like, say 5.2, you can also see whether you are 5.2 and climbing, 5.2 and dropping or 5.2 and holding steady. It's pretty amazing stuff and (apparently) makes a huge difference in the way people are able to manage their diabetes. It shows trends we would miss by only doing finger pricks - even overnight when we don't tend to check as often and can miss some pretty dramatic ups and downs.
It can also be set to alarm if your blood sugar is too high or too low.
Let's face it. It's not exactly an iPad mini or a new triathlon watch but, for the role it does play, it's a pretty impressive piece of technology.
I called Animas today and asked to be put on the list of people who are interested. I guess that means I'll be notified the minute the Dexcoms are ready. It also means I was sent information about the costs so that I can contact my insurance company to see what, if anything, is covered.
Gulp.
Like everything else in the diabetes world, the costs are rather shocking:
$800 for the receiver
$700 for the transmitter
$340 for a box of four sensors (Each sensor is supposed to last 7 days. Some, of course, will not come anywhere near that. Others, according to my blogger friends, can be stretched out for weeks with enough care and super stick tape.)
So, the starter kit is $1840 (plus taxes I'm assuming) and then, on average, $340 a month for the sensors.
Double gulp.
Looks like I'll be in contact with my insurance company to see what's what. Once I know where they stand, and after I've appealed every decision that even sounds like a no, I can determine if this is even an option.
Having a CGM would make a pretty significant difference in my life. Of that I have no doubt. But having just paid off a huge chunk of debt, I have no interest in accruing any more. And neither the starter kit nor the monthly sensor cost is in this girl's budget.
As always, I will keep you posted.
There have already been sightings and it should apparently be ready for wide release by mid-November.
Pretty exciting stuff considering I have read all about it from my US blogger friends who have been using it for years.
What?!?
You don't know who Dexcom is?
First of all, it's not a who. It's a what. Second, it's a CGM which stands for a continuous glucose monitor. In a nutshell, it tests your blood sugar every few minutes and you can see what it's doing by looking at the little screen on the receiver.
Some pictures for those of you who prefer the visuals...
The black beauty on the left is the Dexcom receiver (it also comes in blue or pink). The screen shows the results of the five minute blood sugar checks in a lovely graph complete with colours. On the right is the Dexcom transmitter.
On the left is the sensor that gets inserted into some part of my abdomen - just like my pump infusion set does. On the right is the transmitter you saw above. It attaches to the sensor, reads the results and sends them to the receiver. Cool eh?
The beauty of a CGM is that, instead of just testing your blood sugar and getting a random number like, say 5.2, you can also see whether you are 5.2 and climbing, 5.2 and dropping or 5.2 and holding steady. It's pretty amazing stuff and (apparently) makes a huge difference in the way people are able to manage their diabetes. It shows trends we would miss by only doing finger pricks - even overnight when we don't tend to check as often and can miss some pretty dramatic ups and downs.
It can also be set to alarm if your blood sugar is too high or too low.
Let's face it. It's not exactly an iPad mini or a new triathlon watch but, for the role it does play, it's a pretty impressive piece of technology.
I called Animas today and asked to be put on the list of people who are interested. I guess that means I'll be notified the minute the Dexcoms are ready. It also means I was sent information about the costs so that I can contact my insurance company to see what, if anything, is covered.
Gulp.
Like everything else in the diabetes world, the costs are rather shocking:
$800 for the receiver
$700 for the transmitter
$340 for a box of four sensors (Each sensor is supposed to last 7 days. Some, of course, will not come anywhere near that. Others, according to my blogger friends, can be stretched out for weeks with enough care and super stick tape.)
So, the starter kit is $1840 (plus taxes I'm assuming) and then, on average, $340 a month for the sensors.
Double gulp.
Looks like I'll be in contact with my insurance company to see what's what. Once I know where they stand, and after I've appealed every decision that even sounds like a no, I can determine if this is even an option.
Having a CGM would make a pretty significant difference in my life. Of that I have no doubt. But having just paid off a huge chunk of debt, I have no interest in accruing any more. And neither the starter kit nor the monthly sensor cost is in this girl's budget.
As always, I will keep you posted.
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