Twenty-Four Hours In

I've been attached to Mr. Dex for just over 24 hours now. More like 28. Here is what I have discovered so far:

1. He's not always in sink with my actual blood sugar. In other words, I might be 5.0 but he might think I'm 4.0. He hasn't been too far off, and he responds fairly well to calibrations, but at 3am, it makes a difference. My first night with him he went off about 8 times. He kept thinking I was 3.9 but I was actually hovering right around 5.0. How did I know? Because I checked my blood sugar 8 times between 9pm and 5am. That is 6-7 more times than I normally check - when I don't have a continuous glucose monitor attached to me. And I calibrated almost every time I checked. And yet Mr. Dex still kept freaking out. I turned off the noise so he just vibrated. I then tucked him in bed with me to keep him quiet. I finally resorted to sleeping directly on him to shut him the hell up.

2. I did not run on Thursday morning. Partly because I'm exhausted and a little too busy at work right now. And partly because Mr. Dex kept me up all night. So my blood sugar did not have to deal with a morning exercise routine. It was pretty sweet to watch the graph as I hovered around 6.0 between breakfast and lunch and hovered around 5.0 between lunch and dinner. I'm guessing those basal rates are pretty good - at least on days when I don't exercise.

3. Mr. Dex prevents me from making decisions I would normally make. Last night I was a little high two hours after dinner (11.0). I was hungry before bed and would normally have bolused and eaten a snack knowing I would go higher than 11.0 but then drop back down again overnight. I also know that Mr. Dex is set to alarm if my BG goes higher than 13.0 (or lower than 4.0 for the record). After the previous night's symphony, I decided I'd rather go to bed hungry than spend the night dealing with high BG alarms. It may have been a good decision since late night snacking is not typically encouraged but not a decision I would normally have made. So he will most likely have an impact on my lifestyle choices.

4. He's not nearly as annoying as I thought he'd be in terms of feeling him under my clothes or carrying around another device. I need to remind myself to grab him off my desk before I leave work or toss him in my purse before I leave the house but, otherwise, he's been pretty tame. So far. I'm expecting a few growing pains as we get used to each other but I think he'll slip into my routine fairly easily.

I'll try to post a few photos next week for those of you who asked where I put him or what he looks like. By Monday we should have bonded a little more and gotten used to each other's quirks. He'll have survived a curling bonspiel as well as a family reunion AND and a family dinner. How's that for an initiation weekend?

Stay tuned for more adventures of Mr. Dex.

Mr. Dex Com

Monday, November 25th, was "The first day that the Dexcom was being shipped in Canada" Day.

I knew this because I received an email from Animas the Friday before to let me know.

When I received the email I called Animas and was able to connect with someone who could answer my questions and help me place my order. In answering my questions, she mentioned that the transmitter, one of the three parts of the Dexcom system, has a battery that, once it dies, cannot be replaced. Which means that, when the battery dies, I need a new transmitter.

Which costs $700.

"The battery is guaranteed for six months but some people have reported that they can get almost a year out of it" I was told.

That's better than six months but $700 every six months or (best case) every 12 months is more than I can afford.

So I hit the pause button on my Dexcom order and said I had to speak with my benefit provider first.

I called my benefit provider on Monday morning. I spoke with a helpful lady who listened to me explain the Dexcom and listened to me as I told her what the previous person I spoke with there had told me. I asked her to check whether the transmitter was considered a medical device (which means they pay once) or a medical supply (which means they pay over and over again like they do for test strips).

She checked and said that they do not pay for batteries so the transmitter would not be covered beyond the first one.

I corrected her and said that I didn't need a new battery every 6-12 months, I needed a new transmitter every 6-12 months because, once the battery died, it was time to replace it the transmitter.

She checked again and, this time, confirmed that it was indeed a medical supply and would be covered as many times as I needed with no maximum.

I repeated it back to her to confirm. "So the sensors and the transmitter are both 'supplies' and I can submit receipts every time I get them and you will reimburse me in full."

"Yes".

"Well that's great news now isn't it?" I asked.

She told me what paperwork I had to send and I thanked her.

I hung up and promptly called Animas to order the Dexcom. They took my order, I put $1840 on my credit card and it shipped on Monday afternoon. It arrived late on Wednesday.

I opened all the boxes. 

I laid out all the supplies and poured over the instructions. 

Tell me that doesn't look horrifying. 

I winced in anticipation as I pushed the needle in but it was nowhere near as jarring as the one I had used with my Medtronic CGM. 

Just like that, I was connected. I had to wait two hours for the sensor, transmitter and receiver to be able to speak to each other. Once ready, the pump beeped and I calibrated it by entering my BG and, not long after, headed to bed. I'm not exactly sure what to expect. It might be a restful sleep or might be a nightmare of beeping, vibrations and grumbling. We'll see. 

Don't worry. I'll let you all know how things go. 

Getting the Dexcom reminded me yet again that anything related to diabetes is never a win-win. I'm excited at the possibilities that the Dexcom gives me in terms of better management, spotting trends and having a back-up system to warn me of highs and lows.

On the other hand, I already hate having one thing attached to my body. Now I have two. I'm feeling decidedly robotic and decidedly unsexy.

I remember back when I got my pump and I know there will be an adjustment period as I get used to this new thing on my body. I also know that I will forget about it after a while but never really get over it. I'll just learn to live with it because, ultimately, having it makes it easier to live.

Just like I have gotten used to needles. Finger pricks. Late night gorging on Dex 4s. Pump site changes and the rather disgusting smell of insulin.

Goal Planning

My favourite multi-sport series just announced the dates for the 2014 triathlon season.

I have already been asked several times if I'm doing the Niagara Falls Women's half marathon in June 2014.

There are a few half-marathons early in 2014 that, if I sign up for, would keep me running when the weather gets nasty.

Around the Bay 30k is at the end of March and I need to decide if I'm willing to risk my stress fractures and my ear plugging to tackle the distance.

I want to focus on becoming a stronger and faster runner in 2014 which means I need to change how I train in order to see if I can get my half marathon time a little closer to 2:10 rather than 2:20.

I want to focus on becoming a stronger cyclist since that's my weakest of the three triathlon sports and yet it's the sport that takes the most time during a triathlon. So I need to get more focused on the bike and need to get more cycling in to my training schedule.

I want to do some open-water swim races, at least one 3k and perhaps (perhaps!) a 5k.

I want to do some sprint triathlons as well as a few Olympic distance triathlons in 2014 because I loved that distance last year and want to do more of it.

I seem to have a lot of goals for 2014.

I'm guessing the first goal I need to actually accomplish is to figure out what my goals are going to be eh?

Zone Championships

Last weekend I curled on Friday night like I always do in the winter months.

I then spent a good chunk of Saturday as well as Sunday morning at the curling club. Sitting behind the glass, with my heart in my throat and my hands over my mouth for most of it.

It's stressful watching the man I love compete in a curling tournament - when every game seemed to come down to the last rock in the last end and where millimetres really do make all the difference.

Doug curls a few nights per week and has been doing so for years. He's pretty darn good. This season, he joined forces with three other men to create a Masters team. Their goal was to compete in the Masters Zone Play Down. If they win, they go to the Regionals and then, if they win again, they go to the Provincials.

So last weekend I watched Doug in the Zone championship. There were 8 teams, three from his club and 5 from other clubs in our area.

The first game was on Saturday morning. I got up early to get my long run in and got to the club on time to see the end of the game. It didn't end well and Doug's team lost. That meant that they could not afford to lose again. Another loss and they were out.

The second game was Saturday evening so we ran a few errands, had an early dinner and headed back over. This time I watched every rock in every end. Doug's team dominated for the first few ends but the other team rallied and the last few ends went back and forth as they fought for points. It was nerve-wracking. The last rock in the last end clinched it and Doug's team won!

Sunday morning, we were back at the club before 9am for the final deciding game.

The first end, the other team scored two points.
The second end, Doug's team nabbed three.
The third end, the other team got one point to tie it all up again.
The fourth end, they took two more points to take the lead.
The fifth end, they took one more and were leading by three.
(This is the point where I texted my Irish mother and asked her to send some good luck leprechauns)
In the sixth end, Doug's team took three points to tie it up again.
In the seventh end, they took one more to take the lead.
In the eighth and final end, they got one more point to win!

Looks like we're off to the bustling metropolis of Forest, Ontario for the Regional Championships in a few weeks.

After that, if the leprechauns continue to do their jobs, we're going to Gravenhurst in January for the provincials.

I'm guessing the Olympics are the next stop.

Blood Test Results

Last Friday, on my much-needed day off, I headed over to the naturopath for my follow-up appointment.

I went in full of questions and left full of things to think about.

First of all, I got my blood work results back. After complaining about fatigue, I had been sent for the following blood tests:
- iron
- ferritin (think of ferritin like my iron stores)
- vitamin d
- vitamin b12
- thyroid

Being low in any of these things can result in fatigue so it was worth checking out. I figured I'd be low in iron, low in ferritin and wouldn't have been surprised to find out everything else was low too.

Instead, my iron was fine, my ferritin was fine, my vitamin d was fine, my thyroid was fine and my B12 levels were the highest he's ever seen in someone who is not getting B12 injections.

Well wasn't that nice to hear on a cold Friday morning in November? I asked if I was too high and he said no. Just higher than he is used to seeing. I asked how that was possible since I don't take extra B12 or do anything special to try to get it in my diet. He said I might just be absorbing it really well from my VEGA powder or my multivitamin. Whatever the reason, the blood results were fine which means I have a few less things to worry about.

He then told me that he thinks he figured out that weird thing that happens in my ears when I run. He said it was called 'exercise-induced eustachian tube disfunction'. A long name to be sure but it's not dangerous or problematic. On the other hand, there isn't much we can do to prevent it from happening either. It happens when I run for over an hour and goes away when I stop running. If I start up again, it comes back almost immediately. In my body's struggle to deal with it, it also affects my breathing and I find myself gasping for breath for a few minutes once I do stop.

(For the record, I googled it when I went home and read all about it. Sounds exactly like what I am struggling with. My GP, diabetes doc and my ear nose and throat specialist couldn't figure it out - I'm impressed my naturopath did and that he did it so quickly.)

So I have a diagnosis for my ears and confirmation that my blood test results were good. So what's up with the fatigue you ask?

Here's where things took a turn and I left the appointment with a lot to think about.

"Eustachian Tube Disfunction can sometimes be related to food allergies. So can unexplained fatigue. You're probably not going to want to hear this but I'm going to recommend you try an elimination diet to see if you have any food allergies."

What??!?

He talked about the four most common food allergies (dairy, wheat, eggs and soy) and suggested that, ideally, I would eliminate all of them from my diet for six weeks and then reintroduce them one at a time. "If you're not willing to do that, at least try wheat and dairy."

Bleh!

I drove home and thought about it. I told Doug what the doctor suggested and we talked about it. I thought about it some more.

Pros: if I really do have a food allergy, doing this might help me identify it, make changes to my diet and feel better overall. Not that I feel bad - I just have ears that plug up on long runs and I personally think I'm more tired than I should be given the amount of sleep I get.

Cons: I turn my diet upside down for six weeks. Just in time for Christmas. I wouldn't be able to eat out (easily anyway), I'd have to rethink every meal I eat, I'd be the most annoying dinner guest ever (did I mention Christmas is coming?) and I'd be pretty annoying to live with because every meal would potentially involve two meals and a lot of discussion to ensure all my allergens are avoided. And for what? I have no other reasons to think I have food allergy so it could all be for not.

I did think about doing it after Christmas but we're traveling in February, spending a week with friends, and doing things throughout the year that would never make it easy to find a six-week chunk of time where I can eat every meal at home without too much fuss.

Don't get me wrong. If I had a legitimate food allergy, I'd make all the dietary changes I needed to make to be healthy. But, because all of this is hypothetical, I'm really hesitant.

So, after a weekend of thought, I emailed my naturopath. I said I would continue with everything else he recommended, I'd increase my veggie intake, perhaps cut down, when reasonable, on my wheat, soy, eggs and dairy but I would not be doing the elimination diet at this time.

I felt both relieved and disappointed as I hit 'send'. I also felt like a tiny bit like a jerk since I went to him for advice but didn't take it. It is, however, my life and, ultimately, I need to make the choices that make the most sense for all involved.

So I did.

D-Blog Week Day 6 - Favourites and Motivations

Today we were encouraged to go back into our blogging past and re-post something that we have written. A favourite sentence or blog post. Well, after years of blogging, I still think that the post I'm reposting today is my favourite. If you missed it the first time, enjoy.

Diabetes - What it's Like on the Inside

It's always the same and yet it's always different.

Sometimes it starts with a dry throat and a gentle headache right between my eyes. The kind that makes me squint a bit and brings out those frown lines that I get when I'm thinking hard about something.

Sometimes it starts with a yawn. And then another one. And then another one. I usually start slouching in my chair a bit or get up to make some tea in an effort to wake up.

Sometimes my elbows start to feel a little less bendy. Like the fluid in my joints is starting to solidify.

Sometimes I get a funny taste in my mouth.

Sometimes the symptoms stop there. Sometimes they get worse and my dry throat becomes a crushing thirst, my gentle headache starts to pound, my yawns flow into each other and my joints all begin to join the stiffening chorus. Sometimes my hands start to ache.

Sometimes I clue in quickly. Other times I don't.

I always clue in eventually and grab my glucometer - knowing I'm going to see 16+ on the screen.

Sometimes my lips and tongue start to tingle just a bit. The way they feel when the freezing is coming out after a trip to the dentist.

Sometimes my heart starts beating a little faster and feels like a fluttering bird in my chest.

Sometimes I start to yawn. And yawn. And yawn. I go make a cup of green tea in an effort to wake up a bit.

Sometimes my limbs start to feel light, like gravity was turned down a notch. I become a little more awkward and clumsy than usual.

Sometimes little things annoy me. Things that didn't annoy me even a minute before and things that don't normally annoy me...ever.

Sometimes I clue in quickly. Sometimes I don't.

When I don't, my lips and tongue start tingling a lot - to the point where I can hardly feel them. My heart beat gets crazier and I start to sweat. It comes on fast and furious at that point and I can easily sweat through a hoodie and a jacket as well as my jeans in minutes. The yawns progress to the point where I can hardly get a sentence out between them. The world starts to spin. I need to sit down.

What I really need to do is grab some juice.

Diabetes is a textbook disease made up of numbers. Dosages. Ratios. Units. Time.

Diabetes is often summarized on a piece a paper with pictures of people drinking water or looking pale and shaky. It comes with warnings that a person is in one of the two ends of the blood sugar spectrum and helpful suggestions about what to do.

Diabetes is all of those things. And it's none of those things.

Diabetes is the horror of waking up drenched in sweat and hardly able to reach the Dex 4s on your bedside table and wondering, through the haze, "what if I hadn't woken up?"

Diabetes is the fear of going back to sleep in case it happens again. And it's the feeling of isolation when you get to the pool the next morning, tired and shaken, and no one has any idea what you've been through and how scared you were...and how important it was to get up early anyway so diabetes doesn't win.

Diabetes is the horror of struggling to control a blood sugar of 25 with dose after dose of insulin and feeling that every minute you spend up in the clouds is another minute that diabetes is doing damage to your body. The only body you have. And diabetes is wondering if this high will be the high that puts me over the edge to the land of no return.

Diabetes is the fear of going low 1500m from shore during a triathlon swim and yet still getting in the water because the fear of letting diabetes dictate your life is greater than the fear of an open-water low.

Diabetes is squinting at the tiny air bubbles in your insulin tube, carefully priming to get them out, and then wondering if anyone will do that for you if your eyesight fails and you are no longer able to do that for yourself one day.

Diabetes is listening to people talk about other people with diabetes and all the horrible things happening to them...and refusing to let that stop you from trying to be healthy even though it's just so easy to give up and hand diabetes the reigns.

Diabetes is about doing the same thing, day after day after day, knowing it's only going to work half the time.

Diabetes is about finding a way to be proud of the fact that you test your blood sugar in public and have tubes coming out of you as you walk around the change room after your swim. Because the alternative is hiding and that's not an alternative you're willing to entertain.

Diabetes is all numbers and ratios and signs and symptoms on the outside.

On the inside, it's a never-ending battle between fear and courage. Between motivation and depression. Between the will to fight and the urge to throw in the towel.

Sometimes I'm the one on the left. Sometimes I'm the one on the right. 

Depends on the day. 

The View From The Couch

I have a warm bean bag on my tummy, a blanket over my feet, a glass of red wine and a bottle of water at hand and two cookies sitting on a plate waiting patiently to be eaten. 

I'm on the couch with my laptop on my lap (fitting non?) and I'm all set to write my next blog. 

Problem is that I don't feel like writing about diabetes.

Or running. 

Or swimming. 

I don't feel like writing about what I had for dinner or what I'm doing this weekend. 

Curling isn't doing it for me either. 

I glanced around my living room looking for inspiration. I don't typically need ideas as they tend to flow easily but sometimes I stare at my screen feeling rather stumped. 

Here's what I saw.

I saw the cover of Vanity Fair with Nicole Kidman on it. It made me think about the upcoming Hunger Games movie and how very excited I am to see it. December 5th has already been booked as Hunger Games night and I'm trying to figure out what colour to paint my nails and how crazy to do my eye shadow so I can keep up with Katniss Everdeen. So fun! 

I saw the plate of cookies and was glad that this is not the week I have to write down everything I eat for my naturopath. I did that two weeks ago. And, on Friday, I'm going back for my second appointment. I'm going to find out my blood test results and get some feedback on my eating habits. I'll let you know next week how that goes. 

I saw my iPad and realized that I'm really liking having easy access to books and magazines. I have iPad subscriptions to several magazine and download books regularly. I love the variety and I love that busy week when all the new issues of my magazines come out. That was this week so I'm overwhelmed with choices of what to read: fashion, politics, financial tips, triathlon training, running or cycling. It's great having so much information at my fingertips. 

I saw my baby sitting across from me, quietly reading on his iPad. I realized it's been a rather busy week and we haven't had as much time together as we might like. 

Tonight we have a fun adventure and won't be home until late. Friday I took the day off work and look forward to sleeping in a bit. I don't blog on weekends and, since I have an extra-long weekend, I'll see you folks on the other side. 

Have a good one!