Day One

I've got to start somewhere, and I think better out loud...so this makes sense.  I've found so much good insight and support from other people who have blogs that write about their daily life with type I Diabetes...so.  Here it goes.
Last July I was diagnosed with type II.  I spent most of the summer and fall eating 15 to 30 carb meals, exercising and testing like a crazy person.  My numbers stayed decent...well, they were really good compared to what they've been since then.  My mom died last October and until recently that was the last time I cared about my blood sugar at all.  There were bigger things after that.  I was put on insulin before Christmas and diagnosed with type I shortly after that.  For the next 7 or 8 months I got lucky...I've read a lot about how pancreas function deteriorates more slowly sometimes in adults.  When I was busy pretending I was fine, my pancreas was taking its sweet time quitting.  In September, I finally found a doctor in St.Cloud and went in for my "3 month" (ok, 9 month) A1C, etc...visit.  It was 10.2. Ouch.  I guess thats what happens when you don't test or dose.  Then I went to the Endocrinologist. A1C again.  11.  So, I suck.  At least between the two I'd started testing again, so we had some idea of where to start.  He took me off the Metformin, lowered my basil (Lantus) and changed my rapid (Humalog) dose.  My numbers went up, but at least it was a base.  I felt like crap for about 3 weeks...until he started to adjust the dose based on when I was higher...Its been a roller coaster but after a lot of research, a couple appointments with the diabetic nurse and a dietitian and several endocrine appointments, I'm consistently in the mid to high hundreds (an improvement over the mid to high 300's) and sometimes even the low hundreds.  Last week I forgot to take my insulin ONCE and my BG was over 500.  Thank you pancreas for waiting for me to be smart before you decided to kick the bucket. 

Its a process...its a daily commitment I have to be ready to make...its not like taking an antibiotic where in ten days you can stop, and if you skip a dose you can take two at once...doing something for the rest of my life is tiring to think about, and knowing that if I forget, even once or twice it can have a life threatening effect, is scary.  Testing before meals when I have dinner with a friend is annoying and once in a while embarrassing.  Its a pain when I'm in a hurry and its scary when I feel off.  Its isolating to process all this information and not have anyone who really gets it.  Reading the blogs of some really inspiring women, who are my age, and struggling with the same things is really helpful.  But most of all, its motivating to see that other people are doing it...succeeding, and leading normal, active, healthy lives, makes me want to work hard and achieve the same thing. 

Anyway, I'm off to have dinner with Kim and Noah now.  I'm excited to catch up with both of them :)

Steph

AM: 154
before lunch: 212
2 hrs after: 126
before dinner: 332 (really?)