This is the dilemma that I am often faced with: exercise or something else. In this case, it happens to be a glass of red wine. The day has been long and less than desirable and more than anything I want my thoughts to disappear for awhile, to decompress. I can achieve this by attending an hour long session of yoga. I like the instructor and if I attended the class I know that I would be satisfied when I completed it. I would walk home with my shoulders back and chest lifted a little. I would lift my chin, slow my breaths and feel superior to everyone crossing the street. I would applaud myself for attending the class and be rewarded with a noteworthy blood sugar. However it requires pants, leaving my home where I have just arrived and walking 5 blocks to the athletic center.
OR, I could have a glass of red wine. I could easily walk from my living room to kitchen, without pants, and pour myself a glass of pinot. I could let my mind disappear in the rivulets running down the glass. My body and mind would relax and I would be content. I could eat a pasta dinner and still be rewarded with an ideal blood sugar. Tonight I have chosen the glass of pinot. So why does it feel so wrong?
9.18.2010
Pesto
Ah! I'm not doing very well. It's now Saturday and I haven't posted my Friday Food Blog. I love pesto. The flavor is rich and the texture is smooth with a little crunch. It goes on anything, a turkey sandwich, pasta, crackers, vegetables, bread and so on. It's super easy to make, especially if you have a food processor. I like to pick up a giant batch of basil from the farmer's market and make enough to freeze for the winter. Put all ingredients in food processor or blender. 2 cups basil, 1/2c parmesan, 1/3c pine nuts, 2 garlic cloves and 1/2c olive oil. Salt and pepper as you wish. 
9.10.2010
How Low Can You Go?
I just ran into a T1 friend while walking my pup and it has inspired me to write a blog post. He had just started on a dexcom and I cheered for him. It started me thinking about the beginning of my summer, so I thought I would let ya'll know how I got my A1C from 7.0 to 6.0 in a little over 3 months. Not in a I-know-it-all way, but in a this-is-what-worked-for-me-maybe-it-will-work-for-you way. These are the top 10 things that made a difference.
1. First, I admitted that I needed help. I needed frequent blood sugar review and support from my medical team. I also needed emotional support from those that know what a low blood sugar feels like.
2. I very proudly proclaimed #1 to my endocrinologist and when she did not respond, I went shopping for a new endocrinologist.
3. We sought out a Maternal Fetal High Risk clinic to chat about all of the risks and benefits involved in being pregnant as a Type 1.
4. The result of #2 and #3 were that my new endo and my new high risk APN both wanted to review my sugars weekly via carelink and email. A...MA...ZING! I actually had to choose which one I wanted to review my life.
5. I told myself I had to be completely honest with myself and all medical persons involved. Thus when I had a near perfect week of blood sugars with the exception of one spike into the 300's I explained, "Margarita" Take it or leave it.
6. I became willing to try new things and trust my health care team, which I haven't always done.
7. With some prompting, I became friends with the dual-wave and discovered that I can actually eat pizza. (I had been avoiding pizza for the last 14 years.)
8. My husband and I (mostly him) began a monthly meet up for T1's in the Chicago area Young and Type 1, I became a part of the DOC and I started this blog.
9. I have to exercise consistently. If I go one week without any exercise, sugars start to rise. Long walks. Yoga. Biking. Pilates. Anything will work. Just MOVE your booty!
10. Reluctantly I began bolusing 15 minutes prior to meals (I find it really inconvenient) No more post prandial spikes. No double up arrows on the cgms. No stress after meals.
As a result of these 10 changes, #4 and #8 have been the most significant. To be able to have a physician and an APN that actively participate in my effort to lower my A1C and care about ME has not only given me confidence to try new things, it has inspired me to try harder. Along with my health care team, I have met so many Type 1's from being a part of the DOC and this blog. I have learned from you and have been comforted by you. I can now speak about what is like to live with diabetes, instead of what diabetes is.
1. First, I admitted that I needed help. I needed frequent blood sugar review and support from my medical team. I also needed emotional support from those that know what a low blood sugar feels like.
2. I very proudly proclaimed #1 to my endocrinologist and when she did not respond, I went shopping for a new endocrinologist.
3. We sought out a Maternal Fetal High Risk clinic to chat about all of the risks and benefits involved in being pregnant as a Type 1.
4. The result of #2 and #3 were that my new endo and my new high risk APN both wanted to review my sugars weekly via carelink and email. A...MA...ZING! I actually had to choose which one I wanted to review my life.
5. I told myself I had to be completely honest with myself and all medical persons involved. Thus when I had a near perfect week of blood sugars with the exception of one spike into the 300's I explained, "Margarita" Take it or leave it.
6. I became willing to try new things and trust my health care team, which I haven't always done.
7. With some prompting, I became friends with the dual-wave and discovered that I can actually eat pizza. (I had been avoiding pizza for the last 14 years.)
8. My husband and I (mostly him) began a monthly meet up for T1's in the Chicago area Young and Type 1, I became a part of the DOC and I started this blog.
9. I have to exercise consistently. If I go one week without any exercise, sugars start to rise. Long walks. Yoga. Biking. Pilates. Anything will work. Just MOVE your booty!
10. Reluctantly I began bolusing 15 minutes prior to meals (I find it really inconvenient) No more post prandial spikes. No double up arrows on the cgms. No stress after meals.
As a result of these 10 changes, #4 and #8 have been the most significant. To be able to have a physician and an APN that actively participate in my effort to lower my A1C and care about ME has not only given me confidence to try new things, it has inspired me to try harder. Along with my health care team, I have met so many Type 1's from being a part of the DOC and this blog. I have learned from you and have been comforted by you. I can now speak about what is like to live with diabetes, instead of what diabetes is.
9.01.2010
Gazpacho, Another Blender Wonder
Gazpacho. Refreshing and cool in the heat of the summer. My favorite thing about this recipe is that all ingredients can come from your local farmers market. tomato, cucumber, onion, parsley, garilc, jalapeno (if your spicy). Put it all in a blender and presto! It's done.
8.27.2010
Bolus Deserving Desserts
When choosing dessert, there are some sweet things that I consider to be bolus deserving and some that are not. Ice cream, especially when of the chocolate peanut butter type, is always deserving of an extra bolus. Flan is not. Carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting definitely get a yes vote from me, white cake with crunchy frosting, no An oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips, yes. An oatmeal cookie with raisins, no. Cheesecake takes some serious consideration. Crust is important. Graham cracker is favorable. Flavor is also important. Mint can be passed up. Strawberry, maybe. Chocolate, bolus deserving.
There are also some desserts that I am reconsidering. Pie is an example. I have politely refused pie for many years now, so much so, that I had convinced myself that I didn't like pie. It was not a difficult refusal. Would you like some peach pie? No thanks. However, after riding my bicycle across the state of Iowa and being lured by roadside signs such as Grandma's Homemade Pies- 5 miles, I think I might love pie. Grandma Sue's homemade dutch apple. Mama's homemade peach. What was once not worthy of a bolus, has now become the dessert that makes my mouth water. Pies made by grandma-Bolus Deserving.
There are also some desserts that I am reconsidering. Pie is an example. I have politely refused pie for many years now, so much so, that I had convinced myself that I didn't like pie. It was not a difficult refusal. Would you like some peach pie? No thanks. However, after riding my bicycle across the state of Iowa and being lured by roadside signs such as Grandma's Homemade Pies- 5 miles, I think I might love pie. Grandma Sue's homemade dutch apple. Mama's homemade peach. What was once not worthy of a bolus, has now become the dessert that makes my mouth water. Pies made by grandma-Bolus Deserving.
8.26.2010
What's in a Number?
If you are a type 1 diabetic like myself, you know that Hemoglobin A1c is a measure of your average glucose over the past 2-3 months. It is presented to you multiple times a year in the form of a percentage. The higher your glucose levels, the higher the percentage and vice versa. If you happen to meet another T1 you might discuss HA1c, however you would never have the guts to ask. It's a taboo subject. It's synonymous with asking how much they weigh or how old they are. It's off limits. Because it is a way of comparison, a way of telling how well you are managing your disease compared to others. And since this number is controllable (for the most part) by you, it becomes a competition. How low can I go? How am I doing compared to others?
At one of our first meet ups for Young and Type 1, I was introduced to Jacob, a 21 year old male with T1. He sat down on the sofa with his coffee, introduced himself and proclaimed, to prove to all of you that I am diabetic, I'm going to measure my glucose right now. He then proceeded to whip his meter out of his backpack and take his blood sugar. Since you are all wondering what it is I'll show you. He then flipped around his meter and to reveal his result of 96. And thing is, we did want to know. Badly. We all wanted to know.
So what does Hemoglobin A1c really mean for us diabetics?
This is THE number that determines whether we are in control or out of control. It is the primary tool we have to measure our success or failure. It is the number that every physician wants to know. It is the number we measure ourselves by or try not to measure ourselves by. It is the number no one wants to reveal. It is the number we feel self-conscious about and the number we strive to have lower and lower. It is the number we celebrate and the number that can cause tears. If you want to become pregnant, like myself, it is the bane of your existence for months. It determines whether or not your womb is safe to be occupied. Everything weighs on this number. Which is why I am happy to report most recent result of 6.0% that I thought was impossible to achieve.
Yet, does everything really weigh on this number? My current targets are 70-100 before meals, 140 one hour post meal, 120 two hours post meal. That's a narrow range I have to keep. If I am able to maintain these targets consistently, my average would be 105 which is the equivalent of an HA1c of 5.3%. However if I maintain a range of 30-180, my average is also 105 or 5.3%. The latter is not necessarily a place I want to be in, yet would I be satisfied with a number of 5.3% even if I was bouncing from 30 to 180 each day? While I strive to have my number lower and lower and wait in anticipation for each result, I try to remember that this number is not flawless. It is simple math, an AVERAGE, which might not always tell the whole story. It is not the bane of my existence nor the sole measure of how well I am managing my diabetes. Nonetheless, with my number of 6.0%, I've been cleared to put a bun in the oven and it's not going to get burnt. I feel good about that.
At one of our first meet ups for Young and Type 1, I was introduced to Jacob, a 21 year old male with T1. He sat down on the sofa with his coffee, introduced himself and proclaimed, to prove to all of you that I am diabetic, I'm going to measure my glucose right now. He then proceeded to whip his meter out of his backpack and take his blood sugar. Since you are all wondering what it is I'll show you. He then flipped around his meter and to reveal his result of 96. And thing is, we did want to know. Badly. We all wanted to know.
So what does Hemoglobin A1c really mean for us diabetics?
This is THE number that determines whether we are in control or out of control. It is the primary tool we have to measure our success or failure. It is the number that every physician wants to know. It is the number we measure ourselves by or try not to measure ourselves by. It is the number no one wants to reveal. It is the number we feel self-conscious about and the number we strive to have lower and lower. It is the number we celebrate and the number that can cause tears. If you want to become pregnant, like myself, it is the bane of your existence for months. It determines whether or not your womb is safe to be occupied. Everything weighs on this number. Which is why I am happy to report most recent result of 6.0% that I thought was impossible to achieve.
Yet, does everything really weigh on this number? My current targets are 70-100 before meals, 140 one hour post meal, 120 two hours post meal. That's a narrow range I have to keep. If I am able to maintain these targets consistently, my average would be 105 which is the equivalent of an HA1c of 5.3%. However if I maintain a range of 30-180, my average is also 105 or 5.3%. The latter is not necessarily a place I want to be in, yet would I be satisfied with a number of 5.3% even if I was bouncing from 30 to 180 each day? While I strive to have my number lower and lower and wait in anticipation for each result, I try to remember that this number is not flawless. It is simple math, an AVERAGE, which might not always tell the whole story. It is not the bane of my existence nor the sole measure of how well I am managing my diabetes. Nonetheless, with my number of 6.0%, I've been cleared to put a bun in the oven and it's not going to get burnt. I feel good about that.
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