Sunday, breakfast:
1 1/2 cups soymilk (365 brand, "normal", sweetened)
1 tbsp Brewer's yeast
1 cup honey bunches of oats, honey roasted flavor (cereal)
1 small banana (I estimated it at 15 grams of carbs)
Sunday, midmorning:
25 jelly beans
Sunday, lunch:
pizza bread (basically white bread with tomato sauce, onions, mushrooms, and olives)
Sunday, while out walking:
granola bar (Nature Valley, Oats n' Honey flavor)
Sunday, supper:
Garlic bread (three types of bread with lots of garlic and some oil)
more jelly beans
Monday, breakfast
lentils with bits of sweet potato, onion
spelt noodles
little bit of bread
Monday, early lunch
lentils with bits of sweet potato, onion,
spelt noodles
Monday, later lunch
1 cup unsweetened Edensoy (this is actually the stuff Bernstein recommends drinking but I drank it even before I read his book, because my mother likes it)
2 tbsp Brewer's Yeast
extremely thin slice of pizza bread, with hummus
Monday, hypotime
1/3 cup applesauce
1 dum dum
Monday, still not suppertime
1/2 cup tomato juice, RubyKist brand
Monday, suppertime
1 large white potato (boiled) with lentil dish
Monday, bedtime
2 dum dums
Tuesday breakfast
1 microwaved red potato (raw weight 120 grams)
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
Tuesday lunch
1 packet of instant oatmeal- raisin and walnut flavor
Tuesday afternoon
1 big gulp honey
1 dum dum
Tuesday on the way home
1 dum dum
Tuesday late afternoon snack
1 bowl stir fried vegetables- onion, eggplant, zucchini, cauliflour with soy sauce
about 1/4 cup sticky rice
boiled cabbage
Tuesday suppertime
Roasted and salted sunflower seeds
More stir fry- onion, eggplant, zuchhini, cauliflour with Brewer's Yeast
1 cup rice
1 cup soymilk- vanilla slightly sweetened (365 brand)
1/8 cup cereal- granola
handful of popcorn, no toppings
Tuesday bedtime
one baked potato, larger than the morning's
honey
2 dum dums
Tuesday later
honey
Wednesday pre-prayers
unsweetened Silk with tomato juice
Wednesday breakfast
vanilla soymilk with shredded wheat and BreKewer's Yeast
roasted unsalted, already shelled, sunflower seeds
Wednesday on the way to work (roughly lunchtime):
16 tea biscuits (3 grams CHO each)
1 sandwich (2 pieces of 1/2 whole wheat bread, about 1 tbsp peanut butter- the kind that's nothing but roasted peanuts, and 1 small tomato)
Wednesday when I got home:
soymilk with multigrain cheerios
Wednesday supper:
soymilk with Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Golden Honey Nut cereal (it tasted like peanut brittle)
stir fry (cauliflower, eggplant, onion, and zucchini) with rice and with Newman's tomato sauce
Thursday before prayers:
1/4 cup vanilla soymilk (I mixed it with water)
Thursday brunch:
grits with raisins (a lot of it)
Thursday early afternoon:
chocolate wafers
Thursday late afternoon:
Stew- eggplant, flax, zucchini, carrot, onion, garbanzo beans
Thursday evening:
Cooking water and some lentils left over after cooking a pot of lentils for a house of mourning.
2 dried apricots
Friday breakfast:
Unsweetened Silk Soymilk, Brewer's yeast, and toasted oats cereal
Friday at work:
gulp of honey
Friday lunch:
one packet instant oatmeal, raisins and walnut flavor
2 rice cakes
Friday afternoon snack:
2 rice cakes
chocolate wafers
Sometime on the sabbath:
three types of soymilk, flaxmilk
boiled potatoes
some kind of stew with lentils and spinach
borsht- mostly beets but also some celery and onions
tea biscuits
2 medjool dates (these are supposed to raise blood sugar really fast but I have never noticed them actually doing this)
bread
broccoli
hummus
soy hotdogs
wheat germ
half of a zucchini muffin
two types of breakfast cereal
breaded eggplant sticks (they look like fishsticks)
semi sweet chocolate chips
apple juice (we somehow forgot to buy grape juice)
roasted sunflower seeds
one pear (juicy and ripe)
soy "sour cream" (this tastes absolutely nothing like I remember sour cream but my mother makes it from tofu about once a month and claims it's sour cream. It tastes more like kefir.)
Saturday evening:
one dum dum
one small baked potato
three rice cakes
another small baked potato
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Research idea
I've been thinking for a while about the internet being a vast source of information, but how a lot of the information that I want isn't available. And I keep thinking, what if a hundred or two hundred diabetics decided to get together and submit their own questions and data to each other and monitor it for years and then share it.
I think the project would go like this:
First of all, the people I want data on are people who are or have been on insulin for a significant amount of time. I'm going to say 10% of your life. I also want people who are going to be available for follow up, so people participating have to be volunteering their own data, not their kids'. And they have to commit to continuing to participate, and that means also giving me or somebody else their name to find an obituary if they die. So that's the inclusion criteria.
I then would need a whole lot of people to volunteer, in order to collect much meaningful data. Like I said, I'm thinking at least 100. Each person joining would need to submit their contact information, some statement to the effect that they want to join, and if they want to, would have the option of submitting the question(s) that they want the other people to be asked. The questions should be quantifiable type questions- not, "How did you feel?" but "Have you seen a therapist?" or "Have you been depressed?" not, how does your skin look, but "Do you have scar tissue at your injection sites?"
Then at some point we'd start the study, and probably for anonymity, assign or ask for a code name or number for each participant. Send out all the questions that everybody's submitted. Everybody returns the survey, with somebody badgering them until they do. Publically shared is the percentage answering each question in different ways, and maybe some large analysis; private to the members are any linkages that anybody asks for. For example, a participant might ask, of people who answered X1 to question number 14, how many answered Z1 to question 23? Of people who answered X2 to question number 14, how many answered Z1 to question 23?s
We would send out the same group of questions to the participants every year, except for questions like when did you go on insulin and how old are you. Participants would continue to be able to ask for linkage on past questions. For example, of people who answered Z2 to question 23 in the first year, but answered Z1 later, how many answered question 14 with X1 the first year?
Some questions I'd hope a study like this might answer are: what factors change the risk of lipodystrophy? What factors change the risk of scarring? How prevalent is lipodystrophy?
What questions would you want answered?
I think the project would go like this:
First of all, the people I want data on are people who are or have been on insulin for a significant amount of time. I'm going to say 10% of your life. I also want people who are going to be available for follow up, so people participating have to be volunteering their own data, not their kids'. And they have to commit to continuing to participate, and that means also giving me or somebody else their name to find an obituary if they die. So that's the inclusion criteria.
I then would need a whole lot of people to volunteer, in order to collect much meaningful data. Like I said, I'm thinking at least 100. Each person joining would need to submit their contact information, some statement to the effect that they want to join, and if they want to, would have the option of submitting the question(s) that they want the other people to be asked. The questions should be quantifiable type questions- not, "How did you feel?" but "Have you seen a therapist?" or "Have you been depressed?" not, how does your skin look, but "Do you have scar tissue at your injection sites?"
Then at some point we'd start the study, and probably for anonymity, assign or ask for a code name or number for each participant. Send out all the questions that everybody's submitted. Everybody returns the survey, with somebody badgering them until they do. Publically shared is the percentage answering each question in different ways, and maybe some large analysis; private to the members are any linkages that anybody asks for. For example, a participant might ask, of people who answered X1 to question number 14, how many answered Z1 to question 23? Of people who answered X2 to question number 14, how many answered Z1 to question 23?s
We would send out the same group of questions to the participants every year, except for questions like when did you go on insulin and how old are you. Participants would continue to be able to ask for linkage on past questions. For example, of people who answered Z2 to question 23 in the first year, but answered Z1 later, how many answered question 14 with X1 the first year?
Some questions I'd hope a study like this might answer are: what factors change the risk of lipodystrophy? What factors change the risk of scarring? How prevalent is lipodystrophy?
What questions would you want answered?
Friday, August 31, 2012
Am Dancing on the Inside
The A1c is 6.2%!
The microalbumin is 0.4!!
The serum creatinine and TSH and just about everything are NORMAL.
The total cholesterol is 104 with LDL and HDL both being about 40.
And did I mention? I gained weight!
The microalbumin is 0.4!!
The serum creatinine and TSH and just about everything are NORMAL.
The total cholesterol is 104 with LDL and HDL both being about 40.
And did I mention? I gained weight!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Post Endo Visit
What we did:
- I got weighed in and my weight is up to 102 lb. Woot!
- Discussed my blood sugar trends. He thinks it's looking pretty good- suggested taking an extra shot of Regular around 5 PM to forstall the rise in blood sugar that I often see.
- Discussed my hands- he says it probably isn't diabetic neuropathy.
- Discussed injection methods. He told me a few stories about patients and people with diabetes he's known. I wonder if I'm a story he tells or will tell anybody. I love hearing his stories.
- Got prescriptions for Regular, test strips, and glucagon.
- Mentioned the cardiac issues. He mentioned a holter monitor. Didn't think it was necessary, but an option to keep in mind.
- Had blood drawn for blood chemistry, A1c and TSH. Gave a urine sample for microalbumin.
If anybody wants to guess my A1c, you have until he tells me the results. My one month average is 131, the previous month was 139, and the three month average is 134.
- I got weighed in and my weight is up to 102 lb. Woot!
- Discussed my blood sugar trends. He thinks it's looking pretty good- suggested taking an extra shot of Regular around 5 PM to forstall the rise in blood sugar that I often see.
- Discussed my hands- he says it probably isn't diabetic neuropathy.
- Discussed injection methods. He told me a few stories about patients and people with diabetes he's known. I wonder if I'm a story he tells or will tell anybody. I love hearing his stories.
- Got prescriptions for Regular, test strips, and glucagon.
- Mentioned the cardiac issues. He mentioned a holter monitor. Didn't think it was necessary, but an option to keep in mind.
- Had blood drawn for blood chemistry, A1c and TSH. Gave a urine sample for microalbumin.
If anybody wants to guess my A1c, you have until he tells me the results. My one month average is 131, the previous month was 139, and the three month average is 134.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
The endo appointment is Wednesday and I've been looking at my numbers really critically the last few days. My average as far back as this Dexcom goes (which is between two and three months) is 134. My biggest blood sugar weaknesses are: night time, especially when I'm asleep, and suppertime. In order to get a good distribution chart of when my BG is in what range, I reset the range to each 10 pt interval and looked at % in range. For 10 pt ranges after the 260s, the percent in range always came out 0, but there really is 1 last percentage point if you look at all points 270+, which is why the numbers on this graph add up to 99%.
Make a graph
Edit: None of the diabetes software I've used has ever offered "mode" as a stat, but you the term for the most common data point in a group is mode. In the chart above, 110s is my mode
Make a graph
Edit: None of the diabetes software I've used has ever offered "mode" as a stat, but you the term for the most common data point in a group is mode. In the chart above, 110s is my mode
Friday, August 17, 2012
Made an Endo Appt
It's been 5 months since I saw the endo, although it doesn't feel that long. I scheduled an appointment for the 29th, three days before my six year anniversary of being on insulin. I want to get my endo's take on what's going on with my hands.
I am going to put up lots of data between now and then about what my blood sugar's been doing and you all are once again invited to guess at my A1c.
For July, my Dexcom average was 139 with a standard deviation of 52. But it was really not being all that accurate, I don't know why. For August so far I'm averaging 132. But it's still being really inaccurate. For instance, of my last ten calibrations:
Dexcom v Accu Chek
224 v 150
98 v 60
209 v 168
189 v 153
243 v 181
64 v 98
148 v 191 (for this one, it should be admitted that my blood sugar was rising rapidly)
162 v 240
85 v 120
108 v 54
Pretty poor, yeah? None closer than 34 mg/dl apart. Compare this to a time when my sensors were doing much better, say, one month ago. Looking at my chart for July 17 and going back 10 readings, the accuracy is like this:
Dexcom v Accu Chekt
261 v 256
204 v 186
128 v 116
160 v 120
254 v 264
157 v 138
207 v 177
171 v 171
244 v 231
218 v 156
Which is worse blood sugars (really, yuck) but features one pair that was exactly the same, a lot of pairs really close, and only two pairs with a difference big enough to change whether or not I'd give insulin or eat (the fourth and last).
I really noticed the inaccuracy starting a couple of days after I injured my hand and suspect that the medication I took for the hand (Voltarin) was part of that, although I'm now off the Voltarin and the numbers don't seem better.
I am going to put up lots of data between now and then about what my blood sugar's been doing and you all are once again invited to guess at my A1c.
For July, my Dexcom average was 139 with a standard deviation of 52. But it was really not being all that accurate, I don't know why. For August so far I'm averaging 132. But it's still being really inaccurate. For instance, of my last ten calibrations:
Dexcom v Accu Chek
224 v 150
98 v 60
209 v 168
189 v 153
243 v 181
64 v 98
148 v 191 (for this one, it should be admitted that my blood sugar was rising rapidly)
162 v 240
85 v 120
108 v 54
Pretty poor, yeah? None closer than 34 mg/dl apart. Compare this to a time when my sensors were doing much better, say, one month ago. Looking at my chart for July 17 and going back 10 readings, the accuracy is like this:
Dexcom v Accu Chekt
261 v 256
204 v 186
128 v 116
160 v 120
254 v 264
157 v 138
207 v 177
171 v 171
244 v 231
218 v 156
Which is worse blood sugars (really, yuck) but features one pair that was exactly the same, a lot of pairs really close, and only two pairs with a difference big enough to change whether or not I'd give insulin or eat (the fourth and last).
I really noticed the inaccuracy starting a couple of days after I injured my hand and suspect that the medication I took for the hand (Voltarin) was part of that, although I'm now off the Voltarin and the numbers don't seem better.
On Wednesday I met with an occupational therapist that the orthopedic surgeon had suggested. She did some testing, and didn't really find anything wrong, other than what I said was wrong. My grip strength and pinch strengths are normal. My range of motion is normal, and my flexibility is normal.
The OT doesn't particularly think I have carpal tunnel or diabetic neuropathy. She thinks I am generally overworked and carry too much stuff and don't get enough rest and it just happens to be manifesting in my hands.
Although most of what she said is somewhat disturbing, one of the things she said keeps niggling at me. I asked if she said I had diabetic neuropathy. And she said I could, I could not, and that it didn't matter- I shouldn't be thinking that that's the problem because, according to her, that would be too easy. That would let me say, it's not an issue of how much I'm overworking my body, or what I'm doing lifestyle wise.
Diabetic neuropathy, easy? It's a thought.
There is, of course, the larger issue that she does not believe occupational therapy would help me with my hands and that what I really need to do is figure out how to work less, and less intensively. Which is the sort of thing I feel like a person can better get away with she has been working for thirty plus years, and not so much when he is applying for jobs. Also, I don't really feel comfortable taking things easy.
The OT doesn't particularly think I have carpal tunnel or diabetic neuropathy. She thinks I am generally overworked and carry too much stuff and don't get enough rest and it just happens to be manifesting in my hands.
Although most of what she said is somewhat disturbing, one of the things she said keeps niggling at me. I asked if she said I had diabetic neuropathy. And she said I could, I could not, and that it didn't matter- I shouldn't be thinking that that's the problem because, according to her, that would be too easy. That would let me say, it's not an issue of how much I'm overworking my body, or what I'm doing lifestyle wise.
Diabetic neuropathy, easy? It's a thought.
There is, of course, the larger issue that she does not believe occupational therapy would help me with my hands and that what I really need to do is figure out how to work less, and less intensively. Which is the sort of thing I feel like a person can better get away with she has been working for thirty plus years, and not so much when he is applying for jobs. Also, I don't really feel comfortable taking things easy.
Monday, August 06, 2012
I first flunked a neuropathy screening on my feet in 2009, which prompted me to reduce blood sugar testing on my toes, and I stopped testing on my toes altogether in 2010 when I started using Dexcom and reduced the total number of blood sugar tests that I was doing.
As it was three years from diabetes diagnosis to the first suggestion that I had neuropathy, it was three years from the suggestion of neuropathy to the suggestion that I had neuropathy not just in a foot, but in all four limbs.
And now I wonder- my hands are being medicated. I have an NSAID goop on them. Should I go back to checking blood sugar on my toes? I mean... if I have neuropathy in my hands as well as feet, why favor the feet?
As it was three years from diabetes diagnosis to the first suggestion that I had neuropathy, it was three years from the suggestion of neuropathy to the suggestion that I had neuropathy not just in a foot, but in all four limbs.
And now I wonder- my hands are being medicated. I have an NSAID goop on them. Should I go back to checking blood sugar on my toes? I mean... if I have neuropathy in my hands as well as feet, why favor the feet?
Saturday, August 04, 2012
You'd think being in pain and stressed out would raise my insulin needs but it hasn't. Instead I'm taking 7 units of Lantus per night and about 15 units of Regular per day. My insulin needs really haven't picked up since I got back from vacation and I don't know why.
My orthopedic surgeon changed the diagnosis from diabetic neuropathy with carpal (tarsal) tunnel, to neuritis with carpal (tarsal) tunnel. I think that's because it's getting better, whatever the heck it is.
I'm having second thoughts about buying the jet injector because I'm not getting a person when I call (I did on my first couple of calls- why not now?) and because I keep thinking that it's a long term investment and what if something better comes along?
My orthopedic surgeon changed the diagnosis from diabetic neuropathy with carpal (tarsal) tunnel, to neuritis with carpal (tarsal) tunnel. I think that's because it's getting better, whatever the heck it is.
I'm having second thoughts about buying the jet injector because I'm not getting a person when I call (I did on my first couple of calls- why not now?) and because I keep thinking that it's a long term investment and what if something better comes along?
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Update on Me- Lots of Small Annoyances
I got new glasses in June (I'm near sighted). My prescription changed a lot in one eye, and I decided I wanted totally new glasses. A couple of days after I got my new glasses, I walked past a door and did a double take- it looked totally warped into a C shape. When I looked at it head-on, it was fine. After that I couldn't stop noticing that everything in my peripheral vision was warped. I use my peripheral vision less than most people do (sensory processing dysfunction- had an OT work with me for a long time trying to get me to track things and look at things without turning my head- I feel safer when I don't see things in my periphery). I went to the optometrist, who did something to my glasses and told me to give it a few days. It's still just as bad.
A few days after I came from my vacation, I started walking into things a lot, and kept injuring myself. In one day, I racked up four scrapes, one bruise, and one burn. The rate of injury has dropped off since then but I'm not doing so great.
A week ago Friday, in the evening I wanted to lie on my side and tried to prop myself up with my left hand. There was an excruciating pain across the top of my hand and I fell. I thought it was yet another stupid joint issue and didn't think too much of it, tried to just use my right. Kept hurting the left everytime something bumped it. Monday night, the hand started feeling the way it did when I had an IV infiltrate- tingly and swollen. So on Tuesday I went to see an orthopedic surgeon, figuring I had a sprain or a fracture. But he took a look at my hand and said, "Interesting- this is acute tarsal carpel tunnel syndrome". He says his tentative diagnosis is diabetic neuropathy with carpal tunnel syndrome. That is really depressing. I think he's wrong though- I wouldn't be surprised if I do have neuropathy (both hands and feet have been tingling in a non-painful way) and there's clearly some nerve involvement. But it's the wrist that's really been hurting and it's across the top of my hand, and it's as much on both sides of the hand (thumbward and pinkieward) and plus, I'm only 23 years old.
I'm now wearing a splint and applying a topical NSAID. My Dexcom has been performing pretty erratically and I wonder if it's the NSAID, which is Voltaren Gel (diclofenac sodium topical gel). I'm having a little difficulty in doing shots- I can easily do an injection one-handed, the hard part is drawing up the insulin. And taking the caps off the syringe. Tips welcome.
I'm also having an issue with extreme, sporadic, dizziness. Like everything around me is spinning, but I'm not hypo.
Also, on Friday morning I woke up a little high (218 mg/dl) and tested urine ketones, which were moderate. I tested blood ketones and got a 2.0!!! Unfortunately the strip was a month past the expiration date and I don't have anymore of them, so I couldn't confirm or disprove the result. I took a lot of insulin for breakfast and supper, and my urine was ketone free by evening.
My computer, a little Eee PC, is also having some issues and was giving me blue screen deaths. It works okay as long as I keep it in safe mode (with networking) but the sound won't work and if I go out of safe mode, it restarts.
Despite all that, I'm feeling okay. Have been enjoying finding work arounds, but hoping to return to the state my body was in a month ago.
A few days after I came from my vacation, I started walking into things a lot, and kept injuring myself. In one day, I racked up four scrapes, one bruise, and one burn. The rate of injury has dropped off since then but I'm not doing so great.
A week ago Friday, in the evening I wanted to lie on my side and tried to prop myself up with my left hand. There was an excruciating pain across the top of my hand and I fell. I thought it was yet another stupid joint issue and didn't think too much of it, tried to just use my right. Kept hurting the left everytime something bumped it. Monday night, the hand started feeling the way it did when I had an IV infiltrate- tingly and swollen. So on Tuesday I went to see an orthopedic surgeon, figuring I had a sprain or a fracture. But he took a look at my hand and said, "Interesting- this is acute tarsal carpel tunnel syndrome". He says his tentative diagnosis is diabetic neuropathy with carpal tunnel syndrome. That is really depressing. I think he's wrong though- I wouldn't be surprised if I do have neuropathy (both hands and feet have been tingling in a non-painful way) and there's clearly some nerve involvement. But it's the wrist that's really been hurting and it's across the top of my hand, and it's as much on both sides of the hand (thumbward and pinkieward) and plus, I'm only 23 years old.
I'm now wearing a splint and applying a topical NSAID. My Dexcom has been performing pretty erratically and I wonder if it's the NSAID, which is Voltaren Gel (diclofenac sodium topical gel). I'm having a little difficulty in doing shots- I can easily do an injection one-handed, the hard part is drawing up the insulin. And taking the caps off the syringe. Tips welcome.
I'm also having an issue with extreme, sporadic, dizziness. Like everything around me is spinning, but I'm not hypo.
Also, on Friday morning I woke up a little high (218 mg/dl) and tested urine ketones, which were moderate. I tested blood ketones and got a 2.0!!! Unfortunately the strip was a month past the expiration date and I don't have anymore of them, so I couldn't confirm or disprove the result. I took a lot of insulin for breakfast and supper, and my urine was ketone free by evening.
My computer, a little Eee PC, is also having some issues and was giving me blue screen deaths. It works okay as long as I keep it in safe mode (with networking) but the sound won't work and if I go out of safe mode, it restarts.
Despite all that, I'm feeling okay. Have been enjoying finding work arounds, but hoping to return to the state my body was in a month ago.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)