10 Months Later

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1

I will never forget the moment that I realized that I was fated to follow in my grandmother's path, dying too young from the complications of diabetes because mine could not be controlled.

Then the doctor and I agreed that I should go on an insuin pump and was given a few brochures to go over to help me decide the kind of pump I wanted to use. One had tubing and a control mechanism that was to be worn at my waist. The other was the Omnipod.

I have to say that being a well-endowed woman in her fifties, the decision was a no brainer. I'd never be able to see past my bustline to view anything on my waist. And I liked the whole concept of the Omnipod, so that is what I chose.

The first time I woke up with a blood glucose count under 200, I was convinced we had made the correct choice. It is ten months later, and today I woke up with my blood glucose reading at 100. For the past few months, every morning, with few exceptions, my blood glucose reading is between 70 and 120.

I also learned that not all places shown on the user's guide will give the same results. I have a lot of freckles, so finding a spot that is freckle or mole free is a challenge. So is the fact that while my diabetes was uncontrolled, I gained 100 pounds. and there were few lean places on my body that would work well with the pump. Eventually, l learned that my upper arms and my thighs were the best places to put the pod for the best absorption.

I am to the point where most of the day, I am in range, between 70 and 150. But, even so, I was having trouble staying awake at work, especially in the afternoons, or when in a meeting room with poor circulation. However, even this obstacle has been met and is now manageable. I simply avoid carbs during the day. No potatoes, bread, crackers, rolls, rice, noodles or anything like them during the day. I eat some, in moderation during dinner.

Most breakfasts during the work week consist of a sharp, cheddar cheese omelet. Lunch is a salad and roast chicken. Snacks are fruit and cottage cheese, or cheese slices and salami slices. At dinner, I eat only one type of carb. Not two.

No more fading out in meetings. No more feeling like my arms have been weighed down and wanting to crawl under my desk for a few minutes sleep.

I am seeing a change in my body fat, and hope to lose some of that extra poundage. And I'm a lot calmer. That feeling of generalized panic when I get shaky either from eating, or from what I ate, has abated and I feel better than I have in a long time.

Managing diabetes is not for wimps. But the payoff is fantastic.

Jan

2

Thank you, Mark,

You can imagine the concern when I rarely tested below 300 and my feet were already experiencing neuropathy. I take Metanx for my feet now, and my eyesight has noticed an improvement, too.
When I turned 56 and had used everything BUT an insulin pump, with nothing working, I was scared. Now I am much more confident about my future. With the Omnipod, some dietary changes, and U500 insulin, I now have a chance.
Thank you for your encouragement!
Jan

3

Great work! Wonderful hearing inspiring stories like yours. The better I feel, the more motivated I am. I think back to my pre-diagnosis days when I fell asleep (or wanted to) after meals. Gee, if only I had made the connection then between carb laden food & feeling crappy. Duh!

4

Thanks, Gerri. It was incomprehensible to me, too, that 1 piece of toast with my eggs in the morning could set the tone for a very frustrating, high BG number day. And having croutons on my lunch salad could make me feel drugged. It’s been a week on my carb-free daytime diet and I feel better every day. It’s also made me very selective when choosing my carbs at night. For example, pasta is better than rice. Either of those is better than bread. Learning about the glycemic index has also been very helpful. It’s what got me started evaluating how carbs were affecting me at work. Trial and error taught me that there are no good carbs when I need to be alert at work.

All the best, Gerri!

5

I can relate, Jan. I’m always asking waiters to hold the croutons:)

6

Hi Alan,

I didn’t know that insulin sensitivity was higher in the evenings, but it makes a whole lot of sense. I basal at 1.20 units from 9 am to 6 pm and bolus at mid-morning and mid-afternoon.And foregoing the carbs until I get home finally gives me a fighting chance at staying in range… Yesterday, for the first time, I tested at 96 when it was time to go home and ended up having some juice in the car since the 45 minute trip from work to home tends to lower my blood glucose numbers anyway.

I tell my family about how much I’ve learned here on tuDiabetes and how much help it has been in getting me to the point where I am in charge and my BG numbers will rise only if my pod/insulin is going bad, or I knowingly eat something that will cause the numbers to rise. No more wondering why my BG won’t go below 200, and why a piece of bread and peanut butter put me into the 300’s. Encouragement and information that comes from ones like you on this site continue to make a huge difference between managing diabetes and suffering from it.

Thanks!
Jan