3 years ago exactly, I had 11 hours until an IV would infuse the insulin that would wake me out of months of stupor. 7 hours left until I’d learn the news that would shatter my long committment to staying off any and all medications. 7 hours until one little blood sugar meter said BEEP BEEP BEEP 425.
That first year was rough, learning to manage diabetes and also being out on my own and turning 18 and all of that. There was a lot of really scary hypoglycemia.
The second year was smooth sailings, really. It had ups and downs, such as allergic reactions to the stuff I was trying, but mostly it was good.
The third year, well, this third year was probably the roughest yet.
Microalbuminuria made me depressed. After a long wait for an insurance decision, I failed to get coverage for a CGMS- insurance making the case that only persons 25 and up should get CGMSes. Cholecystitis (with cholelethiases) treated me to some of the worst pain known to man (now new and improved! with bg rises of 300 mg/dl per hour!). A cholecystectomy improved but failed to vanquish the pain. Thyroiditis shook me up (literally). Neuropathy left me cold. And that was only a few of the lovely treats that my third year on insulin had to offer.
Fortunately, things are looking better as I head into my fourth year with exogenous insulin (I refuse to call it my fourth year with diabetes on the grounds that I was probably diabetic for over a year pre-dx). Since the beginning of June, my A1c has dropped a percentage point, and I regained 6 of the 22 pounds I didn’t want to lose in the first place, while my TSH has finally risen into the normal range (yay!). My pain levels are not slight, but they’re much better. I haven’t seen a blood sugar reading over 300 or below 40 in a full month (since August 1st, to be exact). I’m hoping to get a new job soon soon soon, and will pick one with insurance coverage for a CGMS. So, things will get better and better and better. They’d better!
During my 4th year with diagnosed diabetes, I am probably not going to be able to avoid picking up new diagnoses, as I need to follow up on some current medical problems. Like the post-cholecystectomy syndrome.
My hopes/goals that will not be my fault if I miss:
To regain weight. 10 pounds would be about perfect. I wouldn’t complain about 5 or even 25. Just please, body, no losing.
To get an A1c below 6%. But a 6.2 would make me really happy, and I would settle for staying below 7%.
Stabilize a bit! Is it too much to ask that I have stable basal needs for two whole weeks at a time?
Keep up the good work re: avoiding severe hypoglycemia.
Don’t get any brand new diseases. No celiac. No vitiligo. No hypertension. Do you hear me body? Give me a rest, let me recover from this year’s slew of insults. Please!
By the way, here is my A1c history going backwards:
August 28, 2009: 6.4
April 17, 2009: 7.2
February 28, 2009 6.9
October 24, 2008 6.6
June 18, 2008 6.3
March 12, 2008 7.0
December 5, 2007 6.4
August 23, 2007 6.3
May 16, 2007 6.3
January 11, 2007 6.5
September 1, 2006 above 16%- lab could not read
On the one hand, it looks to me like I have been rather variable. On the other hand, even 7.2 isn’t that bad, and I’m certainly not likely to do as poorly as my body was doing without my interference, so I must being doing something right. I sort of wonder if some degree of honeymooning was helping me out that first year.