N o cmg

Well… news is in on the CMG and it is not good. I was denied. That is not a rarity. My insurance just started taking applications for CMGs and, at this point, it would make sense that few would be accepted. Especially on the first application. I was told I could appeal. I don’t know if I will. I read of all the problems people are having with the Real-time CGM (Minimed) and am starting to think that maybe I should wait until some of the bugs are worked out. In concept it would be a huge help… but it would have to be reliably accurate and it doesn’t seem the Real-time is at the point yet. I’ll talk to my endocrinologist about it. I may wait a year and apply again.
I gotta make some sort of change though. It is not like my blood sugars are tremendously crazy. I haven’t had a seizure in maybe 5 years. I haven’t had to go to the ER for DKA in almost 7. It is actually my body’s hormones and my sensitive nervous system that is the problem. I am attempting to think outside the box. The stuff “in the box” just doesn’t seem to do me much good.
Maybe I can make some dietary changes… maybe. I eat healthy. Very low fat because I have to bolus for any amount over 10g and I can never remember the formula. I try to stay away from Splenda because I have a hormonal reaction to it. I try to stay away from sugar alcohol because it doesn’t take much of that to cause a reaction (those are soooooooo uncomfortable- for me and anyone else in the room). No junk/fast food. I do eat carbs, but everything I eat has fiber/is whole grain. I try to stay away from high chemical foods, but still can’t avoid all chemicals. Even light wheat bread has chemicals in it :(. I eat my fruits and veggies.
I would love to try the RAW diet, but live in the Northeast, have no personal income, there are two other members of the family, and the head of the household is a teacher. We live in a relatively expensive area of the Northeast about an hour and a half from NYC on a paycheck that allows us to live check to check. I guess what I am saying is that it is just not practical. That and I do believe that humans have always been carnivores. Not so meat-centric as today’s society. Primarily eggs, bugs, and every so often a rare animal equivalent to rabbit or deer. I also believe that our body’s have adapted to cooking over a fire. I do not believe that we adapt quick enough to handle the chemicals the food industry now adds to food. So what concerns me with a full vegan/raw diet it making sure that all dietary needs are meet with the fewest amount of pills. Well, as I said before, it isn’t really doable at this point.
Another thought was Dr. Berstein’s Diabetic Diet. A lot of people seem to be able to gain stable sugars with it. My problem with Berstein’s Diet is definitely personal (not emotional personal, medically). I so wish that I could handle fat better, because what I really want is BG stability, but once I take the fat and the artificial sweeteners out I am left on a diet of eggs, celery sticks, and low fat cheese. I tried doing a low fat version of week 1 of South Beach and could only do 2 days of it. I cut out the carbs and my sugars went wacky. Lots of highs. Bouncing all over. Since then I am just a bit scared of really low carb. I also wonder about physical activity on such a low carb diet. I do an hour of exercise a day. 2 days are weight training (Circuit), 1 day of the week is actually an hour in the AM and an hour in the PM. How do you accommodate for intensive exercise (9 miles on the elliptical or 1 hour intensive kick-boxing) when you are on a low carb diet? I am not against Berstein’s diet. Actually, I wish I could do it. How do people handle being active and dietary allergies and sensitives when on the RAW or Berstein’s diet?
I have thought to maybe attack the hormonal problem from a different angle. My sugar is markedly affected by stress: anxiety/depression. The anxiety has been the biggest problem recently. So I thought about seeing a therapist who specialized in people living with chronic disorders (especially diabetes) to help me out. I made some phone calls and haven’t found anyone in my area. It doesn’t seem sensible to travel an hour for therapy that may or may not work. Not when it is so difficult to get out of the house by myself during the week (stay at home mom). Seems like the situation would cause more stress than it would solve.
So I’ll continue calling around. There is a local hospital that has a diabetes education program. They might have a lead for me. I’ve gotta do something. My husband seems to be getting very worried because I am sick and not myself self so often.
Ahhhhhh… Wellllll… more phone calls. We’ll see.
I am going to see my endo on Oct. 5th

I think people that find alot of ‘bugs’ just are thinking positively enough…ever single educated person i know personally, that has a CGM loves it. If you are thinking about waiting a year…or if you just are not in a giant hurry, i would encourage starting the appeal process now—it could take a year to get approved.

CGM brought my A1C from 6.6 to 6.0 - that is a remarkable improvement - and it woke me everytime i was low…and by seeing my trend rapidly falling i can treat before i even feel low…and if i do go high and stay high, i know it and can correct…i never stay high. I might peak up there in the mid 200’s after a high carb meal…but i am never up there for more than 1.5 hours anymore.

Pumping since 1990
Dexcom CGM- June 2007

sorry—meant to say are NOT thinking postively enough—i cant edit my comment.

Cheers!