the status of things.
well, let's see. I think I need to ramble a bit a lot about health stuff, so I'll put that behind a cut.
The doc called on Friday with some good news.
My blood sugar levels (as measured by something called the A1C) was down to 5.8% - which, for all intents and purposes, is practically non diabetic levels. Apparently in the past five weeks or so I've glommed on to how to properly manage my blood sugar. yay! Its meant a lot less of the low-level nausea and "carb comas" I've had in the past, but I'm still not perfect at it yet. Sometimes I knowingly slip and have too many carbohydrates and am quickly reminded that I should not.
Of course, its not the short-term sleepiness that comes from eating too many carbohydrates that will be the most troublesome aspect of being diabetic - no, its the strain on my heart when I do. Each time I slip, either on purpose or inadvertently, my heart palpitates and races to push the thicker, sludgy with sugar-blood through the arteries and veins. Over the long term, this "revving up" of my cardiovascular system will do damage to both the heart and blood vessels. The less stringent I am with my eating, the greater the damage I will do, so: in order to minimize the effect, I have to stay on track.
like I said, I seem to be doing okay with it, and it really hasn't been that much different to my old forms of eating, so that's good.
Doc also has said my VItamin D deficiency has been resolved and I can now go on a maintenance level of only 2,000 IUs a day, rather than taking the once-a-week 50,000 IUs. So that's good.
Where the diabetes and Vitamin D deficiency overlap is the winter and my seasonal depression though. I need to remember to talk to my Doc about creating a proactive plan for next year. Depression and diabetes often go hand-in-hand, and when the depression is not under good control, a person is a lot less likely to take care of themselves and follow their food plan, which leads to further depression and feelings of failure. Granted, I think this past winter was a particularly hard case, and the basement levels of Vitamin D probably both contributed to and were a side-effect of the deep hole in which I found myself. I have been walking around with this nonchalance towards SAD for the past few years (ah well, its just the winter blues, its nothing and I know I'll feel fine soon.) - but the reality of this past winter is pretty darn hard to argue with: it was SIX SOLID MONTHS of SAD symptoms. SIX. MONTHS. its no longer a few weeks of "the blues", its half the year, and you know what? I will not live like that. That? is unacceptable. I have been hesitant to investigate medication for a number of reasons, but now? I will at least consider it. I do hold out hope that knowing about the iron and B-12 and Vitamin D deficiencies will make this upcoming winter far less onerous, but I will make a deal with myself: if treating those conditions has me STILL feeling as disconnected and despondent as I did this winter? I will seek out help from my doctor, and if its warranted, I'll try an antidepressant for the winter. (this is a big fuckin' deal for me, so says Joe.)
Anyhoo, so, I've had my fourth of about ten iron transfusions this morning. Its about an hour a day, three days a week for about three weeks. The infusions themselves are not painful other than a needle in the back of the hand. Today however, was the first day where I had to go to my "happy place" for a while, but that was just really because of the Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits that was playing in the background. The cancer girls and I chatted a bit about knitting (which I was doing), gardening (got some good advice about keeping deer away), and looking forward to warmer weather. So that was nice. I did freak myself out pretty bad at the end of the session, though, when this hyooooge bubble of air wended its way through the IV line and into the back of my hand. I could feel it travel up my arm and into my neck, and I got all flushed and faint, thinking I was going to have a massive aneurysm all of a sudden. In as calm a voice as I could manage, I did tell the nurse, and she was kind enough to talk me off the ledge, that my voice disguised, but apparently my eyes transmitted loudly. So: yeah, I didn't die. and they gave me a cookie, so that's nice.
And? lets see - i think the only real remaining issue is my thyroid. I've been hypothyroidic for years and years, and for a while, the weight loss was able to stabilize my levels, but now my body has adjusted and has gone back to its lackluster thyroid production levels, so I get to go back on synthroid to see if that helps. I swear, everything my doctor has put me on recently (the B-12, the Vitamin D, the Iron and now the thyroid? is all promised to "up my energy levels" that with all of them happening, all at once? I really WILL become a superhero and able to leap tall buildings. So, yeah. Need to get my supah suit.
So: whew. I guess that's where I'm at right now. Things are moving forward. I am incredibly thankful for my health insurance, that's for dang sure. Ok. I'll shut up now. bye-eyeeee
The doc called on Friday with some good news.
My blood sugar levels (as measured by something called the A1C) was down to 5.8% - which, for all intents and purposes, is practically non diabetic levels. Apparently in the past five weeks or so I've glommed on to how to properly manage my blood sugar. yay! Its meant a lot less of the low-level nausea and "carb comas" I've had in the past, but I'm still not perfect at it yet. Sometimes I knowingly slip and have too many carbohydrates and am quickly reminded that I should not.
Of course, its not the short-term sleepiness that comes from eating too many carbohydrates that will be the most troublesome aspect of being diabetic - no, its the strain on my heart when I do. Each time I slip, either on purpose or inadvertently, my heart palpitates and races to push the thicker, sludgy with sugar-blood through the arteries and veins. Over the long term, this "revving up" of my cardiovascular system will do damage to both the heart and blood vessels. The less stringent I am with my eating, the greater the damage I will do, so: in order to minimize the effect, I have to stay on track.
like I said, I seem to be doing okay with it, and it really hasn't been that much different to my old forms of eating, so that's good.
Doc also has said my VItamin D deficiency has been resolved and I can now go on a maintenance level of only 2,000 IUs a day, rather than taking the once-a-week 50,000 IUs. So that's good.
Where the diabetes and Vitamin D deficiency overlap is the winter and my seasonal depression though. I need to remember to talk to my Doc about creating a proactive plan for next year. Depression and diabetes often go hand-in-hand, and when the depression is not under good control, a person is a lot less likely to take care of themselves and follow their food plan, which leads to further depression and feelings of failure. Granted, I think this past winter was a particularly hard case, and the basement levels of Vitamin D probably both contributed to and were a side-effect of the deep hole in which I found myself. I have been walking around with this nonchalance towards SAD for the past few years (ah well, its just the winter blues, its nothing and I know I'll feel fine soon.) - but the reality of this past winter is pretty darn hard to argue with: it was SIX SOLID MONTHS of SAD symptoms. SIX. MONTHS. its no longer a few weeks of "the blues", its half the year, and you know what? I will not live like that. That? is unacceptable. I have been hesitant to investigate medication for a number of reasons, but now? I will at least consider it. I do hold out hope that knowing about the iron and B-12 and Vitamin D deficiencies will make this upcoming winter far less onerous, but I will make a deal with myself: if treating those conditions has me STILL feeling as disconnected and despondent as I did this winter? I will seek out help from my doctor, and if its warranted, I'll try an antidepressant for the winter. (this is a big fuckin' deal for me, so says Joe.)
Anyhoo, so, I've had my fourth of about ten iron transfusions this morning. Its about an hour a day, three days a week for about three weeks. The infusions themselves are not painful other than a needle in the back of the hand. Today however, was the first day where I had to go to my "happy place" for a while, but that was just really because of the Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits that was playing in the background. The cancer girls and I chatted a bit about knitting (which I was doing), gardening (got some good advice about keeping deer away), and looking forward to warmer weather. So that was nice. I did freak myself out pretty bad at the end of the session, though, when this hyooooge bubble of air wended its way through the IV line and into the back of my hand. I could feel it travel up my arm and into my neck, and I got all flushed and faint, thinking I was going to have a massive aneurysm all of a sudden. In as calm a voice as I could manage, I did tell the nurse, and she was kind enough to talk me off the ledge, that my voice disguised, but apparently my eyes transmitted loudly. So: yeah, I didn't die. and they gave me a cookie, so that's nice.
And? lets see - i think the only real remaining issue is my thyroid. I've been hypothyroidic for years and years, and for a while, the weight loss was able to stabilize my levels, but now my body has adjusted and has gone back to its lackluster thyroid production levels, so I get to go back on synthroid to see if that helps. I swear, everything my doctor has put me on recently (the B-12, the Vitamin D, the Iron and now the thyroid? is all promised to "up my energy levels" that with all of them happening, all at once? I really WILL become a superhero and able to leap tall buildings. So, yeah. Need to get my supah suit.
So: whew. I guess that's where I'm at right now. Things are moving forward. I am incredibly thankful for my health insurance, that's for dang sure. Ok. I'll shut up now. bye-eyeeee