Long time no see! Ohh, way too long, I guess.

So, it's only been a little over three years since I posted. Did ya miss me? ;-)

When did I get 50 something followers on this blog? The last time I looked there were fewer than 20. Granted, that was awhile ago but it's nice to know someone is out there, even if I haven't been around.

I have no excuse for not keeping up with this blog as I'd intended from the beginning. No, I do have an excuse. In fact, I have several but won't bore you with them. Suffice to say life intervenes. I won't promise to post daily but will make a serious effort to post more regularly. I do have a few new cooking things to discuss so that shouldn't be too difficult.

Let's see. What's changed since I last posted an entry? Not much, actually. I still live in the same apartment, still have my beloved Sammy the cat, still eat low carb most of the time, and still love to cook. Oh, oh! I'm a grandma! Yeah, my oldest son and his wife had a sweet baby girl, Clara, in September. She's a real love and grandchildren really are grand! They live in Austin so I don't get to see them as often as I'd like but that's life, at least for now. Jonathan, my other son, successfully thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail a couple of years ago and to say I'm proud of him is quite an understatement. When he got off the trail he landed a job in Utah and has been up there since. He's planning to move back to my neck of the woods, though, and I'm very happy about that. I've really missed having my sons close.

My stepdad died a couple of years ago. Mom and I both miss him but she's doing surprisingly well. She's slowed down a bit but that's to be expected. She isn't 20 anymore but man, she still stays pretty active and is very independent. I quit my job in October of last year. Yep, after almost 9 years of being a barista I walked away from it. I didn't want to but I've developed a severe allergy to a common resin that's in seemingly *everything* and the constant washing of my hands was just too much. Now I work as a contracted non-emergency medical transporter and I love it. I drive 200 to 300 miles most days and have met some really great people. I feel very fortunate to have found more work I love. My hands are still a bloody mess, literally, and hurt like the dickens most days but at least I don't have to wash them constantly as I used to and that helps. Because of the pain and bleeding I can't hold a pen or marker for more than a minute or two now and had to give up my pen pals and letter writing. Trust me, that was very difficult. Letter writing was a big part of my life for a long timeand I'm still not used to my mailbox being empty or only full of junk. Looking into that mailbox makes me feel pretty lonely at times.

Oh yes, I mustn't forget this - I got a Dexcom CGM! I'd wanted one for quite awhile and finally got insurance approval almost a year ago. It's one of the most important tools in my Diabetes arsenal and if you know someone with Diabetes, especially Type 1, please encourage them to look into CGM technology. The device and supplies are a bit on the pricey side but are so very much worth it.

Other than all that, life is pretty much the same. I'm still me and still cooking simple and good foods for one.

What's up with you?

Panera Bread sourdough experiment or Houston, we have lift off!

I spent a good deal of yesterday morning reading about sourdough bread and it's virtues of being relatively low on the Glycemic Index and therefore easier on blood sugar than many other breads. Over the last 12 years, I've experimented with so many breads and things inaccurately called bread and other than one made by Julian Bakery, the results have been pretty depressing.

As any experienced diabetic knows, there's not one thing that works for all. What works for you might not work for me and what works for me might not work for you. Panera's website says two ounces of the sourdough loaf contain 28 grams of carbs. For me, that's a bolus of nine units of insulin. Meh, that's a lot of insulin but sometimes a girl needs a treat, you know? And since my body doesn't adhere to the 'a carb is a carb is a carb' grind, 28 grams of carbs from sourdough might affect me differently than 28 grams of carbs from mashed potatoes. It's all one big experiment but I'm ready, willing, and able to jump in with both feet to learn what works for me.

In light of all that, I stopped at Panera Bread last night on the way home from work to get a loaf of their sourdough. The small (and it isn't small at all) loaf of sourdough was $2.99. A little pricey but if it's real bread I can enjoy, I'm so game! They have an amazing slicer there so the employee sliced it on the thinnest setting, I gleefully paid her the money, and headed home, my precious paper bag of sourdough in hand.

At one point last night my BG was a bit low at 63 and I was hungry so I gently removed a slice of the bread from it's plastic bag, admired the softness, smell and texture and felt my heart skip a beat. I placed two slices of good quality American cheese on it. None of that processed cheese food for me, oh no! I started the toaster oven and lovingly slid the bread and cheese in. I was so anxious to eat it I didn't let it get very toasted. Instead, I got it out before it was ready and happily dug in, enjoying every bite.

I didn't bolus insulin for the treat because I was running low and had bolused a bit over ten units for dinner less than four hours earlier so I knew I still had a smidgeon of IOB (insulin on board, what remains of a previous bolus). I wanted to see what it would do without an additional bolus. I knew it might send the BG sky high but sometimes we have to play with these things to get a good picture of what's really going on.

An hour after eating the bread and cheese, my BG was 67! I was tired and ready for bed so I set the alarm for an hour in the future. And woke up this morning at about 5 AM. What? I didn't hear the alarm? Apparently not and that's rare for me. I jumped up to check the BG, knowing that it might be way too high. (Theoretically, food is out of the system after several hours but that isn't the case with me most of the time. I find that what I eat before bed definitely affects my fasting blood sugar) It was 76! Really? Yes! I checked it two more times and each time it was within a few points of that number so I know it was somewhere in that range. Very interesting so I decided to try it again.

I toasted another slice of the bread with one slice of the cheese and let it get good and toasty. I did bolus nine units for the food and coffee knowing I had no IOB other than my basal insulin. I had it with a cup of java. Normally, I bolus at least five units just for the coffee but gut instinct and my recent coffee experiments told me 14 units of insulin would be too much. By the way, Panera Bread's sourdough loaf is some of the best sourdough I've had. It isn't super light but it isn't heavy, either. For me it's just right. An hour and twenty minutes after eating, my BG was 101! Really? That's all? It's a slight increase, yes, but it's still very much in the safe zone. At the two hour mark, the BG was 83!! Can you believe this? I'm shocked and thrilled! And a little concerned. I've been running low or on the very low side of normal a lot lately and am not sure why. It isn't a bad thing but it's something i need to understand so I can manage it properly and avoid hypos.

At the three hour mark, I got quite a shock. The blood sugar registered at 56. I checked it three times. My bolus calculator said I needed to consume 12 grams of fast acting carbs and since I suck at figuring out how much of a bottle of glucose drink containing 16 grams of carbs is 12 grams of carbs, I drank it all and 15 minutes later the BG was 134. A tad higher than I like but certainly not horrendous. Rather than a ratio of 1:3, perhaps this bread requires 1:4 or even 1:6. I'll have to play with it some more to fine tune it. Also, I didn't weigh the slice of bread so it might have been less than 2 ounces which would certainly explain the lower readings. I have a food scale and will weigh the slice next time I try it.

The success of these two experiments doesn't mean I can eat sourdough and cheese every night and every morning but I think it does mean I can enjoy that as a treat now and then. And maybe once in awhile a real sandwich with real bread. Oh wow, the thought makes me all soft and noodly!

More experiments to come as long as this doesn't interfere with weight loss in the long run. Stay tuned!

Testing for insulin to cover coffee...a fail? Well, not quite.

"Ever wonder why your blood sugar rises after drinking a cup of coffee – even when using

artificial sweetener? It’s probably due to the caffeine. Intravenous administration of caffeine

was found to reduce insulin sensitivity (the degree to which insulin lowers blood sugar) by 15%.

Caffeine produced an increase in epinephrine (adrenaline), free fatty acids and blood pressure.

The solution: either take extra insulin with your coffee, or switch to decaf!"- Gary Scheiner

I purchased Gary Scheiner's "Think Like A Pancreas" on Friday and had a very hard time putting it down because, even with 12 years as a diagnosed Diabetic and having read almost every related book I can get my hands on, I was so very impressed. I finished the book last night and spent several hours basking in the afterglow of new knowledge.

Since the spike I get from coffee has been a thorn in my side since day one of my diabetic life, I decided to try his suggested test to find out just how much insulin I need for coffee. Mind you, I use no sweetener but do add two tablespoons of half and half or heavy cream to an eight ounce cup. Plain brewed coffee and espresso have no carbs but Gary's above-quoted explanation makes sense and damn it, decaf just isn't the same. (As a side note, I don't get spikes from other caffeine-containing drinks unless I consume a huge quantity) I refuse to give up my java so I bolus for it. That's been pretty much a shot in the dark for me as sometimes my guesses are good and other times they aren't so good. I figured following Mr. Scheiner's advice would help me come up with a better plan.

What he suggests is to test the coffee without other food and bolus just for the carbs in the coffee. I use no sweetener so that means bolusing for just the half and half. Two tablespoons of the lovely stuff contain two grams of carbs and since I prepared 16 ounces of java, I added four tablespoons of half and half. That means a bolus for four grams of carbs. However, my blood sugar was 66 before starting the test and since anything under 70 is considered low, my bolus calculator gave me "0.00" for insulin needed. Got that? Uh huh, I thought you did, you smart cookie.

So, at 3:40 PM today, before the first drink of iced coffee with half and half, my blood sugar was 66. I started to drink the stuff, figuring it would take me about 30 minutes to scarf it all down. After drinking about half of it the nausea started. Yep, nausea! No way could I get all 16 ounces of it down in 30 minutes. I thought I'd check the blood sugar at one hour just to see where it was and the result surprised me. 73! Just 73? For those not familiar with Diabetes, a rise of seven points is just about negligible, especially when the usual result is much higher than that. What happened to the spike I normally get from even one eight ounce cup of coffee? Hmm, I'm not sure but it was nowhere to be found and after an hour the coffee was pretty watered down by the ice.

I kept sipping on it, fighting nausea, determined to finish the three hour test. Yes, three hours of my life spent trying to get an accurate picture of how much insulin I need just for coffee. That's how important coffee is to me but it's also how important controlling my blood sugar is to me. If I'm not willing to give up a food or drink that causes my blood sugar to rise dangerously high, then I must bolus correctly for it. There are no ifs, ands, or buts on this.

At the two hour mark, I'd managed to drink about 12 ounces. That's it. My blood sugar was 75 and the nausea was still present though not so bothersome. I gave serious consideration to canceling the test but since I drink coffee at different times of day and my coffee-free blood sugar readings vary, it's vital that I have the information a finished test will provide. So I persevered. Gagging, I sipped a little here and a little there, fighting the nausea that came and went, anxiously watching the clock for the three hour mark, and more anxiously watching the barely changing level of coffee in the glass.

Finally, at the two and a half hour mark, major waves of that sick feeling in the stomach demanded I throw in the towel. My blood sugar was 67 and I thought I'd never drink another cup of coffee. I don't think I'm getting sick and perhaps all this is related to drinking coffee on an empty stomach. Normally that doesn't bother me but who knows? I needed to eat something and since I desperately wanted to tough it out until that three hour mark had passed, I threw what was left of the coffee in the sink and went outside to sit on the patio.

The three hour mark came and I checked my blood sugar, holding my breath. 63! I put the number into my PDA and it said I needed to eat. Not a surprise. The only thing that sounded good was yogurt so I entered the 15 grams of carbs for it into the calculator and bolused the 3.2 units of insulin it said I needed. Yep, I still needed a smidgeon over 3 units of insulin to cover that fairly small number of carbs even though I was on the verge of a big fat hypo. Blast it all!

I suppose some people would say this test was a failure but I don't agree. I did learn something and that is that starting at 3:40 PM on a Sunday afternoon with a blood sugar reading of 66, I can consume 12 ounces of iced coffee with about two tablespoons of half and half without a spike. At least on this day. ;)

Truthfully, the last three hours have confirmed what most diabetics know and some experts acknowledge. Diabetes is a very individual, complicated, and ever changing disease. What works today might not work tomorrow. In fact, it might not work later today. And what works on Sunday afternoons might not work on Monday mornings. Yes, I'm going to try it again tomorrow morning and adhere to my normal routine of waking at 5 and drinking 16 ounces of hot coffee with four tablespoons of half and half before heading to work. If I can stomach it.

We'll see what happens.

September 4th - September 10th Menu

We've had a bit of a reprieve yesterday and today from the absolutely miserable heat. It's been so hot I haven't wanted to do anything at all, not even cook. I've cooked anyway, though, simply because eating out is so expensive and detrimental to my blood sugar. My efforts at diet improvement and exercise have been successful, though. My latest A1c of 6.5 is definitely an improvement. It still isn't where I want it to be but I'll take that progress, thank you! Rather than follow the dietitian's recommended 30 grams of carbs at meals I've been eating 20 grams and that seems to have stopped the weight gain and I have more energy. I've lost another two pounds of what I gained but I've been concentrating on blood sugar rather than weight loss so that's okay with me.

My mother and stepfather sold their home and are moving. The house had been on the market over a year and the closing is right around the corner so my sister and I took our vacation last week, went to Austin and had a fantastic time, then spent the last couple of days helping the folks try to get organized and packed. I say try because they have so much stuff crammed into that house there's simply no way for us to get it all done before the move. Not with work and lives, you know. In fact, the contents of the attic filled an entire bedroom and I kid you not! It's overwhelming that they have so much to move but it is what it is and we've done our best to get it in some kind of order. We'll help them all we can until the move and then help unpack in the new place as time allows.

So, while on vacation I had some new to me foods and now that it's cooled off a little I'm going to work on reproducing a couple of the dishes at home. One of them is the Migas breakfast taco with Tomatillo salsa from Torchy's Tacos. I have the ingredients to make the salsa and will do that today or tomorrow. It might take a couple of tries but I'm okay with that as long as the results are edible. Another thing I want to make is Hummus like that served at Sarah's Mediterranean Grill and Market. I enjoy hummus but theirs is particularly tasty. It isn't as garlic laden as some and is creamier than most I've had and I'd love to have some of that in my fridge to eat as a snack now and then. I might not eat it with pita but simply with a spoon.

Okay, on to this week's menu. I have a very busy week ahead so most of my meals will be simple and easy to prepare. Tonight I'm having leftover chicken, potato salad, boiled cabbage and cole slaw (yes, two kinds of cabbage in one meal! I love the stuff) from yesterday's cookout at Mom's house. If I get around to making the tomatillo salsa I'll have some of that on my chicken.

The rest of the week I'll have, in no particular order:

Homemade pimiento cheese (best recipe I've found to date) with wheat crackers and a large salad

Vegetable soup, leftover from Mom's house, with a small salad and a homemade whole wheat roll

Stir fry steak and vegetables with brown rice

Dinner with Mom one night. No doubt it will be higher in carbs than I prefer but I'll shoot insulin and eat just enough to not be hungry.

Homemade turkey sausage, scrambled eggs, and salad with a slice of whole wheat toast

Leftover night, when I eat whatever is languishing in the fridge.

Once it really cools off, I'll return to making roasts and experimenting with breads but for now light and easy eating is the way to go.

I have a very interesting cooking project coming up and when I have more time I'll post about that. Until then, play with your food! And don't forget to look at Laura's Menu Plan Monday today. Her citrus-chicken salad pita pockets sound delicious and I might have to try that dish soon.

May 29th - June 4th Menu

I saw the Endocrinologist and Certified Diabetes Educator last week. I found the visit with the endo to again be a waste of time and money. As of today, he's done very little my GP hasn't, can't, or won't do except confirm that I have LADA (Type 1.5 Diabetes) so I don't think I need him, though the GP probably won't agree. He did tell me that the recent blood sugar readings my sons had were way out of line and suggested they each get a Fasting Blood Glucose test and an A1c. Because of their ages, normal weights, and lifestyles he feels that if they're diabetic, they have LADA and not Type 2. He also gave credence to my suggestion that perhaps my diabetic relatives also had LADA rather than Type 2 and it's a genetic issue in our family.

I expected the visit with the CDE to be as much a waste of time as the endo but was pleasantly surprised. I told her up front that I eat a low carb diet most of the time but listened to her spiel with an open mind. In return, she didn't gripe about my way of eating but thoughtfully explained, complete with a white board and some great diagrams, why and how she believes low carb eating has actually harmed me over the last 11 years. Once I understood her perspective and the science behind it,  I agreed to a two week trial with the understanding that if I didn't see substantial improvement in blood sugar readings without large weight gain I'd go back to my way. She told me that my blood sugar might seem a little unstable for a few days but not to panic if it did and I might gain a few pounds but those issues would resolve themselves quickly.

In a nutshell, I now carbohydrate count, but for comfort and weight loss purposes my plan is modified to contain fewer carbs. I eat three meals a day of 30 grams of carbs and three snacks of 15 grams of carbs with the third snack being eaten right before I go to bed, whether that's at 8 PM or 3 AM. That's 135 grams of carbs, still much less than most people eat but much higher than the 30 to 50 grams I'm used to. It's not easy for me to eat those carbs and some days I simply can't eat them all but I try and do well most of the time.

I now eat breakfast within thirty minutes of waking in the morning. Sometimes breakfast is nothing more than 1/3 to 1/2 cup of dry cereal but it meets the 30 grams of carbs criteria. Breakfast is a major hurdle for me. I just don't want food most days before 11 AM so I made a rule for myself - no coffee before eating in the morning. Yeah, I basically bribe myself to eat that first meal but it works for me. In addition, it's enabled me to drink just two cups of coffee in the morning rather than the copious amounts of the past.

I started the new way of eating on Wednesday, May 25th and except for Saturday, when I over ate a little and ran around 150 all afternoon and evening, and a postprandial last night of 177 (see note below), I haven't seen readings under 75 or over 120. No panic stricken hypos in the middle of the night leading to werewolf eating binges, no rushing to bolus extra insulin because I've over eaten or under shot. It's been fairly steady between 85 and 100 for most of four days. In addition, I'm shooting substantially less insulin, sleeping better, feeling better in general, and have lost 2 more pounds. I'm puzzled by it all and four days aren't enough to convince me that this is the long term way for me but the results give me hope that I might be able to have a less restricted diet. Since the average American eats between 200 and 400 grams of carbohydrates a day, I'll never have the 'average' diet (and don't want it, thanks!) but something pseudo-average will wonderfully suffice!

With all that said, my menus now have meals that average 30 grams of carbs, sometimes a bit less, sometimes a bit more. Feel free to adjust them as needed for your own preferences and if you're diabetic, remember YMMV (Your Meter May Vary).

This week I'll have, in no particular order except for last night's dinner which is listed first:

Beef fajita salad with Ken's Lite Northern Italian Dressing and six Triscuit rosemary and olive oil crackers (My preprandial was 102 and postprandial was 177. Six Triscuits might be too many so I'll try four next time and if that doesn't work, they'll become a rare treat that requires a little more insulin)

Chicken breast seasoned with plenty of garlic and pepper, skillet cooked with olive oil, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and a side of wild rice with slivered nuts

Open faced roast beef sandwich with caramelized onions and a side of homemade vegetable soup

Cheese and skirt steak omelet, hash browns, and one slice of whole wheat toast with sugar free grape jelly

Baked cod with green beans, buttered beets, and half an ear of corn

Beef stroganoff, whole wheat noodles, green beans, and a large salad

Leftover night when I eat whatever is lingering in the fridge

And that's it for this week! By the way, my snacks are usually 1/2 a cup of fruit, yogurt, or four crackers with cheese. I'm going to have to get more creative with snacks and I'll update on those as I come up with good ones. If you have suggestions on snacks with 10 to 15 grams of carbs, please share them in a comment.

For more ideas on what to feed your family, check out Menu Plan Monday to see what others are coming up with.

May 16th - May 22nd Menu

My sons came to visit from Austin this weekend and we had a great time. I wish they'd stayed longer but the oldest one starts a new job today and they needed to get back home in time for him to prepare for the new job. We went to my mother's house Saturday and did some work around her place. She was so happy to have two of her grandsons there. She's been pretty depressed over things with my stepfather and the visit cheered her substantially.

Before they headed back to Austin yesterday the boys humored me by eating high carb meals. I checked their pre and post prandial blood sugar and both sons had substantially abnormal results. Damn diabetes! I've been seriously questioning the assumption that all my diabetic relatives were Type 2s and the numbers on my glucometer did nothing to calm my fears that they were more than likely adults with Type 1. My sons are 27 and 26, neither is overweight, and they have relatively healthy diets though the diets are probably a bit high in carbs but they both had high FBG and way too high results one and two hours after their lunch. I'm concerned that I'm seeing a genetic tendency to some variation of Type 1 (LADA?, MODY??, Alien ancestry???) in my family. I can't change that but knowing it might help future generations. I sent those young men packing with glucometers, test strips, directions for testing and lower carb eating, and encouragement to see a physician quickly. Sigh.

Anyway, on to my menu for this week!

Tonight I work so I'll probably have a nice salad for dinner or chicken salad I made this morning. The rest of the week I'll have:

Mexican red lentil stew

Mushroom, cheese, and cilantro omelet with a small salad

Garlic-Lime chicken with sauteed green beans and mushrooms

Turkey asparagus roll ups, steamed spinach, and salad

Beef stroganoff over faux rice, grilled asparagus and artichoke hearts, and steamed green beans

Make sure you look at Laura's Menu Plan Monday. You'll find some nice ideas for your menu!

May 8th - May 14th Menu

And it's time for another menu to be shared! I've had a hectic week and another one is upon me and menu planning isn't really what I want to do in my small amount of spare time so I've put it off. But I finally worked on this week's menu last night after I got home from work. I was bone tired but if I don't plan for the week it becomes a haphazard grab what I can sort of thing (read that as trips to Long John Silver's, Carl's Jr., etc) so I dug through the freezer and fridge and here's what I came up with:

Sunday - I ate 6 small fish sticks and a salad. Not the most nutritious but it was all I could muster and  was actually good. I must have been very hungry, indeed! I took caution not to overeat and my blood sugar responded to that - 94 before eating, 85 two hours after.

The rest of the week I'll have, in no particular order, except for the first meal which is Monday's:

Broiled chicken with a delicious homemade mayo, garlic, and black pepper dipping sauce, my special green beans, and a salad

Chicken fajitas made with leftover chicken and an egg wrap, served with cucumber/tomato/avocado salad and fresh pico de gallo

Ribeye steak with a small baked red potato, broccoli, and salad

Very large salad with just about every vegetable I can find in it

Dinner out one night, probably Italian food

Beef and vegetable stir fry with a tiny amount of wild rice and a salad

By the way, I've been experimenting with grazing the last few days. No, I didn't buy a cow! Instead, I've been eating small amounts of food throughout the day. It's doing wonders for my blood sugar and my weight. Two more pounds gone and I haven't had a blood sugar result over 110 though I did get a 54 at work yesterday. Ooops!

I'm accustomed to eating two, sometimes three large meals a day with snacks that aren't always the best choices but after doing a lot of research I thought I'd give grazing a good try. So far it's doing what I'd hoped. It might not always work this way but it's definitely worth the effort to try it for awhile!

I carry a small amount of almonds, cashews, walnuts, and cheese in my apron pocket and when I feel the need for something but no break is on the horizon, I munch on those. When I take my meal at work, I eat 1/3 to 1/2 of it (thanks to the grazing I'm not very hungry) and bring the rest home for later. I rarely feel hunger and my blood sugar seems happy at the moment so we'll see what happens.

Here's what I took to work yesterday: stuffed mushrooms, steamed cauliflower, carrot, bell pepper, and tomatoes with homemade dip, sliced strawberries, and hamburger steak cut into bite sized pieces. Oh, and a cheese stick for my apron pocket. :)

About 2/3 of it came home with me!

If you're bored with your menus and would like to try something new, head on over to Laura's Menu Plan Monday and see what others are cooking up this week.

It's officially official...

I'm definitely a Type 1.5 diabetic. I got the call while I was out and about today but talked to the endo's nurse, who couldn't answer any of my questions. Basically all she said is I'll have to stay on insulin from here out and see the endo every three months. I have an appointment with him at the end of May and hopefully he'll have more information for me. I hate being left with all these questions and no answers.

To say I'm upset is something of an understatement. I've suspected this and yes, the phone call last week with the GP's assistant pretty much confirmed my suspicions but to hear it again, in no uncertain terms, no 'we think' or 'it looks like' or 'you appear to be', was really not what I wanted. On the other hand, a lot of things make more sense to me now.

I have a lot of questions to ask, a lot. And no answers for awhile.

Where's my whip?

I still haven't heard from the endocrinologist and I'm just about ready to jump out of my skin.

I've spent quite a bit of time the last couple of days thinking about what I can do to get my blood sugar under better control. My last A1c was 7.1, a marked improvement from my January test but not close enough to the short term goal of 6.5 I've set. It does show that I'm on the right track, though, and that's encouraging.

After I had my little pity party Thursday I hitched up my big girl panties and was ready to beat the ever loving hell out of the Diabeastie. Where's my whip? Oh yeah, I don't have one so I guess I'll have to approach this differently. How about using common sense, planning, and forethought to gain the upper hand? How about putting to work the knowledge I already have and gaining more to help me overpower the dreaded creature? Yeah, I think that's a better plan.

In light of that, here are some of the things I must do/changes I must make to better manage my blood sugar:

Test more frequently - Depending on what's going on in my life, where I am, what I've eaten, and how I feel, some days I test only 3 or 4 times. Most days I test more often but when I've eaten something that's likely spiked me I'm more inclined to skip testing. I don't want proof that the 15 units of Novolog I shot weren't nearly enough for the two plates of food I ate so I just go on about my business. Trust me, that doesn't work well. I've returned to the test schedule that served me well as long as I faithfully kept it. I'll test before eating and drinking when I first get up in the morning, before each meal and two hours after starting the meal, before going to bed, when I eat something new to me, and when I don't feel good or feel like something is "off".  And I'll do this... Every. Single. Day. That's 10 tests on a good day. A bad day will mean 15 or more. At about $35 for 100 test strips it isn't cheap but it's a lot cheaper than a hospital stay, losing my vision, or having a leg amputated. To help with this chore, I've ordered 500 test strips to keep me going for a little while.

Multiple Daily Injections - Since a pump isn't financially feasible for me and haphazardly shooting when I think about it or when my glucometer freaks out over a high number isn't a good idea, I'm going to continue my MDI schedule with a little tweaking. Yes, it's something of a pain in the butt - I have to faithfully test, remember to take my glucometer and insulin everywhere I go, eat soon after shooting rapid acting insulin and for the amount for which I've shot, remember to take my basal insulin at the same time each night, and (arrgh, the worst part of all!) accurately count the carbs I eat. But MDI, when conscientiously performed, can produce very good results. Or so I'm told.

Count carbs - I admit I'm one of the worst carb counters out there. In the beginning and for quite awhile after my initial diagnosis I ate fewer than 20 grams of carbs most days, often eating 10 grams in an entire day, and if you aren't eating carbs, what's there to count? It was easier and quicker to eat a very low carb snack and pronounce it "about 2 grams of carbs" than it was to learn exactly how many grams of carbohydrates are in a serving of something,  measure or weigh to get that precise serving, and then consume just that serving. And that worked fine for awhile but I quickly needed insulin and still didn't properly count my carbs. Yes, I've been a horrible carb counter but I do know how to count carbs and I do it well most of the time. I simply need to be more faithful about it. So Friday I dug out my carb counting books, found a good food scale, and started putting them to use. No, I don't like it and yes, I can think of a lot of things I'd rather do than memorize carb counts of my favorite and not so favorite foods. But it is what it is.

Exercise more - This is another tough one because, well...I don't like exercise. However, I've increased the physical activity I get and it's already made a difference in weight and blood sugar so more should help. At least in theory. I don't have a gym membership. I just walk around the neighborhood and use my exercise DVDs. I simply need to do those things more.

So, the above things basically are my whip and I plan to fiercely use it!

I'll try to post updates on this now and then. Life is pretty hectic right now and I don't have as much free time as I'd like. At any rate, this week's menu will be posted later tonight or tomorrow. It's a good one!

It's official...

sort of. Apparently my 11 year old diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes is incorrect. I'm actually a diabetic of some other flavor. I'm not sure of the details as I haven't talked with the endo yet but hopefully he or his nurse will call me soon and I'll learn more. My suspicion is that I have Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) and the endo should be able to confirm or refute that.  

When I talked to the GP's assistant yesterday and she told me the GAD test was positive I wasn't surprised. Disheartened and disappointed but not surprised. Today I've been pretty depressed over it. Had I known when I was first diagnosed that I wasn't a Type 2 I'd probably have been willing to start insulin much sooner and save some of the beta cell function present at the time. But I didn't know and my actions/lack of actions over the last 11 years have more than likely worn out my pancreas. That's a sobering thought as I really thought I was doing what was best for my body. Also, having LADA means my hope of someday being free of the insulin shots is nothing more than a pipe dream. Even when I get down to ideal weight, without some miracle it looks as though I'll need insulin the rest of my life.

On the other hand, there's a strange sort of relief. From what I've learned recently, the problems I've had controlling my blood sugar more than likely aren't due to being a "lazy diabetic" or being ignorant about carbohydrates and insulin. The crazy highs after eating a salad, something I used to be able to eat with no major increase in blood sugar, and the terrifying middle of the night lows, which are much scarier now that I live alone, more than likely aren't due entirely to injecting too little or too much insulin. And my exhaustion and emotional state appear to have something of a physical basis after all. There's some comfort in all that, albeit small and too late in some ways.

Since I already use insulin I'm not sure what difference, if any, this change in diagnosis will make in regard to treatment and prognosis. I don't mean to sound flippant but I strongly suspect that the major differences will be a note in my medical records and a change in diagnosis codes for insurance purposes. Whatever differences come I'll deal with them. 

In the meantime I'm plugging along, trying to eat as I know I should, faithfully injecting my insulin, testing, testing, and testing, exercising, and trying not to stress over this. Good thoughts are welcomed and appreciated! And if you have Diabetes, especially LADA, I'd love to hear from you.

Just a quick update

I'll post my menu for the coming week tonight or tomorrow but wanted to share a quick update. I'm now wearing a size 10 or 12 jeans! Right now that's the only exciting news in my life but that's pretty darn exciting to me. Oh wait, there's more. I had a c-peptide test and it turned out to be on the very low end. What does this mean? It means my pancreas is producing very little insulin. Surprise! ;) We're waiting for the results on a GAD test, also.

Regardless of the GAD results, I'm on the right track. I still need to lose another 15 to 18 lbs but I feel better now than I have in years, literally. My sleep is still not quite right but the old Denise is coming back and I'm so relieved!

March 6th - March 12th Menu

I'm back on track with my diet, blood sugar, and exercise and it's paying off!

I've lost about 20 lbs in the last few weeks and my blood sugar is much better. I need to lose another 20 lbs and my A1c still has room for improvement but progress is motivating me to do what I know I should.

To get these results I started walking at least 30 minutes three times a week, do the occasional Walk Away The Pounds session, stopped going by fast food joints for a quick meal, and simply followed my lower carb sense. Yeah, I cook more but I like cooking so it works out well. I don't like exercise but it really does make a difference in weight loss and blood sugar so I do it, even when I don't want to.

I'm human, though, and I love my chinese and mexican food so I enjoy one of those once every couple of weeks but I shoot enough insulin for the carbs and I go for a long, brisk walk after the meal.

I recently saw an endocrinologist, the first time since my diagnosis almost 11 years ago. It was a very disappointing visit since he told me nothing I didn't already know and offered no practical advice but I went because my primary felt strongly about it. The only thing of interest I got from the $285 visit was that he thinks I'm an adult onset Type 1 or even a Type 1.5 rather than a Type 2. I've wondered about that myself for awhile and if he's right it would explain a few things that have been going on with my body for awhile. However, he didn't do blood work to confirm that suspicion. He simply told me to return in 3 months. Yeah, okay....

Anyway, I'm happy with the weight loss I've experienced but know I can't let up yet. I still have a ways to go! I did, however, treat myself last week - I had a stylist color and cut my hair. That was the first time I've had a professional color my hair and although it was expensive it was worth it. The color is lovely, dark brown with red woven in, and the cut isn't a lot different than what I've had for years but there's just enough of a subtle change to make it...well, different. ;) I don't know that I can afford to do it often but as a treat for weight loss and improved A1c, it's a nice treat.

So, on to this week's menu. Last night I had PF Chang's Orange Chicken, the frozen kind. The package lists it as having two servings with 61 grams of carbs each but I ate only a third of it. I'll have another third for dinner tonight and the remainder is in the freezer for future use.

Here's the rest of this week's menu:

Beef and vegetable soup, made with beef smoked sausage, leftover vegetables, and a small amount of whole grain rotini

Lemon butter fish with a salad and steamed spinach

Stir fried chicken and vegetables with a tiny amount of wild rice

Low carb chicken pot pie with salad, spinach, and fresh green beans

Leftovers, when I eat whatever is languishing in the fridge

And that's it. Simple but good and good for me. Have a great week and if you haven't checked out Menu Plan Monday yet, do so and join in the fun.

Today is 14KPWD Day - are you ready?

Today is July 14th, #14KWD Day, the day 14,000 people with diabetes will test their blood sugar at the same time and post the result on Twitter, Facebook, their blog, send via text message to others, etc. If you can't post at the exact time, it's okay to do it earlier or later. The point is to raise awareness about testing blood sugar and its importance so if you're diabetic or know someone who is, join in!
I'll be at work at 3 PM but will text my results to Twitter and some of my loved ones.

Here are the testing times:
* 1:00 pm PT
* 2:00 pm MT
* 3:00 pm CT
* 4:00 pm ET
* 8:00 pm GMT
Friends, family, and loved ones, be ready to get a text from me around 3 PM!

Ugh!

I'm really struggling with the blood sugar/carb/insulin/exercise issue lately. It seems that exercise brings the BG down but sometimes it brings it down too much and other times it doesn't lower it enough. There has to be a happy medium but I haven't found it yet. I'm still looking, though, and I'll figure it all out.

So, the menu has changed a little for this week. Last night we had meatloaf rather than meatballs and we had it with sliced tomato and green peas. It was tasty and I used 93/7 ground beef so it was fairly lean, too.

I'm craving beef so I have a package of beef boneless ribs thawing. That isn't a lean cut so we won't eat a lot of it but I'll cook them, we'll each have one and perhaps split a third one, and the rest will go in the freezer for later use. I'm not sure what we'll have with it but a big salad and a few sugar snap peas sound good!

We're considering ordering some buffalo meat. It's leaner than beef and has a superior taste but my only concern is that its so lean the cooked meat is often dry. If you have experience with cooking and eating buffalo I'd love know your thoughts on it. We're also considering buying an adult goat to slaughter. Buffalo and goat are substantially leaner than beef and even chicken. Interesting, huh?

I'm 8 lbs lighter...

but better than that, I can go most of the day now with only my Novolin N insulin!

We joined the gym 2 weeks ago tomorrow and tonight I weighed in 8 lbs lighter than the day I joined. But the best news is that most days I don't need any fast acting insulin other than the few units I take in the morning to deal with the spike coffee gives me!

Tonight we had a great dinner (not on the menu for this week but it sounded good) of turkey and dressing with a little gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, broccoli, peas and carrots and sliced tomatoes. Yeah, that sounds like a lot of food and it was but I didn't eat much of the starchy items. We shared a frozen dinner that had 33 grams of carbs so we each got somewhere around 17 grams of carbs from the dinner plus the carbs that were in the broccoli and peas and carrots.

Here's my plate of food:

Pretty good lookin', huh? It tasted great, too! But notice the small amounts of turkey and gravy (on the right), dressing (that little mound of brownish stuff next to the turkey) mashed, and peas and carrots. Each of those was slightly over 1 Tablespoon. I know, that isn't much but the point is that I was able to eat a great tasting meal with over 20 grams of carbs with no fast acting insulin and no spike in the blood sugar! Wooohoooo! That's big stuff for me, folks!

We did go to the gym after eating the meal. BG before eating was 114. BG two hours after eating and right after the workout was 108. Wow!

Two weeks of working out all but two days have paid off already. I weigh 8 lbs less than when I started and I'm able to eat a semi-normal meal (still lower in carbs than most American meals but higher than I'm accustomed to) without a spike as long as I work for it.

I'd say that's a pretty fair tradeoff!

Sweet potato treat on the fly

Lunch this afternoon was homemade vegetable soup, the last of the turkey tenderloin, seasoned with garlic pepper and basil and topped with homemade pico de gallo, and a delicious dessert made with sweet potato.

White and red potatoes spike my blood sugar but a moderate amount of sweet potato doesn't. I usually eat it with butter and pepper but today I've craved something sweet and decided to put my half of the sweet potato to good use. I didn't feel like doing a lot to it, though, so I came up with a simple and easy treat.


I baked the sweet potato and cut it in half. I mashed the potato, cut the peel in small pieces and added it to the potato. To that I added a splash of Half and Half and half a splash of vanilla extract. I mixed it all well, put it in a small bowl, and topped it with a dollop of Redi-Whip, one of my favorite I need something sweet and need it now things. It's almost carb free, doesn't spike my blood sugar (in moderation) and just plain ol' tastes good!

The resulting "pudding" was creamy, smooth, and just sweet enough. Next time I'll add a little cinnamon and maybe some cardamom or some cinnamon seasoned chopped walnuts but for a lower carb dessert on the fly this is awesome! And the best part is it was less than 15 grams of carbs.

If you like sweet potato and crave something a little sweet, try this idea and let me know what you think of it.

Tuesday stuff or where do low carb & low cholesterol meet? Or do they?

Well, our nutritional and exercise lives just got harder. The man found out yesterday his cholesterol is "through the roof" but he didn't get the exact number. He sees the Dr tomorrow and I'm sure he'll learn more then. In the meantime, what to feed someone who is a Type 2 diabetic maxed out on Glucophage and needs to control carbs but who also needs to watch fat and cholesterol intake?

The typical lower fat, lower cholesterol foods are likely to spike his blood sugar. Oatmeal, one of the major players in the cholesterol lowering food lineup spikes him and gives him major heartburn. He's willing to try organic oats to see if perhaps there's something used in the processing of the others that causes the heartburn but that doesn't help with the spike in blood sugar it causes. We have the same basic issues with bread, legumes, fruit and some vegetables. They either cause major heartburn, spike the blood sugar, or both.

Last night's dinner was the last of the leftover salmon, green beans, and mixed greens.

Today's lunch was salad, a little blackened fish, and a small amount of peas and carrots.

Tonight's dinner will be a few baked chicken wings, salad, and broccoli. We ended up eating a fairly low in fat but moderate in carb chicken and vegetable dish from the freezer. We had it with salad and peas and carrots.

See a pattern developing? I do. Boredom! Just like low carb is after months and months...

We have two major obstacles: breakfast and snacks. He's an egg eater and eats at least two eggs every morning for breakfast. He's willing to try 1 egg with the equivalent of an egg beater type product but that still gives 7 eggs a week if he eats that each morning. He really needs to eat four or fewer eggs a week so I'm researching and looking for more breakfast ideas that don't include fatty meats, eggs, fruit, high carb vegetables, or oatmeal. Good luck! He's used to snacking on meat, cheese, and whatever else he desires but that's got to really be brought into control.

On the brighter side of things, we do have the advantage of having joined the gym last week and we've been faithful about going. We even got up at 5:15 this morning, headed over there, and worked out for 55 minutes before I had to shower and dress for work. We know that exercise and losing weight will help both the blood sugar and the cholesterol but we still have to figure out the nutrition/diet part of things.

If you have any brilliant ideas on this, please share. You can either post suggestions here or on the diabetes blog. My brain is fried from all the thinking!

The trouble with low carb eating...

is boredom!

My sister was here from Dallas this weekend and we had a nice time. She went to the gym with us Friday and though she has cracked ribs from a recent auto accident, she walked the indoor track with me and did a little time on a treadmill. Yaaay, Connie!

She and I both have been struggling with our nutrition. Because we're Type 2 diabetics and overweight we need to lose weight and we absolutely must keep the blood glucose in line. For both of us, carbs are the main culprit in blood sugar spikes. Although protein and fat are important factors, carbs have a quicker and sharper impact on the blood sugar so for the most part we really limit carbs. But a life with strictly limited carbs, both simple and complex, quickly becomes boring and staying with the program gets harder and harder. Connie and I both keep hitting the carb wall and then we go on a binge eating things we absolutely shouldn't. And we know we shouldn't. But how to stop?

That's the question. Yes, it's a matter of self control and discipline but it's also a matter of simply getting bored with chicken, fish, and low carb vegetables and finally losing it. It's horrible and we both know we have 'food issues' but we haven't figured out just how to deal with them. We just kind of muddle along as best we can, trying to keep the carb count down and praying the next day doesn't become a binge day. But really, it's next to impossible to eat very low carb all day, every day. There has to be a better way, right?

Connie recently purchased the Food Lovers Fat Loss System so she brought it with her and we read over the books, talked about the program, and tried it for a couple of days but the high blood sugar readings, lethargy, and general blah feeling we both experienced made it clear that this plan won't work for us. So, it's back to low carb we go.

Although I've known for years that regular exercise helps my blood sugar I just recently joined a gym and can tell a difference already. I feel better after the workout, I'm sleeping better, and a good one hour workout lowers my BG quite a bit. Now, don't think I like exercise. I'm truly a slug, dear readers. However, I do enjoy the improved mood and increase in energy I have after a workout and I really enjoy the reward of lowered blood sugar and if exercise will get me those then exercise is what I'll do. I also hope the exercise increases my insulin sensitivity.

But even if I go to the gym every day, I see no way I'll be able to eat a "normal" diet. Here's an example of why. After the work out this morning, my blood sugar was 109, down from the pre-workout of 180. Great! An hour later it was 82. I ate a measured and weighed lunch of two ounces of chicken fried steak with two teaspoons of gravy, two Tablespoons of mashed potatoes, and one small steamed broccoli spear. I drank water and two hours later the blood sugar was 217. What??? A 135 point difference from that small amount of food? Yep and it's disgusting and depressing. Numbers like that make me want to just say to hell with it and enjoy my food even if it means I have a shorter life. I don't feel that way all the time but I do feel that way occasionally.

I won't give up, though. I've been in this battle almost ten years and I'm not ready to declare Diabetes the winner. I might have to eat very low carb unless I go to the gym afterwards and work it off. And it might be that as I lose weight I can handle more carbs. I don't know. I do know that I can't live on strict low carb for the rest of my life but I can't handle ridiculously high blood sugar readings, either. There must be some kind of compromise and I have to find it.

Can you tell I'm frustrated?

If you have suggestions, encouragement or thoughts on this, please share with me.

Friday fluff

Well, this morning's FBG wasn't good. It was 194! Umm, must have been the cracked pepper and olive oil triscuits with cheese last night. Ugh, figures. Perhaps I just ate too many, though, and only eating one or two will work. I'll try that.

My sister is on her way here from Dallas! Wooot! We had such a good time on the trip and we miss each other so she's coming for the weekend. I'm so excited! I don't have to work until Monday so we'll get to spend plenty of time together.

She'll go to the gym with us and I think tomorrow we're all going to Jefferson and will do a little sightseeing and visit the museum. We might even take a tour of The Grove, purported to be one of the most haunted houses in America. I'm not into haints, normally, but it might be an interesting way to spend a little time.

Anyway, time to make lunch. Have a great weekend!

Joined the gym and....

We joined the gym I mentioned in my last entry and last night we worked out for an hour. Again, my idea of a workout and yours might be different but considering how sedentary I am, almost anything is a workout! I walked the indoor track, about a mile, and rode a stationary bike. I tried a treadmill but the setting wasn't right for me and I just couldn't do it. I was okay with walking and biking, though.

We went again tonight and worked out for 50 minutes. I just couldn't do 10 more minutes to make an hour but was happy with the time I did get in. I was really impressed with what the workout did to my blood sugar. Before the workout tonight, the BG was 180 and 20 minutes after the workout was finished it was 104. Wooohoooo! I had similar results last night and it appears that a good workout does wonders for my BG.

We were both starving as we hadn't eaten dinner so we went to Arby's. Rod had a sandwich but I got just the inside fixins of a beef and cheddar sandwich, no bun, and some water. They were out of salad stuff so I couldn't have salad which is what I really wanted. But the beef and cheddar was good and the water really hit the spot. It wasn't enough to really fill me but I'm too tired and sore to prepare anything so I'm going to just head to bed and hope for a good BG in the morning. :)