I was tagged by Minnesota Nice.
Six Word Memoir Rules:
1. Write your own 6 word memoir
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you'd like
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere
4. Tag 5 more blogs with links
5. And don't forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!
I like stuff. Okay, some stuff.
Bet you weren't expecting that! And yet, it's so true. Anyway, I tag Emm, Tiffany, Rikki, Mel, and Christine.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Photographic evidence
I've kind of hit a plateau with Diabetes 365. I haven't missed any days, but I'm feeling less enthused about it and it's been longer and longer between uploads. Mainly it's that I don't think my photos are very good and what was okay for an occasional shot looks different when you have hundreds of them. To some extent I am limited by equipment, but also I just don't know a lot about photography or shooting objects.
For some reason, I feel strangely drawn to the original 365 project, 365 Days. On the one hand, I feel it's kind of weird to take photos of yourself, but on the other hand, I have very few photos of myself from the past seven years (because I am the only photo taker) which I find kind of disappointing. In a way, it seems strange, because I grew up in a family that despite its numerous issues took photos of absolutely everything. I guess that's the way it goes, though.
I feel like doing a new project will actually infuse new life into my older project, instead of taking away from it. I'm still trying to decide, though.
In other news, recovering from the flu and still quite tired, but my toe is better and the government sent us some of our money back.
For some reason, I feel strangely drawn to the original 365 project, 365 Days. On the one hand, I feel it's kind of weird to take photos of yourself, but on the other hand, I have very few photos of myself from the past seven years (because I am the only photo taker) which I find kind of disappointing. In a way, it seems strange, because I grew up in a family that despite its numerous issues took photos of absolutely everything. I guess that's the way it goes, though.
I feel like doing a new project will actually infuse new life into my older project, instead of taking away from it. I'm still trying to decide, though.
In other news, recovering from the flu and still quite tired, but my toe is better and the government sent us some of our money back.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Purses
I've been meaning to mention this for awhile, but the place where I get these kinds of purses:
is now making a smaller model for all those of you who can get by with a smaller bag (not me). Here is the smaller one which comes in a lot of colors:
I really like the inside of the smaller one, but I just have too much stuff to carry, so I got another larger one. I love them, and I'm pretty hard on bags.
is now making a smaller model for all those of you who can get by with a smaller bag (not me). Here is the smaller one which comes in a lot of colors:
I really like the inside of the smaller one, but I just have too much stuff to carry, so I got another larger one. I love them, and I'm pretty hard on bags.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Enough already
Well, around Thursday I started getting really tired - much more tired than I had been. On Thursday night, I tried to go into the store to buy one thing and discovered I was so tired I could barely make it out of the store again. Like my limbs just wouldn't go. I also had joint, muscle, and nerve pain. Joint and nerve pain is pretty standard for me, but this was way worse. I only get all over muscle pain if I try to do something, like clean something, give the cat a bath, etc. Since I just *had* given the cat a bath on Wednesday, I figured it must be that, even though it was much worse than usual. The pain didn't go away, though. The surprising thing is how high my pain level is given all the painkillers I'm taking (for me). I've also been sleeping 10-12 hours a night and still feel so tired all the time that I can barely lift my arms, or anything else. I don't feel like eating at all.
Anyone else see where this is going? Well, I didn't until today. I heard my husband coughing because he stayed home from work sick (which he NEVER does), and something "clicked." Duh, I have the flu. How does one have the flu for five days without noticing? Well, I normally have chronic pain, I've had chronic fatigue (not CFIDS) in the past, I normally have all these transient things, I'm on a lot of painkiller for the whole teeth thing, and my body doesn't really do fevers because I have an autonomic nervous system disorder. I'm not coughing, but I've had the flu once before, and I didn't cough then, either.
At least if this is day 5 for me, it should be over soon. My husband is definitely getting the short end of the stick here, since he's never sick and isn't used to this sort of thing the way I am. It's too late for him to get Tamiflu, unfortunately.
Anyone else see where this is going? Well, I didn't until today. I heard my husband coughing because he stayed home from work sick (which he NEVER does), and something "clicked." Duh, I have the flu. How does one have the flu for five days without noticing? Well, I normally have chronic pain, I've had chronic fatigue (not CFIDS) in the past, I normally have all these transient things, I'm on a lot of painkiller for the whole teeth thing, and my body doesn't really do fevers because I have an autonomic nervous system disorder. I'm not coughing, but I've had the flu once before, and I didn't cough then, either.
At least if this is day 5 for me, it should be over soon. My husband is definitely getting the short end of the stick here, since he's never sick and isn't used to this sort of thing the way I am. It's too late for him to get Tamiflu, unfortunately.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
More and more
Well, I got a recommendation for a good dentist. Drawback: he's 18 miles away. I didn't really care; I've seen enough bad dentists in my life. They were able to get me in on Monday, too!
I took a copy of my panoramic x-ray, although the receptionist said it was basically useless. Well, as it turns out, the dentist kept referring to it, the assistant made notes on it, and I had to convince them to give it back to me (since it's my copy) when I left. Anyway, I was telling the assistant I thought #14 had a cavity on the panoramic. She scoffed and said it would have to be the "world's largest cavity" to show up on that. Then she did a full set of x-rays - luckily I had taken the good painkiller, because no one's ever successfully gotten a full set out of me before. My mouth is too small, apparently. They also measured my gums. Again with the painkiller. I will have to remember that in case I ever have it done again. I did really like the dentist, though, and he also does implants.
Well, the result of the x-rays is that I have the world's largest cavity in #14. I also have multiple cavities in every tooth I own. I wasn't too surprised by that, since I have weak enamel and my teeth are too soft. It's just something that you're born with. Anyway, I have to have a root canal, so they referred me to an endodontist.
The endodontist wasn't able to get me in until the 17th! Still, that might even work out better for me (despite the obvious drawback of waiting) because I can't get any more time off. They're having me come in next week for an "evaluation." They said that during the evaluation, they decide whether a root canal is actually needed. I think I burst out laughing when they said that.
I took a copy of my panoramic x-ray, although the receptionist said it was basically useless. Well, as it turns out, the dentist kept referring to it, the assistant made notes on it, and I had to convince them to give it back to me (since it's my copy) when I left. Anyway, I was telling the assistant I thought #14 had a cavity on the panoramic. She scoffed and said it would have to be the "world's largest cavity" to show up on that. Then she did a full set of x-rays - luckily I had taken the good painkiller, because no one's ever successfully gotten a full set out of me before. My mouth is too small, apparently. They also measured my gums. Again with the painkiller. I will have to remember that in case I ever have it done again. I did really like the dentist, though, and he also does implants.
Well, the result of the x-rays is that I have the world's largest cavity in #14. I also have multiple cavities in every tooth I own. I wasn't too surprised by that, since I have weak enamel and my teeth are too soft. It's just something that you're born with. Anyway, I have to have a root canal, so they referred me to an endodontist.
The endodontist wasn't able to get me in until the 17th! Still, that might even work out better for me (despite the obvious drawback of waiting) because I can't get any more time off. They're having me come in next week for an "evaluation." They said that during the evaluation, they decide whether a root canal is actually needed. I think I burst out laughing when they said that.
Monday, March 03, 2008
And again
Well, I went to see my internist on Friday and he was appalled I didn't get any treatment from the dentist (and even worse, it's his dentist). So he wrote me a Z-pac just in case and told me Darvocet could be cut in half. I tried it at night first and it seemed okay, so I tried it during the day. It makes the pain somewhat bearable.
At one point I discovered one of my teeth (#14) is more painful than the others. It already has a lot of fillings. I looked at it more closely and it looks like it's cracked. Frankly, I would be glad if that's the problem if it's just a matter of a root canal and filling it in. It's not like it's in the front. You can see it on the x-ray here if you want. Compared to #3 it looks like it might have a cavity.
So after taking the painkiller I had some time to think. Why did the dentist refer me to a prosthodontist for a serious dental and health emergency? Now, I do need to see the specialist eventually, but for this? I called his office and they confirmed they don't handle this kind of work. So it looks like I need to find another dentist! I don't want to go to just any dentist; I've had all kinds of bad luck in the past. I will check around.
I'm almost tempted to try to go back to my old dentist in Bellingham. None of *his* crowns have fallen out of my mouth, and he was always excellent. He's apparently having some legal troubles right now, though (nothing I'm that concerned about) so I'm not sure if he's still practicing. Also, he's not open on the weekends so I'd have to get up to Bellingham during the day (I don't drive) and that's a lot of time. So I don't know.
At one point I discovered one of my teeth (#14) is more painful than the others. It already has a lot of fillings. I looked at it more closely and it looks like it's cracked. Frankly, I would be glad if that's the problem if it's just a matter of a root canal and filling it in. It's not like it's in the front. You can see it on the x-ray here if you want. Compared to #3 it looks like it might have a cavity.
So after taking the painkiller I had some time to think. Why did the dentist refer me to a prosthodontist for a serious dental and health emergency? Now, I do need to see the specialist eventually, but for this? I called his office and they confirmed they don't handle this kind of work. So it looks like I need to find another dentist! I don't want to go to just any dentist; I've had all kinds of bad luck in the past. I will check around.
I'm almost tempted to try to go back to my old dentist in Bellingham. None of *his* crowns have fallen out of my mouth, and he was always excellent. He's apparently having some legal troubles right now, though (nothing I'm that concerned about) so I'm not sure if he's still practicing. Also, he's not open on the weekends so I'd have to get up to Bellingham during the day (I don't drive) and that's a lot of time. So I don't know.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
And now for something a little
2 March 2008 Day 146
Originally uploaded by lilituc.
Here I am with Gary Scheiner (in what has to be the most unflattering light ever). He was great, though!
I spent this weekend at the Children With Diabetes Focus on Pumping conference. It was very interesting. One of the pump reps remarked that it was such a different atmosphere from the usual - where everyone "gets it." That sums it up pretty well.
I don't know if the larger conferences are the same way, but it was definitely focused on parents of children under 18. Many of the speakers and reps were adults with Type 1, and a couple of the parents were, but otherwise it seemed like I was the only one there without a child. Yet while the focus was more on children, I could still apply the information, knowing the differences between management of children and adults.
My husband decided to sign up for a TrialNet study, since his father has Type 1. They take a blood sample, test it for antibodies, and will let him know the results in 4-6 weeks.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Toothache, headache
There's nothing to get me riled up about healthcare like dental care. I only have dental insurance until the 29th. For those of you outside the US, dental insurance is not as exciting as it sounds. Common plans pay 50-80% of "covered" expenses, and there's an annual maximum they will pay, like $1000 or $2000 (that's for your whole family). Consider that one root canal and crown costs $1200-$2000.
Anyway, I've been having this excruciating pain in my mouth (top and bottom) for two days. It's unclear where the pain is coming from, if it's related to the surgery I had in December, what. Then yesterday a crown broke off and fell out of my mouth, all by itself. It's not even near the painful area! So I did what any American is supposed to do - I went to see my dentist as soon as he could get me in. (Woe to those who don't have a regular dentist.) He said the crown took too much with it and can't be put back, so I'm looking at another $2500 implant in addition to the one I already have to get.* What about the pain? Well, he didn't even want to do an exam. He said that as a general dentist, he doesn't feel comfortable treating me, and I need to see a specialist. The specialist can't get me in until next week, when I won't have dental insurance, and like most dental professionals they expect to be paid the day of service or they won't perform it.
What this means is that I don't know how long I'm going to be living with this kind of pain. I can't afford to see a specialist and pay all of it out of pocket. Once again, I can't chew, and even when I can, my chewing is impaired by all the holes and other things in my mouth. It's not surprising the tooth with the crown broke when you look at my teeth - they're extremely soft and they've always been. So I have these problems.
What gets me about this sitation is that 1. dental work is so expensive and there's not really any facility to help. (Don't even get me started on how Medicaid "covers" dental work). I can't go to a dental school or low income clinic, although in other places for other people that may be an option. The care you receive there may not be the same, though. Then there's 2. why is the mouth not considered part of the body? This pain won't let me eat or sleep and makes it difficult to drink. I have ketones, which yesterday were moderate. My bg is acting really stubborn. I woke up at 3 am really nauseated and had to throw up (no, not low). If I didn't stay on top of the ketones, I could end up in the ER, which I'm sure my health insurance would tell me isn't covered because it's my teeth.
Someone from Australia asked me why I didn't just go to the dental clinic and tell them it was an emergency. Do you really have those there? I wish we had them.
* Getting an implant is a long process - they have to remove the remaining tooth, seat the implant, wait 6-8 months, and then put the crown on it. I can't get a bridge or anything else due to the condition of the other teeth in my mouth. Both of the problem teeth are in the front of my mouth.
Anyway, I've been having this excruciating pain in my mouth (top and bottom) for two days. It's unclear where the pain is coming from, if it's related to the surgery I had in December, what. Then yesterday a crown broke off and fell out of my mouth, all by itself. It's not even near the painful area! So I did what any American is supposed to do - I went to see my dentist as soon as he could get me in. (Woe to those who don't have a regular dentist.) He said the crown took too much with it and can't be put back, so I'm looking at another $2500 implant in addition to the one I already have to get.* What about the pain? Well, he didn't even want to do an exam. He said that as a general dentist, he doesn't feel comfortable treating me, and I need to see a specialist. The specialist can't get me in until next week, when I won't have dental insurance, and like most dental professionals they expect to be paid the day of service or they won't perform it.
What this means is that I don't know how long I'm going to be living with this kind of pain. I can't afford to see a specialist and pay all of it out of pocket. Once again, I can't chew, and even when I can, my chewing is impaired by all the holes and other things in my mouth. It's not surprising the tooth with the crown broke when you look at my teeth - they're extremely soft and they've always been. So I have these problems.
What gets me about this sitation is that 1. dental work is so expensive and there's not really any facility to help. (Don't even get me started on how Medicaid "covers" dental work). I can't go to a dental school or low income clinic, although in other places for other people that may be an option. The care you receive there may not be the same, though. Then there's 2. why is the mouth not considered part of the body? This pain won't let me eat or sleep and makes it difficult to drink. I have ketones, which yesterday were moderate. My bg is acting really stubborn. I woke up at 3 am really nauseated and had to throw up (no, not low). If I didn't stay on top of the ketones, I could end up in the ER, which I'm sure my health insurance would tell me isn't covered because it's my teeth.
Someone from Australia asked me why I didn't just go to the dental clinic and tell them it was an emergency. Do you really have those there? I wish we had them.
* Getting an implant is a long process - they have to remove the remaining tooth, seat the implant, wait 6-8 months, and then put the crown on it. I can't get a bridge or anything else due to the condition of the other teeth in my mouth. Both of the problem teeth are in the front of my mouth.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Meme time
I don't think I got tagged by anyone, but here you go!
8 Things I’m Passionate About.
1. Real food
2. Diabetes advocacy
3. Trying to help people on the internet
4. Learning
5. ADA restoration
6. Cheese
7. Software that works
8. Civil liberties
8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die.
1. Finish learning Mandarin, German, Latin, Japanese, and Hebrew
2. Learn how to program (the real way)
3. Get a passport
4. Get out of the US
5. Go outside
6. Visit Israel
7. Build my own hobbit house
8. Pat a bunny
8 Things I Say Often.
1. WTF
2. What the hell?
3. Are they on crack?
4. What in the crap?
5. Who's my little brattywatty? (to cat)
6. WHAT?! (to meter)
7. Why am I so tired?
8. Oh noes!
8 Books I’ve Read Recently. (or not so recently)
1. The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
2. The Liar by Stephen Fry
3. Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler
4. The Discovery of Insulin by Michael Bliss
5. Rashi's Daughters, Book 1: Joheved by Maggie Anton
6. A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz
7. The Jewish Book of Why by Alfred Kolatch
8. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over.
1. Fleetwood Mac - Beautiful Child
2. Violent Femmes - Color Me Once
3. Ednaswap - 74 Willow
4. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
5. Duran Duran - Ordinary World
6. Jonathan Coulton - Mandelbrot Set
7. Elton John - Wake Up Wendy
8. The Gap Band - I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops Upside Your Head)
8 Things That Attract Me to My Best Friends.
1. Humor
2. Sensitivity
3. Fun
4. Understanding
5. Listening
6. Helping out
7. Having a good time
8. Exchanging ideas
8 Things I’m Passionate About.
1. Real food
2. Diabetes advocacy
3. Trying to help people on the internet
4. Learning
5. ADA restoration
6. Cheese
7. Software that works
8. Civil liberties
8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die.
1. Finish learning Mandarin, German, Latin, Japanese, and Hebrew
2. Learn how to program (the real way)
3. Get a passport
4. Get out of the US
5. Go outside
6. Visit Israel
7. Build my own hobbit house
8. Pat a bunny
8 Things I Say Often.
1. WTF
2. What the hell?
3. Are they on crack?
4. What in the crap?
5. Who's my little brattywatty? (to cat)
6. WHAT?! (to meter)
7. Why am I so tired?
8. Oh noes!
8 Books I’ve Read Recently. (or not so recently)
1. The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
2. The Liar by Stephen Fry
3. Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler
4. The Discovery of Insulin by Michael Bliss
5. Rashi's Daughters, Book 1: Joheved by Maggie Anton
6. A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz
7. The Jewish Book of Why by Alfred Kolatch
8. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over.
1. Fleetwood Mac - Beautiful Child
2. Violent Femmes - Color Me Once
3. Ednaswap - 74 Willow
4. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
5. Duran Duran - Ordinary World
6. Jonathan Coulton - Mandelbrot Set
7. Elton John - Wake Up Wendy
8. The Gap Band - I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops Upside Your Head)
8 Things That Attract Me to My Best Friends.
1. Humor
2. Sensitivity
3. Fun
4. Understanding
5. Listening
6. Helping out
7. Having a good time
8. Exchanging ideas
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
Endo shortage
Today I came across this interesting article about the shortage of endocrinologists in the US. Conspicuously absent is the reason for the shortage - compensation.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Liquidation
Every now and then, I come across something that really gets me. For some reason tonight it was the liquidation notice for an insulin plant.
It's just stunning sometimes for me to stop and think about where these tiny vials that keep me alive come from.
It's just stunning sometimes for me to stop and think about where these tiny vials that keep me alive come from.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Oy
Wow, where do I start? Well, yesterday I got a very strange headache. It came on like immediately, and the pain was on top of my head. I got up to take something for it because it was really bad, but when I opened the cabinet, a can flew out and landed on my toe - the same toe I broke in 1994 that never healed right. I honestly can't tell if it's broken because it's always been painful to manipulate and every time I stubbed it, it hurt for days. It felt like the first time, though! Anyway, they don't really do anything for broken toes, and I have tape. I'm just glad I can hobble around on my foot. Those first few hours where I couldn't were not fun because I can't hop.
New Years Eve, our hot water heater stopped working. I guess it must really be considered an emergency, because the landlady got someone to come in and replace it on the 2nd, which is some kind of record. I didn't realize I would have to empty most of the pantry so that the contractor could get at the water heater until 30 minutes before he was supposed to show up. No problem, right? He showed up 30 minutes early. So there I was trying to empty the pantry really fast while he made fun of me for not realizing. What annoyed me about that is that I'm disabled and I had to stop in the middle to suck down some juice because inevitably I'd go low from all that. Oh, and I asked him twice if I needed to remove the shelf above the water heater, and he scoffingly assured me he had "plenty of room." Guess what's covered in scorch marks from the blowtorch now? Oh, and he wrote on the heater that he installed it January 2007. Maybe some people shouldn't make fun...
On the brighter side, I can almost chew things now. The company that laid my husband off called and asked if he wanted to take a six month contract, working day shift, so he accepted that. He's still working through a temp agency, so no benefits, and it's at the same company, so he's still looking for something else, but it's better than nothing. Day shift is also better because then I see him during the week.
For some reason my pancreas has been working overtime since the surgery. My basal went from 11.5U to 8.5U. My insulin-to-carb ratio went from 1:8 to 1:11. I don't know how long it will last, but I'm not complaining.
New Years Eve, our hot water heater stopped working. I guess it must really be considered an emergency, because the landlady got someone to come in and replace it on the 2nd, which is some kind of record. I didn't realize I would have to empty most of the pantry so that the contractor could get at the water heater until 30 minutes before he was supposed to show up. No problem, right? He showed up 30 minutes early. So there I was trying to empty the pantry really fast while he made fun of me for not realizing. What annoyed me about that is that I'm disabled and I had to stop in the middle to suck down some juice because inevitably I'd go low from all that. Oh, and I asked him twice if I needed to remove the shelf above the water heater, and he scoffingly assured me he had "plenty of room." Guess what's covered in scorch marks from the blowtorch now? Oh, and he wrote on the heater that he installed it January 2007. Maybe some people shouldn't make fun...
On the brighter side, I can almost chew things now. The company that laid my husband off called and asked if he wanted to take a six month contract, working day shift, so he accepted that. He's still working through a temp agency, so no benefits, and it's at the same company, so he's still looking for something else, but it's better than nothing. Day shift is also better because then I see him during the week.
For some reason my pancreas has been working overtime since the surgery. My basal went from 11.5U to 8.5U. My insulin-to-carb ratio went from 1:8 to 1:11. I don't know how long it will last, but I'm not complaining.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
My night at the ER
16 December 2007 Day 69
Originally uploaded by lilituc.
I was doing so well, and then on Sunday afternoon, I started vomiting. Nothing had changed, so it was pretty odd. I didn't have ketones and my bg was fine. My husband called the doctor on call - again Dr. S. This time he made Dr. S listen to my entire medical chart and wouldn't let him talk over him. Dr. S said it was no big deal and he'd call in a suppository. He also said to stop taking all the medications I'd been prescribed. He said we could go to the ER if we wanted to, but made it sound like we were being overly paranoid and there was no point. I'm not going to tell you what we call Dr. S in private!
Normally I'd wait longer than two hours to go the ER, but it was already 5 pm and I hate waiting all night long and not being able to sleep, so I figured we might as well go right then. We got to the ER just after 6 and I didn't get triaged until 7:15. To be fair, they had their hands full. There was a woman in her early 30s with severe abdominal pain, a two-year-old who'd had explosive diarrhea for several days, and an elderly woman with a possible broken hip. Actually, I can say "probable" after observing her for 20 minutes. So they triaged me and then I didn't get seen until 9:30. I had to keep getting up to vomit while I was waiting.
By the time they saw me, I had moderate ketones and was pretty dehydrated. They didn't check until after they'd given me one bag, so they kind of went overboard and took a bag right out of the fridge. I warned them cold fluids would probably make me nauseated (because of another medical condition), but they were all, "you need fluids" and wouldn't hear it. The weird part was another nurse randomly came in, walked over to me, taped the line up and down my arm twice, then left. So I was a million times colder. In retrospect, I should have just pulled off the tape, but I was kind of confused at the time. Anyway, I got really nauseated.
That's when they went into overdrive! I thought it was odd they thought that was such an emergency. The doctor came running in and the nurse and then they gave me Phenergan and I was out. So I didn't get to ask the doctor the questions I had or get a copy of my labwork. I was discharged around midnight.
For those of you who work in the healthcare field...what do you think of this - it's the best ER in town, but they don't have private rooms. The patient on the other side of the curtain was a homeless veteran who called 911 because he wanted to commit suicide, and while I was getting my fluids we basically overheard everything. The poor guy.
I had a surreal moment the next morning when Dr. S's nurse called to find out what happened. I explained to her about what had happened, but she didn't seem to grasp that diabetic + ketones + dehydration = super bad. Also, when I told her the Phenergan knocked me out, she actually said, "No, honey, you're thinking of the painkiller. Phenergan isn't sedating. Does your tummy still hurt?" So glad I didn't get Dr. S as my surgeon!
They never figured out why I was vomiting. I've been okay since then in that I've been progressing normally.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Oy
Well, I had the surgery yesterday morning. The surgeon said she'd talked to my doctor and they thought it would be better if they didn't sedate me. I wonder which one said that; I can't think of why they would. Still, I'd rather not be sedated.
They had trouble getting the IV in. Not too surprising since they decided not to use a heplock because I'm allergic to Teflon. They didn't have one of those brace things so they ended up strapping my arm to a board they found somewhere. I forget to tell them I'm allergic to heart monitor contacts, but they never mentioned they were going to be using them, either. Since I'd had 50mg of benadryl before the surgery, the reaction wasn't too bad. So the surgery mostly went well, although the anesthetic started to wear off at like #2. I was not upset, because that's usually what happens to me. It all went pretty fast, anyway.
When I got home I was pretty dehydrated, but I couldn't drink anything because we were supposed to try to stop the bleeding. You have to bite down hard on some gauze for 30 minutes, then make sure it's stopped and repeat if necessary. Well, we did this for about five hours and it didn't stop, even after we tried tea bags like they suggested. So, my husband called the office and got the doctor on call. It was one of the other surgeons, Dr. S. Well, Dr. S informed him that it was only bleeding because I wasn't biting down on the gauze right because I was groggy after the surgery. So basically, we were doing it wrong. He wouldn't listen to what my husband was telling him at all. That's interesting, because I wasn't groggy at all, and we weren't doing it wrong. I'm glad I didn't get that surgeon! Anyway, we tried the gauze again (by this point we'd run out of their gauze and had to use our own) and it mostly stopped, so I was able to eat some things and get my ketones down. It did start bleeding again three times that night, though, even though I wasn't doing anything when it happened. Nothing was even moving in my mouth; I was just sitting there and it started. And yes, I am being super careful. So I may end up with dry socket even though I followed all the instructions.
I was in a lot of pain the first day, when I couldn't take the painkiller right away due to the bleeding not stopping. It went right up to 9. I think some people would call it 10, but I've had 10 before. The odd thing is that Darvocet was abused in the 70s, but it doesn't make me feel high at all. It does work on the pain, which is great, but that's it. I'm not even sleepy. The pain was only as bad this morning as it is when I normally wake up, so like a 5 or a 6, but now it does hurt despite the painkiller, probably because of the swelling. I have to apply ice packs for the first 36 hours. The swelling should go down on day 3. It takes about a month to heal completely.
I'm supposed to eat a lot of protein (which makes sense because my body is making new tissue), so I've been having Boost Glucose Control, Trader Joe's nonfat Greek yogurt cups, Special K protein water, and tofu pudding. I do have some pureed soups, but they're higher in carbs and much lower in protein. It's been hard enough keeping my bg down. I'm at 175% basal and 190% bolus from normal.
I am trying to get some rest, but I'm not even tired. Certainly not what I would have expected!
They had trouble getting the IV in. Not too surprising since they decided not to use a heplock because I'm allergic to Teflon. They didn't have one of those brace things so they ended up strapping my arm to a board they found somewhere. I forget to tell them I'm allergic to heart monitor contacts, but they never mentioned they were going to be using them, either. Since I'd had 50mg of benadryl before the surgery, the reaction wasn't too bad. So the surgery mostly went well, although the anesthetic started to wear off at like #2. I was not upset, because that's usually what happens to me. It all went pretty fast, anyway.
When I got home I was pretty dehydrated, but I couldn't drink anything because we were supposed to try to stop the bleeding. You have to bite down hard on some gauze for 30 minutes, then make sure it's stopped and repeat if necessary. Well, we did this for about five hours and it didn't stop, even after we tried tea bags like they suggested. So, my husband called the office and got the doctor on call. It was one of the other surgeons, Dr. S. Well, Dr. S informed him that it was only bleeding because I wasn't biting down on the gauze right because I was groggy after the surgery. So basically, we were doing it wrong. He wouldn't listen to what my husband was telling him at all. That's interesting, because I wasn't groggy at all, and we weren't doing it wrong. I'm glad I didn't get that surgeon! Anyway, we tried the gauze again (by this point we'd run out of their gauze and had to use our own) and it mostly stopped, so I was able to eat some things and get my ketones down. It did start bleeding again three times that night, though, even though I wasn't doing anything when it happened. Nothing was even moving in my mouth; I was just sitting there and it started. And yes, I am being super careful. So I may end up with dry socket even though I followed all the instructions.
I was in a lot of pain the first day, when I couldn't take the painkiller right away due to the bleeding not stopping. It went right up to 9. I think some people would call it 10, but I've had 10 before. The odd thing is that Darvocet was abused in the 70s, but it doesn't make me feel high at all. It does work on the pain, which is great, but that's it. I'm not even sleepy. The pain was only as bad this morning as it is when I normally wake up, so like a 5 or a 6, but now it does hurt despite the painkiller, probably because of the swelling. I have to apply ice packs for the first 36 hours. The swelling should go down on day 3. It takes about a month to heal completely.
I'm supposed to eat a lot of protein (which makes sense because my body is making new tissue), so I've been having Boost Glucose Control, Trader Joe's nonfat Greek yogurt cups, Special K protein water, and tofu pudding. I do have some pureed soups, but they're higher in carbs and much lower in protein. It's been hard enough keeping my bg down. I'm at 175% basal and 190% bolus from normal.
I am trying to get some rest, but I'm not even tired. Certainly not what I would have expected!
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Constant vigilance!
Something I read on Amy's blog reminded me of this. Last year, right after we moved back to Seattle, we went to a local restaurant famed for its homemade breakfasts. I tested my bg while looking over the menu - it was in the 80s. I ordered coffee and noticed there was a cream container on the table. I asked the waitress if it was real cream, and she said, "yes, it is." Our housemate also got coffee, and takes it with cream. So we both had some coffee with cream. Our food took quite awhile to arrive. After about 30 minutes of waiting, I started to feel odd, so I tested again. My bg was almost 140.
I was confused for a minute, then realized I'd been drinking the coffee. I got out my diastix, tested the coffee, and it was right in the middle of the range. I tested it with my meter: same thing. It hadn't tasted any different than half-and-half, but it was pretty diluted in the coffee. When the waitress came back, I asked her again, "are you sure this is real cream?" She said, "yes." I said, "it's important to know because we're both diabetic, so are you absolutely certain it's real cream?" She said, "yes, it's real cream." I showed her the strip, explained it and said, "well, this container is full of sugar, so can we get a new one?" (I assumed that someone had poured sugar into it). Know what the waitress said then?
"It's nondairy creamer. We don't serve cream here."
Okay, so as it turns out, this restaurant only has nondairy creamer (loaded with sugar), 2%, skim milk, and margarine, presumably for "health" reasons. The food was actually really good (although some butter would have been nice), but we've never been back. I mean, she lied! Repeatedly! I can't understand why someone would do that. I've known people who are allergic to nondairy creamer. Anyway, what I learned was that creamer isn't a free food, so be careful out there!
I was confused for a minute, then realized I'd been drinking the coffee. I got out my diastix, tested the coffee, and it was right in the middle of the range. I tested it with my meter: same thing. It hadn't tasted any different than half-and-half, but it was pretty diluted in the coffee. When the waitress came back, I asked her again, "are you sure this is real cream?" She said, "yes." I said, "it's important to know because we're both diabetic, so are you absolutely certain it's real cream?" She said, "yes, it's real cream." I showed her the strip, explained it and said, "well, this container is full of sugar, so can we get a new one?" (I assumed that someone had poured sugar into it). Know what the waitress said then?
"It's nondairy creamer. We don't serve cream here."
Okay, so as it turns out, this restaurant only has nondairy creamer (loaded with sugar), 2%, skim milk, and margarine, presumably for "health" reasons. The food was actually really good (although some butter would have been nice), but we've never been back. I mean, she lied! Repeatedly! I can't understand why someone would do that. I've known people who are allergic to nondairy creamer. Anyway, what I learned was that creamer isn't a free food, so be careful out there!
Friday, December 07, 2007
Surgery
Well, the consultation was interesting. They did panoramic x-rays, which I like because the small ones are painful and don't fit in my mouth. The big x-rays were much clearer. Disturbingly clearer. the nurse and I both said, "oh no" when we saw them. Basically, I have bone loss and my teeth are really impacted. Then, the oral surgeon came in. She's from the former Soviet Union and very direct, with no sugarcoating. She kept asking me questions like she was testing me (she's a professor), and I guess I passed. She asked me how I would treat my diabetes for the surgery. I said I would reduce my basal by 50% and not eat anything for 8 hours, which was apparently the answer she was looking for. That was that, too; she didn't want to discuss it further. I thought she was great!
Since my wisdom teeth are right on the nerves, I have to get a CT scan next week. I will also need to have a bone graft. She said she usually doesn't do it in diabetics due to poor outcomes, but I showed her my A1c (LOL). Both the oral surgeon and the nurse told me there is a significant chance I may lose two back molars. I'm not that upset about it, because one is useless already and the other isn't very useful, either, being only partially erupted. (I don't have enough room in my mouth for my teeth already.) I'd be more worried about potential complications. Also, I have to have general, which I hate, but after seeing the x-rays I didn't really argue.
The doctor agreed that I need to take my other medication (asthma, beta blocker) before the surgery, although most people don't. They also want me to take Benadryl before, since I'm allergic to Teflon and so many other things. It may also help with the painkiller. I took Vicodin once and vomited for 24 hours, so I can't have anything similar and even what they're giving me (Darvocet) may cause me to react. Some people with my reaction don't have it if they take the medication with Benadryl. I really hope it works, because the backup plan is 600mg of ibuprofen, which I already know does barely anything for me. When people who never take painkillers tell me they needed the Vicodin for this, well...
As it turns out, I will need to have surgery again next year for a different problem. They said they could do it with only local, though. Unfortunately, that surgery is mostly not covered by my dental insurance. This one is really complicated, though, so it's a lot more than we thought. So each of the surgeries will cost about...27% of an insulin pump. They're going to make a good show of billing my health insurance, but it's unlikely they will cover it, since as we all know, your mouth isn't part of your body. ;(
Since my wisdom teeth are right on the nerves, I have to get a CT scan next week. I will also need to have a bone graft. She said she usually doesn't do it in diabetics due to poor outcomes, but I showed her my A1c (LOL). Both the oral surgeon and the nurse told me there is a significant chance I may lose two back molars. I'm not that upset about it, because one is useless already and the other isn't very useful, either, being only partially erupted. (I don't have enough room in my mouth for my teeth already.) I'd be more worried about potential complications. Also, I have to have general, which I hate, but after seeing the x-rays I didn't really argue.
The doctor agreed that I need to take my other medication (asthma, beta blocker) before the surgery, although most people don't. They also want me to take Benadryl before, since I'm allergic to Teflon and so many other things. It may also help with the painkiller. I took Vicodin once and vomited for 24 hours, so I can't have anything similar and even what they're giving me (Darvocet) may cause me to react. Some people with my reaction don't have it if they take the medication with Benadryl. I really hope it works, because the backup plan is 600mg of ibuprofen, which I already know does barely anything for me. When people who never take painkillers tell me they needed the Vicodin for this, well...
As it turns out, I will need to have surgery again next year for a different problem. They said they could do it with only local, though. Unfortunately, that surgery is mostly not covered by my dental insurance. This one is really complicated, though, so it's a lot more than we thought. So each of the surgeries will cost about...27% of an insulin pump. They're going to make a good show of billing my health insurance, but it's unlikely they will cover it, since as we all know, your mouth isn't part of your body. ;(
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Numbers lie
I saw my endo yesterday. My cholesterol is still good, but slightly worse than last time so I suppose I'll have to look into that. My A1c is what it's been the whole time I've had it tested at this lab: insane. It's lower every time, too, despite my bg not changing. Now that we've kind of ruled out lab error, the only thing I can think of is that there's something weird going on with my hemoglobin.
Previously I had A1cs like 5.8%, when my postprandial numbers were a lot lower and I didn't spend a lot of time out of the normal range, although that was at a different lab. This last A1c was under 5 and I don't believe it could possibly be accurate. I've tested in the middle of the night to make sure I'm not having lows or anything. What do I think? I think my A1c should be somewhere between 5 and 6, closer to the middle. I mean, yes, it's definitely a great number, but I just don't think it's an insanely good number...for a nondiabetic. What I know about my bg doesn't support that.
So, today I'm going to have a consultation for oral surgery. That's right, my wisdom teeth are horribly impacted and they have to come out now. I haven't been able to chew in a week. I am not looking forward much to the consultation, where I have to explain not only about my insulin pump, but about the millions of other special conditions that will affect it. The surgery is already scheduled for next Friday. Eeek!
Previously I had A1cs like 5.8%, when my postprandial numbers were a lot lower and I didn't spend a lot of time out of the normal range, although that was at a different lab. This last A1c was under 5 and I don't believe it could possibly be accurate. I've tested in the middle of the night to make sure I'm not having lows or anything. What do I think? I think my A1c should be somewhere between 5 and 6, closer to the middle. I mean, yes, it's definitely a great number, but I just don't think it's an insanely good number...for a nondiabetic. What I know about my bg doesn't support that.
So, today I'm going to have a consultation for oral surgery. That's right, my wisdom teeth are horribly impacted and they have to come out now. I haven't been able to chew in a week. I am not looking forward much to the consultation, where I have to explain not only about my insulin pump, but about the millions of other special conditions that will affect it. The surgery is already scheduled for next Friday. Eeek!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Well
I spent three days installing software on my husband's computer and updating Ubuntu on this machine. I thought the upgrade would help, but now it just runs a lot slower and a lot more things are broken. For example, now it won't open Word documents at all. Okay, then. I get burned out on these things pretty quickly, though. I did manage to get the camera software working on my husband's machine, but his display is not at all like my old one, so I can't tell what the photos look like. They look a lot different on this machine because the display is pretty wonky. So, I'm sorry if the photos look bad!
I have an appointment to see my endo next week. The receptionist called me today to tell me I'm supposed to get labs done tomorrow morning (I was going to anyway, but apparently they actually scheduled me for it and never mentioned it to me) and that they were fasting. Since I hate fasting tests, I know that I just had my cholesterol done six months ago. I asked her to check with the doctor because I'm pretty sure I don't need to have it done for another six months. (My cholesterol was really good, so I'm not sure why I'd need to get it done more often.) She said she would call me right back once she talked to the doctor. I was going to ask if she'd ordered the urine test when she called back, because I think I haven't had that one done in a year. Why they like to schedule the urine test when I'm fasting I don't know, but they tried to do that last time. It, um, doesn't work that way.
Well, it's 5:47 now. So do I fast (UGH), or just tell them to rewrite the lab slip tomorrow? I think she'll give me a hard time about that.
I have an appointment to see my endo next week. The receptionist called me today to tell me I'm supposed to get labs done tomorrow morning (I was going to anyway, but apparently they actually scheduled me for it and never mentioned it to me) and that they were fasting. Since I hate fasting tests, I know that I just had my cholesterol done six months ago. I asked her to check with the doctor because I'm pretty sure I don't need to have it done for another six months. (My cholesterol was really good, so I'm not sure why I'd need to get it done more often.) She said she would call me right back once she talked to the doctor. I was going to ask if she'd ordered the urine test when she called back, because I think I haven't had that one done in a year. Why they like to schedule the urine test when I'm fasting I don't know, but they tried to do that last time. It, um, doesn't work that way.
Well, it's 5:47 now. So do I fast (UGH), or just tell them to rewrite the lab slip tomorrow? I think she'll give me a hard time about that.
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