Super Stressed

I know I've been really stressed lately, but over the last few days my stomach has been feeling really clenched. The feeling has gone away on and off, but it keeps coming back. I don't want it to lead to any major problems (a friend of mine ended up getting an ulcer due to the stress of school last year), so I decided to get this really comprehensive dvd on Stress Relief. I'm really hoping that it will help. Unfortunately it won't get here until sometime next week at the earliest, so I'm going to try other exercises (and yoga dvds in particular) in the hopes that they will help me out in the meantime.

Time to Lose Weight

I really fell off the band wagon in regards to losing weight. School has been my major obstacle in this regard - I always feel like I don't have time to work out. But I also have major mental road blocks. I don't like having to set aside extra time to work out. Plus it seems to eat up a much larger chunk of my day than it should, what with having to get my glucose high enough to see me through exercising. And what if my glucose is way too low? Then I have to eat something and wait around for like a half hour so I don't get cramps while working out.

But I ran into a problem today that is kind of stupid, but requires my immediate attention: my thighs.

I've been feeling really sluggish lately (again thanks to school. I've been so busy with stuff that I honestly haven't had time to be active. For example, there were two days where I watched all of 24 season 4 for school. I wanted to get them out of the way as fast as possible, so I watched them all pretty much straight. But afterwards I felt so terrible because I was full of pent up energy, but had no real outlet for it because it was super late and I had to get up the next day). So today, I finally had time that I decided to devote to 20-30 minutes on the treadmill. I'm aware that I'm out of shape, so I wasn't too particular about the time frame for this first time.

About 15 minutes in, when I had upped the speed a bit, I found that my thighs were really starting to rub together. Now, this has been a bit of a problem for a number of years now, but only after swimming for some reason. But if this is a problem while exercising, then I really need to deal with it now. So I looked around the net a bit and decided to try out Fitness Magazine's Sleeker Thighs in One Month workout. I've tried a workout from Fitness before (The Lose 10 Pounds in 30 Days workout) and really liked it, so hopefully this one will be just as good. I'm just going to have to be careful that my knee doesn't start acting up again. I know I said I had a plan of attack for it, but that hasn't happened so far - I've just been so scared to hurt it. But like I said, I really have to do something now, so hopefully my knee will get a bit stronger from this!

I will try to provide updates on how things are going, but I can't promise anything right now. I don't do well with routine.

Fallen Off Insulin Pump

I woke up early this morning and kind of felt like crap. I went to grab my insulin pump, and realized it was no longer attached to me. Sometime during the night it fell off, most probably after getting wrapped up in blankets.

I got the pump reattached and then did glucose. Sure enough, I was super high. I didn't have to be up for another couple of hours, but it's a good thing I caught it when I did; at the rate my glucose was rising, I probably would've been about 30 mmol/L if I waited to get up.

With my glucose being so high, I decided to do an injection. I've long thought that injections work better when I am super high; my rationale is that the pump takes quite awhile in real time to get that insulin into you whereas the injection is immediate. I would use the bolus wizard of my pump to figure out how much insulin needs to be done and then just cancel the bolus in order to do the injection.

My nurse and I have gotten into a few debates about this. She doesn't want me doing injections because then the pump has no record of the insulin going into your system (although she also doesn't buy that an injection brings my glucose level down faster than the pump does). But we came up with a great method so everyone is happy: do the injection, but also have the pump do the required amount of insulin into a sink. That way the pump has a record of it (and can also stop you from doubling up on insulin during the next few hours), and it also gives you the exact amount of insulin you need to do in an injection.

I don't know if my method actually works better or not, but at least in this way I have the peace of mind that an injection gives me when my glucose is high, while at the same time having everything recorded in the pump.

Tubing: 23" or 43"?

Ever since I started insulin pumping, I've been using Paradigm Silhouette Infusion Sets. I originally used the 23" tubing, but that a friend of mine recommended the 43" tubing. I've been using the 43" tubing ever since then.

Now that I have funding through the ADP program, I have to change everything out every three days. Previously, I wouldn't change the tubing; being the longer tubing, it always seemed like a waste of insulin to be changing it every time you change the site (or reservoir or whatever). In an effort to reduce this seeming waste of insulin, I decided to give the 23" tubing another shot. So the last time that I bought supplies (ie last week), I bought one box of 23" and another of 43".

Yesterday was the first day I tried a 23" tube. It was really weird priming the thing - the 43" tubing can take anywhere from about 8 units to around 15 (I haven't figured out why that is); the 23" took under 4!

So after a day, I have to say I'm really not liking the shorter tubing. On the one hand, the tubing doesn't get caught on anything, which is nice. But it's just too short to do anything with! When I get dressed in the morning, with the 43" tubing I can put the pump down on my bed or on a nearby table/dresser. With the 23" tubing you can't put it down anywhere! I tried putting it on my bed to get dressed and even when I was standing right next to the bed the pump was still hanging from my site! (As a side note, I am about 5'10", so maybe part of my problem is the site's placement on my torso vs the height of the bed?)

Usually I keep my pump in the right back pocket of my jeans. This isn't a problem with the 23" tubing, but grabbing the pump out of this pocket to give myself insulin feels really restricting. Right now, I can't hold my arm out in front of me with my pump in my hand, while with the 43" tubing I can. This is probably something I could get used to, but it's just really odd.

Luckily I bought the box of 43" tubing, so I'm going to alternate between the two until the 23" tubing is gone. After this, I think I'll be sticking to my 43" tubing!

But what does everyone else think? I was talking to my nurse today and she told me that most people prefer the 23" tubing. If you're on a pump, what do you use and why do you like it?

Update for the Last Month (Including the Conclusion to the Month of Sensors)

I've been extremely busy lately and keep forgetting to update this blog. Besides school, my brother got married in September, so everything's been really crazy!

First: the Month of Sensors. I ended up running 6 of the 8 sensors (I ran out of time and didn't want one running during my brother's wedding). Four of the sensors ran great, giving me a lot of good information. The other two failed, giving me nothing and then a few hours respectively. I've since discussed things with my nurse, so we were able to make a few changes based off of this information.

Other than that, like I said I've been rather busy. School's been stressing me out a bit lately. But another stressor has been my health. I haven't been able to be very active. While part of the problem has been my busy life, the other problem has been my going low whenever I exercise. Today for example, I went for a short walk with my mom. I did glucose when we stopped and decided to eat a few Skittles and sit for a few minutes before continuing. I did glucose again when we were ready to continue and I had gone lower! She ended up having to walk home alone to get the car because we didn't trust my glucose level to get me safely home walking.

This type of thing has been happening more and more frequently. And I don't know what to do, which is making it more and more frustrating!

Month of Sensors Update 1

lol, I seem to have a really hard time remembering to update here!

The Month of Sensors is going pretty well. I've successfully finished two sensors and I have my third one in now (it'll start in a few hours). Unfortunately I haven't put the second and third ones in immediately after the one before, so I may not get through all eight before they expire on the 25th, assuming they all work properly. More update(s) to come!

Another Month of Sensors

Okay, so the weekly updates really didn't happen this summer. But that's okay. I'll be updating a bit more frequently over the next month because I'm going to have another Month of Sensors.

Last time I'd forgotten about a box of sensors. This time around I need to use up two boxes of sensors! Back in April, just after getting my new pump, I received an offer from Minimed; for (I think) $300 I could get one of the new, much smaller transmitters and two boxes of sensors! So I got it, at the very least so when I eventually move out I can set up sensors without anyone's help. I wanted to do some sensors in the late spring, but my diabetes nurse recommended that I wait until I get all of my pump settings reset.

Of course, now I have about a month to use up 8 sensors. So I pulled out my new transmitter, which is completely awesome! Not only is it super tiny, but it also has a rechargable battery! I had a bit of trouble with the first sensor (it's been so long since I've put one in, that I had some trouble with it hurting), but it is now successfully up and running! I'm loving the new transmitter - I don't feel like I'm part robot while wearing it.

2010 Update 12

Well, I've failed at the weekly update thing. The last update I made was in April.

The last time I weighed myself was in the beginning of May. Since then, I don't know exactly what happened, but I haven't been exercising much at all. That's not exactly true, as I have gone hiking a few times, but I haven't been writing things down or making sure I am active a few days every week. I think a big part of the problem is my knee; the tendonitis went away, but keeps coming back if I do too much. The other problem is my glucose. I just got back from Toronto where I did a lot of walking, but unfortunately I also kept going really low. So any benefit I got from walking so much was negated by the amount of food I had to keep eating. On top of that, we ate out a lot and I felt myself eating more than I needed. When we went shopping, I found some great pants but they are a size larger than I normally wear. So I really need to change some things!
To start off, I bought The Mayo Clinic Diet while I was away. While glancing through it, it looked like it had some great tips so I am going to read it over the next week. It recommends that you choose a date to start, so I'm hoping to start next week (it's my birthday this week, so I want to start after that). Starting next week will also give me a chance to read everything over and get anything I need to ready.

I'll also have to get back into exercising. I'm not 100% sure what to do about my glucose yet, but I think I have a plan of attack for my knee: I'll have to ice it right after any exercise. Hopefully this will get me back into yoga and whatnot.

Well, there's my plan of attack for the next while. I am hoping to get back into the weekly updates so I'll be more accountable. Wish me luck!

Diabetes Expo

Today I went to a Healthy Living Diabetes Expo put on by my local chapter of the Canadian Diabetes Association. Dr. Amy Latimer was the guest speaker; her topic was It's all in the plan: Tips for planning and achieving an active lifestyle. She was a great speaker, and so I wanted to share some of the highlights of her talk.

Depending on who you talk to, there are different guidelines for how much exercise is needed per week. The current standard that Dr. Latimer cited was 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week, along with resistance (strength) training 2-3 days a week. According to other sources than the one she quoted, 300 minutes of aerobics are recommended. Either way you're looking at a lot of aerobic exercise a week.

She then gave five tips for getting more active:

1) Always look on the bright side. This one involves thinking of the benefits of exercising, such as less stress and more energy, not the negatives of not exercising. Research supports this: negative and nagging messages demotivate people.

2) Make it enjoyable. You're more likely to exercise if you like what you're doing. Add music, friends, or whatever else to make being active fun. She also cited some research that found people with dogs are way more active.

3) Plan when, where and what activities you are going to do. This was the most important of her five tips. Apparently people with a plan are way more likely to successfully carry out their planned exercise.

4) Plan for obstacles. While a plan is important, being aware of possible obstacles and how to deal with them can be just as important. What will you do if it rains, or your mp3 player breaks? Planning ahead for such scenarios can get you out even when your original plan fails.

5) Expect success . . . most of the time. It's easy to get off schedule and easy to stay off schedule. But get back to it! As a help, remember all the positive benefits, and don't worry: everyone gets derailed sometimes.

I hope you will find those tips as helpful as I did! Thanks for an excellent talk, Dr. Latimer!

2010 Weekly Update 11 - Not so Weekly

So it's been almost a month since my last update. I kept meaning to write, but then I'd forget; this month has been extremely busy! Here are some of the more significant happenings:

I went to the doctor to tell him about my knee. According to him I have tendonitis. He told me to ice the knee when it gets really bad, but otherwise all I can do is give it time. I had to ice it once (which made it feel so much better!) and now it's getting back to normal.

Happy Belated Easter everyone! Right after finding out about my knee it was Easter. We celebrated at my grandmother's house. I walked to and from there, which was great because I ate way too much and so had a chance to work it off. I was proud of myself though - I kept my glucose nicely under control.

A major event over the last few weeks was the end of school. Once classes were over I was still super busy writing papers, studying for exams and whatnot. But all of that is over now and I'm free until the fall!

So right now I'm desperately trying to get caught up with sleep. Due to some all nighters (and me naturally being a night-owl) I've been going to bed extremely late and waking up really tired. I also haven't been eating too well due to celebrating the end of school. But my last real celebration was yesterday (where I ate really badly) so I'm going to have to crack down with that. I'm also going to have to start exercising more; hopefully my knee will be okay if I do some other activities (I'm getting sick of only walking!) Luckily it's warming up, so I should be able to go out biking soon!

2010 Weekly Update 10: Missed a Week

I forgot to write a weekly update last week; I was so busy with school that I barely had time for anything else. I think I fit in a walk on Monday, but that was it. To top it all off, I also had barely any sleep, especially near the end of the week (I pulled an actual all-nighter working on a paper - I had one hour of sleep Wednesday night). Oh, and I had a bit of a chocolate binge a few days ago (conveniently right after my all nighter), so that didn't really help.

Last week I also discovered that I need to give up peanut butter. I would get hungry for a snack, so I found myself in the peanut butter jar quite often. I eat a brand of peanut butter that is just made from peanuts, which makes it a bit better. But it still has calories. And several heaping tablespoons full is not good for you. I don't want to give up peanut butter forever, but I will avoid it for now. The goal would be eating just a healthy amount of it.

So this week I am going to try to be better. I've already gone a few days without peanut butter, so that's good. I've also exercised a few more times (I went dancing last night, and today I went for a walk). If I can catch up on sleep, I should be ok for this week. This week is also the last week of classes, so after it's over I won't have to get up super early as often!

I weighed myself the other day, which was something I haven't done in a long time. I've gained a few pounds (no surprise due to peanut butter eating, but my period also started yesterday which adds a few pounds). If I can stay on track now, both with staying active and eating healthy, I can conceivably lose 18-20 lbs by June 1st. That won't bring me to my goal weight of 170lbs, but that will be quite an accomplishment.

Finally, my knee started acting up again. I think I need to make an appointment to talk to my doctor about it. It doesn't bother me all the time, but seems worst when I'm going up and down stairs.

2010 Weekly Update 9: a Much Needed Break

Not a whole lot to report about this week. I ate a bit healthier than last week, but still not the greatest. I exercised two days (twice in one day). School was really draining me so I took the weekend off, only doing the bare minimum. I feel a bit more energized now, and hope I'll be able to make it through the last few weeks without feeling so burnt out!

2010 Weekly Update 8: Partial Success

This week was only a partial success because I was only successful with exercising. I managed to go out for a walk three days last week (and last Monday I even went for two walks because it was so nice out!) And on Saturday, when I was busy with school things, I agreed to work in the morning, which meant I fit in a walk heading to and from work.

Unfortunately, I could have eaten better. I went to a friend's place and we bought candy. Another night I ate too many chips. Every time I turn around I'm eating unhealthily and I think it is from lack of sleep. While I slept more this week than last week, I still didn't sleep enough. I'm super tired and I know I'm eating to stay awake. It's not good, but until I can get caught up with sleep there isn't much I can do. Hopefully this coming week will be better!

2010 Weekly Update 7: Fail

This past week was not a good one as far as exercise and healthy eating goes. I was presenting a paper at a conference, which meant I was too busy to work out. And while I was getting ready for it, I barely slept, which also meant I was too tired once I finished with the conference. Luckily yesterday I started walking again, and today I went for two walks. So I think I'll just say last week was a failure on multiple counts, but this week won't be!

Surprise Today: I'm Getting a Brand New Pump!!!!

I had an appointment at Diabetes Health today with both my dietician and my nurse; I needed their help in filling out a form which will allow me to get my pump supplies through the government. I'm not really sure how it came up, but I ended up showing my nurse the crack in the side of my pump. She took one look at it and said "You need another pump. Like today!"

And so now, the paperwork is being filed for me to receive a new pump as soon as possible! In the meantime, Medtronic is loaning me a pump for the next three months because everyone is really concerned about the crack in the casing (see picture).

For me, this is going to mean some big changes. First of all, I have to get into the habit of testing at least four times a day. Looking back in my log book (yes, I'm still keeping it!), I would say I average 2-3 times a day; I'm going to try testing for sure at lunch, at supper, at 10 pm (my normal third meal) and again before bed.

I will also have to get into the habit of changing the reservoir, the site and the hose thing every three days. Apparently this is the standard the Government has set. I change the reservoir every three days, but I normally leave the site and the hose longer (bad, I know!) I think this is a good habit to get into, but it will just be strange at first. I'm thinking I'll change everything every time I change the reservoir.

I will also have to see my team at Diabetes Health every three months. This is definitely not a bad thing. Unfortunately, I have a bit of trouble keeping up with them (if I don't make an appointment while I'm leaving, I tend to forget to make one for several months), so I'll have to always remember to make a new one when I leave. And if I have to cancel, I have to make sure I reschedule!!!!

Finally, I will have to attend classes on using the pump. My nurse has asked me before if I'd be interested in this, but I declined because I lacked the time. So I will be attending these classes in May. I think they're going to be a good thing. When I first learned how to use the pump several years ago, it was hard to take everything in. But now I understand all the basics, so I should easily be able to take in new information.

So all in all, an exciting day! I think these changes will be really good for me, and for taking better care of my diabetes!

2010 Weekly Update 6: Reading Week Actually Spent Reading

This past week was reading week. I was looking forward to some time to relax as I felt like I really needed a break from school stuff. And while I did do a couple of fun things over the week, most of the week was actually spent working on school things, so I feel like I didn't have any time off.

Exercise-wise, I did better than last week. I had three good sessions over the week, plus I went for a hike at the end of the week. The hike wasn't anything strenuous, but it was activity. Unfortunately, my eating was really bad this past week. Being reading week, I went to friends' houses a few times over the week and so ate a few too many munchies and whatnot. I also have had a few days where I know I'm eating to stay awake, which is NOT good (Friday night was like that. I was over at a friend's and I was tired. I ate a LOT of bad-for-me things that night).

So this week, I have a few goals: make sure I get enough sleep, eat healthier, and keep up the exercising (3 times a week at least 30 minutes is the goal!)

2010 Weekly Update 5: Too Much School, Not Enough Exercise

Well, this week has been really bad. I worked out one day, and that was only because I was able to walk to and from work. Unfortunately, I was really busy with school, getting one of my two big papers ready and handed in. And to top it off, I wasn't feeling good mid-week; I ended up staying home from school that day. So all in all, a really bad week exercise-wise.

I also ate rather badly most of the week - not a lot of fruit and vegetables, and more processed, rather bad for me things. Like cookies. And this weekend was Valentine's Day, which also meant I ate rather badly (ie. more cookies).

But luckily this week is Study Week. I work one morning this week, so overall I should be able to get enough sleep, get caught up on some things, and get back on track with working out!

2010 Weekly Update 4: Too Much Peanut Butter and Boredom

This week has been alright. Nothing too special to report. I managed to be active three times this week, once on the bike and two walks. My knee is feeling better, so I'm hoping to get some yoga in this coming week (I'm getting a bit bored of walks and bike rides). I am also down two pounds from last week's weigh-in, so that's good (and that means it was my period that brought my weight up).

My one problem this past week has been peanut butter. I've eaten A LOT of it lately. While this isn't as bad as it could be (ie, I've been eating a brand that is made of just peanuts, no sugar or additives of any kind), it's still not that good. A bit of peanut butter isn't a bad thing, but being peanuts, too much isn't good for you. So hopefully I'll be able to cut back a bit this coming week!

I'm also getting really bored of school. I worked all last weekend on a seminar. And now I have to get an essay finished for this week. I'm having a really hard time with this essay - I've been working constantly and I just want to stop for a bit (and I really want to read the book I'm currently supposed to be reading for Wednesday). Luckily next week is Study Week, and I'll be done most of my big projects for the term! Hopefully I can get my motivation up a bit, just for a couple more days!

2010 Weekly Update 3: Who Knew Pilates Can Hurt Your Knee?

On Monday, I decided to give pilates a try. My knee was starting to feel better, and I thought pilates would be easier on it than yoga. Unfortunately, this was false; part way through the 30 minutes, I did some exercise (I don't remember what it was now) and I felt my knee hurt. The best way I can describe it is that whatever is wrong tore again. So I made it through the 30 minute workout (I was doing a dvd) and resolved not to do any pilates or yoga until my knee is completely healed. So instead, I went on the exercise bike a couple of times (still using the interval program) and went for a walk as well. In total, I worked out for about 30 minutes 4 times this past week (the only exception was the walk, which was about 45 minutes).

Thankfully, my knee seems to be getting better. It's healed up a bit since reinjuring it on Monday. Biking has been great for it, and the walk wasn't too bad. I'm still going to be avoiding pilates and yoga for the next while to make sure it heals up properly.

I weighed myself at the beginning of the week and was disappointed, having gained about a 1/2 lb. But then my period started, which explained the slight weight gain. I ate a bit badly at the beginning of the week, but overall I think I did a bit better than last week (with the exception of Tuesday night. I went to a friend's house and ate candy). Overall, I've had a great week, and I'm hoping this will keep up in the future!

2010 Weekly Update 2: Lack of Sleep = Lack of Exercise

Alright, so this week wasn't as good as last week was. Unfortunately, I had a big seminar which I was preparing for midweek, which really derailed my exercise and sleep patterns. I was only able to work out twice this week, once on Monday, and then again today. Both times I went on the exercise bike for 30 minutes, using the intervals program. And Monday night I only slept for two hours because I was stressing; it took me until Friday when I slept in to feel relatively back to normal. Feeling tired made me only want to sleep, which meant I definitely didn't feel like exercising; I also ate rather badly midweek due to the lack of sleep (this happens to me all the time. Tiredness is a major diet derailer!)

But I'm proud of myself for getting back on that bike today (I read some stuff for school while biking, which was a major bonus!), and I've got plans for pilates tomorrow. So hopefully this coming week will be a bit better, both diet and exercise-wise!

Oh yeah, I don't think I've mentioned it before, but my knee has been sore for the last few weeks. It's starting to feel a bit better, but it still gets sore, especially when going up and down stairs. That's why I've been trying to stick to things like biking where possible - I don't want to aggrevate it! But as I said, it seems to be getting a bit better, so hopefully I'll be able to add some dancing to the workout "regiment" sometime soon!

2010 Weekly Update 1: The Good, The Bad, and The New Exercise Goal

Alright, so I remembered to come back and update! Exercise-wise, this week went well. I was active during 4 days, for at least 30 minutes each day! And the activities I chose were well-rounded; I was on the exercise bike one afternoon, did pilates another afternoon, and went on two walks (one was about 30 minutes, one about 60!) So I am quite proud of myself for that and hope it carries on!

Food wise, this week started out okay, but ended rather badly. I went to the pub and had fish and chips Friday night, then I ate a bag of chips (let's say about half last night, and the other half today). The chips were for a party, but I ended up bringing them home with me. Today was a bad day, as I was supposed to be working on school stuff. Instead I procrastinated all day, which included eating the chips! :( Oh yeah, and then I opened a box of chocolates from Christmas; I didn't need the chocolates, but I wanted one (and it was another way to procrastinate for a few minutes). This was really not good, but luckily was just a few days. So hopefully I will stop procrastinating tomorrow, and get back on track with eating healthier (and at least there are no chips in the house that I know of!)

I don't know if you remember my exercise goal from February 2007, but I still have the picture I made of the girl in the black tankini on my bulletin board. Underneath the pictures it says "160lbs by June 1st." My brother saw it the other day, and said I can totally make that this year if I try. Well, I've been thinking about it, and if I can keep up with the exercise now, when I'm really busy with school, then he's right, I can make it. So I'm going to make another attempt this year. Instead of 160lbs, I'm going to go for 170lbs. If I'm doing alright, say by mid-April/early May, then maybe I'll keep going for 160lbs. So wish me luck! I need a new bathing suit this summer, and I'd love to look and feel good in it!

By the way, I'm still successfully keeping my log book! Yay me!

Happy New Year!

It has been quite awhile since I was last here. I've actually started keeping a logbook again! When I was first diagnosed years ago, I kept one, but I gradually fell out of the habit over the years. But after a recent doctor's appointment (back in December) when my Hemoglobin A1C wasn't all that great, I decided I needed to see the patterns. Correcting everything on an individual-test basis is probably not the best way to stay in control, so I went back to the log book. I found that the ones given to me with my pump from Minimed have hourly times, so I'm using that one, modified a bit. I'm using every row as a day, rather than using each page as a day. That's way too much information to be writing down when I didn't even want to write down blood sugars! But I have successfully kept the log book for 20 days now and still counting!

Over the holidays, I wasn't really exercising and I wasn't eating super well. So now that everything is over, I've been trying to get back into some sort of habit. Last week I exercised twice for about 20-30 minutes, which was a great start, but I'm hoping to fit in 30 minutes three times a week. This might not always be possible, due to school, but hopefully I'll be able to fit it all in.