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!