Road to Somewhere

The results on the ultrasound on my legs came back negative.

Sweet.

So next up was the cardiologist. I met with him on Tuesday. After an EKG and bp check I met with the doctor for about an hour.

He went through my family history, my recent lab work, and lab work from earlier in the year. Twice he had his nurse call my doctor for more reports from the past. I was thankful for the relationship between him and my doctor. Sometimes those doctor to doctor communications take forever and this was refreshing to have it happen so quickly.

The doctor was very concerned with the anemia. That is something he wants to figure out so next up is a slew of blood work. He kept shouting to his nurse all the labs he wanted. I have never had so many panels checked off on a lab request. Do I even have enough blood for all these test? Yikes!

The next step is a stress test this afternoon, lab work in a few weeks, and a new drug to help with cholesterol.

All and all I feel like I am in good hands with this doctor. He is nice, explains everything, looks at all my history as well how I am feeling, and even went so far as to call a colleague for a second opinion while I was in the room.

Although the length of this road is uncertain, I am glad I am on it. Something is wrong and soon we will know what it is and will treat it. 

Deprived of Dynamics

Earlier this year I left my Dexcom transmitter in a hotel room in San Diego. At the beginning of the year I received a new Dexcom system to replace the one that was out of warranty. Like any good diabetes supply hoarder I kept my old transmitter and receiver just in case.

So when I realized I left it behind I figured I would just use the old one until it started acting up.

Guess what started to act up?

It’s officially done I believe. The transmitter either won’t transmit a signal or I get that lovely “???” on the screen all the time. Anyhow, I have given up on it and put it to rest.

So now that I am CGM-less I am feeling quite vulnerable. Checking my BG is not as automatic as it was for me before I had a CGM. I got so used to looking at it throughout the day that checking my blood was saved for calibrations!

Teaching an old dog a trick he used to know is just as tough as learning a new one. But I am trying. I have reinstated my BG check reminder on my pump and keep my glucometer on my desk all day so I remember to check often.

That trending line you get from a CGM is a peek through a window us PWD’s need to manage best.

Now I will wait until next year for insurance to kick in for a new one (c’mon G4!). I just cannot afford the upgrade right now but I can’t wait to get it!

If you have never used a CGM I cannot tell you how much I love it. In fact, if I had to give up my CGM or my Pump I would drop the pump in a second before I gave up the CGM.

To get a glimpse into our BG trend is such a huge difference from just seeing a number.

Static versus dynamic. That is the difference.

I’ll take dynamic please!

Tips on Neuropathy

A while back I mentioned that I joined the Diabetes Collective over at Diabetes Monitor and I wanted to let you know about a post I wrote that just recently went live.

It's all about the peripheral neuropathy I live with and how I deal with it. Writing about my complications is something I find both challenging and rewarding.

The challenge comes from just opening up and sharing something very personal and upsetting. I know some people will judge me for my condition and assume my mismanagement at the reason for any complication. 

The reward comes from hearing from anyone who feels like they are not alone when they read something I have shared. When people see their stories inside of mine. That is when I know it was worth it. To make that person feel less alone and more normal.

My goal in all of this, as I have said a million times, is to help people never to feel alone. That is why I share the ups as well as the downs. It's why I talk about it even when its the last thing I want to think about. It's why I joined Diabetes Monitor and will continue to find ways to reach those who feel that isolation I did for so long.

It's why I will never quit.

Next Step

So this afternoon I have an appointment at an imaging lab. My doctor wants me to have an Ultra Sound on my legs to check for blood clots.

After the appointment the other day, my doctor wanted this and a visit to the Cardiologist done to check for clots. My Cardiologist appointment is set for the 27th of November and the Ultra Sound is today.

Again, I am nervous.

Knowledge is power but ignorance is bliss. In other words, not knowing what is going on in your body may allow you to skip along in life without a care in the world but finding out something is wrong with you can be pretty devastating and skip-killing, if you know what I mean.

Still I am ready to go and find out what the next step is or whatever. Not knowing freaks me out and you all know my sick imagination so please, with sugar on top, get me the facts.

For up to the minute meltdown information I suggest following me on Twitter. @ninjabetic is my screen name and if anything you will get a photo of the waiting room. I always love to do that. 

World Diabetes Day Debut!

For years I have thought about putting together my own web based skit show and here it is, finally.

Ninjabetic TV is my way of looking at life with diabetes and having a laugh. The way I see it, diabetes is never easy but maybe finding something funny about it now and then may make it a little more tolerable. We shall see.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy it and please pass it along to you friends. You can either click on the Ninjabetic TV link in the menu on the right or bookmark www.ninjabetictv.com to get directly to the You Tube page. 

Happy World Diabetes Day!