Sunday 3 February 2013

A Diabetic Dilemma

Well, it's official. Linds can't keep up to me (or the flight made her tired). She collapsed in a heap on her bed for a 45 minute nap that turned into hours.

While she slept her face off, I was out running sprints and doing thousands of jumping jacks.

Either that, or I was making like a couch potato, stuffing my face and watching tv.

So, yesterday was all about relaxation and hanging out with the G-man in the park.

How frigging awesome is it that I can walk to the park and even play with Griffin there? I can do a teensy bit of 'lazy jogging' at this point, which is totally cool.

No wheelchair.
No oxygen.
No laboured breathing.
No coughing.
No being carried back to the condo over Brad's shoulder.

Griffin really thinks he's the man. He prances around in his coat and boots. He trots up to the ladies and gives them a good sniff...and then barks in their face if he's deemed them worthy.

I've even mastered putting his boots on all my meself. He gives me attitude and yanks his paws back, but I've wrestled him to the ground enough times now that he's caved and just takes it at this point.

Today was a visit to Wally World, otherwise known as Walmart. I hate that place. It has this freaky ability to zero in on my wallet and suck the life out of it.

The good news is that I had the energy to walk around the entire store; although Pamela and Linds offered to let me ride in the cart. I couldn't even imagine doing that 2 months ago. The mere thought of walking around Walmart, or any other store for that matter, would have made me want to have a nap on my bed made of pillows.

The only minor issue I had was my blood sugar. As I've mentioned, at least I think I've mentioned this (my brain is a bit foggy due to the incredible amounts of medication I'm ingesting on a daily basis), my diabetes is a bit wonky. The immunosuppressive drugs, combined with the prednisone (steroid), has caused my blood sugar to spin a bit out of control.

I went to CF clinic last week to discuss this and figure out some sort of battle plan.

I didn't get new chunkers to have diabetic complications.

My insulin needs have changed - translation...skyrocketed.

I'm doing my best, I'm recording everything, waking up at 3am to test, sticking needles in my body left right and center, and trying to make super good choices. 

I had my diabetes under tight control before the new chunkers and truckloads of drugs. It took a long time and many lectures from a very patient dietitian to get me there. Thanks Janey for not giving up on me, even though I admit I was somewhat annoying and frustrating.

I will win this fight. I will.

2 comments:

  1. Hey Beautiful You!

    I was not diabetic before transplant – I wasn’t dealing with CFRD… I was diagnosed diabetic about 11 weeks into transplant. I’d been back at work for a few weeks already – exhausted, I thought because I was back at work. Peeing like a racehorse with an UNQUENCHABLE thirst. They called me in for blood work – I think they knew because I’d had erratic glucose levels. We got home from dinner to a flashing answering machine with a message, “go to your nearest emergency room AS SOON AS YOU GET THIS MESSAGE, and call us from there!” My blood sugar was 750 in the ER… That was 13 years ago – now they rein it in MUCH more quickly.

    For me is seemed to be a combination of the prednisone and tacrolimus – but I think mostly the prednisone. We got me stabile relatively quickly – but anytime we changed up my meds, there was a new learning curve. Right now, you’re meds are probably being jiggled around at nearly every appointment – and that might continue for the first 6-9 months. Tacro levels seem to bother some – anti-fungals HOSE your tacro levels. I seem to recall you take MUCH less Tacro/Prograff while you’re on the anti-fungals… And even the foods we eat – high fat foods, pomegranate or grapefruit (no-no foods), other foods can monkey with our levels, and indirectly monkey with our glucose levels… And activity – of which you’re getting substantially more – can also make them tank… And one day of running your fanny off followed by one day on the sofa (which we ALL do) doesn’t help matters… But we get it under control – yes, you WILL win this fight. You will…

    And walking around, or even “lazy jogging” really IS amazing – isn’t it?!?! To become so effortless when, for the past several years even the thought of a long walk was exhausting. We’ve struggled nearly all of our lives – we’d come to accept how exhausting it was just to live – and oddly, we were really OK with that so much of our lives. Sure – it got rather old at the end – but it was what we knew. Now – to be able to walk around Wally World, or hang with G-man in the park – to be able to move around and not worry, in the least little bit, whether you’ll have the breath to get you back home… And to think that this is because of the kindness of one person, and one family – that someone GAVE this to you… It’s an amazing and wonderful thing, Squeeg…

    You take care… Give Carman and Pamela a hug for me…

    Love, Steve

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    Replies
    1. Ya they've been so up and down. Between the tacrolimus, prednisone and my new activity level...just nuts. But the medical team is so awesome that I'm sure it'll work out soon.

      I love the lazy jogging. I feel like a superstar!!

      It's been YEARS!

      I will give them each a big fat hug and a nuggie.

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