Living with Diabetes and Lapband

Yeah, it's been a long day. 3 doctor's visits in one day.

This appointment was productive -- though I'm sure if I had insisted the dentist would have obliged ....

The CDE insisted I get a flu shot -- she brought it up. I told her I felt like I must be from Minnisota, because I didn't want to deny an 80 year old woman a shot, but she said since I was exposed to so many people (classroom teacher), I needed it, and not the flu.

I've got a plan to play with Zocor and see if it is causing my long muscle pain, which reminds me the Zocor is downstairs.

She couldn't answer my biggest question and I did bring up the gastric bypass thing.

I don't think I want that. But right now, I can't make myself lose weight. I have been gaining slightly, and I don't want that to happen.

I know I don't want to be bigger than I am now, I'm just not sure I want to be smaller. As I told her, I know this, and I'm comfortable with this.

I am afraid that doing the gastric bypass is either a) not going to work and just add onto the medical team, or b) going to work while removing a set of medical problems I can deal with but adding a set of medical problems I'm not prepared to deal with.

Though if it is going to happen this year, I need to start making plans -- I have to do it at the beginning of June to avoid missing to much class time.

Is he a good dentist if he doesn't do any work and doesn't charge?

My mouth hasn't bothered me since he put in the temporary filling, so he and I both are not inclined to mess with anything. Helps my pocketbook, not sure about his.

Am doing the yearly checkup thing on the 27th of December though.

http://www.cpap.com

They also have a forum at CPAP Talk

It appears I have gained a couple of pounds since my last sleep doctor visit. It was three months ago.

I knew that things were bad this month, but I didn't think they were that bad. Oh well.

At least I'm compliant. Doctor did mention a new mask -- different model, that might solve one of my problmes, said I needed to wait until the insurance would pay, but I just ordered it off of the internet from the CPAP.com They are down in Houston.

It's supposed to arrive tomorrow, which will be cool.

The good news, is that this mask comes in one size, with two sizing things, which should work out better.

I do think this was my last appointment with him. He is only seeing patients two days a week now and only wants to see me every year. If I can get CPAP stuff off the internet and pay Flexible Savings Account dollars, I think I'll be better off. So will the insurance company.

I'm going to the sleep doctor, the dentist and the CDE tomorrow, and hopefully things may get better.

I've had 3 weeks where working out was difficult. I think this is true for me every fall, and getting back on it was easier since the gym is downstairs. I have been consistent again for the past week and half.

I'm having a lot of leg pain when I am on the treadmill. I got smart though, and spilt my cardio in half, doing half in the morning and half in the evening.

My insulin usage is way up. From 50 to as high as 80. The 80 was Friday.

I think I'm having GERD problems again, which is again, typical of the fall for me. I don't know how much is allergy related, since I am more congested, I have to use the heated humidifier right now to avoid headaches.

I'm doing a lot of coughing, especially after meals.

It's very disappointing, because I truly expected to feel better after losing 30 pounds, and I don't.

And also frustrating, is that I'm between sizes, so clothing doesn't fit well. One size is way to big, another is way to small.

I saw this name, and KNEW I knew it.

The surviving widow is the partner of one of my absolutely favorite doctors. I think I saw her once and she got involved in my case at least in a consulting way.

Before diabetes and before sleep apnea, I saw a Dr. Fitzgerald who was an allergist. He was treating me for allergies when I started having problems with asthma. He helped a lot, tried to get me to a sleep study, but I wasn't ready.

My insurance changed and he didn't take that insurance, but his daughter, Dr. Marie Fritzgerald did take my insurance. She was absolutely terrific, DID get me to do the sleep study but was absolutely convinced that the asthma as GERD related. Her partner got involved as they couldn't resolve the asthma until my GERD was treated.

Oh, and one of the reasons I didn't do the sleep study the first time around was the primary care physician. He was VERY resistant, but the insurance change was a blessing and that doctor signed off for it.

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Local News

Found a "free" link.

At Cigna, conflicts of interest surface in appeals: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

I'm very intrigued by the Apria references, I was wondering about them as I got absolutely NO customer service out of them. I had to go to their office to be fitted, and they mailed the humidifier to me, and provided absolutely no training.

I have had my durable medical needs meet by Lincare and my Sleep-Med, and in both cases have always had personal care by a respirator therapist at every stage. They have always offered to come to me, though I often go to Sleep-Med since they are on my way home to work and I can get there before they can get to me.

Two unforunates on this -- you need a WSJ subscription to read the article.

Second, this went on before my denial. But sounds a lot like the denial that was made.

WSJ.com - U.S. Home

Conflicts of Interest in Appeals at Cigna

When a little-known supplier offered a big discount on a device for diabetics, Cigna thought it sounded like a great deal. But Cigna's deal on insulin pumps became a prime example of cost-cutting gone wrong, doctors and patients say

Servings radically different than package size. They should do the math not us.

What brought this on?

Bought lunch meat with different flavors in the package and serving si1 shows 3 slices but 4 slices in package.
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From my Treo

The New York Times > Health > I Beg to Differ: A Diabetes Researcher Forges Her Own Path to a Cure

The reason for the resistance, Dr. Faustman and some colleagues believe, was simple: her findings, which raise the possibility that an inexpensive, readily available drug might effectively treat Type 1 or juvenile diabetes, challenge widespread assumptions. Many diabetes researchers insist that a cure lies instead in research on stem cells and islet cell transplants.

Of course, this doesn't help Type 2 diabetics.