Living with Diabetes and Lapband

Candid Diabetes: Tips For Saving Money With Diabetes

However, I don't recommend buying test strips from Ebay. You have no idea where they came from.

Managed to go through the day slightly high -- 180 post prandia most of the time, and I'd like to be 40 above rather than 40 below, let me tell you!

Class sizes are great, kids were extremely well behaved, not at all like last year's algebra kids OR the summer school kids.

I do quite a bit of data entry when they first come in, keeps everything organixed, and every class waited patiently. 

I'm trying out Windows Live Writer.  Looks like a nice interface.

I've had some major victories -- I'm usually sick whenever we have workshops, and the week before school starts is usually one of my bad times.

My blood sugar was fine on Monday and Tuesday, actually great, but I made a bit of a miscalculation on Wednesday and have been having lows almost every day ever since.

Part of the problem is that I've been very conservative on fixing boluses as I don't want to end up rebounding or being high.

Here's the deal, we had a convocation at the American Airlines Center here in Dallas. I figured on sitting still for half a day, but didn't take in account that I would have to walk between 3-6 blocks to the Airline Center (probably closer to 6).

When I got to AAC, I had to get help. Which was actually a good idea as it got me out of a mob of people.

After a tube of glucose and sitting in the cool, I was fine.

And I did do something smart -- I had my lunch all packed and ready to go in the car. That was smart, as when I got back to the car I was at 90. I just got into the line to get out of the parking lot and ate my lunch as I waited.

The bad news is that my corrections are working too well, and I've had at least one crash a day after a correction. The good news, that I have been avoiding rebound highs by actually bolusing for most of the correction.

I'm looking forward to next week, but reminding myself to check often!

I woke up to the news that travelers cannot take ANY carryon items, especially those containing liquid and thought -- oh, my god, what if were coming back from Pittsburg today.

And while these new terrorists haven't actually broke any planes down, they have completely disrumpted air travel. Not just for the diabetics, but everyone.

Hopefully this too will pass -- though Richard Reid's act of terrorism is still affecting us all today. Making us wear shoes without metal, or making us take our shoes off at airports.

And Amy, I've thought of you this morning too -- coming back from Germany will be interesting to say the least.

Notes from Dr. RW: Diabetes type 1.5

Fabulous article explaining the different types of diabetes. In addition, links to MODY and LADA descriptions.

Never brag about "getting" something. It will bite you. Here's the deal -- I was just bragging to my endo, that finally after 4 years, I had finally figured out workshops, but then two hours after lunch I was at 200.

At the same time, that's not NEAR as bad as I was in the old days of workshops. I would have been at 200 at 9:00 am then.

And I never went over 200.

So I think I have workshops, I just didn't bolus enough for lunch.

And I'm "officially" an old teacher. One of my former students is in our school. Teaching French.

I'm doing last minute doctor's visits before starts.

Gynocology - which resulted in the self inject victory.

Endo - numbers are slipping upwards along with the weight.

Cardologist - insurance won't pay for the test. Personnally I don't care but wish they had not freaked me out.

I still need to talk with someone. Hopefully the cardiologist and I have a mammogram at 1:00.

But not for another 12 weeks.

I finally got my gynocologist to let me self inject depot by switching to Depo Sub-Q.

I've been on Depo Prevera for over 15 years. I went on it before I went into teaching. I've never had any complications except for the lack of period and PMS (and I don't see that as an adverse side effect).

Both the doctor and I are concerned about bleeding and he wants me to let him know if that is an issue.

Since it is non-formulary and there is a generic version (but intra-muscular), it is actually going to be cheaper to get it at the retail pharmacy than it will from mail-order, we think -- we being from my looking at the Medco site and my talking to a customer service representative.

So I have a script and it's on my list of things to do in 4 weeks.

Though I do have one issue about a career change -- I'm pretty expensive these days -- I know I will be making more than $52,000, and might be over $55,000, I haven't quite figured out the district tables.

So few non-profits could afford someone like me at this point. However, when I retire that might be an option. I wonder if a practice like my doctor's could afford someone like me -- I might take a moment to ask the doctor.

But I'm with Wordsmith when it comes to the CDE program. I've looked at doing that, and I've looked at what it would take, and at my age and income level, it just doesn't make sense.

But I also see a place for non-CDE's. First of all, in a large endo practice, someone like me would not need to draw blood, but would need to be able to interpret the results for patients. I'm quite sure I can handle that. I could certainly teach someone how to inject -- which was very difficult for the three CDEs I had since none of them was a diabetic. They didn't even do the orange thing for me (which is kind of goofy anyway).

I could certain design curriculum -- thats what all my post graduate work has been about. I would be able to design both face-to-face education and on-line. And I think I'd be better at it than a non-diabetic because I know the pressure points.

I'm not sure I'd be good with small children. I haven't been around many, but I would be absolutely fabulous with teaching teens on how to take responsbility for their own care. I've actually done a bit of that, every one including the nurse sends them to me when they need advice with dealing with their parents. Don't worry -- my advice doesn't involve how often to inject,etc. but on how to show your parents you are taking responsibility for yourself. Teacher get that all the time, but maybe me more than most, from non-diabetics.

I really think I'd be best with adult Type 2s as they can tell from looking at me I'm struggling with the environment factors.

So yes, a non-CDE diabetes educator is a good idea, and could solve a lot of problems including the nursing shortage.