Living with Diabetes and Lapband

As of yesterday, I am only getting lunches from Diet Gourmet.  My plan now (and I'll ask the nutrionist about this on Thursday), is to transition to a full liquid diet in April.

One of the reasons I am doing this, is that I'm not losing weight with what I am doing and I have reached a really bad point where EVERYTHING hurts.

The other reason is that I can be ready surgery as soon as it happens.  One thing I've learned about the lap band is that you need to get used to being on a liquid diet.  My medical team wants you on a liquid diet for two weeks before the surgery and while you are healing.  They also want you on one before and after a fill.

So yesterday, I did SlimFast in the morning -- and I have been doing that for the past few weeks -- except for while I was in New Orleans.

I did Diet Gourmet lunch for lunch.

Then alternated between SlimFast drinks and bars in the afternoon and evening.

Until I couldn't take it any more around 8:00 pm and got some fast food chicken.

Still that means I've cut down from three meals a day to two.

We won't talk about what happened on Thursday when I did agility on a different night.  That and running into a bunch of my old dog friends wasn't good for food.  Something I am working on.

I was hoping I would get insurance approval after the psych evaluation. I had put two and two together and didn't get the four I was hoping for.  My case manager was really pushing for me to get my paper work into he and I was hoping it meant that she could put my paperwork in early and get it approved and that obviously hasn't happened.

I have a slight hope for that to happen after the next nutrionist appointment too, but I'm not holding my breath.

I think I am losing weight but I won't know for sure until Thursday.

I survived jury duty today even with diabetes and heading towards a liquid diet.

First, I have a basal program I call "workshop", it basically means that I'm going to sit around all day and probably be a bit stressed.  To create it, I went to several workshops and played with my temporary basal until I figured out how much more of a percent I needed for a day like that, and then created the new basal pattern based on the old.  Before 8:00 am is still the same, and 4:00 pm and after are still the same. 

I've biten myself in the butt by switching to it too fast, so I usually wait until I get there to turn it on, as I never know how much I have to walk to get to the workshop.  Most of the time it's park close in the same lot and walk in, but this wasn't.

So I drank a slim-fast in the car on the way, and didn't switch my basal until I was actually in the jury room and waiting.  I checked my blood sugar in the jury room and it wasn't bad.

I was sent up for a panel about 10:00 am and at about 11:00 during voir dire,  I checked my blood sugar.  Unfortunately I got picked, so when the bailiff showed us the jury room, I asked to talk to her in private after.  Explained to her I was insulin dependent and on a pump.  I asked if testing my blood sugar was a problem, and said I might need to eat something (by the way, I've been keeping a couple of Slim Fast bar meals in my bag for just in case, since you really need the Slim Fast refrigatored).

As planned, I ate my Diet Gourmet lunch in the car.

A word about security.  I set off the metal detector each time but what REALLY worried them was the handcuff key (I had to give it up the second time), and the electrical cords. Sorry, but I've got one of each kind in my bag for the consumer electronic items.  I also freaked out one of my fellow juries with them but oh well.  And they didn't even get to see the laptop as I ditched it in the car after I was picked for the jury.

I was close to time to testing when the judge did a conference with the lawyers and tested them, but my blood sugar slowly was creeping upwards.

I also did eat a bar during one of our breaks, as I didn't want to drop my calorie level too much today.  As it was, I missed a bar in the morning that I usually do.

All in all, it wasn't a bad experience, and I'm glad I don't have to deal with it for at least another 6 months. That's our county rules -- only one jury every six months.

Weird coindence, Amy at Diabetes Mine had jury duty today too, but hers was a lot less boring.

I am really hoping that I'll get a phone call or an email telling me I've been approved early for surgery, but probably won't happen.

I still have the two medically supervised weight loss visits with the nutrionists and I have been reducing how much I eat each day.  Starting today, I'm getting the lowest calorie level lunch and getting protein only for dinner from Diet Gourmet.  Starting Friday, no dinner, just lunch.  I'm still having a bit of a problem with food in the evening, but I have been able to put a limit on how much I eat.  Just wish it was a lower limit.

I start out with a Slim-Fast shake and try to alternate between shakes and bars.  I figure I'll reduce the bars as I get closer too.

My next weight loss visit is a week from Thursday, and at that point I think I'll go with Optifast and go with a liquid diet as much as possible. The point is to lose as much weight as possible -- like I'm going to get my BMI under 40 any time soon -- and to get my stomach smaller, all of which will help the surgery.

I've been hearing the stories about Oprah's puppy and I know what she is going through because I went through it myself.

I've actually had a series of three rescue dogs that make me not ever want to go there again.

The first was Rory -- a red, short haired border collie that I got from a local bc rescue.  I told them I wanted a turn key dog that I could do agility with and I got him.  I should have realized he was too much when he attacked sprinklers and vaccuum cleaners. He was a really tough dog that shook my truck when we were in traffic. After over 8 months I sent him back because he never got any better and he was driving everyone in my house crazy.

He went to live with an agility competitor, did very, very well, and everyone involved was very happy.

The second was a beagle pound puppy.  I drove all the way down to south Texas, and got the female from a litter of puppies that had been dumped at a shelter.  The next morning, I got up and started training it.  By noon, it was dying from parvo.  I kept it alive but barely, and went through the moving from vet to vet for a couple of days.  I finally took it back to the people I adopted it from as they would not accept that I felt the dog should be put down.  It died and so did all the other puppies involved.

As a result I couldn't get another puppy for over a year.

The last was Maggie.  She still lives with us, though she's popped out her eye, had other very expensive vet treatments (free to a good home, hah!) and I threaten to put her down every spring.  She does much better on Xanax.  And yes, I've already threatened to put her down this year.  She is terrified of thunderstorms and is impossible when there is one in the area.  She's broken a crate and ran through the fence, tearing a slat out of it. 

Next puppy is going to be a relative of Macy's, one that is a failed conformation dog, because Macy has worked out SO well.

My psych evaluation has been completed by the doctor and sent to the case manager.  So I have the two visits to the dietician left.

I'd like to go with the Dexcom system for a while more -- but it is JUST too expensive.  Especially when the benefit isn't that high.

I just went out to the website after reading about it on another blog, and while the new software looks good, the individual sensors are just too expensive.

<sigh>

Just found a really good t-shirt for insulin pump users.  I don't have an affliates deal (but ought to look into it). They are currently on sale.  Black only.

I have one on now, and the earbud holes work perfect for passing through tubing -- my inset connector passes through fine.

They are on overstock sale at Think Geek right now.

ScotteVest has it in other colors and other fabrics.  I'm real happy with mine and ordered more.

Quoted from http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/generic/af26/:

ThinkGeek :: Personal Area Network T-Shirt

So when ScotteVest came out with their 100% cotton version of the same shirt, we jumped on it.

Almost forgot about TSA -- that is how good it was.

First, there was a very shot line.

When I got to the TSA agent, I said, I'm sorry, I'm going to need a pat down and a bag search.  Actually this time I don't think they did do the bag search.  Had the CPAP and the insulin together.

Did need the pat down though, and she was great. One of the things I keep saying at the TSA site -- if you just keep my stuff together where I can see it and together, I'll be fine. They are MUCH better at that.

Funny, but they DID search my checked baggage -- had a note inside the bag, and it didn't go out with me.  I had several adapters and infusion sets, that was it.

But it with smoothly.

Next time, insulin stays in the box AND out of the "bag".

First -- I am home and Second -- I had a good time.

Rich and I went out again after my feet were feeling better.  Took the cable car up and bought tickets for the dinner cruise.

We then went to Margaretiville -- it was loud, it was a bar though they did serve the usual Margartiville stuff.  Yes, I love Jimmy Buffet music, but I"m not a drinker.  Did some shopping by my feet were still bothering me.

We made it back via cable car to the cruise boat stop and did some exploring there, but mostly sat by the river, watched it go by and enjoyed the people.

They played the Callilope while we were waiting, which was very nice. 

The cruise was great but there were a lot of loud people and smokers.

Dinner was good.  Fine New Orleans food for a change instead of the tourist/peasant food we'd been eating.   We made it back to the hotel room but I didn't sleep good.

I woke up aching this morning, between arthitis and the blister starting I could barely move and I was in a nasty mood.  We did have breakfast, and it was good.

We took our time, packed and checked out, as we were both French Quarted out.  Drove around the suburbs, especially in the area where I hung out when I was in college (I dated a guy from there).  Did some shopping (got better socks) and then had husband drop me at the airport. 

Managed to get my luggage out on the first flight, me on the second and was booked for the third.  I was the last boarder on my flight.

It was nice to come home to a clean house and fed dogs.

Husband is in Vicksburg gambling.

Life would be better if I wasn't as heavy as I am now.

First, the bad news.  Something wrong with these socks as I feel a blister starting.  We’re back at the hotel room and I’m cooling down my feet.

We ate lunch at the Riverwalk Marketplace.  I had half a Muffalata and Gumbo, Rich had a Cajun special with red beans and rice and other stuff. 

I think we’re going to do a River Boat Dinner and Jazz cruise later on.

Pictures so far:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/kath_weaver/sets/72157615590223300/