Living with Diabetes and Lapband

I've always been too sensitive about what others think of me.  That's one of the reasons I'm overweight, though that sounds odd.

I've decided that the weight loss group I'm in is a negative influence not a positive.  The leader is fake positive, and their staff is just untrained.  Especially the screwing up appointments.  

I walk into the room, dressed in work out wear, sweaty and I'm asked "Did you exercise this week?"  Not how many minutes, which would be appropriate, but no, "DID YOU?".

I did a minor head explosion at the time, and was ready to walk out.  Then 20 minutes of the 60 minute class is wasted with exercise I can't do.  Which also makes me feel bad.

So I don't think I'll go back, I certainly am not going to the nutritionist appointment because he is just going to beat me up -- he did every other time.

I'm not burning the bridge yet, but we'll see how this week goes away from them.

I tried SunBasket, and they just don't work for us.  I liked the two weeks, BUT we don't eat dinner together on Wednesday.  Their delivery arrived very late on Monday night, and so we ending up having the last meal on Friday and the produce was very tired.

It was better the second week when it arrived before dinner time.

However,  did emeals for the first dinner last night and it was great.  Emeals has lots of different plans and options and there is NO food shipping.  Instead, I ordered from Walmart Grocery pickup, and picked it up.  I've done Walmart pickup 3 times now and I can't get over the service.  It's not like normal Walmart at all.  The last two times, I've used their checkin service and they have walked up to my car seconds after I park.

The meal was great, and I'll be doing it again.  One of the other things I like about the Walmart delivery app, is I can put things in my cart as I go, and then when I get a big enough order ($30.00), I can schedule the pick up.

Savings Catcher still works.

The only thing I didn't like was that two of the items were out of stock, and I didn't know until pickup time.  They were items I could pick up at a different grocery store on the way home so I wasn't bad.

Walmart isn't the only option but so far, is the most convenient for me, as I can swing by easily after I go to the gym.  

I almost forgot, here's link to eMeals: Emeals

I did the chicken/sausage creole sheet pan dinner with rice.  I didn't get bell peppers and fresh tomatoes, but skipping the peppers was fine and I did a can of diced tomatoes instead.  It was great that way.  Which reminds me, I need to add onions to my grocery order.

Had a good conversation with my diabetes doctor.

She asked about the weight loss drug and I told her I'd had really bad side effects and she asked what we were trying next.  Told her I had fired that doctor.  I'm even thinking about quitting the weight loss group, though I like a couple of the people and the building it is in.

Here's some of the reasons why.

Every time I make an appointment with them, I put the appointment in my calendar like every other appointment.  They come back and tell me , it's a different time and date.  Most of the time they come back and say -- oh, you are right.

This time the nutritionist was fully booked (I think my appointment is part of his fully booked).

Really?

I am told I'm due for a tetanus shot.  I say, well, I have to think about it.  Research it while I wait for the doctor, decide I want one.  They don't give it even though I tell them I wanted it.  Good news, I did it at my primary care who I really like.  When I try to check on it when its time to leave, the assistant is on the phone and I have to wait forever.

I tell the doctor, I have horrible side effects from a drug.  She says indignantly, I've never had a patient tell me that before.  Okay, I'm the first, get over it.

I have my orthopedist office on hold right now, because they are treating the body parts not the individual, but they are the first place I go when I want surgery.  I don't.

Haven't done that in years.  It's a good thing and a bad thing.

The good news is that I've got a breather from medical spending, and I spent less this year out of pocket than the last few.

I've decided to stick with the insulin pump.  I'm doing just under 50 units a day right now, with an A1C of 7.0.  Don't really want to break things.

Yes, I saw my Endo.  Had her write the script for insulin which pushed me over the out of pocket.  Also ordered infusion sets -- I'm actually down to one box, but not reservoirs.  I still have quite a few boxes of them.  

Love my Endo -- we had an interesting conversation about the weight loss doctor.

Pain seems to be my biggest problem.  It's hard.  My right hand has been bothering me for a year, my knees have been bothering me for a decade and plantar facistis has been bothering me off and on.

I know that weighing less might help some of it, but the pain itself is slowing me down.  It makes EVERYTHING harder.  

North Dallas Pain and Wellness is helping -- they address everything at once, where no one else has.  

Unfortunately the doctor's put curses on my brace == it's an offloader and is helping.  Everything time they have asked about it, I've had an issue.  The last time the doctor mentioned that they break and don't worry, they will replace it.  Thursday evening, I took it off and it was broke!

I see them Monday morning.

Oh, and they moved -- they freaked me out because they didn't tell me about the move.  I got a text message about an hour before my appointment giving me the new address.  I asked if it was for today, by texting back but they didn't answer so I called.

Not one of the best appointments -- every one was so excited and they couldn't find anything.

Picked up my Dexcom G6 system.  Love it.

All the other Dexcom sensor needles got to me. I was just about to the point I couldn't use the G5 from the dread.

No issues with the G6.  No calibration.  My life is MUCH more needle free.  The sensors comes in a pod now, you press a button, a pop and you are done.  No multiple set instructions and no needle pain.

I"m also looking forward to the no finger sticks.

I'm not sure what it means but I got another -- we ordered something and its on backorder message this morning.

Getting the Dexcom G6 so far has been interesting. The electronic medical record fouled things up.  I know I requested the prescription and I know that CVS did and I know I put CVS and their phone number in each message.  Nope the script was sent to Tom Thumb and they just sat on it.

Once I called, they transferred the script right away, within an hour.

The biggest thing I am looking forward to is the new application and the no finger sticks.

I get labs in the morning, see the doctor in a week. Suspect I'm sticking with my pump for now -- its still under warranty -- so I'll need to order supplies.  Better the devil you know.

Weight is stable -- which is good.  Both Jenny Craig and the new group have stirred up my eating disorder.  I've also been a little less active because of the heat and my knee pain.

Work is kicking my butt -- I have almost 30 students on my role, and we added a new course today -- I have a constant stream of students entering and leaving -- which is awesome.

My clients are gearing up for our big event of the year.  I spent a week on a Wordpress shopping cart.  I gave recommendations on security for one and I haven't seen that happen yet.  Plus the nano-degree.  I don't have to finish it until October and I am on the last project.  I'm debating between just meeting the requirements or doing something right that I can give my clients.

I completely forgot I had a job interview -- phone -- this morning.  Less stress EVER, as I didn't remember from the time I put it in my calendar until the phone ran this morning.  Not a huge deal and it might not work out, but it is a part time job -- around 4-8 hours of work.  They are scheduling for October and there is a 1 in 4 chance that I'll be in Portland.  But I did tell him my availability.

Physical therapy / chiropractic at North Dallas Pain and Wellness.  I was disturbed because my orthopedic practice was treating one pain at a time, and when they fixed one, another one flared up.  Currently having pain in the right wrist -- which has had carpal tunnel repair, plantar fasciitis and knee pain.  All chronic issues I've been dealing with for a while, and having the whole treated rather than the part makes more sense.

Prescription issue -- I am trying to get a Dexcom G6, its covered by insurance and available from the local pharmacy but the doctor's office doesn't seem to understand how to do it. I think they are fixed in the durable equipment mode rather than the prescription mode.  I do labs on Thursday and see the doctor next Thursday.  

Have put in 1 1/2 hour of work, and just received another assignment.  Plus an appointment for a one-on-one session tonight.  I'm average 19 hours a week right now, and the work hours are finally shifting from light weekdays and heavy weekends to the opposite.  I've also decided not to tell students I'm traveling.  I did that two weeks ago when I was doing the dog show thing in town and became instantly in high demand :-)

Off to work!

After several months of trying I had to give up Jenny Craig.  I like Jenny Craig but you can only do their food for so long.

Even their menu changes don't help.

I'm in a weight loss class with Baylor Scott and White.  I had to be "admitted" by a medical doctor and I wasn't thrilled with her at all.  The first visit wasn't bad, but the second visit was a disaster.  She didn't accept that the medication was causing severe diarrhea.  Before I even saw her, the assistant tried to get me to get a tetanus shot and change to them as my primary doctor.  When I tried to leave, the assistant was on the phone and too busy to help me OR give the shot she was pushing.

I did get one with my primary care doctor.

I had a major issue with the original class.  I wanted to go at noon to downtown Dallas and they put me in the Wednesday evening class.  There was a drug addict in the class who was dominated the conversation and talked crazy talk.

I don't think the emphasis on eliminating as fat from the diet is diabetic friendly.  It's a pain to be counting carbs/calories / and fat, but myFitness pal helps.

My biggest problem right now, is that the class is getting started with 15 minutes of walking on a regular floor.  Not knee friendly.  

It's also that the group leader assumes I don't exercise -- oh, I'm writing this blog post at the gym on a recumbent bike.

He reminds me of someone who has just started clicker training and doesn't quite get it.  

The assuming I don't exercise was also a drag at Jenny Craig.