Living with Diabetes and Lapband

I’ve been avoiding being in the car for long trips.  In fact, I turned down my husband when he wanted to go on a long driving trip and I turned down the beagle people and my family for the National Speciality.

I decided I needed to work up to it.  I entered a dog show in Belton, two and half hours away, then two days the next weekend knowing that most beagle people would be in Virginia and that most beagle people know what is going on.

The first weekend, Obi won WInner’s Dog and Best of Variety Owner Handler.  We stayed for the OH groups.  That meant we left at 6:30 am and got back at almost 7:00 pm.

The weekend, Obi won Winner’s Dog, Best of Variety, and Best of Variety Owner Handler and went into both rings twice.  He wasn’t really wild about it, but was happy to meet new friends.   We left at 7:00 am this time and got back around 6:00 pm both days.

So long, sitting, standing, and walking days.

I’m no more stiff than I am any other morning.  My back isn’t bothering me at all though my knee is, I’ve been dealing with that for decades.

I think he is 16 points with one major, just needing the major.

The handler we competed against this weekend was gracious and said he was glad I showed up, even though Obi won all the things.

Back when I stopped being able to eat and stopped losing weight with my lap band, I was sent to a cardiologist to prepare for surgery.

She found a leaky valve.  I saw her in July, started Profile in December, and a year later saw her again.  That was 30 pounds later.

During that visit, she found an arterial dilation but the leaky valve had resolved.  I saw her again this week, about 35 pounds later and lots of exercise minutes and the dilation had resolved.

So not only have I lost weight -- and I have just cleaned my closet of clothing that is too big for me -- again, but I have also improved my heart health.  I was a bit concerned that the vaccine might have had something to do with the dilation, but if it did, it wasn't a long term effect, and much better than most of the COVID side effects.

I've spent the last few weeks frustrated.

Mostly because my medical team and my weight loss team don't get how much I exercise.

The straw that hit the camel's back is when my Profile coach mentioned in the meeting recap, that I work out 20-30 minutes a day.  

That's just the warm up.  Seriously.  I walk 20-30 minutes a day, then 10-20 minutes of weight training, and another 30-45 minutes of cycling.  I am currently working with a personal trainer, and that's 45 minutes of strength training, with the cardio sandwich.  I will say I do cardio only on the day before and day after the workout with the personal trainer but then I step up the cardio to 60 minutes.

According to Apple Fitness, my resting energy is 2140 calories and my active energy is 790 calories.  Profile had me on a 1500 calorie a day plan, and I was literally starving in the evening.

I finally got Profile attention when I posted in the Facebook group.  They heard me and talked to the manager and she agreed that I needed to go to their Performance Plan.  I was already better yesterday evening, didn't feel like eating the house.  I did make a slight mistake by eating an extra starch, not a fruit, but it's a process.

My social worker is having me not weigh and to focus my mind on losing weight.  We'll see how that works.  I did weigh because I have a telemedicine class today, but I am losing weight, so there is that.

I have joined a new gym — literally new — it’s only been open for a few months and they are still missing some of the equipment that they have ordered.

It’s at https://www.instagram.com/p/CY9fiszhq4m/

I do at least 20 minutes of walking on a treadmill each day — and start out each day with that.  That’s for my spinal surgery recovery.  I’m starting to do more, ever since I read an article at https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/why-running-and-walking-is-unlikely-to-ruin-your-knees/.  BTW, I almost always use an Apple Fitness Plus workout.

Every doctor I’ve seen about my knees has claimed that I need to stop exercising by walking but this article refutes that.

I also do strength training.  I alternate between arms, legs, and an Apple Fitness core workout.  Weekly I work out with the club’s fitness trainer, who took the video.

I end the workout with more cardio — usually a Pelaton class, as the gym as two, or an Apple Fitness Plus workout.

YES, I love Apple Fitness Plus and when I go to dog shows, I use the workouts in my hotel room.

I think the only people who do get how much I work out is the owner of my gym and my personal trainer but then they are there when I do it.

I think that my medical team doesn't get it and I know that my Profile coach doesn't.

So here's the routine -- 20 minutes of walking on a treadmill to satisfy the requirements of my surgeon.  That is a bit of compromise for my knees.

Strength training -- I split it up into three: arms, legs, and core.

20 minutes of cardio, usually on a Peloton bike.  

Once a week, I am working out with the personal trainer at my gym.  We had our first visit last Thursday but we'll be moving to Wednesday this week. 

I do think it's throwing me into a bit too much of a calorie deficit.  

Husband has taken a mini-vacation, giving me one :)

Say endo and primary care physician and got some answers and solutions.

Quickly losing the weight spike.  I gained around 8 pounds New Years Weekend.  I will admit to being off plan and eating salty carbs.  I've got 5 of those pounds off so far.

The endo thought it was waste, both liquid and solid.  I also think that is what is making my back talk to me.  It doesn't hurt, but I can feel it.  

Dog agility class went well.  

I haven't used insulin for two days.  The endo thought I shouldn't take insulin until the evening, especially with the addition of Farxiga.  

Also got my next CT scan scheduled.

I entered Glen Rose, which is 90 minutes from the house, and was going to stay in a hotel room across the street from the show site.

I started stressing out about packing the car, getting ready, etc. and I realized that traveling with two dogs and staying at a hotel was the cause, so I canceled the room.

A huge sign of relief after.

I had no trouble getting up and driving there and back.  Unloading and loading the dogs and crate stack was MUCH easier than it had been pre-surgery.  One of the ring stewards grabbed an end going down the ramp, it's steep, and no one on the bottom of the ramp pays any attention and you don't want to run over a dog.

I had no issue going up the ramp except for having to ask clueless people to get out of the way.  I don't mind running over clueless people...

BTW, 90 minutes is the longest I've driven since the surgery, so this is a baby step.  I honestly don't think driving is an issue, especially after today, but I have two do the 90 minutes back and forth, two more times.

It was a great decision because Miss Summer decided she needed to go into heat.  I didn't really need that in a hotel room, in addition to the rest.

Here's our loot.  Summer got points  I don't think the judge did owner-handler correctly but there you go.  Anytime I've taken best of winners, I have had to compete against the owner-handler who got Select.

The most interesting thing I've done in the last two years is to participate in the Pfizer clinical trial.

When covid started, I signed up for just about every clinical trial you can think of.  For example, I had to interact with an app daily as to my physical well being.  I had to send blood samples several times to a lab.  I still interact with an app that tracks both covid and the flu.

I was vaccinated for covid through the Pfizer trial on September 22.  I have to read a 22-page document, which was summarized verbally before they gave me the shot.  We were originally double-blinded, meaning we were told we wouldn't know our vaccine status for two years.  I had to give a blood sample before being vaccinated and again shortly after.

Being double-blinded upset a lot of bioethicists and my endocrinologist.  More on that in a bit.

They have me check in with an app weekly and have given me a covid test to take and send in if I do get covid.

I got my second shot on 10/12.

Since the double-blind upset so many medical professionals, we were unblinded at the time we would normally get vaccinated and given our vaccines then.  I was lucky as I had actually been given the vaccine.

I was so relieved to find out.  I suffer from allergies and am afraid a lot of the time that it might be something else.

I am a huge believer in vaccines.  Every vaccine I'm eligible for I've gotten -- none of them completely prevent disease, but they make the symptoms less deadly, or in the case of shingles less painful.  

I will say that it can be hard to recommend the vaccine, anytime anyone suffers side effects -- which I never do -- I cringe.  

I was given the opportunity to participate in the booster trial but wasn't able to participate as I had recently taken steroids.  

I had to go back in for a blood draw, this year on September 27, and I got my booster shot at the same time.

I still check in weekly, with an app.  I'm still supposed to contact them if I test positive and send in my covid test.  They gave me a new kit the last time I was there.

I've come full circle...

I started out with Metforum, almost 20 years ago, which appeared to be a random number generator.  That was VERY frustrating.  I moved to insulin -- multiple daily injections, but kept having problems with lows.

I switched to the Animas Insulin pump which I loved, but my insurance wouldn't cover so I ended up with a Medtronics pump.  I lost my endochronolist, as he retired, and it took a while to get a new one.  During that time, Medtronics refused to upgrade my pump since I was a) Type 2, and b) didn't have an endo.  It still worked but wasn't the one I thought my insurance had paid before.  It certainly wasn't according to their documentation.

When I found out that the Omnipod was covered by pharmacy benefits I switched to it.  I really like it and keep some supplies at the ready.

I am also on Ozempic and have been a few years.  I was first on Victozia but my current insurance covered Ozempic.  Oddly enough my back surgeon suggested I try Wegovy, which as I mentioned early, is just a double dose of Ozempic.  I tried it but didn't find much difference.

Right now, with my weight loss, diet and exercise, I'm down to 12 units a day so I'm using the InPen.  I went to it because I need an app to keep track of my injections and to calculate how much insulin I need.

I'm also using the Dexcom G6 system, which I have been using since I found that it too, is covered by my pharmacy benefits.  I started with the G4 system.

I have a few other tools at my disposal -- since I am in Texas and carry the InPen everywhere, I am using the Vivicap to protect it from heat.  It does make the pen bulkier, but at the same time easier to find in my bag.  If you need this, use this referral link: ViviCap Referral link

I also have the version that works with my Ozempic.

I just started being an ambassador for Vivicap, which is an interesting program. 

So currently, I am on insulin and Ozempic.  I use an InPen and Vivicap to keep my insulin the proper temperature.

First, I have always felt being pressured into bariatric surgery, and lap band surgery to begin with.  I had gone to my doctor and asked for permission to do Jenny Craig.  He wouldn't give it.  Come to find out the company that ran the business part of his practice owned a Lap-Band practice.  

I ended up firing that doctor and the same visit he fired me.  He has since retired and the Lap-Band company has gone out of business.

The person who coached me through the process no longer has hers.  It's also no longer a modality of choice.

I honestly didn't want to do anything permanent but wanted help dealing with binging issues.

I did lose 60 pounds and it has helped me learn to manage that better, so it's not a complete loss.

I sensed there were some issues with the lap band leading up to the pandemic and I had made an appointment with the surgeon but the appointment got canceled. I was more and more miserable, having trouble eating the correct food and seeing food again a lot.  When I finally saw the surgeon, I didn't like his attitude so went to a different bariatric surgeon, who I recommend -- Colleen Kennedy.

We went through the process to see what was wrong and to revise the band.  We also removed half the fluid from the band, and then a month later the rest of the fluid.

I felt SO much better.  I absolutely do not recommend bariatric surgery.

I ended up deciding against any more surgery, with the idea we will continue to document my attempts at weight loss so we can revisit it in the future.

Frankly, it's not happening.  The lap band is still in my body and I will discuss removing it at the same time we remove any lung nodules.