A1C> 7.1

This past Friday I had an appointment with my Endo to go over my 2nd A1C results and to review how things have been going for the last 4 months.

**For my non-D readers, every 3-4 months I see my Endo. About 2 weeks prior I get blood work done which tests my A1C level. This level is a 4 month average of my blood sugars. It's like a diabetes report card. An A1C of 7 is average and is what we typically strive for. Because my body's needs and insulin levels will continue to change throughout my life, these tests and appointments will help me to ensure that my diabetes is being managed well. I've updated my "Glossary" tab to reflect this info.

My first A1C result back in May was a perfect 7.0 . I was more than thrilled with this as it was my first follow up since being diagnosed, back when my A1C was 10.

I was nervous going into this appointment because my blood sugars have been a tad off as of late. I posted back in August (See HERE) about how my blood sugars hadn't really gone back to normal since our little summer vacation. My 30 day average on my meter was sitting at 9.0 mmol/L and I have been having quite a few highs and no lows at all.

Anyway, I was happy to hear that my A1C was 7.1!!! It was a nice relief but I was still worried that without getting on top of these blood sugar issues that my next A1C would be even higher. Over the last 4 months, the first 2 months were REALLY good and I think that's the reason that my A1C wasn't affected as much as I would have expected.

My Endo discussed with me where and when I was noticing the higher blood sugars. I explained that it seemed to mostly be my fasting blood sugars that were most affected, as well as the ones later on in the day.

We came up with two theories for this. The first is the most obvious, and it was that my pancreas was most likely running out of the very little insulin that it had left. That's right non-D folks, us diabetics can/do still make our own insulin however our pancreas does not make enough of it to help balance out our blood sugar levels. As years go by, my pancreas will continue to get more and more lazy which will require me to take more insulin to compensate for this.

Anyway, the second theory has to do with my lack of physical activity as of late. Prior to our vacation at the end of July, I was running 4-5 days a week and was feeling fantastic. I have not been able to get back on track with working out since then. This may be resulting in the higher blood sugar levels.

My Endo suggested that I try and get back on track and see if that does the trick. If not, she suggested I need to try and adjust my basal insulin by 1 unit every week until I get to a level that I'm comfortable with.

October Goal:

Three, 30 minute cardio sessions per week.

The Benefits of Type 1...

" Everything happens for a reason."

I've always been a very strong believer in this saying. Often times we are dealt crappy hands but I've always eventually been able to see the good that's come out of it. Perhaps it's been the end of a relationship you thought was good, or maybe you didn't get that "dream" job/position you really wanted. Over time, the reasons why certain things didn't go according to plan tend to come to light. This saying has comforted me many a times!

So, when I found out I had Type 1 diabetes, I anxiously awaited that light to tell me the reason for all this. I'll be honest, I lost a little faith. I really couldn't figure out what was going to be so great about having this for the rest of my life!! I had ALOT of "What the F-" moments! It definitely got me down at times and I had days where all I wanted to do was hide under my duvet and cry away the day. But, life has to go on and diabetes is not going anywhere so I figured I had better embrace the bitch and get used to it!

I truly feel like I have done just that and today I really felt that this did happen for a reason. Even though I now have a "disease', I have honestly never felt healthier! Diabetes has kicked my ass off the couch and I have gotten full swing into running again and going to the gym almost every day. It's been way too long since being active has been a part of my daily routines and I am absolutely in love with it. I've never been the type of person that has been a gym addict, but the last little while I have felt totally hooked! Yesterday I even went for a run in the morning and then did a 60 minute hot yoga class in the evening. So unlike me! I've also started eating much healthier than I used to. I typically planned meals and packed lunches for work, but lost a lot of motivation in this department over the last year. Diabetes has made me much more conscious of what I am doing to my body and what goes in it. I still want to live until I'm old and grey so I'm really trying to fuel my body properly.

What I'm getting at here is that I've never felt more alive in my entire life! I know that sounds uber cheesy, but it's so true. I truly feel like I can take on anything!

Life is good people!

Finding my groove...again.

Admittedly, I have been lazy for several months. Lazy as in couch potato lazy. Over the winter I didn't really do anything active. I am embarrassed to say that most of my spare time was spent watching old TV shows and movies on Netflix. I'm sure some of it had to do with running high blood sugars for several months pre-diagnosis, but most of it was from lack of motivation on my part.

For a couple years before diabetes I enjoyed running very much. I was never a running pro competing in marathons or anything like that, but I enjoyed getting out on a nice day and going for a nice run. No matter how bad a day I was having, running always made me feel better about everything. It helped me to clear my head and I used to solve a lot of life's problems out there on the pavement. Now that I feel as though I have gotten my health back on track I've been contemplating getting back into running. Obviously, I've been a little nervous about it too. I've heard alot about the challenges that can be involved in trying to manage blood sugars during physical activity as well as afterwards. I was also a little nervous because I was literally starting from square one again, and that can be a horrible feeling. But, I figured I'll never know how my body would respond unless I just got out there and gave it a whirl. I also knew it was going to be a key part of staying healthy with diabetes.

I decided I needed a short term goal to keep me motivated. I signed up for the Canadian Diabetes Association "Run for Diabetes" 10K on September 3rd. The most I've ever ran in an actual race is 5K, but I absolutely loved it so I am confident that with the right amount of training that I would be able to complete a 10K by then. I am also happy to be fundraising for a cause that is now close to my heart. I'm hoping that the fact that I actually have diabetes will resonate with people and I'll be successful at meeting my fundraising goal.

Some time ago, I downloaded an iPhone app called "10K Runner". It's a couch to 10K running program that's 14 weeks long with 3 runs per week. The app is $3.99 on iTunes and the reviews were all really good so I took a chance and downloaded it. I find I need a program to follow otherwise I will head out the door and run wild throughout the neighbourhood with no real purpose. I also like this app because it does a lot of the work for you (well, except the running part). Once you start it up, you can listen to music and a voice will chime in telling you when it's time to walk or run. I calculated out the training program and figured the absolute last day that I could procrastinate any longer would be May 28 in order to complete the program by race day.

So, this morning I woke up to a beautiful day! I had gotten a really good sleep and figured today was as good a day as any to start running again. I decided that throughout the next couple weeks I'm going to experiment with my insulin and blood sugars when I go for a run. I'm going to eat exactly the same thing pre-run but alternate how much insulin I take. This morning I tested at 7.1 mmol/L (128 mg/dl). I ate a banana and took no insulin; typically I would need 2 units. I then headed out for my run with my iPhone in hand...and that's it. I can hear all of you PWD's out there cringing. I know this was irresponsible. I should have had at the bare minimum a couple glucose tablets with me, as well as my meter. My excuse is that I have no where to put this stuff. I must invest in a running belt or Tummietote ASAP. Regardless, I went through my run and felt great! It was a pretty easy run and I was back home in 30 minutes but it sure felt great to be back out there! I had no feelings of a low coming on and was eager to get back inside to check my blood sugar.

Here's what I saw when I tested post run:

Overall, I was happy with that number (that's 198 mg/dl for my American friends). A touch on the high side for my liking but that's easily corrected. I'd prefer to be a bit high after a run rather than too low. Seeing this number also boosted my confidence too. I have a lot of anxiety about having lows, especially when I'm in situations where I can't easily walk away and fix them. I hate having to explain them to people. I know that it's important that I educate the people around me about them, but I haven't quite gotten there with it yet.

Day 2 of running is tomorrow. I'm going to do the same run and I'll eat a banana again and take half of my normal insulin and see how it goes. This time I'll take some life support with me though!