Falling Off The Wagon

So in 2000 I had gestational diabetes.  My doctors did next to nothing to educate me about this.  They showed me how to stick myself with a needle, how to use a glucose meter and sent me for one visit to a nutritionist.  After giving birth my blood glucose was perfect, as was my baby's, and we were sent home with no more fuss about it.

This was unfortunate because in 2005 I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes with blood glucose numbers off the charts, literally.  My friend's home meter read ERROR when they tested me after a cookout one sunny summer evening.  The lowest reading we got that evening was 549.

Over the next several months, despite having to switch from a condescending, arrogant, misogynistic bastard of a doctor (John Burnett, M.D. if you'd like to know), trying a couple different oral medications, doing research like a budding scientist, working out like a triathlon contestant and much obsessing, I got my HbA1c down to 5.4.  The hemoglobin A1c is roughly a three month average of blood glucose numbers.  Many years ago doctors were taught to get people below 7.0.  Now-a-days, depending on who you talk to, they want it anywhere between 5.0 and 6.5.  Some experts are even suggesting that too low is as bad as too high when some patients end up in the 4's and have heart attacks and other problems.  But without a doubt too high is just plain too high.  And mine is too high.

At my regular doctor's visit early last month my A1c was 7.1.  This is high, but it had actually come down a point from the previous visit.  Yes, I've been slacking....both in the exercise department and in the nutrition department.  And I know better.  I have no excuse.  Reasons....but no excuse.  Today when I went to my OB/GYN he had me retested and said I was at 9.1.  This is seriously bad.....although I'm suspicious of it as I can't see it jumping two full points in six weeks.  I have heard, though, that A1c's are skewed toward the last two weeks.  Well, I am due for my period in about three more days and the week to 10 days that I have PMS I have almost no control over those numbers.  My regular GP and I have already increased my metformin 500mg/day for that week but it hasn't had the effect that I'd hoped.

Anyway.....so Dr. S. today told me he was putting me on insulin.  See, I've been TTC (trying to conceive) for nearly four years now.  Blood glucose numbers like this totally defeat that....not to mention that they're simply unhealthy and damaging.  I freaked!!  I HATE needles!!!  All those months in 2000 I had to give myself an insulin shot every morning and every morning for every day of all of those months I sat there with that needles hovered over my thigh, next to tears, working up the courage to stick myself with that tiny little subcutaneous needle.  It never got easier....but for the child I was carrying I did it.  Making myself do it now is a terrible thought.  THANKfully Dr. S has given me an increase in my oral meds and an appointment on Nov. 17th before putting me on insulin.  I have to track my numbers for him and we're going to see what we see.

So my goal for the next three weeks is to drive those glucose numbers back down towards where they go.  I don't expect them to be in the right ranges in such a short time, but I fully intend to show him that I do not need to stick myself with those needles just yet.  I had that A1c down to 5.4 before.  I ran a diabetes forum on a nutritional website for a few years.  I know what to do.  Now for the doing of it......wish me luck!!!  And feel free to give me random kicks to keep me on the wagon!!!