New New New

Never updated my blog after my last endo visit in March, and I just had another visit today, so let's do a double update, shall we?! 


Well, the March endo visit showed that I am, basically, awesome. Ha. I pulled my A1c down from an 11 to a 6.9, which pretty much rules. Doctor said I was doing great! She also gave me orders for new bloodwork and thyroid ultrasounds for June, before the next appointment with her, so that's that.


As for now, I had to move my appt up from the end of June to today, because starting the 18th, I basically will not be free from 7-5:30 everyday because of my summer nanny job. Also, for quite a while I have been feeling very "blah" about my pump in general. I was hoping that when my REVEL came, I would be more excited about pumping again. However, the excitement of "new" quickly faded as everything was really the same. I am still attached to this thing, day and night. I still have to dress around it, and I still can't wear dresses. There is never anywhere both comfortable and functional to wear my pump. It pulls on my skirt waists. I have to wear a belt every stinking day. I have to put on, take off, put on, take off at the pool. It's not comfortable to keep on when exercising. I have to take it off to shower. I have to have to take it off to... for other activities. So, I've been thinking about the Omnipod. 


Obviously, this was poor timing choice, but I spoke to the Omnipod people and they actually have a very affordable "cut the cord" program for when you're still under warranty with other pumps. My doctor was totally supportive and said that it is my choice and she thinks it will be fine, especially if I am happier. So I'm doing it, switching to Pod as soon as the paperwork is fully filed. I'm sending in my part today!


Also, my A1c went down again. I am 6.4!! I am a winner. Yes.


But, I do have to start thyroid meds, as my TSH levels have been going up slowly for 3 years, and my thyroid is enlarged and en-bumped. Boo, that kinda sucks. But, there isn't much to to except damn my endocrine system and move on. So I shall. Sigh. 


New pump! New (better) A1c!! New/more meds (gross).

It's been a while!

Hello! I have been a big blog slacker and haven't posted in a looooong time, so it's time for some updates!

1. I got the results of the FNA a while ago, and apparently there was not enough sample, so the result was basically "uh, it didn't work." My doctor said she doesn't want me to get it done again yet. I have another endo appt at the end of this month (March) and I will get an order for another ultrasound. If the ultrasound looks the same, then I am good, but if anything looks different then it's time for another FNA. If that happens, then this time I am going to require some painkillers or something, because that was just ridiculous before.

2. I am trying a new diet. It's called the "I don't care how much you hate it, you get yourself outside and run/walk/jog at least 2 miles at least 3 times a week" plan. Ha. Basically, I lost a lot of weight over the summer due to the whole wedding stress and horrible blood sugar control, but I was so happy to have finally lost the weight that I had gained over the past few years. Now, I have somehow managed to very quickly gain back every pound :(. Not happy, so I am working on it. Insulin may keep me alive, but, it really stinks sometimes.

3. I have had much better blood sugars lately. I am getting blood work done next week and am actually sort of excited to see what my A1C is. Ha, what a loser I am!! However, I have definitely been having more lows than I would like. The other night I woke up at 4am to a 42 blood sugar. Literally crawled to the kitchen and was sitting on the floor in the open fridge chugging juice out of the container. So not fun.

Diabetes, you are such a poop!

Boooooo

Finally had my FNA thyroid biopsy this past Monday. It sucked. Big time. From everything that I had heard, I expected the biopsy to be uncomfortable and a little bit painful, as well as to have a little swelling and tenderness afterward for about a day. I found this to be the answer to my questions about the process when asking people in real life, as well as when looking up the information online.

SO NOT THE CASE FOR JEN!

Ahhh. Instead, the actual procedure was very very uncomfortable, as well as very painful the entire time. I was in  holding back and then eventually in tears as the doctor inserted a needle and scraped around the right side of my thyroid gland three separate times. Super fun.

My neck was swollen like a tree trunk for about 4 days, as well as very painful to look in any direction, as well as swallow, cough, and sleep. Slowly though, the swelling and pain has decreased.

Now I'm about 5.5 days out and the left side of my neck is totally back to normal. The right side, though, is still slightly swollen and very painful under my chin and into my thyroid. I have a cold, and I don't think this has helped either. It hurts still to swallow and look up. Sneezing is extremely painful, as is bending over to the ground.

This bites. Hopefully I am better soon. Booooooo.

Teacher Seeking School

I need a job. A real teaching job. I desperately need a steady job in my own classroom with a salary and my own kids and my own stuff and I nameplate on the door and a mailbox and an email and even some crazy coworkers and parents to deal with. I NEED IT.

And, because I need a real teaching job so very desperately, I cannot really give any opinions in favor of any one group/organization as per the state of certain schools and their districts.

However, if I did not desperately need a full time teaching position (seriously, ANY DISTRICT AT ALL), I might have some very strong opinions on the Neshaminy strike. But, I do, so let's just say that I don't have any thoughts at all...

New Year, New Disease?

Happy New Year! It's 2012... weee!! Since it was the holidays, I haven't really written in a while, but now I think I should jump in and update some things.

Christmas was good and fun. We had dinner with my family and also visited some of his family, near and far. As far as fun presents, Drew got me a pretty hat and a really nice new digital camera, yay! We also had fun at a New Year's Eve party with some friends, where we could see the waterfront fireworks. :)

As far as diabetes goes, I have my new REVEL! It is not that different from the 522 that I had before, but a little fancier and just new. I like it a lot! It's nice to not have to worry about no delivery alarms. And, I really like using the sure-T infusion sets. I've had a couple painful sites, but in general it's been great. New stuff rules.

Well, most of the time, it rules. Some new stuff really sucks. Like new diseases. Booooooooo. My endo already told me that my bloodwork showed heightened thyroid antibodies, which can indicate problems. Now, she's gotten back the results of the thyroid ultrasound that I had done. She said there is a nodule in my thyroid. She said that now I have to have a biopsy!! She said it is likely Hashimoto's disease (which means my thyroid is killing itself... more autoimmune diseases). But, I have to have the biopsy because there is a 5% chance that it could be thyroid cancer. WHAT. THE. HELL. I don't even want to hear about a 5% chance. I don't want to hear about a 1% chance.  I am 28 years old. Cancer is unlikely but still a little scary. Another chronic disease is not what I want to hear either. This sucks.

A crappy A1C and the awesome sure-T

Got a voice mail from Dr. Joffe (new endo) yesterday, she got my bloodwork back and wanted to let me know my A1C. I'll just put it out there. 11. Yes, 11. Worst one I've ever had, including when I was diagnosed! Sweet. She said "we have a lot of work to do"... you think??

Ah well, I've already started the work and numbers are already looking better. Nothing else I can do but that and keep chugging along. In 3 months, I predict that I am down to at least 8.5ish. I'll let you know if I'm there.

Good thing: met with a new "diabetes clinical manager" (someone who works for Medtronic and whose job it is to get people with pumps to know how to use them and get their crap together) named Lindsay and she is awesome. She is diabetic!! Lo and behold, they do exist! It's so much better to talk with someone about your issues who is also diabetic and therefore is not just well-read on the subject but actually experiences everything, too! 

Anyhow, to help me with my scar tissue issues (ha, rhyme) and my delayed site changing (due to scar tissue/pain/nowhere to put it) she introduced me to the greatest thing ever - a different type of infusion set called the Sure-T. It. Is. Awesome.

Awesome Thing 1: it does not cause scar tissue! How, you ask? Well, it's not a cannula that stays in you, it's a little teeny steel needle that stays in you. Don't be scared! It's smaller than a pushpin (which, by the way, is how you insert it, you just push it straight in) so is less damaging, so no scarring.

Awesome Thing 2: it has a tension release/extender part that allows you to insert in less than optimal places (logistically) and you can disconnect the pump without have to get in your pants or something else annoying

Awesome Thing 3: it doesn't hurt AT ALL!!! I can barely feel it go in, I can barely feel it come out, and I can barely feel it while it's in there doing its thing. I can sit on it. I can smash into it. It is super awesome. Yayyyy Sure-T!! I can't wait to switch for good! 

Bye bye silhouette! You and your pain-in-the-butt-ness and your regular pain are going away... going away with my paradigm 522 pump! It's time for an upgrade in all things! Can't wait for my new Paradigm REVEL and my new Sure-Ts to come in (by Christmas-ish)!!

...when there's someone by your side to sing along

I had my first endocrinology appointment in 2 years today. I guess, in a way, it went well. I guess. I mean, it was terrible and yet a good thing, too. I expected my blood sugars to be bad; I expected the endocrinologist (the first time I've met this doctor) to clearly think I was an irresponsible moron; I expected to have to meet with an educator; I expected to feel stupid. I did not expect to cry. 

I felt so dumb, so embarrassed, so pathetic, that I started to cry. I told her that after 2 years of no health insurance, no doctors, having to do everything myself, and 6 years of being diabetic with no one really to help me (since as an adult, no one concerns themselves with the psychological effects of being diabetic), I just gave up. And so I started to cry. Boo. 

On the upside, she said we are just going to start over and we are going to fix it and it is going to be ok. She wasn't about to hug me or anything, but she was nice and didn't say anything mean or unnecessary and she clearly is willing to help me. So, bloodwork appt this Thursday, diabetes educator appt Friday, another endo appt in a month to see where we are. And the beginning of fixing myself begins.

One last note. I went to see The Muppets on Saturday night. I have been waiting for this movie to come out for at least a year, and I was so excited. It was wonderful! I am going again on Friday afternoon with some of my little buddies! Go see it; try not to smile from start to finish. This movie will restore your inner child, your sense of simple happiness. It will restore your faith in humanity. We all have a little Muppet in us!

Based on my finding of some help and faith, I feel like some of the lyrics to one of the songs are appropriate:

"...life's a happy song when there's someone by your side to sing along

when you're alone, life can be a little rough

it makes you feel like you're 3 foot tall

when it's just you, well times can be tough

when there's no one there to catch your fall

everything is great, everything is grand

I've got the whole wide world in the palm of my hand

everything is perfect, it's falling into place

I can't seem to wipe this smile off my face

life smells like a rose with someone to ping

and someone to pose

life's a piece of cake with someone to pedal

someone to brake

life is full of glee with someone to saw

and someone to see

life's a happy song when there's someone by my side to sing along..."