One thing that is certain is that this disease has to be controlled; letting it run its course is not an option. I saw what it did to Mom and what it has done to other people, and it isn't anything you want for yourself. Death by diabetes can involve a lot of unpleasant factors: mental problems; physical disabilities; deteriorating vision; infections; possible amputation; lots of time with doctors; and the type of slow, progressive slide into disability and death that will likely see you spend time in a longterm care situation with the need for round-the-clock professional care. Sort of the opposite of having a massive heart attack while sky-diving at age 95, the way we all wish we could go.
Can't let that happen.
The good news this week is that I went back for a follow-up blood test, and my my three-month average blood sugar (I think it's the hemoglobin A1c test) was within normal range, which my doctor said was better than most diabetics are able to achieve. The last time I saw him, he was going to prescribe a new type of faster-acting insulin for me, to go along with the Metformin and Lantus that I am already taking; however, he never called it into my pharmacy as far as I can tell, and I thought it was unnecessary anyway. After this test, he told me that he didn't think it was necessary either. Less drugs is better, as long as my blood sugar is where it should be.
A little back story on that last visit: Per instructions, I had tested myself seven times every day for 5 days prior to that last appointment, and I brought the results to the doctor. One of those days included a trip to Olive Garden, where I ate a bread stick and a half, and a big tasty pasta dish with a cream sauce. As is my custom, I ate every bite that I was served, which also included appetizers and a large caesar salad. Afterward, I had a small bowl of ice cream at home. My blood sugar shot up to over 250, by far the highest it has been since the first couple of days that I started taking insulin. My solution, rather than stronger drugs, is to not eat like that anymore, and the highest reading I have seen since the last appointment was 146 -- higher than you want, but not bad for a worst case.
At the same time, I have cut back on my insulin, from 110 "units" per day to 75 now, which seems to be enough. Two rules for keeping insulin usage down while keeping your blood sugar under control: Be careful what you eat, and don't eat so much of it.
Since this post is long enough for my standards, I'll write more about diet in another post. I suppose that means I should change the picture, but I eat a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and raspberries about every other morning as part of breakfast, so I'm keeping the picture because I like it.
One more piece of interesting news. In response to a recent diary I posted on Daily Kos, and reposted here, I got a message inviting me to send in a writing submission for consideration for a new website called Writer Beat, which is going to be a new website for writers and bloggers (not just left-leaning political bloggers.) And while I am not really inclined to submit a piece of writing (and be rejected!), I think it's amazing that anyone would even ask me. Me, a writer, sending in a writing submission for a writer's website. That would be be something.
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