Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time I was a vegetarian except on Fridays. I didn't eat meat or dairy except on Fridays. And I ate lots of veggies and fruit and rice and beans. And my blood sugar got a little bit high. And then I got a kidney infection and my blood sugar got really really high. And the dietician says I can't be a vegetarian anymore. Not even just 6 days a week. I have to eat the meat my friends.

So since last Thursday I'm no longer a vegetarian any day of the week. My stint as a 6 day a week vegetarian didn't last long. But I tried it. I am good at some things. Being a vegetarian is not one of those things. Along with telling me I can't be a part time vegetarian the dietician also gave me a lot of other rules. There are lots of things I can and can't eat. In fact this diet is much different then the first diabetic diet I was on years ago when I was diagnosed. In some ways I think it's harder and in other ways it's easier. I can tell you though I'm hungry. Hungry, hungry, would almost eat my baby hungry. It's a good thing I'm not a canibal.

But my blood sugar is stablizing. I know my infection is improving so that helps but I've been following this stupid eating meat and no other stuff I really like diet and it's working. I can complain all I want but the truth is if I just do as they say I feel better. It's a lot of damn work but I do feel better. So I'm gonna stick with it I suppose. But for the record I would like to be a vegetarian except on Fridays and I'm very hungry!

Hospital Visit

Because I didn't have anything better to do this week (like work, or take care of my kid, or organize my recently completely remodeled home) I decided to take a little detour from all the regularly scheduled programing and stop off at our local hospital for a stay.

I woke up Tuesday night in a lot of pain. My back (kidneys) were killing me and I was pretty sick. By 7 Wednesday morning I was hurting so bad I could hardly stand it but more concerning was my blood sugar levels. When I checked them at 7 I was at 417 when I should be right around 90-120. Not good. I was pretty concerned by that point and was afraid if it got much higher I wouldn't be able to function enough to get myself to the doctor. So I took the kid to daycare and went right to the ER. By the time I got there my blood sugar was in the 470's.

So they started me on insulin and an iv antibiotic for my kidney infection. They also gave me some Demerol for the pain. Moments after getting the pain meds my arm started itching. I told Darby who was with me and she said sometimes it will do that as it's going in the iv. The next time I looked down my arm looked like I had about 30 bee stings. Hives were everywhere and HUGE!

While the itching was bothersome I was honestly so out of it I wasn't that concerned. But Darby used her authoritative voice and started scurrying around to get benedryl and asking if I was having trouble breathing. I love having a nurse for a best buddy! So then I got a huge shot of benedryl and slept for half the day. I woke up feeling better and without hives so it all worked out.

I got a bunch of insulin and some crappy hospital food. Some antibiotics and more pain meds. I got to watch cable tv and realized I'm not missing much by not having it at home. I took lots of naps and Darby and Chris kept my child overnight with all of their children and then I came home. My blood sugar is normal now which is a WONDERFUL feeling. I'm still not quite back to myself but I can handle a kidney infection okay. The whole blood sugar high and low and all over the place kicks my butt. It's just exhausting. So I've been sleeping a lot.

I get to take a fun filled class all about insulin. That's exciting. But I've never had a prescription for insulin before. So the only way you can get one is to take the class. So I'm complying. I won't have to take it everyday. It's just a precaution really so if my blood sugar gets that high again I can do something myself to help get it down. When diabetics get sick their blood sugar can shoot up like that so it will be nice to know I can help myself quickly from now on. The way I felt yesterday morning was horrible and scary when your home alone with a kid. Hopefully this will ensure I don't have that experience again!

So that's what I know....

Pumpkin Plans

The Hulk and I both love pumpkin. Not just the pumpkin carving and decorating. But we also like to eat pumpkin. And I'm always looking for new recipes to try using pumpkin. I found a recipe I kinda liked but then I had to change it up a bit to meet our needs. So below is my recipe for pumpkin pancakes or pumpkin muffins.

2 eggs
1/4 cup splenda (or sugar)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon

Blend all ingredients together until they are mixed well. You can either cook as pancakes which The Hulk prefers. Or you can cook them as muffins which I prefer. If you cook as muffins I cooked them at 375 for about 25 minutes.

Easy to make, cheap to make, high fiber and not to much fat. And if you are diabetic this is one muffin that doesn't shoot my blood sugar to the roof. So hopefully it won't for you either! We like it and hope you will too!

Clickin Mama

Finding Some Balance

This last week has been all about finding some balance. Friday marked one week of being on my new medication and meal plan and honestly I feel much better. I still have a long way to go but the fog has lifted some. I don't feel as tired or as sick. My blood sugar has gone down quite a bit. I'm still running high but much much closer to normal then I was. I'm averaging between 200-250 rather than 450 to a high of 557. So that is a big difference in a week!

I'm struggling some with the meal plan laid out by the nutritionist. It's not the food that is a problem. I don't mind it too much. There have only been a few things I really did not like. It's finding the time to plan and prepare the meals and track them all that I struggle with. It takes me awhile to do but I'm hoping the coming weeks will be easier. I'm just trying to find my groove I guess. It will come it just takes time. I have to fax a list of everything I eat and a calorie break down along with my blood sugar readings one time a week to the nutritionist and endocrinologist. I won't have to do this forever but while they try to regulate my meds it helps them. And honestly it helps keep me accountable.

The exercise piece has been much easier for me to do then I thought. Once the meds kicked in and helped get me out of the "I feel like I'm dying stage" I had no problem doing the working out. I don't love to exercise but I don't hate it. And there is a really nice park with a wonderful walking trail here in town that I have been going to on my lunch break. I like doing it then because it makes me feel better in the afternoon, it helps me relax, and then even if the evening gets crazy at home I have it done.

So I think I'm off to a good start. At least I feel like I'm on the road to recovery if that makes any sense. I do have more hope and I do feel better. I can't wait to see what week two brings. Heck I even lost 8 pounds this week! You can't beat that.

Clickin Mama

Sweet The Hulk

Seriously even on the worst of days it's never that bad! How could it be when you get to see smiles like that! Such a sweet sweet boy! I'd do anything for him. That includes eating food I don't like, going on walks I don't want to go on, checking my blood sugar all day, giving myself shots, and anything else the doctor tells me to do. I stuck one of the above pictures in my diabetes pack. So every time I check my blood sugar I look at that laughing adorable face. That is the face I want to see every day for the rest of my life. I'll do what I have to for him. He deserves that!

I think back to how hard my mom fought to stay with Heather and I. She didn't want to leave us. She went through tests and chemo and medicine and fought like crazy. If she could do that for us I can do this for him. Nothing I have to do is as rough as that! I'll never forget one of my last good days with her. I was laying on the couch with my head in her lap sobbing. It was kind of our good bye talk a couple weeks before she died. I thanked her for everything she had done for me and apologized for being such a shit to her when I was a teenager. She just ran her hands through my hair and said something I will never forget. "Being your mom and Heather's mom is the best job in the world. I never want it to end". I thought I understood that then but I didn't. Now as I rock my little boy to sleep and run my fingers through his hair I really do understand. Sweet boy I never want this to end!

I'll fight for you, for us, forever!

Clickin Mama

At My Limit

I've reached my limit for the week, the month, the year! I can't take any more crap! I'm just done, done, done! Yesterday my power got shut off. Not because I didn't pay the bill but because of some freaking error with Westar. Nice! So I forked over money I didn't really have to get my account paid up when it already was paid up so they would turn it back on last night. Then this morning when they got the error fixed they said that they would just apply what I paid last night as a credit since they don't give refunds. Are you kidding me! That was my car payment money!

Then I go to the stupid endocrinologist today about my diabetes and left his office sobbing. I have nerve damage in my feet, the beginning stages of kidney failure, and 6 new prescriptions that I can't even afford to get filled. Oh and I just need to diet and exercise. Really?!? I feel so shitty every day that I'm just thrilled to make it through the work day and feed my child before I collapse. If I could exercise I would but when your blood sugar is in the 500 range you tend to feel like you are dying and can hardly move. But I'll get right on that!

And because the last 24 hours was not shitty enough I come home to open my mail and find a letter from the IRS. I owe according to them $10,000 and some change. SUPER!

Does anyone have a gun?????

Clickin Mama

Detoxification

I've been feeling kind of yucky lately. I credit my crazy blood sugar for a lot of it. Just really tired, achy, and overall blah! So since I'm working really hard right now to get my blood sugar in check I decided to pull out all the stops. I really want to get back to feeling good all the time. Summer is too fun to waste feeling yucky.

So after talking it over with my chiropractor I've started a detox process. Hopefully this will help get some of the toxins (heavy metals, etc) out of my body. This in turn will hopefully help lower my blood sugar and increase my energy level.

I'm using the Ion Cleanse Foot bath to help detox. I go in to the chiropractor two times a week to do it. It only take about thirty minutes and is very relaxing. It also gets a bunch of disgusting crap out of my system! I've gone two times so far and I am starting to notice a difference. I do have more energy and my blood sugar always comes down for about 48 hours afterwards. I'm hoping that by the time I get done with the 10 sessions it will be staying down. But we will see. I'm willing to try about anything at this point. If only I could afford that lap-band surgery. That's what I really want! But until then detoxing it is.

Clickin Mama