Random list J
1.
I am back from Europe and it was pretty
eventful. And full of freshly baked bread and hidden carbs and stubbornly high
blood sugars. And alcohol. And hiking. And family time. And some stress
nonetheless. On the way home our flight was delayed by 8 hours, causing us to
miss a connection, and as a result spending 36 hours in various airports
without even sleeping or brushing our teeth. The good news is we are getting financial
compensation (happy dance!)
2.
The day before we left I noticed I had two very
itchy bites – one on each of my legs – at least I assumed they were bites. Anyway,
they itched very badly and I scratched them, and then within a day or two I had
a secondary infection on my skin - a horrible itchy rash spreading with a
vengeance - which is nothing that has happened to me ever before. At first I
thought it might be poison ivy or something, but then quickly realized it was
something else. So there I was – in Europe, high blood sugar, and a (really f’ing
itchy) skin infection… In Greece I consulted with a pharmacist and we both
agreed it was bacterial – so got a steroid/antibiotic cream. Which helped a bit
(but I didn’t consider the double-whammy of rubbing that shit on my legs and
then going out into the sun.) Can you say sunburn/ peeling/ super-irritated
skin! And then the 36 hour airport adventure and all the Googling on skin
conditions I did had me convinced that I might have anything from dermatitis to
psoriasis to scabies. Yep, I am a hypochondriac.
3.
After coming home with my skin not looking any
better, my BG in the 300s, and no sleep for almost two days, I may have had a
slight mental breakdown. In fact, I cried about diabetes (something I have NEVER
done before, but I guess needed to happen). I admitted (in a sobbing mess) to
my husband that I was doing a shitty job controlling my diabetes, that my skin
was probably still infected because I couldn’t get my BG down low enough for my
immune system to help out, and that pretty much everything sucked and that I
was a horrible person because of my shitty blood sugars. Yep. He responded so
well. Hugs, and a “what can I do to help?” (side-note: I love him). Once I
calmed down a bit, I asked for him to help hold me accountable. To help with
carb counts. To ask me what my blood sugar is sometimes (not to like keep
checks on me but just allowing him to be more involved, but not in a pedantic
way if that makes any sense at all).
4.
After getting about 11 hours of sleep,
re-hydrating, and getting the BG to come down a bit, I felt pretty silly about
being a crying mess the day before. But something changed that day. I think
when you come out and say to someone (besides yourself or the internet): “I am
struggling and I need help”, you give yourself permission not to be perfect,
and permission to love yourself when you are far from it. And even motivation
to try harder. Anyway.
5.
The skin- about three days after getting back I
went to one of those Minute Clinics and had my skin checked out. Of course by
then, it was almost back to normal (the NP must’ve thought I was crazy). She
said it wasn’t infected anymore and that I could switch from the Ab/Strd cream
to OTC HCT 1%/. The rash is completely gone by now – apparently it was just
some random infection that can happen whenever there is any break in the skin –
cellulitis – and it was not serious and it happens to lots of people all the
time. Of course, me being me, I spent a lot of time blaming my poor BG control
for it. But maybe it was just a random rash and I shouldn’t have been so
concerned.
6.
I went to the dentist last week! There is an exclamation
point because: 1. I haven’t been in about 6 or 7 years :O and 2. This was the
first appointment I scheduled for myself (my mom would schedule all of mine,
even in my early 20s..) And I was so
happy that there were really no issues and that I got complimented on my oral hygiene.
Also, I lied about my A1C, giving them the 6.8 (which it was about a year ago),
instead of the last 8.6. I just didn’t want the f’ing lecture (dum dum dum complications
gum disease uncontrolled blah blah blah) – can you blame me?
7.
I rescheduled my endo appointment to the end of
October because I can’t face him right now nor can I face my A1C.
8.
I may have said this before but I feel very
determined to get my A1C under 7 (like now). I know I can do it. It’s so weird –
how time flies. B and I have started looking for jobs. There have been HR
departments we are keeping in contact with and it seems like there are lots of
exciting opportunities. Shit’s going down this year (or next), depending on
when B finishes his Ph.D. and when/where we move. And then... Well – I mean –
we are pushing 30 and probably going to want to start a family (what?)
Re-reading some posts of Kerri and other ladies who have had pregnancies with
T1D has been very motivational. Re-reading some of my old posts has brought
laughter and a little bittersweet sadness. I’m not 17 anymore. Much closer to
30 now (how DID that happen!?)
Not much of a point to this post besides the update – we are
working hard on careers as well as continuing with the training our dogs
received while we were away. Celebrated 6 years of marriage last Sunday. And lots
to do, lots to do, and hopefully a little fun to be had before the summer ends
<3
