We got to hear the heartbeat tonight! Our midwife R said it could take a while to find the heartbeat using the Doppler, or even be impossible, but our little TF was loud and strong straight away.
It is nestled low down, and R thinks that my uterus has come up above my public bone already. She noted that the pubic bone itself was quite low down.
The appointment was about 1.5hrs and we were able to ask a lot of questions and learn about all manner of things.
We spoke about pre-eclampsia and how it could be detected in me since, as a woman with Type 1 Diabetes, I unfortunately already spill protein in my urine. Thankfully there are other markers of the disease such as high blood pressure. Hubby suggested borrowing my Dad's home blood pressure monitor to test me every couple of days and R agreed that from 28w that would be a good idea. She also told us about some other women she'd worked with who had experienced pre-eclampsia and told us what happened for them.
I still has to do a urine dip stick test for both protein and glucose (!) and surprisingly the protein test came back near-enough to negative. I have no idea how that happened. As expected the glucose test came back 3+, and I offered to do a blood test for her, and showed her the Dex readings but she didn't want them. Sigh. Will keep working on that one!
I have had this nasty head cold for a couple of weeks now. Last night I gave in and took 2x paracetamol which of course threw the Dex readings out for 8hrs :( Boo. R suggested that a trip along to the GP would be a good idea to check I don't have a sinus infection. R said that it is now a bit safer for me to take antibiotics should I need them.
I asked about the pains I've been getting low down just above my hips. These happen especially when I wake up at night and turn over too quickly. Or reach for a tissue because I'm up all night sneezing. Seriously, I was up 6 times last night variously peeing, sneezing, or treating lows. R said they are probably just round ligament pain and completely normal, however if they are low and central then that would be bad. She also advised to roll over with my knees together, and advised not to stand on one foot as it can aggravate a central ligament.
I'm sure we talk about more, but that's all I remember for now. Next appointment will be in about a month.
Showing posts with label Kidney Microalbumin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kidney Microalbumin. Show all posts
Monday, December 30, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Insulin Pump Application
Today I met with my diabetes endocrinologist to talk about getting a pump. Short story is that is is a GO! He has to put in a special authority application form from Pharmac so he'll get that started.
I sent him a bunch of my blood sugar details and graphs to use as supporting documentation, to support my application. In his words "it goes before a panel of wise men" who decide whether to accept or decline the application. Cross fingers it will be accepted. Endo says it should be accepted, as I have so many hypos.
My diabetes nurse educator popped in and said that she agrees: if I am to change to a pump then it's best to do it before I'm pregnant, especially if I get morning sickness. (Note: I popped round to my parent's house to have a cuppa tea with my Mum. She told me that she didn't get any nausea, and she doesn't think her mother did either. So that bodes well! Another diabetic friend has recently had her first baby and she got ridiculously ill with hyperemesis gravidarum!)
As I was leaving, I asked about whether the CGM part of the pump is funded. Turns out no, it's not. I kind of expected that, but if it's not too expensive then I would still be keen to try. It would be a real stretch financially for us to do this, but it could give some real insights into my "pattern-less" diabetes.
I also got my most recent lab results, as I went to visit the vampires on Monday. As per normal, my kidneys are still spilling protein. They have been doing this consistently for over 15 years now. I had a kidney biopsy around the time they first picked this anomaly up, and it was inconclusive. I have been on Lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor) but had naughtily taken myself off it as I have very low blood pressure and it was making me too spinny. Anyway, my endo told me today that he doesn't want me on the ACE inhibitor while trying to get pregnant.
HbA1c results: 42 mmol/mol = 6.0%
Although a low HbA1c is supposedly good for reducing risk for complications, the advice I was given today was to raise my result from 42 up to 52 by my next appointment in October sometime. I was told to stop being so tough on my high blood sugars, and that I would need to run higher for a time to get rid of some of my hypo-unawareness.
Thing is, I feel fine. Sure, I am having a few hypos a week, but that is normal for me. I've been like this for years. I don't currently live in fear of hypos, and I feel comfortable with my management of BG levels. In fact, I have in the last couple of days been feeling rather proud of the fact that I've been staying in the black! (i.e. not in the red=high or blue=low)
Here are some pretty graphs to help explain:
Now for the slightly boring and ranty aspect of this post: I have just about had it up to here (hold hand up to her neck) with medical receptionist-types.
In the past month I have had 3 unacceptable encounters. The first was with my GPs nurse-receptionist, who doesn't know her elbow from her Pharmac schedule! When I went to get a prescription for test strips, she wrote it for 4 strips a day. As if I was a regular old Type 2 diabetic. This is the same nurse-receptionist who is supposed to have done a bunch of additional diabetes training. I didn't spot the error and it was seen by my (lovely, kind, understanding, accommodating) pharmacist. I went back to see her, and said I needed more like 14 or more strips a day. She said, "well, I can write it for ten, but you won't get it." What?! I know what I am legally entitled to, and I can have as many strips as I want. It's funny, the test strips are the only part of diabetes kit that is so heavily controlled, and it's so hard to get. It's way easier to get lots of insulin, which always surprises me that the strict controls are on the strips and not the insulin, as I know which one could do a lot more damage! I suppose it's a money issue. Test strips are about $2 a pop. Anyway, where was I. Yes, so she thinks I won't get 10 strips a day. I take it and run back to the pharmacy where the pharmacist and I agree that this still isn't enough. He offers to call her, and he explains that yes I am allowed more strips. I think I ended up getting the prescription changed to 12 a day. I said "14" multiple times but they just don't listen! That nurse has had the grumps with me ever since, and on Monday when I went to pick up my lab-test forms she wouldn't acknowledge me :(
Second bad customer service experience came when I was waiting for my appointment with endo to arrive in the post. I was checking the letterbox diligently twice a day for that little appointment card (yes, the District Health Boards here still insist on using snail mail. I. Can't. Believe. They. Don't. Use. Email!!!!) So I teach at the local tertiary institute, and was right in the middle of class. I don't normally get many calls so my phone was still on, and it rang. I recognised the hospital number and guessed the content of the call pretty accurately before even answering. The diabetes clinic receptionist "Justine" literally berated me for missing my endo appointment. Apparently I was about to be marked as "did not attend" and referred back to my GP! For type 1 diabetes! You've got to be kidding me! She suggested that I was a new patient (umm, no, had this for 25 years now!) and that I had somehow done this deliberately. I had to laugh and chuckle, while holding back my rage. I explained calmly and carefully that I am an existing patient, I have been checking my letterbox and expecting this appointment. Her response? A two parter: "You will have to take that up with the post office," and "I've been away on leave so someone else has been doing my job." Well. Don't jump to blaming the patient if your department failed to send the bloody card out!
Third bad experience happened today. I was nervous about going to this appointment with the endo as for me, I know I don't deal well with change. I also know that saying yes to a pump is making a big commitment to my future care and what will hopefully be happening later this year. Pregnancy. IVF. Change. So yes, I was a bit edgy.
Our hospital where the endo and nurse-educator appointments for diabetes are held has split it's outpatients department into two parts, and the diabetes clinic is in another part above the maternity wing (how ironic!). My endo appointment have been held in medical outpatients and oncology. Let me tell you there is nothing more depressing than sitting in a waiting room with a bunch of oncology patients :( Anyway so I rock up to the counter with my appointment card and the receptionist greets me by name. I give her the card. She starts to wave me to go down to the diabetes clinic above maternity. I say, no, this is for Dr Endo, not nurse educator (they are married, so have the same name. Also, there were two stickers for an appointment for each of them on the card... confusing I know). "No, no," she says. "This card is for the diabetes clinic, and this is the medical clinic. You would never have seen Dr Endo here. See, your card is yellow. Our cards are green." I was gob-smacked. I have been having a clinic in this location for like 10 years now. And she knows me. And she just told me I've never had an appointment here. "You must be a new patient?" NO NO NO 25 years what IS it with you people????? I asked, is he currently above maternity? "lskdjfslkdfjdsklfjds" = not a straight answer, and repetition of previous two points. I said a curt thank you and stomped out, much to the amusement of the waiting oncology patients.
It got even better, cos I had to sprint-walk to meet my appointment time. I climbed up the stairs and met the diabetes clinic receptionist. I was holding my yellow card. I asked if Dr Endo was up here? The receptionist looked confused. She came out from behind the desk to talk to me. Oh god, I thought, does no one know where my appointment is? Turns out she thought I was a doctor or a nurse, the way I asked for him! lol - at least she was good natured.
But, sigh. Can the receptionists please please please not be so goddamn rude and insulting? A simple "I don't know, let me check" would have solved things for the test strips issue. A simple re-send of a new appointment and/or a POLITE phone call would have sufficed for the supposed-missed appointment debacle. And the phrase "Oh, hi Kaitake, I see you have a yellow card this time. That's fine. Dr Endo is currently located down in the clinic above maternity" NOT: you are stupid! You are a new patient? And my favourite "You have never been here!"
I sent him a bunch of my blood sugar details and graphs to use as supporting documentation, to support my application. In his words "it goes before a panel of wise men" who decide whether to accept or decline the application. Cross fingers it will be accepted. Endo says it should be accepted, as I have so many hypos.
My diabetes nurse educator popped in and said that she agrees: if I am to change to a pump then it's best to do it before I'm pregnant, especially if I get morning sickness. (Note: I popped round to my parent's house to have a cuppa tea with my Mum. She told me that she didn't get any nausea, and she doesn't think her mother did either. So that bodes well! Another diabetic friend has recently had her first baby and she got ridiculously ill with hyperemesis gravidarum!)
As I was leaving, I asked about whether the CGM part of the pump is funded. Turns out no, it's not. I kind of expected that, but if it's not too expensive then I would still be keen to try. It would be a real stretch financially for us to do this, but it could give some real insights into my "pattern-less" diabetes.
I also got my most recent lab results, as I went to visit the vampires on Monday. As per normal, my kidneys are still spilling protein. They have been doing this consistently for over 15 years now. I had a kidney biopsy around the time they first picked this anomaly up, and it was inconclusive. I have been on Lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor) but had naughtily taken myself off it as I have very low blood pressure and it was making me too spinny. Anyway, my endo told me today that he doesn't want me on the ACE inhibitor while trying to get pregnant.
HbA1c results: 42 mmol/mol = 6.0%
 |
| My graph from TuAnalyze. This is my lowest HbA1c ever. It's kind of scary. |
 |
| This converter is available at http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-units-converter.html |
Thing is, I feel fine. Sure, I am having a few hypos a week, but that is normal for me. I've been like this for years. I don't currently live in fear of hypos, and I feel comfortable with my management of BG levels. In fact, I have in the last couple of days been feeling rather proud of the fact that I've been staying in the black! (i.e. not in the red=high or blue=low)
Here are some pretty graphs to help explain:
 |
| Diabetes Diary App: average 24hrs for my past 7 days |
 |
| Diabetes Diary App: Each vertical stripe is a whole day. This is my May 2013 so far. Check out 16, 17, 18! Woo! |
 |
| Diabetes Diary: some details covering my past week, and all of May. May target rate is 8.0 mmol/L |
 |
| Diabetes Diary: I record my blood sugars into different time slots, so I can check pre- and post-prandial results. All in the black on right hand column. FIRST time that has ever happened. I must say it feels good and healthy. |
In the past month I have had 3 unacceptable encounters. The first was with my GPs nurse-receptionist, who doesn't know her elbow from her Pharmac schedule! When I went to get a prescription for test strips, she wrote it for 4 strips a day. As if I was a regular old Type 2 diabetic. This is the same nurse-receptionist who is supposed to have done a bunch of additional diabetes training. I didn't spot the error and it was seen by my (lovely, kind, understanding, accommodating) pharmacist. I went back to see her, and said I needed more like 14 or more strips a day. She said, "well, I can write it for ten, but you won't get it." What?! I know what I am legally entitled to, and I can have as many strips as I want. It's funny, the test strips are the only part of diabetes kit that is so heavily controlled, and it's so hard to get. It's way easier to get lots of insulin, which always surprises me that the strict controls are on the strips and not the insulin, as I know which one could do a lot more damage! I suppose it's a money issue. Test strips are about $2 a pop. Anyway, where was I. Yes, so she thinks I won't get 10 strips a day. I take it and run back to the pharmacy where the pharmacist and I agree that this still isn't enough. He offers to call her, and he explains that yes I am allowed more strips. I think I ended up getting the prescription changed to 12 a day. I said "14" multiple times but they just don't listen! That nurse has had the grumps with me ever since, and on Monday when I went to pick up my lab-test forms she wouldn't acknowledge me :(
Second bad customer service experience came when I was waiting for my appointment with endo to arrive in the post. I was checking the letterbox diligently twice a day for that little appointment card (yes, the District Health Boards here still insist on using snail mail. I. Can't. Believe. They. Don't. Use. Email!!!!) So I teach at the local tertiary institute, and was right in the middle of class. I don't normally get many calls so my phone was still on, and it rang. I recognised the hospital number and guessed the content of the call pretty accurately before even answering. The diabetes clinic receptionist "Justine" literally berated me for missing my endo appointment. Apparently I was about to be marked as "did not attend" and referred back to my GP! For type 1 diabetes! You've got to be kidding me! She suggested that I was a new patient (umm, no, had this for 25 years now!) and that I had somehow done this deliberately. I had to laugh and chuckle, while holding back my rage. I explained calmly and carefully that I am an existing patient, I have been checking my letterbox and expecting this appointment. Her response? A two parter: "You will have to take that up with the post office," and "I've been away on leave so someone else has been doing my job." Well. Don't jump to blaming the patient if your department failed to send the bloody card out!
Third bad experience happened today. I was nervous about going to this appointment with the endo as for me, I know I don't deal well with change. I also know that saying yes to a pump is making a big commitment to my future care and what will hopefully be happening later this year. Pregnancy. IVF. Change. So yes, I was a bit edgy.
Our hospital where the endo and nurse-educator appointments for diabetes are held has split it's outpatients department into two parts, and the diabetes clinic is in another part above the maternity wing (how ironic!). My endo appointment have been held in medical outpatients and oncology. Let me tell you there is nothing more depressing than sitting in a waiting room with a bunch of oncology patients :( Anyway so I rock up to the counter with my appointment card and the receptionist greets me by name. I give her the card. She starts to wave me to go down to the diabetes clinic above maternity. I say, no, this is for Dr Endo, not nurse educator (they are married, so have the same name. Also, there were two stickers for an appointment for each of them on the card... confusing I know). "No, no," she says. "This card is for the diabetes clinic, and this is the medical clinic. You would never have seen Dr Endo here. See, your card is yellow. Our cards are green." I was gob-smacked. I have been having a clinic in this location for like 10 years now. And she knows me. And she just told me I've never had an appointment here. "You must be a new patient?" NO NO NO 25 years what IS it with you people????? I asked, is he currently above maternity? "lskdjfslkdfjdsklfjds" = not a straight answer, and repetition of previous two points. I said a curt thank you and stomped out, much to the amusement of the waiting oncology patients.
It got even better, cos I had to sprint-walk to meet my appointment time. I climbed up the stairs and met the diabetes clinic receptionist. I was holding my yellow card. I asked if Dr Endo was up here? The receptionist looked confused. She came out from behind the desk to talk to me. Oh god, I thought, does no one know where my appointment is? Turns out she thought I was a doctor or a nurse, the way I asked for him! lol - at least she was good natured.
But, sigh. Can the receptionists please please please not be so goddamn rude and insulting? A simple "I don't know, let me check" would have solved things for the test strips issue. A simple re-send of a new appointment and/or a POLITE phone call would have sufficed for the supposed-missed appointment debacle. And the phrase "Oh, hi Kaitake, I see you have a yellow card this time. That's fine. Dr Endo is currently located down in the clinic above maternity" NOT: you are stupid! You are a new patient? And my favourite "You have never been here!"
Friday, May 20, 2011
Overload and low blood pressure
Just because I have not been posting recently does not mean I do not love you all :)
I have still been following you all on Reader, but I have not had time to actually write about what's been happening in my life recently. I've come home early today (Friday) and made time to write to you all!
Life has not been terribly exciting, there has just been lots of it.
I am teaching (creating) 4 papers. I am enrolled in 3 papers. Strike that, as of 2.30pm this afternoon, I am enrolled only in 2 papers. Why does it not feel like a relief? Instead I feel guilty, like I have let me tutor down :( Sigh. Move on. Can't do it all.
I have 2 freelance projects on the go, both websites. One is paid, one is done for love.
My husband and I officially started a freelance business venture together yesterday, when we got a domain name. It has now turned from ideas and conversations to "this is real".
I made plans for us to travel next August to a design conference I like to attend each year. This has been hard to plan because, well, see the next point...
The interwebs at work have only worked 2 out of 5 days this week. For-crying-out-loud-I'm-the-Goddamn-Web-Design-tutor!!!! W.T.F. Sob.
The step-kids have been going nuts. Mr 16 turned up unannounced this afternoon and gave me a heart attack when I walked in the front door to see the TV on full noise and him sitting on the couch eating my noodles. OK, that shouldn't startle anyone, but when you are having a low blood sugar, and it's NOT a kids weekend this sort of surprise is NOT OK. Miss 14 is being a whiny pain, and Mr 10 has decided to revert to the behaviour patterns of a very naughty 3 year old. Last weekend when they were here I got so fed up with the way they were treating us that I gave them a stern talk about treating us better next weekend, because we like to be around them, but not when they make our lives so shitty. I am NOT to be treated as hotel staff, and my house is not to be used as a backpackers! Grrr. (Small voice in my head reminds me that my mother always enjoyed the thought of me growing up and having teenagers of my* own to cope with, and now she has the sage advice "this too will pass") *I think this is part of the problem - they are not my teenagers, and I am feeling left out of the experience.
I am currently low, as you may have picked up from the previous paragraph-o-rama. 3.3mmol/L
I also have low blood pressure. Over the last 3 weeks Kind Nurse at my new GPs has measured my BP every Friday. It's never been above 110/60. Today it was a measly 90/60. GP has (jokingly, I'm sure?) told me that if the bottom number drops below 60 then that = death.
(As a side note: seems that the 24hr urine test I did last week has come back with acceptable numbers, just a request to check I don't have high blood pressure [duh], so that, at least, is some good news in the week. Means my kidneys are not failing as bad as the GP thought, but no doubt I will have to have an appointment with him to discuss in detail what those results mean. Hopefully I don't have to have another kidney biopsy. I have already decided that the only acceptable time for me to have anaesthesia will be during IVF! Well, one can try to make plans eh?)
It is now the weekend and I am behind in everything. I have 3 logos to design, 3 websites to create, 1 assignment due on my Diploma of Tertiary Teaching course, 2 presentations to make, dinner to conjure, house to clean, dishwasher to fix, garden to weed, washing to put in washing machine and push buttons beep beep wish-wash wish-wash...
I have still been following you all on Reader, but I have not had time to actually write about what's been happening in my life recently. I've come home early today (Friday) and made time to write to you all!
Life has not been terribly exciting, there has just been lots of it.
I am teaching (creating) 4 papers. I am enrolled in 3 papers. Strike that, as of 2.30pm this afternoon, I am enrolled only in 2 papers. Why does it not feel like a relief? Instead I feel guilty, like I have let me tutor down :( Sigh. Move on. Can't do it all.
I have 2 freelance projects on the go, both websites. One is paid, one is done for love.
My husband and I officially started a freelance business venture together yesterday, when we got a domain name. It has now turned from ideas and conversations to "this is real".
I made plans for us to travel next August to a design conference I like to attend each year. This has been hard to plan because, well, see the next point...
The interwebs at work have only worked 2 out of 5 days this week. For-crying-out-loud-I'm-the-Goddamn-Web-Design-tutor!!!! W.T.F. Sob.
The step-kids have been going nuts. Mr 16 turned up unannounced this afternoon and gave me a heart attack when I walked in the front door to see the TV on full noise and him sitting on the couch eating my noodles. OK, that shouldn't startle anyone, but when you are having a low blood sugar, and it's NOT a kids weekend this sort of surprise is NOT OK. Miss 14 is being a whiny pain, and Mr 10 has decided to revert to the behaviour patterns of a very naughty 3 year old. Last weekend when they were here I got so fed up with the way they were treating us that I gave them a stern talk about treating us better next weekend, because we like to be around them, but not when they make our lives so shitty. I am NOT to be treated as hotel staff, and my house is not to be used as a backpackers! Grrr. (Small voice in my head reminds me that my mother always enjoyed the thought of me growing up and having teenagers of my* own to cope with, and now she has the sage advice "this too will pass") *I think this is part of the problem - they are not my teenagers, and I am feeling left out of the experience.
I am currently low, as you may have picked up from the previous paragraph-o-rama. 3.3mmol/L
I also have low blood pressure. Over the last 3 weeks Kind Nurse at my new GPs has measured my BP every Friday. It's never been above 110/60. Today it was a measly 90/60. GP has (jokingly, I'm sure?) told me that if the bottom number drops below 60 then that = death.
(As a side note: seems that the 24hr urine test I did last week has come back with acceptable numbers, just a request to check I don't have high blood pressure [duh], so that, at least, is some good news in the week. Means my kidneys are not failing as bad as the GP thought, but no doubt I will have to have an appointment with him to discuss in detail what those results mean. Hopefully I don't have to have another kidney biopsy. I have already decided that the only acceptable time for me to have anaesthesia will be during IVF! Well, one can try to make plans eh?)
It is now the weekend and I am behind in everything. I have 3 logos to design, 3 websites to create, 1 assignment due on my Diploma of Tertiary Teaching course, 2 presentations to make, dinner to conjure, house to clean, dishwasher to fix, garden to weed, washing to put in washing machine and push buttons beep beep wish-wash wish-wash...
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Day 3 FSH, LH, Oestradiol and cortisol blood tests
I got up super-early this morning (for me, anyway!) so I could get down to the medlab for my 8am blood draw. It had to be 8am because the cortisol test needed to be done specifically at that time. My GP is investigating why my blood pressure is so low (100/60) especially since he wants me to put me on ace-inhibitor to help save my kidneys - which are misbehaving. I believe that if he finds a problem with the cortisol level it will indicate an adrenal issue, which could be what's causing the low blood pressure. So that could be fixed (one hopes??) and then my ace-inhibitor dosage could be increased to PROTECT ZE KIDNEYS! more. Yup.
Also did the CD3 FSH, LH and Oestradiol hormone tests at the same time, and picked up the huge bottle needed for the 24hr urine test for proteinuria - ITZ ZE KIDNEYS U KNOW!
Saw my aunt in the waiting room. She's just got new kittens! Pixie and Poppy! I can't wait to meet them :D
Oh, and then it was off to work. Last day of office work before the students come back from break on Monday.
I had sent out the grades for the students' first projects yesterday, so I was not surprised to get emails from some students wanting to discuss their grades. Of course, my most troublesome student wanted to meet. And bring her Mum.
I asked the other tutors who were in if they would take a bet on whether she would cry or not. They wouldn't take the bet. I so far have a 3 out of 3 strike rate for crying students at my desk. I go through a LOT of tissues. (Let me clarify: they don't cry cos I'm mean to them, quite the opposite. I try to put realistic pressure on them and they get overwhelmed sometimes. It is very difficult to succeed in a design qualification or career because it's so subjective. The students put a lot of pressure on themselves, and getting a low grade can be crushing for them. I offer all the support and help I can, but you can only lead a horse to water...)
Let's just say it was an emotional meeting, but she left happy.
Kids arrived this evening, but one is working and one is at a Pony Club thing, so it has just been Hubby, Me, and Mister 10 for dinner.
Also did the CD3 FSH, LH and Oestradiol hormone tests at the same time, and picked up the huge bottle needed for the 24hr urine test for proteinuria - ITZ ZE KIDNEYS U KNOW!
Saw my aunt in the waiting room. She's just got new kittens! Pixie and Poppy! I can't wait to meet them :D
Oh, and then it was off to work. Last day of office work before the students come back from break on Monday.
I had sent out the grades for the students' first projects yesterday, so I was not surprised to get emails from some students wanting to discuss their grades. Of course, my most troublesome student wanted to meet. And bring her Mum.
I asked the other tutors who were in if they would take a bet on whether she would cry or not. They wouldn't take the bet. I so far have a 3 out of 3 strike rate for crying students at my desk. I go through a LOT of tissues. (Let me clarify: they don't cry cos I'm mean to them, quite the opposite. I try to put realistic pressure on them and they get overwhelmed sometimes. It is very difficult to succeed in a design qualification or career because it's so subjective. The students put a lot of pressure on themselves, and getting a low grade can be crushing for them. I offer all the support and help I can, but you can only lead a horse to water...)
Let's just say it was an emotional meeting, but she left happy.
Kids arrived this evening, but one is working and one is at a Pony Club thing, so it has just been Hubby, Me, and Mister 10 for dinner.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Retinopathy Photography and Feijoas
More good news: eyes are fine :D
I am very pleased that the local eye clinic/hospital has invested in a special anti-diabetic-retinopathy-eye photographing machine, because it means I don't have to have the horrid eye-dilating drops. They sting. They make your eyes sensitive to light (light hurts them), and everything goes blurry so in the past I've had to have a helper drive me home. But no more drops! In and out in under 20 minutes! :)
First day back at work after the hols, and the building was freezing cold. Winter has hit our region with a vengeance. We've had torrential rain and gale force winds for the last 3 days. My cat went mad with the wind and yowled all day and night. Nothing could soothe him, poor thing. There was minor flooding in some places, but the wind! Two trees blown down in my street, and when I got into work today both my colleagues in the office had a big tree down in their gardens too.
I am looking suspiciously at my new fig tree. It has gone from a perfect, perpendicular happy tree, to a slanty, suspicious, "I might fall over, I might not" tree. May have to get out there and tie a rope around it to hold it upright....is that a good idea? I'm not sure...would the tree then just snap?
But winter/autumn is also feijoa season. Yum.
Here in New Zealand, you never buy feijoas. Instead, you wait, until eventually 5 people will offer you a big bag each of fresh feijoas from their trees. "Please take them!" He he he :P I've planted a feijoa tree too, and so far I've eaten 2 fruit off it. I have also stolen many fruit off the neighbour's tree over the back fence as the branches hang low into my vege garden. And I stare wistfully through the fence into the other neighbour's property, where hundreds of feijoas rain down on the dirt and don't get eaten by anyone except the birds. When the sun comes out, and the feijoas on the ground get a bit warm and start to ferment, you can see the birds walking around all tipsy. This is what my cat waits for. :P (Don't worry, he is well fed and only really catches lizards).
I got a bucket load of stuff from the pharmacy last night. Enough bags that the other customers gave me funny looks. Ha.
This is actually a small haul for me, as it's the tail end a the prescriptions from my old GP. And how in hell did anyone think that 2 Lantus pens would last a month? I'm using 690 units per month, and one pen only hold 300 units if you're lucky. Stupid old GP. Can't wait to put in my shiny new prescription from my new GP. :)
Took my first dose of the statin and the ace-inhibitor (to PROTECT ZE KIDNEYS!) last night, and I've not had any way-ward symptoms today.
Oh, and had an insulin disaster *smack forehead* moment when I was packing all the above diabetes-crap away. I found out that 3 vials of my oh so carefully hoarded Humalog actually expired last October. So now my stash is significantly smaller. Although I haven't had the nerve to throw them away yet....better to keep them, just in case.
 |
| This is not my retina. But mine looks a bit like that... |
I am very pleased that the local eye clinic/hospital has invested in a special anti-diabetic-retinopathy-eye photographing machine, because it means I don't have to have the horrid eye-dilating drops. They sting. They make your eyes sensitive to light (light hurts them), and everything goes blurry so in the past I've had to have a helper drive me home. But no more drops! In and out in under 20 minutes! :)
First day back at work after the hols, and the building was freezing cold. Winter has hit our region with a vengeance. We've had torrential rain and gale force winds for the last 3 days. My cat went mad with the wind and yowled all day and night. Nothing could soothe him, poor thing. There was minor flooding in some places, but the wind! Two trees blown down in my street, and when I got into work today both my colleagues in the office had a big tree down in their gardens too.
I am looking suspiciously at my new fig tree. It has gone from a perfect, perpendicular happy tree, to a slanty, suspicious, "I might fall over, I might not" tree. May have to get out there and tie a rope around it to hold it upright....is that a good idea? I'm not sure...would the tree then just snap?
But winter/autumn is also feijoa season. Yum.
Here in New Zealand, you never buy feijoas. Instead, you wait, until eventually 5 people will offer you a big bag each of fresh feijoas from their trees. "Please take them!" He he he :P I've planted a feijoa tree too, and so far I've eaten 2 fruit off it. I have also stolen many fruit off the neighbour's tree over the back fence as the branches hang low into my vege garden. And I stare wistfully through the fence into the other neighbour's property, where hundreds of feijoas rain down on the dirt and don't get eaten by anyone except the birds. When the sun comes out, and the feijoas on the ground get a bit warm and start to ferment, you can see the birds walking around all tipsy. This is what my cat waits for. :P (Don't worry, he is well fed and only really catches lizards).
I got a bucket load of stuff from the pharmacy last night. Enough bags that the other customers gave me funny looks. Ha.
 |
| Top left: pen needles, boxes of Optium test strips, orange plastic case: glucagon emergency kit, Humalog pen vials (insulin), small white and orange box: statin, small white bottle: ace-inhibitor, grey pens at the bottom of pic: Lantus (insulin) |
Took my first dose of the statin and the ace-inhibitor (to PROTECT ZE KIDNEYS!) last night, and I've not had any way-ward symptoms today.
Oh, and had an insulin disaster *smack forehead* moment when I was packing all the above diabetes-crap away. I found out that 3 vials of my oh so carefully hoarded Humalog actually expired last October. So now my stash is significantly smaller. Although I haven't had the nerve to throw them away yet....better to keep them, just in case.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Diabetes Annual Review
I've just returned from my first ever Diabetes Annual Review (DAR), for free at my new GP's office. Good golly they checked everything. It even included a smear test!
I had a bunch of blood tests a couple of weeks ago, and we discussed the findings in detail. I also got the "tickle test" (where they check you still have sensation in your feet - I was pleased I didn't giggle too much this time), the "read the letters from the chart test" (to check vision), pulses wrist and feet, heartbeat in chest and back, and liver check.
I was passing with flying colours, I even scored a brilliant HbA1c of 6.5% (down again! Yay!)
But then came the bad news :(
I have proteinuria, which mean that I spill protein from my kidneys into my urine. Usually, with a diabetic, that is a sure fire sign that your kidneys are on the way out. With me they are not so sure. I had a kidney biopsy way back in '95 (I think??) and the results were inconclusive. Basically they told me that I "might just be one of those people who spill a bit of protein".
Well, with this latest round of blood tests it showed that my kidneys are getting worse. I got a microalbumin of 577, which is waaaaaay to high. All other kidney function tests were failing too. Wah. The GP has duly sent me off to get those big lovely bottles so I can do a 24hr urine collection test. (Translation: you will spend an entire weekend at home collecting pee). He said that if the protein comes in over a certain ratio, then I will have to have another kidney biospy. The biopsy itself was not too bad, but diabetes and me and anaesthetic DO NOT GOT WELL together. :( So everyone please cross your fingers that it's not a high result.
The only thing I can do to protect my kidneys is to take an ace inhibitor, like enalapril or lisonopril. I did try that a couple of years ago, but I stopped taking them after only a couple of weeks due to problems with low blood pressure. The GP couldn't believe it today when he checked my blood pressure and it was lower than before! Now down to 110/60 (and he said that the bottom number needs to be above 60 for efficient blood flow throughout the body or something, i.e. not being dead). So two things will now happen: 1) I get put back on the lowest dose ace inhibitor available, about 1/2 a 2.5mg tablet per day, and I go for another blood test, this one to check my cortisol as it may be affecting my blood pressure and making it go too low.
And the last thing? Yup, even with my good cholesterol (HDL) coming in with excellent numbers, and my ratio of HDL to LDL being great, my LDL is still ever so slightly too high at 2.2 - so he's putting me on a daily statin as well! I am awful at taking pills :( Can never remember them and have lots of trouble swallowing them :( But if it helps prevent me having a heart attack or kidney failure, then it's a good idea to TAKE THE DAMN PILLS ALREADY! (p.s. I'm yelling at myself, not at you, dear reader. Feel free to join in and yell at me to take my pills!)
Today is the last day of my mid-semester holidays and we had torrential rain yesterday and now we have gale force winds. I bought my lunch and drove down to the cliffs overlooking the beach and islands, and got actually very scared when it felt like the wind was going to tip my car into the sea. I reversed back into the hill a bit, and the car stopped rocking about like a aeroplane in turbulence. I ate my custard square looking out over the sea. It was pretty and violent and windy.
I had a bunch of blood tests a couple of weeks ago, and we discussed the findings in detail. I also got the "tickle test" (where they check you still have sensation in your feet - I was pleased I didn't giggle too much this time), the "read the letters from the chart test" (to check vision), pulses wrist and feet, heartbeat in chest and back, and liver check.
I was passing with flying colours, I even scored a brilliant HbA1c of 6.5% (down again! Yay!)
By the way, if you are a diabetic in New Zealand, or if you know a diabetic in New Zealand, get them to login to TuAnalyze and add their HbA1c data to the map! Look, we only need 12 more NZers to get NZ to light up!
I have proteinuria, which mean that I spill protein from my kidneys into my urine. Usually, with a diabetic, that is a sure fire sign that your kidneys are on the way out. With me they are not so sure. I had a kidney biopsy way back in '95 (I think??) and the results were inconclusive. Basically they told me that I "might just be one of those people who spill a bit of protein".
Well, with this latest round of blood tests it showed that my kidneys are getting worse. I got a microalbumin of 577, which is waaaaaay to high. All other kidney function tests were failing too. Wah. The GP has duly sent me off to get those big lovely bottles so I can do a 24hr urine collection test. (Translation: you will spend an entire weekend at home collecting pee). He said that if the protein comes in over a certain ratio, then I will have to have another kidney biospy. The biopsy itself was not too bad, but diabetes and me and anaesthetic DO NOT GOT WELL together. :( So everyone please cross your fingers that it's not a high result.
The only thing I can do to protect my kidneys is to take an ace inhibitor, like enalapril or lisonopril. I did try that a couple of years ago, but I stopped taking them after only a couple of weeks due to problems with low blood pressure. The GP couldn't believe it today when he checked my blood pressure and it was lower than before! Now down to 110/60 (and he said that the bottom number needs to be above 60 for efficient blood flow throughout the body or something, i.e. not being dead). So two things will now happen: 1) I get put back on the lowest dose ace inhibitor available, about 1/2 a 2.5mg tablet per day, and I go for another blood test, this one to check my cortisol as it may be affecting my blood pressure and making it go too low.
And the last thing? Yup, even with my good cholesterol (HDL) coming in with excellent numbers, and my ratio of HDL to LDL being great, my LDL is still ever so slightly too high at 2.2 - so he's putting me on a daily statin as well! I am awful at taking pills :( Can never remember them and have lots of trouble swallowing them :( But if it helps prevent me having a heart attack or kidney failure, then it's a good idea to TAKE THE DAMN PILLS ALREADY! (p.s. I'm yelling at myself, not at you, dear reader. Feel free to join in and yell at me to take my pills!)
Today is the last day of my mid-semester holidays and we had torrential rain yesterday and now we have gale force winds. I bought my lunch and drove down to the cliffs overlooking the beach and islands, and got actually very scared when it felt like the wind was going to tip my car into the sea. I reversed back into the hill a bit, and the car stopped rocking about like a aeroplane in turbulence. I ate my custard square looking out over the sea. It was pretty and violent and windy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)