a 5 year old type one...

The Dodge City Globe (22 April 2012) wrote a piece about a boy in Cimarron Kansas who was diagnosed as type 1 at 10 months. The litttle boy is now (as of this writing) using an insulin pump and apparently otherwise a normal little boy. I'm happy to see this...
Cimarron family copes with childhood disease
By Eric Swanson

Dodge City Daily Globe Posted Apr 23, 2012 @ 05:41 PM

======================================================================

Eric Swanson

Dodge City Globe

Eric,

Your article about "Eric's disease" was very nicely written. I wish the poor boy and his family the best of luck. His life may be great now but I fear that won't last. It didn't last for my youngest brother and probably won't for a friend's grandchildren.

You didn't mention two things:

1. There are a lot of diabetics and way too many juvenile onsets (type 1). I am a type 2. My youngest brother was a type one juvenile onset; he had considerable problems getting medical insurance and died young (44 years, 1 month and 8 days.).
2. If "Obama Care" is cancelled by the Black Robed Republicans -er- Supreme Court Justices and the needed items are not replaced by the House and Senate and even the Kansas House and Senate, then children like Eric will be denied medical insurance when they must leave their parent's medical insurance. The excuse will be "pre-existing conditions".

We need "Affordable Health Care" because:
a) People who have faithfully paid their medical insurance premiums should not lose their medical insurance when they need it,
b) People should be sold affordable and good health insurance despite "pre-existing conditions",
c) There should not be lifetime limits on coverage,
d) There should not be small coverage ceilings on health insurance insurance.

Insurance is based on having a pool of customers who cover the costs of other customers. These are the people covering the costs of the above. This was the basic for the “Republican Mandate”that became the “Obama Mandate” and put so many people in a tizzy.

The insured should not see their money used to make top insurance executives millionaires or bribe politicians. Oops, maybe I should have said "contribute to political campaigns"?

I wonder if those opposed to "Obama Care" either have great health insurance or don't think they will get sick. There will be screams of pain and desperate attempts to get medical insurance when their health begins to crap out...

I abhor the phrase "ObamaCare" because it is highly disrespectful to a man of high accomplishment and because it is "cutely"!

There are a great many subjects involved with diabetes that you could write many articles. You can contact Lions Club International Foundation and the American Diabetics Association for suggestions. You could be crucial in establishing diabetics support groups for the various groups in or near Dodge City. There are many of us (diabetics).

useful information...

Myth: If you have type 2 diabetes and your doctor says you need to start using insulin, it means you're failing to take care of your diabetes properly.

Fact: For most people, type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease. When first diagnosed, many people with type 2 diabetes can keep their blood glucose at a healthy level with oral medications.  But over time, the body gradually produces less and less of its own insulin, and eventually oral medications may not be enough to keep blood glucose levels normal.  Using insulin to get blood glucose levels to a healthy level is a good thing, not a bad one. 

 

Source: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-myths/?utm_source=Community&utm_medium=Type2&utm_content=Resources&utm_campaign=CON

test

This was one of the simpler equations we had in first term calculus (as I recall).

 

 

 

 

poor girl or coming "train wreck"...

My wife and I went to the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson yesterday. We were there to work on the Kansaas State Lions health van. Kathie operated one eye sight tester and I was the gate keeper for those entering the van of testing gear. I kept people from going in without first filling in the liability release form and kept one old gent from pushing his way ahead of a kid...

An unhappy and very pregnant girl walked over and I asked her if she had gone through the screening van. She said she had and said "my blood sugar was high". I replied "what was your blood sugar?"

She replied "399".

"It was 399? Do you have gestational [diabetics}?

"Yes but I've been a type 1 since I was 10."

Later, I talked with the Nurse who was taking the blood sugar readings and she said she'd talked with this girl. This young woman was actually 26 (but looks a lot younger) and claimed to be 7 months along. However, we (the nurse and I) agree that she should looked a lot further along than a mere 7 months!

The young woamn said she was on insulin 4 times a day and had taken a shot a hour before the 399 reading. I later talked with this girl and her husband (or boy friend) and they both looked scared! Well, they should look scared! The young woman n eeds some serious medcal care and that means some heavy duty medical insurance. I hope he has a good job with good medical insurance but I fear they are unwed so she can still be on her parent's health plan. Once she is too old (27 years old?), she won't be on her pariental health insurance. She would then have to have a husband with good medical insurance or a good job herself with good medical incurance. She is going to have trouble holding a job when her type 1 diabetics get much worst. (We could ask my late younger brother Charlie about being a juvenile onset type one and the piss poor medical insurance such folks but "late" means he is dead. Charlie died of complications from his dibetics...)

I fear that "Omamacare" will be overturned by the next Republician President and insurance companies will go back to:

• refusing to insure those with pre-existing medical conditions siuch as diabetics or
  
• those who develop serious new medical conditions (i.e. type 2 diabetics)
  
• letting pharm companies charge why too much for meds or to increase costs after a med has been in use for a while or
• unbundling costs and jacking them too high -er- "making them reasonable" (OK, too damn high) and
• insurance companies not covering medically required medical devices. Some of these "medcially required devices include:
  
  • diabetic test stripes
  • catheders
  • eye glasses
  • hearing aids
  • prothestic limbs and
  • a number of other devices...

Politicans who kill off the provisions of "Obamacare" will be responsible for the consequences of the loss of "Afordable Health Care" (i.e. "Obamacare") and that includes responisible for those who died because "their" medical insurance companies screwed them. Of course, the politicans - and this includes the Tea Baggers Tea Party politicans - will deny responsibility for the future deaths and maiming and the medical companies have never taken responsiblity for their evil!

August 2011 scores

     August 2011

=============================================================================================
  1 Mon   123   110   
  2 Tue   ---   ---   
  3 Wed   125   107   
  4 Thu   ---   ---   
  5 Fri   136   127   
  6 Sat   ---   ---   
  7 Sun   ---   ---   
  8 Mon    88   113   
  9 Tue   ---   ---   
 10 Wed   112   141   
 11 Thu   ---   ---   
 12 Fri   ---   ---   
 13 Sat   ---   ---   
 14 Sun   ---   ---   
 15 Mon   123   133   
 16 Tue   ---   ---   
 17 Wed    85    99   
 18 Thu   ---   ---   
 19 Fri   100   107   
 20 Sat   ---   ---   
 21 Sun   ---   ---   
 22 Mon    99   126 I forgot to take my morning pills and am amazed at how low this score was!   
 23 Tue   ---   ---   
 24 Wed   ---   ---   
 25 Thu   ---   ---   
 26 Fri   ---   ---   
 27 Sat   ---   ---   
 28 Sun   ---   ---   
 29 Mon   ---   ---   
 30 Tue   ---   ---   
 31 Wed   ---   ---   

July 2011 (final results)

                                     July 2011
==========================================================
  1 Mon   147   ---  The blood meter stopped working.   
  2 Tue   ---   ---   
  3 Wed   ---   ---  149 I replaced the meter battery and got this 'test score'.   
  4 Thu   147   187   
  5 Fri   ---   ---   
  6 Sat   113   160   
  7 Sun   ---   ---   
  8 Mon   121   123   
  9 Tue   ---   ---   
 10 Wed   ---   ---   
 11 Thu   129   149  With a different meter, 110 at 3:40 pm   
 12 Fri   ---   ---   
 13 Sat   128   168   
 14 Sun   ---   ---   
 15 Mon   ---   ---   
 16 Tue   ---   ---   
 17 Wed   ---   ---   
 18 Thu   131   149   
 19 Fri   ---   ---   
 20 Sat   111   160   
 21 Sun   ---   ---   
 22 Mon   146   140   
 23 Tue   ---   ---   
 24 Wed   ---   ---   
 25 Thu   117   156   
 26 Fri   ---   ---   
 27 Sat   128   118 Pre-dinner test of 113 
 28 Sun   ---   ---   
 29 Mon   121   127   
 30 Tue   ---   ---   
 31 Wed   ---   ---  

At the advise of my diabetes educator, I did multiple tests on the 22nd, 25th and 27th. The test results for the 22nd were:
    am 146
4 pm  324       I seriously question the validity of this reading as it was the old meter with (possibly) old test stripes
   pm  140

Then, multiple tests on the 22nd

  802 am  117
1050 am  158
 203 pm  136
 404 pm  123  
 513 pm   96
 940 pm  156

In an episode of "Babylon 5", one character said "I'm Russian; we always question good news and never question bad news." [or words to that effect]  Thus, I question the 96 but don't question the 158 or 156...


Finally, the extra test on the 27th:

            am 128
pre-dinner 113
            pm 118

July 2011 results

      July 2011
===============================================================================
  1 Mon   147   ---  The blood meter stopped working.   
  2 Tue   ---   ---   
  3 Wed   ---   ---  149 I replaced the meter battery and got this 'test score'.   
  4 Thu   147   187   
  5 Fri   ---   ---   
  6 Sat   113   160   
  7 Sun   ---   ---   
  8 Mon   121   123   
  9 Tue   ---   ---   
 10 Wed   ---   ---   
 11 Thu   129   149  With a different meter, 110 at 3:40 pm   
 12 Fri   ---   ---   
 13 Sat   128   168   
 14 Sun   ---   ---   
 15 Mon   ---   ---   
 16 Tue   ---   ---   
 17 Wed   ---   ---   
 18 Thu   131   149   
 19 Fri   ---   ---   
 20 Sat   111   160   
 21 Sun   ---   ---   
 22 Mon   146   140   
 23 Tue   ---   ---   
 24 Wed   ---   ---   
 25 Thu   117   156   
 26 Fri   ---   ---   
 27 Sat   128   118   
 28 Sun   ---   ---   
 29 Mon   ---   ---   
 30 Tue   ---   ---   
 31 Wed   ---   ---   

20 July 2011

Breakfast: homemade omelet with cheese and coffee

Lunch: at Casey's Cowtown: chicken "fingers", french fries, cottage
cheese and water

Snack: it was hot out so I had about a half cup of chocolate ice creamme

Dinner: one and a half of two hamburgers, potatoe salad and an MGD

July 2011

          July 2011
===============================================================================
  1 Mon   147   ---  The blood meter stopped working.   
  2 Tue   ---   ---   
  3 Wed   ---   ---  149 I replaced the meter battery and got this 'test score'.   
  4 Thu   147   187   
  5 Fri   ---   ---   
  6 Sat   113   160   
  7 Sun   ---   ---   
  8 Mon   121   123   
  9 Tue   ---   ---   
 10 Wed   ---   ---   
 11 Thu   129   149  With a different meter, 110 at 3:40 pm   
 12 Fri   ---   ---   
 13 Sat   128   168  I went back to the first meter to run out the test stripes.
 14 Sun   ---   ---   
 15 Mon   ---   ---   
 16 Tue   ---   ---   
 17 Wed   ---   ---   
 18 Thu   131   149   
 19 Fri   ---   ---   
 20 Sat   111   ---   
 21 Sun   ---   ---   
 22 Mon   ---   ---   
 23 Tue   ---   ---   
 24 Wed   ---   ---   
 25 Thu   ---   ---   
 26 Fri   ---   ---   
 27 Sat   ---   ---   
 28 Sun   ---   ---   
 29 Mon   ---   ---   
 30 Tue   ---   ---   
 31 Wed   ---   ---   

a day's worth of testing

My diabetes educator asked me to take multiple blood samples today. I did and the results were interesting. Number 4 and 5 were shocking...

1.  522 am - 122
2.  943 am - 112
3. 1156 am - 136
4.  229 pm -  251
5.  456 pm - 198
6.  743 pm - 129

Test 1 was after I got out of bed (5 am) dressed and walked my dog. Test 2 was after breakfast. Tests 3 and 4 bracked lunch and tests 5 and 6 bracked dinner. I wonder if test 4 is representative of what my blood score is at that time of the day. I will have to do another multi-test day next week when I have a day off (Friday, Saturday or Sunday).

July 2011 (to date)

             July 2011

=================================================================================
         AM    PM
  1 Mon   147   ---  The blood meter stopped working.   
  2 Tue   ---   ---   
  3 Wed   ---   ---  149 I replaced the meter battery and got this 'test score'.   
  4 Thu   147   187   
  5 Fri   ---   ---   
  6 Sat   113   160   
  7 Sun   ---   ---   
  8 Mon   121   123   
  9 Tue   ---   ---   
 10 Wed   ---   ---   
 11 Thu   129   ---   
 12 Fri   ---   ---   
 13 Sat   ---   ---   
 14 Sun   ---   ---   
 15 Mon   ---   ---   
 16 Tue   ---   ---   
 17 Wed   ---   ---   
 18 Thu   ---   ---   
 19 Fri   ---   ---   
 20 Sat   ---   ---   
 21 Sun   ---   ---   
 22 Mon   ---   ---   
 23 Tue   ---   ---   
 24 Wed   ---   ---   
 25 Thu   ---   ---   
 26 Fri   ---   ---   
 27 Sat   ---   ---   
 28 Sun   ---   ---   
 29 Mon   ---   ---   
 30 Tue   ---   ---   
 
High readings; low readings (both by my standards... :-)  )

July 2011

             July 2011
================================================================================
  1 Mon   147   ---  The blood meter stopped working.  
  2 Tue   ---   ---  
  3 Wed   ---   ---  149 I replaced the meter battery and got this 'test score'.  
  4 Thu   147   187  
  5 Fri   ---   ---  
  6 Sat   113   160  
  7 Sun   ---   ---  
  8 Mon   121   ---  
  9 Tue   ---   ---  
 10 Wed   ---   ---  
 11 Thu   ---   ---  
 12 Fri   ---   ---  
 13 Sat   ---   ---  
 14 Sun   ---   ---  
 15 Mon   ---   ---  
 16 Tue   ---   ---  
 17 Wed   ---   ---  
 18 Thu   ---   ---  
 19 Fri   ---   ---  
 20 Sat   ---   ---  
 21 Sun   ---   ---  
 22 Mon   ---   ---  
 23 Tue   ---   ---  
 24 Wed   ---   ---  
 25 Thu   ---   ---  
 26 Fri   ---   ---  
 27 Sat   ---   ---  
 28 Sun   ---   ---  
 29 Mon   ---   ---  
 30 Tue   ---   ---  
 31 Wed   ---   ---  

June 2011 scores

        June 2011
=====================
01   Wed   128   182   
02   Thu   ---   ---   
03   Fri   130   182   
04   Sat   ---   ---   
05   Sun   ---   ---   
06   Mon   157   127   
07   Tue   ---   ---   
08   Wed   130   177   
09   Thu   ---   ---   
10   Fri   140   ---   
11   Sat   ---   102   
12   Sun   ---   ---   
13   Mon   134   170   
14   Tue   ---   ---   
15   Wed   122   161   
16   Thu   ---   ---   
17   Fri   126   100   
18   Sat   ---   ---   
19   Sun   ---   ---   
20   Mon   134   156   
21   Tue   ---   ---   
22   Wed   117   ---   
23   Thu   ---   ---   
24   Fri   118   111   
25   Sat   ---   ---   
26   Sun   ---   ---   
27   Mon   125   110   
28   Tue   ---   ---   
29   Wed   134   ---^*  
30   Thu   ---   107   
 

Red reports are high by my standards; Blue reports reports are low by my standards.

*I went to a formal Lions Club dinner. Doing my usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday evening blood test (2 hours past forks down) would have been after my bedtime and so I didn't do it. Since I was in a pattern of getting up at 4:15, I was going to bed early (8:15 pm - 8:30 pm).

June 2011 blood sugar results

        June 2011
====================
           AM    PM
01   Wed   128   182   
02   Thu   ---   ---   
03   Fri   130   182   
04   Sat   ---   ---   
05   Sun   ---   ---   
06   Mon   157   127   
07   Tue   ---   ---   
08   Wed   130   177   
09   Thu   ---   ---   
10   Fri   140   ---   
11   Sat   ---   102   
12   Sun   ---   ---   
13   Mon   134   170   
14   Tue   ---   ---   
15   Wed   122   161   
16   Thu   ---   ---   
17   Fri   126   100   
18   Sat   ---   ---   
19   Sun   ---   ---   
20   Mon   134   156   
21   Tue   ---   ---   
22   Wed   117   ---   
23   Thu   ---   ---   
24   Fri   118   111   
25   Sat   ---   ---   
26   Sun   ---   ---   
27   Mon   ---   ---   
28   Tue   ---   ---   
29   Wed   ---   ---   
30   Thu   ---   ---   
31   Fri   ---   ---   

High by my standards; low by my standards. AM means immediately after getting out of bed and PM means a blood test two hours after finishing my evening meal.

June results to date...

June 2011
====================
           AM    PM
01   Wed   128   182   
02   Thu   ---   ---   
03   Fri   130   182   
04   Sat   ---   ---   
05   Sun   ---   ---   
06   Mon   157   127   
07   Tue   ---   ---   
08   Wed   130   177   
09   Thu   ---   ---   
10   Fri   140   ---   
11   Sat   ---   102   
12   Sun   ---   ---   
13   Mon   134   170   
14   Tue   ---   ---   
15   Wed   122   161   
16   Thu   ---   ---   
17   Fri   126   100   
18   Sat   ---   ---   
19   Sun   ---   ---   
20   Mon   ---   ---   
21   Tue   ---   ---   
22   Wed   ---   ---   
23   Thu   ---   ---   
24   Fri   ---   ---   
25   Sat   ---   ---   
26   Sun   ---   ---   
27   Mon   ---   ---   
28   Tue   ---   ---   
29   Wed   ---   ---   
30   Thu   ---   ---   
31   Fri   ---   ---   

Scores that are high for me or low for me.

results for June 2011

           June 2011
====================
           AM    PM
01   Wed   128   182   
02   Thu   ---   ---   
03   Fri   130   182   
04   Sat   ---   ---   
05   Sun   ---   ---   
06   Mon   157   127   
07   Tue   ---   ---   
08   Wed   130   177   
09   Thu   ---   ---   
10   Fri   140   ---   
11   Sat   ---   102   
12   Sun   ---   ---   
13   Mon   134   170  
14   Tue   ---   ---   
15   Wed   ---   ---   
16   Thu   ---   ---   
17   Fri   ---   ---   
18   Sat   ---   ---   
19   Sun   ---   ---   
20   Mon   ---   ---   
21   Tue   ---   ---   
22   Wed   ---   ---   
23   Thu   ---   ---   
24   Fri   ---   ---   
25   Sat   ---   ---   
26   Sun   ---   ---   
27   Mon   ---   ---   
28   Tue   ---   ---   
29   Wed   ---   ---   
30   Thu   ---   ---   
31   Fri   ---   ---   

High for me; low for me.

my meds effective 6 June 2011

Aspirin 81 mg (heart) morning

 

Vitamin C - 1000 mg

 

Vitamin E - 200 IU

 

Beta Carotene 25,000 IU

 

Postassium 99 mg

 

Garlic 4000 mg (2000 mg twice a day)

 

Vitamin B complex

 

     B1 - 50 mg

     B2 - 12.5 mg

     B3 - 50 mg

     B6 -12.5 mg

     Folic Acid - 50 mcg

     B12 - 12.5 mcg

     Biotin - 25 mcg

     Pantogthenic Acid - 50 mg

     Calcium - 118 mg

 

Glucosamine - 3000 mg (1500 mg twice a day)

 

Condroitin - 2400 mg (1200 mg twice a day)

_________________________________________________________________________

Current prescriptions effective 5 May 2011

 

Actos 30mg (diabetes) evening   weight gain/high-low blood sugar

 

HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE 25mg (water pill) morning  increased blood sugar

 

Januvia 100mg (diabetes) evening

 

METFORMIN HCL 1000mg (diabetes) 2/day

 

METOPROLOL TARTRAGE 50mg (heart) 2/day   weight gain

 

OMEPRAZOLE 20mg (stomach) ½ hour before breakfast

 

ProAir HFA (albuterol sulfate) (inhaler)  as needed

 

SIMVASTATIN 20mg (anti-cholesterol) before bed time

 

TAMSULOSIN 0.4 mg (better urination) with evening pills

_________________________________________________________

 

I have given this drug list to Dr. Robert W. Hostetler, M.D.

     620.227.1371

     800.279.0429

fax: 620.227.1208

reconciliation

I spent some time talking about my diabetics with an old friend (an RN) who consoled me with the thought "you're going on injected drugs sooner or later". She told me that modern equipment (syringes) have gotten so good that I'd hardly notice injecting myself. Well, I had started to think so already. She said she hardly feels the material going in.

I grossed her out when I said that when I am checking my blood sugar level,  I often stick the needle in and twist it around. This is to get a bigger hole in my arm and thus, a better blood bead. The problem is that once I take the blood drop into the meter, I have a nice sized hole in my arm that is slow to close up and I end up using a piece of Kleenex or a band aid.

Oh, well, I'll get used to it.

For a long time, I thought that going onto insulin was the last step before losing limbs and dying of heart failure (it was for my Father and youngest Brother, wasn't it?). It was the final step into the abyss and that step into damnation. My MD told me I was being silly and my wife said I was being a drama queen.  Of course, this simplistic attitude ignores:

• my Father smoked 2-3 packs of unfiltered cigarettes a day - Chesterfields - for 35 years (his admission) and may have drank too much. I don't and have never, smoked. I don't drink much because I am alergic to red wine and nearly all distill liquors and don't like most beers. Also, I simply lost interest in getting drunk after New Year's Eve 1999. It was that last hangover on 1 January 2000 that "did me in"...
• my youngest Brother (Charles Andrew Bell) smoked, snorted coke and didn't take care of his self (i.e. ate badly - pizza and Croak-ah Coke Cola -, didn't exercise and didn't properly check his blood sugar (when you see a person's blood sugar check kit in his trunk and you know he didn't put it there after dinner, you know he hasn't been using it lately!)
• many folks take the injected drugs and do just fine (I work with a woman who has been taking a couple of injected drugs daily for years and she is doing fine.)

I will do fine when I eventually go on the needle. It won't be a death sentence; it might be a "life" sentence. Injected drugs are simply another way of getting drugs into a person.

It has only in the past couple of years sunk into me that when comparing type 1 and type 2, I needed to put emphasis on the "diabetic" part of "diabetic type 2". It has always been about being "diabetic" and not if I am being treated with syringe or pill. It was a real shock to learn that type 2s take insulin also.

I'll have to remember to start carrying my list of meds around with me and to show it to  Anna D. (the nurse I talked with) at the next Lions Convention.

May results

May 2011
=====================================
           AM    PM
01   Sun   ---   ---   
02   Mon   154   195   
03   Tue   ---   ---   
04   Wed   133   198   
05   Thu   ---   ---   
06   Fri   135   146   
07   Sat   ---   --- Seven years since diagnosis   
08   Sun   ---   ---   
09   Mon   145   194   
10   Tue   ---   ---   
11   Wed   139   146   
12   Thu   ---   ---   
13   Fri   138   135   
14   Sat   ---   ---   
15   Sun   ---   ---   
16   Mon   124   143   
17   Tue   ---   ---   
18   Wed   137   180   
19   Thu   ---   ---   
20   Fri   122   173   
21   Sat   ---   ---   
22   Sun   ---   ---   
23   Mon   154   163   
24   Tue   ---   ---   
25   Wed   ---   ---   
26   Thu   ---   ---   
27   Fri   137   118   
28   Sat   ---   ---   
29   Sun   ---   ---   
30   Mon   123   143   
31   Tue   ---   ---   

Reports that are way too high.

May 2011 blood sugar Scores

May 2001
===================================
           AM    PM
01   Sun   ---   ---   
02   Mon   154   195   
03   Tue   ---   ---   
04   Wed   133   198   
05   Thu   ---   ---   
06   Fri   135   146   
07   Sat   ---   --- Seven years since my diagnosis.*  
08   Sun   ---   ---   
09   Mon   145   194   
10   Tue   ---   ---   
11   Wed   139   146   
12   Thu   ---   ---   
13   Fri   138   135   
14   Sat   ---   ---   
15   Sun   ---   ---   
16   Mon   124   143   
17   Tue   ---   ---   
18   Wed   137   180   
19   Thu   ---   ---   
20   Fri   122   173   
21   Sat   ---   ---   
22   Sun   ---   ---   
23   Mon   154   163   
24   Tue   ---   ---   
25   Wed   ---   ---   
26   Thu   ---   ---   
27   Fri   137   118   
28   Sat   ---   ---   
29   Sun   ---   ---   
30   Mon   ---   ---   
31   Tue   ---   ---

Denotes an excessively high score even by my somewhat lax standards. 
* I "celebrated" by not celebrating.

Irony

If you love irony (and who does?), then you have to appreciate the selection of my current meds.

In January 2010, I was given an anti-cholesterol pill and a couple of others for the blood pressure. Then, my MD noted my A1C was going up so he added Januvia and Actos. That didn't seem to help much so it is looking like I'll have to escalate to injectables in August. I also have had trouble losing weight and feel it a victory that my weight hasn't inexplicably gone up!

My wife and I looked up the side effects of all my meds the other day. Can you imagine my shock to find that two of the "new" drugs (prescribed by the VA Heart Doc, not my Family MD) include the side effects of:

• increased blood sugar and
• weight gain

So, here I am trying to drop the A1C and lose weight and two of my meds are actively conspiring against me!

I am going to be seeing an MD the end of May so I'll bring in my current list of drugs and see what he recommends. Then, I'll have to get my Family MD to "correct" the current list of prescriptions...

April 2011 blood sugar readings...

         April 2011

         AM   PM
 1  Fri  168  230
 2  Sat  ---  ---
 3  Sun  ---  ---
 4  Mon  167  198
 5  Tue  ---  ---
 6  Wed  185  ---
 7  Thu  ---  ---
 8  Fri  139  143
 9  Sat  ---  ---
10  Sun  ---  ---
11  Mon  119  114
12  Tue  ---  ---
13  Wed  146  ---
14  Thu  ---  180
15  Fri  147  131
16  Sat  ---  ---
17  Sun  ---  ---
18  Mon  158  178
19  Tue  ---  ---
20  Wed  159  187
21  Thu  ---  ---
22  Fri  ---  ---
23  Sat  ---  ---
24  Sun  ---  ---
25  Mon  147  131
26  Tue  ---  ---
27  Wed  131  159
28  Thu  ---  ---
29  Fri  ---  ---
30  Sat  ---  ---
31  Sun  ---  ---

AM denotes blood test immediately after getting out of bed in the morning and PM denotes a blood test two hours "after fork down".

April 2011 blood sugar scores

APRIL 2011

       AM  PM
01 Fri 168 230
02 Sat --- ---
03 Sun --- ---
04 Mon 167 198
05 Tue --- ---
06 Wed 185 ---
07 Thu --- ---
08 Fri 139 143
09 Sat --- ---
10 Sun --- ---
11 Mon 119 114
12 Tue --- ---
13 Wed 146 ---
14 Thu --- 180
15 Fri 147 164
16 Sat --- ---
17 Sun --- ---
18 Mon 158 178
19 Tue --- ---
20 Wed 159 187
21 Thu --- ---
22 Fri --- ---
23 Sat --- ---
24 Sun --- ---
25 Mon 147 131
26 Tue --- ---
27 Wed --- ---
28 Thu --- ---
29 Fri --- ---
30 Sat --- ---

My morning and evening (2 hours after "fork down") scores.

support group

Last Saturday, my wife reminded me that the Diabetic Support Group meeting was Monday of this week; she had heard about this meeting at the Excel Advisory Group meeting. (My wife is a community volunteer who attends monthly Group meetings to help give Excel Corp "the pulse of the community".) Excel has a lot of "Latino" employees and Excel mentioned the diabetic support group meeting. (None of their employees have ever attended.)

I arrived early and took a good seat (the room was empty) and was reading a novel when I realized someone else was in the room. A lady from a nearby town had come in and we talked in general. About 15 minutes after the meeting was to start, we both realized the facilitator wasn't coming and got up and left.

This was the second month in a roll I had been stood up.

I hope the diabetic educator (Veronica) is well and I hope this support group hasn't folded like

• the three I know of at the Dodge City hospital since May 2004 and
• the group at the Mexican American Ministry on north F street and
  
• the Senior Center which was holding monthly meetings and had free A1C screenings each month. They quit both shortly after I joined when I turned 55 and joined.
  

I don't know what all help a support group can give me and have to wonder if this isn't a problem for group "facilitators". I remember a Navy training course that talked about a trainer/teacher picking material suited for the audience. i.e. A division training petty officer should not teach material meant for Seamen or PO3 to the PO2 or PO1 since this would bore the PO2 and PO1 and should not teach highly technical material meant for the PO2 or PO1 since this could be over the heads of the Seamen or PO3. (Note: Seaman, PO3, PO2 and PO1 are US Navy enlisted ranks.)

So, what can a support group teach? Maybe a support group facilitator could discuss what is to come for each member and allow diabetics the chance to "vent" around folks who have the same problems? Discussions of drug reactions and "eating good" always seem to interest members.  I know this lady (mentioned above) is far more familiar with my "issues" than my wife is as my wife is not diabetic...