support group

I went to the Dodge City diabetic support group yesterday (9 August 2010)and got there late. First, I was stuck in traffic while a train went back and forth on the tracks a ½ mile away. The traffic ahead of me got off this road (South 2^nd) and I headed for the quick way across the tracks: the little road, next to a Vet Clinic, that leads under the railroad tracks. This is never busy.

Silly me! I had forgotten that 3 pm was shift change time at one of the meat packing plants and there were hundreds of cars or pickups ahead of me. I ended up getting to the 3 pm support group about 3:10 pm and not the 2:50 pm I had planned on... :-[

I apologize for bad mouthing (in other posts) diabetic support groups in Dodge City. It was simply frustration talking.

I had been told the meeting was at a building north of the hospital. I went to the first building I saw and entered. The name did not look right but I looked around till I found a woman I could ask directions from. She sent me to a classroom and I found

The facilitator is a very nice, very concerned and dedicated young woman from Garden City. We discussed my diabetics history and concerns, nutrition and portion control, she did an A1C test and we discussed the results. Apparently, stress can raise one's A1C and that would explain my A1C going from 8.3 to 8.5 (this test). Of course, I've read that A1C testing is not precise and different labs can come up with different results from the same blood sample. One should stick with the same lab and look at the trend rather than just the absolute numbers.

She sent me home with "homework": figure out how much I should be eating portion-wise. That will be so much fun... ;-)

I'm going to get my wife involved with this and from past experience, I know she won't like it. It will probably remind her too much of being in "Overeaters Anonymous" back in late 1979 and early 1980.

NOTE: I am trying to make sure this message does not go to the ADA!