Carb Counting -Part 2-

So i just had a WTF! moment while doing my ‘Insulin to Blood Sugar ratio’ test this morning…

Here are my numbers:

• 143 - 11:00 P.M. - Head to bed last night with a number i was happy with.
• 180 - 3:19 A.M. - Woke up to check
• 173 - 8:07 A.M. - Woke up for good. I started the ‘test’ and gave myself 1 unit of insulin. I was then instructed to test 20 mins after then 2 hours.
• 175 - 8:30 A.M. - So apparently insulin is like chocolate to my body.
• 177 - 8:49 A.M. - Checked again
• 186 - 11:38 A.M. - At this point my stomach is growling and all I’ve had was water today..AND I’M STILL HIGH!!!

So this test was crap this morning because apparently when i high i just hit a plateau and stay there. Is this normal? Am I crazy? I still don’t know my I/BS ratio and i’m starving!!

Taking Carb Counting into my own hands.

I recently had a doctor’s appointment with a new Endo. As we talked about my sugar readings and eating habits Dr. Mazza asked “What’s your carb ratio?”. As i foolishly turned red i replied with a “Well, um…yeah…I just guess most of the time.” She was impressed that i had such an ‘okay’ A1C level and not counting carbs, but still i saw a drop of disappointment. After leaving the office, i proceeded to the ‘Education & Research’ wing of the hospital to see how much a ‘Carb Education’ course was going to cost me. Well lets just saying, seeing the price is when i decided to (dun dun DUN!) take carb counting into my own hands!

I found a pretty cheese site that provided info to how to find my ‘Blood Sugar to Carb ratio’ and ‘Blood Sugar to Insulin ratio’ ( 2 things that a diabetic of 6 years SHOULD already know).

So i am quite excited to know these special numbers to then use to count my carbs and KNOW what my sugar will be with the amount of insulin I’m taking; what a concept, eh?

I have to perform the test with 2 to 4 hours of fasting so i will keep you posted on my results.

I want socialized medicine!!

I recently came across a blog about this new CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) that takes a reading every 5 minutes! No more sticks & no more strips. So i proceeded to call United HealthCare to get the skinny on what they would cover. The first woman i spoke with obviously misunderstood me because she gladly informed my that is CGM system would be covered like a prescription and my copay would be $10/$30/$60. After that news, i went on the Dexcom site and printed out the paperwork i would need my physician to fill out and happily started populating it. UHC also told me to call Medco (the pharmacy that i would be getting the CGM from) to see how much it would cost and what tier the supplies out be on. That’s when the headache began. I called Medco to give them the production numbers and after i went through 2 customer care people, neither of them could pull up the device in their computer system. The last girl i spoke with offered to transfer me back to UHC to confirm that this CGM was going to be a prescription. Needless to say, it was all a big mess and its NOT a prescription, its a durable medical supply that my deductible will have to cover, which means i would have to pay for it.

UGH! Why is it when a person is trying to be and stay healthy and better themselves the act is shot down by a $1000 price tag!!!

In conclusion, I’ve stopped hating UHC for the time being and i will try again at the end of the year when I’m close to meeting my deductible and wont have to pay 100% for it.

Afternoon Crashes

Why is it that everyday, like clock work, I crash at 3 P.M.? My motivation goes, my blood sugar fluctuates, my eyes start to close and i start surfing the web! I’ve been starting to make the afternoon pot of coffee, which holds some value, but not enough like it seems to do in the mornings. So i decided to go on a quest to cure my tiredness and this is what I’ve found.

• Don’t over do lunch and avoid any alcohol - Which is a valid point since I just got back from eating a huge Red Curry delectable dish; and yes it was full of sleepy carbs. I have no comment on the alcohol since it’s against my religion NOT to consume.

After read one blog on my quest to cure tiredness and being completely disappointed at what I have to give up…I decided to accept my afternoon tiredness.