April 28, 2014 Aside

Vegas ups and downs

This weekend went by way too quickly. The first day we got to Vegas was the first OAR show. We planned on seeing them each night they were at the Brooklyn Bowl. I had a few drinks, but nothing insane. In about six hours I drank 2 beers and a vodka soda with a glass of water after the beer and before the vodka. The next morning I felt like I had been hit by a train. My BS was thankfully 84 when I woke up, and that made me happy, but I couldn’t keep anything down all day.

It might have started as a hangover, but by the end of the day I was wondering if I had gotten food poisoning. At breakfast someone said to eat greasy food, that that will kill a hangover. So I ordered greasy, cheesy eggs with hash browns and wheat toast. I had about 3 bites of egg, one look at the hash browns and 2 bites of toast. My head wouldn’t stop spinning. We were all feeling pretty sick and after breakfast went up to the room to lie down again. Within an hour, I puked up my sad attempt at breakfast. A few hours later, I tried eating couple pineapple chunks which probably wasn’t the best thing for me to eat, but for some reason was the only thing I could stomach. An hour later, sure enough I threw up again. Every time I checked my blood it was between 180 and 250. So I knew my insulin pump was good. Still not where I wanted it to be, but at least I wasn’t looking at readings of 450+ or 80 and below. After a nap we tried eating lunch. I picked a safe chicken sandwich and picked at 1/4 of it. This time I lasted about 3 hours before running to the toilet bowl. I took a couple ibuprofen and got dressed for the show because after throwing up I had convinced myself that I felt like a new woman. Everyone else had been cured of their hangovers and drinking beer and wine. Even smelling alcohol made me feel queasy so I drank club soda and picked at fresh veggies. Thank God we had a table the second night, because I couldn’t stand for very long. After about an hour I decided to go back to the room and lie down. Not something I had originally planned on doing, but I’m so glad I did. Of course I threw up immedialty, fell fast asleep and rested for about 10 hours.

Saturday was wonderful. I felt fantastic ad had a ton of energy. We walked up and down the strip, saw some really interesting people, shopped at the Miracle Mile, gambled, learned how to play Craps, and ate (and digested) food. I didn’t drink anything for the rest of the weekend except for a glass of Pino Grigio at dinner. I ordered the most delicious Salmon again I wanted something light and fresh.

The final OAR concert was amazing. I might have missed the second show, but I more than made up for it with their last show. The final Encore was Crazy Game of Poker and I just about died with excitement.

So even though I got horribly sick the second day and lost $100, I had a wonderful weekend, made new friends and got some great pictures.

April 23, 2014 Aside

Vegas Wont Stop Me

The saying usually goes, ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’. But for my much needed girls weekend in Sin City, I will make healthy food choices the whole time and document my meals as best I can. I was worried at first because as much as I want to keep eating quality, fresh foods I know it’s easier said than done. Last time I went I enjoyed the biggest slice of Sicilian pizza I’ve ever seen– without taking any insulin. This time, I’ll stick to lean meats, salad and veggies. Thankfully I’m going with my wonderful college friend who will keep me in check. It might not be a week long exotic vacation, but sometimes a few days away with the people you love is all you really need.

I’ve been going over checklists in my head all week so that I don’t forget anything. To start documenting this trip right, here is what I need to bring just to help manage my diabetes:

-3 infusion sets (in case I accidentally rip one out or it malfunctions)
-3 reservoirs
-1 blue inserter
-1 bottle of Novolog insulin
-2 AAA energizer batteries
-1 syringe (in case my pump decides to stop working)
-my insulin pump belt clip
-my insulin pump leg pouch
-my one touch blood glucose monitor
-2 tubes of test strips
-my finger pricker
-extra lancets
-glucose tablets
-if I had sensors, 2 sensors and my CGM, (but I’m still waiting to receive the sensors and can’t use my CGM without them so I wont bother bringing it because I’ll probably lose it).

Wow, that’s a lot. I didn’t even realize how much stuff goes into regular day-to-day diabetes management. I’ve never thought about it before and when it’s all laid out like that it looks like I’m opening a clinic! Hopefully I have room for the 6 pairs of shoes I’m planning on bringing. I might be a diabetic, but first and foremost I’m a fashionista!

April 19, 2014 Aside

Just Keep Swimming

This week has been really difficult for me. Not only am I constantly thinking about and worrying about my blood sugar, what I’m eating, how much insulin I need, or whether or not I have time to exercise, I’ve also been stressed to the max with my job. And to top it all off, even though I called Dexcom to order more sensors almost a month ago, I finished my last sensor this week and am still waiting for new ones to be delivered. It really feels like everything is going wrong, or that I’m doing everything wrong, and I’m trying really hard not to get discouraged. Running helps, but with work as crazy as it has been, I’m finding it harder to make time for that.

What I really want, and what I truly think I need, is a vacation. A whole week off where I don’t need to think about work, or grocery shopping or cleaning my apartment or counting carbs or remembering to give myself insulin and I can just relax. Preferably on a beach. I’m so lucky to have Sean, because I’d feel twice as overwhelmed if he wasn’t always there to calm me down.

I need to try to stay positive. While that’s easier said than done, I realized today that I can only do my best. I’m not perfect, and even though I might mess up, I know 100% that I’m doing better than I was a year ago. I know that my husband, my parents, my doctors and my friends are proud of my progress and that they’re all behind me while I figure out how to manage everything. I’m not going to see results overnight. Diabetes control doesn’t work like that. I have to make smart and healthy choices to stay ahead and continue to improve.

In the meantime, I’m going to stare at this picture I took from the last time I was in Cancun, almost 5 years ago. I will keep staring at it and imagine I’m still there.

April 16, 2014 Aside

Finally… A day off

I was afraid that not posting my food choices online with pictures and carb values would make it easy to fall back into my terrible eating habits. However, since I’ve started eating better, I’ve been feeling so much better. And of course, exercise has been keeping my sugars pretty level. I didn’t really make anything new or exciting after my week of delicious, fresh diabetes friendly meals. The first night was a mish-mosh of leftovers and I quickly discovered that eggplant doesn’t keep very long. That was pretty dissapointing because it was so yummy the first time I made it. I want to keep trying new recipes though and I’ll definitely post my experiences with them!

Yesterday I spent the morning hiking to a local waterfall near my cousins house in Thousand Oaks, California. It’s was a wonderful way to get outside and spend the day with my family. We climbed some natural stairs, jumped over rocks, got yanked around by her puppies, sprinted through the trails and posed for pictures in front of the waterfall. I had so much fun and got an awesome workout. After we got back to my cousins house, we all changed into our bathing suits and jumped in the ice cold pool. It felt amazing. After our excursion, my sugars were pretty steady. I made sure to keep an eye on my sensor while we were walking and I had a half a peanut butter sandwich (one slice of potato bread-20 carbs, tablespoon of penut butter-7 carbs and no jelly) for once we got to the waterfalls. I also hiked with water and a new tube of glucose tablets.

About an hour after we got back though I saw that my BS was falling below 100. So I grabbed a small Hawaiian roll and melted some cheddar cheese on it and hoped that snack would be just what I needed to bring up my blood sugar. It did go up, but then it wouldn’t stop going up. My sugar ended up rising to about 250 and then hovered around 270 until dinner.

I also tried something I havent done since I started taking back control of my diabetes. I drank a beer. After a long, hot day hiking in the sun I decided to drink a Bud Light Lime with my dinner. I wasn’t sure how it would affect my bloodsugars and I was already around 270 before I ate, but I made sure to calculate my carbs (I ate teriaki steak and brocolli for dinner- no carbs) and I paid close attention to how I felt and what my BS was after my dinner. I’m pleased to say that my sugar stayed about the same all night even with the beer, and when I woke up this morning it was 142. I’m not going to start drinking beer every night for dinner and last night I only had one bottle, but at least I know that if I’m careful, eat pretty low carb for my meal, and make sure to count all the carbs I’m consuming, I should be ok for an occasional bottle every now and again.

April 12, 2014

Steady Saturday

My weekend came and went too quickly. I did not like waking up to get ready for work while the rest of the world starts their weekend plans. My sugar was steady all night though and I love that! I had a little extra time before running out the door and was able to not only read a book (currently halfway through Wuthering Heights), but I was able to make a delicious, warm breakfast.

Morning BS reading: 137

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with Spinach, onion and cheese

-2 eggs: 0 carbs

-Sauteed spinach and onion: o carbs

-1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese: 0 carbs

-1 cup of coffee: 10 carbs

Post meal BS reading: 107

I get into work after being off for 2 days and the golf shop is a disaster. No surprise there. At least this mean’s I’ll be really busy for the whole day and that will hopefully make it fly by really fast. I’ve been feeing really good these past few days, and I think that a big reason why my sugars have been so steady instead of up and down like they were last week is because I’ve been exercising more. Granted I only worked out yesterday and Thursday, but until then my ‘workouts’ consisted of me walking up the hill to my job from the parking lot or moving boxes around in the backroom. I love to run and go for bike rides and walk with Sean at the end of the day, so I’m definitely going to make exercise a priority. If it means my sugars will hang around 150, why wouldn’t I?

Mid day BS reading: 92 (As soon as I started work I was on my feet re-folding, re-organizing, helping members, opening boxes, cleaning out drawers)

Lunch: Cobb salad with 2 small vegetable quesadillas

-cobb salad with light dressing: 10 carbs

-2 small quesadillas with grilled vegetables (I have no idea what kind of tortillas they used, I’m assuming flour): 25 carbs

Post Meal BS reading: 319…I clearly underestimated.

It’s frustrating, but I just gotta give myself a correction and keep going on my day. The rest of my day flew by pretty quickly. Couldn’t wait to get home and relax again.

Dinner BS reading: 247

Dinner: Salsa chicken with nopales over salad

-1 large chicken breast cut in half (it was still a lot though and I only ate about 2/3 of it): 0 carbs

-1 cup salsa: 0 cabs

-1 cup nopales: 0 carbs

-salad with lite vinaigrette: 0 carbs

Post meal BS reading 232

Welp, cant believe the week is already over. I don’t know mow much longer I’d be able to continue tracking my food to this degree, but I think a week is pretty good. It has been an awesome exercise in showing me what works and what doesn’t. I love experimenting with food and trying different things so I’m excited to keep testing out new recipes. All of this wonderful, fresh food is making me feel so healthy. I’m a big time planner, so figuring out what I’m going to eat for the week is my idea of fun. Now I’m going to spend the rest of the night googling different ways to cook eggplant 🙂

April 11, 2014 Aside

Foody Friday

I was afraid that the steak would have raised my blood sugar overnight, but it didn’t!! Today was my Sunday. I have to work tomorrow and actual Sunday so I decided to relax and sleep in a little. I met up with a friend to go running and had a pretty stress free day. I wanted to try something new for breakfast. So I checked out a few foodie blogs and websites and found an awesome recipe I couldn’t wait to try.

Morning BS reading: 116

Breakfast: Apple Cheddar Popovers (I added a tablespoon of apple butter on top before I ate it)

-1 apple cheddar popover made with apple chunks, cheddar cheese, flour, egg and butter: 15 carbs

-1 tablespoon of apple butter: 10 carbs

-1 cup of coffee: 10 carbs

Post Meal BS reading: 277

I gave myself a correction bolus when I saw that my sugar was up to 277 and it started going down, then I remembered that I was meeting my friend for a run in 40 min! So I checked my sensor, saw it was at 164, suspended my pump and drank a 1/2 cup of juice. As I started running I saw that my sugar was 154 and going down. So I ate a few glucose tablets. Then it went down to 143 and I ate a few more. Then it was at 139 so I ate every single glucose tablet in my tube (all of them). It stayed at 130-140 for pretty much the whole workout, but I kept an eye onmy sensor and would have stopped if it went any lower than that. By the time I got home, my BS was 187. By the time I was ready to eat lunch I saw that it had gone down a teesny bit.

Mid day BS reading: 179

Lunch: Tuna Salad on toast with cheese and avocado

-1 slice of wheat toast: 12 carbs

-2 small scoop of tuna salad (I mixed a tbsp. on mayo and a whole avocado with the tuna): 0 carbs

-1 slice cheese (I used mozz.): 0 carbs

-1/2 sliced avocado: 0 carbs

Post meal BS reading: 254- I gave myself a correction here

The rest of the afternoon was pretty chill for me. I ran a few errands and got things ready for dinner. I talked to one of my oldest friends Sarah. She’s starting grad school in the fall and I couldn’t be prouder of her. She is so smart and such a hard worker. NYU better watch out! I also reconnected with another old friend, Dakin, whom I haven’t seen in 4 years. He has big things in store as well.

Dinner BS reading: 285

Dinner: Sauteed spinach, seasoned catfish and white rice.

-1/2 cup spinach: 0 carbs

-catfish seasoned with Italian dressing: 0 carbs

-1/2 cup white rice: 16 carbs

I don’t want my weekend to end. I know that I’m probably going to work really late tomorrow and Sunday. For now I’m just going to relax and watch The Jerk.

April 10, 2014 Aside

Takin it easy Thursday

This morning I woke up to a sensor fail- so annoying. I hate changing my sensor and my insulin pump. It doesn’t even take that long bit it’s such a pain! Once I checked my blood though, my sugar was really good! I guess it was the healthy dinner I had last night. I love these kinds of mornings 🙂

Morning BS reading: 134!!!

Breakfast: Avocado Egg in a hole (I scrambeled the egg before I filled the avocado halves because the last time I tried this recipe the yoke slipped down the side of the avocado and spilled everywhere)

-1 whole avocado halved and pitted: 0 carbs

-1 scrambled egg (didn’t even use the whole egg, I had about 1/3 left in my bowl after I finished scooping egg into the avocado): 0 carbs

Post Meal BS reading: 291 (not sure why I went up so high- I literally ate no carbs)

I decided to visit my grandfather today. He loves Subway sandwiches so I picked up a couple for us on my way to see him. His favorite is the Spicy Italian sub with double meat and light vegetables. I went for my usual, the Turkey Breast and Black Forest Ham sub. I alternate between that one and the veggie patty sub. The Turkey Breast and Black Forest Ham sub has 280 calories and 46 grams of carbs. But since my sugar went so high after breakfast, I decided to only eat half the bread.

Mid-day BS reading: 222

Lunch: 6 in Turkey Breast and Black Forest Ham Subway Sandwich

-1 six inch subway sandwich with only half the bread: 23 carbs

Sure doesn’t look like the commercials huh?

Post meal BS reading: 229

I haven’t really been running as often as I’d like, so I met a friend at the Santa Monica College Track and alternated between running laps and climbing stairs. It’s good to workout with a friend because it doesn’t even feel like working out. Before I left my BS was 212. After an hour of exercise (I shut off my pump about 1/3 into the workout) my BS was 112. I felt great and excited to eat dinner.

Dinner BS reading: 160

Dinner: Grilled tri-tip with stuffed mushrooms over lettuce

-3 oz tri tip marinated in Italian dressing and grilled 5 minutes on each side: o carbs

-4 stuffed mushrooms (I ate another one after I took the picture): 10 carbs

-full plate salad: 0 carbs

Post meal BS reading: 197

Such a wonderful and positive day today. I tried a new delicious breakfast, visited with my grandfather, met with both Meg and Dr. Peters and had a fun workout. Dr. Peters says I’m doing better (she even said I could write that in my blog)!! She adjusted my pump settings slightly and is happy with my progress. I couldn’t get an a1c test this time, but maybe I can do one next time. I also learned today that I need to count 10 grams of carbs for every cup of coffee I have in the morning. That might be why my sugar goes up so high even if I don’t eat any carbs for breakfast. Looking forward to tomorrow. Haven’t decided what I’m doing for breakfast, but I’m definitely going running again 🙂

April 9, 2014 Aside

Way too early Wednesday

Last night was a tough one. My BS was over 400 all night. In my sleepy haze I didn’t even think to change my insulin pump site until an hour before I was supposed to wake up (4am). I changed it gave myself a correction and woke up to my BS steady at 244. Because of my early schedule I grabbed a couple quick (healthy) food options before running out the door. Early mornings suck, but at least I can go home at 3:30 and I have the next 2 days off.

As soon as I got to work, a wonderful member came in with a giant box of bagels. They were warm, smelled amazing and looked delicious. I didn’t eat any, but I could smell them all morning and if I hadn’t been so busy probably wouldn’t have been able to resist.

Morning BS reading: 437, then 244 when I woke up

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs and half a medium sized banana

-2 hard boiled eggs- they were made last night so Sean and I could both grab something quick and easy before work: 0 carbs

-1/2 a medium sized banana: 12 carbs

Post meal BS reading: 285 and steady

I felt great all morning. I got so much done at work and I honestly had a ton of energy. It was fantastic. I almost didn’t care that I had to come in so early. Today’s lunch at work was difficult to work around. The options were pasta, potatoes, egg rolls, pork, black beans, rice and mushy vegetables. I tried to grab the healthiest options.

Mid-day BS reading: 238

Lunch: pork slices over lettuce and 1/2 cup of black beans

-I put 3 slices of pork on my plate, but it was really really dry so I only ate about 1 and a half: 0 carbs

-The lettuce was good, it had a light vinaigrette dressing that I liked: 0 carbs

-1/2 cup black beans: 20 carbs- I made sure not to overdo it because I love me some black beans!

Post meal BS reading: 264

I was really excited for dinner tonight. I wanted something light and super healthy especially since my blood sugars have been running pretty high the past couple days. I messed up though. I ate 2 enormous pineapple spears that were chillin in my fridge and didn’t even think about checking my sensor or even bolusing and didn’t realize I hadn’t bolused until I saw my sensor before dinner.

Dinner BS reading: 334

Dinner: Grilled Eggplant over salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing

-plate of salad: 0 carbs

-2 slices of grilled eggplant: 0 carbs

-2 slices of gooey, melted provolone cheese: 0 carbs

-a filling, delicious meal: priceless

post meal BS reading

April 8, 2014 Aside

Terrible Tuesday

Before I went to sleep last night my sugar was still steady at 140. I was nervous it would go too low in the middle of the night as that tends to happen, so I poured my self a small small glass of Tropicana Cherry Limeade. I’m talking 2 small gulps. When I woke up my blood sugar was 358 and by the time I got to work it was 450. I did not fell well and the last thing I wanted to do was go to work, but Iknew that all I needed was a correction bolus and I’d feel better.

I had to be at work by 7, so I didn’t have time to make breakfast. For that reason I have a couple quick options in my fridge. The good thing about starting early is that I get to leave early too.

Morning BS reading: 358/450 (I waited a little bit to eat after giving myself a correction bolus)

Breakfast: half a grapefruit with 1 Kefir breakfast drink (the one breakfast drink that got the ok from my dietician)

-1/2 pink grapefruit: 9 carbs

-1 Lifeway Bio Kefir breakfast drink: 10 carbs

Post Meal BS reading: 321

All morning I felt nauseous, thirsty and so so sleepy. I got right to work though and kept checking my sensor to make sure my blood sugar was going down. We get a hot meal for lunch today at work so I had that to look forward to.

Mid day BS reading: 254

Lunch: chicken with grilled vegetables and one small dinner roll

-small chicken leg: 0 carbs

-half a plate of grilled vegetables: 0 carbs

-1 small dinner roll: 30 carbs

Post meal BS reading: HI…I shouldn’t have had the roll… 😦

I gave myself a correction and ate some cheese so it wouldn’t go too low, but it stayed high from 2 through the rest of the day. I also had a really stressful day at work. I have about 20 boxes of inventory to check in for my golf shop all by myself, got into an argument with a coworker about finishing their job 100% and I still had to work the shop when members came into my shop, answer phones and run sales. Needless to say, my heart was pounding in my chest by the time that I got home. My BS felt so high that I could see my stomach moving with every beat. I wanted to crawl into bed and just fall asleep. I wanted to drink a gallon of diet coke. I just wanted to feel better. So my wonderful husband Sean and I decided to eat out. I checked my blood since it was too high to see the actual number on my sensor (435), gave myself a correction and together we walked to a great Mediterranian place near our apt. I made sure to eat light. The pita bread looked amazing, but I didn’t touch it. After looking up the carb count on grape leaves, I figured that would be a safe appetizer for me. I went light with my main course as well. Usually I go for a falafel pita or the shawarma combo, but this time I ordered the mahi fish kebab with salad on the side. Sean got my rice. **Unfortunately I don’t have any recipes for this meal

Dinner BS reading: 435

Dinner: 3 grape leaves with mahi kebabs, roasted vegetables and salad

-2 grape leaves: 12 carbs each

-Mahi kebab: 0 carbs

-salad with oil and vinegar dressing: 0 carbs

-I had a teeny bite of Sean’s rice…

Post meal BS reading: 316 and trending down- this time I’m not drinking any juice!

April 7, 2014

Mouthwatering Monday

When I woke up his morning, I felt like my sugar was 500. My mouth was dry, I had a stomach ache and a pounding headache (no I didn’t go bar hopping last night- the only thing I drank was diet black cherry Hansen’s soda). I was afraid to look at my sensor, afraid to post that my sugar was high because to be honest I had no idea why it felt so high. So imagine my surprise when I peeked at it and it read 241. Maybe I was tricking myself into thinking I’m sick so I could call out of work. Not a chance!

My breakfast inspiration this morning came from my dad. He never eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He eats peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I didn’t want to eat too much bread so I decided an open face sandwich would be a good, healthy option.

Morning BS reading: 241

Breakfast: Wheat toast with peanut butter and sliced banana

-One slice of wheat toast, I got mine at Trader Joes and it’s made with Sprouts so it takes a little getting used to: 15 carbs (amount varies depending on what kind of bread used)

-1 tablespoon peanut butter: 7 carbs

-1/2 sliced medium sized banana (gave the other half to hubby): 12 carbs

Post meal reading: 253

Lunches are really tough at work on Mondays. It’s a slower day with generally fewer employees working so they don’t offer a hot meal. Instead we get a make your own sandwich bar (sometimes if I’m lucky a fresh cobb salad). Today I wasn’t so lucky. I didn’t want to eat more bread so soon after eating toast this morning.

Mid-day BS reading: 207

Lunch: Lettuce, tuna salad and cheddar cheese

-Full plate of lettuce with light dressing: 10 carbs

-Scoop of tuna salad: 0 carbs

-2 slices of cheddar cheese: 0 carbs

It’s not very exciting, but I feel better skipping the bread. If my BS dips too low I’ll eat an orange or an apple (also available in the lunch room)

Post meal BS reading: 229 and trending up

–A few hours later (after running around at work, lifting boxes, helping members and organizing my golf shop) my sugar started dropping. It was 167 and trending down fast. I ate a small piece of chocolate (love when I need to eat chocolate).

Busy days at work usually means leftovers or takeout for dinner. Unfortunately I don’t have an unlimited bank account and can’t afford a cook who will have all my meals ready for me. What I can do though is fill my crock pot and set it before I run out the door. Then I return 9 hours later with a warm meal and an apartment that smells amazing! I decided to do this today, because I knew I would have a long day at work and the last thing I want to do is cook when I come home exhausted. I haven’t tried this recipe yet, so it will be a surprise.

Dinner BS reading: 98

Dinner: Ground Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers— I changed the recipe slightly. I skipped the rice and added half a diced green bell pepper to the diced onion, I also added 1/4 cup shredded cheese

-4 bell peppers, topless and seedless. Place in cooking sprayed crock pot

-1.25 lbs ground turkey (I used more since I skipped the rice) browned and drained

-1 diced onion and half a diced green pepper sautéed. Mix with ground turkey

-1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce added to meat mixture

-dash of oregano, basil, thyme, salt and pepper added to meat mixture

-8 oz tomato sauce added to meat mixture

-1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

-fill empty bell peppers with meat, onion, pepper, cheese, sauce and spice mixture

-pour 14 oz tomato sauce over and around all bell peppers

-cook on low 6-8 hours

***I calculate about 10 carbs for each pepper. The recipe says one stuffed pepper has 40.1 carbs but that’s including rice which I eliminated from my version. The turkey has no carbs so I’m just looking at vegetables. One serving of vegetables has about 5 grams of carbs, but I’m eating a whole bell pepper with even more vegetables and tomato sauce mixed in.

Post meal BS: 119

Overall it’s been a good day. I was really busy at work, and moving, unpacking and organizing boxes took a toll on my blood sugar. I’m hoping it doesn’t go too low tonight. Thankfully I have my CGM that will alert me if it does!

Diabetes Doesn't Own me!

My Journey from 11.3 to 7

Month: April 2014