...One Year Later...

OK, fess up. Who's been standing on the fast-forward button??
Don't you (whomever you are) realize that throwing someone into a time warp is seriously Not Cool? These are precious moments! They shouldn't whirl by in a blur!

Anyway, now that time has approached a somewhat more "normal" speed for me, I wanted to take this opportunity (on the 1-year anniversary of my blogging absence) to: 1) let the few folks who used to read this blog know that I am indeed alive and well, 2) thank the few of those few folks who actually wrote to inquire about my well-being (which I (being a total A), never responded to (please accept my sincere apologies, please?)), and 3) give a grossly broad-stroked summary of my year.

OK, now that #1 and #2 are out of the way... on to #3!

At about this time last year...

• Last we had left off, I had just had a nice appointment with a much friendlier podiatrist. I had molds made for my feet, and a few weeks later custom-made inserts were ready for me (which I then put-off for several more weeks picking up). Miraculously, much of the foot pain I had been experiencing before has gone away. The previous Pod-guy I saw basically just wrote the pain off as "oh well, you're diabetic, you'll have these things." Apparently not. It's kind of amazing, actually, that I haven't even really noticed the lack of pain. Funny how that works, isn't it. Pain is just so much more... salient. I guess that's how it's supposed to be. But it's all too easy to take a lack of pain for granted. So I say: Rejoice! Be thankful! Don't take your health (or my health) for granted! Yeah!

• My previous post also detailed a little ugly scene I had had with my mother-in-law over a banana cake she had thoughtfully made for a struggling new family, which I rather dramatically tossed in the garbage in front of her. I'm not very proud of this, and within a small group of my family and friends this is sometimes referred to as "the banana cake incident." I am thankful that there was no real long-term damage done to our relationship. Also in that post, I made a pact with myself to not eat any ice cream, cake, pie, candy, or cookies through the holiday season. I am pleased to report that one-year later, I have not eaten any ice cream, cake, pie, candy, or cookies. I don't want to come off as bragging, but I guess I am a little, since I feel a sense of pride about this. This is not to say I've been perfect, but I'm a bit embarrassed

  My Weaknesses

  
  
  I drink about 100 fl. oz. per day of this stuff to "help" keep my sweet tooth at bay.
  
  
  
  
  
  I carry a few of these in my backpack at all times, and while I do try to limit these to treating low blood sugars, I must admit that I do eat them occasionally eat one (or two) of them when I have a serious hankering for something sweet.
  
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  to go into details.

• In the past year, I've only had 2 A1c's done. I think both of them came back at 7.2. After a year of complete obsession to get a reading below 7.0 (and privately striving for 6.5), I've basically just put that goal on the back-burner, and haven't been too worried about it. I'm doing the best I can. Period.

• I had an ophthalmologist's appointment back in July, and things seem pretty stable as far as the retinopathy goes. Some new microanuerisms here, some microaneurisms that have disappeared, but most importantly: no new vascular growths. Good news. I'm due for another check-up in January.

• I got new glasses.

  Like a New Nose

  Shopping for glasses is kinda like shopping for a new nose. The previous pair I had for ten years. The only thing I've worn on a daily basis for the past ten years in my insulin pump (and even that I probably skipped a week or so during the two times it broke and the one day at the beach).
  
  I'm not sure I like my new pair. I've only had them for a month or two, and they've certainly grown on me a little, but I don't know. I think I'm gonna shop for another pair next year. Or I'll just start being more feisty in my wrestling with the kids and expect one of them to break them sooner or later.
  
  
  
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• Along with this more laissez-faire attitude toward my diabetes, I am a little embarrassed to admit that I have basically stopped using the Excel logbook that I created (and have shared with 100+ folks who have written and asked for copies). I still get one or two requests for it a month, and I'm often woefully late in my replies, but still happy to share this little file and offer words of encouragement to anyone looking to better-track their blood sugars.

• Part of this new, non-logging, diabetic-lifestyle includes being a semi-happy Dexcom users. As many of you have experienced first-hand, and many others have read about, a CGM device is a nice tool to have at your disposal, but certainly no silver bullet. I've been able to cut back from 10 to 12+ finger tests per day to closer to 4 to 6 per day, which is nice. I also must (somewhat sheepishly) admit, that I had no real problems getting insurance coverage for the Dex. I first did a 2 week trial with Gary Scheiner, and then was ready to go for it even without the coverage. But with just a few phone calls with an awesome Dex rep, my paper work went through, and a week or so later my Dex system showed up on my doorstep. Honestly, the only hassle I had was trying to re-order sensors because the Dexcom order went through a separate account ID (with a misspelling in my name), which took weeks and several phone calls to figure out.

• And, (oh yeah!) last (but not least), there's the kiddos (the #1 reason I haven't been blogging this year). I don't know what to say, really. They're the best little things in the world to me. They've changed from ridiculously fragile, dependent little creatures into toddlers with personalities who run around the house tearing books off shelves, giggling and babbling like lunatics,

  No Joke

  
  
  
  
  
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  and generally appearing to have a grand old time. That's not to say there haven't been difficult moments with them, but they're either few and far between, or the good, nay, the great moments far, far outweigh the hard ones.
  
  E

  Little Dreamer

  
  
  
  Why are there so many, songs about rainbows...?
  
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  is a sensitive little fella and started crawling around 8 months. L

  Don't Let My Looks Fool Ya

  
  
  
  I'll run right over you!
  
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  is a little bull-dozer and started crawling a month later, but was up and walking by 11 months. E followed in her footsteps and started walking just after turning 1. Aside from the "da-da" (and occasional "ma-ma"), which I don't think they really associated consistently with either of us, I think their first words were "Na-na", which is short for "banana" and basically has meant any food-like substance. They also say words like "dyo-dyo" for "doggy", E says "Ka-ka" for (well) "ka-ka" and (oddly enough) rooster (as in: "Ka-ka-doodle-do!"), and L says "Bay-Bee!" with such crispness and repetitiveness, it would drive you insane if it wasn't so cute.
  
  Just ridiculous.

Anyway, there you have it. I'm alive, Megan and the kiddos are doing great (oh yeah, and Jorge is dealing quite well with the seriously fall in household rank). I can't make any promises, but I am hopeful that I'll find time to return to this new-fangled "blogging" thing-a-ma-jig sometime in '09.

I hope you all have a safe wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy new year, too.