My Diabetes Makeover

FIRST.

FIRST, YES:

MY A1c is 5.9!!!!!!!!!!

My A1c is 5.9!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me write that again:

5.9!

5.9!

5.9!

I AM A SUGAR NINJA.

I fucking knew it. Those of you who know me or read this blog know that I work my ass off for these numbers (anything between 4.5 and 6 is what a "normal" person would have. Diabetics need to keep it under 7).

I have also never experienced that much Patient Love from any doctor.

We sat down for over an hour going over my whole history: how I learned I was diabetic, how often I saw the doctor, the insulins we'd tried.

Looking at my A1c she said, "Have you ever considered a pump?"

"Well, I said, they're sort of expensive and they keep upgrading them. I was thinking about insulin pens or something though."

She gave me one of those incredulous looks. "You're not using insulin pens?"

"Um. No."

"Oh wow, she said, you need a whole... you need a whole new.. you need a..."

"A diabetes makeover?" I suggested.

"Yes, EXACTLY!"

All of my numbers were good. Blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid was good, A1c was great, all of my reflexes were great, everything was.... great.

So I kept waiting for the bomb, you know, kept waiting for the weight rant.

She gave me some free Novolog and Lantus pens (no more syringes and vials! Yay!) and prescriptions for more, prescription for a glucogen kit, and I got a new free meter, one that can actually download my information into my computer so I no longer have to enter the numbers manually.

"Did your other doctor recommend any diabetes education classes?"

"Um. No."

"So how did you figure out how to get numbers like this? And do carb counting?"

"Um... the internet?"

She was mostly speechless.

And you know, honestly, I can't express just how fucking good it felt for somebody to finally acknowledge all the fucking hard work I've been doing to get these numbers and to do it largely on my own (with massive support, of course, from friends and roommates who are willing to make diabetic-friendly meals and cook in diabetic-friendly ways and put up with my wackjob food preferences and don't pressure me or give me crap for not living on pizza).

Finally, after getting all these new goodies, and all this sugar-love, she's asking if I have any more questions for the second time as we're working over more than an hour of our little chat together, and finally, I blurt out, "I'm just really surprised you haven't said anything about my weight, because that's all my last doctor would talk about when he saw me, about how to lose weight."

She cocked her head, flipped through my file. "Is your weight a problem? All your numbers are great. This is all really impressive."

"I just keep gaining weight. It won't stop, and I'm so strict with what I eat and I exercise regularly..."

"Well, slow weight gain is just for the same reason we all gain weight. Sedentary jobs, immediate availability of high calorie food. But didn't you lose weight when you were sick?"

"Yes, about 60 lbs."

"And you've gained... "

"Um. 30 lbs."

"And you gained most of that the first six months?"

"Well... yes."

"That's completely expected. I know it's frustrating, but expected. Let's see, though... according to this you were 212 in January, and today you're.... 209."

"What?" I said.

"You've actually lost three pounds since January."

No fucking shit?

Wait.... I'm not gaining weight anymore????

Oh holy hell.

So I packed everything up and got a referral for a pre-pump class that they have at the hospital that covers different kinds of pumps and how to use them and gives recommendations. She said I'm an excellent candidate because my numbers are so good, and says insurance should pay most of it, but I'll need to do some research.

Overall:

Sugar Love, man. Sugar Love.

When you're looking for a new endo, ask other doctors. Stephanie works at a clinic, and asked two different doctors who the best endo in Dayton was, and she was it.

Yes, yes she was.