Month: March 2011

BG Testing 98, 83, 72 ... I hate it!

Let me open with this: I HATE TESTING MY BLOOD GLUCOSE (BG)!

I've had diabetes (I'm Type 1.5/LADA) for several years now.  I'm okay with taking insulin injections several times a day.  I wouldn't mind not doing it but of all the diabetes related things I deal with, taking a shot is the least annoying.  I pull out my insulin pen, attach a needle, dial in a number and squeeze.  Painless.  Most of the time.

I also don't mind carbohydrate counting.  Before diabetes I used to read the food labels to find out what the ingredients were.  Now I read the label looking for the "Carbohydrate" count.  Reading labels has actually led to family being more conscious about what we eat and how our food was prepared.  We eat more organic than we used to and we definitely minimize the junk.  We’re all eating better now because we ALL started reading labels.

I don't even mind the "lows".  I'm not talking depression, though that can happen when dealing with a chronic lifelong illness.  I'm talking hypoglycemia – low blood glucose (BG) levels caused by too much insulin, too much exercise or ... whatever.  The "lows" can be scary.  When I was first diagnosed I would get the shakes when my BG would drop below 90.  I got used to it and eventually my body became tolerant of much lower BGs.  Now I don't notice anything until my BG is in the 30s.  But I can live with that.

But testing?  NO! I hate it.  I hate taking that stupid test strip, putting it into a glucose meter, taking that stupid lancet, placing it into a lancing device, poking a hole in my finger, squeezing out a drop of blood and putting it into the test strip, then waiting.  I hate it! I hate when the meter then shows me "ERR" because I put the blood in too soon or I didn't put enough.  Aargh!!!

I don't want to test anymore.  I'm sick of it.  My endocrinologist says I won't get a CGMS even if he recommends one because my BG is too well-managed. I don't have enough out of control high or low BG readings.  So I've decided to test less often.  Why?  Did I mention "I HATE IT”?  Of course this most likely means that my postprandial BG is now crap.  Which means my A1C is most likely crap.  All because no one can come up with a simpler method than prick, squeeze, test, and repeat.

Let me close with this:

I HATE TESTING MY BLOOD GLUCOSE (BG) AND I AINT DOING IT NO MORE!

March 29, 2011 : Going for it ...

Today, I applied for a job above two levels about my current position. It's a newly created position within the company that is inline with my current interests but using skills outside my normal scope. Throughout my career I've always been the bits and bytes guy. I've also developed my business skills and seized any opportunity where ever I could to show that I could talk to the business side as well. I hope I get the chance to interview and I was a little nervous about applying. All the lizard brain thoughts went through my mind. "You're not qualified", "You're going to make a fool of yourself in the interview". etc. But I'm glad I put myself out there.