Sugar-Free

This is going to be a short post. Short and sweet (pun intended). Am I a horrible person for refusing to eat items that are "sugar-free"? The only thing I consume on a regular basis, that is classified as "sugar-free" is my diet drinks.

Even as a child, I never enjoyed "diabetic foods". I thought they tasted funny. As I grew up, I continued to get lots of "sugar-free" this and that. It wasn't until I learned about carb counting that I realized "sugar-free" doesn't mean I can have it and not worry.

In many ways this was liberating for me. To me, it was a chance to no longer feel guilty when eating "real" sugar foods. And to not feel bad when saying, "I'd rather not eat 'diabetic' foods." I loved that. I still do.

I also wonder why they bother selling "sugar-free" foods at all. The only reason I can figure out is the fact that it sells! For so long the world was taught that diabetics were not to have any processed sugars. And it took hold. Now comes the complex task of un-doing this mindset.

Am I a "bad" diabetic for this? Should I mindlessly eat the "sugar-free" products that taste awful and cause horrible digestive issues? What is your opinion on "sugar-free"?

The inspiration for this post: the many childhood Easter baskets I received packed full of "sugar-free" candy.

(Apparently the make "sugar-free" peeps. I can't stand regular peeps. They make me nauseous. I wonder, though, what the "sugar-free" peeps taste like...)

I hope you have all had a wonderful, blessed Easter. Rejoice! He is Risen!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

I love St. Patrick's Day. I don't know why, I just always have. It makes me smile. My friends make fun of me and tell me that it's because I'm really a leprechaun because I'm so short. I just laugh. Maybe it's true.

Due to being adopted, I don't know a lot about my family heritage. I know my mother's mother was of German decent and I believe my mother's father was of English, Irish, or Welsh decent, but I'm not sure. And I know nothing about my father's side.

So, I like to think that I really do have some Irish blood in me and that's why I like St. Patrick's Day so much. :)

I hope you have all had a wonderful day. I had a pretty decent day. I met with my Certified Diabetes Educator. It was nice. We didn't do anything major as far as changes go, but I talked with her about the ace inhibitors, my exercise and how to handle my blood sugars during this time, and about how my sensor has been working.

I really like my CDE, which is nice. We get along well and she's easy to talk to. Right now it was just more or less a way to get a second opinion and a second set of eyes on my blood sugars to see where we might fine tune. I'd really like to get my A1c lower and this may help.

Feeling Blue

For the past week or so I have been feeling a little bit blue. Since my doctor's appointment, I have really been feeling overwhelmed, unstimulated, and just kind of down in the dumps. I have been in the long process of getting myself out of this funk.

I've keep on thinking to myself, "I really need to blog. I need the support." But sadly, I haven't been able to make that move.

Last night I had a mini breakdown. I felt horrible, my blood sugar was low, I was stressed, and all I wanted to do was cry. Instead, I went to bed at around 8:30 (no worries about the blood sugar, I was doing well before I went to bed). I slept all night long and woke up this morning feeling much better.

Today I have been making an effort to be a little bit more positive in general. It's not perfect, buy I'm getting there. I am feeling motivated to clean my apartment (which is a big plus!), pay all my bills, and blog again. This, I think, is a step forward.

I don't get in these moods very often, but when I do, it is no fun and I annoy myself.

On bright point in my week was a surprise sussy from the wonderful Donna at Donnabetes. She knows how much I love my University of Tennessee! And so she sent me this wonderful IIMC:

I ordered one in the school's colors of orange and white, but when I did, I had been looking for the pink material and couldn't find it. Donna knew this and ran across some of the material.

This is such a wonderful part about the community that we have here. Selflessness and care from people we have never met. That is so important to my life and my diabetes care.

Thanks, Donna.

If any of you are looking for a way to carry your insulin pumps, you really should check out her site here. There is also a link on the right side of my page.

Misconceptions

I took this quiz today on FoxNews in their health section. This is a gross misconception on the last question that lumps all diabetics together. It disturbs me. Continually. The only positive thing I can say is that the answer does state it is Type 2 diabetics. But they answer I gave should have been correct also. Sigh

Dr. Manny's Health Quiz
Quiz Results
Your correct answers are in grey and your incorrect answers are in red.
1. People with diabetes frequently experience certain symptoms including feeling thirsty, frequent urination, weight loss and blurry vision.
Right! The correct answer is true: Not only are all these symptoms associated with diabetes, people may also experience irritability, tingling or numbness of the hands and feet and wounds that won't heal.
2. People get diabetes by consuming excessive amounts of sugar over a lifetime.
Right! The correct answer is false: Although diabetes can occur in anyone, some risk factors include family history, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and physical inactivity.
3. There is no effective treatment available for diabetes.
Right! The correct answer is false: Although there are certain differences in treatment between type 1 or type 2 diabetes, there are treatments which include having a meal plan, exercise, insulin injections and oral agents which all could help manage the high levels of sugar in the body.
4. Poorly managed diabetes can lead to heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney failure and blood vessel damage.
Right! The correct answer is true: By not keeping your sugars in as normal range as possible, cell destruction will begin to occur and ultimately, your overall health will begin to deteriorate.
5. Diabetes can be prevented.
Wrong! The correct answer is true: Type 2 diabetes or adult onset diabetes can be prevented by changing your lifestyle. Even small things like modest weight loss (10% of your body weight) and modest physical activity (30 minutes of exercise per day) can prevent you from developing diabetes.

An Endo Appointment and Retail Therapy

I am a firm believer in retail therapy. Most women would agree with me on this on. Today was a need for retail therapy for me.

I had my 3 month appointment with my endo. I had some of my data printed off MiniMed's Care Link, and was ready to go. I had my blood drawn for my A1c last week. I was interested to know what my A1c was since my last appointment they did my test in office and I felt it was wrong.

When they gave me my results back, it was just as I guessed: 6.7. Much higher than the in office test then did last time, and more reflective of the home testing results that I get.

I wasn't terrible disappointed, but am still actively working to get my A1c below 6. That is my ultimate goal.

My doctor also told me that when they checked my blood pressure it was 137 over 75. That is outrageous for me! My top number is typically between 96 and 110. I nearly stroked out when he told me this. I just had my blood pressure checked two weeks ago and it was 98 over 70. So I am wondering if it was just a fluke. I told my doctor this and he said he wouldn't start me on any type of blood pressure medicine.

Then he started talking about long term care and starting me on ace inhibitors. This stressed me out greatly. I have no need for ace inhibitors at this time. I am not spilling protein in my urine and I have no other problems that are diabetes related except high cholesterol (under control with meds) and the start of cataracts on both my eyes.

He told me that ace inhibitors were something that we should probably start in the next few years anyway just because it is supposed to protect your blood vessels. I don't know. I am confused and stressed.

My understanding has always been that ace inhibitors were for people who were showing signs of kidney failure. I have none. Does anyone have any opinions on this? Are any of you on ace inhibitors to prevent damage?

He was also telling me that if you are pregnant, ace inhibitors can damage the fetus within the first month. Although I am not planning pregnancy any time in the near future, how many people actually know the are pregnant in the first month??? Yet another reason to freak me completely out.

My endo did want to see me again in 2 months. I am guessing it is because he wants to see more data trends with my CGMS.

After this appointment I was so stressed about the blood pressure and the ace inhibitors, that I needed retail therapy. I promptly went to the boutique that sells the make-up I love, and promptly spent $93. This is the biggest failing I have had in my finances in a long, long time. But, I just got my tax return back, so it wasn't the end of the world.

And I figure it this way, if I am going to have to go on ace inhibitors and blood pressure meds, I might as well look beautiful while I do it. :)

On the positive side, I joined the gym. I have gone 4 of the past 6 days and am hoping that I can keep myself on track. I want to loose some weight and I know exercise is essential to a diabetics health. I have just never done it cause I HATE to exercise. I joined for 1 month and if I can make myself keep going this month, I will join the year next month.

Snow Dayz

I have been waiting all winter long for a good snow. We have a few light dustings. Nothing to even cover the ground really. I am a sucker for snow. I hate dark and dreary winter, but I love it when it snows. Go figure.

Unfortunately for me, it doesn't snow a lot here in Tennessee. In fact, the whole world nearly shuts down if we get a couple of inches.

Yesterday, around noon, it started to spit icy stuff. By the time I left work at 4:30 it had turned into snow and was starting to stick to the ground! Yeah snow!

This morning I woke up to this:

These pictures were not taken by me, since my camera is currently not in my possession. But a friend of mine took these pictures this morning and e-mailed them to me. She was gracious enough to allow me to share them with all of you.

I know we haven't gotten near as much snow as some of my fellow bloggers (Amylia!) who have been practically snowed in. But I got the snow I'd been waiting on all winter.

Now that I've had this snow, bring on the spring!

Vacation? Or not?

I went out of town this past weekend with some friends of mine. One of my best friends is getting married and moving about 4 hours away from where she & I currently live. Her future sister-in-law threw her a bridal tea this weekend, so we gathered up and went down to stay the weekend.
I thought it was going to be a fun getaway. It was. It just also turns out that I didn't get a whole lot of sleep and I am thoroughly paying for it now. The lack of sleep has made me a very unhappy person. But, I survived the day and I intend on going to bed pretty early tonight.
On trips like that, I feel like I haven't really been on vacation. Even though, in a way, I have been.
I would post lots of fabulous pictures of my weekend, but I left my camera in my friend's truck and she ended up taking it home with her. Two hours from my house. Sigh. But I am going to go visit her in a couple of weeks. She is holding it hostage till I come to get it.
So, now it's back to the work week. Back to the schedule. And back to getting to bed at a decent hour. :)

Any Time Now...

I haven't been around near enough since I got my CGMS. For that, I apologize to those of you who read my blog. I have just been busy, stressed, and tired in general. Over the weekend I took a break from the world, watched the Daytona 500 (GO #88!!), and had the day off on Monday, courtesy of Presidents' Day.
On Monday I did spend quite a bit of time cleaning out my spare bedroom. It is really just a junk room. It is piled up with boxes of random stuff, Christmas decorations, a bunch of the stuff left over from my year of teaching, and tons of craft stuff. It's so bad that I can't even get to stuff. So I did a major clean out. I hauled boxes of stuff to Goodwill and boxes of teaching stuff to a local daycare.
It's far from being done, but it's a good start. And it makes me feel like I did something productive. I think that if I start cleaning some of the clutter out of my life, I will be less stressed in other areas of my life.
CGMS has gone okay. Day one through day 4 were pretty good on the sensor. The readings were fairly accurate about 90% of the time. On night 2 it woke me up to let me know I was low. And it was right.
I changed sensors on day 5 because the readings were all over the board and not right. It was like the sensor just gave out. I actually think I calibrated at a bad (very bad) time, so it threw everything off for the rest of the life of the sensor.
I started yesterday morning with another sensor. This one I put in my thigh. It did bleed some, but there was no pain, so I am not complaining. Yesterday and today it has been fairly close, but not as close as I would like. It is reading higher than my blood sugar actually is.
As for the title of this post, any time now I would like to get a full nights sleep. Last night the sensor woke me up again with another low. It was right (for which I am very thankful), but it continues to go off every 20 minutes until your blood sugar is reading back in range. So every time I got asleep again last night, it would go off again. It took about an hour to get back up in range.
If this keeps up much more, I may have to adjust my nighttime basal.

CGMS, Dentists, Sickness, and Valentine's Day

I am now, officially, hooked up to the CGMS. I went on Tuesday afternoon to meet with my CDE and the trainer from MiniMed. It was nearly a 2 hour training and there was another person also being trained at the same time. I enjoyed the time. The rep/nurse from MiniMed is also a diabetic and is on the CGMS, so she could talk from her personal experiences. This was very nice. As you can tell, I don't have the nice, flat stomach like in the MiniMed picture on their website...sigh. To be a model.
So far, my trends have been crazy. But, that may have to do with the raging head cold that I woke up with this morning. I'm hoping to take the print-offs to my endo in March to see if there is any more tweaking that needs to be done. I have also set up another appointment with my CDE to have them help me look at trends also.
Personally, I like having second opinions on stuff. I can make changes on my own. I do it often. But sometimes it is just nice to have others look at what you are doing to see if they find anything you might have skipped over. It's like having someone proof-read your papers before you turn them in.
I had a dentist appointment on Wednesday afternoon. It was to get the last of my fillings done. My mouth is still slightly sore, but its good to know I don't have to worry about the cavities anymore.
I was supposed to go to church and a Bible study class last night, but due to snow in our area, church was cancelled. Instead, I just stayed in, ate some dinner and watched American Idol.
This morning, as I mentioned earlier, I woke up with a raging head cold. I could barely talk. And when I did, I sounded like a frog. Luckily, it got better as the day went on, but I can feel it settling back in as night falls. I HATE not being able to breath.
Today was also Valentine's Day. As a single gal, I would like to say that I don't hate Valentine's Day, but in all reality, I can't stand it. It's just depressing at times. This year wasn't too bad on my emotions, so I am very thankful for that. But sometimes I wish that the holiday would just be wiped off the map.
Why can't a guy (0r girl) just buy their significant other flowers just because? Why should they feel forced to buy the heart shaped boxes of candy, and stuffed animals, and ridiculously expensive flowers? You don't have to do it all the time. Just once in a while. Then we wouldn't have to have Valentine's Day.
Oh well. Some of you in the OC have had a great day. Kerri at Six Until Me and Allison at Lemonade Life, are two that I have already found with positive posts. I have to say that I'm very glad for them. Making the best of the day is the important part. Whether you be single, like Allison, or attached, like Kerri.
I hope you all have had a wonderful day filled with love and friends and lots of fun.

A Good Day and a Nice Surprise

I went to get a new cell phone today. Since I was in college, my dad and I have been on the same plan. He paid the bill until I got out of college and I have split it with him since. It's cheaper that way. Our 2 years was up and we were due new phones.
Personally, we were both ready for new ones. The batteries in our old phones were shot. Because I live in the middle of no where, there is only a Verizon dealer. In other words, they only sign you up. They can't take money, give you your credit (you get $100 towards a new phone after 2 years), or do anything else. So we have to drive around 45 minutes to get to a store where we can get our new phones.
This was a good thing. My dad and I don't spend nearly enough time together. Today, we spent most of the day together. I got a new phone. It's orange! Those of you who know me, know I love orange. I also promptly dropped it on the basement floor when I got home and scratched it, but I figure it was bound to happen sooner or later anyway.
We also got to go have lunch together. We went to Cracker Barrel. I love their breakfast. Actually, all their food is great, but breakfast is my favorite. I very much over carb-ed it. But it was fun. And worth it. Two hours after eating, my blood sugar was 123. Not bad. The bad part came 4 hours later when it was 205. Sigh. Oh well, at least I know not to do that very often.
After we got back home, my grandmother, my brother, his fiancee, my dad & I had dinner at my grandmother's house. It was nice. We sat around and chatted for a while.
When I got home I went to check my mail. There was a package in my box. Just a little package, but the return address said Sussy Circle. Huh? I already got my sussy. Inside I found a great note from Amylia and Beth and some little sussy from them.
This wonderful sticker from Amylia and her days in Taiwan, along with 2 pins from Beth. And a mirror.
They are all beautiful. The mirror says "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all. -Emily Dickinson" Emily has always been one of my favorite poets, so this was a wonderful surprise. And it reminds me that there is always hope for a cure...if we let there be hope.
Thanks Beth and Amylia for all you did for us with the Sussy Circle. It was a wonderful and creative way to bring the Diabetes OC together and let us know each other just a little bit better.

CGMS News

My appointment with the trainer from MiniMed is February 12th at 1:30. I am so excited. By this time next week, I will be hooked up on CGMS.

Storms in Tennessee

Some of you have already been asking if I am okay. Just wanted to let you know that my town escaped the worst of the storms. We just got some wind and bad thunderstorms. However, there are several other communities that I have friends in that got hit pretty hard. So far, I don't know any of the people who have died.
I have also sent out a message on my TuDiabetes.com group, TNDiabetics, asking that people let us know they are okay and let us know if they need anything.
Thank you so much for your concern. I will try to post more today if I can. I just wanted to let you all know that I am fine.
Keep all these areas that were hit, here and in other states, in your prayers! We are going to need them.
Cara

Overnight Mail

Yesterday, as I was on my way into my class (I am currently working on my Masters degree) my phone rang. It was MiniMed, wanting to know where they could ship my new CGMS to be signed for today! I gave them my work address and they told me that it should arrive around 10:30 this morning.

I am a very impatient person. 10:00 rolled around: nothing. 10:30: nothing. 11:00: nothing. I got to lunch at 12:00. Still, nothing.

"Surely, I'll have something when I get back from lunch," I thought to myself. The blogger in me even brought my camera back from home to take a picture when the packages arrived. When I got back at 1:00....there was still NOTHING! Ahhhhh! I'm worse than a little kid on Christmas. It's killing me by this time. I even contemplated calling MiniMed and asking them what the tracking number was for FedEx.

While I sat, contemplating this phone call, my phone rang. "Cara," one of our secretaries said, "You have some packages up here."

Yeah!!!!! It's about time! I ran up front and there were two boxes there. One said "Refrigerate Upon Arrival".

I hurried them back to my desk and took a picture quickly.

Then I tore into the boxes. I examined the items quickly. Got out the owner's manual and gave it a quick glance. And then I called my doctor's office. I knew they would either refer me to the local diabetes educator, or tell me to call her and make an appointment. I talked with one of my favorite ladies at the office and she told me to just call the diabetes center and talk to my diabetes educator (the same one who helped me with my pump).

I called the center and she was not in. But I left a message with the receptionist and my phone number and told her what I was needing. She told me my CDE would get back with me today or tomorrow.

So far today, still no call. But that's okay.

When I got home I had to take out the boxes again, but the sensors in the refrigerator, and look at the manual more closely. I am still working on it, but I was so excited I had to share with you all!

Very soon I should be hooked up to the CGMS!

Also a note: My Sussy pal isn't Caro. Anyone else know who it could be from the UK? I am stumped! I am going crazy! I hope you guys can help me figure out who it is. Perhaps a person on flicker Diabetes 365 group? I don't know.

Trip-The End....And SUSSY!!!

On the last day of our trip we really didn't do anything exciting. Basically got up and ate breakfast and then started our looonnnggg drive back. The blood sugar behaved itself most of the day. And I didn't have any major problems during the trip back. Although on the last leg of my trip (from M's house to my own) I thought my contacts were going to dry to my eyeballs!

The joys of learning to wear contacts. Ahh. I ended up going back to the eye doctor and they gave me a different kind. The are working much better!

On Saturday I got my Sussy package! I was thrilled! All the items were wrapped so beautifully. Sadly, I was so very impatient to open the packages that I didn't stop to take a picture. For that, I apologize.

It was such a wonderful package. I listed on my Sussy info that orange was my favorite color. Almost everything in my package was orange! I was great.
The only bad part is there was no name! Or return address. It was mailed from London. I love getting mail from outside the U.S. But I want to be able to properly thank the person who got it for me. So, please, if you are reading this, let me know it was you!!

Trip-Part 2

On Sunday morning we got up and got ready to take a road trip to Philly. M and I had never been to Philly and we both wanted to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. I made A breakfast. Biscuits and gravy. Apparently they don't have biscuits and gravy up there. And so every time I go visit I have to make it for her. It's not the best on the blood sugar, but it's fun to have every once in a while, so I didn't mind.

We took our little road trip to Philly. It was great fun and once again, the company was everything. I'm quit sure M and I could have stayed in Philly and explored all day long, but there just wasn't time. We got there right around lunch time and made a visit to have Philly Cheese steaks! We went to Jim's Steaks. Everyone seems to think they are the best in town. I am inclined to agree. It was wonderful. And very, very crowded! I recommend it if you are in town.

After that we headed to see the Liberty Bell. I have to say I was blown away. It is just awe inspiring to be in the presence of one of the symbols of American patriotism. We also did a tour of Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed. That was also very humbling. Our nation's founding fathers literally committed treason in order to stand up for what they knew was right. I wish I could be that brave!

Now here's for the funny diabetic moment: They search all your bags when you go in to see the Liberty Bell and again when you enter Independence Hall. I have no problems with this. I understand all the security issues since 9/11. When they started to search my back pack (holding my purse, all my diabetic supplies, snacks, juice boxes, and a camera bag), the guy who was going through my stuff opened my meter bag. He looked at it and then looked at me and said, "Are you a diabetic?" I was very polite, "Yes, sir," I said, "I also have on an insulin pump." He looked at me and then was trying to zip my meter case back up and couldn't do it. I tried to help and he wouldn't let me.

All this time, the only thought I had, was that I really wanted to look at him and say, "Nah, I'm not a diabetic. I just thought it's be fun to play one for the day." And I didn't even want to say it in a mean way. It was just funny to me. Why would anyone be carrying around a meter if they weren't diabetic or with a diabetic? Unfortunately, I couldn't say this as the gentleman didn't look like he had a sense of humor.

I also discovered a new love on the way back from Philly....Starbucks. The closest Starbucks to my house is an hour away. And I HATE coffee. So I've never felt inclined to stop. But we stopped and I found a drink that doesn't taste like coffee and has only 18 grams of carbs in the grade (also known as medium). The Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte. It was yummy! I am now addicted. I've been craving them ever since.

Trip-Part 1

I am going to take a few days to tell you all about my trip. I went with a friend of mine (M) to visit another friend (A) in the D.C. area. A recently told us she was pregnant and we wanted to go visit her since she is going this whole experience alone. Not to mention that we just flat out missed her. I hadn't seen A since October and M hadn't seen her since May. So it was time for a visit.

We drove up. It took us around 8 1/2 hours from M's house (it's 2 hours from my house to M's on top of that). I usually don't like to drive, but with 2 of us going, it was cheaper than trying to fly up. Friday was pretty much shot as far as spending time with A went, since we didn't get in until around 12:30. It wasn't a horrible drive, just long. But any drive can be more bearable if you have good company.

There were no real blood sugar issues on the trip up. Things stayed pretty normal. I let the levels run in the mid to high 100's just because I didn't want any sneak attacks from the big D.
Saturday was actually when all of the fun started...

A, M, and I drove to Annapolis, Maryland to meet some friends of A. They were involved in a charity drive for Special Olympics of Maryland. It was called the Polar Plunge. Basically, what it boils down to, it people pay money to jump in the Annapolis Bay in January.

Go ahead, say it: THESE PEOPLE HAVE TO BE CRAZY!!!!!

I did. :) Only 1 of the friends actually plunged, but there were hundreds of people plunging. It was very cold and I wasn't even getting wet! But, all the money went to charity, so who am I to complain.

Although, just between you, me and the fence post, I would just pay the money and not actually jump in the water.

It was definitely an interesting day. They had all kinds of other stuff going on inside tents. The had games, and even pig races. Yup, you read correctly: pig races. I am from Tennessee, people. I grew up all around farms, although not on one. I have never seen pig races in my life. It was hilarious. It was just these little pigs running around in circles. And some guy dressed up like Old McDonald. I guess it was a novelty for the northerners...but it was a novelty to me, too!

I also did a bad D thing. I had a wonderful, sugary batch of heaven. Also known as a funnel cake. And surprisingly enough, my blood sugar didn't actually suffer too much.
Just 2 hours later it was around 150. I can't complain there.

We headed back to A's apartment after that and just hung out. We grabbed a bite to eat a California Pizza Kitchen (which I LOVE!) and watched Heath Ledger movies all night (R.I.P. Heath).

I'll finish up my weekend in the next few days. Keep on reading!

Going Away. And Just One Word.

Okay all, I am headed out of town today and won't be back until Monday night, so don't expect any posts for a few days. I will have lots of pictures when I get back I'm sure. As well as lots to blog about. I am taking a road trip with a friend to go visit another friend.

I am leaving you all with the post that's been going around the Diabetes OC lately.
Use just one word to describe me....

Have a great weekend everyone!

Questions answered....and a meme!

There were a few of you who asked questions about what I did to get approved for the CGMS. Sadly, I don't have a lot of information to give you all. I talked to my doctor about it at my last visit in early December. He said he would write the request letter. About 2 weeks after that one of the MiniMed reps contacted me (Hi, Danny!) and asked me several questions and asked me to fax him some of my blood sugar and pump data. I did all this and he put the packet together and sent it to my doctor. Then my doctor sent it in.
I do have some hypo unawareness, but I haven't even been to the hospital since 2004, so I know that wasn't a deciding factor. When I spoke with the rep again the other day to confirm the next steps, he told me they had put together a packet that was basically "trial and error" until they found something that worked. He also told me he had half a dozen or more approvals in the past several weeks with my insurance company. So evidently, they found something that works.
I didn't have to fight or appeal. They approved it the first time through. I have my next endo appointment in March, so I may ask them to see the info they sent in. I'd like to know also.
Side note: my insurance is Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN. I have heard from others on some sites (like tudiabetes.com) that BCBS is really good about this stuff (not just the TN version).

Now onto the meme. I did this one, I think, not long ago. But I can always think of things that are weird about myself, so it's no problem to do it again. I am not going to tag anyone, just consider yourself tagged if you want to do it! :)

1. I hate talking on the phone to people I don't know or don't know well. I was nearly out of college before I ever called the doctor's office myself to schedual an appointment. I also hate calling in pizza orders. The very strange part is that my job requires me to do this on a pretty regular basis. My dislike isn't improving, I am just getting used to doing it.

2. I have had glasses since I was 15. Today was the first time I ever wore contacts. I'm 26. And darn it if my right eye didn't give me the most trouble. It took forever to get it in and forever to get it out. :(

3. The first time I ever saw a beach was 2005. I was 24 years old.

4. I still like cartoons. I'm an adult. And I like cartoons. Some of the new ones are weird and annoying, but I love Disney movies, older cartoons, and the Pixar films. My favorite movie from last year was Cars.

5. I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I got my degree in one thing, did that for a year, and now I am in a totally different field. And thinking about what I could do next... I can be very indecisive at times.

6. I hate to wash dishes. It's my least favorite thing to do when cleaning. I tend to put it off to the very last minute. I told a friend of mine one time that if I could find a guy who would wash dishes on a regular basis, I'd marry him. :D

7. If you have ever seen the movie Beaches with Bette Midler, I have a friend like her. We met when I was 16 and she was 15 at church camp one summer. We didn't spend much time together, but exchanged addresses. 10 years later we still write, e-mail, etc. And we couldn't be more different. We are like night and day and we still are friends. We just don't want the sad ending from Beaches!

APPROVAL!!!!

I just got my letter from the insurance company about my request for the CGMS! They approved it! First time through. I am so excited I can hardly breath! I have already talked to the rep from MiniMed and they are going to get the process started. Basically, this means I should be hooked up by no later than the end of February, if I am figuring correctly.

This is so exciting!

"Do you ever feel like you're not accomplishing anything?"

I watched a movie last night. It was one I have seen about a million times. St. Elmo's Fire. It was an 80's movie about these seven friends and their life the year or so after they graduate college. I am a huge 80's movie fan. I have several. I don't know why I like them so much, but I do.
There's a scene in the movie where Wendy (Mere Winningham) is working as a social worker. She's trying to get this woman with about 5 kids to go into some sort of training program so she can get off welfare. The woman demands that Wendy just hand over her check. After the woman leaves, Wendy's love interest Billy (Rob Lowe) walks into the office and starts talking to her. Wendy looks at him and says, "Do you ever feel like you're not accomplishing anything?"
That is kind of how I feel right now. In general. Not necessarily with my diabetes. Just about life in general.
Some days I just feel like I'm a little hampster on a wheel running in circles, but not every really getting anywhere. Do any of you feel like that?
I think it might be SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Really I do. It's just right around this time of year, every year, I start feeling like this. A little bit depressed. Not really unhappy, just not content. It usually passes in a month or so. But sitting right in the middle of it is no fun.
So, do any of you every feel like you aren't getting anything done? Like you aren't doing enough? Or that you just aren't doing what you should be doing in the world in general?
I didn't mean to depress anyone, I am just curious to see if I am the only one feeling like this lately.
Here's the clip from St. Elmo's Fire. I just have to note that there are some wonderful actors and actresses in this movie. Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, and Andie MacDowell are also in this movie. Demi, by the way, is almost unrecognizable compared to what she looks like today!