Mom and I went to the ADA’s Diabetes Expo in Denver on Saturday. It was not as much fun as the last time I went, nor did I bring home much free schwag. Asides from paperwork, the best giveaway we found was Bing, a new energy drink I am now totally addicted to (sooooo yummy!). A bit dispointed as last time I was able to score a new blood glucose meter for free.

Also, I finally put faces to names with the Minimed folks. What a great bunch of people. I met one of the ladies who will be teaching me how to use my insulin pump, once I get it. She had some very promising info for me, and others with CFRD. She has personally worked with at least 5 other CFRD patients and has had superior success with the use of the Minimed pump and regulating blood glucose levels in patients with CFRD.

Having Type 1 herself, she was able to explain why CFRD is harder to control than Type 1. With Type 1, the pancreas does not put out ANY insulin. With CFRD, the pancreas does still work, with a lesser function, and sometimes function is also delayed. This causes hyperglycemia when there is not enough insulin. Or this can cause deeper lows of hypoglycemia when natural insulin production is delayed, due to the pancreas overreacting to the already elevated blood glucose level. It is not possible to predict how the pancreas is going to react at any point in time. Like shooting at a moving target.

The amounts of additional insulin given subcutaneously is harder to predict from moment to moment with CFRD since it is impossible to tell how and when the pancreas is going to react. They are finding that if the blood glucose levels in CFRD patients is better regulated through subcutaneous injections (specifically the insulin pump) the pancreas does not overreact as often and as much, making it easier to keep the blood sugar levels in control.

I hope I was able to explain that in an easy to absorb manner. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or email me!

Home from work early since I have no idea what is going on, I am setting up camp on the sofa with chicken noodle soup doctored with extra garlic. Hopefully what ever is invading my sinuses will not be there for an extended stay.

Is it just a coincidence that this is the second time I have gotten sick this season and both times I had scheduled an appointment with the free personal trainer at my gym? Is my body rebelling before I even go? How crazy!

Thanks to my family, I was able to finish my Christmas shopping with their help. The hardest part about being on IVs is my schedule. I have to be at home every eight hours to dose. Along with all my other time consuming nebulized medications, it is kind of hard to get every thing done that needs to be done. So thankful to have such a loving and caring family.

Santa was very generous to Puppy and I. Many singing and squeaking toys and yummy cookies for Bro. For me, a shiatsu massage chair cushion and a Wii!! How much fun!

This year I was very excited to celebrate Christmas ON Christmas. Last year we were buried under several feet of snow thanks to Mother Nature dumping a blizzard just a few days before, so we celebrated on New Years after the snow plows unburied themselves. It was such a mess.

My cousin B graduated college and younger cousin S graduated high school. Hope these boys know how proud we are of them!

New Years was quiet. Stayed at home because my lovely antibiotics were causing some issues. Chest pains, fever and that horrible pins and needles feeling all over. It was fairly scary. I stopped taking one of them that was causing a lot of nausea and it was also the culprit of the scary pains and fever. That was a relief. It is always a relief when you can find out what is causing problems. Since I was not feeling well a friend of mine came over and we watched many episodes of South Park and played The Godfather on the Wii. Although I didn’t feel very well, I still had a good time. But next year, I WILL stay up until midnight!

All of the busy busy made me sick sick. Tried a round of antibiotic pills, didn’t really work, but I was so not ready to deal with the hassle of IVs. So I just dealt with my coughing and lack of energy. Hope all my coughing didn’t distract my coworkers to much!