Monday, August 25, 2014

Infusion Set Woes

Bruising, blood squirts, scar tissue and funky looking sites are some of the things a diabetic has to look forward to when pumping.  Those fun events combined with the Animas infusion sets not working for me had me switch to shots for about a year.  I loved having a break from my "tail" but at the end of the day I have tighter control with a pump and a pump gives me much more flexibility for working out.

However, since going back on a pump about 6 months ago I've been dealing with a seriously viscous infusion set monster.  Once again I am a happy Minimed pumper using the silhouette infusion set.  This time around 1 in 4 infusion sets are attacking my rear end.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong this time but I've ripped infusion sets out after inserting them (ouch), have had some serious bruising, and on more than one occasion have had my wife chasing me around the apartment with a towel as I didn't realize blood was "gushing" down my leg.  She is starting to realize having white sheets with a type 1 hubby may not be the best idea in the world. 

I know I have buns of steel but it's time my caboose and the infusion sets start getting along...

Friday, August 15, 2014

It Takes 2

Well it's been a while that's for sure!  Since the last time I blogged I've gotten married, been promoted a few times, became a two-time Uncle and have had more diabetic lessons than I can remember.  I stepped away from blogging for a while so I could focus on handling my disease while my life was totally changing.

I learned that diabetes is a heck of alot easier to manage when you make 100% of the decisions for yourself. But when a person starts thinking as two and the other's happiness is even more important than your own blood sugar management becomes harder. K has always understood what I struggle with but she had to get up the same learning curve we all did when first diagnosed: what foods affect my blood sugars when, how to make time for cooking each meal, how to avoid unprocessed foods and how to help me make smart choices at each meal.  As we struggled up the learning curve my A1c and weight bounced around, my highest A1c was 7.2 (which had alot to do with the Animas infusion sets not working for me) and my weight at times crested 200 lbs.  But now she is a fully certified type 3 and understands how each piece of food will impact my blood sugar and fully supports why I'm obsessed with getting in hours of exercise.

With K's help my A1c was a shockingly low 6!  And my weight is now back under 190.  In her own subtle way she has taken over the grocery shopping, gotten me to refocus my diet and is making sure we eat out a ton less.  She lets me bring my bike on vacation and does whatever she can to help me fit in a long bike ride or run if there's going to be a feast that night.

Without her support there is no way I could have reached the lowest A1c I've had since I was still producing some insulin.  I once thought that I could fight this disease head on, that each day was about staring my blood sugar down and out working the problem.  It's way more of a dance than that; I can't do an Ironman everyday and I can't live my life on an organic farm.  It took a few years but K has taught me how to achieve amazing results while being less intense on how to get there.  No way could I have gotten to an A1c of 6 without her love and support.