Two MODYs walk into a bar...

Recently I had my follow up with the geneticist/Endocrinologist of last August's appointment. I absolutely adore her, because I have her personal email and every question I have is a promptly answered. Learning to live with MODY hasn't been all roses and sunshine, as I've developed a swelling of my left kidney (called hydronephrosis) which I've had an ultrasound and abdominal CT for and am scheduled for a renal perfusion scan in two weeks. It hasn't affected the overall function of said kidneys but it's there,like an albatross, needing attention. There are no kidney stones (#1 cause) and the geneticist feels like it's MODY caused, such as stricture in the ureter causing back flow into the kidney. The renal perfusion scan will tell what's going on. In the meantime, I'm going to work very seriously on my a1c and try to get it down before the school stress starts up again. I'm going to prebolus, low carb it as much as I can, and try to eat more fruits and veggies to take the D out of the picture of kidney stressors. I'm also going to start taking some antioxidants, fish oil, and give glipizide another whirl. We talked a lot about the added risks to the kidneys with this condition (1 report of cancer,& just various kidney issues) and she recommended a yearly ultrasound with that yearly appointment. And we are talked about the genetics of it,& risks/dangers of it being passed down & the no way of knowing how the deletion will express itself in the next generation. It makes me kind of sad because that's not an inheritance anyone needs. The geneticist felt that if that class of drug didn't have results on the D, then other oral meds probably wouldn't either. Also, the exocrine function of the pancreas can be affected in MODY 5 and if that should happen you need (oral pancreatic digesting enzymes. I now need to schedule my sons yearly genetics appt...where we'll have discussions on variations of the above plus developmental issues.It gets heavy, fast. It's pretty certain that he will get diabetes but at what rate,no one knows.


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Blog Week: The Mental Stuff(ing)

We think a lot about the physical component of diabetes, but the mental component is just as significant. How does diabetes affect you or your loved one mentally or emotionally? How have you learned to deal with the mental aspect of the condition? Any tips, positive phrases, mantras, or ideas to share on getting out of a diabetes funk? (If you are a caregiver to a person with diabetes, write about yourself or your loved one or both!)



I wasn't planning on participating in #Dblog week, due to being fairly busy with the wrap up of Nursing School Year 1, but life had other plans. Tonight, my husband, son and I went out to eat at a local restaurant. The kiddo particularly enjoys flushing the toilet, so we made several trips to the bathroom to establish the fact that that was in fact what was going on. (no, he did not need to use it every five minutes)As I was helping him wash his hands, someone said "excuse me" and then "How do you like your Dexcom?" Well, that got my attention..turned around, and there was a blondish girl with a Johns Hopkins sweatshirt on.(I wear my Dexcom out in a Tallygear case) We had a very nice conversation about diabetes lows and how much the Dexcom was truly worth its weight in gold, and she turned to her friend with an expression of joy on her face and said she wanted to go back on one. And I showed her the transmitter and how much it has evolved, from whatever she had tried in the past. And then she said "You really get me!!!" and danged if that didn't just choke me up to pieces. No one has ever ID'd me as a Dexcom in the wild before. She was most definitely needing a kindred spirit that night, someone who also had diabetes and knew all about it. I didn't really have time to continue the conversation, but in that moment I felt that diabetes wasn't so sucky, if I could be that example that she wasn't alone. Previous experiences with everyone not at FFL, college kids with D generally want to do their own thing and ignore the D. And it isn't that way for everyone. (I needed reminding of that fact) I wish I could have been more informative of good resources, but my kid was pulling me in the other direction.


As for diabetes funks, it is helping me get out of mine. I have been thinking more that it would be a good idea to be a diabetes educator, if its as rewarding as the exchange I just had. Kids with diabetes really need that support. (so do adults) Because you're just mostly living your life in a diabetes-less vacuum until boom, you get a reminder that you are not alone.

Hello April

It's hard to believe that it's the end of March and April will be here by the end of the week. I'm busy (isn't everyone?), but it's Spring Break,so I'm feeling a little less stress. I am deep into the second semester of new nursing school,& that means OBGYN/Medical Surgical 1. As someone who has not closed the door on wanting more babies, being around babies makes you feel like that biological clock just cranked up to 2359.59.(not true,FTR,but those days will come) Babies do things to the sane part of your brain. Anyway,this semester is a whirlwind of tests-clinicals-lectures-skills-care plans. It always seems like I never get truly "organized"(I somewhat envy those students who have everything in lovely organized binders,they have it together.) I'm lucky if I have the essentials. (Given the choice between studying and organizing,I'd rather study. I also don't have as much time as a childless person.) These two classes are being held simultaneously,which means there is always some exam being held days apart for both courses.(It will drive you mad.) But it's almost April..and May heralds in the end of clinicals,whirlwind Exam 3(x2) prep, and HESI's(which are the final exams). Just a little bit longer.

Had to reschedule my Endo appt for June, due to conflicts with clinical. I did my a1c prior,and that actually dropped 0.6 points so I feel good about that. Saw the retinologist and things look good there(pushed out next appt for October). I need to see my primary doc and do some basic blood tests(like iron,thyroid) to see if that's why I'm so tired. I haven't been on thyroid meds in a year and a half because it's going though a "sputtering" phase. That phase doesn't last forever though.

On the blood sugar front,the Glimeperide did whacky things to my blood sugar. I would eat a carbless meal and go up 100 points. And then have to bolus it down. And after a few days of that, it would go into hyperdrive and make me low all day.(to where I couldn't bolus for anything I ate) This was with the lowest dose,once a day. Plus it made me dizzy. It definitely made me produce insulin,but it wasn't consistent. I don't know if taking it longer would have changed that fact or not. It's something I would like to further explore,but not now (I have to be functional for school,& being dizzy is not being functional).

This is pretty much catch up week..studying(exam prep), shopping for odds and ends, flea market selling prep (on Saturday), FAFSA and scholarship filling out. Loving the warm weather. (And looking forward to the Falls Church VA Friends for Life conference in several weeks) Kiddo is doing well, 4 is an age of great insight(& quippy one liners that make me laugh constantly. I love 4. It actually feels like he will be self sufficient one day and not need need his Mama for everything. I would certainly like him to still need his Mama,just not for everything.)


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