Breaking Dawn: Part 1

I'm glad to see November go...it's been a long month. No more blogging daily for me!

Finally went to see "Breaking Dawn- Part 1" today. My husband doesn't have any interest in seeing it, & ultimately, the best time to go see it is on a weekday (when most of the masses of people are at work, not the mall) It was good, well as good as such things can be (most of the people reading this could probably care less about it). I'm not "in" to Harry Potter, I like Twilight much better. (but I don't fall into the fanatical stage about that either) There were approximently five people in the theater (all female, this is very much the "chick" series) all crying over their popcorn & salting their cokes with their tears. (a true sisterhood, as it were)

Without spoiling anything, between the wedding (beginning of the movie) and the emergency C-Section (end of the movie) it was really action-packed (deviating slightly from the book, to make more of a plot). Things got very, very graphic toward the end of the movie and one person went to the exit and just stood there, with their back to the movie. (for the rest of the movie, a good 20 minutes) I get that it was probably a little too much for them but if it were me, I'd go off and do something else, instead of just standing there. (what good is paying for a movie, if you're not watching it?) That was pretty odd. All I can say is, it wouldn't be the best of movies to watch if you had any sort of food aversions(or were in the first trimester of pregnancy). I've seen a real C-Section (and it wasn't nearly as bloody as the hack job in the movie),but it was still kind of disturbing seeing the effects on the heroine.(I would prefer NOT to end up as bad off as that) Probably not the greatest movie to watch when you're in the 3rd trimester either. At the end, I was getting ready to leave & the person up above my seat told me to stick around, there was one more scene after the credits. (which will lead to the next part)

The next two "parts" don't come out till a year/2 years from now...I've read the book already, so I know what happens but waiting is just too hard!

NaPoBloMo:Diet Coke Fun!

Answering the age-old question...how many used test strips does it take to fill up a 20 oz DC bottle?

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NST: Take #2

Captain's Log: Starda(y!) #229

Babies Weight: 4.6 lbs (it's mind boggling how much weight they gain from week 28 on!)

Weeks: Almost 33

Contractions: yes,but much fewer then last week,although my amniotic fluid index has jumped from 25 to 29. I really hope that that is the natural peak,& not the fact that my blood sugars went to pot last week over the irresistible pecan pie/potato/etc.holiday smorgasbord. 33 weeks is supposed to be the "peak"fluid week,& the babies weight is normal. Peri isn't worried.

Movement: not so much on my part,on his,constantly!!

Current complaint list: First Trimester Deja Vu all over again...you name it,I've got it. With the additional challenges of the Third Trimester.

Nursery Status: Ready,once the crib gets reassembled.

Next NST: Thursday...this baby is being well monitored!

NapoBloMo-Day #27

Happy Birthday to Mr. Handsome!



(no baby handsome,as of yet...and that's ok!)

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Day #26 (NaPoBloMo)

There was a time when life, as you knew it, was much more simple. When you didn't have to measure,carb-count, guess-ti-mate,SWAG etc. every single carbohydrate that went into your mouth. When food was food,not something that could simultaneously kill/save you.

That was before. Before D came along. Some of us have never really really known a "before", for others, there were many years spent with the "before." The thing about the "before",is,that for many of us, it may never come again (sorry for the downer opinion,yours may vary,& I certainly hope I'm not right). The years dull the memories of some things but for others, the diabetes stuff gets so hardwired into your psyche that you doubt it ever could get itself undone. It's all normal.

Fact: I'm ready to go back to the "just diabetes" phase of existence. I miss sleep, I miss my back muscles not hurting, I miss Chai Tea Lattes (and everything Starbucks),I miss having clothes that would fit, and I miss not having to bolus a unit every time I even look at a carbohydrate, I miss just worrying about the D-Stuff. Vaguely I recall those days where doctor appointments weren't every week,and I'm ready to go back to them. I guess just because something becomes "normal", it still doesn't mean that you particularly love it. I know there are people for whom pregnancy is a 10 month nightmare(bed rest, the whole 9 yards)but I can't even begin to explain what its like, with diabetes. Every day that ends (without disaster) is the best thing that happened that day. I guess when you go to the doc (and everything is a constant stream of negativity) that really doesn't put you in the mindframe of "enjoying your pregnancy." I'm not afraid of caring for a newborn anymore, for even the demands of that is the successful conclusion of the 3rd Trimester. And yeah, I'm nowhere NEAR 39 weeks. My patience has kind of run out (and I would really like to hop in a time machine & fast-forward to the end of December) & I want a healthy,bouncing, bundle o' joy to be here.(NOW) And if it sounds like I'm complaining, I guess I am..there's gotta be some place I can let it all out & it had just as well be here. (which very few folks go) It's my opinion that the people who enjoy their pregnancies don't have complicating medical conditions involved.

Blue Friday: Four

(life is much more interesting when you don't wear the same color of socks!)


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NaPoBloMo Day #24

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm so worn out with traveling, family,& bouncing blood sugars I have absolutely nothing to say..but I hope it's been a good one for you and yours!

Chef de Llehs

Let the mess-making commence. Rarely do I actually bake,& I know I'm supposed to be all domisticated & stuff by this point (I really do know how...I just don't enjoy it) because the way to a man's heart is through his stomach (so they say) but I find my own baking slightly repulsive (don't ask me why, its a weird hangup I have,everyone else seems to think its just fine), there's more to the story then I'm just too lazy to do it. Nothing like the holidays to make you do it anyway.







(green bean casserole, muffins)

Christmas Baby (Maybe?)

Fortunately, the eye exam didn't reveal anything dire. It's just a floater (in the words of my eye doctor: "due to getting older." Yes, he knows that I'm 30, and since when did turning 30 put me in the middle-age category?) A black, blob-ish, floater. (being nearsighted, I have a few floaters, but they've never been black/grey, they're the pencil line variety)
Better safe then sorry though (I'm glad I got it checked out). Hopefully it will fade.

No word on when I might expect an induction, the OB-GYN said around 39 weeks. (if it hasn't happened by then) I'm not quite getting how, if anytime after 37 weeks (considered: full-term) is considered just fine, why they would wait till 39 weeks to induce. I guess the womb is a nice,welcoming,nurturing place but 39 weeks just seems too long. I read in my nursing textbooks that diabetic placentas also age faster then non-diabetic placentas (aka, start degrading around 37-38 weeks). And if the baby is too large...that can certainly play a role? (according to the obgyn, that really didn't matter in terms of induction, maybe she meant that would be grounds for a C-Section)

We won't be going anywhere for Christmas, though. (that much is pretty clear) 37 weeks is just after Christmas. (and even 3.5 hours away with family is too far away) Or, it could be a New Year's Baby. Or, it could be a 2012 baby. Time will tell.

NapoBloMo-Day #21

The only thing that can be said about today, is that it hasn't started well & I think the ending may be even worse.


Today was my first non-stress test. That was a fairly uneventful event, (4 very pregnant people in lounge chairs hooked up to electrodes) until I noticed that the contractions graph was having ACTUAL JUMPS on it,& at this point in the process, I have no business having contractions. The nurse noticed and asked A. if I was feeling them and B. how far along I was. No, I'm not feeling them. (yes, they are actual contractions) What the Sam's Hill?? As far as the heartrate/variability/baby moving went, he is very active.

And then it was time for the ultrasound. I was feeling pretty bummed/on the point of tears over the contractions when the doctor came in and asked how I was (answer "overwhelmed") which he assured me was perfectly understandable on the verge of the beginning of the end. The placental blood flow & everything looked ok, the amniotic fluid index has actually gone down 2 points & the contractions are likely perfectly normal, given the increased amniotic fluid index. As long as the contractions aren't painful there is no need to be overly concerned. See you in a week.

With my nerves freshly shot from that, I got to schedule an emergency appointment with my eye doctor for the large black "floater" that has been swimming around in my right eye for the past 2 days. (the thing shows no signs of going away,initially I thought it was from a headache but nope) I had my eye appointment for the year in October (which showed things to be absolutely perfect, D-wise) but apparently my right eye didn't get the memo. (so here I go again this afternoon)

I think I'm falling apart.

Day #20-Napoblomo

I eat everything I come in contact with...kid-themed or not!

A Blast from the Past: Day #19

I found this today...and I'm pretty sure it's the last one on Planet Earth. Long, long ago, Staples & Office Depot would actually give you vouchers for $3 off your next purchase, no minimum required (on the spot, when you turned in ink cartridges). They could be "stacked" (aka, used with 2 more vouchers) and combined with coupons & one's total Out of Pocket costs were very, very low. (and even more weird, the vouchers were all the same so there were no unique codes on the vouchers) It's not like that now, if you turn in ink cartridges it'll be 90+ days before you see the rewards in your "account" and you have to spend $$ at the store to even get the rewards.

But this beauty of these coupons are...that they never expire,so nostalgia aside, I'm going to spend it (one of these days). Maybe not even the manager will know what these were, its been so long since they were in vogue!

Blue Friday #3: The Heir, the Spare, & Why I keep them there

NaPoBloMo- Day #17

Darth Meter Strikes Back....

(with the vast majority of today's readings in the 60's, and one at 209) . Stellar diabetes day, all around.

Banking with Baby

I know it's controversial (and very much in the "experimental" stages)but stem cells already can treat/cure many types of cancers. And I believe that one day,they'll be able to "grow" parts of organs, etc. (from stem cells) Maybe even cure diabetes, or something else.(should they be unfortunate enough to inherit my screwed up genes) So we've made the decision to save our kid's cord blood. (kit goes to the hospital with me)

The Days are Just Packed

(does this infant carrier come with an infant? sadly, no,that takes 9+ months)



(the saga of the never ending blood sugar logs..)



Sam Talbot is an fiery chef with ecletic taste buds!



I got my flu shot today. I had to go to TWO CVS's to do so, because the first had an issue with my insurance (& I would have had to pay for the whole thing out of pocket) whereas the 2nd store would cover it (if it were under the guise of being a "Minute Clinic" appointment with a nurse practitioner). It wasn't that inconvenient,really, (there are quite a few CVS's in the area) but flu shots feel nothing like an insulin injection & really,please don't say that they do. And so that's done. (I will wake up tomorrow & feel like I've been hit by a bus, but it's better then being hit by the flu)



(please?)

World Diabetes Day: 2011

Today is World Diabetes Day.


Today, like millions of people all over the world, I didn't get to have the day off from diabetes. (for good behavior) Whether you've lived with it 30 years or 30 days...it is simply there,and it will be there (likely) for some time to come. Today, I awoke (for the 2nd time) with the chalky flavor of glucose tablets still lingering on my taste buds. That is the price for being alive.

Today,there is still no cure. No cure for the millions who have been diagnosed (in the almost 90 years since the discovery of insulin). Babies, kids,teens,adults...we all owe our lives (or if T2...continued health) to the discovery of this one drug. For as much as I'm grateful for insulin,and as much as I realize that future life would not have existed (this baby sponsored by Sanofi-Aventis)..it's still diabetes,& I'd really,really,really like a cure.

Today, the flame of hope still burns...and will burn, until there's a cure.

NaPoBloMo-Day #13

Today, I'm going to share with you a YouTube Video...from a talented young artist with T1 diabetes!



I love her illustrations. (toward the story line) I can't draw that well..but if I could, I'd love to do something like that on YouTube.

NaPoBloMo- Day #12

A few weeks ago, we were in California (taking care of the "we won't be seeing you in a million more years" family rounds). Basically, we really didn't do much exciting (I am sick to death of traveling, people) but we did go down to San Diego/Oceanside to wiggle our toes in Pacific Ocean goodness. And it was warm & relaxing on the beach that day. (despite being mid-October)

Pictures below:







I have to say, I love California beaches. Even if you feel like a great beached whale (and not up to the carefree frolicking of bikini-clad models & studly wetsuit surfer dudes) it does improve your mood. Even just for a few hours, it was nice.

And then, we came home to the East Coast blizzard...on the 6.5 hour flight to Philly, my Omnipod PDM died (two hours in), freaking me out. My "backup" syringe (brand new, in the package) proceeded to snap off as I removed it from the package & by that point,I really didn't see how I was going to avoid having to make a scene(4.5 more hours with no insulin (and an already skyrocketing bg) ? yeah, not happening) as I tried to patch the insulin syringe back into function-a-bility but it was impossible. Finally, I systematically searched through my purse and backpack (praying there would be at least one old syringe)...and there was. And it worked. And I took injections with that syringe, once every two hours as our 6.5 hour flight got pushed to a 7.5 hour hour flight as we circled the airport, as babies and toddlers screamed (and puked) filling the plane with lovely sounds (and smells) into the wee hours of the morning.(while their mothers did absolutely nothing,sans hold them. Did not attempt
to soothe,etc. or to tell them to be quiet) I could not WAIT to get off that plane, & meet up with my luggage.(hopefully) However...when we finally did get off the plane, our flight home had been cancelled(because of the East Coast blizzard) so no luggage was forthcoming.(they said it would be on a flight the next day). Well, by that point driving home had more appeal then spending the next 12 hours in the airport so we rented a car, and drove home.

In the rain. (but fortuanatly, not the snow)

Got home, inserted a new pod,and the PDM actually worked again..but the luggage didn't show up till the evening. I would venture to say that that was my most unpleasant flight,ever. (lesson learned: take at least five back-up syringes,because it was some sort of "communication error" and I doubt that it would have worked even if I'd have had a back-up pod)

Blue Friday #2: World Postcard Exchange

Off to Indiana!!