• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Baseball ’19
  • Day Zero 3
  • Earl
  • My list
  • Photo Blogging Challenge

A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

Living with Diabetes: Getting back on track

October 8, 2019

It’s been a while since I wrote one of these posts. 

It should also come as no surprise, then, that I’ve gone a bit off track. If I don’t hold myself accountable, then I tend to start veering down the wrong road. 

So let me kind of go backward and then move forward again. 

So at one point (October 2018), I hit a point where my numbers were all out of whack. For my first two A1C tests in 2018, things were improving and going down. Then in October, it ballooned. 

Like a lot. 

So it was time to figure things out a bit more. I worked on getting a Freestyle Libre. I actually used this before then, I believe, For those who don’t know what a Libre is, it’s an item you put in your arm (it’s a mini needle attached to a sensor that is about the size of a quarter, though thicker) and you use a reader against the sensor to get your numbers. 

Living with diabetes logo

For me, it was nice because I could check myself a whole heap more, and not have to worry about pricking my fingers. It also went to my phone, so I could see the history a lot easier. 

Alas, there were issues with the Libre. It wouldn’t always stay in my arm. It would get off readings. When it was working, it seemed legit. Any time I matched those readings with the old fashioned way, it worked well. 

But for the price (my insurance didn’t cover it fully), it was tough. 

Then Freestyle switched the Libre from 1o days (on your arm) to 14 days and it really got bad. The sensors wouldn’t stay on, and the readings seemed a lot more wonky. 

During this whole time, mind you, I wasn’t as diligent about checking the old fashioned way. And because the arm was sensitive after a sensor came off, I would wait a day or three to put a new one on. That wasn’t smart. Why? Because I *thought* I knew what everything did to me. 

I didn’t. 

The story of my life with this diabetic journey seems to fall in the same way and I have to figure out how to change the narrative. 

So in January, things seemed to be pointed in the right direction. In May, my A1C went up, but not fully alarming – but enough to say “hey, get back on track.” And with the whole Libre thing really got me off track as well as … I don’t know. Not to make excuses but I thought I had it under control to, at least, keep it status quo. 

It wasn’t and my A1C again went up. 

Obviously, it’s frustrating. But at the same time, I only have myself to blame. So, back to the drawing board I went. 

How to replicate things was my biggest quandary. The old-fashioned checker I use is supposed to hook up to my phone, but for whatever reason it hooks up via bluetooth and then doesn’t get any readings. So, instead, I made a Google sheet to keep track of things. I’ve color-coded things so I can see when I’ve gone high, am in the right zone and all that. 

It’s my hope this will really start keeping me on track. 

That comes down to what I am doing with things, though. I’ve made sure I’ve kept walking, but I think incorporating a second walk daily is probably a good idea. That helps things quite a bit it seems, so it’s just making sure I can do it most days. The other day I even got in a three-mile bike ride, which was also nice, As the fall is upon us, I’ll be more apt to do these as well as the weather is nice for it. 

I’m also going to get back into writing about this whole thing on the blog once a month. I find when I get my thoughts out there, it helps. 

Some things I need to work on: 

– Portion control for meals

– Check my blood better

– Figure out the whole morning thing (numbers OK, then go up and all…I have some things I’ve tried)

– Think about the long-term

When I was at my last doctor’s appointment, he said  – sometimes you can do everything right and it still doesn’t improve. As we age, the body is different. If things don’t show enough improvement, he wants me to think about other options. I am not into the “I” word as I think it can be avoided. But something like a Trulicity might be something I have to think about. 

Hopefully, I can really start losing a bit more weight, stay active, and do what I need to do so it won’t matter. But only time will tell. 

My next appointment is the week of Thanksgiving, so I have about six weeks before my next blood test. Hopefully when those come back, I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Diabetes, Health, Living with Diabetes, My world Tagged With: diabetes, diabetes life, health, health stuff, illness, living with diabetes

4 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debbie D. says

    October 8, 2019

    Living with diabetes is never easy! Sharing your struggles will surely help those who are in the same boat. My husband has type 2, but it’s a fairly mild case and well-controlled with the Metformin, etc. Still, we do try to watch the carb and sugar intake and get regular exercise. Taking a walk after a meal always helps, but that’s something he doesn’t like doing. I suppose the trick is to engrain the healthy habits so they become automatic. There’s something we also have trouble with. (I’m not diabetic, so far, but need to lose weight nonetheless.) Wishing you all the best!

    P.S. I see you got the SSL certificate! ?
    Debbie D. recently posted..CIRCLES, CURVES AND ARCHES | CEE’S FUN FOTO CHALLENGE #CFFC #WWMy Profile

    Reply
    • P.J. says

      October 17, 2019

      When I was blogging about this on a more regular basis, it helped me as well. I got away from it and things started going haywire. I need a way to feel like I’m being held accountable as there’s nobody who can be blamed besides me. And yes on SSL. Not sure why it had disappeared as it always used to have one.

      Reply
  2. Paul Brads says

    October 8, 2019

    I struggle with my A1C but keep it under 5.7 most of the time. Not full fledged, but genetics are not in my favor. Grandma, aunts, were all diabetic. Momma was “border line” …what ever that means.

    Reply
    • P.J. says

      October 17, 2019

      Border line sounds like “pre” … all the same where you’re like.. what in the hell?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Welcome to A 'lil HooHaa!

This is a personal website covering many topics! We host a monthly photo blogging challenge, and then every January hold a fun writing challenge.

Thank you for stopping by and hope this becomes a stop for you!

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Follow

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 876 other subscribers

Instagram

hoohaa29

The normal look after ice cream. #goldenretrieve The normal look after ice cream. 

#goldenretriever #dog #dogsofinstagram #tongue #icecream #pet #fun #iphonography #photography
Where do you wish you could be? Winning the lotto Where do you wish you could be? Winning the lotto would allow me to live near the beach … would love to be back there now!

#beach #sand #sun #goldenretriever #outside #dogsofinstagram #dog #love #iphonography #picoftheday
A sunrise before we leave this morning. Until next A sunrise before we leave this morning. Until next time … 

#sunrise #nature #water #ocean #love #photography #photooftheday #avalon #goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #iphonography
Beach therapy. #beach #water #sun #bonding #gold Beach therapy. 

#beach #water #sun #bonding #goldenretriever #golden #photo #photography #photooftheday #iphonography #iphoneonly
I’ve really been enjoying #HipstamaticX and tryi I’ve really been enjoying #HipstamaticX and trying different setups. The pinholes ones have been fun. 

#photography #photo #photooftheday #iphonography #iphoneonly #nature #flowers #tulips #color #pinhole #pinholephotography
Saturday was Harper’s birthday. Not sure what li Saturday was Harper’s birthday. Not sure what life would be like without her!
Last Saturday was the first mow of the year. Last Saturday was the first mow of the year.
Got the ball! #goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram Got the ball! 

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #mydogharper #photography #iphonography #photooftheday #chuckit @chuckitfetchgames
She was so still for this photo. Make sure you f She was so still for this photo. 

Make sure you follow her on Instagram at: @harper_dublin !

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #goldenretrieversofinstagram #harper_dublin #akc #photography #photooftheday #love #mydogharper #harperdublin #instagood #happy #picoftheday #fun
Life is good. #goldenretriever #dog #bestfriend Life is good. 

#goldenretriever #dog #bestfriend #dogsofinstagram #selfie #lifeisgood #enjoylife #instagood #iphonephotography #photography
After a nice snowy walk! ❄️❄️❄️ #gold After a nice snowy walk! ❄️❄️❄️

#goldenretriever #snow #winter #dog #dogsofinstagram #photography #photooftheday #ınstagood
Harper is counting down to Santa Paws! You know, Harper is counting down to Santa Paws! 

You know, of course, Santa Paws travels with Santa Clause, making sure to find treats and toys for all the good little doggies! (We know they are all deserving, right?) So, Harper put out some milk for the big guy, carrots for Rudolph and the reindeer, and special cookies for Santa Paws! She is ready! 

#SantaPaws #Christmas2022 #HarperChristmas #MyDogHarper #GoldenRetriever #DogsofInstagram #PhotoOfTheDay #Photography #Christmas #IPhoneography
One of the best parts about having Harper as my be One of the best parts about having Harper as my best friend… ❤️
Couldn't resist stopping on the way to work to sna Couldn't resist stopping on the way to work to snap this shot. The colors in the sky were fantastic and the scene was nice looking (though, to be fair, I drove by what I think would have been a better scene -- the valley and hills full of snow etc.)

#Snow #Winter #Sky #Color #InstaLove #photooftheday #picoftheday #iPhoneography #nature #love #instalove #photography #happy #smile #photo
The best of times??? 🤪🤪🤪 The best of times??? 🤪🤪🤪
Just a break on our morning walk … #goldenretri Just a break on our morning walk …

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #mydogharper
Tired. Tired.
Harper is ready for tonight! Let’s go Phillies! Harper is ready for tonight! Let’s go Phillies! 

#phillies #ringthebell #baseball #dog #goldenretriever
I look at her and sometimes still can’t believe I look at her and sometimes still can’t believe I have her. It’s been a year and four months and she makes me smile and laugh more each day. It’s amazing how much a dog changes your look on life, and how much joy they can bring. 

#goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #dog #goldenretrieversofinstagram #harper_dublin #akc #photography #photooftheday #love #mydogharper #harperdublin #instagood #happy #picoftheday #fun #iphoneology #retrieveroftheday #ilovemygolden #dogstagram #dailygolden #dogsofinsta
I’ve recently realized how many photos I have to I’ve recently realized how many photos I have to post here, as well as on Harper’s (@harper_dublin) account). So, as I start to transfer photos, I’ll try and catch up. So photos coming could be from all seasons and who knows when. 🤣

This one is recent from the courthouse square in Delhi. We had some pretty good fall colors this year. 

#fall #delhiny #seasons #iphoneonly #love #photography #photooftheday #instagood #happy #picoftheday
Load More Follow on Instagram

YouTube

P.J. Harmer

P.J. Harmer
A video looking at my first year and a half of owning a golden retriever, my first dog. It's had its ups and downs, but I've truly loved the ride and look forward to the future. 

Music: Happy before we get old by Michael Shynes via Artlist. 

► My blog: http://www.hoohaa.com
► Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/
► Follow Harper on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harper_dublin/
► Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HooHaaBlog

Thank you for watching. :)
When these boxes come, there usually some excitement. But this one ... is the ultimate unboxing! 

#cielovideo52 #52weekchallenge #week5 #weeklychallenge

Music: Happy to be Happy (Dapun)

► My blog: http://www.hoohaa.com
► Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/
► Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/softball29
► Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HooHaaBlog
I hate being in front of the camera, but also realize sometimes it's not the worst thing in the world. So, I'm getting better with it. Week 4's theme was all about us and having us in front of the camera, so I tried to come up with a creative way to do it. 

#cielovideo52 #52weekchallenge #week4 #weeklychallenge

Music: Infinite Wonder (Ben Fox)

► My blog: http://www.hoohaa.com
► Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/
► Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/softball29
► Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HooHaaBlog
Load More... Subscribe

Archives

Categories

Calendar

June 2023
S M T W T F S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930  
« May    

Search The Site

Site Information

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

A 'lil HooHaa © 2023 · Created By Coded Creative

Copyright © 2023 · Ava Mae on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...