Brenda and I went to see the Endocrinologist this afternoon. Today has been what we’ve been waiting for. We hoped to get some more information and begin to put some practical elements in place in regards to daily life. We’ll get some more tomorrow after we talk with the Diabetes Educator.
Getting to today’s appointment has been a journey. It’s been less than a month since the official diagnosis. But there’s been a good many conversations and attempts at making changes that have occurred. Every day monitoring of my BG numbers has made me constantly aware of everything I eat and its carbohydrate content. LOADS of fun, let me tell you.
My response was to cut back to eating almost no carbs. I didn’t know what I could eat, how much I could eat based on the insulin and medication, or what the right goal ranges for me. So I self-regulated all of it until I would fall of the wagon and go for the bagel breakfast sandwich — then all hell would break loose in my desire for the carbs. It seems like when I minimize them to the point of nothingness, the first taste of them can send me on a mission stronger than my dog when she’s looking for a lost ball in the woods.
From what we were told today, there’s a new system of food proportions that we should be using. I grew up with the four food groups. Then there was the food pyramid. I never fully understood that one. But it was better than just “eat a healthy balance of all four of these groups.” I can’t tell you how many times I broke down the elements of a pizza into the four food groups and claimed it was health-conscious eating.
The new way is the plate method. Imagine you’re staring down at the top of a dinner plate — half of it should be vegetables, 1/4 of it should be protein, and 1/4 of it should be carbs. There you go. Simple. Now to determine how big the plate is going to be — there’s always a loophole.
The doctor also said to come off the Metformin. Apparently, I’m a borderline case right now and some experimentation needs to take place. Always being up for a science experiment I said, “OK.” The numbers from the tests make it hard to know if I’m really Type 2 (AKA “Adult On-set”) or if I’m Type 1 (AKA “Late On-set.”) The difference is pretty simple. Type 2 occurs when the pancreas is still producing insulin, just not enough of it. Type 1 is when the pancreas has stopped producing insulin altogether. The slacker.
The difference in treatment is a big one. If I’m Type 2, insulin may be able to give my pancreas a rest for awhile and stabilize my system. If this can happen, my pancreas could start to function better and then I would medicate with pills. If I’m Type 1 it’s insulin from here on out.
From what I understand Metformin is a drug that helps my pancreas be more efficient and productive. So if I’m Type 2 it works against the experiment, and if I’m Type 1 it’s useless. Bottom line — I don’t have to remember to take 2 pills every day for the time being.
That’s the good news. I know — you’re like “that’s the good news?” Yep. No more pills was the good news. The news that seems to be lumping in as par for the course is that I now have to test my BG levels four times a day. Before every meal and before bed. I also have to add a new insulin called Humalog before each meal. The amount of it will be determined by what my BG level is at the time. I’ll continue taking the Lantus each evening before bed.
As long as we’re taking a walk in this particular park, the doctor is also going to send me to have a sonogram done on my Thyroid because she felt a lump on it — which is also called a goiter. My medical terminology knowledge is skyrocketing!
There was a lot of information given at our appointment. The physician assistant, who I will be mostly talking to, was great. Her name was Amy. A really cool lady and made Brenda and I feel at home. She was pretty impressed with the reports I printed out for her from the apps I’ve been using to document what I’ve been eating and the BG levels. I was cool and calm on the outside, but my inner geek was excited to show her the reports — there’s that silver lining again.
Brenda and I have been doing great through this. We’ve had to work through some emotional issues that arose from each of us feeling the weight of the unknown and trying to navigate without a plan for this. But she’s been an awesome support to me. Other family members and friends have shown a ton of care and support as well. It’s been touching to see and feel that. When the times of depression hit me, I can easily go to dark places in my soul of feeling alone and like I don’t matter. It’s times like these, as hard as they may be in the moment, that I am reminded how much those other times are just lies — stories that I believe that are only there to tear me down and keep me from what is good. I don’t think I’m alone in that. We all have a choice about which story we’re going to believe in those moments. Do we believe the story that is all about fear, insecurity, and self-doubt? Or do we believe the other story? The one that is about the good? The one that builds us up? The one that ends with hope, peace, joy, and love? It’s easy to choose the first story. But the reality is that neither story has been played out yet, and the only reason you choose the first story is because you want to protect yourself from unknown negative outcomes. And when you choose to protect yourself from the negative outcomes, you rob yourself of the incredible positive ones that can happen. How much joy, laughter, and soul-touching experiences do we deprive ourselves of in the name of self-protective fear?
Let’s make a little pact. You and me. Let’s do our best to choose the second story. Let’s find the courage to live bravely, choose wisely, and believe in positive outcomes. Let’s enrich our lives and the lives of those we love because we are choosing to purposefully engage the good.