Get healthy

I had testing done last week, and all of my tests came back within normal ranges. My A1C was exactly 7, my liver and kidney functions were normal, my blood pressure was good and my cholesterol was within normal ranges. I still need to lose weight, bring my A1C down a little more and increase my good cholesterol, but overall, I’m looking healthy! My A1C was higher than I expected, but the doc agreed that it was probably because we only switched my medication 6 weeks ago and the A1C is a 3 month average, so the average would show higher than the actual results I’m getting at home. She’s going to retest at the end of November, where I should be at a 6 at the highest.

My doctor said that she could tell that I have made a lot of changes in the past 9 months, so she knew that not losing a lot of weight like she wanted me to must be frustrating for me and not entirely my fault. I love my doctor, but until this visit, she didn’t believe me that I’ve been working on my diet and excersize. It was nice that she acknowledged that it isn’t entirely my fault.

I’m very happy with my progress. If the test results are as expected at the end of November, she’s “going to release me back to the ob/gyn.” Woo-hoo! Baby, here we come!

I have testing again this week. I looked at my average blood sugar results for the past month and my A1C would be at 5.4!!! It’ll probably be a bit higher because of difficulties I had the prior couple of months, but it’s finally getting down. 6 or less for a diabetic is ideal, so I’m really getting to where I should be. I’ve very excited.

My weight loss is also coming along…slowly but surely. The trend is ultimately downward, so I’m very happy about that. Soon, I should be able to start trying for a baby again. Yay!

It’s a little easier to focus on this when Mark’s out of town. When we’re together, we’re enjoying each other and I don’t work on my healthy habits as much. When it’s just me, I have an easier time keeping my calorie consumption in check (I eat more when I’m happy and enjoying myself) and I eat less because I just cook simple things for myself. So, since he went to work in Wyoming, I’ve been losing weight pretty rapidly.

I’m still having trouble with my blood sugar. It isn’t outragous, but the medicine just isn’t getting it where it should be. It’s difficult, but I see my Dr. next week and we’ll figure something out.

Well, I had slacked off with my wedding and everything going on, but I’m getting back on track. After my gall bladder surgery, I had lost 10 pounds, but ended up gaining it back with all the work and wedding stress I had going on. Over the past few weeks, I have managed to lose the weight again, so now I’m working on losing more. I’m back down to my college weight, so I’m pretty excited about that! I’m still heavy, but at least I’m back where I was 8 years ago.

I was also having a hard time controlling my blood sugar. I think that it was related to stress but I’ve been better about it the past month or so. My doctor gave me a new perscription, which I will try out as soon as the current one runs out. I’m hoping it helps keep me steady. Last time they checked, my A1C was 7. I need to get it to 5 before the fertility doctor will work with me on getting pregnant. I go back and check at the end of the month, and I’m really hoping to have it low enough to start trying for a baby.

I went to the doctor and got my labs back. My liver and kidney functions are back within normal levels, and my A1C is already down to 8 from 13.3. I just have to get down to 6, so I’m doing really well.
My blood pressure has gone up despite weight loss and overall health improvement so I had to go on a new medicine. She thinks it might be caused by my birth control pill. Grrr. Hopefully, it’ll all sort itself out in the long-run.

I had to miss the obgyn because we’re so understaffed at work,so that’s probably not going to happen for another month or two. Grrr again. Oh well, I think I want to lose some more weight before I try to get pregnant and get past the stress of planning this wedding. Only two more months and I’m a Mrs. (again. :/)

I still have yet to make that dental appointment, but the new person starts in another week and a half, so I should be able to take lunches and breaks again during business hours. Yay!

I never got around to making the dentist appointment. Things are nuts at work and I just don’t have time during regular business hours. Grrr.

I have my next Dr. appointment on Friday, which will be the 3 month mark from my diabetes diagnosis. I’m hoping that my blood work comes back good. I’m nervous about it.

I have an OBGYN appointment on the following Monday. If my blood tests were good, we can start trying to have a baby again. I’m really crossing my fingers.

I got new contacts! Yay! My perscription should have gotten better due to my blood sugar being better, but I’m even more near-sighted than I was before. I think it’s just genetic—my dad is really near-sighted too, despite his diabetes also being in control.

So here’s where I have to get brave. When I was a kid, my mom took me to the dentist every 6 months, no matter what. As a result, I had very white teeth and no cavities. I got a couple of little shallow cavities when I was 23—you can’t even tell. Well, the last time I went to the dentist was almost 2 years ago. I was so pissed because I wanted a cleaning and they set it up as a consultation and told me I had to come back. The day I was getting on a plane to Massachusetts. Idiots. They had found a cavity then, but I didn’t get it filled and I didn’t get my teeth cleaned. So, it’s probably been three or four years since I have, which makes me scared. Tomorrow, I’m going to try and make an appointment despite my nervousness. I want my shiny teeth back! Not that they’re yellow…they just don’t have the gleam they always used to have.

I go back to my doctor on the 17th to get my test results. I really hope my A1C, my liver function, and my cholesterol have improved as much as they should have. I think it will be fine, but I’m still nervous.

So, in my last post, I said that I felt stuck in limbo since I won’t see any of my doctors until the end of the month. I realized that there was plenty I could work on on my own. First, I need to get a new contact perscription. I didn’t know blood sugar affected the eye, but it does and since I’ve brought my blood sugar down, my perscription has really changed. I made an eye appointment for tomorrow. I also need to go to the dentist, since diabetes makes me more prone to dental issues. :( Good thing I’ve started out with a mouth full of healthy teeth…I hope I can keep it that way. I will try to make an appointment today. I’m also working on my 10 pound weight loss goal for April. I’ve got one pound down, but I’m not thinking about it too much since I tend to obsess.

Well, I’m kind of in limbo here because I don’t see my doctor for more tests until the end of the month, and I can’t go back to the ob/gyn until the tests come back from my doctor. I’ve been working on my weight and put another goal on my list to lose 10 pounds this month. We’ve been eating at home, which is always helpful, and today I’m buying fruit and veggies for snacks. I’m doing well, but it’s frustrating when things are just floating along, instead of seeing big strides like I was before. I’m trying to find the balance between patience and keeping up with everything to do with my health.

I’ve been working on making small changes. It’s not that I eat horrible food, it’s that I eat in the wrong order. Talking with the dietician, we discovered that I tended to eat mostly protein in the morning and midday, then a ton of carbs at night. She told me to eat 45 grams or so of carbohydrates at each meal, and if I eat a snack, to eat a carb and a protein together. I noticed a huge difference! I don’t want refined sugar at all now…candy and the like isn’t tempting to me any more. I’ve also been working to add more uncooked foods to my diet. She said I was doing well with my meats and veggies, but I could add another piece of fruit per day. I’ve been making sure to eat a fruit with breakfast and another with lunch. I have also been making sure to eat greens with lunch and dinner. I feel better and my blood sugar is much easier to control this way. There weren’t any huge changes, but these small ones really helped.