Putting your Diabetes first.

Towards the end of this year I would have been a Mother for 13 years it sounds incredibly long but also feels short at the same time.

 (I will write a post one of these days about my experience of being a Pregnant Diabetic not once but twice so keep a look out if you are at all interested.)

I am blessed with 2 healthy boys of 12 and 9 years old. I am so grateful that God allowed us to have the responsibility of caring for and loving these 2 young boys. They have both enriched my life in so many ways, each with their totally different personalities and all though their looks are pretty much the same they are so very different in their characters and personalities.

Lately I feel like I am going from one check up to the next, First the PT for my shoulder, then the annual Doctors Check to talk about the blood test results, then the Eye Doctor to check the eyes , then the Dietitian and then later it will be the podiatrist. I was complaining about it as I always seem to be asking for time off from work to go to yet another medical appointment.

But the thing is I need to do all of these things and manage my Diabetes and take the insulin and check the blood sugars (Often). God entrusted us with not one but 2 children. But what kind of a good job am I doing at achieving all of these lifes responsibilities if I don't manage my Diabetes correctly.

I might say like so many other Moms that I want to put my children first but after awhile as a Diabetic you need to alter you mind set and say that part of putting my children first is putting my Diabetes first.

If I don't I might not live to see my boys graduate from university. I might not see them married or having kids of their own. That might be a bit harsh but if I do live to see future awesome things with my boys I want to be able to experience these moments not in pain or being any kind of unfit,unhappy complicated Diabetic.

My oldest son said to me the other day.(Referring to my Shoulder) Mom you can't go on holiday so I looked at him a bit confused and said why not? So he turned to me and said you won't be able to sit like this and he raised his arms and clasped them behind his head and smiled at me.

Something like this.

 He was joking with me but I want to be able to once again go on holiday with my Family and say lets relax and do that exact pose.Amazing what little things can motivate you.

Thank you Matthew and Jared for understanding and accepting that by putting my Diabetes first I am in a way putting you first.

Love to every parent out there.

Stay linked

Kim



  

April Fools Day Diabetes funnies

Just a few funnies for Friday since it is April Fools day.

Hope you enjoy.

So what do Ibuprofen,caffiene,and restless dogs all have in common?

I have never been one to suffer from insomnia quite the opposite actually. I was always quite proud of my sleeping abilities. I sleep very soundly. I used to laugh at people who said that caffeine kept them up until all hours of the night, what I can drink coffee all night and still sleep soundly and no I don't drink that stuff they call decaffeinated who ever invented that stuff. That was all what I used to say mind you. Until tonight, I went to bed as usual with my coffee nightcap and I took a 400mg Ibuprofen downed down with the coffee of course. My trusty Lab,Bitsum(our special name for our x everything breed dog) and Border Collie all joined me as well as my snoring husband.So I lay there 5 minutes to fall asleep was all it usually took anything over that and something was wrong. That bloody bird outside was calling no actually screeching to be precise. Mr P says it is a nocturnal bird the only birds I know that are nocturnal are owls and it was not hooting or nightingales and according to stories I have read they sing beautifully. At about 11pm the nocturnal bird shut up , died or went to sleep. Okay it was the dogs faulty they where doing laps and what sounded like somersaults on hardwood floors. They where fast asleep at 11:05. Now it was the husbands faulty why wasn't he snoring as usual. " Hay Mr P are you all right." "Um yes " okay now he was snoring.  So to cut a long night or story short I had now run out of things to blame and I had to start blaming myself so I am blaming my shoulder,and the combination of Ibuprofen and caffeine on my lack of sleep. So that is it people and I am posting this at 1:35 am. So if you can answer the title question good for you as I can't and I am to tired to even try so good night or good morning.Luckily it is a public holiday today so no work . Happy Easter everyone. All editing will be done post posting so apologies for any errors.
(∩＿∩) ╰_╯ Cross eyed , and yawning oh crap best I take a blood sugar reading Good night all.

My Frozen Shoulder story (Adhesive Capsulitis)

I am sure you will remember that I was complaining of a sore shoulder and I have said in my last post that I have got one of my first Diabetes related Complications.

Here is my shoulder saga.

Last year I complained of a really (insert curse word ????) sore shoulder. So at the beginning of this year I went to the GP not the usual one I see but someone else in the practice that Mr P had seen before and he said he liked him. He checked my range of motion and said I had a rotator cuff tear. (Even showed me a shoulder model to explain it.) I had to have a cortisone injection and if it did not improve I had to see a Shoulder Specialist as I then definitely had a tear. Good but he forgot that I sometimes refer to myself as a part time google researcher. After he injected cortisone which had no effect I did a bit of research. I came across other Diabetics with Frozen Shoulders I even chatted with one on Reddit.

 I did a quick check list.

Affects more women than men - þ 
Injecting a shoulder with an anesthetic (done to me when the cortisone was injected) in a person with Frozen Shoulder this will not improve mobility, whereas in people with other shoulder conditions it will. þ 

Can have a link to Diabetes - þ 
People over the age of 40 -þ 
There are more symptoms that I checked but I can't remember them all now but one was that it is painful when moved by yourself as well as movement assisted by another person. þ þ þ 
Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick I was nearly convinced I had a Frozen Shoulder.

I had to see the GP again because that is what he told me to do. So I did.Here was basically how our conversation went:
Me : "Are you sure I don't have a Frozen Shoulder."
Doc : "No this is definitely not a Frozen Shoulder."
Me : "But the cortisone and anesthetic injection did not help?"
Doc: "Oh well then it must be torn." Got shown the shoulder model again.
Me: Will Physio Therapy help? 
Doc : Only if you want to waste your money.
Me: I wanted to see the best shoulder specialist (this was confirmed by many people who had fallen off speeding bikes) I want to see this guy - Dr B.
Doc: I don't know him but here is a note you can make your own appointment.

The waiting list for the best was also one of the best I had seen but I waited. You didn't even have an option to talk to him before X Rays where done. I had to have X- Rays in hand when I arrived at his rooms. Now the thing with a Frozen shoulder is that your X-rays look wonderful nothing wrong perfect joints. That was me and now this is my final diagnosis. R1,025.00 for the Doctors 10 minute appointment alone and we are back at what a non - medically trained patient had thought and yes you guessed it months and months of Physio hopefully not to waste my money.

This is a couple of comparison pictures to show what I am experiencing: (Please note that is not me, I like to believe my bingo wings aren't quite that bad yet.)

 The ABC are with the buggered up arm, DEF are the other arm.C is the worse one for me oh the pain. As you can see this will restrict a lot of things like Putting on a bra,zipping up a zip on the side of your clothes,Shaving underarm,scratching your back,throwing a ball for the furbabies,catching a ball. I am sure you can think of a ton more.

I have exercises I must do 3 times a day. These hurt but I am hoping we are cutting months or even years off the fixing of the shoulder. Frozen shoulder usually fixes itself after +/- 2 years but you might not regain full motion. You are basically doing stretches. It seems to be a bit of a hit and miss situation as experts do not know for sure what causes frozen shoulder, but they think that the joint becomes inflamed and scar tissue forms as this forms the tissues inside the joint shrink and harden make the shoulder harder to move. 

The recovery is a slow process as this is a chronic condition. 

Because of 20 to 30 % of Diabetics getting this condition it has gained a bad rap, with it being said that it is due to bad sugar control. Umm think of it, they don't know what causes this condition but if you are a Diabetic it is due to bad sugar control. I have even seen notes of people saying that it is because sugar has collected in the joint and now you have to break away the sugar. Yes maybe bad sugar control increases the chances of you getting it. Yes most definitely (as with most ailments) if you have it and your sugar is out of control it will take longer to fix it.

I will admit I was very worried with my diagnosis. Maybe all I had been told about my good control was untrue and here was the proof. Maybe this was just the start of worse to come, Maybe I was on a slippery slope downward and I could not stop myself. (It is not really easy to stop yourself slipping down that hill with a bloody Frozen Shoulder), I could carry on and on worrying about what Diabetic thing was to happen next but is this going to help. I could be just as unfortunate and die like Mike Edwards from the band Electric Light Orchestra when a large bale of hay rolled down a hill and collided with the van he was driving. Anything could happen.I like to relate it to this "No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow your progress, you are still way ahead of someone who is not trying."  I can certainly say that I must be better than some Diabetics who don't try at all.

Yes even though I have HBA1C's of 5.7 , I still want to get a CGM ( a continuous blood glucose monitor.) So I can be sure and be more confident in my results. And who knows maybe this will lead to a pump too. (Don't forget us Diabetics don't like change.)

Oh and don't be caught like me remember this - People with Frozen Shoulder very rarely need imaging tests such as X Rays, MRI's or Ultrasounds.

Sorry Discovery Health Insurance I think this medical condition is going to cause you some increase in expenses this year. No really don't worry I pay you over R8,000.00 per month and I will still have to worry about a self payment gap this year but that is a whole other conversation.

Keep health and keep Linked

Kim

What doctors forgot to tell us about Diabetes complications.

When I was diagnosed with Diabetes we where told that if you did not control your blood sugars you could get Diabetes related complications these where:

• You could go blind - (Retinopathy)
• You could loose feeling in hands and feet etc. - (Neuropathy)
• Your kidneys could pack in - (Kidney damage leading to dialysis)

Nobody said but wait if you really want to know what you are in for here is a more extensive list, no siree, that was it Eyes,nerves and kidneys.

Now if you do a basic  Diabetes complications search on the internet you get this list:

• Eyes 
• Kidneys
• Nerves
• Heart and blood vessels
• gums
• feet

Don't be fooled people! Although these might be the worse things, the list of Diabetes related complications is very much longer.

On my 30 year Diaversary I gave myself a slap on the back and said "Well done mate,you're not blind,you're not on Dialysis and you still have all circulation and feeling. But.......

 I was diagnosed with my first Diabetes related complication a few weeks ago. Here is a list of some Diabetes related complications that a lot of us didn't even know existed but when you research any of these you always see the key point - Diabetics fall with in XYZ% of developing this condition.

Gastroparesis - It's believed that the vagus nerve, which controls the movement of food through the digestive tract, becomes damaged and causes food to be digested slowly or not at all. A common cause of damage to the vagus nerve is Diabetes.

Digital Sclerosis (Diabetic Thick skin) - We all have Diabetic Thick skin but that does not necessarily affecting our skin. I took the best pic of this condition. Do yourself a favor and don't search pics of this on the internet.

Vitiligo - Loss of skin pigmentation, it is also an auto immune disease and 7 % of type 1 Diabetics will develop this condition.

Hypoglycemia Unawareness - all though this can be reversed it is still a complication.

Limited Joint Mobility - This includes a number of problems. Trigger Finger Syndrome - This condition affects 2 to 3 % of the population but 10 to 20 % of those with Diabetes.

Frozen Shoulder - (Adhesive capsulitus) a painful and disabling disorder of unclear cause in which the shoulder capsule , the connective tissue surrounding the glenohumeral joint of the shoulder, becomes inflamed and stiff, greatly restricting movement and causing chronic pain. Frozen shoulder affects 10-20 % of people with Diabetes , women are more likely to get it than men and it more frequently occurs in people aged between 40-60 years.

These are but a few of the scary things that could happen due to you just being Diabetic and your sugars can be controlled and you still might get one of these. Statements like "affects 10-20 % of people with Diabetes."Would that not mean that this should be listed on some Diabetes Complications list somewhere.

I wish I had a book that was titled "All the diseases/Syndromes and ailments that could be connected to having Diabetes" What an encyclopaedia that would be. It might be so big you could literally kill someone with it.

Stay linked as in next weeks post I will reveal which one of these strange but true Diabetes health problems I have been cursed with and my start on the road to recovery.

In the mean while post some comments if you have had experience with any of these or any other strange Diabetes related problems. I would love to hear from you.

So what did Doctors forget to tell us? Simply that there are another ton of conditions that you can get that are some how related to us having Diabetes.

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5 Diabetes related problems that could be buggering up your love life & relationships.

This weekend it is going to be Valentines Day. So I was racking my brain on what kind of post I could do related to this occasion. Everyone is posting stories about the ones they love that help them with their Diabetes and I have mentioned this before Here and  Also here and I hope that Mr P. knows by now how very lucky I am to have him by my side not only for Diabetic related things.

So it came to me to post the opposite.(hay???) 5 Diabetic reasons that could be ruining our relationships. I don't have neuropathy but a lot of these points can be brought on by poor control which can lead to Neuropathy.

Lets get too it shall we, in no particular order.

1. Your Sex life

Neuropathy can damage tissue in a man's penis that makes it hard to achieve or keep an erection.Women can get Vaginitis this word covers problems with different causes but it all boils down to painful intercourse. Neuropathy (there is that bloody word again) can lead to woman not having any feeling in their clitoris. So guys and gals this I am sure can be very stressful on any relationship basically sex can't happen or it isn't fun anymore. Furthermore it does not effect your hormones so your brain is saying I still want to get it on but it isn't like it used to be, very difficult for your healthy partner to understand. So here is a word of warning if you want to still enjoy SEX you need to CONTROL your BLOOD SUGARS. That is quite a big carrot at the end of that stick I would say.

2. The Energy meter

Not only can your energy levels be effected by poor BS levels,but it is sometimes so exhausting being a Diabetic. Testing, calculating, injecting, remembering (did I inject already?). Now take this scenario - you are having one of those roller coaster Blood sugar days(this also means more calculating,more testing,more swearing (energy meter already dropping), you have gone to do grocery shopping so you can make healthy lunches next week (energy meter drops some more), you have helped your children with their homework (another few dips in the energy meter.) We are now on the verge of sleep walking and your partner asks you if you want to go walk the dogs at the dam and have a picnic. Some nice relationship and family bonding time but some days you just can't a minus on the energy meter as well as on the relationship meter.

3.Moods

This might be closely related to the energy but I have put it in a class of it's own. Also can be a by product of bad control - We don't feel so well so we get cranky and have breakdowns and a bad temper. (Not conducive to a good relationship).

4. Routines

We should be keeping things pretty much regular when it comes to eating. This I think can be a big thing especially in a new relationship- Sleeping in and not getting up until about 10 on a weekend (Oops what happened to breakfast and that all important first injection, next you are going out with your mates that believe that night life only starts at 9 the earliest (Oops on the diner as well). Us Diabetics can't be so carefree and the sooner your partner understands that the better. Yes we are bound by certain routines but it does not mean you can't mix it up a bit. Who said you can't set an alarm get up and make breakfast to be had in bed. You can still eat supper with mates at 10pm but you need to think out the box with your blood control methods. You can party until 3am but just don't forget to inject your night time insulin at the usual time. The biggest thing I would say in this routine problem is to try and stick to it as much as possible.The sooner you feel comfortable injecting and testing where ever you are the easier it will be (I think this is worthy of a complete post of it's own). This is a valid problem in relationships but I would say easier solved than the others.

5. Low Blood Sugars

There is a T-shirt that is funny but also scary when you are looking at your relationship. It says on it "I am sorry for what I said when my blood sugar was low."

I have been told I have said some bad things and maybe some hurtful things as well. I have also slapped, bit and kicked my love ones. You need to talk about the low when you aren't low with the ones you love so you can get across that it was not you. I know people think that you wouldn't of said it unless it had been on your mind.I can talk the biggest load of rubbish at 1.5 and these things most likely would never ever have been on my mind. It is all down to controlling your blood sugar so they are not high which can effect some of the points but then when you have them perfect one slight slip in the calculation can lead to a low blood sugar. Oh my.

Feel free to add other problems you have encountered in the comments, I would love to hear from you.

It definitely is not easy loving a Diabetic and being in any relationship with a Diabetic but don't loose faith.

Thanks once again for the love shown to me by all the people I have relationships with it.

Happy Valentines day for the 14th.

Stay Linked and loved

Kim

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The Park Run/Walk

So this year our family wanted to participate in more Park Runs, actually we are still in the Park Walk phase.

It really is an outstanding community project that is free to all and you get your time after your Run sent via e-mail. It is a worldwide thing and also is supported by Discovery Vitality so you earn Vitality points for each "Run" you do. It has a few other sponsors but is mostly run by the great Park run volunteers in your community.
Park Run SA Website

The weekend before last we went with 2 of our 3 dogs. So this weekend I said to Mr P that it was unfair to leave only one behind. He said that the third dog tugged and pulled and did not behave so he wasn't coming. Well I got my way and the 3 dogs,2 children and their parents all jumped into the car at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. Actually I think the dogs had jumped into the car way before we where ready to go as we had left the boot open while packing the car. If they had known how they would have been hooting the hooter. (If they had done that Mr P says they would have all been left behind.)

We arrived at the Run a bit early and had to wait at the start with all other types of dogs. (Great Dane's,Beagles,Labs,Dachshunds and other mutts.) Our Lab and Border Collie waited patiently but the dreaded third dog whined and whined and had no manners whatsoever. I started to believe that Mr.P was right about him. The time arrived and off we went pulling,dragging,fighting with said mutt. This boy did not give 2 hoots about the injured shoulder. At about the 3 km point one of the volunteers overheard me say to the dog that he was never coming again and he said aw shame he will be better next time. Ha Ha Ha. Now this mutt is thin and fast we have always said that in any race he would either come first or be the "rabbit". Sadly for him we where far from coming first. On this revelation I decided we had to go at a faster pace for him, we at least had to make him think that he was winning so we over took the group of people in front of us and went faster, well then he wanted the whole family to go faster if we got to far ahead of the pack he kept on looking over his shoulder. He was either teasing the Lab or checking where the family was. As this was a loop section we past the same volunteer again and this time he said look he is much better now. Yes he was but if we went any faster he would have to pull his owner up the last hill.

I want to post this ad on the ParkRun Website:

Speedy Dog looking for volunteer runner to run with him. Current owners are too slow. All runners with previous or current first place positions will have the honour of running with Charlie. He might even help you improve your current time.
Look how cute he is:

We did survive but the question is will Charlie get to come again. I am still undecided about that one.
The advantage is that we did try a bit harder and worked up a bit more of a sweat but I am not so sure I enjoyed it or even if the dog did to be honest the other dogs sniffed and did all  the dog usually fun things but Charlie's sole purpose was to go faster where is the fun in that?

To Park Run SA and especially Park Run Boksburg  thanks for helping us get fitter in 2016.

Stay Linked

Kim