Branding Day 2010

I wasn't going to go to branding day this year. The plan was for me to fly to Louisiana this last weekend because it was my first weekend without soccer. We had finished our post season and so I had some time on my hands. Of course if I have time that means that Chad has to work. So I stayed home and let Emily and Dan convince me to head up to the PX Ranch. It wasn't that I didn't want to go I have enjoyed it in years past but this year I was feeling a bit more cautious. Not because I am getting married and have a lot to live for, even though that is a good reason, it is because I am connected to tubes and sensors. I was worried about my equipment. I love my pump and don't want to be separated from it for an extended period. Chad/Dad/Mom/Emily said I could just watch and not help. I don't think I have it in me to watch. If I ever get to old to help I just won't go. So I suspended and removed my pump, just like I was taking a super long shower or swimming, and wrapped my sensor with padding and went for it.
We had a smaller crowd this year but outside of Emily they all have experience with branding day. Which helped. The calves were bigger, the white faced cows were evil and the bulls were very cooperative.I helped with working the calves and that went pretty much as was expected. Since they were bigger it took more man power to bring them down. After we finished with the calves we took a rain delay, ate donuts and then headed out to the cows. They were looking for a volunteer to tag the cows. I volunteered. It was very very nerve racking. These things have necks that can kill/maim. True they are stuck in the squeeze chute but they aren't happy to be there. My Uncle Ken would cut off the old tags and I would either punch the new tags into old holes or if the old tag was on the wrong side I would give them a new piercing. Anyone who knows of anyone who would like gauges in their ears are welcome to direct them to me. I am what I would consider and expert. I did around 60 cows and 2 bulls so a teenager would be a cake walk.I have a sequence of picture to follow that I will post but first let me describe the scenario. We had done about 19 cows (since the Bull was #20) and I wasn't feeling super confident but I was doing pretty good considering, the bulls had been extremely calm up to this point and even when he was in the chute he didn't cause a problem. Bulls unlike cows have bigger necks then heads. This was a fact I didn't realize when going to tag my friend, the bull. As you can see from the following pictures. I prepared, grabbed the ear, placed the contraption over his ear, I squeezed the contraption, heard the tell tale click and then the bull decided to take the contraption from me. My Mom took the picture right when he yanked it from me. That is fear/terror/etc. on my face. It all turned out well in the end. He was tagged, I retrieved my contraption and I did many, many more. :)


All in all it was a dirty, sweaty, fun day. Oh and on Sunday I ate fillet minion. I can't wait to eat #32 or #89 next year!

Pictures on Picasa.

My new addition.

So almost a month ago I received the call I have been waiting for. My pump was at the U of U diabetes clinic waiting for me to come get it.I wonder if this is how people feel when they are waiting to adopt a baby? There was just so much relief when after all of the insurance papers, phone calls, money, stress and time. Finally my new constant companion was coming home!

The best part was that my CGM (continuous glucose monitor) had also arrive earlier than anticipated! So I guess it was like adopting twins! Twins that make your life easier which is probably some sort of oxymoron.

I went and saw Dez and like normal I had two lovely pharmacy interns doing their rotation in endocrinology and so they got to sit in on the show. I guess I could say no but I think the more people have to see what it is like the more understanding is spread around. They were able to put on demo pumps while I did. They just watched as I put in my CGM. Those are a bit too expensive to demo.My appointment was at 9am so I thought I would put it in and be off. Not the case. They HAVE to (for insurance reasons) go over every button/function/noise that could happen with the pump/CGM. 4 hours later I was all connected and my life as a part bionic woman commenced!

My pump is smaller than the one I demo-ed. It is the newest one on the market which is one of the reasons it took so long to get; it was on back order and once the new one made it past the FDA they stopped selling the old ones. I chose the color smoke. Which actually led to some controversy up at the U with Dez and the interns. They said they would all have gotten pink or purple. I said that I wanted on to blend in. They said I should want it to stand out. I told them I was hoping I would be confused with a doctor with a really old school pager. Then they understood, I am not yet ready for the world to label me diabetic by the thing that is attached to my hip.

My pump is a MiniMed 522. It holds up to 180 units of insulin. Which means I change my insert site every 3-4 days depending on my insulin intake. My CGM is also by Medtronic and I can't tell you how much I love it. There aren't words to describe. Just like real love it hurts sometimes and also gets sticky and makes me bleed. Well I guess love doesn't make me bleed... I might be confusing that with something else... I just don't know what.My CGM is suppose to get changed every 3 days but Dez said every 6 or so is fine. Thank goodness because I don't think I could handle it I have only had it a month and so inserting it is still a bit nerve racking.

So this morning I had to change my pump site and I had a freak out moment. After I inserted the reservoir I pushed the button to fill the tubing and see if there was any kinks or other problems with insulin delivery before I put it in my body. The pump started to vibrate and read NO DELIVERY. I panicked pulled out the huge manual and found the page with that troubleshooting message. Turns out I just needed to pull out the reservoir and re-rewind (if you can do that) the pump and start over. Not a big deal. So far that and accidentally pulling out my site from my leg have been my only problems.

I always worry that I am going to mess it up and somehow die. I know, extreme. So I don't even know if Chad knows this but I usually start to have a conversation by text before I start switching sites because then if I don't answer after a while he will call and if I don't answer eventually he will call someone to check on me. I am a thinker. :)

So there are many parts to my pump and CGM. I think I will walk you through it in pictures.

People always seem to want to understand how the sites go in me but seem to nervous to ask. Maybe they don't like needles or maybe they think it is personal. I have had, in total, just at my doctors alone 4 interns 2 male 2 female and Dez watch me do insert sites. So if anyone is around when I am doing it feel free to stay and watch. Lately I have been putting my CGM on the top of my bum so maybe just the pump site would be best...

This is what my counter looked like the first time I switched out my sites. There are a lot of parts involved. Too many maybe...
This is what I need to start my insulin pump site change. This is my insulin vial and the blue piece has a needle that you put in the top of the vial then push the plunger and fill up the reservoir with insulin and the twist the blue part off and the plunger also twists off. Leaving...I hook the tubing to the reservoir the tubing then gets put in the thing that helps me stab myself like so...
So the thing rests on my skin I push the button down it pushed the needle into my skin and the sticky stuff presses on the outside.
This is what is left after I pull the big blue thing off. This blue thing is the needle!! I pull that out and these are what are left.

After that I am ready to bolus (give insulin). Onto my CGM...

This is the charger that my CGM transmitter (the thing that looks like a seashell) hooks to. I leave it on there for about 20 minutes before I hook it to the site.


This is the device I hook the needle to and then pull the spring back and push the top button to have it stick in my skin.
After the site is in I pull the needle out. It is a much smaller gauge (which means bigger) than the other site. The needle goes in on a 45- 60 degree angle so not straight in. This is what the site looks like before I hook the transmitter to it. It does bleed a little bit every time but that is totally normal.
This is what the whole unit looks like. It gets covered with a tape like film that keeps it stuck to me. This whole unit is waterproof. I can shower, swim or fall in a lake with this stuck to me and it will be fine. The pump is water resistant. So splash proof. I have to unhook it to shower, swim or fall in a lake.
I'm not planning on falling in a lake. :)

So diabetes has always been time consuming. Now it is space consuming! This is my drawer unit of diabetic supplies. Of course the insulin in in the fridge. I just wish all my receipts and insurance papers would fit in here too!! Sorry Chad, looks like I am coming into this with lots of baggage. :)

FYI

So I have been slacking. Really slacking. Not in life but in blogging.

Life has been busy. I have had a birthday and new additions to my family (my MiniMed/CGM) and soccer galore! Also Chad was able to come out and Cami took some pictures for us.

She (Cami) probably isn't going to like me advertising but the originals of our favorites are on my Picasa site. The reason I say that is because Cami is a photo shop genius and hasn't had a chance to play with them yet. So don't judge them harshly. Also Chad said he would never do that again. Even if I die and he gets remarried they won't take engagement photos. It's funny because I have tons of pictures of Chad. I guess surprising him and taking them is different than posing.

So you can check those out. Let me know what you think.

I will be blogging about my funniest birthday present and my new additions and of course soccer soon. Forgive me for my craziness and my absenteeism. I will do better.

:)

Out like a Lion.

Today the West Ridge Soccer teams were suppose to play ICS. The games were cancelled due to the weather. I guess they have so much snow you can't even get to the field. The irony is that their mascot is the lion. You would think they planned this to get more playing time. :)
I am not really complaining. When I woke up and there was already an inch on the ground the idea of standing on the sidelines for 90+ minutes did not thrill me. Not that I want a make up game or that I didn't want them to play but I just didn't want to freeze.

Soccer has been a real struggle for me. Coaching volleyball wasn't too bad. If the girls weren't good I could always blame it on my lack of knowledge since we were learning together. Soccer I can't do that with. I can play soccer. I did play soccer. Mat and I have taught them soccer. When they struggle I struggle. I just want to do it for them. I have had some real eye opening moments. First I don't think I can handle being a parent and not rescue my children. Second I don't want to coach for a living. My blood sugar couldn't handle it.

I love the girls. I love soccer. I love watching them learn. I just have a hard time remembering that the majority of my girls never played soccer and when I was playing my 3rd game ever I wasn't very good. Granted I was in elementary school but still not very good.

So I will be grateful for the snow day and our indoor practice.

Our record is 1-1-1 Not bad. Pretty even across the board. :)

A jar of peanut butter.

I have a jar of peanut butter that I would call on the large side (64oz). It is Skippy and it is only Skippy because I haven't be able to find the huge tubs of Peter Pan peanut butter that I use to eat.

This particular jar of peanut butter was purchased when I went to California on the 24th of February. I had run out of the last jar and if you have been around when I get low I tend to crave peanut butter. Crave might be a mild form of what I feel about the creamy goodness when my blood sugar drops.

This morning I woke up about 4:51. This isn't like waking up in the morning and slowly coming to a conscious state. I am automatically awake. This of course means my blood sugar is low. I go to the fridge grab a juice box, put the straw in and ten seconds later it is gone. This of course is never enough to satisfy the starving feeling that low blood sugar gives and so I go the next thing my brain/blood wants, peanut butter. This is all well and good because in 2 Tablespoons it only has 7 grams of carbohydrates and so tends to not do much to the blood sugar. That is if I limit myself to 2 Tablespoons or maybe 4 at most.

I don't think I know how to limit myself.


This morning when I actually got up about 8:30 (I don't work until 10:15) I decided to make some peanut butter toast for breakfast. (Yes I do eat peanut butter at all meals and snacks and at random weird times.) I opened my jar of peanut butter and realized first, last night I actually ate my peanut butter with a fork and second, it was almost gone.

In less then a month and by myself I had consumed a whole jar of peanut butter. I was joking with the girls the other day about how in my sleep I probably consume more calories then when I am awake and that is why I can't lose weight. I was kidding then but it just might be true.

HORRIFIC. I don't think I am going to replace this jar of peanut butter. It is time to go cold turkey. I thought my skin was getting a little bit of color from being outside with soccer now I think the peanut butter has changed the pigment in my skin.

I need help. As a side note if anyone is in Sam's or Costco and see the big jar of Peter Pan peanut butter I will will pay you back. Just don't give it to me until after my wedding or do. Or don't. I really need help.

In case anyone is wondering how many calories or grams of fat I have consumed in peanut butter alone I have included the nutritional facts. Please don't judge me.


One good thing is that my A1C is down to a 7.7 that is .2% lower than 3 months ago.

To be young again.

Last night I laid in bed thinking of all these things I NEED to do. The lists seemed endless, impossible and sent me into a whirlwind that ended in meds for my earache and sugar for my blood. Finally around 12 I put in Emma and fell asleep doing dialog along with the actors until I fell asleep. (I know it is sad that I have that movie memorized but it does help me sleep).

When I woke up this morning I really expected to feel awful. I didn't. I wasn't happy with the snow but that is melted now. I even felt like exercising. So I did. I thought after last week/Mondays 4 5k's I would be too sore or tired. Jillian did kick my butt but it was worth it.

I would love to go back to childhood and fall asleep at 8pm wake up at 6 am and watch cartoons while everyone else worried about my future diseases, education, employment, housing, eternal salvation, etc. etc.

On Sunday Eric and Kari hosted the family dinner and we went across the street to a little park with swings and a slide. I am telling you these kids are having so much fun. I remember feeling that free. Only recess and lunch mattered. Oh to be young again.

(Eric, Kari, Cami, Emily and Mom the album with all of the pictures is on Picasa)

100 Days

100 days until Chad and I get married.

It seems so close and so far at the same time. Lyndsie told me that I have a lot done already and while I tend to agree I worry that I will forget something/someone important in my planning.

100 days until I have a new last name.

100 days until I am no longer single.

100 days until Sugar has two parents. :)

100 days until my commitment to move to Louisiana can't be taken back. (At least not easily)

100 days until Chad is stuck with me forever.

100 days...

I can't wait.

One of the reason I can't wait is because Chad is awesome. The other day at work Wendy at the front desk called and said I had a box at the front. That isn't unusual I always have office orders, soccer stuff, etc coming through. When I went up there Wendy had a big ole' grin and handed me a box of roses. She said, "I bet I know who those are from." I responded, "Yeah." I then turned bright red and hid the box under my desk at work. Yes I was embarrassed but more than that I don't want the boys to make fun of me. I can't show them weakness. :)

I love that Chad does stuff like this. He didn't have to. I know that he loves me. I just glad that he sends me flowers because he likes me.

The best part about these flowers were the amount. There were so many. First I had them in the same vase (that they came in) but yesterday I divided them into 3 vases. A single rose for my bedroom and two other vases one for the kitchen one for my living area. I am spoiled.

Pretty huh?