diabetes at the pool.

you may remember that one of the lifeguards at the pool we go to has an insulin pump.

we finally got to go to the pool last weekend - and it was lovely. the lifeguard wasn't working, but she was there enjoying the day - with her pink pump on! i never thought my diabetes experience at the pool would branch out farther than seeing her pump while she worked.

a few hours into our stay, a woman came up and asked me if i was wearing a new pump on my arm or a CGM - i explained that it is my dexcom ... as she pulled up her tankini to show me her omnipod on her stomach.

we had a nice little chat about pumps and CGMs along with how it works (or doesn't...) with my pump and how she's considering getting one.

i never would have known that she has diabetes if she didn't approach me - and now i'll always say hi when i see her at the pool.

it's like the real life #doc.

just a note from dr. awesome...

so i had to get some bloodwork double checked because as dr. awesome put it (literally),'that's just weird.'

there are two levels they check with my thyroid bloodwork (at least they did this time); one was normal and one was oddly high.

turns out the high number was a fluke, when they checked it again, it was normal ... highlight of that mail i got - the note he left me on the page:

see, he's that awesome!

keepin' it in the family

i've gotten a few nice messages asking how my dad's doing. obviously great since he went to dr. awesome. ;) AND dad noted that he had never met the doc! my mom went with me to my first appointments when i was diagnosed, and the few that dad went to were with my nurse practitioner (who was fabulous and i was very sad when she moved away). also, dad says dr. awesome gets bonus points for having graduated from the same high school that he did, just four years later.

here's the summary as of now. he might get to have the same thyroid test that i did. and - same thing i was told, it's either graves disease or transient hyperthyroidism.

also, for a few years the family doc has been noting 'diabetic' on his chart with some diabetes-flirty blood glucoses. (diabetes and thyroid issues ... my family shares.) this year that doc decided it's been consistently higher so it was time for treatment. he has been taking metformin since january and is doing well! he recently found out from dr. awesome that he has LADA so he's a part of the club now, we can welcome him to the #doc. :)

that's where he stands and he'll follow up with dr awesome soon. so ya know, we share diseases. it's all good.

...and dad said that dr. awesome lived up to the name i'd given him.

as if there was ever any doubt.

meet dr. awesome!

this morning was my usual endo check up. my a1c is 6.9! i love it when that number begins with a 6. now i'm gonna work on bringing down that .9 part a little bit. my thyroid medicine dosage is also at a good place - didn't have to bump it up, yay!

anyone who reads my blog knows that i love my endocrologist and the people that work in his office. i really appreciate that i get to see an endo that lives with type 1 diabetes. he really 'gets it.' he understands what's going on and he knows what it feels like. we took a few minutes at the end of my appointment today to talk about his career ... and of course, cupcakes.

me: how long have you been an endocrinologist?

dr. awesome: since 1983, 30 years.

me: how long have you worked at this office?

dr. a: I've been with this group for 20 years.

me: what made you want to be an endocrinologist?

dr. a: two things. a lot of people think it was because i have diabetes. during my training there were a few endocrinologists that i was in contact with that i really liked so i got kind of turned on to it. the rest of it sort of fell into place. looking back, i think i'm doing exactly what i was born to do.

me: when were you diagnosed with diabetes?

dr. a: when i was 18. that was one of my high school graduation presents.

me: and you use an insulin pump?

dr. a: yes i do.

me: what is your favorite thing about your job?

dr. a: i love what i do. i'm at the point where people are asking when i'm retiring. i don't ever want to retire - as long as i'm in good health, i won't. i really love what i do.

me: what advice do you have for people living with diabetes - whether they're your patients or not?

dr. a: stay current. pay attention to things. don't get complacent. stay on top of your health but don't let it run your life.

me: what's your go-to treatment for lows?

dr. a: glucose tablets.

me: what if you don't have any with you?

dr. a: juice, coke .. anything with carbs and anything that tastes sweet. but my go-to is glucose tablets. i always have them with me.

me: what's your favorite flavor?

dr. a: grape.

me: what's your favorite kind of cupcake?

dr. a: oh gosh, anything with chocolate! recently i had one that was like carrot cake and it was pretty good too. i love all cupcakes!


imagine that, a person with diabetes who loves cupcakes. :)

without further ado, i'm revealing his true identity! you know him as dr. awesome, allow me to introduce you to the one and only, dr. fred williams!

with my favorite endo

the color run!

we did it! there was very little running involved (i did jog through the first color station, which was not a great choice because it made my legs hurt).

it was tons of fun, i'd do it again for sure!

the big question everyone wanted to know about ... did the sweatband wrapped around my dexcom sensor work to keep it clean?

before:

on my left arm ... not a longer sleeve. cut open wristband to cover my sensor!

after: 

covered in color! 

all clean!

it worked like a charm, didn't slip off, didn't have any condensation like the plastic wrap i used for the mud run. i'd say it was a success! and i'll be keeping that wristband for any future color runs i might decide to participate in. :) 

my team!

the unicorn. runicorn. for real. 

runicorn!

my team throwin' colors

mom ran the 5k, then walked back to find us and walked half of it again! 

i highly recommend doing this 5k!