Saturday, April 4, 2015

I Like New Drugs and I Cannot Lie

YOU GUYS!

Seriously - GUYS!!!!!  This week, brought to you by Invokana.

I'm on a new drug.  (One that makes me feeeel, like I feel when I'm with yoooooouuuuuuuuu....)

This is Huey Lewis.  Because I'm old.


And I have been on this new drug for exactly one week.  I started it on a weekend so in case it brought on a bunch of new lows or something, it wouldn't happen while I was driving on I-10.  Safety first.  (You can dance if you want to...)



Let's look at the difference, shall we?

Ok, so I have the current week and all the weeks before.  Let's keep in mind that I knew my doctor's appointment was coming and so I have been busting my butt trying to keep things in range.    

Average Blood Glucose last week: 158.  
The week before that? 162.
 Before that?  174.
And before THAT it was 193 - you can see the effect butt busting has on my sugars.

Average Blood Glucose this week? 139.

This includes literally no exercise and munching of Frosted Mini Wheats by the handful without bolusing.  Like I say, I don't see the doctor for four months, I can relax a little.  (Which is terrible, feel free to judge me harshly for said attitude.)



And the number I care a lot about, and if you have a Dexcom, you will know about this.

My Average Standard Deviation -this shows basically how big the swings are - for example - a SD of 50 means your average might be 100, but you are swinging between 50 and 150 to get it.  Make sense?  So....smaller is better.  Means tighter control.  Less impact on your body.  Less "roller coaster".





Average SD last week: 43.
Week before that: 54
Before that: 61
You see where I'm going with this?

Average SD this week? 39.

That is AWESOME.  Below 40 is super hard to get. And again - with no change in diet, exercise, stress, any of those bug a boos that attack your sugars so dreadfully.  What I did change?  My I:C ratio.  I upped it to avoid lows.

So an average blood glucose of 139 with a less than 40 SD?  Means I am seeing a LOT more numbers in my target range.  A LOT,  In fact, almost ALL OF THEM.  (but not QUITE all, because I still have diabetes).

So to go from an average of 174 with a SD of 61 (so basically 113 to 235) to 139 with 39 (so 100 to 178) with the addition of one pill is spectacularly awesome. I used to hit that 200 beeping range on Dex multiple times a day.  Now if I hear it once a day, I know it'll only be there shortly, and I have far more "no hitters" than I ever did.

Also, did I mention that I changed my ratio from 1:12 to 1:20 - based on recommendations from my endo that I might go low if I don't?  Did I mention that 100% in range fasting numbers - and the straight lines on my graph as I wake up and look at my night?  No?  Well, I'm mentioning them now.

Am I off the pump?  Of course not.  Do I still count carbs?  You betcha.  Do I grab random snacks and worry a lot less?  I do.  Do I pee more?  YES.  Is it worth it?  YES.




See how often I'm in target range?  And this is with a high target set at 160.  If I change it to 180, literally 10% is out of range.

Have I gushed enough?  This post is getting long.

Do you know what this feels like?  I will tell you.....

HONEYMOONING.

And it's still too early to say, I don't know if your body gets "used to" this drug or not, but a drug that gives you your honeymoon back?  I'm in!
ht: diabetes mine