Let's Just Hope the Insulin's Still Good, Yes? Also, Warthogs.

So, I went low last week. The only thing I could think of is maybe it was due to a "training run" I did for a 5K that my daughter is doing, and I'm supposed to do it with her. I'm still not 100% sure I will participate in it - running completely baffles me. If there is anything more dull than putting one foot in front of the other for long periods of time, I don't know what it is. Possibly studying the brain chemistry of warthogs. That seems like it would be fairly boring.

OK, so last night I had another "training run" and let me tell you, training with super nice people who are still 1000 times better than you at running is not fun. It's kind of humiliating, but hey, what's life without a little humiliation? (Answer: fun.) (Note: I know these people are not thinking less of me. They know I'm a beginner. It's still mortifying.) I was super freaked out about going low, though, so I cut my bolus in half before eating a small dinner, and then ate a larger meal afterwards.

Of course, it was then that I nothiced the needles I stuck in my kit were gone, so it's highly possible that a few unused insulin needles fell out of my kit on the run, and now the people in that neighborhood are going to think heroin addicts are abundant in their streets, and leaving their crap everywhere. Sorry, peeps.

Finger prick at 2 a.m. : 256. Well, if the mission was "not going low" then I get a gold star. Platinum. I should probably be more specific in my mission statements.

In other news: Today begins the use of some insulin that showed up mail order and sat on my porch for a day and a half in the scorching sun while I was gone for the weekend. I love insurance companies and the hoops they make you jump through to get your meds paid for. They're so awesome and willing to work with you too. (What do you mean you don't want Humalog? Don't you know it's CHEAPER!?)

So we shall see if the boluses work, (bolusi? bolus's? How do you pluralize this word?) or if I have to pay out of pocket for insulin so I don't, you know, die. Did I mention it was 3 month's supply of both Lantus and Novolog? (I still have an effective bottle of Lantus. I don't know why I have more Lantus. I probably dropped a Novolog or something).

The thought of paying out of pocket for 6 bottles of insulin that are all over 100 bucks each, when I already met my $4000 deductible makes me want to jump for joy over how much I must be helping the economy. Think of the jobs I'm saving!!!!

Yes, I'm grateful I have insurance. Can you get them to pay if the mail order destroyed your stuff? Because I can't seem to.

Nope. Nothing quite like it.

Nothing like a low blood sugar in the shower to make you think "Boy am I glad I exercised!" There's also nothing quite like it to make you rethink the necessity of leg-shaving and hair-conditioning, and get you to run through the house naked to get to the kitchen for those graham crackers spread with dark chocolate that you bought in a moment of weakness at Costco. Oh, and some milk.

I really love dark chocolate. It goes well with Diet Dr. Pepper.

Went to the dentist yesterday. I decided to pretend I was just a mannequin in a training exercise - "are you OK? Somebody call 911 - are you OK?" since that's basically how I was treated, with that stupid air thing left in my mouth as the hygienists chatted with another. But hey, my teeth are still doing fine. That office can't decide if they do x-rays every 6 months or once a year. They change their minds every time I go in. (No you don't need summer x-rays, OF COURSE you need summer x-rays.) Oh, the places we go because our insurance covers them. I don't feel like they're incompetent, I think it's more of a "right hand doesn't talk to the left hand" kind of thing, and I don't love it there, but hey, who loves the dentist? And seriously, can't beat a five dollar co-pay for these visits.

And on that note, I do believe I will go and finish re-reading Harry Potter 7, and maybe I will bolus for some of that dark chocolate-y graham goodness. Yes, I believe I will.

Dream A Little Dream

I've really been getting into this whole exercise thing lately, and Jillian Michaels has been on my TV a lot. Last night I tried her "yoga meltdown" which was less "breathe and stretch, just go as far as you can" and was more "Rep it out! Come on! You can do this! Sun salutations - FASTER!" which was a little jarring when it wasn't what I was expecting. It was still a good workout, though, and hey, expectations can shift. It's all good.

Except then last night I was dreaming that I was hiking with Jillian and some other nameless, faceless people, when we reached our destination and I asked Jillian for some juice because I was shaking pretty badly and thought I was going hypo. She of course reached for the juice, and poured me a glass, but I couldn't get to it, because, you know, it was a dream. Since I couldn't get the juice, I tried to get to the candy in my pocket, but it too was not cooperating. (You know those dreams where you have to pee in your dream, but you can't go? It was like that.) Then I woke up. I wasn't still shaking, but my heart was racing, and I thought I had better check my sugars just in case my body was sending me a message. Yep. 60s. This time the candy was available, though, so that was comforting.

This is the second time I've had a dream when I'm low. I wonder if that happens often to other people.

So - doing a hard workout before bed - not the best idea in the world. I often do yoga at night, it's very relaxing, but I suppose I'll have to stick with the calming, soothing kind. Jillian can wait until morning.

Warning. May Cause....

(Back to 10 units of Lantus. That lasted a week. I really think the z pack lowered my sugars. I have no other explanation.)

Years ago, I heard a famous nutritionist (I know he was famous because it was on TV) - I can't remember his name - say something to the effect of "if the benefits of exercise could be put into a pill, it would be the most prescribed medication of all time. Just think of it as a pill that takes 10 minutes to take." (or something to that effect.)

So, like any medication, exercise has its side effects. And so, I give you the small print:

Side effects of this medication may include, but are not limited to:

- increased thirst
- increased hunger
- weight loss
- weight gain
- fatigue
- irritability
- lowered blood sugars
- raised blood sugars
- muscle pain
- joint pain
- injury
- dehydration
- nausea
- increased sense of "self-righteousness"
- homicidal thoughts, often directed towards the trainer
- may induce thoughts of entering "marathons"

Please be aware that all of these side effects are considered "normal" and you should continue to take this medication as dierected - i.e. every day for the rest of your life.

Wouldn't it be great if they had to list these on commercials for gym equipment/memberships and exercise DVD's the way they have to for all the medications they promote? Nobody would do a leg lift ever again.

Things That Make Me Say "Ouch"

I got my pneumonia shot (finally!) on Saturday. It still hurts. That was one heck of a needle, too. I had no idea.

My new exercise "regime" is to do something every day so that I'm a little bit sore the next day, just to remind myself that I'm alive, and I did something good for my body. Does being sore from the shot count? I'm going with "yes." (and "no.")

The only problem with the exercise "plan" is that I'm having to do more and more in order to feel the effects, and I try not to think about how eerily similar that is to alcohol/drug tolerance.

I guess it's good because it means I'm getting stronger, and it makes me work separate areas of my body, but it's bad because well, exercise isn't all that fun to do, even if it DOES actually make you feel better afterwards and helps your sugars.

And on that note, I have a DVD to work out to before the kids get home from school. Since my arm hurts, I think I'll do the ab portion. It has never failed yet to get me sore.