Drill Sargeant

At the end of July, I got a letter in the mail about a recall from my pump manufacturer of all of the infusion sets I have been using.
The issue was when there was rapid elevation change and the resulting change in air pressure would cause a malfunction in the vent of the infusion set. WHAT?!?

You mean Ragnar wasn't all my fault??!!??--Remember my Ragnar Relay post where I was having huge problems with my sugar levels while I was running that 188 mile relay race? Yes! It wasn't all my fault...

I didn't even know that the infusion sets had to have vents and hadn't even thought about how exactly my pump works. I guess that is another example of using technology that I have no idea how it works but I just know it does and there is someone out there smarter than me who thought of all this--amazing to say the least.

So apparently, when there was a change in air pressure the infusion set would malfunction and I would get more insulin than I input into the pump or I would get less insulin than I input--kinda sounds like I might just want to rethink the whole pump vs. multiple shot daily regimen because I think that would never happen with a shot.

And the March goes on, and on; and on; and on.....

So I haven't posted since January 11: Wow: I haven't taken the time to even think about blogging. I have been focusing so much on running, helping put together a team for the Ragnar Relay and my diabetes that I haven't even thought about my blog. Thanks Debbie for leaving a comment on my last post. You should check out her blog: it is hilarious. I have it bookmarked in my folder called : Hilarious....

So I have been having some interesting results with the running. I got a GPS for Christmas and have been logging the miles on it; and checking my pace, and trying to time my run/walk/run sequence; etc,
but I am getting frustrated because I can't run as far or as fast as I see myself running in my head.

I have this sunny day, blue skies picture in my head where I am out on the road in this totally hip running outfit with shoes that are totally new but still very well broken-in; just running and running and running and I am not even tired.

That is so totally not me right now and I am beginning to wonder if that ever will be me; I am too impatient with myself, I guess.

Where else would I want to spill my deep down desires but the World Wide Web where there is no privacy-ever?

The thing that has really been bugging me about running and diabetes is if my Blood Sugars are not under 200--I will be higher, not lower, after giving insulin at 1/2 the recommended rate and then running for 8 miles or some other ridiculously high number like that--it is ridiculous to me because I am a beginner but I am working on being able to run 30miles so I am really worried about what my blood sugars are going to do. I can just see myself getting back from a particularly stressful long run of about 15 miles or so and I am not over 200 or 300 but over 500: THAT really scares me--I thought running or exercising was supposed to help my body metabolize the sugar faster and better not the other way around.

I guess a chat with the doctor will have to suffice for this dilemma. I just expected to have problems on the other end of the spectrum: having alot of low blood sugars, not high...........

Back up and Running

Is there ever a way to be back to normal? What is normal anyway?

I have been dealing with an infection on one of my toes. It started out as a hangnail that I just pulled off.
A week later it got infected and then I had to go through two rounds of Antibiotics and putting antibiotic cream on it twice a day. The doctor also ordered X-rays to rule out an infection in the bone. That kind of scared me because who knew how soon it would heal if the infection was there. He said I was doing the right things but the bacteria were just hanging on. 100.00 worth of X-rays later and I found out that day that my bones are clean and there is no infection.

I had almost given up hope that it would ever heal because I have to keep it covered to keep the germs and dirt away and every night, I would look at it and despair of it ever having that completely healed look. Thanks heaven I am almost out of the woods on this one.

It has now been two months, and a lost toenail later that I think it has finally healed. There is no more pain and that is all I can hope for. At least I can still feel my feet.

Since I have been going through this, I haven't been able to wear my normal shoe: a Saucony Running Shoe because they are the most comfortable shoes on the planet in my opinion.

I signed up to run a 5K on Thanksgiving morning and then found out just yesterday that I haven't completed the sign up process. So I can back out if I want to: but I won't because my goal is to run a marathon. I think a 5K is a good start but I am a little nervous because all the time I could have been spending on training has been spent on healing. I will go out tomorrow on my long run and see if I can run 3 miles. I can't actually run more than a few blocks in a row right now but I am going to be working on building my endurance and using Jeff Galloway's Walk-Run routine seems like the best way to run without injury.

I just finished reading Jeff Galloway's Book on Running and he saved the injury section for last. I think it was because the description of them, not to mention the pain involved would talk me out of running in an instant. He spends the entire book educating you how to run so you don't get injured and encouraging you that it is within your reach and then gives the bad news at the end.

I wasn't fazed -That Much-- I really want control of my diabetes and I feel this is the way to get it and get all of the benefits of running combined. Plus I don't like taking insulin and I would love if I could reduce my habit to almost zero. That is control in my book.

I also want to live to see my kids grow up and graduate, go to college, get married, go on missions, etc. I won't be able to do that if I don't get a handle on this Diabetes thing.

I am just working out how I will control my blood sugars in a marathon or any other race for that matter. I tend to use all of my sugar and am more sensitive to the insulin than when I am not exercising. I wouldn't want that to happen while I am running. I don't think I have seen a drunk sailor running and that is what I would look like with low blood sugars if I don't collapse altogether.