Sunday, October 25, 2009

Dexcom Success!!

I just got like 17 or 18 days out of a Dexcom sensor! WOO! I have no clue how I managed that one, must have just had the perfect place, but YAY!!

Super stressed at the moment since we have a really tough exam tomorrow (respiratory acidosis and alkalosis, etc.) so I'm not going to post anymore... going to get back to studying.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

I Failed!

Sorry for slacking off for so long there guys! Nursing school got the best of me. This semester is CRAZY!! Anyway, I'm going to try to do better now.

News: I am now on the OmniPod full time, for good (I think) and LOVING it! I am also now using the Dexcom 7+. The 7+ is SO much better than the original 7 system. They say the range is something like 5 or 10 feet or so... well, I can have my Dexcom receiver sitting in the kitchen, go upstairs in my room, and it'll still be getting info. It also seems to be far more accurate than the 7 system. I am very happy with my Bionic-ness now. I have been referring to myself as the bionic woman since I have the pod attached to me, as well as the Dexcom sensor. I also then have the receiver of the Dexcom with me all the time, and I have the OmniPod PDM. I'm all techno. with diabetes, if only in that part of my life.

I wanted to publicly congratulate Kerri Sparling of www.sixuntilme.com for having a cute little potbelly containing BabySparl. She and Chris are going to make AMAZING parents, I can just tell. I had the privilege of meeting Kerri at the CWD Friends For Life Conference in July at Disney, and she's just wonderful. I only talked to her a couple times, only briefly, and I doubt she even remembers me, but I am a huge fan, and I consider her a friend. Kerri... if you are reasing this, I want you to know that you have helped to inspire me to wrangle in my diabetes and my blood sugars NOW so that when I am married and ready to have a potbelly of my own (sontaining a baby, not just pudge) that I'm all ready to go! I am really trying to stay on top of numbers lately, but man... with the stresses of nursing school and endlessly searching for a job... wow... stress + blood sugars = YIKES!!

On another topic... in class a week or 2 ago, we were learning all about diabetes *yawn*. My teacher asked me to interject thoughts, corrections, etc. abotu being a person with diabetes for the past 15+ years. I think I pissed her off when I corrected her saying that there were 4 types of insulins... Regular, NPH, Lantus, Lente... umm... well, how about Humalog, Novolog, Apidra, Levemir, Ultralente.... not sure if I'm missing any others in there or not but WAY more than 4 kinds of insulin!! When we finished up lab and were in lecture, she was annoyed, I could tell. She then started talking about a hypothetical scenario while staring me down the entire time since she knows I have diabetes. This is what she said... "So, let's pretend you're a nurse who happens to have diabetes. Your patient codes, but your blood sugar's low. Your patient is DYING. What do you do?!" I whipped out my Dexcom and quipped in with some comment along the lines of "Well, that's why I have THIS - so that won't happen!" Then Instructor witch lady comes back with, "Maybe nursing isn't the best field for a person like that" meaning me... because I have diabetes! I am fuming just remembering it. I was ready to jump across the table and punch her in the face. I went home that day and was shaking, crying, and so peeved I didn't know what to think, do, anything.... GGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I am not generally a person who lets stupid people get to her..... I really don't let much get to me. I am a sensitive person, but I control my emotions, I hold stuff in (not super healthy, I know). How do you get over a comment like that? I have wanted to be a nurse since I was little... bitty little. I have never had a high or low I couldn't handle myself. I have never passed out from anything. I am super cautious when at work, especially when it comes to patient contact and procedures. I know in my heart I can be a nurse and I will be a nurse, but her words are still hurting, and making me question the what-ifs about being a nurse with diabetes. How do you get over something like that where someone basically tells you that you can't live out your life's dream?