Just want to share the news I am officially getting a PUMP!! I am a little nervous since my last one tried to kill me but I am excited to try it again. I am really tired of taking at least 5 shots a day and doing this for 11 years really does take its toll. So I am starting the process of getting an Animas Ping =)

Diabetics deserve extra credit

So I have been in school for quite some time now and 11 of those years I have been a type 1 diabetic. I went though all of my high school and college years with this disease. In high school my parents set up a 504 plan for me and they would have a meeting with all of my teachers every year to go over my care. Teachers would listen as my mom would proceed to cry and try to scare the shit out of them. Most of the time it worked and they would let me get away with murder for fear of waking up the diabetes beast and something happen to me. Now I did have a few teachers that thought they knew better and would change my lunch, make me eat my snack in the hallway, or let me wander off by myself to the nurse when I was low and my diabetes beast would rear its ugly head and would show them who was boss. Yeah I scared all of my teachers and principals in high school by passing out or having other weird diabetish things happen. Now at that time I took NPH and Regular insulin and it was terrible. Well I finally went onto Lantis and Novolog and I have not passed out since (well except when my pump dumped all its resevoir on me but that is a story for another time).

But since I had these experiences in high school when I entered college I took it on my self to make sure it be known I am diabetic. So every semester when I enter a class I walk up to my professor and tell them "Hi my name is Kendyl and I am a type 1 diabetic so during this semester I may have to eat or take a shot in the middle of class. I just want to make sure you are aware." Most of them do not care and do not understand anything about it and they will take no time to understand it but I don't expect them to. Most of them will ask a few questions like symptoms, and how long I have had it. I will tell them the symptoms to look for and tell them I have had it for 11 years. They then think well she has had it long enough she has her shit together. Most of the time that is true but what they do not understand that sometimes I don't and this is why I think diabetics deserve extra credit.

Now I know some people think well thats not fair to non diabetics if diabetics get extra credit and I say to that well its not fair your pancreas secretes insulin. Now the other thing is non diabetics can use 100% of their thinking for taking a test, writing a paper, pay attention in class while a diabetic can not put 100% into class because I am constantly  thinking ok what is my blood sugar, how many carbs was that, did I take enough insulin, why the hell did I go low/high, am I getting sick and the list goes on and on and on. And then you add on stress because stress does crazy things to sugars. So for instance finals week I have been studying like crazy, finishing up 6 papers (which one prof sprung on us TUESDAY), and then taking the tests. What has my BGs been this week INSANE I go from high to low, high to low and all for no damn reason. By the end of finals week I am pulling out my hair and crying in a corner and its all because of stress. And when my BGs are so terrible I literally can not think; my memory is shot and I am starving. When I am high my head and stomach kills me, I am exhausted, thirsty and peeing every 30 minutes. When I am low the room spins and I can not make anything make sense. When my blood sugars are like this how can I be expected to do well on tests?

So these are the reasons diabetics deserve extra credit

Dawn Phenomenon

So like I mentioned earlier I went to the endo Friday. Well my A1C was 7.2 not exactly great but not horrible either. It has been creeping up for some time. Part of the problem is my horrible lows around 2:30-3 in the am. In which I wake up and know I am low because for one I am sweating HORRIBLY like to the point I have to change cloths, two I was drooling pretty bad, and three I am awake. I then proceed to eat everything I can get my hands on. Stephen usually wakes up in the morning  to what looks like a tornado has gone through our kitchen and our bed covered in crumbs and wrappers. It is not a pretty site and usually means the kitchen was basically turned upside down and there is no longer food in the house because if you have ever gone low then you know EVERYTHING taste amazing! I am serious I will eat things I absolutely hate when I am low and that includes some very odd food combinations sometimes good sometimes very very bad (but it taste amazing at the time). I am talking like fruit snacks dipped in peanut butter, tomatoes dipped in peanut butter, when I am low I basically dip anything in peanut butter and it taste like heaven. So after nights like this where I have been turned into a zombie and go on eating rampages my sugars in the morning are around 250 and the rest of the day just seems to be shot.
Dr. R said this is the dawn phenomenon. And so because of this he said we have 2 choices first one being I take NPH at night instead of my Lantus (I split my Lantus) or the dreaded pump. Now I say dreaded because I have a pretty bad history with pumps and well electronics in total. I really do not want to be on 3 insulins so I guess I maybe looking into pumps again. Wish me luck because I am sure you all know insurance companies suck and I am sure this is going to be a battle.

Finding an endo

After I got married I had to find a new endocrinologist. I was very upset about this because I loved my old endo. My hometown did not have any endos so people would usually have to drive to Little Rock, Dallas, Shreveport or Tyler. A friend of my moms told my mom about her sons endo and even offered to give us their appointment after I was diagnosed. So I started going to Dr. R and I loved her she was awesome. She was so easy to get a hold of and she really cared about her patients. Well I went off to college and that was 5 hours from her but I continued to go to her because she was my endo I liked and felt comfortable with her. But, when I got married my husbands insurance did not cover Dr. R. So then I had to search out an endo and go through the long process! This was the biggest pain in the ass EVER!
So I asked all my type 1 friends who they liked and then I had to go to my GP to get referred or insurance wouldn't cover the appointment (don't get me started on insurance). So first I tried a endo at UAMS. I did not like her from almost the beginning. When I went in to the appointment I had a sinus infection and I though hey while I am there she could give me a z-pack or something so then I don't have to make an appointment with my GP. I told her what was going on and she told me "I only deal with diabetes". Well lady this sinus infection is affecting my DIABETES! Then after the appointment whenever I would have blood sugar issues (like I was going low at night EVERY night) I could never get ahold of her; she would never return calls, emails, nothing! I just didn't get the feeling that she cared about me at all, not like my other endo made me feel. Dr. R would listen to me and my feelings. This new endo just did not care.
I made the decision after only two appointments I was NOT going back to that endo! I then again went about finding a new endo, getting referrals and everything. Well a parent at the school my mom works at is a type 1 and she recommended the clinic I am at now. This new doctor is awesome. He actually listens to me! He is up to date on all the new things diabetes related and he will even write me scripts for antibiotics when I am sick!! He has never told me "I only treat diabetes". I feel like he actually cares about me. So when trying to find a doctor, ask your friends, and if you don't feel comfortable with your doctor FIND A NEW ONE! Your doctor should make you feel like you are a person not like just another patient.
The reason for this post I went to the endo last Friday and I will write about that appointment later this week.

My Story

Who am I? Well I have many titles but my main one is Kendyl. I am a wife, daughter, grand-daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, student, knitter, crafter, and type 1 diabetic. Now that last one will probably what I write about most since that certain title is ever consuming of all thoughts but as you can see its not the only title I hold. At this point I would just like to point out I am NOT a medical professional and I do not advocate to know what I am doing but I am just a girl trying to live and do what does best for ME with my diabetes.

I am a 24 year old student studying History and Anthropology. I am a daughter to some amazing parents and sister to wonderful siblings who have always had my back. This nuclear family unit of mine has helped shape me into the confident (sometimes over confident) person I am. I am aunt to 6 amazing  nephews and a wonderfully sassy little niece. And these little people are probably my favorite little people. They have taught me patience and to never forget to sometimes be a kid myself. I am also married to a spectacular guy. He has been there and continues to be there through thick and thin. He has been there to support me through my triumphs and to pick up the pieces as my world seems to fall apart.  His family is also wonderful and so supportive of us.

Stephen and I have two little, well big, furballs who we treat as our children. I never thought I would be that crazy dog person but I am. I even find myself brushing their teeth it is kinda ridiculous but I love them. They are Shadow and Maddux. Shadow is our 7 year old husky with beautiful blue eyes and a wicked stubborn streak. Maddux is our 4 year old brittany with the happy eyes and sweet personality, who just aims to please us. Both are quite large but both also think they are lap dogs but I am not going to complain because even though we get covered in hair there really isn’t anything like cuddling up and watching TV with them.

So that is me in a nutshell.