The Sugar Update

01/30/2012

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It has been about a week and a half since my gestational diabetes diagnosis, and things are going swimmingly. I was pretty hungry for the first five days as my body adjusted to life with out comfort carbs and I learned to add quite a bit more protein to my meals. With the exception of the first non-compliant night where I went out of my way to gorge and my levels reflected the infraction, my numbers have been amazingly good. Not only have my fasting levels been perfect, my post-prandial (after meals) numbers have not only been in range for what they are, but are often lower than the max for fasting numbers. I'm incredibly thankful that thus far it is so easily managed by diet.
While sticking my fingers four times a day isn't the most marvelous way to spend time, I'm also grateful for the vast improvements in equipment since I last had to do this six years ago. The monitor is smaller, faster, and requires less blood, and more delightful- the new lancets (needles) are far smaller than the old, so it's not quite so tedious to inflict damage on my digits every few hours.
I'm also thrilled with my nutritionist. She has a fantastic attitude and is really inspiring and motivating, so I haven't even had a moment to consider self-pity. In fact, I've really been enjoying the lifestyle change diet-wise, and so has our family. Between my diagnosis and his serendipitous visit with some very health conscious relatives in Dallas, we've been completely inspired to create so completely new (to us) meals that have turned out phenomenally.
Besides making a more committed switch to organics, we've really branched out on the types and amounts of veggies in our diets. Thanks to inspiration from my awesome bro we've become completely obsessed with green smoothies. My bro is a juice fan, but due to my diabetes and just my own research in general, the Hubs and I decided that smoothies (which keep all of the super-good for you fiber in tact) were definitely the way for us to go.
We've been experimenting with a variety of combinations of veggies as a base: kale, spinach, celery, and cucumbers; then adding just a dash of fruits such as tomatoes, pineapple, and limes. Toss in a bit of protein powder and it is a phenomenal way to start the day!
So, not only has my temporary diagnosis led to what I hope will be a permanent lifestyle change in our diets, it has also brought us together more in the kitchen and we are having a blast trying new foods and recipes, and creating all manner of culinary fun together!
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I Blame the Queso

01/21/2012

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After the encouraging meeting with the endocrinologist and nutritionist yesterday, I was feeling a little cocky. My numbers were "barely" high on the three hour, my 2 hour after a rather "naughty" breakfast was within range, so when my parents offered to take Li'l E and I out for Mexican food last night (my absolute, fall on the ground in ecstasy, I could eat this every day for every meal FAVORITE food), I decided to try a little experiment. Now that I had my monitor, I was going to eat whatever I wanted and see what happened. And kids, I INDULGED. I attacked that chip basket with gusto, being sure to give equal dipping time to the salsa and queso (I'm all about fairness!) I had my favorite chicken fajita flameada thinking, "Hey! That's full of protein at least!" Of course, the protein was wrapped in flour tortillas and accompanied by beans and rice, but I'm "barely" diabetic, right? It was a delicious meal. In fact, between me, Baby C, and the TexMex all vying for space in my torso, I could barely stand up straight when we left the restaurant.
When I got home I reveled in my solo evening (The Hubs out of town for a concert and Li'l E off on a grandparents' adventure weekend). I had a luxurious hot shower, curled up in bed with a book and some sparkling water, and enjoyed the mildly uncomfortable and vaguely smug feeling of being completely stuffed. Then test time rolled around...
I wandered sleepily into the bathroom, washed my hands, set up the monitor, fed the strip that little ruby bead, and... ONE FIFTY FOUR?!?! Yes, 154. Immediate sheepish guilt. The goal is to keep the 2 hour under 120. So, now instead of just being official on paper, it's official in my head: I have The Diabetes.
Except for feeling incredibly foolish for being so hardheaded, I'm actually embracing the whole experience. I know that keeping up with the diet and monitoring will keep Baby C and I healthy, and I know that I did a championship job of rocking this lifestyle with Li'l E and she is the most perfect thing in my world. Motivation is everything! :)
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I'm just not as sweet as they thought

01/20/2012

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This morning's appointment with the endocrinologist and dietitian went better than I could have hoped. I finally got to see the actual numbers on from my 3 hour tolerance test. My fasting blood sugar was quite normal, even low normal, and while the other three levels were considered "high," I actually had just barely made it over the threshold of normal. They seemed quite confident that I would be able to easily manage the GD with just diet. Excellent news!
This morning when I woke up I had a "last meal" of Honey Nut Cheerios- completely naughty, but I'm madly in love with them and needed one last taste before they were verboten til April. When I arrived at the specialist's office, one of the things they had me do was to show them that I knew how to do the blood test myself (as I have to self-inflict them four times a day from here on out). It had only been an hour and a half since I had eaten (normally you wait 2 hours after a meal to test), and it turned out my reading was within normal range. The dietitian expressed surprise and reiterated that she definitely didn't think I would have any trouble managing this disease.
By far the most exciting part was the fact that I get a higher allotment of carbs this time around. They aren't going to try and starve me to death! The new plan is 30g of carbs at brekkie, 45g for lunch and dinner, and still 15g for snacks. And again eating 6 evenly spaced meals a day. That's one extra serving of carb in each of the main meals! Hooray!
Given circumstances, not only could I not have asked for a better outcome, I couldn't even *imagine* this great of an outcome! I am doing my happy Snoopy dance over here!
It will still take a little lifestyle change, but given the concession of a tad extra carbs, I almost don't even mind the four needles a day! ...almost.
Here's to healthy mama and baby!
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Thankful!

01/19/2012

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Our brand new washer just arrived! I did days and days of research- both Consumer Reports, various online sites, and asking friends and family, and gave myself complete anxiety attacks before finally committing and making the purchase. For the record, reading the bad reviews of products are the appliance equivalent of reading that side effect insert that comes with medicine! Scary!
Of course, two long trips out to my parents house with baskets and baskets of heavy laundry were enough to prevent me from waffling indefinitely. I have the first load in now, and I am already in appliance love. It's bigger, quieter, and higher efficiency than the old one. (Though I'm grateful for the almost 9 years of service we got out of the ol' girl). Plus, it sings little chime songs to me... I think it likes me!
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Low Carb (or, How to Starve in Two Hours or Less)

01/19/2012

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For those who asked about the carb conscious diet to which I will have to strictly adhere for the remainder of the pregnancy, this post is for you. If you're just checking in, then that's ok- it's a new post, so it's for you, too! I'm a multi-tasker like that.
I have my first meeting with my endocrinologist and dietitian tomorrow, but I remember with crystal clarity exactly what is now expected of me for the next three months. I used this diet through the final trimester of my first pregnancy, and I actually used it again a year and a half ago, when I realized that my normal everyday non-pregnant weight was sneaking up on my first pregnancy third trimester weight. (Yikes!)
It's actually a great meal plan for any one without preexisting conditions (though of course, if you are out of shape (or even if not), you should always, always, always see your doctor for a check up and an all clear before changing your diet or exercise routine). Cutting out refined and simple sugars and carbs will obviously boost your health and help you lose weight, but when eaten regularly as suggested- proteins, green leafy veggies, and a controlled portion of carbs will also balance your blood sugar, so you won't be experiencing those all to common "crashes" during the day.
From what I remember, the first week or two is pretty rough. Your taste buds are used to SUGAR! Your body is craving that sickly, sweet caffeine fix! And, of course, your body is busy getting rid of toxins in response to the newer, healthier energy choices. I also remember being HUNGRY. As in really hungry. As in "no seriously, I think my stomach is actually digesting itself in an attempt to ensure survival." I discovered that it was because I was SO focused on carbs (both because that is what you count and because I was coveting ever morsel), that I really neglected the fact that I could have almost unlimited quantities of protein and dark, green leafies! Also, WATER! Hydrate, people! This helps keep that feeling of fullness. Other good news for me is that this time around I have a finely developed taste for hot green tea, and green tea is wonderful for improving blood sugar.
You're now thinking, "well this is all great, but what do you DO?" It's actually very simple. You need to eat six evenly spaced meals a day. Your meals will be smaller. This is a good thing. By having several smaller meals evenly spaced, you are able to get the calories you need without inundating your body with large volumes of carbs to process (I'm looking at you, breakfast skippers and enormous lunch and dinner stuffers!)
The "formula" is very simple

Breakfast: 15g carbs
Snack: 15g carbs
Lunch: 30g carbs
Snack: 15g carbs
Dinner: 30g carbs (some allow up to 45g for this meal, but I never went that high- mostly out of fear... remember I was doing this in order to avoid having a whoppingly large baby that I was responsible for getting from inside me to the outside world!)
Snack: 15g carbs

Ok, great. We know how many grams of carbs we can have, but what does 15g of carbs actually mean? Well here are some great examples:

15 grams of carbs equals one of the following=

1 slice of regular sandwich bread
1/2 cup of beans
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of hot, cooked cereal (like oatmeal)
1/2 cup of starchy veggies (sweet potato, peas, corn)
6 saltine crackers
1 SMALL piece of fruit

Also, a lot of those oh-so-popular 100 calorie snack packs are often 15 grams of carbs, just check the nutritional label before you buy. Also, a quick tip here: you get to subtract fiber from the carbs! This means if a given product has 20g carbs, but also 5g of fiber, your net carbs equal only 15g! I know! Exciting right?

Once again I reiterate: the carbs are not all you can have at each meal. They are just limiting the amount of carbs. This means you can (and SHOULD!) still fill your plate with a plethora of yummy lean meats or eggs to get protein (which will help keep you feeling full longer because they are digested so slowly) and lots of dark, green veggies (which will fill you up as well). Making sure you get enough of these other two is crucial in not feeling hungry all the time, nor becoming nutrient deficient.

It's not easy at the beginning. It's usually a big change in the way people eat (our nation tends to eat 65% carbs at each meal which is enormous because they are only eaten twice a day- lunch and dinner). Your taste buds will feel neglected, your belly will rumble, and you will psychologically crave the comfort of a good cupcake, but it really is worth getting through that first week or two. The two best things about changing to this diet were the massive increase in energy/decrease in mood swings that I felt, and my new ability to really TASTE foods. All of the processed, sugary, HFCS-filled gunk that we usually put in our body completely dulls our taste buds. After a couple of weeks, you will bite into a (SMALL!) apple and your world will be rocked by the amazing flavor that you can now enjoy!

Summation- it's not for everyone, but it is healthy and you WILL notice a change! After meeting with my specialists tomorrow, I will be working hard to create health, carb controlled meals, so check back if you are interested in recipes, or just following along while I whimper through the first two weeks of withdrawals. That in itself should provide some amusement!

Thank you to all of the well-wishers out there! It's so awesome to have a cheering section when making a big change! And please let me know if you do decide to try out the diet! We can commiserate! ;)

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The Sugar, (or Paula Deen- I Did It First)

01/17/2012

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I ended last week with a three hour glucose tolerance test. This was my third glucose test of the pregnancy and the second three hour test in a month. I was less than thrilled. Today I got a voice mail from the nurse asking me to call her back. And as anyone who has had any medical testing done knows, if they give you no info and ask you to call back-- you're screwed.
Sure enough I called back and she informed me that I had failed my test. "In fact," she elaborated, "you failed every single hour of the test." I replied enthusiastically, "Well, that makes me the winner of failing the most then." She wasn't amused. Ah well. Can't please everyone. So, now I have an appointment this week with a specialist to get all my fun diabetic accoutrements: needles and monitor and handy-dandy notebook for writing in all the tasteless food to which I'm now limited. I believe the nutritionist I had last time considered a hard-boiled egg lathered in butter (?!) a form of high culinary genius, so I'm not banking on these people to do me any favors in the taste department.
This time around I am taking up the challenge. Spices and I are going to become best buds, and I will use every single one in my cabinets if it means I can eat healthy foods and still get some taste. This also means you should buy stock in Chuy's because I will probably be investing in a weekly supply of their salsa to slather over everything that goes in my mouth. In other words, all of the foodie updates are about to make a change for the low-carb.
I was hoping I would get to skip the fun with needles this time, but I am thankful that I live in a time where such things are easily diagnosed and easily monitored. In the end, Baby C and I will be healthy; and heck! Think of all that excess baby weight I won't have to worry about shedding now that I'm on starvation rations! :)
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Update: Lightning Strike 2012

01/12/2012

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Here is our current status since Lightning Strike 2012:

As of this morning we finally have power back to our master bedroom (I'm incredibly happy because it turns out that I can't sleep a wink without the fan!) Also, the hot water heater has been replaced, and the AC/heating units upstairs and downstairs have been repaired. The internet router has been replaced, the outdoor filter for the cable internet has been repaired, and our wireless has been restored. We are still waiting on technicians to come out and assess the fried oven and washing machine, as well as the phone company to come fix the line. And the master electrician will be returning to create a more permanent fix for the master bedroom fuse as well as installing a large surge protector on the fuse box (because we do NOT want this level of excitement again!)
Unfortunately, as we continued going through the house and checking what else had been damaged, we discovered that the Hubs' entire studio was stricken, so almost all of his studio equipment has been completely fried by the surge. It was a pretty disheartening discovery. However, we are incredibly thankful that the insurance company has been truly wonderful in their response and service. Hopefully, we will be able to replace most things that were damaged and the Hubs can get back to creating phenomenal music!
I am so grateful for all of the wonderful family and friends who have called, texted, prayed, and offered help as we work on getting everything back to the status quo. It's been truly humbling and I am so grateful for the amazing people in our lives!
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So How 'Bout Them Mayans?

01/12/2012

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**I wrote this on Monday the 9th right after it happened; but we haven't been able to get internet back up until now, so here is the belated scoop**



Last night I was awakened about 1am by heavy rain. Soon thunder came rolling in, distant and moving closer. It's one of my favorite sounds in the world, so I began drifting happily back to sleep. Suddenly, it sounded like the world had exploded. The entire house seemed to jump off the foundation in sympathy with the deafening crack and crash all around us. Then everything was preternaturally dark and eerily silent except for the continuing rain. *Beep* The smoke detector alarmed from the power outage. My amazing Hubs who had gone from completely prone in sleep to standing on his feet next to the bed with the crash was immediately in action. First, he went and retrieved Li'l E from her bed at my request. He deposited her, still sleeping, in my arms. He then disappeared downstairs to do all the amazingly wonderful things that he does to make sure all is well and keep us safe. Soon the breakers had been flipped back on... mostly. A chorus of beeps rang out from various protesting appliances. Unfortunately, one sound was conspicuously absent: the central heating. Most of the lights came back, but our bedroom remained dark. When he returned he reported on the enormous crash that accompanied the crack of lightning: our garage door had been blown literally open and with such force that it ripped the mounting backwards out of the ceiling and it was clinging at an impossible angle and refused to close. After he had checked and secured the rest of the house, he returned to bed at which point our whispering woke up Li'l E and she gave me a sleepy and mildly reproachful look and went back to her own bed. We, of course, couldn't get back to sleep immediately after the whole being smited (smote? smitten?) thing, so we talked until we both finally gave in to exhaustion.

When it was finally a more normal hour for rising, we got up and began making phone calls and thoroughly checking the house. The damage was so random. Besides the garage, the oven panel blew out, the washer (but not the dryer) blew out, the Hubs' power cords to both laptop and phone are totally fried. Some outlets (in rooms where the lights themselves still turn on) simply don't work. Our copier/printer is toast. We also realized early in the day that the wireless was down. The Hubs went into the office where he had reported smelling the odor of electronic burning just after the strike, and when he followed the cord to the surge protector strip, he found that that blast actually blew the router plug physically OUT of the socket!

Thus far, we have been on the phone all morning with the insurance company (they've been amazing) and various technicians and repairmen. The fire department even sent out a truck to check the scene. It has been quite the morning.

We're barely a week in, and I'm already wary about what 2012 holds next. However, I am so incredibly thankful that we are all here, together, and safe. This has been yet another reminder of how little “stuff” means and how very much the people that we love mean.

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More skills to my set

01/03/2012

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Want to know how to make your OB's blood pressure rise? Go in for a check up just before your third tri and have absolutely no weight gain since the previous month. Then let 'em find sugar in the UA. Good times...
Among other things, I have to be back in a week to check up on the new treatment and have my second 3-hour glucose tolerance test in a month. Can't we just all embrace the gestational diabetes and skip a second run of that miserable test? Apparently not. I blame insurance companies.
In the meantime, my appetite needed some addressing (pretty impressive that I can lose my appetite and gain diabetes! Try not to be jealous!), so getting treated for that and hoping to see some improvement soon. I know that by end of next week I'll be probably be enjoying that fun lecture on EAT MORE/ GAIN WEIGHT, but DON'T EAT CARBS/ DON'T GAIN TOO MUCH WEIGHT!
No prob, doc. I always was a study in contradictions, why stop now?
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Entering in

01/03/2012

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I've held off writing for a while. Partly it is the time of year. As the old year dies away, it brings to mind other years, other little deaths. While everyone is celebrating a new year, a new start, a blank slate, the part of me that is the majority of me sits there thinking: "but all the old years are going to follow me into this one anyway." Perhaps it's the cold or the wet or the extended dark. Perhaps the growing heaviness in my belly which carries its own little hope, but also fears. Perhaps it's just my mind which has always been contemplative and pondered darkly.
I woke to the new year with news from the old and shuddered a bit, but accepted it as a matter of course, a product of my own prediction. I snuggled closer in to the safety of my warm, sleepy Hubs and presently little footsteps entered in and Li'l E scaled the side of the bed and nestled between us. Just for a moment, in the warm quiet closeness of the four of us in three bodies, I could sense the blank slate, feel the potential of the year.
Then came the phone call that my little sister was in an ambulance on the far side of the country and there was little news. A morning of worry, a morning of cursing distance.
My Hubs laid a table of comfort food: hot pancakes, fluffy eggs, and bacon. We ate quietly though Li'l E chirped on cheerfully. Despite the disquiet of the morning, it was soothing to have such a day fall on Sunday, and me without obligation to be at a specific service or teach afterward. We were allowed a lazy morning before heading to noon Mass at the cathedral. The bishop gave the homily which truly spoke to my state of mind. He addressed the idea of the new year, and the solemnity of Mary by reminding us of the Christ's own mother who saw the beautiful and the painful and "pondered all of these things in her heart." The bishop encouraged us all not to remember simply our finer moments, our successes, and our happiness; but also to hold in our minds the painful experiences, the hard lessons, and weakness-- for this too is a part of our journey. A part of what makes us who we are. It made me contemplate the greatness of a God who can reach into pain and hurt and shame and pull from it beauty, knowledge, and progress. As we received communion the sun moved directly behind the stained glass window above the altar, and the entire sanctuary burst into a rainbow of colors streaming through the images of Our Lady and the heavenly host. "To Jesus through Mary," I quoted with a lighter heart. As we walked out into the cold air and warm sun, I contemplated the trials which had seemed so heavy that morning in a truly new light. I saw behind them the gifts, the goodness, to which grace had helped transform them.
The rest of the day was spent together as a family, in hope. Making some purchases for the arrival of our newest member. Cleaning and airing out the spare room which will soon be occupied. A day of looking forward, instead of back. A rare state for me. A welcome reprieve from the darkness of the winter.
That night I was able to text with my sister. She was here, she was herself (albeit with quite a few new stitches in place). I'm so thankful to say that. Life is so stunningly fragile, and we seem to forget it all the time. Perhaps it is the apparent hardness, or just our hardheadedness.
I'm grateful for the first day of this year, for a momentary brightening of what has been a long, dark night for me. It was only a  break in the clouds, short but bright. It reminds me that behind it all there is still sun. 
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