Doctor week comes to a close...

Survived the week of doctors, but it’s not over. Let’s be honest it will never be over. What I have has no cure and the best I can hope for is to control my disease and prolong the inevitable complications. I’m not trying to be depressing or negative. I have to face the facts and realize that I have a choice. I can make the changes and control my blood glucose level or I can let it slowly tear me apart and destroy my body. I choose the former.

Dr. Enzmann, my endocrinologist, was great. He was clear with his explanations, firm but not condescending with his recommendations and open to my input. So together we came up with a plan for treatment and the changes I need to make in my life. Those changes being diet and exercise. No big surprise there.

We also went over my lab results. My cholesterol is a bit high at 227 mg/dl (<200 is the goal). My LDL can not be calculated and the HDL was too low. The triglycerides was far too high, at 662 mg/dl I’m getting close to a risky amount for developing pancreatitis. I’ve had that twice before and really don’t wish to experience it again. So he perscribed medication to bring my cholesterol levels under control. However, controlling my blood glucose levels will help with the tryglycerides.

My A1C is 10.3% which is not unexpected. I’ve never experienced low blood sugar and my level during the labs was 310 mg/dl. Since I was fasting my levels should have been around 100 mg/dl. Dr. Enzmann perscribed Metformin to begin getting my sugar levels under control. If I can get my triglyceride level down we discussed switching to Byetta.

The last big issue is blood pressure. At Dr. Lu’s office on Monday it was 160/100 and then 150/90. Tuesday night I checked at Bartell’s and it was 143/88. This morning it was 160/110, 140/90 and 120/88. So Dr. Lu thinks I have “White Coat Syndrome” and wants me to pick up a blood pressure meter and check myself every day. He was going to increase my blood pressure medication, but when I reminded him I had just started taking it three days ago he decided to stay the course for a few more weeks.

Getting more exercise is easy. I like walking and we have trails here at the office so I can do it at lunch. It’s the diet that’s hard. So many things I enjoy are bad for me. I’ll have to make big changes in what we buy and cook. Good thing I actually like veggies. ;)

Apple Tastings

Fuji apples are tasty and something to add to the list.

Braeburn apples while they are tart enough are too mushy to be enjoyable. Try again to elminate the possibility of one bad apple.