Two strikes out and a homerun

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Tuesday was my appointment with my Endocrinologist. On my

list of questions to be answered were three items:

Insulin pump?

Malabsorption?

Cause of excessive night sweats?

My HbA1c score was 5.6% For those of you that don't have

diabetes, the HbA1c score is the gold standard test that portrays

what a person's blood glucose levels have been doing for the

past three months. It's from this score that the endocrinologist

determines how well a person has been keeping control of their

blood glucose levels. My last one was 5.5%, so in this respect,

I've slid backward a little bit. Even so, this score means that my

average levels have been within normal range and that I've been

able to maintain excellent control. The scoring range goes from

4.0% to 20.0%, and usually a doctor will be happy with anything

less than 7%.

So my endo said he saw no need for the insulin pump. What he

didn't seem to realize was that in order to get that control, I've

been testing 8 times a day and correcting by injecting insulin up

to 7-10 times a day, in order to keep my levels in the normal

range. So the pump would have been of great convienence for

me, since that correction would have been done automatically,

instead of me having to take so much time to test every three

hours and inject insulin. Ah well, maybe later, if and when I'm

not able to spend half my waking hours monitoring my control.

One strike out!

He said the malabsorption was such a common problem with

CPer's that he really had no suggestions as to what else I could

so to gain weight. So many of the supplemental products are

unsuitable for a diabetic because of their high sugar content that

he really couldn't offer any more advice. I am so tired of everyone

just shrugging about this. Another stike out!

Problems with excessive night sweating? He told me that there

are a small number of diabetics with this problem, and that it

was known as an abnormal sweating pattern, and that it

evidenced itself in different ways with different people. He said

he even had one patient who would break out into a terrific sweat

on one side of her face, and nothing on the other, etc. He

prescribed me a medication called Clonidine, which when I

researched it in rxlist.com, is said to treat hypertension. Told me

to take one pill each night before bed. He said that he didn't

have that much confidence in its effectiveness, but that I should

give it a try. Well.......for the last two nights, I've been sweat free!!!

The first night I slept through the night completely dry, for the first

night in 10 months!! I can't tell you how exciting that is! Last

night I had some problems with BG hypo's, so I had to set the

alarm and monitor those by waking every two hours to deal with

that, but at least I was not waking up drenched in sweat. The

only side effect that I've noticed is severe dry mouth, and that is

listed as a side effect, but the dry mouth is only bothersome if

you wake in the middle of the night. By morning when you would

normally get up, it's gone. Since I always keep a glass of water

on my bedside table, this time it was there when I needed it.

So one success out of the three is encouraging. The sleeping

pattern that I'd developed over the last 10 months from the night

sweats was miserable, waking up with such fatigue each

morning because of having to get up two or three times to

change clothes, so this, at least, will be a great health

improvement for me.

I've also done much better pain-wise for the last week or so. My

percocet use has dwindled down to less than 2 pills a day on

most days.....yipee! If you remember, last week I was fighting

mad because my doctor had reduced my dosage without telling

me about it first, and I didn't think I could handle the reduction.

Yet now I see that it was time to do this, and that I can handle it,

and be much better off by doing so!

I've taken the extras and set them aside into an " emergency

stash " as Poncho has so wisely advised us to do. That way I'll

have what I need to get me through the next crisis.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and

should not be substituted for consultation with a medical

professional.

Today's reason to give thanks: I'm thankful today that I'm NOT

with my best friend in Watertown, NY, or my Dad, in Lake Placid,

NY. They have been dealing with -30 degree temps all week.