Thursday, February 28, 2013

Long Time, No Chat

It has been a while, friends! I blame the dreaded Bar Exam, which is over by the way. I flashed back to July when I took it the first time. I left the testing place thinking, "Man, I am glad that is over. Never again." Even after I found out I didn't pass, I was thinking "Nope. Never." Shyeah. When people tell you to never say never, they mean it. 

This time, I mean it. If I don't pass, I really do think there are plenty of other things I would love to do just as much. I did my best last time. I changed strategies this time, so I guess that is a different version of my best. 

I still have Diabetes, though. Shocker, I know. It hasn't magically grown legs and exited my body. 

I do have some exciting things coming up:

My Birthday - Tuesday, March 5...I may or may not be turning 26. This sounds a bit unreal. I often feel 15. Maybe because the world around me assumes it, and I don't hesitate to play along. 25 had some rough patches, so there is a big part of me that is glad to see it go. 26 is a new year...with [[hopefully]] fewer surprises. 

The Germantown Half Marathon - Sunday, March 17. Am I ready? We will see. Last year, I stopped running at Mile 9 and did this awkward Walk-Run combo all the way to the finish line. I felt like death the entire rest of the day. I wonder why? Do you think running with blood sugars in the 300s might be a pain in the butt? But I didn't know. I had no way of knowing. This year, I have trained alongside rather than against Diabetes. We work collaboratively to make the long distances work. We have a team - Dexcom, Gu, and plenty of water. I have made it up to 10-miles in training. This weekend is an 11-miler. From there, there are no more long distances until race day. I want revenge on this one.

Doctor's Appointment - March 4. I won't give too many details about this, but I am sharing in the name of living transparently with Diabetes. I have a new OBGYN I will be visiting. Before we jump to any conclusions, no. I am not pregnant. Diabetic pregnancies, in an ideal world, are pre-planned and carefully thought out. That process starts with establishing a team of physicians who will dedicate themselves and encourage me up to and through a successful pregnancy. This appointment is an annual check-up, but I am starting to gather the information. What is the current status of my health? Where do I need to be in terms of numbers? Do I need to switch from Metformin to insulin (again)? Really, I just want someone qualified to give me the green light that I am healthy. But healthy and ready are two different things. The readiness is a constant discussion between Andrew and me. I promise that when and if the time comes, I will try to share (and not overshare) the ups and downs of a diabetic pregnancy. I won't be the first, and I am sure I won't be the last. Everyone's pregnancy is different. Everyone's diabetes is different. Maybe my insight will be unique and valuable to someone going through the same things. To me, that is what this blog is all about. Cheers to the preliminary stages! 

In other news, my eyes are still healthy. I still don't need glasses. So, Warby Parker and I will maintain our artificial relationship.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Meals Lately

I am still working on the recipes for these. Andrew is the chef of the house, so his Blackberry Chicken & Shrimp recipe is somewhat of his "secret", but I think I can pry it out of him. I do know that it involves Sugar Free Blackberry Preserves, actual blackberries, and perhaps Apple Cider Vinegar? I'll update this page when I know. That meal is carb-friendly, unless you eat a giant sweet potato like I did. The blood sugar suffered for that move. In my experience, if it isn't a tiny potato, it isn't going to be friendly. The rest of the meal is a healthy, and the whole meal is healthy if you know how to bolus for it or you happen to have a fully functioning pancreas. 

He also enjoys making chicken tortilla soup in our crockpot. That recipe is off of a website, so I will be snagging that from him too. 

So, here is a little photo diary of our latest indulgences. 

We are out of eggs in this house, so I my entire breakfast experience is all out of sorts. I just ate a wheat waffle with Laughing Cow cinnamon cream cheese. I topped it with Splenda and actual cinnamon. Pray for good post-prandials :)