Today is the first day of the next phase of my life, as a diabetic. It’s Saturday morning, and all the house is asleep. I couldn’t sleep in, since my dogs were pestering me to go outside, and to eat. Dogs are funny like that, especially my weenie dog, Happy. He gives me a poke with a cold, wet nose, and he whines at the door. So I got up, and I took him and Jessie, our Australian Shepherd mix, outside, and when I brought them in, I fed them.
That wasn’t the only thing that spurred me out of bed. You see, I saw my doctor yesterday, and once again, my medication was changed. My diabetes has been changing for quite some time. My blood sugar has been high. Oh, nothing elaborate, until my six months on prednisone last year, when my blood sugar went through the roof, and I became so bloated, it looked like I was going to explode. Finally, at the end of that plague year for our family, I was back on track, but my blood sugar never fully recovered.
So, as you have read on previous posts, my doctor and I tried everything that was new, and nothing would completely control my diabetes. And as I learned yesterday, my A1c is now well above 7.0. Yeah. My diabetes medication recently has been Januvia in the morning, and Glumetza 500 at supper. I was expecting miracles, but my blood sugar was still climbing. Since I don’t eat sugar, I was getting frantic. Januvia was great, until about the middle of the day. Then my glucose began a rapid climb, no matter what I ate. By the time I took my Glumetza 500, for supper, my blood sugar would test at nearly 200. By bedtime, I would test 200 easily, and sometimes even more.
So, I started skipping lunch, because by lunchtime, I just couldn’t stand the numbers I’d see afterwards. This became a vicious cycle. My next move was to not test at all. I know. Shame on me! Finally, I did some Googling on my medications: Januvia and Glumetza. I discovered that Glumetza can be raised to 1000mg, or even higher, if necessary. I was ecstatic. My gosh, it just might be perfect for me.
So, I called my pharmacist, an essential part of my health care program. He has become a dear friend, who has saved my life more than once. We discussed how an increase in my Glumetza strength, along with the Januvia, could get my numbers under control. My doctor agreed. She suggested that Januvia in the morning and two 500mgs of Glumetza, one at lunch and one at dinner, might be even more effective.
Well, I’ll be darned! It worked. In a day. This morning my fasting blood sugar was 112. I haven’t seen that in over a year! And I feel better, suddenly. My nighttime pain levels were down considerably last night, Indicating what I should have known all along. Sugar hurts. High glucose can cripple you. I’ve got to tell you, I have a high pain threshold, but my pain levels have become unbearable. Last night, I could feel my pain leveling off, at a bearable state, and now I have hope that I may once again be nearly pain free. I hope that for each and every one of you.
Do not give up! You hear me? Fight! Fight this disease. Life is not the enemy! Diabetes is.
