After my appointment withDr. Folb on April 13th, I got a call the next day about my lab results. She told me that she would mail a copy of the full results, so that I could look at them.
The good thing, she told me, was that the copy she would be mailing me would have not only the current results, but the previous results, so that we can begin to see where my body is going.
When I have bloodwork, Dr. Folb has told me there's no need to fast. She wants to see where I am on a normal day – and most people don't fast all the time, so she wants to see what my levels are when I am myself.
Last week I got the much anticipated letter in the mail with my lab results. I was nervous and excited to open them. So here are my results:
Tested
Result 1/17/20
Result 4/13/20
Range
Glucose
99
97
60-100 mg/dL
Hgb A1C
6.2
5.6
5.4 (Dr. Folb’s goal for me)
Blood Sugar
126
107
105 fasting 140 after meal (Dr. Folb’s goal for me)
There were many other test results, but these are the areas where we focused our conversation when I went for my visit on April 13th.
On the bottom of the results, Dr. Folb wrote me a note that said:
“Jan here are some copies of labs. Great job… See you in July. L Folb”
That was so exciting to receive. First of all, I had NEVER had a doctor to write me a personal note like that for my lab work. Not even a nurse.
But to have my doctor call me a couple of days after the appointment and tell me my labs, then mail me a copy with a personal note acknowledging my hard work – it really did validate that I am working hard, and I’m all in when it comes to healing my body.
This all started with a visit to an internal medicine doctor on November 13, 2019, when my A1C results were 8.1 – and 5 months later, I am 5.6.
So even though some of my results might not be perfect or in a “normal” range, Dr. Folb was very encouraging. Most importantly – my Type 2 Diabetes is now under control with diet and exercise!
I will be a Type 2 Diabetic for the rest of my life – but now I have to continue to watch my diet, and to exercise. Both of which are key factors in not relapsing back into out of control diabetes.
I told Dr. Folb that I was concerned about the HDL not being where it should be. She told me that hopefully as I continue to exercise and eat clean, that hopefully that could return to normal levels – I’m close… just not there yet.
She said that it could also be just genetic and I may not be able to ever get it back to that “normal” range. But overall, my total cholesterol levels are much better than they have been in the past.
I am very ready for this COVID19 stuff to end. I’m ready for the gym to open back up so that we can get back to our workout routine. It’s time to get back to normal – but at the same time, I am a little nervous.
I do know that a healthy body is more able to fight off illness than an unhealthy one – so I’m looking forward to going back to the gym soon!
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In the meantime, continue with your social distancing, live well, and be well!
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I would guess that over the past three weeks, that America has cooked more at HOME, than has been done in the past 25 years. It is so bizarre to go into the grocery stores and see empty shelves. There has been NO toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, or paper plates in my area of Houston for three weeks now!
I looked into my pantry and found protein bars and protein cookies (both low carb, and sugar free), almonds, walnuts, cashews, dried cranberries, fresh ground peanut butter, low carb blue corn tortilla chips, tomato sauce, green beans mushrooms, whole kernel white corn, pinto beans, 3 pounds of onions, tahini, cacao powder, raw honey, rolled oats, steel cut oats, rice cakes, whole wheat crackers, whole wheat bread rounds, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, white corn tortillas, spices, canola oil, pop corn, collagen powder, and PB Fit Sugar Free powder, fresh bananas, and apples.
Oh, and I almost forgot to say that I am well stocked on COFFEE! I can drink coffee like a Gilmore Girl any day of the week! My favorite coffee is Scotty P's Big Mug Coffee. I could drink that stuff all day long! I do still push my water all day, but when I wake up, the first thing I do after I get out of the shower is drink my coffee.
My refrigerator and freezer have a healthy fare inside — fat free milk, eggs, fresh tomatoes, and carrots, Spinach, feta cheese, fresh parmesan cheese, frozen fruit like bananas, blueberries, and strawberries, along with tilapia, ground turkey, turkey burger patties, chicken breasts, butternut squash, and riced cauliflower, to name a few items.
So I think we are ok, and have enough healthy foods to sustain us for a while. But I am so emotionally exhausted that I am almost to the point that I don’t even feel like cooking. I know we have to cook to eat, and normally it’s something that I enjoy doing, but for the past few days, it has felt like a horribly dreaded CHORE. I’m guessing it is because of all of the stress of having to quarantine for the past two weeks.
When this first started three weeks ago, we weren’t yet under a quarantine. The second week it was “recommended” to stay at home, and now we are under mandator “Stay at home. Work safe” order by our county judge, unless you are an essential worker – my sweet husband is a buyer for Whole Foods, so he has to go to work five days a week. (Which scares me – I woke up having a panic attack two nights ago because I am fearful for him to get out during this pandemic.)
So tonight I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner. He didn’t care. Anything will be fine. Face palm. I need an idea. I finally decided to quickly throw together some Texas chili. Here’s what I did:
Sautéed two medium onions in a little olive oil, took them out and set them aside. Then I browned a pound of ground turkey. When it was done, I threw the onions back in, threw in some chili powder, paprika, minced garlic, chicken broth, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a can of pinto beans (rinsed). Then I let it simmer for 20 minutes and there was dinner.
I ate half my bowl – which wasn’t much anyway – and gave the rest to my husband, because I just have no appetite. He’s saving it for a “snack” later on tonight. I’ve lost several pounds since this all started. And my glucose levels have been up and down. It’s not because I’m eating poorly, but I think because I’m forgetting to eat, or too anxious to eat.
So apparently my liver is dumping glucose into my bloodstream, and since my issue is being insulin resistant, my body isn’t processing it. But then sometimes I start feeling very shaky, and test my glucoseand it is really low. Wednesday it crashed and went all the way down to 60 – that is low for me. I think this week I need to put reminders in my phone for when to have a small snack, and when to eat lunch, etc. Anyone have any suggestions of what you do to maintain your levels?
The other issue at hand is making sure that when I DO have to go out – whether it be to get supplies, to take my 85 year old mother supplies, or when my husband has to go to work – I need to make sure that we are protecting ourselves, as well as sanitizing as much as possible when we come home. I’ve always been a fanatic about washing hands, but I have NEVER in my life washed my hands as much as I have in the past six weeks. I’m trying to put lotion on every time that I wash, to keep them from drying out! I feel like I have alligator hands right now, they are so dry!
What are you doing to make sure you’re washing for the full 20 seconds or more? I started out singing Happy Birthday, but that got old, and I would lose track of what verse that I was on. (I know… short song. How do you lose track of the verse? But my mind wanders…) Then I started singing some other pop songs. I now have decided that I need to work on my scripture memorization.
As a kid, I learned a lot of scriptures, and now I’m going through and finding some of my favorites to recite. This week, I have been saying The Lord’s Prayer while washing my hands. And it’s not just rote memorization this time – I feel really thoughtful when saying it, and it has deep meaning in my heart – I’m really worried about this virus. This coming week, I’m going to focus on some of the Psalms. I think they will bring peacefulness.
When I go out, I have been concerned about being exposed to someone who may have the COVID19 virus. Of course, like everyone else, I could not find ANY protective masks anywhere. So what did I do? Like many others, I decided to make my own masks.
I did some research on whether or not it would even help. I found mixed opinions. But I decided that something was better than nothing – and that is a direct quote that I heard on the news from a physician. I just want to be able to cover my face when out, and at the very least, it will serve as a reminder to not touch my face. So I cut 6 x 9 inch squares of tightly woven cotton, and used three pieces to make my masks. And I happened to have some elastic, which now cannot be found ANYWHERE, so I used that for the ear loops.
I’ve been told that we look like a couple of ninjas! We’re fighting COVID19, so I guess it fits.
I also sprayed the outer side of our masks with several coats of Scotch Guard, and we also use a different mask each time we go out. Since the masks are fabric, I am able to wash them to sanitize them. And I know I already said this, but I have to say again — I just want to be able to cover my face when I do have to go out to get necessities.
People look at me like I am crazy when I go out, but I don’t care. I’m trying to do what I can to be healthy. I know that as a Type 2 Diabetic, I am at risk if I get the virus. So I am doing everything that I can do to stay healthy, so that I have a strong immune system.
Thanks for stopping by to read my blog. I hope that you’ll subscribe – top right corner of this page. In the meantime, WASH YOUR HANDS, stay well, live well, and be well!
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I have always had a sort of high anxiety personality. I might not show it on the outside – because I am very stoic, but inside my brain is always running, running, and the anxiety builds. My mind just won't stop, and I obsess over what I am worried about.
The past three weeks have brought on the stress. This new COVID-19 (Corona Virus) has been all in the news, with cases in the US growing on a daily basis. It’s on TV, it’s on the radio, it’s on Google News, it’s ALL on social media. Everywhere you turn, there’s COVID-19. There are currently 13 cases in my metro area.
Trying to do my regular grocery shopping, and there’s no toilet paper, no hand soap, no isopropyl alcohol. I had to go on a scavenger hunt to multiple stores to find alcohol swabs for when I prick my finger to test my glucose.
This COVID-19 thing has me worried for several reasons. I have an 85 year old mother who has congestive heart failure and Alzheimer’s. I worry about another family member with a compromised immune system, and I’m worried about myself being diabetic. I can’t afford to get sick, because I have to help care for my mother – even though she is in an assisted living community, I still have to take things to her frequently, as well as take her to her doctor appointments and other places. And I’m also worried about what if they start banning visits to the facility, except for medical personnel. I’m in Houston (Harris County), Texas – the 4th largest city in the US. There has already been a state of emergency put into effect for the City of Houston. The press conference said no visitors are allowed in to skilled nursing centers or rehab facilities. What if that is extended to my mother’s assisted living? I think I would really go into high gear stress if that happens.
This stress is keeping me from sleeping well, which I know is also affecting me, and can contribute to insulin resistance and even thyroid issues (which is also a concern for me). I spoke with my Dario Coach today (I use a Dario meter, and subscribe to one of their plans which gives me access to a diabetes coach – I can get info faster than calling my doctor, and it helps me to decide if I need to call my doctor, as well.) He confirmed what I have been reading about – that stress raises my glucose levels. I’ve had recent high (for me) levels of 143 mg, 133 mg, 123 mg, 140 mg, 129 mg, and 121mg. I’m drinking water like crazy, and I still have high readings. And just having a high reading is stressful.
I know that the stress can trigger cortisol, which could eventually leave me with more belly fat – the deep visceral fat cells that are difficult to get rid of. I’ve worked so hard to lose 23 lbs, and I don’t want to gain it back. I know that stress can also lead to insulin resistance, because the cortisol makes it hard for my pancreas to make insulin. It contributes to high blood pressure – which, thank goodness, has been under control with my blood pressure medication. It’s all just a vicious circle that leads back to stress.
When COVID-19 cases began popping up in my area, I immediately began to determine what I needed to do to protect myself and my family. I read up on the CDC website, as well as the American Diabetic Association website. COVID-19 is a serious threat to the US, and I need to to know how I should react and prepare. You can click HERE to go directly to the link on their page on COVID-19.
Here’s what I did:
I checked all of my diabetic supplies to make sure that I had everything and had enough –
Glucose meter, lancets, test strips, and alcohol swabs
I have all my medical info available for my husband, and have fully filled prescriptions
We grocery shopped and got all the things that I am allowed to eat – and we stocked up on frozen veggies and such, in case we get quarantined. (Fresh veggies last only so long, so I wanted to make sure we had veggies in the freezer, too.)
We pretty much drink only water and coffee. So we have stocked up on our 5 gallon jugs of water, and lots of k-cups!
I am a soap hoarder, so I already had many bottles of hand soap in the cabinets for washing our hands
My doctor’s office sent out protocol on how to contact them should I get sick – different from their regular protocol. So I have that info handy.
I did stock up on ibuprofen and acetaminophen, as well as Benadryl.
We are practicing social distancing – mainly staying at home as much as we can and steering clear of sick folks and crowds, trying not to touch our faces — of course, now that they say this, EVERYTHING tickles or itches my face and and makes me want to scratch or touch my face.
Common sense stuff like washing our hands frequently, cleaning surfaces that we use a lot (already do these things anyway!), and when in public, always using an antibacterial wipe to clean our hands after touching common surfaces that others have touched. I am already a germaphobe, so cleaning knobs, faucets, counter tops, etc is second nature.
And on the hand washing, just a little side note. I got tired of singing Happy Birthday twice, so I looked up some other songs that I thought would be fun to sing. Here are the ones that I came up with:
I already clean my cell phone daily — I spray it with isopropyl alcohol and wipe it down.
We definitely are not traveling anywhere right now, so flying or going to a city where there are other known COVID-19 cases is not something we will be doing.
As for COVID-19 symptoms, my doctor’s office said if we get any of the following to self-isolate and then call their office:
Fever
Dry cough
Shortness of breath
My doctor’s office also said in their message to make sure to stay well hydrated, check my glucose levels often, and if my glucose levels rise too high, to call them.
So besides the things above, what am I going to do to try and lower my stress levels? I’m thinking that I need to binge watch something fun, like Gilmore Girls, House Hunters International, or maybe some comedies. Maybe it’s time for me to go through some closets and clean them out, throw some things out, make some boxes of items for donations. And fingers crossed, this won’t last too long.
I’m still working on a different post, but the COVID-19 topic seemed to be timely and important.
Thanks for stopping by to read my blog. I hope that you’ll subscribe – top right corner of this page. In the meantime, stay well, live well, and be well!
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
