To Basal or to Bolus . . . that is the question . . .

So, I'm at a point where I'm finally getting really good results with my basal rates. It's not amazing all the time, but it's good enough to get me a 6.5 A1C! I am wanting to make some adjustments, but I'm not really seeing any patterns and am wondering if I need to adjust my basal rates or bolus ratios?

How do you tell if you need to adjust your basal rate or bolus ratios at this point? Any of my D-friends want to weigh in on this one? Are my random, pattern-less outliers the result of inaccurate carb counting on my part?

Maybe I should just start upping my basal rate and see what that does? So much of diabetes is a WAG. :)

Grateful

I am grateful for insurance. Affordable medical care in the U.S. is nearly impossible to get without having a good insurance plan (notice I said good insurance plan, as not just any insurance plan will make your health care affordable). I'm lucky enough to be on a plan my husband is offered through work. And as much as I complain about co-pays and premiums, I really am blessed.

Case in point:

I just found out that one single vial of the insulin I use (the kind-out of all the other kinds-that works best for my body) costs $113.52. That's $113.52 per bottle, people. I used approximately 3 bottles a month. Do the math.

Okay, I'll do the math.

I have to buy 3 months worth at a time, in order to get a discount:

3 bottles per month X 3 months=9 bottles

9 bottles at $113.52 per bottle = $1021.68

With our co-insurance, I only pay $160 for a 3 month, 9 bottle supply. Sheesh. I remember what it was like to not have insurance for a while, and I know full well how lucky I am. I'm lucky. I am blessed. And tonight, I'm grateful.

Boo yah!

In just a little bit over a month, with the help of some good basal rates, I've been able to drop my A1C significantly! Granted, this is an at-home A1C kit, so I'm sure this number is not 100% accurate as a lab test, but it is accurate enough to tell me that I am probably solidly in the 6's these days, and that makes me SO happy!

I fully anticipate an A1C as good, if not better than this by my next endo visit at the end of September. Hallelujah!

Thank goodness for pumps, CGMs, and lots of hard work on the part of me and my diabetes team (in which I fully include my husband, God, and all of you readers, too!)

Woot!

How to Spot a Diabetic . . .

If you want to learn how to spot a diabetic from across the room, I'll give you a few pointers:

I have recently made friends with another women my age at church, we'll call her K, because that's what her name starts with, but I'm not sure if she'd want to be identified. So, a few weeks after I met K, I saw her walk into church with something attached to her arm. Could it be? Was it possible? Yes it WAS an insulin pump infusion set! I caught her attention and half lifted up my shirt to show her my pump site on my stomach. (I don't advise doing this in church to just anyone, by the way. People might get the wrong idea. ) She looked at me and gave me a knowing chuckle, and we talked D-shop for a few minutes before the service started. We were destined to be friends.

Recently, I got into her car and, as if the infusion pump sighting wasn't enough, I saw a half drunken juice box in her cup-holder. She does not have children. :) It's the very same brand of apple juice box I use to treat my lows.

So, Lesson No. 1 in spotting a diabetic is this:

The more obvious D-spotting sign is the pump site. The more trained eye will be able to see a juice box in a nearing-thirty-somethings car as an even more subtle sign.