I've been recording carbs now for 102 days and have learned some things along the way - with a lot more to learn! Some random thoughts are.....
- That sticks do get better farther down the road are better - thanks for the prayers! I've learned some of the daily tricks like staging the strip in the meter but not pushing it in all the way until I stick myself so the time isn't ticking down, holding my finger down while I'm messing with the meter's strip so it has time to form a drop, making sure I approach the drop at an angle with the strip, knowing about the size of drop I need - and thanking God for each perfect one!
- Testing myself in pairs yields more clear information. For example testing myself pre-meal and then 2 hours pp lets me know about how much a rise there is so a 40 point rise or less is good - though a higher number pp could be because the fasting number was higher and not as much by the food always.
- It's annoying that strips - and different lots in strips - can vary as much as 20%. That just doesn't seem right when I have to poke myself, I want actual information and this seems like a rough approximation! It does help me step back and just look more for the trends - which is easier the more numbers you have.
- That walking - or other exercise - helps blunt spikes but I can't do it after every meal (once a day is about it!) so how does that translate to my A1C I wonder.
- That walking around the mall and realizing that I'll never be able to eat a huge Cinnabon with abandon (I could eat it and watch my numbers soar but that's not what I'm talking about!) is depressing.
- That eating 3 Dove promises for 15 carbs and sucking on them so they last can be very satisfying.
- That food choices really do make a difference with how much my blood sugar goes up - and a lot of time I have control over that.
- That my period, teeth being pulled, infections, etc can add up to blood sugar changes and there's not much control I have over that.
- That sometimes no matter how careful my choices were at a meal, that blood sugar numbers can just be wacky (one book blames it on the Blood Glucose fairy - dysfunctional relative of the tooth fairy!)
- That there's a lot of unknowns about what causes complications, and a lot of guilt out there about every number over (fill in the blank depending on who is talking) causing irreversible harm.
- That like so many things, this is a lifelong journey and numbers that have been high don't come down in a week (or two or three)
- That fasting numbers (that originally seemed to be just fine) are often the most stubborn to budge
- That a whole host of words I never knew or cared about - such a liver dump, neuropathy, control solution, etc. are now part of my daily lingo.
- YMMV (your mileage may vary) - which just about sums up everything!
- God is STILL and forever in control and works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
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