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About a month ago I created a digital log book to help me change my insulin doses. I haven’t used a log book in years, and when I did use one I didn’t really use it to it’s full potential.

I don’t know how many times I’ve tried to actually keep a physical log book. I begin by writing everything down and keeping track of all of my numbers, and then eventually I just forget about it and stop writing down anything. I feel like it’s not really a big deal because my “glucometer” keeps a majority of my blood sugars in it’s memory. But I just want to be able to look back and see what is going on in my life and see how my blood sugars are reacting.

I started a new log book in digital form about a month ago. I took down the numbers for about half of the month. Then life happened and I lost track. I suppose I could go back and type in all my numbers so that I have them. But I don’t know if it is really worth it.

What are the benefits of physically writing down numbers in a log book? I think it is nice to be able to see all of my numbers for a day right next to each other and not in convoluted glucometer screens. Also (if I could figure out excel), I think it would be really cool to see them in a graph form. That way it would be real nice and easy to decide if I need to change any of my insulin doses. 

At any rate, I was just wondering out loud. Who uses log books? What are the benefits? Should I actually write down my numbers? Oh and when are they going to make a meter that hooks into my phone?

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This really long and poorly written post was written by Rachel Scott.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @rachellynnae  

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As you might remember, a couple of weeks ago I had a procedure to check out a spot on my lung. After the procedure I was given a drug by the name of Prednisone to help with the inflammation in my lungs.

One side effect that Prednisone has is that it elevates blood sugar levels. At first I was worried that it messed with my insulin resistance, however after a short Dr. Google session I learned that Prednisone is a “glucocorticoid” and all it does is raise blood sugars. So of course as soon as I started taking it my blood sugars were through the roof. I decided to start a temporary basal rate to combat these high blood sugars. Usually I am on no more than 2.0 units/ per hour. So I started by just pushing all my rates up to 2.5 u/hr. Well that did absolutely nothing, my blood sugars were still rising and I would keep correcting and as soon as it got below 240 mg/dl  I’d take another pill and shoot back into the 300’s.

I decided to kick the temp basal up to 3.5 u/hr. That seemed to be what I needed. I was finally down to a normal blood sugar range and began feeling more like a human being again. Actually I was feeling great, Prednisone was doing his job and so was my insulin. But I was taking a lot more insulin than I normally do. Usually I don’t run out of insulin for three days. But when I was on this temp basal I needed to change my site almost every other day. That began to give me problems because I would be out at work, or at school and I would be so low on insulin (I even ran out once and had to have my grandma bring me some insulin like I was a kid again, I was so embarrassed).

Anyway, my Prednisone prescription is up and I am back on my normal basal rates again. I am still working on getting my blood sugars back to normal but stress has not been my friend lately so I am still running more on the high side. Here’s to hoping this week gets me back on track!

This experience with a drug affecting my blood sugar has taught me that I am capable of adjusting my insulin needs on my own. However I know for sure that if I wouldn’t have gotten my blood sugars down by the second change I would have contacted my Endocrinologist. It just feels great sometimes, knowing that I can do this on my own, and I am in control of my diabetes. And I plan to keep it that way.

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This really long and poorly written post was written by Rachel Scott.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @rachellynnae  

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Please leave a comment below!

“Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.”  David Ogden Stiers

My family has been recently hit with a very sad and unfortunate event. My Great Grandma was faced with a massive heart attack this last evening. At first we had high hopes for her recovery (because she is one tough lady), but at this moment things are not looking good. She is 86 years young and has been battling many health issues for a while (diabetes being one for 39 years). I believe she is at peace and is ready to leave us, but it is always hard to say goodbye to someone that you love.

My Grandma’s name happens to be my favorite day of the week, Friday. Who doesn’t love Fridays? When I think about it, I feel blessed that I have spent the time I have with such an inspiring lady. Actually I am very blessed that I can say that this lady is my very own grandma. Everyone loves Grandma. She is such a sweet lady, and would never ever be one to let you down. Gotta birthday coming up, she’s there. Graduating from high school? You better guess she’s in the pictures. Have a Sophomore Graphic Design Review show, heck yeah she’s coming. I am so happy that I’ve got to spend the time that I’ve spent with my great grandma, and I couldn’t be any happier to know that she is proud of me in every endeavor I pursue (even if she doesn’t know what the heck Helvetica is and has no idea what “blogging” is referring to). Although I am very sad that you are hurting, and I would miss you very very much if you left, I know that no matter where you are, you will always be there to cheer me on! So to me everyday is a Friday!

I love you Great Grandma Friday

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This really long and poorly written post was written by Rachel Scott.

All photos are personal family photos. 

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @rachellynnae  

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Every once and a while I get that one person who just doesn’t understand diabetes. Before now I would just nod my head and stay silent, all the while inner Rachel is boiling with anger and the need to educate.

About six months ago I was at a Christmas party and I wore a fleece jacket that said “Stop Diabetes” with the ADA logo in the corner. A gentleman came up to me and said; “Stop Diabetes? Can’t you just stop eating doughnuts to Stop Diabetes?” Now I know that he didn’t realize I had diabetes but inner Rachel was so angry and I just couldn’t keep her silent this time. I explained to the gentleman that Diabetes isn’t caused by eating doughnuts and began my education session about the difference of Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes and the like.

The whole time I tried to filter my inner Rachel thoughts as I was just so angry that this man would try and ruin my time at the party. I was just minding my own business and this guy just had to say something to discredit the fact that I am supporting diabetes awareness. It just made my blood boil that I had to stop what I was doing to educate this man and everyone else who cared to hear. I tried my best to be nice about it but it really ticked me off. Sure I love educating people about diabetes but you gotta cut me some slack here. It’s not like I was embarrassed I was just annoyed that he would call it out like that. 

I’ve learned that I just need to keep a cool head when things like this happen. Even though the way the question is asked has a lot to do with my attitude of the education session I keep a smile on my face and try to explain to the best of my ability what diabetes is without allowing inner Rachel to take me into an “ALL CAPS RAGE”.

I guess the moral here is to keep calm when it comes to educating and advocating because the more people who know about the hidden disease of diabetes the less misconceptions we will hear. Oh and not to get between this diabetic and her doughnuts.

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This really long and poorly written post was written by Rachel Scott.

All photos are personal family photos. 

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @rachellynnae  

Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube: humaBLOG 

Please leave a comment below!

The other day I read a blog post with 10 tips for College Students with Diabetes by the lovely people over at Lauren’s Hope. So inner Rachel said; “Hey, Diabetes tags along with you everyday to college! Why don’t you right a bloggity-blog post?” Thanks to inner Rachel,  I’ve decided to add one more tip for College Students dragging Diabetes with them to class.

Next week marks the beginning of my third year in college!  Whenever a new school year starts in Fall I get really excited and sometimes really stressed. I’m constantly asking myself questions like; Do I have all the books/supplies I need for school, Will I do well in these classes, and of course Will I have any problems with D this year?

While growing up with D my parents always set up a meeting with my teacher, nurse, principle, and other members of staff before school started. We would talk about what my plan was going to be for daily diabetes management this year at school, and what the staff members would need to do to help me with said management. Both of which would be structured by my newly updated 504 plan.  It was a pretty nifty little meeting that allowed me to get to know my teacher and nurse and they got to know me and we got a plan set. It was all very important because in most cases I was the first and only diabetic in the school, so the staff was fairly new with the concept of diabetes.

Well when I went to high school the plans changed a little. Since I became more independent with my diabetes control, and since the nurses were more familiar with a 504 plan I no longer had these meetings. However the awesome nurse’s office let all of my teachers know about my diabetes plan and what to expect me to do to take control. So all-in-all in high school I had a pretty good support system for when I needed it.

Well the transition from high school to college is different for a PWD (Person with Diabetes) because there isn’t really that support system. A college student is expected to be more responsible than a high school student.  In turn as a college student with diabetes I am on my own when it comes to my diabetes management.

So one of the things I do to prepare for school is write each of my Professors a short e-mail to let them know what I need to do to make sure I am safe. Some of the things I cover are leaving the class/eating in class while low or when I need to check. I also make sure that I go over what this crazy disease is. Each time I send out the e-mail I always get positive responses and there is never any conflict. I just think that sending an e-mail out to professors is a good way to inform that I have this disease and that I do my best to keep it in control. Also it gives me a chance to let my professors know I am being responsible and that doesn’t hurt anyone.

The e-mail I send out is below. When I was writing it out I worked off another e-mail that I found on Google written to a PWD’s new roommate (and for the life of me I cannot find the original post). They both have the same concept. This e-mail could be used for a variety of different recipients not just college professors. Feel free to work off of my e-mail if you wish!

Hello, My name is Rachel Scott and I am in your [Specific Class]. I am letting all my professors know that I have type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes). Please understand that I do not want or need to be treated differently because of my diabetes, but there are some things I’d like you to know about the condition.

Usually my type 1 diabetes is under control, but sometimes my blood sugar gets too low or too high, which can endanger my health. To keep that from happening, I have to do certain things, like test my blood sugar and wear an insulin pump. It may help you to understand if I first tell you a little about diabetes. 

When a person eats a meal, the food is broken down into different substances, is absorbed, and enters the bloodstream. One of these substances is glucose, a sugar. The body cannot function without glucose. In turn, the body cannot use glucose without insulin, which is produced by the pancreas. My pancreas, like that of other people with type 1 diabetes, doesn’t produce insulin, so I have to take take my insulin through my insulin pump every day.

When I get too much insulin I can have low blood sugars or insulin reactions, however I usually know when my blood sugar is getting low. At these times, I need to drink a sugared drink or eat something right away. So there for I may need to leave class in a hurry or grab a bite of something to eat.  In some cases it takes about 10 minutes for me to get back to normal. So if you could please understand why I might be either out of the classroom or not myself during this time. 
I rarely have any problems controlling my diabetes, however I just wanted to let you know just in case something extreme happens. If you have any questions, I am very comfortable with answering them. Thank you in advanced for being so understanding and I hope to have a great semester.

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This really long and poorly written post was written by Rachel Scott. 

All photos are personal family photos. 

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @rachellynnae  

Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube: humaBLOG 

Please leave a comment below!

Yesterday I had a procedure done on my lungs. The entire week before I was so nervous and it was always on my mind. When it was finally over I felt I needed to write a blog and share my experience. Please enjoy!

The Back Story:

About six months ago I came down with a bout of pneumonia. Which isn’t really uncommon for me because I have asthma and I usually catch some sort of pneumonia every year. If you’ve never had pneumonia this is how it goes. The doctor listens to your chest to hear any wheezing or rattle. Next step is to and get a chest x-ray. Then you wait until the doctor gets the results back and that’s when you’re diagnosed with pneumonia and you get antibiotics. I’ve gone through this song and dance quite a few times. However this time my pneumonia symptoms weren’t going away like they had before. In fact I ended up having the same case of pneumonia for three months.

I had countless x-rays and the doctor was saying the same thing. “You have pneumonia and it’s not going anywhere.” That’s when I had my first CT scan, and it basically allowed my doctor to get a sort of three-dimensional view of my lungs.

This time the doc said that he saw a spot on my lung. Another set of different antibiotics, and a check-up scheduled is what I got. Suddenly my symptoms subsided and I was feeling normal again. The doctor was pleased and said that I will get a CT scan in six months to check up on the lung.

Fast-forward six months: 

CT scan number four shows that the spot hasn’t moved, although it has gotten smaller, but only slightly. My doctor decided that I should get an Endobrochial Electromagnetic Brochoscopy. Which is basically a really tiny camera that is attached to a tube that goes down into my lungs through my throat. It uses some sort of magnets like a GPS system to find the spot. Then the doc takes samples and sends them out to be tested.

I couldn’t eat or drink anything from 12:00am the night before until about two hours after the procedure. So this made me really nervous about dropping low in the AM (oh and I was a tad bit nervous about the procedure as well!).

In preparation for the procedure I decided to have a temporary basal rate over night the night before. I recently moved my basal rates over night up from 1.5 to 2.2, and they have been working fantastically for my morning blood sugars. So for the night before I took my basal rates back down to 1.5. But then I was still really nervous about dropping in the morning so I dropped it down to 1.00.

When I woke up at four in the morning, (I swear no normal person gets up at this time!) my blood sugar was 294(mg/dl). Yikes, I guess I should have kept it at 1.5. I gave a small correction and headed over to the hospital. When I got there, was admitted, and put on my gown, then I started feeling that I had high blood sugar again. So I checked about thirty minutes before my procedure and I was at 302. (What I went up!?) The procedure lasts 45 minutes to an hour and I was planning on taking my pump off. So I did another quick correction (this time the full one) and took off my pump.

I was given a ventilator and had to breath in this really nasty tasting vapor that numbed my throat and lungs. More x-rays, and then the nurse gave me the medicine to make me sleepy along with just a little morphine to help with my cough during the procedure. As soon as she put it into my IV I could definitely feel a difference, and I fell asleep. 

When I woke up (if you can call it that), the doctor was almost done with the procedure. My throat was still numb but I could feel the tube and it was kind of freaking me out. I started coughing and moving my tongue around, soon after they took the camera out. I was done! The procedure that I have been fretting about for a week is finally done! I wasn’t sure how long I had been out so I actually thought my coughing messed up the readings. I was worried we were going to have to start over again until my doctor and nurse told me that I did great. (What a relief!)

I tried to test my blood sugar afterwards and only had a little difficulty trying to figure out my machine with all the drugs doing their job inside of me. I checked and I was at 376 and I could feel I was still climbing up. I plugged my pump back in and did a correction, was checked out, and headed home. I battled with the elevated high blood sugars, drowsiness, sore throat, and tightness in my chest all day afterwards but eventually by about 7:00pm I was down to 150.

The last time I had any sort of procedure I was only six years old and I had my tonsils removed. So I have never had to deal with something like this and diabetes. It is a scary thought to me that I will be under anesthesia and I will have no control over my body. Luckily I had a great doctor and team and they were very helpful when it came to diabetes and everything. I don’t know if I did what I should have done as far as basal rates and suspending my pump, but I feel like it was a successful tactic. I should know results by next week so until then I will be taking it easy and working on recovering.

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This really long and poorly written post was written by Rachel Scott. All photos are personal family photos. 

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @rachellynnae  

Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube: humaBLOG 

Please leave a comment below! 

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about my childhood and growing up with Diabetes. Specifically I’ve been thinking about the control of my diabetes. Although I have good control of my diabetes now it hasn’t always been that way. These are my “Dark Days of D”. Prepare yourself, it’s a long trip.

I was diagnosed at age eight. So like many parents of young children with D, mine were in control of my diabetes care when I was first diagnosed. One thing that I could do on my own from day one was test my blood sugar. My parents calculated doses, drew up insulin, and did injections.  It was like this for a long while even after my little sister was diagnosed. Eventually I was brave enough (and bribed very well by my parents) to give my own injection in my leg.

 I began to get more and more responsible about my diabetes and my parents (god bless them) had a lot to deal with my newly diagnosed sister’s diabetes while she started school. So they allowed me to be in control of my own diabetes at school. I would go to the nurse’s office at lunch and test, then head to lunch and afterwards back to nurse’s office to call my mom or dad to figure out my dosage.  After that I would give my own injection. But I was only comfortable with giving my shots in my legs so the nurse let me use the bathroom attached to the office to inject. At some point I was just burn out with giving shots. So for whatever reason, one day I pushed out my dosage into the toilet.

 I continued to throw out my insulin and that was just the start of the downward spiral.  I started eating food without giving insulin, and I would even say I was low when I wasn’t just so I could get a snack. I was taking advantage of my diabetes, the nurse, and my parent’s trust. However they suspected something was up when I went to the endocrinologist and my A1C was twelve. Needless to say, I was in trouble, and I was headed for trouble too. I was only ten years old and now the doctor was worried about my kidneys.  

 I went to camp that summer and it helped build my morale about D immensely. I started to be much better at taking care of myself. I just didn’t want to disappoint the people who worked hard everyday to take care of me again. At camp the following years I learned how to give injections in my arms, stomach and hips. I also learned how to calculate carbohydrates and correction factors. Things were looking up for D and me.

A few weeks before I turned thirteen I started on my very first pump. That’s when I began to be more independent with my diabetes care. I no longer called my parents for carb calculations during school lunch; actually I rarely ever visited the nurse’s office in junior high. When I had a low blood sugar I treated while I was in class, and when I had a high blood sugar I would test and correct in class. But this is when I began to get “lazy” about diabetes control.

 Since I didn’t have to show or tell anyone that I tested at lunch, I didn’t test. I always bolused but sitting at the lunch table and testing proved to be awkward around my friends. Not testing at school turned into not testing at home and eventually I had maybe one or two average tests a day. This went on throughout the end of junior high and into the beginning of high school. My A1C’s went down and were okay, not great but just okay.

Then something clicked in my mind. I have a little sister who is going through the same thing; she’s looking up to me! So many people are expecting me to be mature and take care of myself. I need to suck it up! (Coined Camp Granada term) I started taking my blood sugars, adjusting what needed to be adjusted. Understanding what my body needed. My A1C’s got considerably better. I have a better attitude about diabetes now. I have this disease, and it’s not going anywhere. I need to take it upon myself to take care of it because no one else is going to do it for me. Diabetes is such a huge part of my life and for years I had it on the back burner.  

Since this new change of heart My A1C’s are the lowest they have ever been, I feel the best I’ve ever felt, and I even received a scholarship my first year of college because I have a positive attitude toward diabetes. Honestly what inspires me to take care of myself lies in other people. I want to be a positive role model for every diabetic. I want to be healthy. I want to live long and I want to have children someday. Today I have such a different view on diabetes then I did when I was ten. Today I am proud to say that I am a Diabetic. Today diabetes doesn’t control my life, I control diabetes. I don’t look at any of my “Dark Days” with regret. I look at today as an accomplishment of what I’ve done to live a healthier life. 

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This really long and poorly written post was written by Rachel Scott. All photos are personal family photos.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @rachellynnae

Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube: humaBLOG

Please leave a comment below!

This month marks the eleventh year that my little sister, Em, has had type 1 diabetes. So for the occasion I’ve written a little heart filled letter to her. I invite you all to read and enjoy!

Dear Little Sister,

When you were born I wasn’t sure how I felt about being a big sister. I recall you screaming so loudly and I asked where your “off switch” was. Those first couple years I was jealous of the attention you received from our parents. I am sure there are photos and videos of this. But even though I had trouble sharing our parents at first, I was proud to be your sister and I still am!

When I was diagnosed with diabetes two years later I felt alone and scared and while you were too young to know it you were what made me feel not so alone. Hours of playing games of house with our stuffed animals, and watching Disney movies is exactly what I needed to get me through a tough diagnosis.

When you were diagnosed with diabetes just a year later at only three years old I wasn’t sure what to think. I was so sad that you now had a life long disease that would attempt to wreck your little body. But I was also glad that you had me and that I had you to go through it with. There were so many times that mom and dad had to chase you around the house to give you your injection of that drug that kept us both alive. It broke my nine-year-old heart to hear you say “no thanks, no thanks, no thanks” when our parents tried to grab a finger to poke. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be that young and have to deal with a thing like diabetes.

Oh and those horrible, horrible seizures. The one you had a few months before you were diagnosed and the five that you had afterwards. They are my worst nightmare little sister. I saw you have three of them and the last two were when you were at school and at home with dad. I can’t choose which was worse for me. Seeing your little body be totally helpless or coming home from school to find out that you were at the hospital and I wasn’t with you. Both are feelings I wouldn’t wish on anyone. 

I know that sometimes we fight like most sisters do. I know you hate it when I tell you what to do, but please realize that I am trying to keep that at a minimum as you grow. And please realize that I only fight and tell you what I think you should do not to put you down or criticize but to help you. Believe it or not I know exactly what you are going through little sister, I am one of the few people in this world who do. I understand that you are almost grown and you get to make decisions on your own. Please be understanding of a sister who has spent fourteen years of her life taking care of her baby sister who is now all grown up!

I am glad that you have both your older sister and your mother to help you live through this disease. Even though we couldn’t see it when we were diagnosed, we are going to be a life long team in this game called diabetes. I help you, and you help me and we already have an advantage in the game! So on your eleventh anniversary of your diagnoses I want to say that I look up to you little sister and I always have. While only a part of my childhood was filled with diabetes, your whole childhood was filled with D. I can remember a time when I didn’t have diabetes but for you, you have always had a life of finger pokes, injections, needles, insulin, sickness, seizures, numbers, and doctors. You are such a strong person and I admire you for it every day.

Love always,

Your Big Sister

         

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This really long and poorly written post was written by Rachel Scott. All photos are personal family photos.

Twitter @rachellynnae

             @epaigescott

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