Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Foot Update!!

A friendly warning: there is a picture of my stitched foot in this post. 



I had my foot surgery a few weeks ago. When I got home from the surgery, my dog wouldn't leave me alone for a few days. Everything went fine with the surgery, and they put me in a sexy, sexy post-surgical boot. A few days after surgery, my foot was quite swollen, and my toes looked like Vienna sausages.

The pain meds were... an experience. I was prescribed Vicodin, which I thought I had taken before. Well, I have never taken Vicodin before, and it makes me really, really nauseated. I mean, to the point of almost vomiting in my boyfriends car (thankfully I didn't). That being said, taking Vicodin and an anti-emetic every four hours did nothing to the accuracy of my CGM numbers. So at least it had that going for it.

In addition to the lovely drugs, my doctor prescribed this neat little machine for me. It circulates really cool water around my sore foot and squeezes on my other leg to prevent DVT. I really only used it for the first few days after surgery, and now it's sitting in my living room. I really do need to call the guy to return it.





I went back to the podiatrist yesterday, almost three weeks post-op. I was told that my foot looks good and is healing quickly. Yay foot! The doctor took my stitches out, manipulated my foot for a bit, and then bandaged it back up.I haven't been allowed to get my foot wet since the surgery, so that means it hasn't been washed since before the surgery. That's why my doctor's initials are s till on my foot. Also, the smell! I won't even get started on that....

I still have some swelling and bruising in my foot, as well as some pain and stiffness. You know what, though? I'll take it for now. I have at least another week in the sexy gray boot before I can start slipping back into my dancing shoes. Right now I'm still walking like a slow poke, but I should be back to normal-ish soon. 

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Diabetes Goals: 2015

Okay, it's January 3 and I have yet to commit to any New Year's resolutions. So here we are. It's good to have goals, it really is, but I've never been a huge believer in changing everything overnight just because the year on the calendar has changed. My goals aren't really specific to it being a new year; they're things I've been steadily working on anyway. Just as it's good to have goals in the first place, it's also good to have them written down and shared. At least for me, having my goals out there gives me a sense of responsibility to stick to it. So, diabetes goals...


  • Bring A1C below 7.  I rang in 2014 with an 8.3, and I'm ringing in 2015 with a 7.1. I can do this, I really can. How? Listen to my CGM more than I do. I need to use it to live closer to the 100 line than the 150 line. Last year I started my CGM and I started changing my mindset toward numbers. 200 used to be my upper limit, and over time I've bumped it to 180. I'm afraid that if I bump it any lower it will alarm every time I eat. I think listening to my CGM will make the biggest difference. 
  • Stop obsessing over BG numbers. I know it sounds counter-intuitive given my goal of decreasing my A1C, but sometimes I drive myself nuts stressing out over going to bed with my BG at 150+. I stress myself out sometimes for no good reason other than I'd like to see a better number on my meter. 
  • Eat fewer carbs. This is a huge challenge for me. Not only are carbs the most delicious thing on the planet, but I'm a vegetarian who hates eggs and cheese. These are the go-to snacks and meals of the low-carbers I've spoken to. I know full and well I'm going to fail this so hard. I like salad and veggies as much as the next person, but potatoes and pasta are the best. 
  • Like myself more. This isn't even related to diabetes, mostly. I've always had a hard time liking myself, from the things I say to the way I look in the mirror. Especially the way I look in the mirror. It's hard to admit, but I'm a bit vain. Yeah, the one who hardly wears makeup ever is actually vain. It's something to work on. 
There are my four goals for 2015, or just for life in general. Last year I achieved my goals by May. I'll give myself until June to check back for a progress report unless I beat my record (doubtful).