Diabetes update

Yesterday I had a scan to check the baby was growing okay. And today I went to the antenatal clinic for my two weekly check-up.

The good news is the baby is fine. Not any bigger than it should be. The sonographer said if she didn't know that I had gestational diabetes, she wouldn't be able to tell from looking at the baby.

The not so good news for me today is that when I had my weigh-in with the diabetes educator, I discovered that I had actually lost three kilograms since starting my diet. Normally this would be great news. Apparently losing a bit of weight is normal for women with gestational diabetes, but the diabetes educator seemed to think that three kilos was a bit too much. If I keep my carbohydrate intake to about half of what the dietitian told me to, I can keep my glucose levels within the correct range. But it seems like I am going to need more carbs so the baby doesn't suck all the nutrition out of me.

So this also means I am going to probably need some more insulin as well. I'll be emailing the specialist with my levels tonight to see what he says.

I feel a bit sad that my body isn't coping too well with all this. And I miss the high GI sweet treats. I'm still eating frozen yoghurt and carefully rationed squares of dark chocolate. But what I would really love is a big muffin, or some chocolate caramel slice.

Sorry for the downer. Mostly I am going okay with all of this (apart from the boredom of eating All-Bran for breakfast every day). But I get worried sometimes that this is going to be a longer term thing. The risk of me developing type 2 diabetes later in life has increased to 50% now that I have had it in pregnancy. I just hope I can maintain some semblance of these healthy eating habits once the baby is born.

Diabetes update

I have been on tiny doses of insulin this week while I get into the injecting routine. I don't think it's making much difference so I'm expecting they'll tell me to increase it.

So I emailed my blood glucose results to the doctor's rooms today....and got a reply from his receptionist asking what dose I was on.

What? He didn't write it in the notes?

Not impressed.

Off to measure results now....and to have my one scoop of icecream for dessert afterwards.

Good news

Insulin injections don't hurt. It's a bit of fiddling around, but not painful.

Very happy about that.

Feeling a bit repentant about saying the doctor had the personality of a dead fish. Sorry about that, everyone.

Endocrinologist update

He had all the personality of a dead fish.

But he wrote me a prescription for insulin and I don't have to see him again for another six weeks, so that is okay.

So I went and picked up multiple boxes of insulin and little pen things from the pharmacy after work. Now we need to clean out our fridge to make space for all of them because they like a cold environment.

Tomorrow I go back to the diabetes educator to find out how to do the injections. Apparently they go straight into my tummy where there are fewer nerve endings so they don't hurt too much (that's what he said anyway). And the finger pricking continues, now five times a day instead of four.

I came home and told Chris what I thought of the doctor's manner. He said he already knew the guy (also visits the hospital where Chris works) and that he didn't have much in the way of personality. And doesn't like allied health professionals much, from what I could gather. That would explain the lack of reaction when I told him what I did for a job. I said to Chris that I wish he'd told me all that before I went to see him. So then he said that on the plus side, this doctor supposedly does know what he is talking about when it comes to diabetes.

And all of this cost....around $300 for the consultation plus the pharmacy bill (some of it comes back from Medicare but not a lot).

And in other disheartening news for the day, it looks like I may have to prepare a job application and do an interview sometime in the next few weeks. I already have a permanent hospital based job with the health service but I want to transfer to another area and it looks like they are going to ask me to re-apply to get permanency in the location where I want to work long term. Fantastic. The timing couldn't be better.

Patience....patience....lots of deep breaths needed. Praying for strength over the next few weeks...and a baby that will stay put until it's supposed to come out.

Endocrinologist appointment booked....

....for the middle of tomorrow morning. This is the only day that I am working this week. Just what I was thinking would probably happen. And of course he is "away all next week" and I am being squeezed in. So I then needed to rearrange several appointments of my own.

When I called our administration officer at work to let her know, I wasn't filled with confidence. I asked if she could check my diary to see when someone could be rescheduled (having only three more weeks left at work means options are limited) and she seemed to come back to the phone with a diary from a couple of years ago. At least I had an idea of what I was doing and one of the kids I was seeing tomorrow was seeing the Paediatrician before he saw me, so they are turning up anyway and hopefully won't be too peeved if I cancel.

Praying that all goes smoothly both for me and at the office....and that I won't have to do injections too many times each day.

Insulin, here I come

:(

The diabetes educator took one look at my little book of high numbers and told me I'd be hearing from the endocrinologist's rooms in the next few days about an appointment. My levels during the day aren't too bad but the ones first thing in the morning are the killers.

But the baby seems to be the right size (not too oversized) and blood pressure is good. So I'll try to be happy with that.

Re-entering the world of finger-pricking and low GI diets

Bad news. I have gestational diabetes...again. I didn't have it with my first two pregnancies but did have it last time when I was pregnant with Rosie. I'm putting it down to my advanced age. Almost forty and it feels like my body is starting to shut up shop already.

So it's back to three times daily finger pricks to check my blood sugars and eating low GI foods to try to avoid having to have insulin. Last time it seemed to take ages for them to get back to me with my test results so by the time I knew I had GD I was only on the diet for a couple of weeks before Rosie made her early arrival. This time they called me within 24 hours of having the test. Much better service. And so now I am officially a "high-risk" pregnancy. I have to see the doctors each time I go to the antenatal clinic now. And I am off to visit the diabetes educator and dietitian on Monday.

Even worse news is that last night I made a cherry ripe slice. The one with the biscuit base, cherry coconut condensed milk filling and chocolate icing on top. Probably a no-no on a low GI diet but I think I might eat some of it anyway. Kind of like the last meal for a condemned man...