Diabetes and Congestive Heart Failure are two common conditions that people are diagnosed with every day. Living with one of these conditions at any age is hard enough; imagine living with both at the age of 25. That's what this blog is all about. It's about my life with Type 2 Diabetes and CHF, and about showing that you can live a fulfilling life with each.
More good news on the A1c front today. I called for the results of the test that I had done last week, and was informed that for the second time in a row my A1c was a 6.0. That just made my day. You might even say I’m seeing the bright side today. haha.
Now the question is: Can I make it 3 in a row? Well, I guess we’ll have to wait another 3 months to see. Stay tuned.
That’s the song Eric Idle sang at the end of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, as they were all hanging on crosses, awaiting death. It’s hard to imagine being able to see a bright side in that situation. I mean, to be facing a very slow, painful death on a cross, where would be the bright side in that? What would one be thankful for?
It’s often hard to see the bright side of things when dealing with any health condition. With what I’ve been through over the last year or so, after being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and Congestive Heart Failure, among other health problems, I can say that with a great deal of certainty. And to say that I’m really thankful for either of those is questionable at best on some days.
Despite all the difficulties, though, I can honestly say there is a bright side to all of it, and there are many things for which I am thankful.
On the bright side, I’m still Alive! That’s something for which I am definitely thankful. And despite some evidence to the contrary, I’m actually in a lot better shape now than I was this time last year. The strength of my heart is up to 42%, from 35%, the A1c I had a few months back was a 6.0, I’ve lost 40 lbs., etc… I could go on forever, but I won’t.
For me, the good results that I’ve seen from my treatment efforts have made it easier to see the bright side of things. Feeling the strength returning, the pounds shedding, and the numbers lowering, make it so much easier to keep up with the 1,500 calorie diet, the constant blood glucose checks, and the exercise routine. And a spoonful of sweet victories certainly make the 20+ pills that I take everyday go down a lot easier.
If there is one thing that has made seeing the bright side a little easier over the last year, it’s the friendships that I’ve made with other members of the Diabetic Online Community (DOC). The love and support that is shared throughout the DOC is something for which I am always thankful.
And last but not least, I have to give a shout out to George Simmons over at Ninjabetic – The B.A.D Blog. His post titled “Sometimes” was the inspiration for my post today. So, be sure to check it out.
For your enjoyment, here’s a Youtube video of the song/movie referenced above.
For the last several years, I’ve dealt with Migraine Headaches on a fairly regular basis. The intensity and duration has varied but they have always left me wiped out and wondering what the hell happened. And save for some over the counter remedies, the migraines went untreated as far as drugs go, because I’ve never had good enough insurance or enough money on hand to be able to go to the doctor for help.
Well, things have changed a lot in my life, as anyone who reads this blog knows. I have a little bit of money now, and thankfully have insurance to help cover the medical bills that I’ve had over the last year. And that knowledge made my decision to finally try to do something about the Migraines all the more easier when I went to see my doctor at the end of January.
After talking to Dr. Cabe about the situation, she prescribed a medication called Topamax. Now, I had heard both good and bad things about this particular drug, but I was willing to give it a try to see if it would help me. And boy was that ever a mistake.
In my case, I’ve found the side effects of Topamax to be far worse than Migraine Headaches that I’m trying to remedy. I mean this shit has really messed me up. Below are excerpts from www.relieve-migraine-headache.com on the side effects of Topamax. The ones I’ve experienced are in bold.
“Topamax will slow you down, or make you feel like you’re in a fog. This includes slower reflexes, trouble thinking or concentrating, trouble thinking of the right word (and other speech problems), tiredness, poor coordination, and dizziness.
Topiramate may also cause tingling in your hands or feet, shakiness, depression, nausea, memory problems, and visual problems (such as double vision). It has also been known to bring on respiratory infections.
Some of the less common Topamax side effects include: pain (ie chest, leg), mood changes (ie aggression, restlessness), rash, body odour, appetite loss and weight loss, constipation, hearing loss, and menstrual disorders.” – http://www.relieve-migraine-headache.com/topamax-side-effects.html
In short, in just a months time, the side effects of this one medication have seriously impacted every aspect of my life. I’m not the same person that I was before I started taking the medication, and more than one person has told me so.
So, all that being said, I called Dr. Cabe’s office Monday morning, and told them I was having a major problem with the Topamax, and I needed to stop taking it ASAP! They were busy, and it took all day for me to hear back from them, but I got the response that I was wanting. The doctor agreed that I should discontinue the medication, and provided instructions for weaning myself off of the medication. They were as follows:
Take 1 pill per day for 4 days.
Skip a day, then take 1 pill.
Skip 2 days, then take 1 pill.
Skip 3 days, then take 1 pill,
And then stop!
Apparently, you have to gradually stop taking this medication, because stopping suddenly can cause serious problems. Fine, what ever it takes to get this shit out of my system is OK with me. As I told the doctor, and everyone else I’ve talked to about this problem, given the choice between living with the migraines or dealing with the bullshit side effects of the Topamax: I’ll take the Migraines!
Over the course of the last month, I’ve been faced with having to give up another one of my vices, Soft Drinks.
Like an old friend, soft drinks have always been a part of my life. I didn’t drink them all the time, but they were always around. Even after I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I switched to diet soft drinks so I could at least have one every once in a while. Well, not any more.
A few weeks ago, I began to notice that the soft drinks that I liked, diet pepsi and coke zero, just didn’t taste good anymore. I thought maybe the asthma inhaler I used earlier in the day was causing the nasty taste. So, I gave it a few days, and tried the soft drinks again, and I had the same problem. They just tasted horrible.
So, rather than try to figure out whether it was the inhaler or one of the 4 other new medications that my doctor had started me on that was causing my soft drinks to taste funny, I said goodbye to them
And if sparing myself the nasty taste wasn’t a good enough reason to give up the soft drinks, there’s always the money saved and the few extra pounds lost.
Now I just need some healthy alternatives. Any suggestions? Comment Please.
My annual visit with the Ophthalmologist went rather well this morning, and the news was all good.
There were no signs of retinopathy at all, and everything looked really good. My prescription has not changed at all, so I didn’t have to get new glasses either.
And, unless I have any problems, I don’t have to return to see the ophthalmologist until next year. I thought my heart was going to break when the doctor told me that. Then I remembered, it’s already broken. LOL
So, I left the eye doctor feeling pretty good about things. Nice to know that the efforts that I’m making in controlling my blood sugar and blood pressure are helping keep to my eyes healthy. And it just confirms once again that:
After writing a question and answer styled profile for an upcoming issue of “The Rockstar Review”, a newsletter produced by Diabetic Rockstar, I’ve decided to add a Question & Answer category to my blog. Here’s how it works. You submit your questions via comments on this post, or via email to mydiabeticheart@gmail.com, and I’ll read them, and then post the question and an answer as a blog post. It’s that simple.
I’m hoping to get lots of questions, and to be able to post at least one per day. So, start sending your questions today!
Over the course of the last month, I’ve been faced with having to give up another one of my vices, Soft Drinks.
Like an old friend, soft drinks have always been a part of my life. I didn’t drink them all the time, but they were always around. Even after I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I switched to diet soft drinks so I could at least have one every once in a while. Well, not any more.
A few weeks ago, I began to notice that the soft drinks that I liked, diet pepsi and coke zero, just didn’t taste good anymore. I thought maybe the asthma inhaler I used earlier in the day was causing the nasty taste. So, I gave it a few days, and tried the soft drinks again, and I had the same problem. They just tasted horrible.
So, rather than try to figure out whether it was the inhaler or one of the 4 other new medications that my doctor had started me on that was causing my soft drinks to taste funny, I said goodbye to them
And if sparing myself the nasty taste wasn’t a good enough reason to give up the soft drinks, there’s always the money saved and the few extra pounds lost.
Now I just need some healthy alternatives. Any suggestions? Comment Please.
So often I get down and feel awful about my health issues but you have to find that silver lining and keep on trucking. If you don't, you give up and then it's all over.
Thanks for the shout out my friend and thanks for being my friend. The DOC is awesome and I always thankful for it.
