Numbers Revisited

KISS -- Keep it

Simple, Stupid!

I know I said I wasn't going to make any New Year resolutions. I lied. I made one. I vowed to test my blood sugar regularly. I said I'd prick my finger at least once a day until I got my eating right, and then 3-4 times weekly after that. Guess what? So far, so good.

Keeping track is a pain. There are all kinds of blood glucose logs out there. I think most of them are too busy, too complicated or too expensive. I know me. I need simple. I bought a 2018 day planner at the Dollar Store. It's small enough to store in the bathroom drawer with my glucometer. I write the number, the time and anything significant that I think may have affected the number (i.e. "missed PM meds" or "walked 3 miles.")

I try to test my blood every morning when I get up. On the days I forget, I make sure to test two hours after dinner. I've made some interesting discoveries:

• I can tell when I forgot to take my evening meds.
• My morning numbers are lower when I eat a big lunch/light dinner.
• My morning numbers are lower when I eat a low carb dinner.
• My numbers are lower after I get in a good workout.

My morning numbers average around 115 mg/dl. The American Diabetes Association says that target range for fasting blood sugar levels should be between 80–130 mg/dl so I'm doing pretty good. I feel confident that if I can get my weight down and get a better handle on food choices, I could get this number closer to 80 mg/dl.

The ADA also says that the target range 1–2 hours after meals is less than 180 mg/dl. So far my evening numbers (there aren't many) have been on target. Yay me! Maybe I'll figure this out after all. To quote one of my doctors:

Lord, I'm trying. Really I am.