The Danie Diaries

Please read Part 1 of this post here.

“One man may be the difference between victory and defeat.” – The Emperor (Mulan).

I left the meeting, obviously rather deflated. Although I had thwarted my Consultants threats of the ‘brittle’ diabetes diagnosis, brought down my average and generally felt the best I had all year it all amounted to zilch, absolutely nothing as the issue around my weight remained. I therefore headed to my DSN’s office to discuss any other options. What a breath of fresh air he brought me! We discussed the use of Liraglutide in more detail and one other option he felt could benefit my situation given that I was willing to be 110% attentive.

We discussed at length what I wanted, why and how we, together could achieve it. He felt strongly that Liraglutide was the way forward, after trialling a couple of other patients on it with great success! He was to go and fight my corner with the Consultant, armed with what I have already tried and my commitment to the task and I was to go home, wait on any news and if all efforts failed try plan b. The call came a couple of days later and it was disappointing news. I had upheld my part of the bargain with the Consultant by lowering my HbA1c substantially and my prize? To continue as I am because if I can make such a difference in that area then I don’t need any help in the other areas. My DSN was clearly disappointed on my behalf too as he proposed all the tests and referrals that he had been asked to with a degree of pointlessness. So I moved myself onto plan b.

Plan b – to decrease all basal rates and bolus ratios by 10-20%.

I started the plan on Thursday 23^rd August. I have decreased all insulin by 20% and my blood glucose levels have not changed much, surprisingly. I have undertaken this experiment with the idea that I am heavily insulin resistant. The theory is that if I decrease the amount of insulin my body is taking over 24 hours then the cells will be able to cope easier, and take up the insulin I am pumping in more efficiently. My DSN suggested that I am ‘over-insulinating’, creating resistance and new cell production when it really is not needed.

So far, so good. I have experienced a few hypo’s on the lower doses in fact and am looking, maybe on Thursday 30^th August to decrease a little more depending on further BG test results. It is really interesting to measure just how little an effect all them lost units are having on my general day-to-day BG levels. Watch this space!

Another round of blood tests are waiting in the wings, ones that I have had twice before in the past 12 months. I am, in the meantime, left with my own thoughts and negative feelings and nothing of real substance to keep me positive or on track. I feel let down, unsupported and in a way depressed. A sweeping statement I know, but I am balancing on a thin line between positivity and negativity.. it really is not going to take a lot to swing it one way or another.

“The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.” – Mulan.