Announcement time!!!!

Hey everyone! I'm finally announcing it! The doctor believes we are in the clear for miscarriages! Yay! I've written a couple of posts and have kept them secret until now. Check them out! Also, check out our coordinating Halloween outfits!

Happy Halloween!

Finally!

Today (17 Oct 2013) I am FINALLY in my second trimester! That could not have come quick enough. The constant state of being nauseated was wearing on me. Never puking.... not really, but always feeling like I had to. Ugh! So glad that is coming to end. I still get a wave of nausea from time to time, but nothing like it was. I'm still pretty tired, but at least I'm starting to get some energy back. I still need a bit of a nap when I get home from work, or I just can't function the rest of the night. I'm also starting to exercise again. Though that is hard to get back into the habit of doing. I am having a hard time getting motivated to get to the gym. I used to run, but it's starting to get too cold for that outside. Not to mention my knees can't take the hard surfaces as much anymore. I'm going to start swimming once I get even more energy back... hopefully.

I'm starting to get a baby bump. I don't fit into my regular pants anymore, but I definitely am too small for my maternity clothes. But there's really two reasons for that. 1) I'm about 30 pounds and about 3.5 sizes smaller than I was when I was pregnant with Autumn and 2) It's still just too early, and I don't have that much of a bump yet. But being smaller than i was when I started with Autumn means I get to go shopping!!!!!! I mean my shirts will be fairly ok for the most part, but the pants... yup that's right!! Shopping! I'm excited! Though I think dresses and maxi skirts will be my friend!

We could possibly learn the gender next week... doubt it... but maybe... You can't be 100% sure at 14 weeks because girl genitalia looks swollen and as big as boy genitalia. So... yeah... I don't think they will tell me one way or another, but we are seriously getting really, really close to finding out and that's very exciting! I'm really hoping for a boy. I would really like to have one of each, but I think regardless we will be done after this. Being pregnant is VERY hard for me. I mean, I don't have hard pregnancies, and I'm not really a wimp, but it's been difficult. I have been very stressed about my glucose levels. It's amazing how my glucose levels affected my mood and the way the I felt. When I was stable, but at a lower level, I felt sick. When I was ridiculously high and couldn't come down, I felt sick. I only felt okish when I was a bit higher than I would like to have been. But I have been doing really well regardless of me stressing. My last A1C came in at a 5.5! That's a normal person's glucose levels! Please! There are type 1ers and Type 2s that can't get their A1Cs below 6, so I'm doing freaking fantastic! I plan to keep that up, as well as not gaining too much weight.

Yes, I'm concerned about weight. As I should be. The heavier I am, the more insulin resistant I am. I like the amount of insulin that I was using pre-pregnancy. It wasn't very much and I was using it very effectively and efficiently. There are diabetics that use 8 times as much as I do in one day. RIDICULOUS! But anyway, I don't want to gain any weight other than baby weight so I can get back to pre-pregnancy weight as soon as possible. I want to be able to feel good about myself and my health. So yeah, I'm a bit obsessed about my weight.

Anyway, more pregnancy posts to come.

Week 11

02 Oct 2013

So I'm going to try to write a bit more since I am pregnant. No guarantees though. Super busy these days. School has started and we are in the final stretch! We're almost half way through Rob's second to last semester!!!!! Hallelujah! Can I get an Amen!? Oh seriously, May canNOT come fast enough! I'm so ready for him to be done, and have a really big boy job! That would be the day right!?

Anyway, so the last couple of weeks have been R-O-U-G-H, rough. I have been absolutely exhausted and sick almost 24/7! I mean it has been ridiculous! Get up, go to work, come home, try to stay awake until I put Autumn down to bed, lay in bed feeling absolutely sick, and hope to fall asleep before 10 pm.... It doesn't seem like much, but it has been exhausting. I haven't worked out in probably 2 weeks and it is KILLING me! Running makes me feel absolutely wonderful. Running and I have a love-hate relationship. Running makes me love myself and who I am, but I sure hate running! I hate sweating and the hard impact on my knees. Anyway, that aside, I miss working out, even if it is on a machine at the gym.

My pants are already no longer fitting. I got myself a baby bump band thing to help hold up my pants. I haven't pulled out my maternity pants yet because I'm a little afraid that may not fit because I was a whopping 30 pounds heavier at the beginning of my pregnancy with Autumn. I simply don't think they will fit. I'm waiting until I am bigger just to make sure before I go and spend money on clothes that I don't need. Especially since we are a bit tight now that Rob is in school. (Seriously, he needs to be done!) But we will soldier on and make things work.

I had my second checkup yesterday. The midwife that was checking up on me before the doctor came in couldn't find the baby's heartbeat with the little (for the lack of a better word) microphone ultrasound thing. Cue the stress. So we went down the hall to the ultrasound just to be sure. And there it was in all of its glory, waving at me with a little heart beat! *Phew* Then my doctor came in. Seriously, I like this one. I know I have always said that I would never go with a male doctor for ... you know... the girly things, but man! This doctor sure has me reassured and calmed then when I was seeing midwives with Autumn. And what's great is that he sees me as knowledgeable and capable of taking care of myself (as far as diabetes is concerned) that he's just kind of watching me rather than treating me like I'm a fragile freak of nature that needs 24/7 monitoring. I was a little afraid of getting a doctor like that. But I was afraid that he would be more hand off than I would like. But that's not the case either. He listens to me vent about things that are totally common and doesn't roll his eyes at me and tries to rush out of the appointments. So all in all, this guy is great! I am seriously happy to have him as my doctor.

So Dr. J came in and took one look at the ultrasound and said, "Well it looks like you're going to be pregnant for a while!" While that was not only funny to me, it was also very reassuring as I have had a higher risk of a miscarriage. Though we are still not going to publicly announce until the end of the month I think. I mean it is Halloween and there are a ton of ideas of announcing Halloween style.... so That is in the works. Anyway, so Dr. J informs me that it is time for my 24-hour urine collection.... YAY! So I got that completed today.... Man I'm not sure if it is a combination of being pregnant and diabetic, but I did not know that a person can pee over 3 liters in 24 hours! I mean seriously! 3 liters! That was probably TMI, but that is what my life is.... constantly in the bathroom. Sometimes I think, "Seriously! I cannot possibly be peeing again! I peed an hour ago!" YAY double whammy!

Anyway, I'm gonna keep soldering on here! 2 more weeks until I am officially in my 2nd trimester! Oh goodness it cannot come soon enough!

Then there were four...

So, it's taken about 3 months, but I am officially preggers. I was seriously starting to get worried.... and before you think I'm a silly girl for thinking that it shouldn't have taken that long, you should know all Rob had to do last time was look at me funny and I was pregnant with Autumn. Seriously, we hardly even tried. But this time we tried for 3 months.

See part of the reason I was getting worried was I thought I had scar tissue that was preventing me from getting pregnant. Exactly one week after having Autumn, I was back in the hospital with not one, not two, but three infections; Kidney, Uteran, and Urinary tract. They thought about doing a procedure called a DNC that would have cleaned the uteran wall, but they never did. After talking to a co-worker who had a similar experience, I was seriously afraid that was going to keep me from getting pregnant. But alas I was wrong and I'm so glad that I was.

So yeah, we're not telling anyone at this point. I'm still at too high of a risk of losing the baby. I mean we only found out on Thursday (08/15/2013), and even then the stripe on the test to indicate that I am pregnant was barely there and then faded. I was very concerned the test lied to me, but here I am a week late and still no sign of mother nature making her monthly call! Hallelujah!

I find it interesting that the two months that I couldn't get pregnant, I wasn't really exercising and I wasn't really eating well either. So by the time my second period hit I really wanted to go to a doctor, but I knew that if I went to the doctor without really being on top of my diabetes, the doctor would scoff at me, tell me to be better and THEN if I still wasn't getting pregnant, to go see him. So I decided to put that to the test first. I started exercising at least 3 times a week. I'm now up to everyday except Sunday. I feel so healthy and blood sugar number have never been better. I wouldn't be surprised if my AIC went back down to 5.7 the next time I get tested.

But yeah, Rob and I are SUPER excited. This has been a long time coming, but we feel that everything is finally just right to have another baby. Whether or not we have more after this depends on a lot. This pregnancy will play a huge roll for sure. It's like we are pregnant with our first again. It's been so long and now I have Type 1 Diabetes. It's not just gestational diabetes. It's going to be fairly difficult I fear. But I will do my best to stay on top of it. But we are super excited! It's been a long time coming and I'm just glad it's here!

A month of Anniversaries

Oh goodness... It's been a while. A loooong while as a matter of fact. But boy, have I been busy. This month I have had 3 separate, non-related anniversaries. 1) I have now worked with Watson for 3 years. I can't believe that I have been there for 3 whole years. 2) My 4 year anniversary with Rob. I can't believe that we've been married for 4 years. Blows my mind that time has gone by so quickly. Last but certainly not least, 3) Today marks my one year anniversary as a diabetic. One year ago today, I went for a simple glucose test, scoffing at the doctor for thinking that I could be diabetic. One year ago today, my life changed... completely. I changed my whole outlook on life, my relationships, my attitude about my body, etc.

I have been thinking about it a lot lately as today approached. I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I think I would still take being diabetic. It has changed me, and to quote a coworker, "it hasn't been for the worse". It's made me think about a LOT of different things. About my body, about being healthy, about my career, about my education, about everything. It's made me realize that I want to go back to school for some kind of engineering degree eventually. I'm not sure which engineering. I can't make my mind up! I've only recently realized that I have an engineering brain. It's in part due to that too smart of a husband I have. But I'm leaning toward biomedical. I want to be able to help develop devices that would make diabetics lives easier. But maybe Mechanical engineering would be a better fit... I'm not sure, I'm just excited that I finally feel like I have found a niche that I fit in.

My relationship with Rob has definitely become stronger. I've learned to depend on him more for emotional strength as well as some of my physical needs. I'm certainly glad that I have had him by my side this last year. I'm not sure that I would have gotten through it at all.

I'm also grateful that I finally have gotten a new outlook on my body and my health. I have not been the healthiest person growing up or the last few years. But after getting this, I have learned a lot about how to take care of myself, especially how simple it is to take care of myself. It's tough some times to get out and run, but it's so worth it. I feel the difference from when I'm not running and when I am. I've only gotten back into running after taking about a month and half off. The difference is astronomical. When I wasn't running, my body became insulin resistant to the point where my A1C crept back up to 6.0. I mean that's not bad, but I want my A1C to be under 6. If I can keep it between 5.5 and 5.9 that would be ideal. As I have picked up running again, my number rarely get above 150, and that's when I splurge! It makes so happy.

But anyway, looking back on this year, I have stabbed myself a ton over this last year, but I have been blessed. Blessed from my change in outlook to my amazing medical benefits. It's been a long road to get to this point, but I have made it a year. It's been rough, but worth it. Stay healthy my friends!

All pumped up!

It's here! I'm so stoked!!! oh my goodness just look at this beauty! The first touch screen, consumer driven insulin pump on the market! I've only had this since Thursday and I already have seen and feel the difference! I'm understanding things so much better. I though insulin worked for only 2 hours.... I was so very wrong. My insulin works for about 3 hours. So when I check my blood sugar after about 2 hours and I'm already at 70, I can check my pump to see how much more insulin I have that will continue to work. So I can determine if I need something or if I need to just leave it alone. It's amazing!

So you can see the tubing that comes out of it in the above picture. It connects to a device on my stomach or wherever I place it. The insulin stays in the tube and the pump delivers micro doses every hour as a basal rate so that my blood sugars stay under control. So here's the device:

I cannot for the life of me get this to stand up.... It's right in the file that I saved, but whatever... anyway so the little triangle device is the cannula that sits there for 3 days. Then there is the tubing that reaches about 18". Which is perfect. Not too long and not too short... anyway It took me about 30 minutes the first time to put that in. The device just seemed so unnecessarily aggressive. They had me practice on a pillow first and it would snap, and snap so loudly I thought that if I had tried it on myself that I would bleed and never stop. So It took me about 30 minutes to convince myself to do it to myself. Then when I finally got the courage, it just didn't go. I tried and tried and tried until "POP"! It snapped and it was in. I felt so embarrassed  The dietitian and the representative were sitting there coaching me on and stroking me to try to calm me down. And then when it went in... it didn't even hurt and it was over! Oh how embarrassing! A grown woman that has been sticking herself with needles for the last 9 months can't get over her needle phobia to do something that didn't  even hurt! Oh well... it's all in and I survived my first change and my blood sugars are so much better controlled. Anyway YAY! this is gonna be so awesome!

An Abundance of Blessings

So I realize that it has been an extremely long time since I last wrote. Mainly because I have had some good news that I have been waiting to share, but I can't hold it in any longer...

No I'm not pregnant... yet... that's for much later and for me to know when and for you all to find out! :)

But, I went to my endocrinologist back in February and got approved to go on an insulin pump! This is a huge relief, as I hate needles and poking myself in the stomach 5-6 times a day was starting to wear on me. Especially since it seems like the nerves in my stomach have gotten significantly more sensitive lately. I can hardly find a spot on my stomach that doesn't hurt when I give myself insulin.

Anyway, so after I got the go ahead I did some research, talked with my diabetes educator, and finally narrowed it down to two choices. So I began to call around to try to get price quotes and I could not get a hold of anyone. I couldn't get a hold of my pharmacist, a new pharmacist, ... anyone. It was a VERY frustrating 4 days. Finally I was told that I would have to contact the manufacturer of a specific pump directly to get a price quote. So I filled out the paper work and faxed it over (that was the first fax I ever sent... usually I send pdf scans in an email). Anyway, I was a little afraid that they didn't get my information and that I had sent it to the wrong number. So after about two hours, I called them up to make sure that they had received it. The guy was super nice and said that he would call me back in 20 minutes after he went looking for it instead of keeping me on hold.

Not even 5 minutes later, I get a phone call from a sales rep and I was quite honestly a little afraid. I didn't want to get pushed into a pump I could afford, or that I would be making a ton of payments on. At any rate, we started to talk about insurance and all of that wonderful red tape. (side note: I have incredible insurance... so incredible in fact, that if I had gotten a pump in network it would have been free... in-network pumps are pumps that they have contracts with the manufacturers to bring the cost down so they will cover it fully... of course you may have already known that... but to those that are still young enough to not know how insurance works... there you go). She informed me that the pump was out-of-network, and that I had wonderful insurance. Then she said, "Actually, since we are trying to get a client base, we are going to be giving you the pump for your in-network price". I just about cried. I was just informed that my pump was not going to cost me a dime. The monthly supplies are a different issue, but the $4500 pump will not cost me a single penny. By the time I had gotten this answer, I was seriously about to give up, thinking it was sign that I shouldn't get a pump just yet. That it wouldn't be worth it. It would be more money down the drain, something we simply could not have afforded. But then, this happened, and I felt at peace and I was overwhelmed that I had been given this opportunity.

Now this pump is called the T:slim. It's awesome! It's the first touch screen insulin pump on the market and holy crap it's amazing. This thing doesn't look or interact like other pumps. It's much more user friendly and it has a rechargeable battery. Seriously, this is some sophisticated medical equipment for a diabetic. It was designed to adapt more into today's world and devices. It was consumer driven. I'm excited to get it tomorrow.

So that is one of many blessings that have happened over the last little while. So I've been to Disneyland for the first time. And while my first experience was much different than it would have been if I had gone for the first time without a kid, it was still remarkable. I now have high expectations for Rob to get a job at Disney, as an imagineer. I can't believe that we were blessed to be able to freely go to California and spend time with family. I mean, most people in our situations would not be able to have the means that we have had to do even half of the things we've done. I just feel so blessed.

Then there was the other day, when I was trying to fill some Insulin for the pump. I called up the pharmacy and was talking to them. I was totally expecting to have to pay around $80 for my insulin. That's at least what I did for the first time I filled insulin ever. Then, my pharmacist told me that I would have a $5 copay, but that he had a $25 coupon to cover the $5. I could hardly believe that I will not be paying an arm and a leg for insulin anymore. I realize just how lucky I am to have the most amazing insurance ever. People tell me about their insurance plans, how much they cost, their copays and deductibles, etc. and I am just appalled and humbled all at once. I feel so blessed to have the job that I do that provides Rob and I very comfortable lives as well as amazing insurance to get through this. I was freaking out so much when I first got diagnosed because insulin is not cheap. And I have only been blessed over and over and over. I truly believe that God does not give us more than we can handle. And while these last 8 or so months have been difficult, they have been made easier because of the abundance of blessings that has been poured over me.

And finally, work is a huge supporter of the March of Dimes. We do several different fundraisers throughout the first quarter to raise money for the babies. This year they held their 2nd annual "silent auction"... really more like a raffle. You buy tickets and put them into the buckets for the items you want. Then they draw a ticket for each bucket. Anyway, so they had two particular items that I wanted; a Kindle paperwhite and a Get-away trip to Park City. At the time I entered I though the Park City get-away was just a one night stay at a nice hotel, which is what I wanted. I wanted to get out of the city and just have a relaxing weekend. Well, I got a phone call on Monday morning, informing I had won the Park City get away... Needless to say I was ecstatic... However, what I did not realize is that the package included MUCH MUCH more than I had originally thought. Apparently, this was the prize to win. We won a two night stay at Hotel Park City in one of their executive suites, 2 Spa treatments (side note, I actually have never had a professional massage... so YAY!), and a $160 gift card to Ruth's Chris steakhouse... Now I didn't know what Ruth's Chris steakhouse was, but I was quickly informed that it is apparently a high end steakhouse with the most amazing meat one will ever taste.... So yeah, I think I have our anniversary covered.... Just saying...

Anyway, I feel like this could not have come at a better time. I feel blessed that I won and everything seems to be falling into place. I sure feel relief and like my burden are being lifted. What a wonderful feeling.

Now this post is not about bragging... just in case anyone was thinking that, but rather, it's an expression of gratitude to my Heavenly Father who has blessed me with such richness in my life. I will post more hopefully tomorrow with pictures of me becoming into a slight robot. Until then, I hope that you all can find the small or large blessings in your life and may they make your day brighter.

Ranting for Pumps!

My heart ached today for the little children with Type 1. I had my endocrinology appointment today and while I was waiting to see the doctor, I saw around 5 children under the age of 8 walk into that office. Now, I know that some of them might have been there with their parents. But seeing as many of them were school aged and today was a school day, I seriously doubt they were there with their parents. I couldn't possibly imagine what my life would be like had I been diagnosed when I was that age. My heart went out to them. To think that they are going through exactly what I am going through, but without the kind of control that  I have. I have the ability to give myself my own shots and I determine how much insulin to give myself. Some of those kids aren't that lucky. I haven't felt that kind of sadness since I was diagnosed. But this time it wasn't for myself. Those kids are fighting for their lives everyday.

I don't care what anyone says. Diabetes is just as serious as cancer. Yes we get to live longer, but we are constantly fighting for our lives. Not to the extent as cancer patients do, but we have to do it for longer. And just like cancer, we can have turns for the worse and not understand why or how it happened. For example, I was sick about a month ago and I was on my period and I could not get my blood sugars below 150 for 2 weeks. The higher my blood sugars are and the longer they are high, the more damage it causes to my body.

 I'm sorry if I seem heartless towards cancer patients. I'm really not, but I feel like diabetes gets a back seat to all other diseases. It sometimes feels like I get looked at and people think, "well couldn't you have prevented it?" or "did you eat a poor diet as a kid?" I mean seriously! Seriously! You're going to blame me for a deadly disease! You're going to blame those poor kids for their deadly disease? Or their parents? I mean come on! Diabetes is deadly! By 2030, Diabetes will be the world's number one cause of death.

Well now that I have ranted on and on, I do have some pretty exciting news! I went in today prepared to fight for a pump. I gave her all of my reasons as to why I needed/wanted a pump. And just like that, she said "sure! Why not?" YES!!!! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Hallelujah Yes! I've been reading the pamphlets she gave me and have narrowed it down to two choices. I just have to see which one will be covered most by the insurance. Each has it's pros and cons, so it's probably going to come down to which one the insurance company is going to pay for the most. I'm jumping out of my skin, I'm so happy. Unfortunately, it won't be as soon as I would like. I have my next appointment set up for after we get back from CA in 3 weeks. I'm hoping to have it be the end of March! EXCITED!!!!

Biggest Loser eats Stuffed Pasta Shells

Well, it certainly has been a loooooooooooong time since I've written a recipe blog. But work has presented me an opportunity to blog more often. You see we started the Biggest Loser contest at work. I am .... fortunate enough to have the opportunity to help organize the weekly emails which consist of exercising tips and a recipe. So I figured, why not take this golden opportunity to blog my recipes, since I'm having to write them down anyway. Kill two birds with one stone. Why not, right!?

Anyway, stuffed pasta shells... I think there is a common misconception about diabetics and pasta. It was really funny. We had a friend invite us for dinner one night and she was texting me the recipes that she was going to make. To quote her, "I don't want to kill you or anything". Oh so funny! She was referring to the fact that the dinner was going to be mainly Olive Garden inspired. Which means pasta.... so while Pasta isn't bad for anyone in general, it's not good in large amounts either. It's like any other carb. In moderation and balanced properly, pasta can be healthy.

So when I was first diagnosed, I was intensely sticking to a diet. Rob and I went to Barnes and Noble to get a diabetic cookbook.That's where this gem comes from. The only other time I have had stuffed pasta shells was when I was in college and my dear friend (different from said friend above) and I would cook because well... it was nice to have a home cooked meal in college. I ate so poorly. That girl saved me many a night! But anywho, so this recipe is somewhat similar to hers, but made a little healthier by substituting out ingredients for the lower fat option.

So here's a picture of delicious awesomeness!

And here's the recipe:

Stuffed Pasta Shells

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Ground Turkey
1/2 tsp Fennel Seed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups mushrooms
1 small-medium onion (~1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
2 eggs
Jumbo Pasta Shells
2 cups red pasta sauce

Start a large pot of water boiling for the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add the shells. Cook the shells until just after al dente, or to your liking. Once they have finished cooking, I rinse with cold water so I can handle them.

Cook the meat. Mix in the fennel seed, salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings.Once you have cooked the meat, remove from the pan. In that same pan add a little olive oil and saute the mushrooms, onion, and garlic.Once the onions are soft, add the meat back into the pan. Whisk the eggs. Add the cottage cheese and scrambled eggs to the meat mixture.

Carefully spoon the meat mixture into the cooked shells and place in a 9x13. I generally have to use 2 pans, a 9x13 and a smaller casserole pan as well to accommodate all of the shells. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Now, I like to make my own pasta sauce. I have found that I don't like a pre-made pasta sauce. It's too sweet. I make mine by taking 16 oz of tomato sauce and add garlic powder, salt, pepper, red crushed pepper and olive oil to my tasting. Super nommers!

So at this point, you have the shells filled. Evenly spread the pasta sauce over the shells. Put them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Once they are done, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.

Here's the nutritional information minus the vegetables of course:

Serving size: 4 Shells
Calories: 340
Total Carbohydrate: 30 g
Protein: 23 g

Bon Apetit!

And you thought Girls were bad

So I have an endocrinologist appointment next month.and I'm REALLY hoping that I can get a pump. I unfortunately fear that I won't be able to. See my pancreas, after taking a 4 or 5 month hiatus, has decided that it was going to start working again. I have had sooooo many lows this last week. The carb to insulin ration has been correct and nothing has changed. So why on earth Pancreas!!!!??? What work now!!!??? Oh so frustrating. No, I'm not happy about it because I swing from being really low, to being really high... AND it means that I might not be able to get a pump that much longer... so yeah I'm ready for this pancreas to just die.... die, die, die!!!!!

So part of the reason swinging from one extreme to the other is so horrible other than the havoc it reeks on my body, the mood swings are SOOOO much worse. So let's exclude the fact that I'm female and tend to have mood swings anyway, the mood swings I experience because of unbalanced blood sugars is far worse. Seriously, one moment I'm happy, giddy, and flirting with Rob... and the next... Why the heck won't he leave me alone!? OR I'm playing with Autumn and really enjoying our time together and the next moment... Can't I just have one moment of PEACE!!?? Unprovoked! Just all of the sudden!!!!!

Stupid pancreas! Just die already!!! I hate that my moods are so dependent on my blood sugar levels. A pump would help keep me more regular. Also, I'll be able to wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that will... well obviously continuously monitor my glucose levels and tell me when I'm starting to tank or that I'm  starting to get too high. I can correct it immediately! My levels would be so much easier to maintain. And good grief! I need a break! Something has got to give. So please prayer that I can get a pump next month or a lot of reasons. More than I would like to share.