Day 1- I was really “out of it” due to the pain medication given. I could barely move, but my stomach wasn’t giving in to the pain, so the vomiting continued off and on. I thought there was nothing left to vomit, but I was wrong. I spent this day mainly in pain along with the vomiting. I had an ultrasound done to determine why this was going on.

Day 2- I learned the ultrasound didn’t show anything that might be causing me to have the pain in my side. So frustrating! I want to know why the pain and what can we do about it. In all this time I was on IV, no food or drink allowed in case they had to operate on me.

Day 3- I learned the blood test done on Day 1 showed nothing new, but the previous pancreatitis was now gone. That was good news, but I still have that nagging pain. It’s a good thing I have some wonderful, caring nurses. I know it’s their job, but they are very concerned for me and expressed it. I was told the doctor in charge of my case, the one who had me admitted, wasn’t happy about not finding the cause of the pain.  She seems to think I am a mystery. Just letting my stomach “relax” and still nothing to eat or drink.

Day 4-I have lost count of how many bags of IV I’ve had. I’m more concerned today about the blood sugar levels I’ve been having, mainly due to the IV which doesn’t come in a sugar free choice. There is 4mg per bag going into my blood system, resulting in high blood glucose levels, none of which have been under 235 since I came into the hospital. The IV connection which was put into my hand on Sunday evening had to be changed today (after 3 days they fear the area will become infected, so it’s a standard rule to change it). The nurse who came to redo the IV connection had a problem with my veins. Seems they are small, but she finally managed to get the connection in place. Now the doctor is talking about possible shingles. Since I did have chickenpox as a child the disease can lie dormant in the body until a time when it may suddenly occur. My back and stomach area were checked for the rash, nothing was found. I was told shingles can take weeks to months to appear. It will be itchy. The endoscopy was done today. Nothing abnormal was found. Another test and no answers! By now I am more than frustrated. I am totally stressed out about this. My blood pressure and blood sugar are elevated.The blood pressure levels are over 250 most of the time. The blood sugar levels are still in the same range as the blood pressure. I know this means there is something wrong with my body and I certainly wish the doctors would find what it is.

Day 5- Today I had a test in nuclear medicine, one that should show if my gall bladder is working correctly. The other tests I had on this area only showed the exterior. This test will show the interior and if the gall bladder is correctly working. I get there and learn the test takes 1 1/2 hours. Getting on the metal table my back began to ache again. The first hour I was injected with a radio active matter that basically made my organs glow, like being a human glow worm. The second part a medication was injected to make the gall bladder contract to see if it was working properly. When it came time to get up off the table, I felt like I was paralyzed and couldn’t move. The nurse helped me up, but when she did I heard something pop in my lower back. When I mentioned this to the head nurse on the floor where I was staying she reported it. So, another x-ray to make sure I didn’t do something really bad to my back. That test showed stretched ligaments, so I was taking pain medication for that and having warm compresses on my lower back.The IV is taken away. A victory for me, but the blood sugar levels are still high.

Day 6- The surgeon came in to let me know I wouldn’t need surgery. All the functions the gall bladder was doing were just fine. He felt my problem would be shingles, but still there is no rash. I am also very stressed out. HA! Of course! Wouldn’t you be stressed having someone poke around your body, taking test after test and still no valid answer? Letting me go home today. Great! It’s been almost a week without a shower, taking only baths with a washcloth doesn’t help me feel better. I call Alex to pick me up at 2. Can’t wait to go home. The frustration of this week has gotten to me. I cry, wanting to hit something. There are two things I learned while in the hospital this week- my organs are all functioning properly and I lost 8 lbs. But after I come home, the pain in my back is still there. I came home feeling worse than when I went in, being in more pain now. I can’t sit or stand for very long with my back beginning to feel the deep pain. Plus I still have the pain left side near my kidney.

First day home- my blood pressure came down to a more normal level, but the blood sugar level is still in the upper 200s. I hope it will go down now that I am on my normal medication for diabetes. I am very weak and tired today. Plus the back pain is still there, no matter what I do.

Second day home- Tired, weak feeling along with the back ache. It hurts to sit, hurts to lay down, hurts to walk. I need to check in with my family doctor. I am just not sure what came be done, but the heating pad helps a bit. All in all, the stay in the hospital was frustrating. The bright spot was the nursing staff who all were so wonderful  to me and concerned, the ones who listened when I complained, who held my hand and told me it will get better, and sympathsized with me about the possibility of shingles.

Exercise will help with stress. Not just a little, but at least 20 minutes worth to get your heart beat rate up. If you can hear your heart beating you are doing great. I don’t seem to find enough time in my days to do a good exercise program. If you can get exercise squeezed into your day at least 3 to 4 times a week that should help you to keep your blood sugar levels lower.

Now I am going to tell you a few things about diabetes that I recently read:

High fiber foods can lower your blood sugar. Good sources of high fiber include apples, grapes, cantaloupes, bananas, peaches, green beans, sweet potatoes and many other fruits and vegetables. Women under age 50 should have 25 grams of fiber a day, men 38 grams. Over 50 women should have 21 grams a day, men 30 grams.

Neuropathy (nerve damage) is very common among diabetics. It can be a side effect of some medications. High doses of Vitamin B6 are known to cause nerve problems, leading to uncoordinated movements like staggered walking or poor balance. I sometimes get what I term a “twitch” in my leg muscles which causes my leg to jerk. I can feel the slight tingling in my feet and toes at times, telling me it’s time to get busy again and do some more walking or exercise. That seems to help me. There are some lotions on the market for diabetic neuropathy. I have used some, but haven’t found them to be extremely helpful. In other words, they won’t take the tingling away, but will help lessen it at the time you put it on. Best thing to do about neuropathy is to discuss it with your doctor and see what he/she recommends you to do.

Dieting is something most diabetics need to do since most of us are overweight. For me it’s a huge struggle to diet. I watch what I eat, but the pounds don’t want to come off as fast as I would like them to. Crash diets are not good since they are unhealthy and don’t last for long. Cutting 250 calories a day can help you lose at least half a pound a week. Now I never said this would be fast! But losing a little at a time will help you to keep it off longer. If you think about the pounds lost in a year you would lose 26 lbs. Now that sounds so much better, doesn’t it? Diet pills on the market are not generally good for diabetics. READ THE LABELS! I can’t stress that enough. It’s much better to lose weight on your own than to think the quick way is the best. Pills just don’t work for most diabetics. Once again, consult your doctor on dieting. You can help by switching to low fat or no fat foods, grilling foods so the fat runs off, drink water to feel fuller, and do allow yourself a treat each day so you won’t feel deprived. That treat may be 1 cookie not the whole pack! Use your brain here!

One diet you don’t want to try is the Atkins diet. It’s definitely not diabetes friendly. Cutting carb intake to almost nothing without adjusting your diabetes meds could cause you to bottom out on the blood sugar levels. You would put yourself at risk. Once again, discuss this with your doctor before even trying it.

What to lower your blood pressure? Have at least 3-4 low fat milk servings a day. Besides, calcium is good for your bones.

The bottom line here is that exercise and watching what you shove in your mouth every day are going to make a difference for you. Get yourself a date book and write down what you eat every day. Make columns for breakfast, snacks, lunch, and supper. Be honest to yourself when you write these things down. Then at the end of the week see just what you ate. You may need to make adjustments for the following week or you can pat yourself on the back for being so diligent in your eating pattern for the week. There are days when I HAVE to have some chocolate. A small piece like a Hershey’s kiss will satisfy me. Or that 1 chocolate cookie. You have to decide what you want to do and now is the time to get started.

Until a cure is found for diabetes we will struggle, but we will survive if we do what we should for ourselves. Check back with me because I will continue to give out different information about diabetes. We can never learn enough about our own bodies.