One adjusts

Over the weekend I learned to monitor my glucose pretty well using just my right hand. There are four numbers I need to remember:

--Before meals my desired number is <=110mg/dll (This morning was the first time I came even close to that @111)

--I only take insulin if my reading is over 150, and then there is a range of associated glucose levels and insulin doses I follow

--2 hours after meals my desired level is <=140 (I've managed this once)

My friend Abby took me grocery shopping on Saturday and we got all kinds of good things for one-armed diabetics. For example, I'm supposed to eat a lot of vegies, but I lack the ability to cut up whole vegetables, so we bought pre-cut, bagged mixed vegetables, that I can microwave with one hand. So far, I'm doing pretty well at correctly eating well enough to at least avoid taking the insulin, and managing the blood sugar level has made for fewer bathroom trips at night and therefore a better night's sleep.

I'm coping with the effects of the doubled Decadron dose. However, today I woke up completely deaf in my left ear and I don't know whether that's tumor, radiation, Decadron or congestion. I haven't had the sniffles or anything, so I doubt it's congestion. I sent an email to Dr. Gillis about that.

Radiology just called me and set up a ct scan for 12/1. I also asked Dr. Gillis about that in my email, since this is the first I've heard of it. Tomorrow Robert and I go down to Redwood City to see Dr. Lavery, who, according to Dr. Liu's report of his and Dr. Gillis's conference call with him on Friday, is inclined to do no more than what he did before, i. e, just aspirate a little of the fluid. They pointed out to him how short-term the beneficial effects from that were, but he remains cautious. So now it's up to me and Robert to find out what he's concerned about if he does more, and weigh that against the benefits and risks. While I certainly don't want to end up having a stroke or going into a coma, I'm not sure it's worth doing just the aspiration for the results I got last time.

More when I know more. I mainly wanted people to know that I've stopped despairing over the diabetes. It's amazing how much crap a body can take. One really does adjust.