Well, the dreaded eye appointment I had scheduled for last week went as expected.  But before we get to that fun filled adventure, let’s discuss how my follow up for my diabetes went!

First off, I have got to say I have been doing the treadmill faithfully now going on four weeks…five days a week with a pretty aggressive incline and speed. And I love it!! I love feeling the “burn” from an actual workout instead of feeling the lack of oxygen from walking up the stairs!😉 I had been monitoring my blood sugars and from the times I was checking them they were pretty spot on. By now I am well aware of how to compensate the amount of insulin for what I am eating. Sadly, my lab results said differently and somehow my sugars  got completely out of whack over the last few weeks.

I am a brittle diabetic, extremely sensitive and hard to control my blood sugars because of extreme health issues. While I have been so encouraged by exercising, my doctor does feel the amount of exercise actually put too much stress on my body, causing my sugars to go all over the place so she recommended a new pump for me. It is one of the most recent devices that will be out on the market in April. The new pump will also have a sensor to help monitor and regulate better blood sugar control. While this is great, it also means that I will have two infusion sites, one for the sensor, then one with tubing to deliver my insulin, like the one I have now.

I am trying to remain positive because I know the pros will definitely outweigh the cons but the thought of two sites inserted into my stomach or hip just sounds like a pain…literally!

So, that was Wednesday and then Thursday came along and it was time for my eye appointment. I was called back almost immediately after I arrived to the doctor’s office and the fun began…not. I started out pretty good with 20/20 vision while wearing my glasses and then my eye pressure was also great! Okay, things are going well…maybe I will be pleasantly surprised with this outcome like I was with my back!

Once my eyes were fully dilated I was called back to yet a different room where a few pictures of my eyes were taken. And due to the fact that I have done this several times in the past, I knew what her hesitation and then going to speak to the doctor meant…

Yep, I had to get that nasty red dye injected into my arm so that they could get more detailed pictures of the vessels and potential damage that was occurring in my eyes. And even at the eye doctor, I was once again reminded by the tech that I am “just way too young to be having problems like this already.”

The doctor then reviewed the scans with me, referring to my case on numerous occasions as “complicated,” that he was so sorry for my “tough situation” and when explaining why and what was causing all the problems, he repeated it had a lot to do with my overall “bad health.” He explained that a combination of diabetes and my disease is a “very bad deal” and he questioned if I was on any type of oxygen therapy.😞 He also informed me that I have new swelling and vessels that are hemorrhaging so laser surgery is required…for both eyes. Darn it!!  I’ve already had five laser surgeries on my left and one on my right…at least I think that’s where I am at, after so many I tend to lose track.

Before I left however, not only did I get poked in the arm twice to find a vein for the contrast they had used, but I also got an injection just below my eye. This is to help take down some of the swelling vessels before I have laser surgery on my eyes im the upcoming day and weeks. A little pinch and sting from the shot then I was on my way home…

It got a little puffy but after a couple of days it was hardly noticeable.

Definitely not a great week for checkups but dang, after my whole back ordeal, I am just thankful that I can drive to my appointments and walk on my treadmill…taking it back down a notch of course. 😉

But, in the middle of all the lousy appointments, we also had a great couple of busy weeks getting to see Leah do a school performance, Nathan had an orchestra concert and Skyler had a band concert! And I was beyond grateful that I got to attend them all!!!

It’s all about finding joy in the midst of troubles! 💞