optimisticDr. Matthews is generally happy with the direction my health is taking. He was very impressed with the spreadsheet in which I track my blood sugar readings. I'm using conditional formatting so that if the reading is >140 (>110 for overnight reading) it highlights the cell in yellow, and if the reading is >200 it highlights in red, indicating a danger zone reading. He said this was the best-organized such chart he'd ever seen from one of his patients.
In the past three months, I've had only two red zone readings, one of which was after the in-flight meal on my way back from Chicago. That's the only time I couldn't apply the usual cure to a reading that high: hit the bricks and start walking a lot until the pancreas gets the message and starts burning off the sugars. About 40% of my readings are in the yellow zone, however, particularly first thing in the morning. It's something I still have to work on.
My lab tests look pretty good. The fasting blood sugar level was in the normal non-diabetic range, and everything except cholesterol (which is too low) is in normal range.
My weight is down slightly from the last checkup, although up from the low point of 265 or so.
Blood pressure is lower than when I first came in to see him, but still not as low as he'd like. I seem to have moved from "danger" to "borderline." So he's doubled to dosage of Lisinopril. As bad luck would have it, I just ordered a three-month renewal on the current prescription. That's unfortunate, but Dr. Matthews said to just take two tablets a day for 45 days and then start using the new prescription.
I still have remnants of the cold from nearly a month ago. He listened to my chest and could hear a little bit of wheezing. He offered to prescribe a steroidal inhaler, but we decided to try and give it a bit longer to work itself out. I just end up holding onto a cold for a long time.
In general, my health is improving, and my doctor is pleased with the progress I'm making. I still don't take any medication to directly address the diabetes, because he thinks I'm treating it properly with diet and exercise. I just need to continue losing weight and exercising as often as I can, and he thinks most of my health problems will go away or subside. Considering how much better I feel now at 275 pounds than I did at 340, I'm inclined to believe him. The positive reinforcement he's giving me helps as well. It's good to know you're doing the right things.