WTF!

My life has been like a roller coaster for the last few weeks ever since I got my diabetes diagnosis. Yesterday, there was more crap thrown into the mix. A few minutes before noon, someone from the endocrinologist's office called and left me a voicemail with the lab results of my blood tests that he had asked to be run. The voicemail said that based on my lab results, it did not look like I was insulin resistant, but that it may be indicative of an auto-immune condition (Type 1) and that my pancreas may not be producing enough insulin. And that the endocrinologist wanted me to do some additional tests to check fro antibody levels before confirming for sure that I have Type 1. I called back immediately, but they had all gone to lunch. I was devastated at the news of course, but also pissed off. At my meeting last week with the endocrinologist, I had very specifically asked him to run tests for the antibodies so that they could rule out Type 1, and he had been so confident that I had Type 2, that he dismissed me and said that the tests were not necessary. Now my wait is prolonged! He will be hearing more from me about this at our next meeting!

I called several times over the next few hours to try to get hold of the woman who called me so that I could confirm if the new blood test needed to be fasting or not. I also spent the next few hours crying. I don't want to have Type 1. I know nobody does, and if I do, I can't help it. But, I had just got around to accepting Type 2, and reassuring myself that at least it was not Type 1. Diabetes Type 1 is an autoimmune disease where your body attacks the pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin and destroy them. So, your body eventually stops producing insulin. No one knows why it happens or what causes it. There is no screening for it, nothing you can do to prevent it, and at this time nothing you can do to cure it. And you will be insulin-dependent for life. So, just as I had started to accept that I can diet and exercise and get my BG under control, maybe go off metformin, and hopefully never have to take insulin, I hear that I may have to be on insulin for the rest of my bloody life!!

After I didn't hear from her for a few hours, I cancelled the rest of my afternoon appointments, and decided I was just going to go over to the office. I got there, and waited to see this woman who had called me with the news. When I finally got to meet with her for a few minutes, I asked her if she could explain my results to me. Basically, what I wanted to know was:
* Is Type-2 completely out of the question? Will the tests that the doctor is recommending help make a differential diagnosis, or is Type 2 ruled out entirely?
* Is it supposed to be a fasting blood test?
* What are the normal levels of insulin, and what are my readings?

She was the most unhelpful medical professional I have ever met. She didn't have the answers to any of the questions I asked her, and repeated back to me the statement that the doctor had written twice! She told me that it was a fasting blood test, and then asked someone else and they said it did not have to be. She said my level was 12, and did not know what the normal range was. Then she looked it up, found out it was 2-25, and had no answer for me about why 12 is an abnormal reading. I don't expect her to know as much as the endocrinologist, but I did expect her to know something!!! What is she doing working at an endocrinologist's office and calling people with their lab results if she does not know the answer to at least one of these questions??!!?? And she wasn't just a receptionist who was passing on a message - she was a medical professional who should know some of these answers.

And then, she said what is probably the worst thing that has been said to me over the last few weeks. She said, "But this is good. Type 1 is better!" I stared at her, open-mouthed. I did not know what to say to this idiotic, incompetent woman. I just managed to say, "How?" Her response was, "Because Type 2 is preventable, but in Type 1, your body just stops making insulin." It was all that I could do to stop yelling at her. I did very sharply say, "That is not better. That is worse!" I didn't want to talk with her anymore, and I left. Then I cried again. I will be talking with the endocrinologist about this as well - I am terribly disappointed at my experience with their office. They forgot to call in my lab request, the forgot to call in my prescriptions, (both of which I found out once I got to the lab and the pharmacy and had to call them to call these things in), he refused to do the antibody tests that I wanted him to - only to later find out that I did need them anyway, and to top it all they have this completely incompetent woman who told me that it was "better" that my body is attacking and destroying my pancreas making me insulin-dependent for the rest of my life! WTF!!!!

My BG readings yesterday were mostly good. Food was off the whack and eaten at odd times since yesterday afternoon was filled with this crap and I was otherwise preoccupied:

BREAKFAST

Same as yesterday - 2 eggs with tomato, basil, mozzarella

SNACK

Veggies, Cottage Cheese. This was weird. I like the veggies and cottage cheese separately.

LUNCH

I had planned a salad, but was too shook up to eat it after the phone call. So, an hour later, I ate this. The Thai Sweet Chilli flavor was good. But, I prefer the roasted jalapeno flavor of KIND bars.

SNACK
Unphotographed WW Saltines and Yogurt dip

DINNER

If you haven't tried Toby's Tofu Dip, you must. I don't know if they sell it outside the Pacific Northwest, though. Tofu dip, crackers.

Sope at a local taqueria. It was blah.

EXERCISE
Slow dancing for 1 hr. About the same pace as a leisurely walk.