When I last spoke of my appointment with Not House and my A1c (that somehow dropped) I mentioned being disappointed. With all of the attention I’ve been paying to the numbers I thought that I had a better idea of what was going on. With each number I recorded in my log book I thought I was gaining a greater understanding of what needed to be done to properly manage this disease. Not to say that I would be an expert, or know exactly what to do at every turn, but I thought I was learning. Then I see my A1c come back lower than the previously recorded result. As awesome as a lower A1c is, it was the realization that there is still a great deal of understanding that I have yet to realize that resonated with me, not improved control. Still miles to go in this marathon.

My log book feels more like a one-way street right now. It’s hard for me to look at them and really grasp what I’m doing right or what needs improvement. Maybe that’s just the visual learner crying out for attention, but the numbers don’t really have the impact I was hoping for. Now with my previously mentioned CoPilot software I can see what is going on. It might sound stupid, but seeing the trends represented as a little line graph paints a much clearer picture than just looking at a line of numbers chicken-scratched in pencil.

As it stands, I’m still not aggressive enough with my Humalog at lunch. That lack of aggression makes the rest of the day more of a moving target than it already is. I think I’m getting better with my doses but there is still great room for improvement. My goal is to find a happy range after dinner that is suitable for my Lantus. Even if Not House still campaigns that it doesn’t peak and lasts 24 hours, my eyes are wide open to the truth with that one. Now it’s just a matter of improving control between the hours of Noon and 7pm. I can get there….I hope.

I use the word aggressive because that’s the mentality I currently have. I still have fears of going low that prevent me from (what feels like essentially) experimenting with more Humalog during my meals. As a result I am still chasing higher numbers after lunch and often after dinner. I’m sure there is a much less colorful word for what is going on, but language has never been a strong point for me. Maybe enthusiastic or generous is a better word for the approach that I need to take. I’ve got time to figure it out.

In looking at these numbers a few nights ago I realized that I need to set up a routine to update my records more frequently. I’m thinking 10 days is enough time between data analysis sessions to see if any possible management tweaks are having a meaningful impact. I’m not looking to make one sweeping, significant change overnight. But if I can see trends that suggest I’m improving my control then the big picture will look a lot more desirable. Marathon not a sprint…..marathon not a sprint.