The week leading up to my biannual doctor visits always leave me anxious. My wife and others have said I should have bumped this appointment to an earlier date, but I am stubborn. I’ve been going through a little bit of a moment with my condition. For the last 2 months my blood sugar levels have been consistently lower than I am use to. Dangerously low, depending on whom you ask. Checked it one morning and it was at 35. Lowest it’s ever been. I was alone in the house that morning. Bekah was out of town. That was a bit of a scare. I don’t want to be part of the percentage of type 1 diabetics that die from Dead in Bed Syndrome. BTW, what an amazing name right there. Genius! Dead in Bed Syndrome. How original. Lots of heads came together for that one. Doctor: “He died in his bed asleep? Hmmmmm??? I got it!! Let’s call it Dead in Bed Syndrome!!!” The medical world really knocked it out the park right there. Pretty tactless. I’ve got enough sleep related disorders. Can I please not pass away while in la-la land? At least not at the ripe old age of 37.
Had another scare a couple weeks ago at lunch. Just left Chick-Fil-A and was planning on enjoying just the chicken part of my sandwich when I suddenly got light headed. Pulled into the baseball parking lot and checked: 47. It had been at 109 not even thirty minutes prior!! Well, it was a good thing I ordered a sandwich instead of my usual nuggets. I scarfed that thing down in record time all the while worrying I was going to pass out. I also ate a cookie. While I sat in my car waiting to feel comfortable enough to drive again I had the weirdest sensation. My lips went numb and tingly. It felt like the hair on my arms was standing but it wasn’t. It was all so unpleasant and worrisome. When I got back to the office my mind was about as far away from work as it could be. It happened again while in Fredericksburg. On the way to the wedding it was 48. Had to eat a bag of skittles.
On a positive note: I have been able to enjoy carbs again without worrying about sugar levels sky rocketing! I have not been able to really eat fruits for the last 9 years. Do you want to know what my favorite thing was before I was diagnosed? FRUITS!!! Orange Juice!! Any type of melon. God I miss cantaloupe. They smell sooooo good. When I was growing up a cantaloupe was often our weekend breakfast. I torture myself in the produce section at H.E.B. I can’t help but take in the aromas. If I can’t eat the fruit I sure as hell will smell them. What a thing to have taken away from you. Something that you had enjoyed for 28 years. No longer an option.
Okay, I’m being a little dramatic. I could have always dosed myself with insulin and waited half an hour and gone to town on some delicious fruits. But who wants to constantly stick themselves with a needle? And then you have to really monitor your levels which means I’d be stabbing my fingers all day making sure that I didn’t bottom out. Really takes the fun out of the day, let me tell you. So I just do what is easiest, I abstain. Begrudgingly.
So what going on with me? My friend Jamie jokes that it’s Llama boy. Well he is affecting my life in a negative way, that’s for sure. Driving me absolutely bat s*** crazy. Shoot me please! Stress can change blood sugars levels but not as drastically as mine have been. I wish I could blame the Llama. Go to HR and claim my life is in danger because of my coworker’s behavior. Shame. Either way, Llama boy needs to go. Pronto!
So finally my date with the vampires arrived. And they were hungry! Nothing like waking up early, skipping breakfast & coffee, seated in a waiting room with people that don’t want to be there only to have the blood drawn from your arm. And they are vicious, these vampires! I think mine was a trainee. She poked and poked and “oh, there we go.” As if to make it all better, she wrapped my arm in blue & green dinosaurs, offered me a sucker and said have a nice day. At least I wasn’t at work until nine. That’s one less hour with Llama. And I heard that hour was the worst.
The doctor’s visit. A week of anxiety reaches its conclusion. What is wrong with me? What is my diagnosis? Well, it appears I am doing TOO good a job at treating my diabetes. I need to live a little and enjoy some carbs. Lab results: I’m in good health. A1C is great. I need to take less insulin. As I’m writing this and eating skittles because I’m shaky. Although I am happy to hear good results, I still clearly am having lows. Something to continue to worry about. Maybe it will take a while for my system to level out again? Who knows? This is my life.
With that behind me the weekend was here and it turned out to be a fairly lame one. Bekah was off to Midland to see her mother so I was alone with the children. I took my mom out for Mother’s Day and she treated herself to a Bahama Mama. Bekah came home to a nice surprise from Hazel & Owen. They are such thoughtful children. And with that the weekend’s over and it’s Monday. That’s a wrap.
Jalapeño
I made some green enchilada chicken. It’s nice to have spicy foods back on the menu. This one had a nice mellow heat. The egg really gave a nice silky texture. I think it’s simplicity that makes it the perfect Monday meal.
Blacked chicken with a sweet soy reduction & roasted sriracha broccoli. This was a new one. I use that sauce pretty frequently on tuna and after this meal I think it’s going to end up on many other dishes. Very simple to prepare, which was great because I spent 2 hours working in the yard and almost passed out form a low.
Caribbean jerk pork tenderloin w/ soy snap peas. One of Bekah’s favorite meals that I make. The contrast between the pineapple & jalapeño. Delicious. Since my levels have been out of whack I might as well treat myself to a little fruit. A real treat it was.
Fish taco salad. Before starting my diet in August this was just tacos. I actually think I now prefer this rendition. And the sauces. Red is habanero. The white sauce. Some heavenly blend of spices and Greek yogurt. Perfecto!
Orange chicken stir-fry. Something about overcast and cool weather made me crave a Chinese dish. This one doesn’t have any jalapeño in it. That’s because it’s loaded with Thai red chilies. Well, mine is. Bekah will have nothing to do with them. She says it feels like acid is burning her throat. I don’t know how many times she has thought a meal I cooked is inedible. It’s really just a weakness. This meal is great in every way.
Stuffed jalapeños. What else do I need to say?
Teriyaki steak. I got high praise for this meal.
I must also mention the chocolate. I almost killed my wife. In my defense I had no idea it would be so hot. Heat warnings on candy are usually a joke. This had a warning for a reason. Boy was I wrong is dismissing them. I’ve had ghost peppers and that is what this chocolate felt like. Biting into a ghost. When that heat crept up and took over I was in a state of shock. Never have I had candy this hot. I could not stay still. It was intense. Bekah had a look of betray on her face when the heat sank in. Then she started crying. Tears running down her cheeks while she chugged milk straight from the carton. It would have been comical had I not also be in a state of despair. Try at your own risk.
Cocktail of the week: Crown Sidecar
En Fuego 