tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200452082024-03-07T18:05:32.539-05:00Managing the Sweetness WithinLiving with type 1 diabetes. Had a great kid after dealing with infertility and a medically intensive pregnancy. Now thinking about the next pregnancy attempt. What's it like to do all of them right? It's all about managing the sweetness within.Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-74465636863442618632010-12-04T07:07:00.006-05:002010-12-10T17:42:55.900-05:00Welcome, Little Lady!Mr. Lyrehca, Preschooler L and I are thrilled to tell you that our daughter, Little Lady, was born on Monday November 22 at 12:47 pm. She weighed six pounds, ten ounces, came out screaming and feisty, and calmed down when she heard her Mama's voice just after delivery. She is also partial to the ABCs and has a full head of dark hair.As mentioned previously, I'd been leaking fluid for a few weeks,Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-45902352850881019392010-11-21T18:02:00.004-05:002010-11-22T11:23:21.099-05:00Week 37: Is This It?Due to ongoing leakage and my Awesome OB's conscientiousness, I'm going into the hospital tomorrow for one last test to see if what's been leaking for weeks is not merely urine, but somehow amniotic fluid that has sneakily eluded several past tests.I'll be 37 weeks and 2 days, just two weeks shy of my scheduled c-section, and also full term.Tomorrow's test includes an amnio, where they'll inject Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-85618222453440390832010-11-01T22:16:00.003-04:002010-11-01T22:29:58.974-04:00Week 34 UpdateI've been terrible about blogging this pregnancy.The truth is, my existing kid has kept me busy. The whole pregnancy has been sort of back burner as the 3.5 year old has demanded attention. Without getting into details, Preschooler L has required a lot of focus this summer and fall, and as a result, I was pretty preoccupied getting him what he needed and needs. Now that things have calmed down Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-62527893190018126792010-09-30T12:46:00.009-04:002010-09-30T16:53:19.031-04:00The Big RevealJune 22We told our families this weekend about the pregnancy.Mister L. wanted to wait ‘til after all the test results were in: the CVS, the nuchal fold, the first major ultrasound. I am 15 weeks this week, a bit later than when we told them with the first pregnancy.The final CVS results came back and they were all negative: no increased risk for a variety of chromosomal problems and rare but Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-18397668772940689612010-08-16T22:35:00.001-04:002010-08-16T22:39:08.051-04:00Genetic Test ResultsJune 9, 2010The last batch of doc visits have been different from what I did the first time I was pregnant. This time, the bloodwork and nuchal fold test, a screen that measures the amount of a certain hormone in the blood along with the measurement of the back of the fetus’ neck, came back not so great.These tests show the risk of having a baby with Down’s Syndrome or two other chromosomal Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-61603493813064842872010-08-03T01:44:00.003-04:002010-08-03T01:49:12.232-04:00Pupils: Waiting to DilateMay 26So I have my first eye appointment of this pregnancy, though it’s not the first time I’ve had to call the Eye Doc. Back around week 5 or so, my right eye (and only the right eye) began tearing up. It was annoying. Particularly so because of the pregnancy, I was advised not to take a standard antihistimine because of the potential pregnancy interaction. So my eye doc recommended artificial Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-19784933127315200122010-07-27T23:00:00.020-04:002010-07-27T23:44:48.133-04:00Pregnancy and Chronic Illness: Discuss.Late July Pregnancy and Chronic Illness Webinar August 2Laurie Edwards, of the excellent blog A Chronic Dose and terrific book Life Disrupted, and I will host a webinar on Pregnancy and Chronic Illness at WEGO Health next Monday night, August 2, from 8-9 pm eastern time. Thinking at all about pregnancy with a chronic condition like diabetes, or heck, anything else, and want to hear more Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-27231046178399120622010-07-19T22:03:00.007-04:002010-07-19T22:15:47.232-04:00Where'd My "Get Up And Go" Go?May 7, 2010I don’t know if it’s all in my head, or because of my old ladyness, or what, but I just haven’t felt motivated the way I did two weeks ago.Two weeks ago I went to New York, my former homeland, and spoke about the book and saw a ton of pals and went to the terrific ASJA writing conference. While there, I was excited, psyched, bubbling with ideas for new writing opportunities, and, of Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-37604109846446865892010-07-11T21:48:00.007-04:002010-07-11T22:11:23.957-04:00Feeling Low About HighsMay 4Despite writing the effing book on pregnancy and diabetes, my blood sugars have still soared throughout the last eight weeks.I just saw my Kind Endo and high risk OB on Friday, the first visit of this pregnancy. The OB did her ultrasounds, said I was measuring right on time (7 weeks, 6 days), and both she and the endo took a lot of bloodwork.That morning, I printed out six weeks worth of Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-81883473128425708112010-07-04T23:34:00.005-04:002010-07-04T23:47:40.014-04:00Rear ViewApril 28According to the calendar, I am seven weeks, three days pregnant.According to my blood sugars, I am requiring more insulin all the time. My insulin ratios pretty much dropped to 1:5 across the board as soon as they told me I was pregnant. I monitor my sugars like a hawk. I give myself giant correction boluses post dinner, sort of off the cuff, and nowadays, they are typically keeping my Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-55213535901980817552010-06-27T23:00:00.005-04:002010-06-27T23:06:00.009-04:00Happy BirthdayApril 9, 2010Today is my son’s third birthday. It’s also the day my publisher starts shipping copies of my book to people who have pre-ordered them.It’s also the day I am four weeks and five days pregnant.I had another blood test yesterday to see if my HCG levels are doubling. This is a common way to know if the pregnancy is sticking and your body is doing what it is supposed to do while Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-62647796693127105602010-06-21T22:41:00.014-04:002010-06-21T23:16:54.666-04:00Urban LegendApril 5, 2010In some ways, 2009 was kind of a rough year. I pulled together all our tax paperwork last week for our accountant, and I noticed, over and over again, all the bills for our medical expenses.A large chunk of those expenses were for infertility coverage. There was extra insurance to cover the costs of fertility treatments in our state. There were extra procedures to figure out if we Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-25711631105867760762010-06-18T16:33:00.014-04:002010-06-19T10:58:38.769-04:00Two Book EventsI'm thrilled to announce a few new book events to support Balancing Pregnancy With Pre-Existing Diabetes: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby. I would love to meet you if you're a book fan or a blog reader.First up is at Isis Parenting in Brookline, MA on Wednesday, June 23 at 7 pm. I'll be speaking on a panel about diabetes and pregnancy that includes the directors of the diabetes and pregnancy program atLyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-10212389777797969592010-04-27T14:12:00.006-04:002010-04-27T14:29:05.791-04:00Back Into ItLast week, I spoke about my new book to a group of women from ACT1 Diabetes, a support group for women with diabetes based in New York City. They are great, and it would be wonderful if there were similar groups or affiliates around the country. We all need as much support as we can find, and the in-person component to such groups is really something. While online support is also fantastic, beingLyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-21161555470632198252010-04-08T12:15:00.003-04:002010-04-08T12:18:51.045-04:00It's Here!My editor emailed me to say that "Balancing Pregnancy With Pre-Existing Diabetes: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby" is officially published!If you pre-ordered a copy, it'll be on its way soon.If you haven't yet...Dude, what are you waiting for? Get yours now!More details about where I'm speaking about the book, and life in general, to come.In the meantime, have you become a Facebook fan yet?Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-5268606096210354802010-02-23T22:37:00.002-05:002010-02-23T22:45:32.736-05:00Some Early Praise...So it's nice to finally hear what other people have to say about a project I've been immersed in for so long.Despite pulling an all-nighter the other day to get all my corrections back to the publisher on time (and once again, missing that deadline by a few hours when my fax machine worked about as slow as someone dealing with low blood sugar...), and wondering just when the work on this book Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-70577775321877458792010-02-12T08:24:00.005-05:002010-02-12T09:14:20.852-05:00Want to Hear Me Read?Thanks to all who commented on which pic to go with. Between the comments here and on Facebook, I had no idea so many people would weigh in. So now it's on to more publicity.These days, publishers don't schedule book tours unless you're already a giant name. So I'm putting the word out there to see if anyone would be interested in me coming to do a book reading/signing near you. The book is Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-67723799433562541762010-02-09T12:55:00.015-05:002010-02-09T13:03:05.391-05:00Author Photo: The Final DecisionApologies to the curly-haired supporters, but I went with a straight shot.Now which is better? I've got to decide this TODAY, Tuesday the 9th....Black shirt or scoop neck?Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-10440136246313489552010-02-02T05:07:00.018-05:002010-02-02T05:45:49.728-05:00Blog Poll: Potential Author PhotoI didn't keep up with writing about all my fertility stuff because work got busy, but we had the embryo retrieval and transfer last week. Now it's a waiting game, amid work deadlines, freezing cold weather, family stuff and ever-shrinking bank accounts. My latest question occupying my mind is an author photo and hair texture: curly or straight?I'm having a photo taken this week.I've never run Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-50502325741046430962010-01-23T12:52:00.002-05:002010-01-23T13:07:25.526-05:00Dude, Where's My Pump?This morning was my fourth blood and ultrasound visit for this IVF cycle.(For those of you not familiar with the infertility bandwagon, this was my fourth morning visit to my infertility clinic for a blood draw and a vaginal ultrasound with the ever-popular tam-cam. This giant tampon-like camera takes a photo so someone can manually measures the length of the follicles growing on my ovaries. OnceLyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-27399167013195121912010-01-20T00:12:00.005-05:002010-01-20T00:56:54.654-05:00The Fan Page Is Live/Hello, LowBalancing Pregnancy With Pre-Existing Diabetes: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby now has a fan page on Facebook. Become a fan, won't you?In other news, I'm on to the stim part of IVF, where I inject a drug that amps up the follicles on my ovaries to create some good eggs. I've gone for two blood and ultrasounds already, and things are progressing as they should, IVF-wise.WTF? I just tested and my blood Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-37311620770286055672010-01-10T22:47:00.015-05:002010-01-10T23:38:44.804-05:00At What Cost?My period's gonna come any day now, and that's when I start taking the drug that amps up my ovaries.Until then, I almost feel like IVF hasn't really kicked off yet.Oh, but it has.I've been on the Lupron for about five nights now. As I've mentioned before, it's like injecting ten units of insulin. Been there, done that. I even need to time it to a certain hour or so each night, but other than thatLyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-78444126994227248282010-01-05T10:55:00.003-05:002010-01-05T11:05:31.316-05:00It's The Hormones, DuhYesterday, I made the decision to try to eat more fruit to round out my diet, and was pleased by the two clementines I had for a midmorning snack. My sugars were good most of the day. I didn't think twice about what I ate.Today, I just demolished a bag of chips. After my sugars have been high all morning.What happened?I started my first Lupron shot last night.Googling "Lupron" and "food cravings"Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-70005406129265236422009-12-30T17:00:00.008-05:002009-12-30T17:53:00.594-05:00Catching UpWriting a book has a way of taking over all your free time. But now that the manuscript is in, I can get back to actually blogging again.It's a bit weird now, because more people I know are aware of this blog, but with the book coming out based on my blog writings, it makes sense to keep on keepin' on. This month also marks the fourth anniversary of when I began blogging. I sort of miss my Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-84581214007992858332009-11-25T05:53:00.000-05:002009-11-25T05:54:42.649-05:00Book Submitted!After nine months, 289 pages, 85,111 words, and the latest of many late nights, I just emailed my book manuscript to my editor. Woo Hoo!Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com2