tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200452082011-12-21T06:56:53.819-05:00Living 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.comBlogger1891100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-74465636863442618632010-12-04T07:07:00.006-05:002010-12-10T17:42:55.900-05:00

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.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-45902352850881019392010-11-21T18:02:00.004-05:002010-11-22T11:23:21.099-05:00

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.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-85618222453440390832010-11-01T22:16:00.003-04:002010-11-01T22:29:58.974-04:00

I'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-62527893190018126792010-09-30T12:46:00.009-04:002010-09-30T16:53:19.031-04:00

June 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-18397668772940689612010-08-16T22:35:00.001-04:002010-08-16T22:39:08.051-04:00

June 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-61603493813064842872010-08-03T01:44:00.003-04:002010-08-03T01:49:12.232-04:00

May 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-19784933127315200122010-07-27T23:00:00.020-04:002010-07-27T23:44:48.133-04:00

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-27231046178399120622010-07-19T22:03:00.007-04:002010-07-19T22:15:47.232-04:00

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-37604109846446865892010-07-11T21:48:00.007-04:002010-07-11T22:11:23.957-04:00

May 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-81883473128425708112010-07-04T23:34:00.005-04:002010-07-04T23:47:40.014-04:00

April 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-55213535901980817552010-06-27T23:00:00.005-04:002010-06-27T23:06:00.009-04:00

April 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-62647796693127105602010-06-21T22:41:00.014-04:002010-06-21T23:16:54.666-04:00

April 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.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-25711631105867760762010-06-18T16:33:00.014-04:002010-06-19T10:58:38.769-04:00

I'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 at

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-10212389777797969592010-04-27T14:12:00.006-04:002010-04-27T14:29:05.791-04:00

Last 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, being

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-21161555470632198252010-04-08T12:15:00.003-04:002010-04-08T12:18:51.045-04:00

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-5268606096210354802010-02-23T22:37:00.002-05:002010-02-23T22:45:32.736-05:00

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-70577775321877458792010-02-12T08:24:00.005-05:002010-02-12T09:14:20.852-05:00

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-67723799433562541762010-02-09T12:55:00.015-05:002010-02-09T13:03:05.391-05:00

Apologies 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-10440136246313489552010-02-02T05:07:00.018-05:002010-02-02T05:45:49.728-05:00

I 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-50502325741046430962010-01-23T12:52:00.002-05:002010-01-23T13:07:25.526-05:00

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. Once

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-27399167013195121912010-01-20T00:12:00.005-05:002010-01-20T00:56:54.654-05:00

Balancing 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-37311620770286055672010-01-10T22:47:00.015-05:002010-01-10T23:38:44.804-05:00

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 that

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-78444126994227248282010-01-05T10:55:00.003-05:002010-01-05T11:05:31.316-05:00

Yesterday, 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-70005406129265236422009-12-30T17:00:00.008-05:002009-12-30T17:53:00.594-05:00

Writing 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-84581214007992858332009-11-25T05:53:00.000-05:002009-11-25T05:54:42.649-05:00

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.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-38831765767760406792009-11-09T15:19:00.007-05:002009-11-09T15:45:26.471-05:00

I passed in my final book chapter to my editor yesterday. I still have revisions to do on all the chapters, but they're minor, and shouldn't take too long.But as a way to celebrate, I decided to take an hour or so and go running at a track near my house. Plus, it is gorgeous here today.What does this tell you? To celebrate that I've finished writing a chapter, something that kept my ass glued to

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-43126932081328559922009-08-26T15:35:00.004-04:002009-08-26T15:53:40.425-04:00

With this book stuff, I don't have a lot of energy to blog much anymore. I blew past my original deadline nearly a month ago, and that's with writing book chapters nearly full time. My kid's been in daycare or camp all summer, and the whole time, I pretty much wrote. Then I'd pick him up, bring him home for dinner, hang out with him or go on after dinner walks to the library or around town, and

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-57226422036972931552009-08-04T10:51:00.004-04:002009-08-04T11:24:03.871-04:00

Check out my guest post on DiabetesMine--all about diabetes and pregnancy.

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-13109800389395295002009-07-24T23:15:00.002-04:002009-07-24T23:19:26.077-04:00

On the pro side, I just used a Dexcom sensor for 14 days and my readings seemed accurate to me.On the con side, I really still dislike inserting these sensors.I'm out of town and brought two sensors with me. I followed directions and thought I was inserting the first one correctly, but when I took off the applicator, a huge needle was staring back at me. After I called customer service at 11 pm,

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-67269366163874525682009-07-11T16:41:00.002-04:002009-07-11T17:18:24.830-04:00

So I went all rebel with the new Dexcom sensor and used it for nine days instead of the company-recommended seven days. In part this was because I'd heard the sensors last longer than the company says it will, and in part because I was freaked out about putting a new sensor again.Yesterday, my meter told me I was one reading while the Dexcom's reading was about seventy points lower. I figured it

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-63906506908423589292009-07-01T21:07:00.007-04:002009-07-01T21:27:44.730-04:00

My insurance company finally made the decision to cover continuous glucose monitors.I didn't waste any time.I did a week trial of the Dexcom Seven Plus, liked it, and ordered one for myself.It arrived a few days ago.Today, I started using the Dex officially, after a rep came to my house and showed me exactly how to put in a sensor and hook the thing up.I'm used to manually inserting my pump

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-38818536915041787732009-06-23T11:43:00.006-04:002009-06-23T11:46:59.371-04:00

I'm writing as fast as I can.

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-17978620573763157092009-06-19T20:46:00.007-04:002009-06-19T22:25:15.166-04:00

Oh, how I have fallen off the blogging bandwagon.I was reading some of my old posts last night and marveled at how frequently I wrote and how long the posts were. Clearly, those were my pre-child and pre-book days.Things are the usual over here. Our son is two and totally keeps us hopping. He is a total chatterbox, loves to go to the ATM (which he calls the AEM). Every time we drive or walk by an

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-45159380517915430572009-05-13T14:46:00.006-04:002009-05-13T15:19:24.784-04:00

I went out for a jog/walk today, the first since last fall.It went well--my triathlon training has stayed with me and I still have a shred of endurance. I was concerned I wouldn't be able to jog much, but I sustained it about half the time. Now, after coming inside, I feel healthy and sweaty.However, I'm like a one-man band with all the stuff I clip to myself:I have an insulin pump on my

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-65409487284001377212009-03-21T00:02:00.003-04:002009-03-21T00:07:47.756-04:00

So book research and writing about pregnancy and diabetes is underway. I’m finishing up chapter one, which covers the early days about what to do when you’re trying to conceive with pre-existing diabetes. This is mostly complete, but I’d like to find people who can talk about the following:1. Being type 2 and going from oral medication to insulin for the first time.2. Anyone type 2 who

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-7636380673521247832009-03-14T12:24:00.012-04:002009-03-14T13:07:19.759-04:00

When you tell most people your eyes need to be lasered, they think it's cool."I always wanted to try LASIK," they say.Of course you did. But that's not the treatment I'm getting.On the same day I found out about my book deal, my eye doctor told me she thought the blood vessels in my left eye were looking a little juicy.And that's not what someone with retinopathy wants to hear.I tried not to

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-10382382719974214972009-03-02T11:51:00.001-05:002009-03-02T11:51:14.136-05:00

This is the news I've been waiting to share for four years, and the reason I began blogging in the first place.My book, "Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby: Balancing Pregnancy With Pre-existing Diabetes," sold last week to Demos Health, a division of Demos Medical Publishing.I'll be writing it this year and barring any problems, it will be published in early 2010, under my real name and byline.It's the

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-36305426918582398592009-02-25T23:41:00.003-05:002009-02-25T23:49:13.808-05:00

Doctor's office waiting rooms—why aren’t they more customer friendly?I see some of the best doctors in my area. They’re renowned for what they do.So why are the waiting areas so ghetto?Right now, I’m in a waiting room where people wait for their eyes to be dilated (yep, another retinopathy check). There's a bunch of chairs facing a big television screen where there’s always some earnest

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-85725036918269557922009-02-17T17:05:00.000-05:002009-02-17T17:05:57.667-05:00

The weeks of eating recklessly happen every two weeks now.For two weeks of the month, I guzzle diet soda. I eat chicken sausage and don't second guess anything. Last week, I ate a ton of raw cookie dough.I test my sugars every few hours. And then, it stops.I wonder if this is the month I've conceived, and my eating patterns try to fall into line.I drink skim milk with my meals and cut out the

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-10970409865356004892009-02-05T22:09:00.004-05:002009-02-05T22:12:03.372-05:00

Period arrived today.Mind boggling has never been one of my specialties.Off we go to month number two.

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-33512057803964550192009-02-01T14:29:00.010-05:002009-02-01T14:57:37.001-05:00

We're actively trying to get pregnant. And since I may know you in real life, unlike the first time I started chronicling our experience, please keep it to yourself if you see me and want to know "How's the baby quest going?"It's a lot of waiting.Not that this is anything new.I'm in the midst of month one of fucking for fertility's sake. I dragged out this ovulation prediction software I bought

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-10736394943530242232009-01-14T14:41:00.004-05:002009-01-14T15:14:48.903-05:00

Living in the 'burbs, I often shop at our local warehouse superstore. When I'm deep into the value-size aisles of juice boxes and paper towels, I don't really check out other shoppers. I'm usually trying to dissuade Baby L from throwing items out of the cart.Which is why I was surprised to hear someone call my name as I maneuvered my way to the giant stack of baby wipes last Friday afternoon."Hi!

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-58915455381544641872009-01-06T14:08:00.002-05:002009-01-06T14:12:13.055-05:00

My Ping's battery officially died today.Time I got the first alarm of a low battery: 5:06 pm, Saturday.Time the battery died: 12:50 pm, Monday.That's about 43 hours.Amount of time weekend Animas pump rep said pump would last after first alarm: 30 minutes.Good to know.

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-64692326238649504812009-01-05T08:40:00.003-05:002009-01-05T08:51:16.908-05:00

Two weeks after starting on my new insulin pump, I got a low battery alarm on Saturday.I called Animas and someone called me back immediately.According to the rep, a new battery is supposed to last 5-7 weeks. My alarm, after only two weeks, was possibly happening because of the "start up" session I did.That sounded ridiculous to me. Starting up the pump shouldn't waste several weeks of battery

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-48872981207147372862008-12-23T10:25:00.003-05:002008-12-23T10:37:29.988-05:00

So I've been using the Animas Ping insulin pump and One Touch Ping meter for nearly a week. I'd thought that it would take me weeks to figure out which button does what, and that an infusion set change might take me awhile to maneuver.It hasn't.Despite the eight years on my Minimed 508, the Animas Ping is pretty intuitive. The Ping itself is worlds ahead of my old 508. The screen is some colorful

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-62529152949227300992008-12-15T22:03:00.011-05:002008-12-15T22:28:40.729-05:00

When it comes to pumping, I've long stuck to what I know.Witness my new insulin pump, which I start using Wednesday. Only four years after becoming eligible for an upgrade.Laziness? Comfort with the familiar? Yes and yes.As a pump supply, I always thought the IV Prep Wipes were necessary. The idea is that they help infusion sets grab your skin better and adhere longer. .They're getting the

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-85602865884847722072008-12-14T08:47:00.002-05:002008-12-14T08:52:21.173-05:00

Baby L woke up screaming at 4am. We're on the last day of a ten day family vacation and you'd think he's figured out how to sleep through the night in a rented crib.Not.I brought him into bed with me and the Mister. Not recommended.I changed a wet diaper that shouldn't have been the cause of any commotion.I read him a story in the dark. Talented, I know.I finally put him back in the crib and

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-50191647836541379552008-11-20T01:00:00.005-05:002008-11-20T01:00:01.107-05:00

My name is Lyrehca and I am married to a Craigslist Addict.The Mister spends hours cruising the listings of Craigslist searching for gadgets, free or cheap, that he can acquire, futz with, and show off to our family and friendsOur house is sort of like a museum.Tonight, we became the proud owners of a jukebox that has 45 records from the 1960s and ‘70s. It took three of the Mister’s burliest

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-82163356831291485452008-11-19T09:18:00.002-05:002008-11-19T09:28:14.229-05:00

I met with the Animas rep yesterday and played with the Ping.I also spent too much time yesterday researching the ingredients in two kids' sunscreens and wondering why I can get so caught up in research about something like sunscreen, but don't intend to do something similar with the pump.Research is what I know how to do. But I tend to get bogged down and therefore, stuck.(I ended up just buying

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-17622129313220885202008-11-08T13:12:00.003-05:002008-11-08T16:56:37.951-05:00

Eight years ago, the country entered a new phase of management.And around the same time, I did too.While America moved from one party President to another back in 2000, I moved from multiple daily injections to an insulin pump. The Minimed 508, to be exact.Unlike most pump users, and unlike American voters, I never considered a change after the first four-year term. I liked the pump I had and it

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-35865261499220763482008-11-05T13:19:00.004-05:002008-11-08T16:55:48.645-05:00

There’s a palpable sense of relief and excitement today. I’m pleased with the outcome of yesterday’s U.S. Presidential election. But.The President-Elect is inheriting a complicated bunch of problems and issues.As a type 1 woman, I have to ask: how will my health care coverage change? Will I be able to get a continuous glucose monitor, paid for in full, without the hoops others have had to jump

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-4664110222382082062008-11-02T09:38:00.011-05:002008-11-02T15:33:06.621-05:00

If you're swinging over here as a result of seeing me as the featured blogger on the Diabetes OC, welcome! And if you're a regular reader, welcome back.So it's national diabetes month, national write a novel month, national blog every day month, and Thanksgiving is 'round the corner.With the exception of Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays, I'm not really an active participant in these

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-38622775862379286842008-10-28T14:26:00.004-04:002008-10-28T14:34:34.249-04:00

I've been blogging for nearly three years now. I'm still tickled when someone stops by and comments and gives me some bit of insight or encouragement.But I'm a bit sad when people comment as Anonymous. Sometimes I want to email you to say thanks. Or to ask another question. And other times I wonder exactly who some of you are and how you found me. Did you just stop by because a Google search

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-3427092795769671572008-10-22T13:16:00.004-04:002008-10-22T13:27:40.966-04:00

Today's Day Two of Baby L's daycare experience.1. I left him there yesterday and he was engrossed in a puzzle when I said goodbye.2. I immediately went to a nearby cafe with free Wifi and worked for nearly six hours straight.3. I drank a lot of diet caffeine-free Pepsi.4. I peed more times than I typically do in a morning at home.5. I've determined the cafe is a bit cold to discourage some people

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-31561040091583817912008-10-15T17:42:00.003-04:002008-10-20T16:03:21.266-04:00

I've been thinking about how a future pregnancy might be different from my first pregnancy.1. When I worked in an office, my day was pretty regimented. It was easy to eat the same breakfast and lunch at pretty much the same time every day. As a result, my bloods were tight.But now, I taxi Baby L from activity to activity, and do work from my kitchen table and laptop. Unfortunately, it's really

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-91132633196064006892008-10-13T22:35:00.003-04:002008-10-20T15:44:30.139-04:00

Baby L isn't a baby anymore. He just turned 18 months, and by golly, he is going to daycare next week.I am so thrilled about this. I can't get any work done anymore when he's awake and eager to do something. He's too mobile, too into things, too toddler for me to focus on work stuff. He'll go for two days so I can finally have some concentrated work time that is during daylight hours. (And

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-4686849968966423602008-10-06T23:07:00.003-04:002008-10-20T15:43:44.029-04:00

Some days, there are just great highs and great lows. And for once, I'm not even talking about my blood sugars.I was all set to blog about the fact that I cleaned out my closet today and for the first time in a few years, I fit into clothes I last wore before I was pregnant. Work ensembles fit me well. These great red and green and brown pants... all fit like a glove.(And to be clear, I'm talking

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-89078353401527834572008-09-20T04:51:00.006-04:002008-10-20T15:41:34.590-04:00

We met with my Kind Endo yesterday to talk about trying for baby number two.It was so familiar, and yet different. The schlep to the Big City Hospital. The traffic jams. The calls that we'd be late. Parking. The look of the lobby. The waiting room.And yet this time, we had Baby L in tow, pushing our crazy-big stroller and carrying crackers and pretzels and sippy cups and playthings to keep him

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-12143030987149351402008-09-17T01:07:00.004-04:002008-10-20T15:40:11.234-04:00

Ran/walked 2.5 miles tonight. Started out with a blood sugar around 221. I thought I'd jog and see what would happen.Attached my dorky-but-effective fanny pack around my waist. I carry a juice box, my meter, my cell phone, money, my license and my insurance card, along with my keys.Started jogging, took a few minutes to warm up. Ran straight for about one and a quarter miles, then stopped briefly

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-46650851172664837442008-09-15T07:50:00.004-04:002008-10-20T15:39:26.054-04:00

I ran/walked in a local 5K road race yesterday and actually did better than a fifth of the people competing. Running is getting somewhat easier for me.I still walked a good portion of the race, but was able to jog for more than a mile and a quarter, walk and run on the second and third miles, and jogged at the end and even sprinted across the finish line.Someone at the end yelled out "Rip it, 598

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-44255142040535674662008-09-07T17:42:00.003-04:002008-10-20T15:38:46.900-04:00

I completed my second sprint triathlon today.It was tough: a hillier bike and run course, choppier water, a later heat to start. I was one of the last to finish and still don't know my official time, so I don't know just how close to the last finisher I actually was.I'm exhausted, despite training pretty well over the past six weeks.Blood sugars were in the 200s throughout the race, which means I

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-12944831154794747052008-08-01T14:33:00.005-04:002008-10-20T15:38:11.445-04:00

My tri high has calmed down a bit. So what did I do? I just signed up to do another sprint triathlon in early September. The coach who trained the team I joined for the first tri is doing another six week training session. After that, though, I think I may have to call it a season, even though there are events that last into the fall.Why?It's probably time to think about trying for kid number

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-33916928758666175472008-07-27T16:41:00.008-04:002008-10-20T15:37:17.259-04:00

Despite waking up at 4am to the sounds of thunder and lightning, having my bike number fly off my bike on the highway while traveling to the race, and getting to the site late and panicking when I couldn't locate my bike after an absurdly long line for the bathroom, today turned out to be awesome.I finished the Danskin Triathlon in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 36 seconds. And it didn't rain once

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-3475153229016129452008-07-26T07:21:00.004-04:002008-10-20T15:36:29.892-04:00

...and I am nervous.I've trained. I'm more of an athlete than I was eight weeks ago. I can jog for a short while without gasping. I can swim longer distances than before. I know how to shift gears on a bike to really climb up a hill.I know how to transition from a swim leg to a bike ride. From a bike to a run. What to wear. How to wear it. What to eat. How to bolus. When to test. So I'm ready.But

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-50867101987100077602008-07-21T07:10:00.004-04:002008-10-20T15:36:00.519-04:00

The sprint triathlon I've been training for is next Sunday, July 27.The past seven weeks have really been great with the training. I joined a team that's been really supportive. The workouts have been structured, so I know exactly what to do on each day.I think the best thing is that I've been able to seriously exercise at least an hour nearly every day. The first week was more about "getting

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-92000752725349431262008-07-10T23:39:00.008-04:002008-10-20T15:35:07.677-04:00

Laurie at A Chronic Dose has written a terrific primer on living well with chronic illness. "Life Disrupted: Getting Real About Chronic Illness in Your 20s and 30s" is part memoir, part sage advice, part narrative about living with an assortment of conditions like diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and, in Laurie's case, a blend of lung ailments and celiac disease that has impacted her life since

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-10951836226776148972008-07-08T08:08:00.003-04:002008-10-20T15:34:47.014-04:00

I completed a very short triathlon in my town a week ago as part of some July 4th festivities.I figured it would be a way to see what it would be like to do a triathlon before the official one I'm doing in July.This shorter one was a 1/4 mile swim, a 2 mile bike ride, and a mile run. I competed with many kids who did the same lengths, but did half the swim that I did.I came in dead last at 56:48.

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-73409188225975708682008-06-26T16:36:00.004-04:002008-10-17T14:40:09.840-04:00

Reading another blogger's post about what shoes she wears made me think about the ways I flout conventional diabetic advice.1. I wear what shoes I want to, particularly open toed shoes and flip-flops, all the time in warm weather. I never wear shoes that are uncomfortable, but that's because I walk a lot and pain is annoying. It's not because of my fears of cuts healing slowly. And inside the

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-46128132232294915552008-06-24T07:00:00.007-04:002008-10-17T14:38:46.105-04:00

My son is 14 months old. He sleeps (usually) through the night. He grasps a sippy cup with ease. He eats the same breakfast I do: a flaxseed waffle and a veggie sausage. The only difference is our beverage of milk. Mine is skim and his is whole.This week, I was asked, not for the first time, if and when I would start trying for another child. My endocrinologist asked me back when Baby L was about

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-82394291760025905712008-06-18T21:50:00.005-04:002008-10-17T14:37:18.318-04:00

Many years ago, I read a brilliant memoir of a type 1 diabetic called Needles, by Andie Dominick. Her opening line: "I know about needles."These days, though, it's all about numbers. I know about numbers.I test my blood sugar all the time. And with this triathlon training, I'm working with a heart rate monitor to train within a certain percentage of my heart rate. In short, once you know your

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-3080304356845858392008-06-16T16:52:00.010-04:002008-10-17T14:35:32.731-04:00

Lots going on here in the land of Lyrehca.Probably the biggest thing I can report right now is that I'm training for a triathlon.Believe me, this is not typical behavior.My favorite activity is lying in bed, or in a hammock, in front of the air conditioner. Reading. And eating. And guzzling diet Coke.So training for a triathlon is something out of my comfort zone.But I thought, years ago, that

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-19314915492240306622008-05-12T01:59:00.009-04:002008-10-17T14:33:57.536-04:00

What has happened with LifeSavers candies?I used to be able to buy these things in bulk, wrapped in rolls of 12 candies each. In five flavors. In a multicolored wrapper.Four of them equals about 15 grams of carbohydrate, which any good type 1 knows is what you need to ingest when your sugar is low.Low.LOW.A pack is portable. I can bite off what I need without fumbling with a wrapper. A pack of

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-57147118873410801422008-02-10T17:25:00.001-05:002008-10-17T14:32:56.021-04:00

I used to be a great blogger--back when I was in the throes of infertility and pregnancy.But things are afoot over in the land of Lyrecha. To wit:1. Baby L is ten months old. Where'd the time go? He crawls backwards. He's starting to tolerate solid foods. He smiles like a sunrise. He is chatty in that baby jibberish way. ("Bah bah BAH," he explains. "Guh. Khuh.")He is super awesome.2. My book

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-16532481371579304822008-01-07T14:17:00.002-05:002008-10-17T14:31:01.551-04:00

I hired two babysitters last week to watch Baby L while I worked upstairs in my home office for two afternoons.It. Was. Bliss.I felt like I was back working at a staff job in an office, with the big difference that there were no annoying coworkers to worry about or boss to impress. I actually finished a big chunk of work I've been taking forever to finish. Not having to worry about when the babe

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-4924285631894170572008-01-02T15:45:00.001-05:002008-10-17T14:29:55.769-04:00

Many times I've wondered if I should keep blogging. Infertility and pregnancy tinged with diabetes provided a great momentum and I always had sufficient material.Motherhood has given me another batch of experiences, but I haven't wanted to chronicle them in the same public way.I'm still working on my proposal for my book about type 1 and pregnancy, which was the original reason I started blogging

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-1681899791568694552007-10-05T07:18:00.001-04:002008-10-17T14:25:27.934-04:00

I had a regular endocrinologist appointment yesterday, my first since trying to conceive.See, Endo also oversees the diabetes and pregnancy program at my local hospital, so for the past two-plus years, I saw her as either a trying-to-conceive patient or one who was actually pregnant.Yesterday, I was merely a patient with diabetes.There have been some changes in the clinic where she sees her

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-34034657361700045002007-08-08T07:23:00.002-04:002008-10-17T14:23:44.559-04:00

Thirty years ago today, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.It's a day I remember every year, and a day I never know how to really commemorate.This year, it's particularly special because I have my four month son keeping me company as I write this. A son who was born without any complications during my medically-intensive, but otherwise healthy pregnancy.In fact, the first thing I thought this

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-72872912100813881142007-07-25T06:53:00.001-04:002008-10-17T14:18:46.319-04:00

1. I often wear nursing tank tops. The ones I bought at Target fit me much better than those made by a company called Glamourmoms. I bought the Glamourmoms ones in the hospital and wore them the first week, but Target's are much better. Cheaper, too.2. My blood sugars are pretty shot to hell these days. When I can remember to test at all, I'm often high.3. During pregnancy, I used to test about

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-37650576326834028212007-07-12T03:47:00.001-04:002008-10-17T14:16:22.542-04:00

.. because here I am with insomnia again.Ah yes, it's like being pregnant. Wide awake at 3 am.Except I just had to do a night feeding, a diaper change, a putting-back-to-bed and a (breastmilk) pump session. Who can sleep after all that activity?"So how's your blog," my mother asked me over the phone yesterday."I haven't had time to update it," I admitted. "But I'm working on the book proposal."

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-22248890830101216582007-06-13T21:51:00.001-04:002008-10-17T14:13:33.689-04:00

Three weeks is the longest I've gone without blogging.Didja miss me?This new motherhood thing is work. Serious work. So serious, in fact, that I've decided not to return to my fulltime job. Instead, I'll continue to freelance for the magazines I've always freelanced for, but will focus on those instead of the full-time gig.I still get general staff emails from my boss at the full-time gig,

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-53096840613686718812007-05-22T20:07:00.001-04:002008-10-17T13:57:56.832-04:00

This new momhood thing takes a lot of time.I haven't had a chance to post in more than a week now, but things have been good. I've been going to a few new mommy and me classes, and there's enough activities in my community that make me realize I could go to mom classes all week long.Some people have complained about being bored at home with their newborns, but honestly, between the Internet,

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-86212135485218685252007-05-09T10:46:00.002-04:002008-10-17T13:58:24.363-04:00

Only a month later, the Mister and I have pulled together some photos of Baby L to put on official announcements we're sending out. (Like the 400 emails we sent weren't "official." But I digress.)Because I'm neurotic that way, I'm not posting any photos of our Boy online for fear of weird Internet stalkers and whatever. (You'll notice I haven't posted any photos of myself or the Mister, either).

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-68185655170176735682007-04-30T08:35:00.001-04:002008-10-17T13:54:02.784-04:00

My Boy was born three weeks ago today.1. Breast feeding continues to kick my ass. I'm meeting with another, highly recommended group of lactation consultants tomorrow to see why the Boy can latch on to me, nurse for a damn hour, sound like he's eating and swallowing just fine, but still screams with hunger when he finally pulls off the boob.2. As a follow up to Friday, I had the Boy weighed at

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-55520290296914243832007-04-27T09:46:00.001-04:002008-10-17T13:51:55.082-04:00

Feeding the baby pretty much consumes much of my day.I hear others have it easier, that their kids latch on the boob instantly, feed for ten minutes tops, then are satisfied and that's that.Not my situation.The breastfeeding continues to be my focus, and I'm alternating trying to feed the baby exclusively from me, pumping breast milk, and preparing bottles of formula when the baby doesn't seem to

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-86604068060652311012007-04-23T19:00:00.001-04:002008-10-17T13:50:03.328-04:00

Well, our boy is two weeks old today.We've been home from the hospital more than a week, and while I've been documenting as much as I can, it's really been a blur.In short:1. The rest of the hospital stay was fine, but constantly punctuated by doctor's visits (ob, endo, endo fellow, assorted other residents, nurses, lactation consultants) and personal visits from family and friends. I can't

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-89404608011389783742007-04-19T13:20:00.002-04:002008-10-17T13:47:27.634-04:00

Good God, where to begin?Baby L is ten days old, counting his birth day as day zero (as the hospital did) and we've been home since late last week.I have barely had time to think, let alone blog or read other people's blogs. I'll make short statements about what's been going on.1. The c-section birth went well. I walked confidently into the OR and asked if anyone ever walked out. "It'd be a

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-29602984129635817432007-04-12T15:29:00.001-04:002008-10-17T13:44:04.302-04:00

Lyrehca and Mister Lyrehca are thrilled to annouce the birth of their new son, Baby L.Baby L arrived at 11:24 am on Monday, April 9, 2007. He weighed seven pounds, nine ounces, and was 20.5 inches long. He is super gorgeous--all the nurses and doctors here keep saying so (and admit, when I ask, that they don't say that about everyone's baby).His post-pregnancy blood sugars, an indication of Mom's

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-30816562700773895232007-04-08T22:39:00.001-04:002008-10-17T13:43:19.748-04:00

In a mere 12 hours, I'm scheduled for a c-section.I spent all day today filing baby stuff, assorted doctor's notes and paraphernalia, and nesting at home with Mr. L.People called or emailed all weekend to wish us luck.I got a little teary tonight. What if something goes wrong? This is the last night the Mister and I will be just two. What if I ate too much chocolate, and therefore too much

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-16786042376335198202007-04-05T05:43:00.001-04:002008-10-17T13:41:27.537-04:00

1. The women in my office had a shower-like lunch for me yesterday. It was low-key, but they bought the baby some duck-themed books and bath stuff. Seeing as I haven't had a shower at all, I was touched by it.2. The Mister came to work the other day and helped me clean out my desk. I have a lot of books and personal items on my desk that I wanted to bring home.3. Am trying to get some work done (

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-69800181492489809882007-04-02T06:20:00.001-04:002008-10-17T13:38:54.168-04:00

Thanks for all your comments about cord blood. Who knew I had so many anonymous readers? For the record, we were pretty much agreed on actually banking the blood, but just were overwhelmed with where to actually do so. I'm happy to report we went with the company that gave us the best deal, which has actually been in business the longest of the bigger cord blood banks, and got the stuff Fed Exed

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-22661642684672363462007-03-29T17:20:00.001-04:002008-10-16T14:40:36.028-04:00

Many things to write about, but the latest is the conundrum over whether to have our kid's cord blood saved when the kid is born.The deal is this: docs can collect cord blood and save the cells to use down the road to fight against catastrophic health conditions. There are a handful of very obscure conditions that cord blood cells currently help, but the idea is that down the road, conditions I'm

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-56073997011599273052007-03-22T06:05:00.003-04:002008-10-16T14:36:52.854-04:00

I have the rest of the week off from work because I supposedly didn't use a few vacation days from 2006 that need to be used by the end of March. (Um, OK, I'd bet that's incorrect, but who am I to argue with the HR woman at work? Enforced days off--sign me up!).As a result, I spent yesterday doing some nice things:1. Got a pedicure so my feet finally are worth baring in public. (The pedicurist

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-698794085505041062007-03-18T06:40:00.001-04:002008-10-16T14:30:16.189-04:00

Back with the appointments on Friday. Another baby heart rate check, along with visits to Kind Endo and High Risk OB.All were uneventful, thankfully.The kid's heart rate ebbed and flowed, but no one blinked when there was another slight drop (around 110 this time) but bounced right up. Kind Endo looked at my meter's blood sugar numbers and declared them "actually quite good." (Although waking up

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-45265970570598252342007-03-14T06:46:00.002-04:002008-10-16T14:28:59.705-04:00

Just coming out of a busy work period, my last deadline week before I leave to have the kid.Even writing that makes me wonder if I'm jinxing myself. What if something happens to the baby and there is no baby? What if the kid comes early and I spend weeks in a NICU?I started going through all my email at work and home yesterday to figure out who should get the announcement we'll send out when the

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-89219081008032803792007-03-11T03:40:00.002-04:002008-10-16T14:39:15.072-04:00

A lot and yet not a lot has happened in the last week and a half.Had another ATU (monitoring) appointment on Friday, where I go to the hospital and the kid is checked out for a heartbeat, amniotic fluid update, and that sort of thing. A bio-physical profile.I'd thought this would be a quick-ish visit, as the last two I've had have been. Mr. L. didn't come with me to this appointment (and I'm now

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-75143804930860575902007-02-27T04:42:00.001-05:002008-10-16T14:13:20.658-04:00

1. I never seem to have time to post anymore. Today's 32 weeks of being pregnant. Hard to believe.2. Went to New York City last weekend for a last hurrah as a woman with baby in utero, because who knows when I'll get back there again?3. Stayed with my single girl pal and saw a bunch of friends; interestingly, most of them are still single or are dating and are in far different places in their

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-50079728946539737682007-02-14T19:28:00.001-05:002008-10-16T13:58:53.820-04:00

Oh, it's been so long.Another 60-hour workweek last week kept me from even reading the blogs I follow, let alone blogging myself. I've finally caught up with things and am out from the work (and home after dealing with the crap wind and snow and rain where I live. Why, why do we live here? The Mister and I ask ourselves this every winter, and it's always because "our families live here." I wish

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-80252250668325813442007-02-03T05:03:00.001-05:002008-10-16T13:49:17.598-04:00

I did it.I asked a question at the doc's office that hadn't been asked before.Since I tend to ask a lot of questions (and it was even documented in my chart, I learned yesterday), I often say things to reassure myself that I'm not the only crazy one."Surely I'm not the (craziest person you've seen/only person who's worried about this/the worst you've dealt with)?"Yesterday, I was.Week 28

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-1169808941613890672007-01-26T05:25:00.002-05:002008-10-16T13:47:09.298-04:00

We had a follow-up fetal echo earlier this week, since the kid was flipping around so much at the last heart appointment. While the doctor told me this was the longest appointment he'd ever had when everything looked good, the key thing is EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD. No signs of thickening or heart defects which are more common in uncontrolled diabetes. They saw just about everything they needed to

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20045208.post-1169075354725534992007-01-17T18:04:00.001-05:002008-10-16T13:44:00.102-04:00

1. The pillow situation in my house had become untenable, particularly since I'm now bulging with pregnancy.2. Because the pillows I’ve been sleeping on are what I used in college, I wasn’t surprised to learn I should get new ones, since, you know, the pillows I have been using are likely flattened, crushed and teeming with invisible dust mites.3. Mr. L and I went pillow shopping this weekend. I

Lyrehcahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14731508321420598343noreply@blogger.com12