Put aside the images of the Kingston Trio's Boston-area rewrite of "The Ship That Never Returned" and think instead of a group of riders, runners, walkers, or drivers following one after the other, or a flock of migratory birds, or any group trying to travel a significant distance, using the strongest to protect the weakest from wind and weather, each member of the group taking a turn at the front to allow the others to recover.

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I'm a bit behind over here so I'm wishing all of you a late Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and all the best for 2012. This holiday season I was fighting an upper respiratory infection that completely side swiped me. I was voiceless for almost 6 days, had constant coughing for three or four, and still have a lingering cough at certain points.

For the past week and a half, I've slept as much as possible. By that, I mean constantly. I was sleeping 12 hours at night, napping through most of the day, and just making it out of the house in the evening to see Marvin and some friends that were in town. I'm back to work tomorrow and sincerely hoping that I haven't ruined my sleep patterns (which are completely off thanks to this craziness).

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Red and green, the colors of Yule: the poinsettia and the evergreen, the holly berry and the ivy, the winter coats and cycling helmets...

Winter coats and cycling helmets????

In early on the 11th for my shift, I walked over to the supermarket at the other end of the strip mall to pick up a few things. On the checkout line next to me, I noticed a woman shorter and older than me, wearing a bright red cycling helmet.

"I'm glad to see I'm not the only person who cycles to my errands," I said.

"It's new," she said, referring to her helmet. "It's red, so I hope they can see me." 

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Since I raised the Metformin to 500 mg on Thursday, I've seen some interesting effects. First, my stomach is having a little bit of trouble off and on. I'm trying to tough it out though and find ways around it (eating small snacks regularly, taking a fiber supplement, and downing Pepto when necessary). Secondly, my blood sugars are showing signs of "improvement."

The past week, I saw near perfect numbers. Waking up in the 120 to 130 range. Coasting after meals to 170. An average down to 164. But since Thursday, I've also seen some lows that I'd rather not even get close to. They've only been in the 70s and 80s and nothing severe. But definitely needing treatment and leaving me anxious about where my blood sugars (and weight) might trend.

The problem is that I'm also seeing numbers in the 200s sporadically. I think I'm able to pinpoint why these numbers are messing up my perfect range though. (READ MORE)

I've really been struggling with my numbers lately. The Symlin has complicated things by causing prolonged highs after meals. My Lantus doesn't seem adequate, although last week it was too efficient. There is just no medium ground with the D lately.

I've finally gotten a few meals on Symlin at 30 mcg without the severe nausea that I was experiencing earlier. I'm not quite ready to raise it to 45 mcg though. I'm hoping for Tuesday if tomorrow shows continued improvement. I know that I can get the highs under control once I have the Symlin straightened out.

The waiting is killing me though. Literally. I hate running high. I hate the way I feel when I'm high like this. The fuzz that won't budge. The thirst that can't be quenched. The nausea that comes up suddenly.

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Today, I was supposed to raise my Symlin from 30 mcg to 45 mcg. Instead, I'm keeping it at 30 mcg for now. Since I've raised it, I've had some severe nausea and that lightheaded feeling that I hate so much. Especially after dinner.

From what I've read, it's best to stay at the lower dose if you're experiencing nausea and give it a few days to subside. I suppose I will just stay at 30 mcg until I'm not experiencing such intense bouts of stomach pain. I don't want to delay the results of the higher dose, but I also don't want to end up worse for the wear because I'm unable to finish meals, keep meals down, etc.

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