My last endo appointment in May of this year brought lots of good news. An A1C of 6.0, a reduction in my total and bad cholesterol levels, kidney function excellent. Overall, I felt pretty good leaving the office. But there were issues to be addressed - aren't there always? First, although my cholesterol levels were reduced, they were still not where the doctor - and where I - would like to have them. Further, I'd gained 2lbs since my previous visit.

So, I set my mind to fixing these issues, while maintaining all of the good stuff that I'd managed to achieve and then I started making some changes.

I've always been an active person. I have always worked to get AT LEAST 3 days with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a week, I've never been one to eat enormous amounts of food all that often, and I have, since my mid-twenties, made a concerted effort to get tight control of my diabetes. But - all of this - I realized - wasn't enough. And as much as I wanted to fool myself into thinking I was doing just fine - the rising cholesterol numbers and the upward motion of the scale were black and white proof of the need for change.

I'm determined. I'm stubborn. When I set my mind to something, I will - 9 out of 10 times - make it happen. If only my sheer determination could work its wonders on my broken pancreas.

Just after that May appointment, I made a commitment to improving my health.

First - I started on an exercise program - and have, since May, had only a day or two in which I was not able to get some activity. In the summer I swam or jogged, worked with tension bands and body balls at home - and when the local river was overtaken by nettles (EW!) in early August and I got stung more than one time, I actually joined a gym. I've never been one for the gym, but I'm really not minding it. I also started taking Pilates classes once or twice a week. All of this amounts to 5 or 6 days of aerobic activity for 45-60 minutes each day and weight training/pilates 3 or 4 days a week.

Next - I started trimming processed foods from my diet. Now, I'm a fan of fruits and vegetables - but I'm also a fan of canned soup and Lean Cuisine... So, this has been rather challenging. I've worked to maintain a balance that weighs heavily in produce and not so much on the side of high-sodium, processed junk.

Finally - I started logging faithfully. Though I've always looked at my levels, I've usually done so by downloading my numbers every week - or other week - and trying to make adjustments from those downloads. In June, I started using Sugarstats. Although the program has its bugs, I've been pleased to be able to log my sugars, foods, and exercise and to make adjustments based on patterns sooner rather than later.

And, you know what? Through all of this, I've been seeing results. I've lost more than 20lbs, my average bloodsugar and my standard deviation are lower. My total daily dose is more consistent than its been in years. I feel better and stronger - and I know I look better and stronger....

And the other numbers, you ask?

Well, you'll have to wait with me on those. My next appointment is next week. Wish me luck!