A while back I wrote a post about a new study I was participating in. A study dealing with helping my disease, diabetes. Well, I have my first admission today in which i will be staying the night in the hospital.

I arrived early this morning.  They got me all settled in. It has been one heck of a day full of craziness and some calmness. Most of the staff is wonderful to have work with you – nurses, doctors, engineers, and this is a teaching hospital so you sometimes have those that are learning too. I have to eat at specific times and am only allowed to eat certain things (no caffeine. Ahhh!). I have blood drawn very often throughout the day and night. Things go right and things go wrong. When they go wrong you sometimes have to act swiftly to make them work again. It is stressful sometimes and funny all rolled into one

Today one of the main parts of my job for this study was biking for 30 minutes. Hahahahahaha!!! Most would probably laugh at that.  As i think i have already explained I am not really an exerciser.  But you know what they still need the non-fitness type like me

and after biking on the most uncomfortable stationary bike, sweating my butt off, had wires coming off and out of me from all different kids of places, in front of lots of people (embarrassing) i returned to my bed.

I biked with out any problems, had great blood sugars

and after all that don’t think I look half  bad?

Here’s to hoping i can sleep tonight! Right? We shall see what I look like in the morning

Our fun Friday began with a field trip to the local Fool Lion grocery store with Madison’s school.  I was actually quite impressed. I did not think that going to a grocery store for a trip would be so entertaining. Of course for a 5-year-old it was.

I wonder what was going through the minds of the shoppers when 20 crazy preschoolers go running through the store

They taught the kids about healthy foods. The store has a system that uses stars. If you see stars in front of the food than it is healthy for you. No stars means it is not healthy. They made it very simple for the kids.

The kids got to go “behind the scenes” and go into all the freezers and fridges where they keep the ice cream and vegetables, milk, eggs, ect. The kids were oh so cold walking through the freezers.

We also got to visit each section – meat, produce, and deli. There the head person in that section spoke and told us about making bread, or healthy vegetables, or showed us how the meat was ground and packaged to make hamburger.

We ended our trip in the deli where the kids were separated from the parents.  The parents waited in line at the deli where we received a “special” treat. A nice hot out of the oven chocolate chip cookie! Mmm! Mmm! I can say I have not been on too many field trips where I get a treat too. While parents were picking up cookies the kids were making their treats.

Each child got to ice their own cupcake to take home .

When we completed our tour and trip each child was given a reusable grocery bag filled with goodies. A banana, an apple, a coloring book, and a few sweet treats. I was very impressed. I thought the store did a fantastic job and Madison really had a good field trip!

From the field trip Madison and I hit the road to the doctor’s office. I had my 3 month check up with the diabetes doctor.  It went fine. My a1c was 7.9. That is still a little high. An a1c needs to be a little lower. However comparing that number to the one a year ago it has come down. So I am going in the right direction.  So with a few adjustments made to my insulin pump off Maddie and I went to our next stop.

Our next stop was not an orginal one on the list for the day. Allie decided this year she wanted to participate in the Jump Rope for Heart. I was excited she wanted to do this. I remember this from when I was a child. This was the first year she was allowed to jump. She worked hard to raise $15 for it. Which was great for her. I personally like the program because they don’t want you going from door to door asking for money. They like you to stay with people you know which I think for an 8yo is good! So $15 was her goal and if she raised that her prize was a jump rope.

I had asked her many times if I was to come to school to watch her jump rope. The school had not been specific about it so I was not real sure. It was done after school for 1.5 hours. On Wednesday, two days before the actual event Allie came home and said I was to not come. I was to just come and pick her up at 4:30. I looked at her and said “Are you sure?” She replied with “Yeah mom”

Well i decided to just call school and they said I was more than welcome to come watch her participate.  So I decided that Madison and I would surprise Allie since she was thinking we were just picking her up.  When we showed up and Allie finally saw us she got a huge smile on her face! She was shocked and I think very happy to see us.

Allies class won some extra morning recess for the money they earned. They beat their record from last year.

They had several different stations set with different jumping  activities set up. Allie did a fabulous job jumping the rope. Which i thought was great since we have never really done much jumping rope.

One of the stations had a trampoline. They would run and jump off. It was pretty neat.

Allie did a great job. She made her money goal. She did fantastic jump roping and I am really glad i got to the school to get a few shots and see her.

It was really great to finally be able to come home and sit down and relax at the end of the day but both the kids and I were really happy to have such a Friday full of Fun

UVA is about a 1.5 hour drive for me. Thursday’s visit was just a one day outpatient visit. I started my drive after i dropped the kids off at school and so they could get done with me as quick as possible since the whole area was calling for ice.  Somehow i had missed this announcement till i got in the car and started to drive. My two favorite radio guys Danny and Zack along with the awesome Miss Monica in the morning on K92 kept saying how the weather forecast was worsening and i was thinking oh my gosh. I hate driving in anything but sunny weather

I love (some sarcasm) visiting the big teaching hospital. They always seem to be so colorful, full of all kinds of people. It does make for such an interesting place – that is till (for me) I step in the elevator, packed full of people. I for one don’t like enclosed places like that and then put me in one at the hospital (germs) with no space to move and i hold my breath with a smile most of the time. I know i am wierd And since i have been going up to UVA i have had many many experiences in the hospital elevators traveling up to the 8th floor.

Thursday was an uneventful day traveling to elevator and in the elevators. Once on the 8th floor i was comfortable and the team got work. Blood had to be drawn. Paper work had to be filled out. My heart had to be looked at. All sorts of things. This is the screening process to get things in line for the study and big events.

Thursday i also had to do an exercise test which is going to be used when i go back for an overnight stay. This exercise consisted of riding a stationary bike. These bikes are not comfortable and i think you look ridiculous on them. Not to mention you also wear a big blue face mask which i think monitors your breathing and you have leads on 10 of them monitoring your heart rate. You also have a couple lines in because they draw blood every 3 to 10 mins. Sounds like fun right? It really isn’t too bad though. Todays exercise test i had to bike with all that stuff on while they increased the intensity and go until i couldn’t go any longer. Oh joy

Now with all that in mind i had to eat lunch in the cafeteria before biking. I sat eating and observing. I like observing. I thought this doesn’t seem to be a Grey’s Anatomy Hospital - all these people appear normal and normal looking. Cool! That was until i walked in the bike/excercise room and saw who would be working with me. A gentle, soft-spoken, well-built, good-lookin man, Mr. cute-well-built, i shall name him.  I am going to say it – I was self-consciousness.

I knew the nurses working with me from some of the other studies i had been in and i also knew one of the docs. There was a new doc and she seemed fine. It was the guy (Mr. cute-well-built) that had me all crazed. I had to bike in front of him  First off he was not bad looking at all and he looked like he could bike several miles up Mt. Everest! Ha

Me i am not an exerciser - never have been and do not see in my near future that i will be. (i.e reason for self-consciousness with Mr. cute-well-built guy in room) However thankfully i am not totally out of shape either and did fine biking and really don’t mind having nice, kind people in the room with me and yes that includes well-built

Although somewhat uncomfortable i pushed along till my legs didn’t want to go anymore. With funny nurse on one side drawing blood and Mr. cute-well-built on other taking my blood pressure. When i finished i was totally looking awesome myself now all sweaty with a swore butt and red face!!  I just laughed.

That is what led me to this post. My day and random thoughts that go through my head. I figured i would write and tell you.

It was an enjoyable trip and i am due to go out two more times in the next month for overnight stays and more bike riding. Yoo Hoo!