Doctor appointment: Diabetic screening/glucose tolerance test (GTT)

I passed my second glucose test, the three hour GTT! I was so nervous about it. After the first test this week, I didn’t eat anything that would be considered a sweet, not even one bite of my usual suspects. I didn’t even want to have a Lifesaver. I had a sandwich for lunch that day and soup and salad that night. The next day I had a piece of peanut butter toast and milk for breakfast and a bagel sandwich for lunch. Then I came to find out that carbohydrates were the real culprit in increasing your blood glucose level, so what I had thought was being good actually wasn’t. Not only am I addicted to sweets right now, even not pregnant, my diet is jam packed with carbs!

I was on a quest to find some foods that were good for me to be eating to manage my carb and sugar intake. I wanted to control all the things I could control to pass this test. Whether or not it actually helped any on test day, I’m not sure, but I felt better about doing it. I went to the grocery store on Tuesday night on a mission and picked up some random things I had learned were within healthy boundaries (or better) for a diabetic diet. I got into my car and tore violently into the high protein/low carb/low sugar granola I had found. My actions confirmed what I already knew: I was having withdrawal from all things sweet, going a little insane. I could not get that granola into my mouth fast enough. It took all of my power to try and stick to the serving size, a measly 1/4 cup. All of my power. For dinner that night, Bran Flakes. I had an apple and Bran Flakes the next morning for breakfast and the same cereal again for lunch until my special treat of lentil soup for dinner. My snacks consisted of puffed corn cereal, almonds, sugar free Jell-o and the aforementioned granola.

Granted, I know if I had some guidance, hopefully the diet wouldn’t be this strict, but still, limit my carb intake? Analyze the amount of sugar going into my body? Dieting while pregnant? “A lifestyle change, not a diet,” you say? Phooey. I’ll have plenty of time once this baby comes to try and figure out how to shed these extra pounds. I’m screwed. Check out some of the labels on things you are eating and you will be amazed at just how many grams of carbohydrates and sugar they contain. Maybe that’s why I have an affinity for all the non-labeled stuff!

Anyway, I’ll get off of the food subject. Wait, back on it for a minute. I was trying to figure out what to bring to pass the time during my appointment and I ended up with one of my new cookbooks I had received for Christmas. This was a mistake since I hadn’t eaten anything since 7:30 the night prior and my mouth was watering the entire time my eyes locked on all the yummy pictures. I don’t know what I would have done had I failed and not been able to indulge in all the things I had just read about.

There were four phases of the test (four readings of my blood glucose level) I had to pass today. I could only fail one; if there were more, I would be considered a gestational diabetic. The first finger prick was for my fasting glucose level and I passed. The level needed to be less than 95 and mine was 82. (I found out that for my test on Monday, the level needed to be less than 140 and mine was 150.) I drank my morning cocktail, the glucose drink (I opted for fruit punch this time since it didn’t fail me when I was pregnant with Mirabella), and waited the hour until the second finger prick and analysis of my blood glucose level. The level for that phase needed to be less than 180; I passed with 145. I wondered why the woman taking my blood offered me the use of a recliner and was asking if my baby was doing somersaults because of the sugar high. They weren’t as concerned during my previous test on Monday. Then she explained that the drink for Monday’s test contained 50 grams of glucose and today’s was double at 100. No wonder I was looped up. I didn’t need the recliner, but the bambino was having a gay ol’ time bouncing off the walls of my stomach.

I was just getting through the heavenly cinnamon roll recipe when my timer was about to go off for the third phase of testing. I headed to the lab and my doctor happened to walk by while I was in the chair. He asked how I was doing and I told him that I’d be doing better if I wasn’t there. Then he gave me the good news that if I passed this phase, I wouldn’t have to do the last and could go home. I don’t know what level I needed to be under or what level I was at, but I was where I needed to be and was set free…one sixty minute timer and one finger prick early! As my doctor walked away from our conversation saying he’d see me in a couple weeks I couldn’t resist my parting words, “Does this mean I can have ice cream tonight?”

“And in the morning too!” he replied. Now that's a good doctor.