Doctor - you're FIRED!

I had my first meeting with a nutritionist today. I am so relieved and happy, I could cry.

My endocrinologist has been unhelpful. Useless. He's told me "Just experiment with different foods, see what they do to your blood sugar levels." When I told him I wasn't really comfortable with that, I'd rather see someone about a meal plan, he said that there really wasn't a way to do it other than experimenting. So I've been experimenting for a month, and my numbers aren't that much better.

My OB was ticked off the last time I saw him, and immediately got me a referral to a GD Nutritionist at the hospital. I saw her today. She told me that they just happened to have pharmaceutical doctors on site, and one of them could probably help me manage my insulin if I was interested. But she didn't want to push me, seeing as how I had an endocrinologist already...
I jumped at it. "I don't want to see my endocrinologist again. I don't even have a followup appointment with him. If you can hook me up, go for it!"

He fit me in immediately. Like, within five minutes. Averaged out my numbers, says I'm not doing as bad as I thought. Said I don't need the insulin right now, he thinks with a REAL diet I can manage this just fine on my own. Told me to stop testing so often, I only need my morning fasting numbers and one hour after FINISHING meals. As opposed to the six times a day the other doctor wanted me to do, and the one hour after starting meals. I'm pregnant, it can take me a while to finish up a meal, so he says that one hour after finishing the meal will give me more consistent and reliable results.

Then I met with the nutritionist again. She gave me a chart, and a schedule, and a list of what I can and can't eat. There is still a LOT of flexibility. I told her that I'd been avoiding milk and fruit, because they tend to raise my numbers too high. I told her it was more difficult for me to give those up than sweets and carbs, that I really missed them. So she scheduled in fruit and milk for me! Every snack has fruit, I get milk twice a day!

My endocrinologist said my morning fasting numbers were too high, so I didn't need an evening snack. She told me that I do, because the protein will help regulate my numbers overnight. She told me about proteins, portion sizes, and how to mix foods to keep my levels even throughout the day.

I have a plan. I have a team of people on my side, actually helping me. I have hope again, and I'm so relieved I could have kissed the doctors today. At one point she mentioned "I know this is hard, and you're probably not used to watching what you eat so strictly..." I cut her off. "Are you serious? I've been BEGGING for this for a month! I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am to have a meal plan, FINALLY!"

They want me to try this diet for a few days, check back in with them on Tuesday to see how it's going. If I can stick to this, and I'm very confident that I can, then no insulin for me! YAY!