Journal Entries
Passing Tests
Posted Dec 13, 2006
Looks like I've passed another 6 monthly diabetes screening. HbA1c 6.9%, BP 110/80, Glomerular Filtration Rate 120, Weight 103Kg, Waist 102cm. I think overall it's a B grade, could do a bit better. I should be looking to try and bring the HbA1c down a bit (less than 6.5% would be great, though I'm under the current guideline of 7%) and the same for my weight and waist size, needs to come down a little. I probably should exercise more and that would help all three of those.
The nurse mentioned carb counting a possible way of getting better control, I'll have to look into that. At the moment it's a guestimate what insulin I need for a meal and then check again. Where I do fall down is in my morning fasting numbers. They can be all over the place and I'm not sure I know why. My feet are fine from a visit to the podiatrist the other day. My doctor thinks I can get buy using generic medication for things other than the insulin and test strips. A generic statin (taken as the diabetes is a risk factor in heart disease) will keep my cholesterol under control as well as the branded drug I'm currently on as will the generic proton pump inhibitor that I take after spending a few days in hospital with a gastric reflux problem.
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Latest reply: Dec 13, 2006
Forget me not
Posted Dec 4, 2006
It's the first time in 5ish years that it's happened. I was told that it would do and the best defence was to make good friends who can help you out. Thankfully I seem to have done that.
What was it? I forgot to pick up a prescription from my GP on friday evening. The script was for amongst other things Humalog insulin. The stuff that I needed to get on friday/saturday as I wouldn't have enough to see me through the weekend.
So there were two main options open to me at this point. Go to my regular pharmacy and beg or go to hospital to try and get a script from them (this was the backup plan, I had no intention of spending a saturday sitting in A&E). Thankfully the pharmacy did help. I did get a bit worried when it wasn't the regular pharmacist but I must be on their computer as to getting this from them and they provided me with a box, checking it was the right stuff I needed. Panic over.
Things to do...
Pick up the script from the GP and get the est of the stuff I need.
Try not to leave it so late before dropping in a repeat order to the GP to give me time to forget to pick it up before it runs out.
Ah well, if it only happens once every five or so years I'll be doing fine.
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Latest reply: Dec 4, 2006
So What Does It All Mean Then?
Posted Nov 2, 2006
First I spotted a comet in the sky and then there was the first frosts of winter. What does it all mean?
Well first I have been wanting to look for Comet Swan for a while and on the 31st October I got that chance. It was dark and clear, shame the moon was up but as it was only at 1st quarter it wasn't too bad. Having downloaded the orbital data and loaded it into our planetarium programme I was able to see where the comet should be. Thing is it's getting fainter as it now moves away from the sun and is about mag 8.5ish. I should be able to see this with binoculars I thought, time to wrap up warm and head out into the garden. Over to the west in the murk of the sky over the city I was able to eventually work out where Hercules was, finding the fuzzy blob that is M13. Then to follow the stars along to see another fainter fuzzy blob. Look away and yes it is still there. Right, time for more optical amplification, set up the scope quick and once again find the comet. I'm not sure but could I tell if there was a slight elongation out of one side indicating where the tail is? I don't know but to have seen the comet felt good.
Frosts in November? Who'd a thunk it. Seems like the forecasters have got it right. A light frost overnight from october into november and then a heavier frost last night and predictions of it being colder again tonight.
So what does it all mean, that it's late autumn/early winter and the nights are once more likely to be good for getting out to look into the dark night sky.
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Latest reply: Nov 2, 2006
A Marvel of the Modern Age
Posted Sep 18, 2006
I have long been fascinated by what could be called the marvels of the golden age of engineering. From canals with locks and tunnels through the steam revolution with the great station, bridges and of course the engines themselves. Brindley, Brunel, Stevenson, Trevithick and many more will be remembered for years to come as the men who built the marvels of britain.
These days it doesn't happen quite like that and it's not usually one man's vision and enterprise to build these great marvels. Teams and no doubt quite a few women are involved, yet still they can build structures that can inspire the next generation of engineers. Things such as the Thames Barrier, the great estury crossing suspension bridges around the country (Severn, Humber, Thames), the Channel Tunnel and the Falkirk Wheel.
The Falkirk Wheel links modern engineering design and know how right back to the start of the great engineering revolution in the UK, the canal system. Two canals built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that were originally connected with locks are now connected by a rotating boat lift.
The lift, a simple design of two caisons of water balanced on opposite sides of the the axle, rotates carrying the boats and the water they float on from one canal to the other. As the lift rotates giant gear wheels rotate the the cradles carrying the caisons of water in the opposite direction to the wheel but at the same speed so keeping the water level. Of course all sorts of computer control are used to make sure the wheel is balanced, everything rotates correctly and so on but it is a simple an ingenious design solving a practical problem of moving canal boats from one level to another.
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Latest reply: Sep 18, 2006
All quiet on the western front...
Posted Sep 6, 2006
...but not any longer
A sure way to know that the seasons are turning, not just from the air getting a bit cooler or seeing all sorts of different stars up in the sky on a clear night. No it's that the train is full again when I leave for work. Summer is over and it's back to school. So lots of schoolkids in uniform on the station platform and the train. It's also busier here in the city as those parents who take time off over the summer have come back to work. In the next couple of weeks it'll be all the university students who come back to the city swelling the numbers of people travelling up and down the streets outside the office and also lots of people asking questions about the systems. Ususally a bit chaotic for a few weeks and then it settles down as people start to remember where things are and where they should be.
Next week we also get the joy of the anual 'leaf fall timetable' where the trains deliberately run a bit slow to make sure they get to where they should. Thing is last year the leaves didn't fall till very late and probably will do the same again.
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Latest reply: Sep 6, 2006
Phil
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