Five plus months down range from a heart transplant: Adapt and Overcome

The combination of drugs I take to stave off rejection of my new heart, particularly Prednisone, a well used steroid, are playing havoc with my blood sugar levels.  

I'm told that normal blood sugar levels are about 100 mg/dl.  Newly transplanted patients often experience higher blood sugar levels until weaned entirely from Prednisone.  My levels have ranged into the low 300s. Continual high blood sugar can interfere with the healing process.

Within the first weeks after transplant, I was administered both long acting and short acting insulin to tame the high blood sugar levels.

Then after several weeks the insulin regime ceased.  Don't worry about it, I was told.  The blood sugar levels will return to normal in  time.

Last month, the cardio team at the University of Minnesota Hospital decided that an insulin regimen.  I take the long acting variety once a day and the faster acting variety before meals.  

I carry my blood sugar monitoring kit with me in my "go bag," which also has juice, hard candy( juice and candy are needed when my blood sugar falls below 70), procedure masks, hand sanitizer etc. as part of my standard kit.  Not a heavy as the LVAD bag, but I don't leave home without it.