Living with Diabetes

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  • Train Wreck Day

    Haven’t had one of these in a while, but woke up feeling like the victim of a train wreck, and it just got worse as the day went on.

    Random muscle aches, headache. I kinda of associate these with not sleeping well, though I don’t remember doing any waking.

    Made a goal though — 60 minutes of cardio, 30 on the Natural Runner, 30 on the treadmill. Took a book and Jimmy Buffet CD to do it, but did it.

    Sugar was a tad high in the afternoon, so checked it after 15 minutes, then did the glucose tablet thing. Got the sugar down to the 110’s through the end of the workout and NO crash!

  • Drats!

    Ended up adding 4 units of insulin this evening … I screwed up everything, just a slight bit today and paid for it.

    Another leason learned.

  • It IS working!

    Yes, I’m losing weight. Yes, I’m feeling better!

    (more…)

  • Still going…

    I am still at 33 units, this is my second day, and so far haven’t added any extra insulin.

    I’ve been using the glucose to “cover” my exercise, per “Diabetes Solution”.

    I got an interesting magazine today — can’t remember the name — but the editor, a Type 1 diabetic was also raving on Diabetic Solutions. He was having problems with keeping his sugars under control, and found Dr. Bernstein’s book as useful as I have been finding it.

    Plan is to stay at this level at insulin for 2 more days, and if I continue to have good results, drop down to 32 units, morning first.

  • Down a unit

    Since yesterday went so well — even with the stress of dealing with an extra 4 hours of work and dealing with talking with parents ….

    I decided to decrease my morning dose by a unit. It’s easier to control carbs here at school, then it is in the evening. There isn’t as much food around to call my name.

    So far, it’s a good plan, sugar is staying within goal (90-140) — was 116 two hours after breakfast.

    The less insulin, the easier to lose weight!

  • Glucowatch

    Ken mentioned the Glucowatch in a comment. I have been interested in it and got the brochures on it. It’s a technology that almost works

    I’ve sat down and read the instructions, and you have to wear it for 2 hours, then calibrate it with a blood sugar meter and then it gives you as many as 10 readings per hour. If you are low, you still need to use a glucometer to verify the reading.

    That just seems awkward. I haven’t seen if insurance will cover, but I figure it falls under durable equipment. Also don’t know if the mail order service will get the supplies.

    My problems: you still have to use a regular glucometer, though you would be using it twice a day, maybe 3. So you are not decreasing copays, etc.

    FYI: both the Therasense system and the Glucowatch determine sugar not based on blood, but on a fluid under your skin, thus the need to calibrate.

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  • Figured it out!

    I’ve been having trouble crashing after I exercise. Got the blood sugar in pretty tight control, and have been seeing major dips.

    After reading the chapter on exercise in Dr. Bernstein’s book, I followed his suggestions, and it worked! I started tonight’s session with a glucose tablet and took one every 10 minutes. I took another one on the way out. Sugar never got over 120, (I checked in the middle), and never got under 99.

    Perfect!

  • Another link between sleep and diabetes

    See another link!

    Diabetes In Control Dot Com. The weekly newsletter for medical professionals in Diabetes care.

  • Even Attempted Weight Loss Reduces Mortality

    I really like this newsletter.

    Diabetes In Control Dot Com. The weekly newsletter for medical professionals in Diabetes care.

  • Today…

    Had to change my routine today because we have parent conferences tonight.

    Ate real early. Went to the gym and managed to get 30 minutes of walking in. Wasn’ sure when this would put me at school, weights were a bit busy so putting them off.

    Sugar has been fairly low today, in fact, hit 88 and was starting to get a bit cranky so ate a Glucerna bar. Back up to 130 afterwards, which gives me quite a bit of cushion on th lows. The lows are what are really bothering me.

    I followed the guidelines in Diabetes Solutions — see book category, and ate a glucose tablet every 10 minutes and that seemed to help. So maybe I can stop worrying about the lows during exercise.