Friday, June 27, 2014

I Made Some Progress

I know I woke up to my Dexcom going off at around 12:30pm. I tested and it read 34 which is not a great number. I know I had made adjustments because of the past two days of being late for work. I was even running a temp basal and still ended up low. Thankfully I was able to hear my Dexcom and treat it promptly. The good part of hearing the Dexcom go off I was able to decrease the temporary basal further and was able to get up when my alarm sounded this morning. It was such a great thing to be up on time and not rush around like a crazy person because I am running late. It makes for a rough start to the day. I did discuss some recent issues with a higher up who arranged for me not to have to work weekends because it is not necessary. Plus they thought I needed to rest and not push my body any further at this point.

After I reduced the basal I could drift back to sleep and surprisingly I did not feel exhausted when I got up this morning. I know I thankful that my blood sugars seem to be adjusting to me being back on Humalog and most of the pump site issues have stopped. If they do start up again I do have Apidra with me which actually does not occlude as much as Humalog or Novolog which is good to know. So I am feeling very ready for my trip to Orlando now that things have started to calm down again so I can enjoy my trip. I find pump site, insulin issues to be very stressful when they do pop up. I guess I know my Diabetes will always be difficult but honestly it seems to get even more challenging for me over the past couple of years.

Duchess is bringing her rain jacket for our trip to Orlando. Surprise showers are not fun.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

One of Those Days

I am officially way beyond stressed and I have been late to work the past two days because of bad overnight highs then a bad low following after. I know I am also so excited by my upcoming vacation but working 6 days a week has proven to be more than I can handle right now. I know last week I hit 18 hours of overtime and that is way too much because I am paying for it this week. I know I need to talk with my boss that I need to stay with in a reasonable amount of time to where I am not having a great deal of bad lows. I know I don't enjoy waking up to Duchess sitting on my head because that is the only thing that would get me out of my fog. Thankfully she is creative and comes up with new ways of getting me to pay attention.

I know now I am trying to complete what I can but honestly I am not sure what to do. During my run to get lunch I ran into my manager's new manager. Who I have a great working relationship with so far. She told me that I will not be working this weekend. After my issues the past two days. She decided it is in my interest to pack for my trip and rest not come in for overtime. It can wait is what she told me so it looks like I don't have to stress too much for now. I am really needed a break so thankfully it showed up. Now onto to getting through today. I know I will be doing a temp basal tonight as well to try and drop the lows I am experiencing.


Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Back to Using Novolog

Well last night was not good I had two bad infusion sets and they were extremely bloody. I can tell the Humalog was not doing well. I also had another occlusion as well. So overall very little sleep because of these issues. Luckily I have switched over to my Novolog and I have letter in hand from my insurance stating for the next year they will allow me to use Novolog due to my pump site issues I am currently experiencing. I did notice this morning when I woke up that my chest had a rash which is strange. I know things have been incredibly off since starting back on Humalog. I know things would have spiraled further out of control had I waited longer to contact my Endocrinologist office.

I just can't say enough about my Endocrinologist office they had this take care of so quickly and made sure I was safe and that I had what I needed to keep on going. They gave me extra bottles above what they were originally going to give me because I had mentioned I would be traveling next week and they wanted me to have several bottle on hand for emergency. They went above and beyond in my mind. This office has helped me solve difficult issues and helped keep me on track. I am thankful because they have squeezed me in during bad times where i needed help right away. I know I feel fortunate to be a patient where they work so hard to take care of the patients.

I have doing so great once I was back to using Novolog. I feel better and and my pump is not going crazy because bad sites and occlusions. I know I am hoping to avoid the bleeding from changing of pump sites which is very rare for me except for when I am on Humalog. I am so glad I won't have to deal with this for at least another year.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Filling Appeal

Good news my Dr. has several routes we can take they are filing an appeal to get me the correct insulin. I might be switched to Apidra with the increase of occlusions in the past couple of months. Which can be insulin related. My Endocrinologist office has been wonderful they are giving me one bottle of Apidra and Novolog while I appeal to get the Insulin that will work for me. I know insurance determines which prescription brands they cover by the lowest contract bids. This sadly leaves me with little to no options. I know the person making this decision obviously has not idea what it is like to be a Diabetic and to get to the point where an insulin that once work so well for you no longer does.

I know the Dr.'s office submitted the appeal yesterday and we will keep trying. I know the good thing about my condition be difficult to deal with they will have a little more of a push to get them to allow the insulin. I know I will have to figure out quickly which insulin I will want to continue with the Novolog or Apidra. I open to which ever will be the easiest to use for me. I know I am looking forward to getting my bottle of insulin today. Will be nice not to have my blood sugars bouncing around because my body does not asborb it as well. I have noticed that at times it takes a great deal longer for the Humalog to work. I am now waiting over 20 minutes after I bolus for it to start working which is quite a while. Normally I would wait ten minutes.

I am so thankful that my Endocrinologist office is so great they have taken care of me when ever anything comes up and not having to pay for more insulin is a blessing now I have 5 or 6 bottles of Humalog I won't be using so not having to buys some now is great. I know with my trip to Friends for Life Conference in Orlando Florida next week I needed this all addressed before I leave because I don't want to change my infusion set and worry about if my Insulin is working or not. I am happy to be able to get back to my normal but hoping that they accept the appeal and just allow me to use an insulin that will work for me.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Insulin Issues

I have been noticing some issue recently quite a few bad pump sites and weird numbers. My insurance had some changes which took effect in March of this year. They now only cove one type of Insulin which is Humalog and they only cover One Touch test strips as well. They cut all the Type 2 drugs down to one brand as well. I have a feeling they made a contract with certain groups for a discount on the costs. My issues now is that I am going to go through pump supplies and higher blood sugars with Humalog. I know two years ago I was having issues with my pump supplies lasting more than a couple hours at a time. I know the solution turned out to be changing insulin to Novolog because of the length of time I was on Humalog it was not effective and also was causing issues with the pump sites as well. I also had to use Hydrocortison cream several days in advance and use of IV 3000 to protect my skin. I was having rashes from the pump sites as well.

So it looks like I am going to have to fight with my insurance company about covering Novolog but I doubt they will. I wish they would stop messing with coverage especially when they only leave you with one option like it will work for every Diabetic is really ridiculous. I know it will be a tough battle but I am not doing as well on the Humalog I was on that insulin I think over 10 years straight. I am not sure why one day it just decided to not work well anymore. I also have been having a great deal of occlusions once I changed over to Humalog as well. I do make sure I get all air bubbles out and such to prevent that from happening. So I was not expecting the same issue again because I have been on Novolog for a year now I was hoping that was enough of a break from it. I was wrong I was trying to be optimistic.

I am not sure what I am going to be able to do if they won't cover the insulin I need. I know paying for it out of pocket monthly would add up quickly with not insurance coverage. I am not sure if I can pull that off. I know that this weekend alone I went through three pump site changes. I did test to see if it was the pump site and not something else. I had not eaten anything and it kept rising. So I pulled the site and sure enough it worked. So now I am left trying to figure out what I can do. I know I preferred it when my insurance gave me options not a one size fits all preference.


Friday, June 20, 2014

Running out of Real Estate

I have been using my legs as my recent spot for Dexcom sites but the longer I am using my legs the more erratic my graphs have been I know I am still on Predison this month but I am not sure it that is causing the issue or not. So I am waiting to see if my Dexcom will be more accurate one going off of the Predisone. If not I have to go back to using my arms or stomach but I am not sure if my stomach has had enough time to be a good site for my Dexcom sites. I will only know until I try but last time I attempted to use my stomach I had a great deal of issues.

So I am hoping and praying that my legs sites will work better once off the Predisone. Otherwise I am going to have to hope I can find some decent real estate for my Dexcom sites. Right now it seem like most of my originally good sites are not working as well as they were when I first started on the Dexcom. I have been using my Dexcom especially when I am exercising because it does seem accurate if it is moving up or down but can be off still. I do rely on this information when exercising to decide what i need to do next. I do test but I know the arrows are priceless when exercising. I have found that when using the legs during exercise that it tends to delay catching the lows as quickly as it normally would. I thankfully have Duchess alerting early which helps as well.

I know between my pump site issues and then Dexcom issues I have determined that my body is not a fan of sites in general. I am hoping to see where I can place my Dexcom next because I am finding it more difficult as time goes on in general to find either good pump sites or Dexcom. I think I am tending to scar up. I guess that is a consequence of using so many devices.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

One Day at a Time

I am feeling a little more optimistic after being able to work out yesterday without a low again. It felt like I won a prize and I only had my normal low several hours after working out which I am still working on how to deal with. I know pre Hypoglycemia Unawareness exercise was a breeze I did not have to plan and continually re-evaluate how to keep from going low. I just had to have some glucose tabs and eaten before I exercised but now I feel like I need a handbook on how to avoid lows while exercising. I know I am learning a great deal but it has become such a chore to constantly see what I did right that day and what I could change next time and hope that it works. I know everyone goes through some trial and errors when it comes to exercise and keeping from going low and we all go low at times during exercise.

I know I never thought it would become such a challenge to avoid lows but I did know it would be difficult and I know that is why I had normally just walked several miles or would run a short run and other exercise that would not drop my blood sugar dramatically. I know I have been feeling not so great because I am on Predisone and thankfully with the more strenuous exercise I have been able to feel more like me again. Overall the whole time I have been working out I have had little pain which is great considering I am only in week 3 of going to they gym and I have stuck with it even when I am tired.

I am thankful that Duchess has been here to help because without here I would not be going to the gym because I would not be feeling the lows at all which is scary. I know she has kept me incredibly safe by catching the fast moving lows and alerting me aggressively when I was trying to ignore her. Here persistence is important because I can get a little resistant when my blood sugar is moving down quickly. She thankfully knows that and just increases her persistence. I am always trying to work on improving my responsiveness when ever I can. I am getting closer to avoiding more lows if I keep at it. I am going to take it one day at a time.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Overwhelmed by Exercise and Lows

I have been so focused on reducing lows recently and have been feeling very over whelmed by it all. I know with my Hypoglycemia Unawareness I am more prone to lows that I ever have been in my life. I have to be careful that even when cleaning my house that I can go low pretty easy. Thankfully my pump temp basals come in handy in great deal of situations so I can avoid more lows when I am on top of it.

I have been trying everything to keep from going low during and after exercise. I have made more progress than I ever have in the past. I know previously I would exercise and not worry about the lows because I found it very daunting to continually try new thing to find what would work for me. I have made more progress the longer I continually exercise the past couple of weeks. I know I have found that temp basasl on pump, Cliff Shot Bloks, and snacks before hand have helped tremendously. I am trying to play around more with the temp basals to see if I can avoid lows completely while working out if at all possible.

I know after reviewing CGM graphs and blood sugars constantly I am just irritated by it all. I know I used to be able to work out back in the day with not nearly as many issues. I know when I walk I tend not to have the dramatic drops that I get from more strenuous exercise. I know I feel even better now that I am doing my new routine but I also am finding it all very overwhelming trying to figure it out on my own. I spend so much time these days with just trying to keep myself safe and avoid complications. I know I am feeling ugh about the whole Diabetes things today and this week in general. I know at times everything just is too much.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Busy Weekend

Duchess and I went out of town for the weekend to my best friends house. I watched her kids for the weekend. I am okay with watching kids my blood sugars over all have not been as low as other times so I felt comfortable handling things with Duchess around. The two little girls were really good. We played and I was able to keep my blood sugars pretty level. My night time was a little wonky with one or two lows but I ate a snack plus treated lows and used temp basals. These kept me in a good place. I know with my working out more now I feel like the lows are not impacting me quite as much because the intensity of my workout has increased I feel like I am bouncing back much quicker the more I am working out. I have made so much progress with adding strenuous exercise instead of just walking has really made a huge difference.

I know I had a busy weekend of keeping the girls busy with activities. I know Duchess was happy to get home on Sunday and take a little nap which was deserved. I wanted to make sure Duchess had proper time to rest up for our busy work week ahead of us. I know this weekend would not have been as successful without Duchess being on and alerting very early which kept me from going low. I know I appreciate all Duchess hard work and patience because at times I can be difficult to deal with because I am always going. So I know after a really busy weekend of great alerts I appreciate all her constant work. I know she is a big part of why my Alc is great and why I am keeping things under control during my last month of predisone. I am one proud person Duchess continues to amaze me.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Making Progress

I had a great work out at the gym yesterday and I think I finally figured out what will work for me when exercising. I do eat first then take 3 shot blocks about a half and hour before heading for the gym. I went almost an hour after work out before I hit 80. So I am doing better I might need to keep tweaking the time before I take the 3 shot blocks. I am not working out a full hours but getting close. I was not high before exercising but in the 150 range and stayed in range while working out which has been a huge challenge for me. I am also using temp basal on my pump as well which really helped as well. I am getting better at figuring out a plan so I work out a little safer.

I have been using all three elements but yesterday was my most successful day of working out with not a great deal of lows. I know I go low from simple things such as cleaning my house at times. So I know all my pre-planning has started to pay off because I am able to avoid more lows but I have had to continually to try new methods or combination of various things to get here and I still have more work to do though. I need to perfect the timing of when I take it before heading to the gym so that the shot blocks are not pushing me too high but not going low during my workout.

Duchess of course has been wonderful when at the gym she has gotten used to being their and has been able to find the best way to alert me when I am working out. Normally she heads towards the front of the machine and sits down. Then she stares me down. I normally stop if I am low and then start back up when I can. She has made my workout much safer because she is telling me around 100 to 110 that I am moving quickly which allows me to treat myself before I go low so I am able avoid a low while working out most of the time. I know I really appreciate he patience because she is not working more hours because of my workout. She does still get a good period of downtime but it is a little less time.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Stepping up On Soapbox


I can see how an attractive option Diabetic alert dogs can seem to be especially with children. I have been seeing a growing number of people looking for diabetic alert dogs right after diagnosis. I think this is a real recipe for disaster for several reasons. I think you need to know your diabetes first before you add a diabetic alert dog to the mix. I think diabetes is stressful enough without adding constant training but that leads to the biggest issue. Right after diagnosis most patients not saying all should be feeling lows for the most part. In order to have a service dog you need to have a disability. If you can feel lows consistently you don't have a disability. I know you can get accommodations at work for diabetes in general but a diabetic alert dog should be used only when you can't feel lows. I have heard of people wanting a diabetic alert dog for highs but that also would not fall under a disability. I do get alerts for highs from Duchess for highs as well but I can feel highs or lows so she alerts for both. I do see how for a child it would seem like such a fun thing but not feeling low can be scary so in those situations I encourage a person to look into diabetic alert dogs when all other options have been explored. Not all diabetic alert dogs will alert at night and Duchess did alert when I first got her but I do not have consistent lows at night until recently. She does alert at night but not consistently enough. She has been on a roll recently which has been great and now I am just trying to keep it up.

          I am worried about all the ill trained dogs I have seen recently and how many families that I have seen looking into getting one who really don't necessarily need an alert dog except for at night which is problematic because there is quite a few who don't alert at night. I have also seen many people who think that diabetic alert dog will equal more restful nights but that is not really true because you will have a dog alerting at night to the blood sugar changes. Diabetic alert dogs equal a large amount of testing as well. I know these dogs are incredible but I know I would not be able to hold a job without Duchess alerting me to these lows. I know I have lost hours of time of work in the past because I went low and did not realize that I was low so I went untreated until I figured it out. I think it looks negatively on all of us when people who use a service dog who may not need one because it makes it look like we all really don't need a service dog. I think also all the people that get a service dog who don't keep up the training make us all look bad. I needed to get on my soapbox to say these things because it was driving me crazy not speaking up. I know I value the ability to be able to have Duchess more than many will realize. I know there is children and adults alike who need these dogs because the can't feel these dangerous lows but if you can feel your lows than I recommend looking into other options for the rest of us who depend upon them.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Typical Response

I was at the gym yesterday as usual with Duchess. We arrived and I was heading to an elliptical to work out and I passed an older gentlemen who was standing around. As I was getting on the elliptical I hear why is that lady bringing her dog to gym. She should leave it at home. It looked as if his wife was at the gym to work out. The man kept waking by as I was working out and then passing back near the reception desk as the gym. I know the gentlemen then complained that I had my dog at the gym. I overheard the front desk person say to the man that she was a service dog and I had every legal right to have her with me. They knew she was a service dog who was for a medical condition. They told him that I had a history of bad events which would require EMS. They told him that he would have to switch to a different location to avoid being around my service dog. They told him I am high level member who attends the gym regularly and they are not going to interrupt me when I was working out.

The man then started walking around the gym complaining to other members that Duchess was in the gym. I heard from several members that they saw Duchess and read her vest which said medical alert dog. They told him that he needed to mind his own business. Then another person told him they preferred me to have my service dog instead of having EMS at the gym which would interrupt their work out. I couldn't agree more. I try to be safe when exercising but without Duchess I do not feel safe. The other day I was exercising but did not feel low but felt high but I was 56. So I defiantly needed Duchess help to let me know I needed to test. I am very glad that my gym was going to ask the man to leave the gym for making a commotion when all I was trying to do is to get a good work out in. In fact most members of the gym seem to love having Duchess around. I have a feeling they enjoy her presence but I have a feeling this man does not like dogs from his reaction.

I continue to still plan to work out as normal regardless of one or two people wanting me their. In fact that is pretty normal these days for me. I know their will always be opposition to be faced when having a service dog regardless of how much I need Duchess. I am okay with the battles but at times they can really bother me but this time I was just more annoyed but I am not willing to leave because one person is uncomfortable with her being their. I will move to a different area if possible but will not leave.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Shocked by Responses to My Question

I had an interesting question with several friends over the past couple of weeks. I know my dating life is not as exciting as it once was. I also know that over they years the men I have ended up dating were not necessarily the best. I know over the years the one's that stuck around for a while tended to disappear after one bad low or bad experience with a low or seizure. I also really understand how scary that is as well because I dated a guy who epilepsy and would randomly fall if he started to have a seizure even though I knew exactly what to do I know it could be a bit over whelming at times. Knowing what I know now that still would not have stopped me from dating him.

I have been feeling a little frustrated by dating in general and that with my already stressful life it can be a bit much. My life has so much going on even with having Duchess part of my life. It tends to draw a great deal of attention which seems to bother some of the people I have dated in the past couple of years. I know some people love having Duchess around and others after a while prefer me to leave her at home some of the time. I am not big on that because I know the risks involved with doing so. I know who ever decides to date me will be faced with scary lows and seizures. They also will be faced with my Celiac's disease as well which is not easy either. I know my life is a great deal to take on so I have not been trying to date as much in the past couple of years because I have had so many leave and never call me again after a moment of scary.

I was discussing this with my friends and some of their responses were a little shocking to me but maybe I am just more optimistic. Most of them told me that I should not be dating because no guy is going to want to date me when I have my Diabetes the way it currently is and that I don't have as much to offer as someone who is healthy. I found this surprising and some what hurtful at the same time. I know they are trying to be truthful. I know one even told me I should plan on just being alone because she does not think anyone will want to take on all the craziness my life has in store.

I know I feel like I have a great deal to offer someone else but I was rather taken a back by some of the statements. I do have to say that my best friend was very supportive and thought I deserved someone one great. She did acknowledge that it was take a special kind of person to want to learn about Diabetes and be willing to go along for the ride. She also knows that I do so much for the people in my life so she knows I do have a lot to offer but some things are more difficult for me verse some one who is healthy. I know all these facts but I also felt like in some ways my friends thought because I am Diabetic I don't have as much to offer I know there a great deal out there to feel differently. I guess I am just shocked by the responses.


Monday, June 9, 2014

Conversations that Lead to a Great Deal of Laughter

There is times that I have to laugh at some of my experiences. I know it is interesting to see how people judge you and have an idea in their mind of what you are supposed to drive etc. I know I recently bought a used Honda Civic which I love. My favorite part of the car is the custom red Honda symbols and the tires and rims. They did all these extras on the car such as custom leather seats etc,carbon fiber on the roof of the car and custom bumper. I think they were trying to make the Honda Civic look like the SI version which is fine with me. Everything on the car was done extremely well.

I was doing great on my exercise routine I went to the gym as usual and even exercised longer on Friday because I had the energy. I am really starting to feel like my old self and have had very little pain the past couple of weeks. So I had a really good work out and I was really getting used to the gym and how it works at this gym. I have enjoyed everything so far. The weird part is not that I have been going to the gym for  a bit I now have men exercising near me when I am working out. I am fine with it except for the fact they tend to distract Duchess. So I am trying to find a way to position her so she is not in the way but still able to be close enough to me to alert. She has done extremely well alerting me when I am at they gym because the Dexcom is much slower at letting me know. The weird part is at times I feel high but I am actually low but it happens occasionally.

So I finish working out and I head out to my car after I gathered all my stuff together. I get closer to my car and notice a group of men at one guys car a couple cars away from where my Civic is parked. I could see they were looking at my car. Men love my car which I find kind of funny. I notice they are watching Duchess and I get in the car and I open up my sunroof it was a warm night. So I hear the guys talking I would of never guessed that lady is the one who owns that car is what I hear. I had to laugh a little bit because I seem to get weird looks because I have a car with a great deal of custom work. Then I hear one guy saying he needs to hang out with my boyfriend because he did a great job on the car. It was interesting to hear tidbits of the conversation as I am pulling out of they gym parking lot and quite a few more laughs. I guess a disabled person with a service dog is not allowed to have a car with custom features in their minds.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Sleep, Exercise and Lows

I know with my high stress job that I need a good amount of sleep to be able to do my effectively. I know recently with adding more strenuous exercise to my routine there has been some disruptions. I know with my Dexcom going off occasionally which I expected anytime I mess around with exercise it takes me a while to figure out how to fix the issues. This time thankfully last night I stayed pretty level most of the night only alarm came around 4:30am which was not terrible. The weird part is that the past three for four nights I am waking up around 2:30 am for no reason. I wake up I am not low and most of the time I am around 90 range which is good. I am not sure why I do try to exercise as soon as possible before I go to bed because I know it can affect your sleep patterns. I am hoping to find a way to stop waking up in the middle of the night. I know I value every minute I can get these days.

So far working out at the gym has been a wonderful experience. The gym staff have wonderful and have not said anything to me about Duchess which I thought would happen. They noticed right away her medical alert patch and have said very little. Most of the people working out at the gym tend to give me and Duchess space which I appreciate. I try to go at times where it is not as busy to make sure I have enough room to have Duchess lay down at. Normally that is pretty easy with the gym having a great deal of gym equipment. I have been able to workout and have Duchess their which has really made me feel much more at ease. I know I was expecting to have them have issue with me having a service dog at the gym but they have really surprised me by their response. I know I am not very comfortable especially when exercising to not have her their. I can drop so quickly and my Dexcom can be a great deal behind at times. Having Duchess with me give me a sense of security especially when I tend to go low during exercise.

I have been able to start reducing the lows after exercise some and I am taking that as a small victory. Each day I keep trying new things and I really feel like I am making progress. I also am feeling great and have very little pain in my joint which is great. I was really worried with my recent flare-up of my Rheumatoid Arthritis that it would make this more difficult but I am finding it has not slowed me down. I think I am in a good place when it come to exercise. I just have to slowly increase my time as I go. I tend to go overboard and cause more issues but I am being more cautious this time.


Thursday, June 5, 2014

Six Months

I had a dicey morning. I started a new sensor last night but fell asleep before I entered my blood sugars which is not good especially since I have started to work out recently. So I know I turned off the alarm this morning but that is all I remember. Everything was fuzzy I did wake up and got to work only 30 minutes later than usual which is not bad. Duchess woke me up which is great I think she had been trying for a while because she seemed very frazzled by it all. I know with lows that occur in the early morning hours tend to keep me in a state where I have trouble processing just about anything. I feel bad that I am not more responsive because I know that makes things very scary for Duchess.

Thankfully I was able to recover very quickly and was able to make it to work and I will have to stay late tonight but I am fine with that. I was so happy because it has been over six months since this last happened and I like to avoid if at all possible. I am doing better just need to make some adjustments as I get used to working out and keeping things as stable as possible.

I have made some adjustments yesterday but I have a feeling I need more adjustments for the overnight hours which seem to be the most difficult for me to adjust. All I know is that I am not giving up but looking for new ways to achieve what I need to get done. I know at times I still spike up around midnight and then drop shortly afterwards. I have reduced the lows and noticed the spike is less if I reduce the lows in the early evening. So I am getting there but I will have to continue to log my results and keep a look out for any patterns. I am hoping to avoid any future lows and moving my Dexcom site changes to earlier in the evening to avoid this from happening again. Lesson learned from this experience.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Exercising and Hypoglycemia Unawareness

I have been feeling much better and have started to go back to the gym again which is great. I have been struggling to avoid lows during and after exercise. I have found that Cliff shot blocks have helped reduce the lows while exercising but several hours later I am dropping. I have tried planning a snack before I go time period but some times that works other times I go low slightly later because I had the snack. I am using temp basals and using shot blocks which tend to keep me level eat shortly before exercising. I know if I don't eat a meal before had I could have an ems involved incident otherwise.

I have tried doing temp basals by itself about an hour and a half before I exercise but that is just not enough. My blood sugar drops like a freight train and has since I was diagnosed with Hypoglycemia Unawareness. I have found I have the most trouble with exercise and lows. I am continuing to try new things to keep things more level but I also know that in the evenings after work is really busy so I am sure that does not help either. I am trying to find a way to make exercise safer. This week with increasing the amount of time for my work outs I have noticed I am sleeping right through most of my Dexcom alarms most nights. So now I am trying to find new ways so I can hear the Dexcom alarms sooner.

Last night for example I woke up but then went right back to sleep for around a half an hour then finally got up to treat my low. So I will have to come up with something more creative so I can hear it. Exercise seems to be the one thing where I have the most difficulty avoiding lows. Right now most nights there is a low here and there but not too bad but adding exercise increases that. So I feeling I am living in a juggling act where I am not winning at times. I am bound and determined to find what will work for me so I can continue to be safe and still exercise. I normally walk and I have that down to where I can exercise and only have a post work out low couple hours afterward. I know I worked out around 7pm and was low around 12pm. So I will try again tonight to try something knew you never know when you figure it out.

The difficult part for me is that with Hypoglycemia unawareness I seem to not hold patterns very long. I can do the same thing for a couple weeks with no issue then one day thing just don't work anymore and I have to find an alternative plan. So I know I can figure this out but it is not that much fun while doing so.