Month: April 2016

April 25

This job is exhausting. Right now it’s all I can do to get through the days. At the end of my week I’m exhausted and end up spaced out for my days off, and worrying about my BG. And food. And sleep. And not getting enough of anything.
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Tired brain all the time. Tired of thinking about my diabetes all the time.

April 24

Holy fuck I don’t want to go to work today- those days off flew by. Oh, and my blood sugar spiked this morning after food and stretches and 30 mins on the stationary bike. Part of me really wants to go back to doing massage therapy, yes I won’t have health coverage but I also won’t feel constantly stressed about my job. Not cool to be stressed about health and about to work.

April 19

OK, same breakfast and no insulin this morning (starting BG about the same). Gonna try for 45 mins on the stationary bike.
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I did 40 mins and had half a banana during = 9.4 after. OK, so that’s right on track. I’m happy with that and don’t feel like I have to shovel more food in.
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Spiked to 13.4 by the time I got to work. Why? Glycogen release due to no insulin? Except I had the Lantus last night. Now at lunch I am having 35g so taking 1 unit would leave 15g uncovered.. but taking 1 unit for 35g makes me feel like I might crash. So I just did 1/2 unit for lunch. I feel like one big experiment but I feel ok with that right now. Six months ago I would’ve been terrified to mess with the doses… or train for something big like this, for that matter.

April 18

This morning trying the exercise thing a bit differently. Yesterday I got on the bike before I ate. (When I ate I had bolused enough to cover all of my food). Well, I started to drop on my drive to work. I had to start my work day with an early post-breakfast snack.

So today I am eating first and then doing the stationary bike- it’s hard ‘cuz it’s so early!! I’m doing the stationary on work days to try and make the insulin needs more stable. My needs are less on big ride days but then would increase on non-exercise days and then that also messes with what I might need for the following day. As of today I have 124 days until the ride weekend!
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OK, that didn’t work. Had half the insulin dose and 30 mins later I’m at 4.9… ok so tomorrow no insulin and 45g breakfast?

April 17

I’ve done two good ride days now.

The day before was bad but a good lesson. The Powerade really helped so I started out with that yesterday and did half the bolus dose I had calculated. Lots of tips from the nurse and dietitian at the clinic about exercising with diabetes. Also some more tips on dealing with my post breakfast highs- I forgot I need to be taking my insulin 10-15 mins before eating.

Trying also to get up a bit earlier on work days to get on the stationary bike – the nurse said that trying to keep a consistent amount of exercise is best for my insulin dosing, so I’m not messing too much with how much I’ll need.

April 16

Yesterday was the first day of my training regime for this 2 day long bike ride coming up at the end of August. It’s an MS fundraiser and here in our region it’s called the West Kootenay Glacier Challenge. It’s hellishly hard. And I really want to try and do it.

I’m going to do it.

So, yesterday was my first official training day.

And I fucked up.

It’s all good now but it was a little unsettling at the time.

OK, so I only moderately fucked up, I guess it could’ve been a lot worse.

Bike ride + bad planning= lesson learned.

I planned to go for an hour and a half, with a turn around at 45mins and I wasn’t going to check my blood sugar before that. In the past I have biked for half an hour and then checked and it’s all good and then check again in half another hour and it’s getting low, so I thought I was good… The other thing is, I usually let my BG be a little high before I go out.

Yesterday BG was 10.4 when I left. This was the start of the problem- it was only half hour after taking rapid insulin and I had taken a dosage to cover all the food I ate, instead of letting it run a bit higher…

45mins of moderate cycling later BG is 3.7.

Whoops.

OK, it’s ok, I brought lots of snacks. So sandwich. (38g of carbs).

Got me up to BG 6.2. And I still had to get home.

That’s ok, I had some dex tabs too (20g) and then started the ride back.

Easy cycling, no pushing. 20 mins in I did a recheck.

BG 6.7

Well hell. I am fighting with my insulin now. I know I did wrong with the food bolus insulin and now the exercise and insulin are working against me.

But it’s still ok, I still have snacks. Half a granola bar (15g of carbs) goes in to the bod then I bike another 20 mins.

(Yes, technically I should be almost home, time-wise, but having a low really slowed me down and I was still, at this point, 20 mins from home. It’s either that or the ride home is actually further.)

So, I stop and retest again. BG 6.9.

Ok, I know I can make it home in about 20 mins. I still have food in my bag but I am standing outside a gas station and say fuck it and buy two of those power drinks. Now I can have the carbs while I’m moving.

15 mins later I am on the ferry, 5 mins from home. I have drank almost all of 710ml of sports drink.

BG 7.4! Yay!!

I feel good, I feel proud of myself for managing. I ease my way home and have an orange and some cheese to celebrate.

Sooo, I learned some lessons yesterday… and as tired and upset as I was during the whole thing I am not cut down. I still want to do this.

Day 1 of the training for the West Kootenay Glacier Challenge has been accomplished! Today I’ll be going out again…