I woke up this morning with my blood sugar at 17.5 (315 mg/dl) and feeling horrible. I'd gone to bed at 7.7 (139 mg/dl) six hours earlier and hadn't had anything to eat for many hours before going to bed. Ketones were large (second-to-darkest colour on the strip). I seriously debated going in to work late but I had a client, so just went. I corrected with an insulin pen and my blood sugar slowly, slowly came down. I felt better by mid-morning, at least.
Blood sugar remained high all day. The lowest I got was 9.1 (165 mg/dl) but I did crash to 3.2 (58 mg/dl) before dinner. Great! I thought my problems were over!
Now I have shot way up to 24.8 (446 mg/dl) after dinner. I did have a chocolate dessert after dinner, but I supposedly bolused for it, although it was definitely not low in carbohydrates. Still, I don't think I should be so high. So another correction with an insulin pen, and I moved my site and also changed the insulin in my pump.
I'm using the needle sets which supposedly can't kink or anything, so hopefully moving it to a new spot will fix the problem. I would really prefer not to have to put my pump settings up any higher than they are. Yesterday's blood sugars were virtually perfect, so I find it hard to believe my pump settings would change so drastically overnight.
I've been thinking for a while that I want to write a blog post called "Anatomy of a high" or "Anatomy of a low" (I don't know why, I just like the title). I think now might be a good time to go write the high version while I'm feeling it!
what pump do you use ? check the tubing
replace tubing, site, etc...call pump co. or/ & your nurse eduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucator or endo
things happen
you just have to fix them
good luck
smile
I seriously am always on the same page as you. It's almost funny. Yesterday my numbers were PERFECT...hardly above 120. I went to bed at 100 and woke up 181. Full correction plus and extra unit...3 hours later I have only dropped to 178.
I am beyond confused/frustrated. Think I will open a new bottle of novolog as soon as I get home from work.
I use the Animas Ping but I had already changed insulin and cartridge/tubing earlier in the day. I don't actually have a nurse educator (they don't seem common here in Canada like in the U.S.) and I don't think I'd call my endo unless I was worried about DKA.
Last night I moved my set (didn't change it, just moved the same set to a new location) and did a correction with an insulin pen. I woke up this morning at 3.7 (67 mg/dl). So I think the set was in a spot that wasn't absorbing well, or at least here's hoping my blood sugars today are "near perfect" again!
I do, I sometimes get really frustrated with the pump since I seem to have so many issues with it. But my control on shots (Lantus and Humalog) was much less than my control on the pump. I've tried taking a pump vacation before, planned to be a few weeks or a month, and I never get more than about five days before I can't take the rollercoaster and go back to the pump. The last time I tried this was last summer, I think. The main problem with shots for me seems to be Lantus, there's just no way I can get it to match my basal rate the way the pump can (I have four basal rates on the pump throughout the day, plus the ability to increase/decrease as needed).
I am playing with my basals. I woke up to a 189 after checking at 3am I was 136. Not sure why. After a late lunch today I was 215 but bolused and got it back down to 111 before dinner tonight. I use a lot of insulin so my basal settings are pretty high. My daily basal insulin is 81.25 units per day. So my average A1C is in the 7% range. Hang in there with the pump. Shots are too much of a pain.
Jen...not good to read about your latest;noticed shoshana's question and I wonder if she is referring to air bubbles ??...I was going to ask too ...do you check for air bubbles often ??? I am very surprised reading about your comment " nurse educator " ..not having one , and being not common in Canada .When I visit my Diabetes Center I am seen by one ..and she is a pump educator as well ...I am going back to my patient days at St Mary's Hosp diagnosis 1983 ( she became a personal friend , now retired ) and start pump days here in the Okanagan and Shuswap 2001 .
I do check for air bubbles if I'm running high for no reason. I used to get them sometimes with Humalog but rarely now with Apidra. I didn't check the other say so it's possible I had some, but I think it was more the placement of the infusion set as that solved the problem right away after moving it and has been fine ever since (still wearing the same set, in the new location, will change it today).
There is a nurse educator/pump trainer at the hospital where I was diagnosed who I have seen a few times over the years, but she isn't someone I would call up and ask a question like, "I'm running high, what should I do?" Actually, the steps I do follow (injection, change site/insulin, etc.) are ones she told me when I first got pump training. She's not someone I see on anywhere near a regular basis or felt I could call up to ask a small question without an appointment. The last time I saw her shortly after my pump training, to help download readings from my pump, my A1c was 8.5 and she even said, "You've had diabetes for 20 years, you don't need me, you just need to figure things out." I did not feel supported at all after that.
As a kid and teenager I used to see my endo and a dietitian, nurse educator, etc. at BC Children's Hospital each year. As an adult, the the two endo's I've seen have been associated with hospitals but neither has had a nurse educator associated directly in their office, and neither has brought up seeing one other than for pump training. In fact, I haven't seen an educator since early 2011 which was the appointment I mentioned above. I'll need one when the Animas Vibe comes out here as I plan on jumping on that and getting it immediately even if I have to pay (which I probably will). My endo said that should be happening near the end of 2013, so hopefully he is right!
May I suggest to connect with a very likable lady ( maybe tell her , that I suggested her name to you ?)or else Vancouver insulin pumper Sandy Struss , Marketing Manager - Animas Canada at Johnson & Johnson .I believe Alanna is a pumper ???...I know she is a RD : Alanna Chambers, RD, CDE | Animas Canada Phone: 250-317-8661
Fax: 1-866-406-4033
Customer Care: 1-866-406-4844
Web:www.Animas.ca
Email: achambe1@its.jnj.com ...PS both ladies are on FB ...good luck !
