Although I was diagnosed approximately 10 years ago there are times I feel like I don’t know anything. So, I have a few questions. I would appreciate any help that anyone can give me. Please don’t laugh too much!
Do you plan your meals ahead of time or do you just wing it with each meal? Do you keep a written record of your meals?
Do you test when you first get up or do you wait until you are ready to eat breakfast? If you test when you first get up do you take your correction bolus and then take your bolus to cover carbs when you are ready to eat? I know this seem like a silly question but sometimes I just feel confused!!!
How do you take care of your insulin during the summer? It has been very, very warm here in So. Cal. I have refused to use my air conditioner yet because it just seems too early, but I worry about what affect the heat has on my insulin. Should I keep it in the frig?
What do you do when you are in a resturant? Do you go to the restroom to test and inject or do you do it at the table? I feel self conscious at the table but most restrooms are so icky that I hate using them period.
My endo told me that I could take my Lantus(I take 20u) at night or in the morning which ever worked best for me. I have been taking it at night. What is the advantage of taking it in the morning?
Well, I guess that is about it for now. .Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Hey, ask whatever you want to know. Promise no one will laugh.
I’m not terribly good at meal planning, but I have a basic idea usually of what I’m going to eat & I usually take lunch with me.
I don’t keep written records of meals (eeek!), but I stick to low carb & stay within a certain number of carbs per meal. I do keep records of my numbers.
Testing as soon as you get up is best. Knowing overnight fasting numbers is important. If you wait a while to eat after you’ve gotten up, it’s good to test again before meals. If you see a rise between morning fasting & breakfast, that’s helpful to know. I have to test, inject & eat right away because I have dawn phenonmenon. When I’ve waited to eat my numbers continue to climb from not eating. If you consistently have high morning numbers, your basal dose may need adjusting. Yes, when your morning BG is high, you should take a correction & then take your bolus for your meal (if you’re not going to eat right away).
I test in restaurant bathrooms so I can wash my hands first, but I inject at the table. Doesn’t bother me:)
My insulin is in the fridge all the time. Frio wallets are great for taking insulin along when it’s hot out.
Many people have better success taking two doses of basal. Worked great for me when I changed to two doses. Lantus does not last for 18-24 hours for most people. Your endo, like most, is going on the assumption that Lantus lasts 24 hours, which it doesn’t. I take one basal dose immediately before bed & another as soon as I wake up. Because I have dawn phenonmenon, I need that basal overnight. By morning it’s gone, so another basal dose gets me through the day. Again, if your morning BG is high, than your Lantus dose should be looked at. How are your between meal readings? That will tell you about your basal needs during the day.
I sort of plan and am not to upset when life throws a curve ball. I eat pretty much the same every day M-F for breakfast and lunch then a low carb dinner. My snacks at night are always the same. But hey don’t get to upset if it varies.
I test immediately when I get up. then bolus for the morning BS if it is high and the morning meal if I am going to have it immediately. If not I wait for the breakfast until I have it but I still bolus fo the high if it is.
Refrigerate it always.
I do it at the table. I am 52 and not trying to impress anyone. My wife does not mind, if i am self conscious I go to the men’s room. But really it is so discrete, I jsut do it at the table about 99% of the time.
I use a pump so I am not a good person to answer this, but at night seems the best to me. That way it peaks during the day but you have ot know it will not be very effective int he evening. If you take it in the morning your peak will happen in the evening.
Mornings: I test before I get out of bed, since my meter sits on the nightstand If I am higher than 150 fasting I’ll correct it… otherwise I’ll just wait until I have breakfast. If it’s more than an hour later, I’ll test again before eating just to make sure I know where I am.
I live in TX so we have the A/C going almost year round… so the house is never warmer than 78-80, but if I was worried though, I’d just keep my insulin in the fridge.
I don’t plan my meals down to a science or anything, but since I am the only cook in the house, I suppose you could say that I do consider my needs first when thinking about food and deciding what’s for dinner and what is around for snacks and such. I don’t keep a food log unless for some reason someone has asked me to… I don’t find it especially necessary. I do however keep track of carbs and boluses along with my BG #'s
I inject at the table when we eat out, since I have learned from experience that you really can’t rely on any restaurant to get your food out “on time” and it’s too risky to give insulin ahead of time (with rapid, if it takes more than 20 minutes to get your food that could result in a NASTY low) so I just inject when I have my food in front of me - and I don’t think it’s honestly worth getting up to do that and disrupting the meal, so I inject under the table, usually through my pants into my thigh… 99% of the time no one notices
There’s no such thing as silly questions. The people here are a friendly bunch and some are very knowledgeable. Ultimately, you have to decide when to consult with your doctor.
There are organizers for your meter and insulin and other diabetic supplies with a provision for a gel pac with various sizes depending upon your needs.
You share the philosphy of many diabetics of managing diabetes wherever and whenever necessary. Here is some additional information regarding this: A link to various reasons why it is necessary to test and manage your diabetes in public (USA) http://www.isletsofhope.com/pdf/faq-public-testing.pdf
Usually manufacturers of insulin have an insert that accompanies the vials or pens with additional information including shelf life and temperature sensitivity of the insulin.
It seems to me that everybody responds similarly to various meds and everybodys circumstances are a little different. Don’t ever be afraid to ask a question.
Meal planning: I don’t do it, but I only have food around that’s going to help me stay in control. Basically, i just don’t buy the ‘bad’ stuff. Most of us eat pretty much the same things over the course of a week or month, so one gets pretty comfortable with estimating the carbs and portion sizes.
Morning testing: Not the very first thing I do, but usually the first thing I do when i get to the kitchen to start breakfast. Since I know what breakfast is going to be (as it’s usually the same thing or a slight variation of the same thing) I know what the carbs are and I bolus right after taking my reading, then prepare breakfast.
Insulin storage: Keep it in the fridge and stop worrying about it.
Restaurants: I test at the table if I’m with family or people who know what’s what. Otherwise I go to the restroom. I don’t worry about people from other tables or the staff seeing me. I mean it’s hard enough to get attention from the waitstaff to begin with!! (Kidding.) One usually knows when the waiter/waitress will be there, but you can test as soon as they leave. They’re not coming back for awhile. As for people at other tables, they aren’t watching me, so I don’t worry about them. If they were watching me and were to say something I would ask them “what the hell are you looking at me for? Mind your own damn business.” When I was on injections I used an insulin pen and used the same rule as for testing - at the table with family or people who know, restroom otherwise.
When it comes to your health, the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask.
I’ve gotten into a routine where i eat pretty much the same things (with some minor variations) every day. I know what foods to avoid so I don’t keep a meal log. If my ENDO asks, I can rattle off my regular meals.
I test first thing out of bed, before all meals, and 2 hours after. If I’m at a resturant, i test at the table. I also inject at the table. I try and be discreet, so if someone see me, they were looking pretty hard. I’m not taking a special trip to the bathroom just because someone else might feel uncomfortable.
When i was on Lantus, I split my dose between morning and evening. I store my insulin in the fridge. I’m on the pump now, and i keep the open vial in my “kit” that goes with me everywhere. I don’t leave it in a hot car, so it’s pretty much at room temp for most of it’s time. I’ve never had it go bad…
Dont really plan ahead, but we have a pretty well practice set of meals that rotat around–I do keep a written log book (mpost of the time-sometimes life gets too crazy and there are a bunch of blank pages)
I test first thin on waking and correct if needed. The bolus for breakfast about 15-20 before i am going to eat (try to anyway–sometimes its right before)
I test about 10 times a day–i have a cgms because I am hypo unaware
Summer I keep a refrigerator gel pack in my insulin carry all bag ( a modela weekender jr–$8 at wallyworld–holds all my extra stuff for emergencies and such) cause my insulin can toast otherwise from work to home on a ho adternoon–Nevada very hot too. Our swamp collers been in for a bit–only use the central air if it gets over 104 (swamper can’t keep up then) or if there is a fire (and we turn the swamper off and close all the windows.)
Restaurant, work, church, picnic–at the table/blanket…I never use the restroom (can’t bring myself to do a shot there–ugh)
When I was on MDI I split my long acting into 2 shots–half in the morning and half at night–gavemethe best numbers that way
I’ll give you the newcomers perspective, which may be different because I’m still gathering information. I always keep my insulin in the fridge; I started out following the insert rules and taking it out to cool then everyone told me that wasn’t necessary. I just ordered a Frio for travel. I test as soon as I get up for my fasting numbers. I wait awhile drinking my morning cappuchino before breakfast. I test before each meal and then take my bolus and wait about 15 minutes (unless I am lowish than I do it right before the food) Right now I am not doing correction bolus because I figured out my correction factor and it is over 100 per unit. (I will check with my endo on that when I see her today).
I do plan meals ahead of time and write down the exact carbs and what I ate. I do this because I have only been using bolus for two weeks so I don’t know what various meals are and I am still computing my correct I: C factors. I am still learning which foods affect my glucose how so it is very useful for me to have a record of what I eat. I do think I will be looking things up for quite awhile though because I like a variety of foods (especially for dinner).
I’m not there yet with testing or injecting in public. Maybe that will change as I get more comfortable, maybe not. For me I’m a fairly self-conscious person and prefer not to have the attention. I also do have feelings about anything involving blood (testing). I did HIV and HepC education for several years and know that with HepC the virus can live in a dried drop of blood for up to two weeks. So I prefer to observe universal precautions and keep blood private. (I can’t tell you how much it bothers me when the labs here don’t use gloves to take blood!) This is just me, YMMV.
I was taking my Lantus in the AM and then my doctor switched it to night and it seems to work out fine.
I am considering a bank loan for test strips, especially here in Guatemala…about $39 for 50! I test when I get up, before each meal, 2 hours after and at bedtime, as well as any time I am uncertain of how I feel or need more information. I feel I am on a learning curve, as it sounds like you are as well. But with insulin, I think the basic getting up, before and after a meal and at bedtime are standard. Perhaps some of the old hands can correct me if that is wrong; I wonder if everyone tests after the meals?
I was right in the middle of typing a reply when my “new” computer did something weird and I lost it all. So, for right now I will just say thanks for all the help and great answers!
If I am higher than 150 fasting I’ll correct it… otherwise I’ll just wait until I have breakfast. If it’s more than an hour later, I’ll test again before eating just to make sure I know where I am.
wow that makes me rethink my fear of being yelled at again for testing in public. 