Basal has always been like hell for me but in my opinion we can be smarter than our body when it comes to insulin! Just need to figure out how.
Don't want to move this discussion off topic. But if you'd really like to stick with shots and try to solve this basal problem I suggest you open a new discussion. I'd be happy to help you figure out a way! And I'm sure many others too.
I had a pedis endo who is also T1 ask me why we felt the need for overnight checking. He said the only time hes ever checked at night was when he changed doses or had an unusual day. He then asked if I expected my daughter to continue once she’s on her own. My response: Comparing a growing child or hormonal teen to an adult is like comparing apples & green beans. While many things may be similar, the adults don’t battle the almost constant swings from growth hormones. And I hope with all my heart she reaches a point where more than 2 nights in a row are similar.
yes, basal complete hell and it's the foundation for EVERYTHING. agree, different topic. i just sent you a FR. thanks, rick!
Same here I was diagnosed at age 10, like in 1985, not that my parents didn't care, but I too was in the drivers seat from day one, and no nite time checks weren't done. I still don't check at nite. I check before I go to bed, but that's it.
I always check before bed. I like having peace of mind when I go to sleep. :)
I was diagnosed at age 9 in 1991 and my parents did occasional night checks if they thought I might go low (always waking me up, though, not checking while I slept), but that wasn't often and certainly not every night. I did not always wake up for lows (and still do not, I think), and had some of my worst lows in the mornings. These days I check occasionally, or more often if I'm waking up with weird readings.
From what I hear at conferences and read online, I think parents these days check A LOT more than parents of the 1980s or 1990s. It doesn't seem uncommon that parents will wake up two or three times EVERY NIGHT to check, which seems crazy to me!! (No offense meant to any that do—but how can anyone survive long-term on so little sleep?!) Also a bit ironic, since kids on MDI and pumps these days are at a much lower risk of overnight lows than those of us that grew up taking R and NPH.
I'm 18, dx at 14. I do nighttime checks when I increase/change my dosage and if I have a low right before bed. I have the dexcom G4 so I just roll over and look at it, if it's fine I go right back to bed.
I agree we grew up on horrid insulins and pumps being few and far in between and NO CGM's and like I posted my parent's certainly never woke me up to test at night as you posted Jen yours did on occasion but certainly not all the time. I too find it strange and hard to wrap my head around with all the technology available, and the much better insulins, and parents getting up 2 and 3 times a night especially I think once bg levels stabilize I just find it crazy, and like you said no offense, but having lived through R and NPH and two shots a day and very little technology...its just strange.
I think for me, it has given me a huge confidence boost. I know there is absolutely NOTHING I can't go out there in this world and do if I set my mind to it. I also know if at any time I need my mom if nothing more than just a friend to talk to, she's a phone call away. I think having a chronic condition and taking charge of it, owning it...it gives u a sense of confidence at least it did for me, I know people without chronic health problems literally who have to get on the phone and consult friends and family about the simplest of things before making a decision in life. So if I'm stuck with having to deal with this, I am thankful for my parents for turning that control over to me, for instilling in me this is something you are going to have to deal with and is going to be a part of your life for the rest of your life, we can help you, but YOU are the one who has to learn it, control it, and manage it. I think anything less would have been a set up to making me a much more dependent person in life. And I really do not want to be that person.
Good for you, Christy and thanks for sharing your experience. I think this can be a touchy subject for many. I have reactions/questions when I read the parent posts but I pretty much don't venture much of an opinion as I am neither a parent, nor have I been a child with Type 1.
What I do know is that adult Type 1's like you who were diagnosed as children and current parents of Type 1 children can have a useful and honest conversation that can benefit everyone talking about both what did and didn't work for you and measuring the concerns of parent and of child. Nice to see it happening here.
I do night checks only if asked to by my doctor...honestly, I can count on two hands the number of "night checks" that have ever been done to/by me, and that includes the week of ICU when I was diagnosed at 13.
I'm nocturnal and I'm up a lot at night, eating and doing stuff so yes I do test then. There are nights I only test before I sleep if I'm going to sleep earlier. To be honest I have been afraid to go to sleep at times since D and also having a dvt, that is getting better now but it's always in the back of my head that I may crash overnight. I have had one or two lows close to passing out. I usually wake up though when I have been lower than 50. I tried cgm and couldn't tolerate it and it wasn't accurate and the beeping all the time drove me nuts. I might like a DAD at some point so that I can be more worry free. I don't live alone but I sleep alone. I wouldn't want to live alone with D, those are my feelings about it. The more help I have the better. There is just too much bad stuff that can happen. Most of the time it won't, but if it does it is good to have help.
I used to check when I woke up in the middle of the night, but now that I have a Dexcom, I just look at the receiver. If it's ok, I just roll over and go back to sleep. Sometimes I sleep completely through the night but I think I am in the minority as far as that goes.
I was dx'd in '96 when I was 15. I asked my mom last year if she woke me up in the middle of the night to test and she looked at me like I was crazy and said "No, why?". I had a very progressive endo, so I guess endos must ask parents for different practices now?
These days, I only wake up if the dexcom alarms. And most of those are false alarms (why can't it be wonky during the day! Nothing worse than an overreacting dexcom at 3 am...). After my son was born last year, I just needed more sleep so I stopped wearing the dexcom altogether and relied on my body's natural ability to wake me up when I'm low.
At 10, in 1962, you couldn't check as there were no meters.
Even before my CGM, I never checked at night unless things were rocky. I have found that lack of and/or disturbed sleep has a huge impact on my readings and my mental state, so I avoid it at all costs. When my CGM alerts to a low, I treat, but don't test. It is pretty accurate and tends to read higher when my BG is low, and interestingly, lower when it is high. Go figure....
I’m exactly the same, Kate. I see we were diagnosed 10 days apart - how’s that for close!
I didn't do night checks in the past. I wake up when I'm low anyways.
My daughter was recently diagnosed and we're still doing the 3am check so I check mine then too since I'm already up. And if it's my night to sleep my husband will check my sugars too :)
that is one of the sweetest things I have read in a while you are loved! I hope you are all doing well!
I rely on my Dex overnight if it's been tracking my fingerstick numbers well. If it's the first day (24 hours) of the Dex sensor and it alarms, whether low or high, I will do the fingerstick before I treat.
If I have an overnight pattern of problems I will make an effort to fingerstick when the Dex wakes me up so that I had relatively good data to make basal rate changes.
If I ever wake up in the middle of the night for any reason I test. All data is handy so why not kind of thought on it.