Back when I was on R/NPH I identified it as a signal that I was in the 70s. I know that doesn’t count as a “serious” low, but that stuff was really unpredictable (the “Eat Now Or Die!” regimen) and maybe it conditioned me to be hyper-alert. It certainly produced the worst lows I’ve ever experienced. Finally getting on basal-bolus MDI reduced the fear factor considerably.
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Kelly, I’m pretty new to this forum, but T1 for 37 years and an AVID competitive tennis player.
I have an Omnipod pump and a Dexcom, which I rely on heavily for playing tennis. I like to have my bs between 140-180 while playing and try not to have much insulin on board during a match.
I also set my pump back to 60% of basal rate for the length of the match. For some crazy reason, (my diabetes educator thinks the hormones, adrenaline etc) during the second set, blood sugar will start to rise, so I have to go back to normal basal rate sometimes. While the dexcom isn’t 100% by any means, my experience has been that if it’s tracking pretty much in line with blood sugars, it stays that way on court. I always have juice boxes with 15 gms of carb with me.
If you are playing competitively, of course you can’t get low, as their are no timeouts to let you recover, you would have to forfeit the match.
I hope you stay active with the tennis, it’s fabulous exercise, just a little trickier with diabetes, but certainly doable.
I’ve never had any problems with my knees locking up. the only problem I have o the court is being unable to move as fast if the blood sugar goes to high–ugh, annoying.
Best of luck to you!
I used to have “pity parties” in my younger years, but I found that no one wants to come to them and if they do, they don’t want to stay long, lol
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Hi KellyW,
I have read all of the responses posted here and don’t have much to add. I want to encourage you to try to take total control and responsibility for your diabetes. Do keep glucose with you at all times and near the bed (on nightstand or dresser, someplace where you can just grab it when needed).
Also, don’t be so hard on yourself . Diabetes is tough to deal with for the diabetic. It is a constant extra push to deal with insulin, what you are eating, how much you exercise, testing BS, wondering about long term side effects, etc. Any sane person 
will experience anxiety sometimes. My latest stressor is the beeping and buzzing caused by my insulin pump and CGM. Sometimes, I just want them to SHUT UP!!!
I have been married to my husband for 18 years and married as a T1D since age 5 (diabetic for 51 years now) and despite repeated conversations about the difference between low BS and high BS and how to treat them, I know he still doesn’t get it…But he does try and I know he would call 911 in a heartbeat.
Keep your chin up!!
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This posting made me feel better. I was diagnosed within thia last month and my husband is slowly talking to me about it. I know he cares! But doesn’t understand it at this point. My family doesn’t either. I’m looked at sometimes like I have three heads and there’s an elephant in the room. But…it will take time. As a mom and a wife I absolutely need to take care of myself too. I haven’t been or always put myself on the back burner. This will allow me to take time for myself and start taking care of me. It’s hard to focus on myself and this forces me to.
Remember that you’re not alone and make sure you take care of you. Your husband will get on board albeit slowly. I look fine but really…sometimes I feel like total garbage. I think that’s part of it too. You can’t see how much I’m struggling with daily.
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Things have been going better with tennis. I’m getting my pump in a week or so. I hope it works out okay. I’m getting the Medtronic one. I’m not sure if I will move to the Medtronic CGM or stick with the Dexcom. I’m hoping I don’t wish I’d gotten the omnipod…Everyone I know has the Medtronic and it’s preferred by my insurance so I just am going with it.
I’ve decreased my insulin and increased my protein on tennis days and things are fairly steady. I’ve started increasing my sugar to 160-170 pre match and it’s working. I wasn’t eating early enough for it to kick in before I started exercising so those changes have helped as well.
I’m not big on pity parties either…but glad you guys are here when invitations go out:) lol
I totally get your point about this forcing you to be on the list! As a mom, we often fall to the bottom of the list. Glad you are taking care of yourself and that your husband is trying to be supportive. My sweet husband hasn’t made that mistake again! He even has started asking how I’m doing and if I need anything…lol. It’s all good and we all have to suck it up and moved forward. I hope you start feeling better. It doesn’t need to be a struggle. For me it’s all about routines and now having sugar close at hand! Everyone has their “thing”. This is our thing and as mentioned above, it could be LOTS worse!
I think you will just love being on a pump. It gives you so much flexibility.
I started on a Medtronic pump when it was Minimed back when we lived in Ca in the early 90’s.
I like having the CGM where I can have it on the nightstand to glance at it during the night, rather than on the Animas pump I had. When it was on the pump and waking me up squawking at me, then I had to take it off my waistband to look at it in the middle of the night. Maybe that sounds like a little thing, but I found it to be a pain for me.
I know that having a pump really changed my life for the better.
I’m very thankful when I say that at 37 years out, I have no retinopathy and no neuropathy.
I can’t wait to read your post after you get on the pump.
Have fun on the courts!!
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When you say “avid” player you are probably much more competitive than I am but I’m curious if you are able to play singles. I have only played once this season and really struggled so I’m hoping once the pump comes that I will be able to better manage. I play a lot of doubles…often 4-5 times a week during team seasons. I seem to struggle more when it’s warmer. I’m getting better at managing everything but there are still issues:)
I play almost exclusively doubles. I’ve only played singles once in the last 2 years in competition and that was because we would have to forfeit a line😄
Yes, I find the heat makes it harder. I always have a frog tog with me to help me stay cooler. Also I find the Dexcom helpful, but still do a blood sugar when I feel weird on the court.
I am finding that while I need to cut basal back by 60% in first set, sometimes my blood sugars will start to escalate in 2nd set. My diabetes educator thinks that it’s the hormones, adrenalin all kicking in. Some matches, but not all, I’m needing to go to regular basal rate and sometimes even give more insulin, BUT this may be because when I’m around a 100, I drink a 15 gm juice box to get bs up. I like to play 140-180.
Sounds like you play even more than me! Tennis is great exercise for sure.
Another thing that you will be told and really head this advice, after you play, your bs will generally take off and go high, once again due to hormones, competition.
When you eat after a match, do not calculate your high blood sugar in to the correction. Only bolus for the carbs you are eating. About 4 hours later, your blood sugar will drop and usually be back to normal.
If you bolus extra for that high blood sugar, you will “crash and burn” as I jokingly call it.
If you played in the morning, then I wouldn’t do a correction til dinner time.
I know your diabetes educator will discuss this with you, but just be sure you heed that advice.
Can’t wait til you get on the pump! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Playing singles is no walk in the park:smile:
you go girl!!
Also, curious what are you eating/drinking for protein?
Sherry
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I can also offer the hard learned wisdom to never become a patient at the medical practice where your spouse works-- if you feel unsupported by either your spouse and/or your doctors’ office-- trust me it’s worse when they’re one and the same
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Great info! Thanks so much! I tend to chase lows after my matches rather than seeing a spike but I’m still in the honeymoon phase so who knows what my whacky body is doing! I’ve had a hard time finding a good diabetes educator that understands athletes and heavy exercise. My doctor connected me with a cyclist that used the be on the Tour de France with Team Type 1. He’s been very helpful. As far as protein, I’m terrible and if I eat good protein, I’m getting great results. While I was in florida recently I ate some boiled shrimp before I played (sounds terrible but I ate it an hour earlier so it was digested!) and I felt great. I often do hard boiled eggs or chicken salad. I have a hard time with choking down dry chicken breast but I love chicken salad from Zoes. I like Kind Bars (low sugar ones) but they don’t have much protein. I’ve found a new shake that I like that’s called Organic Valley Organic Fuel that’s a balance of protein and carbs. I haven’t tried it before tennis yet.
What do you use?? I’m so new and nutrition is NOT my strong suit!!
I’ve been eating Kashi go lean ceral that has 9 Grams of protein per serving. I eat that with skim milk for breakfast, but I don’t know how many grams you should be eating for sure. Do you?
The advice I got that during heavy exercise you should eat 15 gms of carb every hour was a train wreck for me.
Did you get any good info from the bike person about how many grams of protein per hour? That. Would be helpful.
It seems that at my diabetes educator appointments we end up concentrating on the numbers from pump and Dexcom and then the hour is gone. Next time I’m going to try and get more dietary advice.
Let me know what you think of the protein drink/tennis, ok?
Shadow of a Giant Pink Bunny Rabbit looming over Marie, and tapping her on the shoulder… (the diabetic “bunny”) 
wishing to discuss its “invisibility” with her…
lol
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don’ be fooled by the bunny suit he’s wearing, he’s a monster 
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I eat 50 g of fast acting carbs per hour during intense exercise. I am about 6’1 185 lbs. you need to adjust based on your size. IMHO protein digests too slow to be useful/predictable during exercise. Fast acting carbs such as gels or liquids are ideal for me.
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Thanks for the info. I guess this is more evidence that everybody’s diabetes is very individualized. I’m 5"2 and weight 110. Adding that many carbs would have me at a crazy high blood sugar. I’m glad you have found what works for you!
Curious, is your exercise competition or exercise only? I think that may make a big difference in how a body reacts
Sherry I don’t race but I ride with a fairly competitive group. It is intense exercise, but not the same adrenaline rush as standing at they start line waiting for the gun to go off. I’m too old for that stuff now.
What I’m seeing is that exercise for me vs. Competition can be 2 very different things.
Also I can Do the same thing on different day with very different results.
I’ve been diabetic for 38 years now and am finding it more difficult to control. Are you seeing the same thing?
The thought of competition makes me laugh a little. I don’t do much competitively. For exersize I walk/bike/yoga/weight lift, you know, easy things. However, I have noticed that during particularly crazy games of Monopoly against SO, my BG will rise! Kind of that, Oh crap, I hope I don’t land on Boardwalk kind of stuff.
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I am a t1d that was diagnosed while pregnant at age 22. I am now 43 and my lows have become a very big concern. I am not sure my marriage is going to last due to it. Last night my husband came hone to me having a low and was being abusive towards me. I understand I get crazy, but he was hitting my and pushing me. He also said, "I will leave you if this happens again. " We have Bern married almost 23 years. He doesn’t want me to get a service dog. I really want to die. I can not keep going.