Can I Get a What, What?!

As I’m sitting here typing, I have tears in my eyes, I’m feeling sick to my stomach, and my blood sugar just went from 267 to 315 in 20 minutes, for no reason. How frustrating…

So what happened?! I’m going from a post about conquering the beets to one of defeat. All last week, I was eating healthy meals and snacks, checking my blood sugar regularly (which I have always done), and have had nothing but perfect readings. Then the weekend came…

My family and I took a trip to Omaha to visit family. I do have to admit that I didn’t eat the healthiest meals while we were there, but I was keeping a close eye on my numbers, even though they were creeping up. On Sunday morning, I woke up, checked my blood sugar and got a reading of 199. I proceeded to then take a shower and get ready for the day before eating breakfast. An hour later as I sat down to breakfast, I checked my sugar again and it was 275. How can it jump that much in one hour?! I just figured it probably had to do with the spaghetti I ate for dinner the night before. My sugar continued to climb to 325. That one I figured was from the big breakfast my Aunt had made us. I took my correction dose and didn’t eat anything the rest of the day.

I got home on Sunday evening and got back into my healthy eating routine. I cooked an awesome healthy dinner for my boyfriend and I and we spent time relaxing and catching up since we hadn’t seen each other all weekend. My blood sugar was still a little high before dinner, but I took plenty for the correction and for the meal we ate. In fact, I was almost positive I took way too much out of frustration of it being high all day. Before bed, it was 280. I went to take a correction dose, but my pump said that the correction was a couple units and that I still had over 8 units of active insulin in me. I trusted my pump and expected to wake up at a normal level.

Yesterday morning I woke up with a blood sugar of 300. WHAT?! How could it be 300 when it was 280 the night before with over 8 units left??? I took my correction dose, ate my cereal and went on my way. Snack time a few hours later, and my blood sugar had only dropped to 206. Now, I had been eating very healthy and carb counting diligently and I’m still getting these numbers when I should be getting normal range numbers. By lunch is was down to 176. Better, I thought. At least it’s going the right way… 189 before dinner, 195 before bed… back to going the wrong way. Took my correction dose, AGAIN, and prayed for a normal number in the morning.

Woke up today with a number of 172. Still high, but better than it was before. Went on with my normal routine of eating my cereal and driving my 1.5 hours to work. Snack time and it’s 184, lunch time and it’s 208, a few hours later I’m starting to get nauseous, so I check my blood sugar just to be on the safe side, it’s 267. I take a correction dose, put my head down because the nausea isn’t going away and just wait. 20 minutes later I checked my sugar again to make sure it’s going down, and BEEP BEEP, it’s 315. AHHHHH!

I don’t know if my pump tube is kinked (for the millionth time) or not because I’m not getting a “No Delivery” warning, but I gave myself a regular injection of insulin after the 315 reading. I’m still feeling nauseous, so I’m going to check it again soon.

I’m sorry for this long blog. I’m sorry for complaining (I’m really trying to turn over a new leaf after I was informed that I complain too much about everything). I’m just genuinely frustrated and upset. What’s the point of working so hard and diligently to stay healthy and keep my blood sugars in the normal range when crap like this happens with no explanation?! I seem to be having more problems than not with my dumb pump, I hate that I’ve had to leave work early multiple times because of high blood sugars, and I hate that I’ve cried so many tears over this. I’m feeling so ready to give up on this stupid disease.

Blood sugar update: 270… at least it’s going in the right direction… for now…

lizard, we all have these issues, to one degree or another. I used to call myself a T2. I have now started calling myself a TMe. I think I am going to start a new trend. T1 or T2 or T1.5, it don’t matter cause we is all different. So we are all TMe.

I have written about these types of issues myself in a blog on this site. I normally toodle along with a morning BG of 85 and a bedtime of 120. Throughout the day the numbers stay in between these values. But every so often I go through a period of 36 t0 72 hours where I do exactly what you say your BG is doing. I can never put a finger on what the heck is going on. Neither can the countless doctors I have seen over the years. During these little periods of correction, as I call them, I will have periods where I can eat an entire gallon if ice cream and my BG will not go above 100. Then I have periods where there is nothing I can do to stay below 200.

Since I went on a once a day shot of Lantus, this problem has backed way off. What used to be a monthly thing is now more like once or twice a year. Still, it is very disconcerting to see these mad swings for no apparent reason.

But we are strong and we can do it!!!

By the way, who complained about your complaining. I’ll add you as a friend and you can complain to me all you want. We need the outlet and the knowing we are not alone.

Ditto the complaining. We all have the right to complain and get sympathy. One of my awesome nonD friends gave me an e-hug when I tweeted about my crazy high for no reason bg. It can be a lot of uncontrollable things like stress hormones or adrenaline or even high bg induced stress. It could also be a bad bottle of insulin or secret sugar in your food (like when I ordered a diet coke and the waiter brought out a regular and I couldn’t tell). It could just be the weather and you body changing for a new season.

Just keep your chin up, keep swearing at your glucose meter, and remember we all say “Why don’t you just work the way I expect you to for a little while?” to our bodies.

You didn’t mention, are you taking any other meds . . . such as steroids? When my wife - who is diabetic - has had to take steroids, it has played havoc with her blood sugar and kept it in the 300+ range.

We all have the same issues. 05% of the time I am in good control but I know now the minute I eat pasta up goes the BG rice bread rolls soups…we soon get to know the triggers that spike your BG readings. Pasta at night is sure to do it. Complain all you want. We are all here to help and advise each other. I am 84 years old a Navy Veteran of WW2 and be damned if I am going to let D stop me. I am like the Energizer Bunny I keep going going going. Please do not get discouraged. HUGS,Reed

I complained one day because of going low. I got shouted down for it. I suppose the shoutor had had a bad day and didn’t need to hear my problem. I have not posted again about my problems. I reckon you are feeling bad and need a place to vent. What better place than here?

I hope your numbers get better. I wonder if they went high BECAUSE you were away from your normal element. I do suspect the foods you ate had something to do with it but who knows how much? take care of yourself today.

Love, me

If you changed out your infusion set, and you haven’t changed your vial of insulin (I got a bad batch once), and you’re not taking any new medication, then I suspect maybe something else is going on. Certainly your stress levels are high and that causes me to spike. Could be you might be getting sick?

UPDATE: The reasoning for yesterday’s insane highs were because my cannula was bent under my skin and I wasn’t getting the insulin I needed through that. That has been happening more times than not lately, and my pump isn’t giving me the “No Delivery” warning like it should. I’m going to try the infusion sets with the shorter cannula in case my rock hard abs (sarcasm) are too much for the longer tube. :wink:

BUT, that doesn’t explain my Monday highs and my blood sugar reading of 318 this morning… I’m just going to have to keep a close eye on everything today! I can do it! :slight_smile:

You go girl!!! Actually, I have a T1 friend who got off the pump because of problems just like you described. One of the reasons I never tried the pump (well plus the fact that my A1c is 5.0 and why would I want to mess with that).