Don't let a high get you down

Community Share Your Stories
1

I joined in on the big blue test day. I’m an avid cyclist - a roadie. And it would have been cool if my little story showed a starting BG level of say…140. And then a little spin down a bike path for 14 minutes, and voila’ I’m at 120. My video could have autumn leaves of gold falling in a gentle breeze.

Well - that’s just not reality. And my day demonstrated what diabetes is really like; ups and downs and a fight all the way.

My World Diabetes Day:

4:00 AM. Wake at regular time. BG @ 156. @#$%&. Skip bolus because I’ll be on the bike shortly.

6:00 AM. Check weather. 50-50 chance it will stay dry. BG 145.

7:00 AM. Snowing heavily. @#$%&. Begin layering clothes. BG 148.

7:30 AM. Eat 45 grams carb. Reduce basal to 75%.

8:00 AM. Begin bike ride. Still snowing. BG 188.

9:00 AM. Break for BG check after 1000’ ascent. BG 268. @#$%&.

11:00 AM. Stop at summit. BG down to 133. Yay! Still snowing. Been inside the clouds for 15 miles, 1000’ ascent.

12:00 PM. Slam down 30 grams carb. Bomb down 2000’ descent. Face stings from snow pellets.

12:30 PM. Stop to call wife, make discovery. Blackberry keys stop working during prolonged cold.

1:00 PM. Make new acquaintance at supermarket, use their phone to call wife.

2:00 PM. Hot shower. BG flat all afternoon/evening about 95.

10:00 PM. Waken by CGM with BG @ 47. Slam down Smarties, cereal bar.

10:30 PM. Snooze like a baby, dream of crazy mountain descents.

And I’d do it all over again in an instant. Don’t let a high get you down.

Joe

2

Thanks for sharing your very real story Joe! I was actually almost “hoping” to have a high reading for the Big Blue Test because highs are real. I saw a lot of good numbers posted yesterday. I hope that no one with a high number was discouraged to post!!

3

Thanks for keeping it real, Joe!

Like almost anything else when living diabetes, ya gotta prep and plan for exercise, especially long sessions of intensive exercise in the cold. But the long-term good effects on our blood glucose, blood lipids, and blood pressure are worth the work and the sweat!

So I won’t let highs get me down. But no way am I going for stinging ice pellets in my face :slight_smile:

4

I was kidding around with some of the TuD folks on Twitter yesterday that we were giving “extra points” to those who posted their, um, higher-than-they-would-have-preferred type of numbers. Kristen here has taught me A LOT about not letting a high get me down, and not to think of it as a “bad” number.

keep up the cycling! I used to bike a lot, and occasionally biked to my job at the Pentagon. this was many years ago.