So the past couple months I have lost control a little over my diabetes. It's been just over a year since being diagnosed. I am having some wacky random highs and lows and can not pin point the cause....guess it's all part of growing into a fully insulin-dependent type 1. Woohoo. I've been really good and always check my sugar before driving but now ever since some late nights at work, I have had to eat and then drive home within 2 hrs of eating.. (something I try to avoid so I know where my sugars are going @ 2 hrs). So I have had my first low while driving. Not too low- like 60, but still felt really bad and had to pull over. Not fun. I see a new doctor next week, yay---it took over 3 months to make this appointment.
Thanks for listening...haha, my real question is...
What do you do about eating and driving? Do you always wait 2 hrs? What if you went out to eat and had to guess? Do you ever drive?
What number do you try and keep yourself above always before driving?
Looks like driving will become like my sleeping habits...which are "always eat a little more than you think because it's better to be high than low."
I am sick of thinking like this. I want to get back to my control that I once had :(
BTW you really should look into getting a pump… it will help you alot so if your gonna drive you can just skip the meal till later… and it will help your numbers in general esp if youve got pretty good control already
I test every time before I drive and I will not drive unless I am over 70 and feeling OK. I always have a bottle of glucose tabs in the car, and if I am below 70, I will treat, and retest to make sure I am above 70 before I go.
Lauren,
I’m so glad it only went to 60. You were still able to function and pull over.
I ensure I’m up to 100 before driving. I get shaky at 70.
I hope your new doctor works with you on your basals so you are even round the clock. And helps you figure out a good 1:C ratio so you are not over dosing.
I think a CGM is an absolutely splendid idea: You learn what each food is doing and just how much a unit of insulin drops you!
Sometime when you are above 140 and 3 hours have gone by since your last meal, test, give yourself a unit of insulin and see how far down it goes in one hour, two hours, 2.5 hours, and 3 hours without food. And write it all down.
Then when you have not eaten in four hours, test, take one glucose tablet (4 grams), and test in 1/2 hour and 1 hour to see how high you go. Divide in fourths and you have how far one gram takes you up. Write it down.
Now you should be able to figure out a ratio of how much insulin to take for the carb grams you take. It may be different at different times of day.
Once you have this figured out, you will not fear to drive at any time. Do test before driving. But have everything recorded as to when and what you ate and when and what you took for insulin.
Ask the doctor for a CGM so you can get the knowledge you need even faster!
And best wishes on working it out. Each of us is an individual in our responses.
I have a pump, but everything is getting out of control lately. I wait 2 hrs so I can check at that peak and I always know at that time I either need to eat something if under 110. If I go low it’s usually before that 2 hr peak. I have not as much trouble as I have lately.
Yea I am in the process of trying to get a CGM…I had to change docs though because my last doc promised to sign my letter of medical neccessity and then I got to my appointment and she said “I am leaving the practice, I can’t help you anymore.” After I paid my copay… Nice, huh?
But I see a new doc next week…he is supposed to be pretty good so I am pretty excited that maybe he can help me out…and hopefully sign my CGM request.
Thanks for this suggestion :
“Sometime when you are above 140 and 3 hours have gone by since your last meal, test, give yourself a unit of insulin and see how far down it goes in one hour, two hours, 2.5 hours, and 3 hours without food. And write it all down. Then when you have not eaten in four hours, test, take one glucose tablet (4 grams), and test in 1/2 hour and 1 hour to see how high you go. Divide in fourths and you have how far one gram takes you up. Write it down.
Now you should be able to figure out a ratio of how much insulin to take for the carb grams you take. It may be different at different times of day.”
