Its seems that the last few years, the harder I try to keep diabetes under control, the worse the control. Feeling frustrated, embarrassed at failing and losing confidence in the professionals to help me, which I know is unfair. Feeling so unwell, exhausted and totally burnt out. No more to say really…
It’s probably the last thing you want to spend time doing when you’re flat but when did you last do your ‘miss a meal’ Basal testing/? Most would suggest you get that right first.
next would be to look at lower carb, to get off the BG rollercoaster
what to expect the first week, besides being hungry for the first 36 hours, then it stops
Thanks Jack. Appreciate your advice. I’ll read the links. It is kind of you to take the time to reply.
I am sympathetic, I know that many of us have felt the same way. Frustrated and feeling like our healthcare team just doesn’t get it and don’t really help us.
Can you describe your current regime? I see you have a CGM and pump. What do you eat and how do you exercise. How do you use your CGM and pump? Do you count carbs? How many carbs do you eat in a day? Why do you feel you have worse control.
ps. And many of us have all but abandoned so called “professionals” for advice on key matters like diet.
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I’ve been in your situation many times before; many of us have. Living well with diabetes takes knowledge, curiosity, and persistence. I’ve written this before but for me, I have a viable tactic to stop the BG craziness in its tracks. This tactic is not perfect and cannot be used indefinitely.
Just fast for 24 hours. I discovered the wonderful benefit of BG sanity whenever I was forced to fast for a medical procedure or blood draw. Try it – it’s not a long term solution but it can provide a much-needed respite to make a more durable and practical plan.
For the long run, I second the recommendations regarding carb limits. Once you give it an honest try, you’ll wonder why you didn’t attempt it sooner. The cravings go away rather quickly and it doesn’t take heaps of will-power but you do need to get your carb consumption under a personal threshold. That may be 100, 75, 50 or even 30 grams/day. You may even lose weight without really trying.
Anyone yo-yoing between hypo- and hyperglycemia expends most of their life’s energy on a metabolic dead-end strategy. Stop the variability and you can then safely lower your average BG and possibly restore an energy for life that you forgot about.
Good luck. It takes hard work and a good plan to rein in this insidious monster. Don’t give up. There are answers!
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There are only two main variables, insulin and carbs. My advice is to use the very best of insulins (both injected and afrezza, with tresiba as a basal) insulin has come so far in just the past 2 years that here is no reason on earth that anyone who feels like they’re struggling should continue on with 1990 technology. , that and be very selective about what carbohydrates you’ll eat. Limit your carb sources to only 2-3 sources and in tightly controlled quantities… I can’t figure out how to eat an infinite quantity and variety of carbs and maintain anything near tight control, but I can figure out with minimal effort how to dose for 1 cup of mashed potatoes every night.
We all struggle, I hope it gets easier for you.
Hey Southern Cross, the good news is that you are in a very large club. You have already met a number of the members and they all have given you some really good ideas. I would agree that eliminating the variables and getting down to the point where you use the very minimum of insulin because you are eating the very minimum of cards. This is what I did to get my numbers in a reasonable and more steady range. This is exactly the same principle and concept that I have used over and over again at work. First identify the problem. Second identify the variables that affect the problem. Third eliminate all the variables to the greatest possible degree. Once you have done that monitor the situation until you are confident that it is stable, or at least as stable as you can make it. Then you gradually add back in the variables one by one to identify the culprits. Lastly, having identified said culprits, devise a plan and procedures to eliminate or modify them. It takes some time, a lot of attention and some persistence. But, you can solve just about any problem (or at least get some quality answers) by going through this exercise.
However, in order for this to be successful in the long run you must also successfully implement the changes your data indicate. For most people gaining the knowledge and coming up with a plan are much easier than actually putting that plan into everyday practice. I’m not just talking about D here. It is just the way we are. So while you are figuring this out and coming up with a good plan for yourself I would suggest that you also make sure that you have the kind of support that will help you to move forward with your plan and that will help you be honest and accountable to yourself. After all, that is the point here, isn’t it? Not just to learn the what and how, but to actually make it happen.
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This has been really helpful info. Thank you
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so your BG isn’t bashing you over the head with a hammer anymore, that’s good to hear from a fellow aussie. 
Hi Southerncross,
Many of us get to feel this way, mine was pre-gastroparesis dx. I didn’t understand why the insulin wasn’t working and why I was having such highs and radical lows…turns out I needed to switch insulin brands, and learn how to treat for Gastroparesis…have you been checked for slow emptying?
Thanks very much for your reply. My overall observation is one of why don’t I get info from the health professionals. Its sites like this and others, such as yourself, who have the lived experience who are the most helpful.
They don’t know much of what we do. I remember being angry with the health care professionals for not telling me about important knowledge of diabetes until it dawned on me that they mostly don’t know. They know a lot but it’s we diabetics that have deep knowledge about dosing insulin and all the tricks of actually living with diabetes.
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True. But disappointing. I guess we have the great motivation as its our very lives. Thanks for your comment.
Short update - and thank you to all have offered advice. This is my new plan.
- Change cannula every 2.5 days.
- Cut carbs significantly. Im trying for a target of below 75 to start.
- I’m going to discuss changing insulins
- Keep a detailed diary.
- Always compare CGM BSL readings to glucometer as CGM is often wrong.
And ignore the advice I have received from dieticians - who say carbs are OK in any quantity. They are wrong I now believe.
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we must have had the same gov sponsored diabetes course. Luckily I read about low carb before the course. So I new she was talking nonsense. She even rolled out the old chestnut that you have to eat 130g carb a day for our brain to survive. 
They don’t teach that the human body can make all the glucose it needs,
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If you are using Dexcom, your CGM readings may be inaccurate because you are not following a good calibration protocol.
Or your CGM readings may be inaccurate because you are using a Medtronic CGM…
Or in my case, it you are made up of snips, and snails, and puppy dog tails (the three main biological components of the human male).
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Thanks for your comment. I follow a good calibration protocol but am not happy with Medtronic CGM. The Elite sensors have been a pain - failing often and early but some improvements in the last several months.
I must have waited dozens of hour on ph to Medtronic while they ask me stupid questions - such as - "Did you use the Inserter to attach the sensor. “Did you tape it in place?” Seriously!! And it was usually because they were making an unreliable product.
You should switch to Dexcom. It’s so reliable for us.
Im locked into 4 year cycles with my health fund - so can’t change for another two and a half years. But def will look at Dexcom. With thanks and wishing you a safe 2017.
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