@Danny_ I’ve been following this topic, so when I see there’s a new reply, if I click on the blue circle, it goes to wherever I stopped reading.
meant to mention that when I get onto the forum, the first thing I do is click on “latest” on the Hamburger menu. Then I can see all the latest replies.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the input @MarieB 
Danny - My intent was not to demean the setup of the prior Flatliner’s Club. As you know, I am indebted to you and the old Flatliner’s Club for crystalizing my thinking about low carbbing and setting up my ability to draw a few flatlines myself. The fact that I knew others were doing this challenged me to replicate your successes. I count my participation in that group and the TAG group whith helping me turn a critical corner in my diabetes management.
I liked the fact that you set up various gradients of sub-discussions ranging from roller coasters to short duration flatlines to longer flatlines. This systematically recognized the inherent imperfection in what we’re trying to do yet still have a place to celebrate success.
After you went MIA, some suggested that we just post on the main board. So few people were showing up, I just thought, “what the heck,” and went along with the suggestion. I think it’s still arguable whether one big room or several smaller rooms best accomodate the needs of the community. The former option is the direction chosen by TuD. We’ll see. I’d really like to see wider participation in the Flatliner Club because I know just how big a deal it’s been to me.
I’m glad to see your postings return!
Jen - I followed with great interest with your recent breakthrough using the Dex CGM. I think your experience serves as a geat example about what is possible. This is the power of social media. Thanks for participating here.
@Terry4 I think it was easier to view all the activity on the main board and posts were getting lost in the sub discussions. As long as people participate somewhere within the group, that all that matters to me. :–)
And I am very happy to read that both groups were a help to you in your Diabetes management.
You taught me something, Brian. Thanks.
It certainly was a breakthrough. I would never have thought I’d be one of “those people” aiming for an A1c of < 6.0, and yet … that’s what I’m aiming for next. It’s incredible.
I’m now managing to have a flatline day several times a month, and “almost flatline” days more often than that.
Yet, there are still many days I’m reminded that I still have diabetes! (This particular one caused by hormones kicking my butt until I can get them subdued again.)
Good for you, Jen! That looks like a tough day, but I’m glad to read that your control has improved with several flatline days each month.
Thanks for sharing your trend Jen…An A1c of below 6.0 is an incredible accomplishment. I’ve only done it a few time in 30+ years of living with type 1.
With so much data on my CgM, I’m at a point where I’m not as concerned as I once was with the A1c number… but that’s just me. 
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for sharing your trend Jen…An A1c of below 6.0 is an incredible
accomplishment. I’ve only done it a few time in 30+ years of living
with type 1.
I would also be perfectly happy if my A1c stayed where it is (last one was 6.1, which is far better than I’ve ever achieved before).
Though at the moment, I’m still fighting highs that will not budge, so what would make me happy today is to get back into range!
Jen -
Have you ever tried skipping a meal when this happens? I don’t say this to be silly, I’ve found that fasting, even skipping one meal, will usually help me to break the back of a consistent high. That is, after I’ve checked for a bad site and other likely causes.
I recently read about a new, not yet released, infusion set that addresses “silent occlusions” or interrupted or diminished flows. It’s not out yet but the advertising seems to confirm a lot of the problems that I’ve had over the years with unexplained stubborn highs. Here’s more info on this BD set.
I didn’t quite skip breakfast this morning, but I did eat just some eggs (so no carbs). I’ve finally broken the high by putting my basal rate and ratios up again and correcting with more insulin than my pump recommended. Now here’s hoping I don’t go low.
I’m pretty sure the cause is just monthly hormones - it’s right around the time that they usually start to kick in. The high persisted through a site and cartridge change, so I don’t think it was an occlusion or anything like that. I just had to jack up all my pump settings by 25%, it seems. I always say that next time I should just try doing that right off the bat, but I’m always nervous of causing lows.
I was reading that progesterone, the hormone that fluctuates throughout the month, is actually a steroid! So no wonder women have issues as levels increase through the second half of the month. Apparently it’s the same hormone that causes massive insulin resistance and gestational diabetes in pregnancy.
Low carb, moderate protein, high fat
I composed and deleted an extended answer about the kindly, likable, and wrong dietary guru featured yesterday on the TuD video interview. This is a better response. I ate two meals yesterday, both of them at restaurants. I even enjoyed two chocolate covered salted caramel macadamia nut clusters. Carb-up, shoot-up, healthy whole grains, low fat, is not the answer! Total carbs for the day = 41 grams.
The numbers, 4/4 goals met
Time in Range, 65-120 mg/dl, = 95%
Time low = 2%
Standard Deviation = 15 mg/dl
Average BG = 96 mg/dl
The magic elixir of 5.1 miles of walking made this whole day work.
I tried the tired, unrealistic methods recommended by the “not one-minute as a diabetic” credentialed guru. I tried for years. Large insulin doses, casino style, is no game to play and still be happy and safe. Enough said.
Wow, you are a walking example of, “normal blood sugars can be achieved.” You have found what works for you and really run with it.
Couple of things, “walking the magic elixir.” This is so true for me, when I add a little bit of exercise to my daily routine, it changes my entire day of blood sugars for the better. “Casino style insulin doses”… it really is a gamble when you get into the higher numbers (5+ units for me). Here’s the way I think, I shoot for 3 units maybe 4 units per meal, 15 x3 = 45. I do well with this amount, it’s not too much, not too little. I’m all about moderation with this disease (exercise, food and insulin intake etc…).
Again, great work @Terry4, you are an inspiration to many PWD out here in internet land.
Thanks, Danny. A better description of walking is that of a catalyst. It just makes the blood sugar/insulin mix work better.
Shooting high volumes of insulin is really risky proposition. In my former diabetic life, I can remember taking 10-20 units ina single dose. My total daily dose then was 80 units.
My first reason for writing about BG control is to keep me honest and on track. If anyone appreciates or is inspired by what I do, that is truly “sweet icing on the cake.” Bad metaphor, I know.
I’m always happy to read your comments because I know you get the flatliner ethic and I know just what you’re capable of doing! You get the fact that we can’t post lines like this every day and when it happens, it should be celebrated.
It’s important to sprinkle in a little reality now and then in the form of more mountainous profiles. It keeps us humble and tells the wider community that we are indeed one of them!
I find that I get better control for big shots by spreading it out. If I have a 100G of carb burrito or something like that,it’s about 10 units. If I prebolus that whole amount, I’ve seen big crashes so, like on my way to Chipotle (10 minutes from home…) I’ll see where I’m at. I loathe waiting in line so I preorder so it’s a quick trip. I sort of order and start “layered” bolusing, like 10-30G of carbs until I get to where I guess the burrito will be. This seems to work much better than just blasting one huge bolus…
I think spreading out the dose is probably easier for the tissue to absorb. I deliver a relatively small carb bolus and then an extended one for protein/fat. For dinner just now I delivered 1.55 units for the carbs and 4.3 units over 4 hours for the protein/fat. I’ve found the extended boluses to be particularly effective and very forgiving.
If I start trending lower than expected 90 minutes or 2 hours in, I can just pull the plug on the remainder of the extended bolus. Conversely, I can add some insulin in the out-hours if I’m trending higher. Or I can add 4-units of Afrezza if I totally undershot my meal dose.
Afreezapalooza, LOL. It sounds great but I talked to the doc and she was like “you’re doing really well, why bother changing anything” and this was a new doc, I’d bailed on the old one and moved on and liked her so I figure that I am, in fact, doing ok. I like to conceive of doing ok so I don’t stop and think “I’m there, I’m done” but keep trying to do better. Except for carbs. I’ve tried low carb and don’t disagree that it works but I’ve tried burritos and can get them to work too…heh heh heh…
AR - You’re one of the few diabetics I know that can eat the carbs and keep a sub-6 A1c. I tried. Doesn’t work. I love those burritos, too. I like the Al Pastor pork with beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and chili sauce. I just can’t eat 100 grams of carbs and dose well. More power to you. I think your strenuous exercise regimen also helps you. Nothing wrong with that!
Good morning! Thought I’d share my last 24 hours of Diabetes with everyone. Particularly last nights dinner, which was a real test, but I think I passed with a B-. My dinner was a huge cheeseburger with several toppings on it (egg, bacon, mushrooms, onions etc…), I split a small onion ring/french fry combo with my wife and had a few sips of her Strawberry shake (it was her birthday, so I really splurged, plus I was super hungry, haha). I’ve always been good with figuring out the upfront bolus amount with large meals so… I wasn’t worried about my blood sugar an hour or two after eating this mountain of food, I was thinking about the 4 or 5 hour mark after eating, that’s usually when my blood sugars end up kicking my butt…
So, here is how I handled it. I did a dual wave bolus, I took 4.5 units up front and extended 3 units of insulin for 2 hours post meal. When I left the restaurant, I was full, I had my mind on exercising, I went home and jumped on my bicycle, riding it around the neighborhood for 15 minutes. I also lifted some weights for about 10-15 minutes. At the 2 hour post meal mark my blood sugar was 150 mg/dl… I then set a square wave bolus, 2 more units extended over the next two hours.
NOTE: This is not how I eat every night lol
Here are my results. The high alert is set for 180 mg/dl and the low is 70 mg/dl… the 70 mg/dl reading at 6pm was right before I was served dinner. The highest I reached was the mid 170’s…
