I had a LOW yesterday. 2 years since the last one where the entire table full of med professionals got up to get some juice from the frig. And 8 years since I fell asleep reading to the grandson.
No one in the family guessed it. The others who live here thought I was sleeping. Since I'm up with the pre-crack of dawn to get others off to work, I have a right to an afternoon nap, right?
I took enough insulin at lunch for both a big sandwich with sandwich spread etc etc on it plus a carb smart ice cream bar. So much for low-carb. Being well satisfied with the mammoth sandwich, I forgot to eat the ice cream bar.
So as I enter senility, I'm going to eat my frozen desserts FIRST!
Any other tricks for senile ex-pros you'd like to give me? I just might need them ALL! Cheers!
So now we know. You aren't perfect. Serves you right for eating "mammoth." You really shouldn't eat extinct animals.
I hope you are ok.
The only suggestion I might have is to protect against hypo unawareness by training yourself to try to identify other clues of oncoming hypos. The system developed at UVA called Blood Glucose Awareness Training (BGAT) has been shown to be effect in those who are hypo unaware. You can take the training on-line.
That is my only suggestions (well except to not eat mammoth).
Maybe there's something in the air or something. I had a weird day yesterday too. I got up early, went out to run, came back home for a "pit stop" and, while so engaged, the weather went south, rapidly, and a monsoon broke out so I figured "eh, I'll hop on the dreadmill...". That was not comfy so I only ran a couple of miles by the time it was done. After work, it was really nice and tacos were on the menu so I got them going, BG right around 100, put the pan in the oven and said "what the hell..." and headed out to do a 3 mile buzz around the neighborhood. I was excited by the weather and, as I haven't been running very fast lately, as I've been running more miles, I decided to let 'er rip and ran 8:00 miles insted of 9-10:00 miles. About 2/3 of the way through, I checked the CGM and it said 177, although I only had about 5 oz of skim milk, thinking that would about cover the run. Since it was doubleuparrowed, I hit a CB and kept running, although all the yutzing around threw me off my pace a bit. I got home w/ 3.something IOB from the CB and, when I tested my BG, it was 92!! eeek!! I spent the rest of the night cleaning it up.
Re your question about tips, I don't usually bolus for dessert until I'm going to eat dessert for sure.
Acid, Tell me why you were alarmed at a drop from 177 to 92 after exercise? that is what I expect. Is it because you had over 3 units IOB or did you mean .3 units? I do not do a full CB prior to exercise, unless I am pointed towards 200+ .Such unedited corrections drop me to the danger zone about an hour later. But you are an amazing athlete and I am sure you know what you are doing.... How did you "clean it up"? munching all night? I do that sometimes, but try not to too much. leads me to the roller coaster BG ride, which I have been on a lot as of late, as I am running out of sensors and have not yet met my post retirement insurance deductible ( but am almost there) I am measuring out the sensors to only use when I am travelling or on a really different daily schedule...the economic reality of diavbetes moinitoring.....but I am blesssed to have insurance!!
Leo2..sometimes lows just happen. YOu are fortunate to have had so few that were disabling.. I find that I make a habit of looking at the bolus history frequently, always after a meal to see what I have "On board" :then I will rememeber what I ate or what I did not eat.I can thus proceed accordingly.
God bless,
Brunetta
Hypounaware as in asleep! I was reading Harry Potter #4 & the training doesn't kick in when you're involved - as in crossing the line to the Goblet of FIRE! This was my first time reading it in ENGLISH!
Thanks about bolusing for dessert later. Good idea, and one I need to follow in hot weather with my lovely desserts in the freezer.
Obviously my mind changed its idea of what I needed, and I wasn't prepared for it to go its own way.
I should've gone running in the same monsoon; it cooled off!
I went for the UVA training! It's not available right now. I think they're thinking of commercializing it. The more I eat mammoth, the more i get into trouble. They changed their DNA long the way.
I might recommend doing more frequent testing. Especially after eating "mammoth", a test @ 1.5 hours PP, might give you an idea if you are anywhere close to "on-target". Along the same lines, when you feel tired at odd times of the day for YOU, do a test before the nap.
Cheers!
When you say "2 years since the last low" I'm assuming you mean 2 years since the last serious low, or last one you needed help for! I can't imagine going 2 weeks without a minor low let alone 2 years!
As for memory issues, I do periodically check my pump history to see what time I ate or what my last blood sugar was, but I also keep meticulous hand written records including what I ate, what I bolused and my before and after meal bg. The only time I run into trouble is when I'm eating out with friends. I often bolus for significant carbs then eat around the high carb parts of the meal and go low. I apparently can't talk and think at the same time!
Yeah, I know about that rationing things out, Brunetta. The only thing I miss about working is the more cushioned income! Sounds like you have a nasty deductable. I think I met mine sometime in March or April with one Animas bill. Mine's only $500 but each year I forget about it and then am shocked when I get a leaded bill!
Wow. I would do just about anything for 2 years without a low. Where do you think you are low?
My glucose reading for a low is under 70, and it happens often. Even if I eat the same thing all week, the blood glucose levels shift and change daily. When the weather changes, I have to change basal and carb bolus rations. It has been a drag this summer: REALLY HOT (110 with high humidity and tomorrow and I have to go to a picnic. THAT should be fun!) and then the temp calms down for a few days and everything changes again.
I am a bit OCD and trying to release, but now I am bouncing. 2 years? WOW.
I would relax and just figure it is diabetes and things change when you least expect it.
Thanks, Mike. I did about 7 tests in the two hours following, but I might have seen something plummeting had I just picked up that tester which was a whole 4 inches away. Yes, a good idea to do a test before the nap. The only thing was I wasn't going to nap. The last thing I knew I was outside that ring around the goblet of fire, page 260. The next thing I knew it was 5:30 pm and I was asking myself why I hadn't begun supper! I grabbed the glucose tabs, took 2.5 and tested at 55. Now 55 does not curl my brain. So who knows where I had been. My brain was NOT functioning. I went into the kitchen and started drinking apple juice. And of course ended up at 300. How disgusting! Yes, Mike, I promise to test when I sit down with Harry Potter.
Ah, Zoe. No, I haven't needed help since the 8 years ago one. Cause when they all got up from the table, 2 years ago, I was getting up to get something, too. And most of them sat back down again. I was flaky.
My lows consist of 60 normally and I correct those with 3 halves glucose tabs. I keep myself up at 100. One unit lowers me 40. And I had taken 2 units too much, so I figure the Humalog had knocked me to 20, it was wearing off at 5:30 and I was reverting to my normal; that is, it was on its way.
Yes, I do not think when I play Scrabble, either. That's a time when I put my tester right beside me and test half way through. Competition takes over.
And now I know I do not think when I read Harry Potter.
Yes, Spock, this heat has lowered my basal from 16 to 11 daily. It has been a summer where I've wanted to go out in the sprinkler. I have put the AC at 77, and it's been there for 2 months, and the BG still goes down due to the outside weather.
I consider myself low below 70. And I correct at 70 so it will hit 100. I'm definitely OTT (over the top). I can depend on the glucose tabs to drop me exactly where I want every time, so no 60s for me. I feel hypo at 70, so I treat at 70.
Today I walked all over the mall and I didn't drop one bit - walked in Yorktown for 3 hours, and I did not drop (sales at Carsons). Wanted a taste of those yummy glucose tabs, but I did not drop.
Thanks, Brunetta. ok, after a meal, I will look at what I wrote down and think what's on board! Had I done that, I WOULD have remembered why I gave that dose! Like, stupid, eat your ice cream bar!
My habits went askew when I got involved in a fun book, same as when I play Scrabble. Seems I have a one-stream brain. When involved, the part of my brain recognizing hypos simply did not recognize the impending low. And low = 70 to me, not 55, 60, 65. I treat at 70, plunk it up to 100 with 5 gms, 2 half glucose tabs and a jelly belly.
My husband, the MD, thought that if my brain wasn't working, and that's what I was saying, it had to be my blood pressure, so he did the blood pressure cuff while I ate glucose and tested!
We have a fun house! Good thing no one else was home! I would have been given a kitchen stroke protocol next!
It was pretty mental, thinking "jeez, am I 250?" while huffing home (I was running <8 miles the first 2 miles and then 8:10 or so the last mile, I think the yutzing w/ my pump threw me off my stride and there's some uphill, coming back up from the river...) and bolusing, thinking "well, maybe it will come down enough to have dinner in an hour?" and then getting home and learning it was really 92, with 3 units on board.
Usually, the glass of milk at 100 works great for 3 miles/ 25 minutes or so, I get a "predicted high" alert like a mile into it and then a "predicted low" right at the end but the CGM went nutso. I corrected *while* I was running w/o testing, which I don't usually do but I've done a few times without that sort of issue ever.
Cleanup was, in fact, munching all night...
Zoe,My yearly out of pocket deductible is $1500, so I have had to pay for dr.s appts and all pump supplies as well as test strips. I get a discount on prescriptions and my insulin is free,as THERE IS NO co-pay for insulin for retirees under the Medical Mutual plan purchsed by my state teacher's retirement system. So I cannot complain too much. In fact I AM pretty happoy that there is one less expense.
Glad you are figuring out some strategies, Leo 2. Lows, even Harry Potter induced lows, are not fun.
God Bless,
Brunetta