I agree. I only like the loop stuff when sleeping.
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I’m often on my numbers like flies on whatever.
But the nice thing I’ve found with the Dexcom/Tandem/CIQ is I can neglect it and it doesn’t get terribly out of whack. Stops basal. Turns it up. Gives bolus. I can forget about it for hours and then I look “oh, that’s where I am”.
It can’t deal with crazy meals/exercise and do on but if I’m just going along working it just goes along.
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I also use this strategy. I 100% go low during & esp. after exercise. I need to lower basals for up to 8 hours afterwards. Before exercise, I need to start a little high, then I disconnect my pump and STILL I eat carbs along the way as my BGs begin drop (slight arrow down means 20 carbs now). I really like Gu when exercising – vanilla & espresso flavors! Then after exercise, I plug back in the pump and have a 50% then 30% lower basal for eight hours if vigorous exercise like skiing and four to six hours for walking and the like. I am also on Tandem Control IQ and it cannot keep up. I use the exercise mode when I clean house & disconnect when actually exercising.
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I did the sam thing today. Swam1 mile, had normal breakfast. At lunch, I boluses 1/2 of what I actually ate because I was going for a walk after lunch. Ended up dropping before the walk and ate 30grms CHO. Still low and added 1 glucose tab. Arrived home with good BG. Within 1/2 hour was double arrows up. Chased with small bolus.
It seems to take forever to get BG up and even longer to get it down. I do not have answer, just wanted you to remember this is impossible to get it right at times and and we need to be gentle with ourselves!
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I used to set an hour of 0 bolus before I would go out to exercise, but my Endocrinologist told me that was not a good idea. He said that at zero, my body’s liver would be more likely to kick in and release insulin into my system, and if I had already “compensated” for the exercise with additional carbs, that would skew my desired results. So instead, I use a temporary exercise basal of just 10 percent of my normal basal. That said, we all are SO different in our needs and in how our bodies react to carbs and to insulin. Yes, I take at least one tube of glucose tabs with me for a simple walk, but I also have a “snack bag” of all kinds of treats in the car (protein bars, gummy candies, nuts, etc.) for longer trips. To each, his or her own.
Did you mean to type that your liver would release more glucose into your system?
Yup! Sorry! Too many things going on in too little attention space in my brain. Doc warned that at zero my body would try to compensate by dumping glucose into my system which would not be good if I had already calculated carbs for my walk.
I love hearing what others do! Your approach sounds a lot like mine.
As a rule I have at least 3 juice boxes in my car all the time. If I know I’m exercising after a meal, I’ll take 50% the meal insulin - which usually keeps me level on a hike (though invariably I’ll have a high afterwards and I try to remember to be more vigilant watching my Dexcom numbers). I have a harder time keeping levels steady with vigorous cardio so I try to do that when I get up, BEFORE I eat breakfast or dose insulin at all. Also, I find using an elliptical means I can step off and be done if things start dipping, unlike a hike where I still have to hike home (my dog doesn’t love my new routine - her walks are shorter lately, fortunately, she’s old).
I hike with 3 gels and often 3 -4 tiny halloween chocolate bars in my bag, and if I’m under 9.0 (160) I might have a juice box at the start. For something over 2 hours, I drop my pump’s basal rate to a temporary 70%. And I’ll carry 5 gels… I don’t think I’ve ever had more than 3 on an excursion, but I’d rather feel over prepared than deal with the dire consequences!
*I never eat powdery glucose tabs, though sometimes have backup Menthos stashed
*I sleep with 2 juice boxes handy
Enjoy your next hike!
Aidan
T1 for 28 yrs (49 yrs old),
Minimed630G + Dexcom G6
Canada
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I love your comment about how do “normal” people do this every day?!
I was fascinated looking at my IQ reports and seeing how often the pump is changing my basal rate throughout the 24 hours. There is no way any of us could do this each and everyday, making those minute by minute adjustments! All those years, I beat myself up and how I couldn’t make this work! Duh, nothing can expect the human body that has all body parts working correctly! So with our “defective” pancreas we do the best we can.
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