I’ve realized that here lately I haven’t felt well. Just stressed. Never knew things could get this crazy. I thought the pump would make things easier and don’t get me wrong it does, but I then find myself not wanting to eat because I’m scared I’ll mess up. I guess it’s cause it’s new. I still have like the fear of the unknown. I don’t like not knowing what is going on inside me. My biggest fear is going low and no one knowing how to help. I also have the fear of going low while driving. Hasn’t happened yet but still one of my greatest fear…
Many of us eat the same breakfast and lunch almost every day. Once you learn that two eggs, a slice of whole wheat bread, a cup of milk has approximately X carbs you can learn how to dose for it and feel fairly confident that you won't totally mess up.
I find that using a scale to weigh what I eat helps as well. The apple might have 16 carbs or 26 and the best way to get the dose right is to get the weight right.
The best way to avoid lows while driving is to test before you get behind the wheel and if you're a little too low for comfort eating a glucose tab (or two) to give yourself some margin. I store a roll of glucose tabs in my car. That way, I'm never without them while driving.
I haven't read it but fellow member Ginger Vieira wrote a book called "Your Diabetes Science Experiment" that I always thought was a great title that explains what goes on. If you "mess up", as you wrote, you still can get some good data to put back into your next try?
Driving is a good time to be careful. I drove my wife's car over the wall of a parking garage onto another car once.
I agree testing before driving is the best way to avoid lows while driving, and always keep some quikc acting glucose with you. Glucose tabs, jelly beans, a juice box. And I agree I certainly tend to eat close to the same thing and try not to vary to much in what I eat. I've played around with my pump to know what foods, and what serving sizes I can tolerate, it takes time but you will become more confident.
AR I love the title of the book and is that not the absolute truth we are living experiments everyday.
If you're transitioning to the pump, one thing that might help is to test your blood glucose more often- I know that if I'm doing something that a low would devastate (from biking [no car!] to testing to anything mildly important), I'll usually check 15 minutes before beginning whatever the event is, which gives enough time to correct as needed with food or glucose tabs (ew!). As another member suggested, eating a core group of things is always a good way to go, but if you test your blood sugar frequently enough you don't actually have to eat the same ol' thing day in and day out. At the same time, eating consistently makes things easier-- perhaps after you know how many carbs are in your breakfast #1 (oatmeal and raisins) be adventurous and try Breakfast 2 (french toast with happy fruit, etc, whathaveyou), until you have those down pat.
Personally, I love the pump because I'm absolutely atrocious at self-control when in comes to eating consistent meals! Give it some time, don't panic, think before you send in your insulin, and after it's in don't worry excessively! Do worry by checking your sugar, but don't let the worry domiante you to the extent that you don't eat your food!