I’ll chime in with my $.02… I’m a 26 y/o male, had it since age 7. I’ve never had an A1c under 9 in the past 10 or so years. After being diagnosed with retinopathy last summer and dealing with 4 laser treatments, 4 angiograms (two of them horrible), and now having scarring in my right eye, I decided to take control last November. I got a dexcom, started on a pump, switched from Humalog to Apidra, and really cut down on junk foods.
Sometimes I have to wait 3 hours after bolusing before I can eat anything without a huge spike. It’s infuriating, especially when I tell my endo and she says that “That’s not supposed to happen” and left it at that.
My I:C is 1:5… I’ve seen people go as high as 1:2.
DP hits me like a ton of bricks, every single time I wake up. I can’t take a nap without my BG rising shortly after waking.
On the bright side, I’ve found the better BG control I have, the easier it is to control my BG. Also, cutting down on carbs makes control much easier
Hi Cara - try heavy whipping cream instead of half and half. There is no sugar and the fat keeps you full and also helps stabilize your blood sugar. I have 2 oz. in my coffee each morning 
Pure Eire is my favorite kind, from grass-fed cows (http://www.pureeiredairy.com/).
Thank you! I’m going to try that! 
I figure I’d give you all an update- I just got back from my endo, and he just made a minor adjustment to my morning basal rate. He said he wants to increase it slowly- I agree, but I want to feel good already!
Also, I ordered the suggested book, Pumping Insulin, on Amazon last night.
Thanks for your help and suggestions! I appreciate it!
Sounds like you had a better visit than I did. I am not feeling my new endo already…lol…but I am happy that you found a book to read. I swear I have learned more from books and Google than I have ever had from a doctor.
Thanks for the update! My MiniMedSalesNurse suggested a small ‘bump’ from 12:00 AM until 2:00 AM, like 1.0U/ hour instead of .8U, to get some insulin on board to deal with it. After I got the CGM, I was noticing a lot of tailing off and waking up low so I moved it to 4-6 and then figured “what the hell, I’ll run it to 7 and get breakfast too…” and, even though it doesn’t seem like a huge amount, it seems to prevent AM spiking most of the time?
I am glad you ordered Pumping Insulin - that will be a big help for you.
Hey Cara! I love it that you are trying out new suggestions… I have one that maybe you haven’t tried. Since you’ve had diabetes ‘forever’ you injections spots may not be absorbing very well especially if you have ‘favorite’ set locations. I would recommend you try a total ‘virgin’ location for your infusion site (lower back, upper butt, outer thigh) places you haven’t used in a LONG time. Then try either the Sure T if you’re a Minimed user or the Contact Detatch if you are an Animas user… also here is a great website where Gary explains about the importance of basal testing and how to go about doing it! Good luck… you are working hard to get it all figured out so just keep plugging along!!
Kara- thanks! Since I started with the Omnipod I’ve been giving my belly a rest. I’ve only been using my back and arms. Thank you!
I’ve been in the same position as you before and periodically end up where I started. I was told that some people just can’t control their diabetes as easily, also known as being “brittle.” I do EVERYHING I possibly can to stay stable and I’ve gotten my A1C below 7% but only after switching pumps, going on a sensor, and visiting with the pump specialist every two weeks for a few months. I get so frustrated when I see other diabetics chugging along smoothly and I’m ripping my hair out of my head. I feel for you. I’m also considering pregnancy soon, but go into a slight panic when I think about it. You are definitely not the only one. My blood sugar went from 309 to 23 this morning, which is why I’m on here today. I’ve never been that low. Just hang in there and try to find some comfort in the fact that you’ve got company.
Wow! That’s quite a drop!! I’d say start a new thread but it sort of fits in w/ this one!. How did you pull that off? I had some wierd problems last week on vacation, sort of the reverse, lows where it would be in the 40s (testing BG instead of just CGM too…) for like an hour or hour and a half and then the carbs would hit all at once and the lines on my CGM were almost vertical, going up instead of down. So then it was off to the races to beat it back into shape.
Whoa! What caused that high and then how did it crash that low, Kim??
first…if you aren’t on a pump i’d suggest looking into getting one. i believe this is how many people “flatline” their diabetes. i’m also 27 and have had d for 18 years now. i just started the pump 2 months ago and it’s crazy how level it’s gotten by blood sugar. before the pump i was like you, just a crazy roller coaster ride of frenzy haha.
second…i absolutely hate when i wake up low at night…it’s the worst feeling in the world and i always over treat it. that takes a lot of will power to sit there feeling horrible and not eat more than 15-20 grams of carbs. i get better with it every time.
third…if you want to have your own child do it. chance are 50/50 with them becoming diabetic. who’s to say your adopted child won’t become diabetic!!!
forth…stick with it, think of the positive side of having tighter control. it’s amazing how wonderful having good control can make you feel and i’ve noticed the better my numbers, the less stressed i am and the easier things get. hang in there, we all go through this emotional mess we can diabetes…and smile
clearly i posted this before reading other comments and saw you already pump so forget that i had to cut back my overnight basal big time to keep from going low then around 5am we put it back up higher than my daytime basal to deal with my dawn phenomenon. from what i read that is common with many people. i don’t think your carb ratio is that high…when i was on injections i would use 1:6 most of the time, now with the pump i’m between 1:8-1:10.
There are also people that can do well on MDI by learning the techniques that people are taught to use the pump. I used one for 8 months and have gone back to MDI - my lines are alot flatter on MDI because I am not having all the highs from sites dying.
Not sure how I pulled it off, but I’ve been a nervous wreck since. I’m so glad I woke up, because I would have been home by myself all day. I drop very quickly. My CGM broke, too. I didn’t know I was supposed to charge it every 2 months when I’m not using it. Going on vacation can throw things off…I’m on spring break this week, so my schedule is different. Maybe that’s why???
The high was from me trying to keep it from going low overnight. It dropped into the 40s and 50 twice before bed time, so I had a snack and lowered my basal rate. The low was due to the correction. I just went to the doctor two weeks ago, and we didn’t see the need for any adjustments so that shouldn’t have happened.
Cara, are you feeling better?
Your body may be rebounding from lows causing high blood sugar levels. Then when you treat the highs your over compensating and that’s dangerous.