I’ve been wondering some things. Can stress effect your bg? When your down and don’t wanna do it anymore how to you get the encouragement you need? If you know your low should you check first or is it okay to just treat then check?
Sometimes stress makes my BG go up, other times it makes it go down....When I feel low, I sometimes treat first, then check my BG. I figure I can always fix if it goes too high, but lows need to be fixed ASAP.
About being down - everyone on this planet has to deal with something. You might not see what issues someone has, but they have them. I try to think about how what we have is treatable and we can carry on a somewhat normal existance. If I was diagnosed with cancer or heart disease way back in 1982, I would probably be dead by now. If you have to have something, diabetes is at least something we can live with.
1) stress can affect your BG
2) I encourage myself. Part of my "hx" is that when I was in my early 30s, I kind of slowed down and got big. I felt like I was drifting and out of shape and started seeing obituaries in the paper, of guys who were late 30s-early 40s, whose "donations" were to be made to the ADA or JDRF. One of my friends got me into martial arts, first through the park district and then I drank a lot of the Koolaid. It was very hard but, eventually it helped me figure out that I could do better at diabetes in particular and health in general and that has been very helpful to me. I like running and work hard not to let diabetes get in the way. It is sort of alienating though...
3) I thik that it can be ok to treat and check? I try to check first b/c I adjust the treatment based on how low I am rather than how low I can guess. I will still feel "buzzed" in the 60s but don't need as much treatment as if it's in like the 40s? I also want to know what happend ("oh, that's not 45G of carbs after all...") for next time? Even though I'm too lazy to write it down...
If you just feel like crying or swearing, go for it. Dealing with diabetes is stressful especially in the beginning and it makes no sense to just bottle it up. Of course, you may not want to break down in front of your teachers or friends but if you're at home or by yourself....
I'm afraid of needles and when I was on shots I had to say a little prayer before each one - blessing God who commands us to choose life. It's ok to give yourself a pep talk.
I've always tested before treating a low except for the time I forgot my meter. Like AR, I adjust my snack to how low I am. Just going by how you feel can be deceptive. I've felt off at 90 and didn't feel anything much at 43.
It takes time to get the hang of this. Once you do it get's easier.
I'm sure you'll do fine,
Maurie
Stress effects my BG big time. Hormones do also, so keep a close eye on that because you'll probably need more insulin then. Being sick can send BG high as well.
I reach down deep when I'm sick of it all. Tell myself that I can do it, just one foot in front of the other when I feel overwhelmed. We all feel like this from time to time, if that's any consolation. I do as much as I can automatically. I don't think about it or it give it any more energy than required. Just do it. Once things become more automatic, it gets easier. Fear of complications down the road also keeps me motivated. Know that sounds negative, but a positive view is being healthy & strong. That only happens by staying focused, as much of a drag as it can be at times. Promise it does get easier.
I truly hate lows. The depression, feeling helpless, anxious & out of it is something I try to avoid. Nothing good about lows. You really should test before treating. Don't wing it. Do you know how to treat lows without over correcting?
Sweetie, if you're having persistent lows, please be careful with doses. The more stable & normal BG is, the better you'll feel emotionally & physically. You can do it!
Such good questions.
1) Yes!! Stress absolutely can cause BGs to skyrocket (at least for me). In fact, any extreme emotion (excitement, anger, fear, stress, etc) can cause my BGs to go up and stay up for several hours. It's because when you feel these things, your body releases other hormones (epinephrine being one of them) that make you naturally resistant to the insulin you produce. If you had a normal pancreas, it would just put out more insulin to compensate. But when you have T1D, your pancreas can't do that. For me, I have found that I cannot "correct" these highs with a bolus, or I will end up crashing several hours later. What works better for me is using a temp basal on my pump.
2) You will have times when you feel like you just really don't want to do all this "diabetes stuff" anymore. It is a normal way to feel about anything that consumes so much of your time and energy. I have a few tricks that work for me. First, I read the book Breakthrough (the book about the discovery of insulin). It reminds me how lucky I am to have access to all the things I do and how, even if insulin isn't a cure, it's a pretty darn good treatment. I also exercise. For me, exercise is my thing that can easily get me out of a funk. It doesn't have to be anything intense - even just a long walk alone listening to music can do the trick. Music and singing are also things that help me. I think you have to find the thing that works for you. Everyone is different and you need to really consider what you can reach for that will motivate you when you're feeling bad. Honestly, sometimes just surfing over to this site does the trick for me, because it reminds me that I'm not the only one who has to deal with this stuff!
3) if you're really, really low (like you feel like you're going to black out), treat first. I have made the mistake of testing before treating and almost ended up unconscious because by the time I checked, I was even lower and having trouble thinking straight.