Every Two Hours

Where did I go? And what have I been doing all this time?

2011-04-02T17:08:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone:
I just thought I would start over and introduce myself because I have been gone for over a year and haven't written anything.

What do you say to someone you haven't seen in more than a year? Hi? How have things been? What's new in your life? Those are really great questions and how would you answer them?
Well: here goes:

Hi to you too. Things have been pretty crazy. I have been getting going on my sensor, my husband and I started a new business investing in Real Estate last October and I just signed on to be a product consultant at Doterra. I even got a website for interested people. It is doterragift dot com.

Personally, I am loving life right now and hating the diabetes end of it, but since I get to deal with it a while longer I decided to put the best spin that I can on it. I am having more success than ever before controlling my blood sugars.

I have found out that I am intolerant to : Wheat, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, and Thanksgiving Turkey. What this means is: Wheat makes me skyrocket on my bloodsugars as do all the other ingredients I listed.

gotta go now but I will be seeing you later. Catch a Hug.

Happiness vs. Unhappiness

2009-10-14T11:48:00.000-06:00

So let's talk about being happy for just a second. Am I happy about having Diabetes? Am I happy about all the work that goes into taking care of myself? Am I happy when I do a great job and my body responds the way I expect it to?

You could probably guess the answers to all of those questions--just by putting yourself in my shoes.

Now I am going to share a quote I just read for the second time from a book I am reading to my kids. They love Arthur and the Invisibles. We have never seen the movie but Luc Besson is a good writer for kids. The words are not too easy and the storyline is exceptional; especially when reading it out loud to your kids. The more emphasis you add the better they sit on the edge of their seats and gobble it up. I am not kidding and I mean all ages.

So I read the book first to make sure it was going to be ok for the kids if I read it to them and in the second book there is a page where the author is making a statement about life. It is in Chapter 8 of "Arthur and The Forbidden City". My book says: page 295 but yours may be different: I have both books combined.

The quote is this, think about it and then answer the questions above while you are in my shoes.

"It is often only when we are experiencing unhappiness that we realize how valuable little day-to-day things really are: a great stretch upon waking, a ray of sunlight on your face, someone you love smiling at you. IT'S AS IF UNHAPPINESS IS SIMPLY A WAY TO MEASURE HAPPINESS"

Both time I read this quote and was hit by a thunderbolt in the chest. Its very powerful the force of this quote.

Did you come up with different answers? I sure did when I applied that quote. I have a choice whether to choose unhappiness or happiness in my life and no matter what I choose, I attract that to my life.

So even though I don't love having Diabetes, I recognize the little happinesses it has brought into my life and has given me a measure for how great my life really is; and I have to say for myself: I have a great life in spite of the trial of having Diabetes and I can always find happiness in everything I experience and do.
Now Go Choose Your Consequences!
Chrystal

Running is GOOD for you so they say

2009-10-12T12:57:00.000-06:00

Today I ran almost 5 miles in about an hour. That doesn't sound very fast and it really isn't by running standards but I am just ecstatic about the fact that I actually got up before the sun and ran--I even got home before the sun came up and that was really fun to do...

I thought I was going 7 miles today but then again I guess I can do that tomorrow but the whole reason I am writing this post is to say: my basal rate is right on during this time of the day.

So here is my example:
I woke up and my blood sugar was: 93--great for a fasting if I say so myself.
I went running and came back 1 hour later--I have been sweating and working my body not on flats but hills: up and down so I really worked.--anyway

my post exercise blood sugar was: 90---Yay! if I say so myself--of course I had to eat and drink water which I am due for again--brb--ok so I ate some green beans and a homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread--which I made last week--gotta make more of that--so good. and I forgot to take insulin for the sandwich -- which I shouldn't have done but I wasn't really thinking about: oh I need to take insulin--I was thinking: oh I need to eat something with protein to recover from that run...and I forgot my insulin

so when I checked about an hour later--maybe it was more my blood sugar was: 237--oops go take insulin---roller coaster notwithstanding--I liked my run so much I want to go do it again and it's a good thing as the Halloween Half is less than 3 weeks away---so my focus the next 3 weeks is rest and run, rest and run, rest and run--oh and check my blood sugars...don't forget that -- and take insulin--especially when eating-=-really don't forget that. :)

CGMS--Finally!

2009-10-09T11:12:00.010-06:00

So last year I was getting a sensor and then the whole insurance company debacle and not being able to afford it---go back and read if you must.

We have pooled our money together and have decided that we are getting it--Today! I just have to do the following things:

1. Get a copy of the letter or medical necessity from the doctor for the IRS. Because they won't allow me to use FSA funds without that OH and

2. get a copy of the prescription from my doctor to back ourselves up to the IRS to spend our money for our medical bills (that is so depressing--but I don't want to get into any political or government biases in this blog)

3. Oh and let me not forget: get a copy of the receipt to avoid allegations of fraud...using FSA money for purposes other than medical necessities...

--BUT----

YAY: I get a sensor, I get a sensor, and need I say it one more time? I get a sensor!!!! Steph we can be new sensor buddies!!! YAY!

The Climb

2009-10-08T20:07:00.000-06:00

Friends are great! I made a new friend just this last week who has her own challenges and she posted this song on her website to inspire those who are struggling along with her. If you want to check her out, here she is and you can listen to the song on hers or just stay here and listen on mine.

I think this song represents what is great about life and the battle we all face every day! I am glad I am alive, even with Diabetes and even if all of my worst fears come true. I am posting the words to the song too. I think the impact is greater!

Thanks for reading my friends!

THE CLIMB

I can almost see it

That dream I’m dreaming

But there’s a voice inside my head

that says you’ll never reach it.

Every step I’m taking

Every move I make feels

Lost with no direction

My faith is shaken but

I gotta keep trying

Gotta keep my head held high

Chorus

There’s always going to be another mountain

I’m gonna want to make it move

Always going to be an uphill battle

Sometimes I’m going to have to lose

Ain’t about how fast I get here

Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side

It’s the climb.

The struggles I’m facein’

The chances I’m taken

Sometimes they knock me down

But no I’m not breakin’

I may not know it

but these are the moments that

I’m going to remember most – yeah

Just gotta keep goin’ and

I gotta be strong, just keep pushing on

There’s always going to be another mountain

I’m gonna want to make it move

Always going to be an uphill battle

Sometimes I’m going to have to lose

Ain’t about how fast I get here

Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side

It’s the climb.

2009-10-07T20:46:00.000-06:00

You know how when your blood sugars are high it affects chemicals in the brain? You didn't? Oh--it does if you are low too, just so you know.

I have been battling high blood sugars just because I want to eat all the time but I don't want to check my blood or take insulin. I have been battling the urge to sleep all day long.

This is bad because I homeschool and I have my kids at home all day. So glad for TV on those days I feel like I did today and the last couple of days. Usually we never turn the darn thing on because of the time waster it is. Then there are the high days and the low days and the brain roller-coaster rides that ensue.

When I am high I just want to sleep. Not that I am particularly tired or anything, I just am so sleepy and depressed. Nothing feels better than passing into oblivion of sleep to get away from life for awhile.

But you can only sleep for so long you say...I know that and therefore I wake up to my daughter answering the phone and screening the call for me from one of my friends who has diabetes. Actually she is the only friend I have a phone number for and who has my phone number that has diabetes. I was glad she called and mad my daughter had screened the call instead of finding out who it was and then checking with me to see if I wanted to talk. My BG was 329.

I took insulin and called her back and got the good news. She got her pump and is training....great. I am still depressed. I haven't cooked for days, cleaned the kitchen ( I can't cook until the kitchen is clean) so the vicious cycle goes on and on and on.....

I just want things to happen--good things, great things, life changeing things.

I also know they won't unless I get off my butt and do something about them--take care of business today to enjoy the harvest tomorrow.

The harvest of realizing that I have taken care of myself all these years so I don't have to deal with my greatest fears: Losing limbs, sensations in my fingers and toes, kidney function which causes a loss of time due to dialysis.

I wish I had a forum to discuss my low--depression--just get it out of my head so I think of solutions to my problems instead of wallow in the downer thoughts. I guess I have this forum, is anyone even listening? OR do I actually have to hear the sound of my voice screaming out the words and putting them on the canvas of the world for all to see?

And still time marches on and I have to take care of my greatest assets. They need to be put to bed.

Halloween Half Marathon

2009-10-03T18:03:00.002-06:00

So I have been talking to one of my running friends about a 1/2 marathon she is considering entering and she invited me. Me who has not run more than 2.5 miles at a time since the Ragnar in June.

Can I be ready by then? I have some issues and I hope I can work through them and pound them down into something manageable on race day. It is in less than 1 month and it is 13.1 miles.

Well I never did anything if I didn't do it really big and really really hard.--I always start with the hardest to do first (that I think I can manage). Then during the preparation I kick at the sticks because I was stupid enough to do that ...

Well there is nothing to complain about now; no stupidity that cannot be remedied with a little walk-run-walking and hopefully they don't close the coarse before I cross the finish line because I refuse to be carried off the course.

There is definitely nothing more motivating than challenging myself to something that is doubtful that I can actually do but it just elevates my spirit to proclaim: " Yes I can! " and I will prove it. So come see me prove it: Halloween Half Marathon. I will be there, will you?

Come cheer me on and take pictures so I can post them here and you can see me in all my misery and triumph when I cross the finish line running!!!

30 Things about my Invisible Illness you probably didn't know

2009-09-26T12:21:00.005-06:00

So I found some other diabetes blogs in cyberspace and one I found is about a person who was diagnosed at 6 years old and has had it for 23 years. She is very active in the blogging world with her diabetes writing and I would like to be like her someday.

Her name is Kerri Morrone and she wrote a list of 30 things about type 1 Diabetes and how it affects her that I was very impressed with. I decided to copy her questions and post my own list; so here is the list I made my own, without further ado...

1. The illness I live with is: type 1 diabetes

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: October 1993

3. But I had symptoms since: September 1993

4. The biggest adjustment I've had to make is: adjusting to the changing demands of a disease that doesn't sit still for even a second.

5. Most people assume: That I am really strong and able to withstand some of the devastation of this disease. It is not who I am but I battle the depression of no cure every day and the loss of focus from low blood sugars all the time as you can't really grow brain cells back...

6. The hardest part about mornings are: waking up and functioning when my Blood sugars are below 70 and realizing this will never end until I make my final exit

7. My favorite medical TV show is: I don't have time to watch TV and I would rather blog and read books

8. A gadget I couldn't live without is: my glucose meter I could live without my pump but then I would have to take my shots undercover when having dinner with friends.

9. The hardest part about nights are: I can't sleep without reading and I can't stop long enough to fall asleep--a reaction to the lows from diabetes--that also probably explains the ADHD--it doesn't really show unless I am around children who are more ADD than me

10. Each day I take 2 pills & vitamins: Actually I don't take pills except vitamin D and for pain but the insulin thing is 24/7

11. Regarding alternative treatments: I will never be able to go off insulin entirely but exercise and diet does help with controlling my blood sugars so I don't have to take as much insulin--if I choose to live by the diet which is hard when noone else is. I have heard about Cell Restoration therapy but the cost is prohibitive and it's not really effective as a cure

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: These choices suck. I'd rather not have any illness, thank you very much.(I copied that as it reflects my sentiments exactly)

13. Regarding working and career: I'm a SAHM when I am not playing and homeschooling and running--but I don't get paid but I would like to....

14. People would be surprised to know: that it's not as easy as we make it look. Sometimes it hurts in every way.--Can you say mood swings?

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: that I want to go back to the old reality where I could eat whatever I want, I had the energy to do what I wanted to do and I was actually out there doing it all the time. There is an up side to this list and I will address it on my next blog post.

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: Have children and I am lucky to have the ones I do--My doctors said that if I tried for a fourth child: my husband might have to make the decision between me and the baby and they might lose both. We decided to be satisfied with 3 but really wanted 5--

17. The commercials about my illness: are never about MY illness. They are always about type 2 diabetes.--we just kinda get swept under the rug.--but I don't watch TV so I don't really pay attention...

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: eating without having the check and take insulin. Not have to respond to alarms all the time

19. It was really hard to have to give up: Snickers bars but that was inevitable if I want to keep my trim waistline anyway so I guess I don't miss giving that up...

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: ...Sewing, Cooking, running--well I was actually running when I was diagnosed but I haven't run in 15 years so I have taken it up again.--I cook because I need all natural food as artificial throws my glucose levels out of control.

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: I actually feel normal when I don't have to check -- although there is that insecurity that is linked with high or low blood sugars that I probably wouldn't have to deal with if I didn't have diabetes.

22. My illness has taught me: that I am not alone and that I can do anything I put my mind to--It has also taught me that I can't give up as long as I live--it hasn't beaten me yet even if I want to give up sometimes.

23. One thing people say that gets under my skin is: Do you want some Celery or something like that when I am having a low blood sugar episode--it clues me in to how I haven't helped them find the right information about how to help me treat my blood sugars and I need to improve.

24. But I love it when people: still accept me and treat me like a normal person and thank me for the information I provide.

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest" the other one is: When life gets too hard to stand
KNEEL

26. When someone is diagnosed I'd like to tell them: that they aren't alone. And they'll be okay if they take care of it and get some support from friends and loved ones.

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: that I can live a normal life outside of taking care of my diabetes

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn't feeling well was: visit and cheer me up

29. I'm involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I am actually not involved with this because I just found out about it

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: ...like you might understand me a little better and not judge me harshly when I fall since everyone does....

Steph This one is for You

2009-09-26T03:10:00.003-06:00

Dear Steph:
So I started reading your blog tonight or actually this morning and I just want to cry. You put all of your frustrations out there for the world to see and I just don't have the guts to do that but I feel the same way.

Anyone who wants to see how I feel sometimes should go here and check out Stephs blog because it is a really great look into the life of a Type 1 Diabetic. She calles her blog: my D Life...

If you want a support group, I think we should start one ourselves and get others that we know of to come. Then we can all hang out and have fun without the stigma of diabetes. We can also support each other in taking care of ourselves and share our strengths, weaknesses, despairs and triumphs.

I was always worried that you didn't like me or something for the way I acted at Wilderness Trek oh so long ago. We never kept in touch but that is a changeable thing with the information age. Email, Facebook, Twitter, etc, you name it, it is easier to keep in touch now than ever before. Why are we in contact? Why aren't I helping you face this? Why do you feel like you are facing it alone and that everyone thinks they know more about it than you do?

I would love to comment on your blog but I guess you will allow comments when you are ready. Thanks for letting me read it and I hope we can talk soon.

Chrystal

Drill Sargeant

2009-09-25T22:36:00.000-06:00

At the end of July, I got a letter in the mail about a recall from my pump manufacturer of all of the infusion sets I have been using.
The issue was when there was rapid elevation change and the resulting change in air pressure would cause a malfunction in the vent of the infusion set. WHAT?!?

You mean Ragnar wasn't all my fault??!!??--Remember my Ragnar Relay post where I was having huge problems with my sugar levels while I was running that 188 mile relay race? Yes! It wasn't all my fault...

I didn't even know that the infusion sets had to have vents and hadn't even thought about how exactly my pump works. I guess that is another example of using technology that I have no idea how it works but I just know it does and there is someone out there smarter than me who thought of all this--amazing to say the least.

So apparently, when there was a change in air pressure the infusion set would malfunction and I would get more insulin than I input into the pump or I would get less insulin than I input--kinda sounds like I might just want to rethink the whole pump vs. multiple shot daily regimen because I think that would never happen with a shot.

Time's Up

2009-08-26T10:06:00.000-06:00

This morning my Glucose was 73 when I woke up. I had decided to run this morning and had gone so far as to ask my severely sleep deprived husband to kick me out of bed so I would.

He said to me this morning--"if you are going to go run, now would be a good time."

It was 6:45AM.--I guess that is what I can expect but since he did that for me, I ran on the treadmill for 15 min--actually 6 min straight because I had to warm up my bones.

They were screaming at me they wanted to be in bed still and I had wasted so much time getting ready to run I wasn't about to stop. I started about 7:45 and ended at 8:00AM. Then to stretch I did 1/2 of my 20 min Pilates video to stretch after the pounding my bones had taken.

And now what am I doing? On the computer at 10:00 AM---Where did the other 1 1 /2 hours go?
Just a look into the world of the lost time of a diabetic....How many hours do I actually lose?

Unexpected

2009-08-26T09:57:00.000-06:00

So I am going along, writing posts that I think are necessary for education or information and am not hitting any chords with any readers; then I write a post that puts myself out in the open for all to see and bare the naked reality of my reaction to having diabetes and IT STRIKES A CHORD!

Sorry for the musical references here. I love music. Nuf' said about that subject.

So in the interest of readership: I will still give information but try to do it in a more personal way--I will be hanging out there in my naked reality for all to see and read. Please be kind and realize that we are all struggling with some incongruity to our physical, mental, social, spiritual beings. Some of us are struggling with all of the above and adding disease into it just makes the challenges just that more challenging to say the least.

For future posts, expect the unexpected and no more dry information posts, OK?

musings at 279

2009-08-23T14:08:00.003-06:00

so here I go and actually share something I wrote in my journal 3 days ago. I keep it up almost as much as this blog--oh well.....

I am not diabetes. It is not who I am. I don't need to be afraid of telling people what my BG's are; but I am. I am afraid that showing anything other than perfection would cause people to hate me. I want to hide when my BG's are 279 like this morning and I am on a self-hate kick.

I wonder if people would accept me more if they knew what high and low BG's do to my moods, emotions, and reactions. I am convinced that people don't really like me. I am convinced that they would rather not have me around and wish that I would just go away.

Does this mean that I don't want myself around?; that I would rather that I go away?; that I don't like me?

Maybe I have it all wrong and not showing my imperfection separates me from others....

Taming the Dragon or Dancing with the Bear

2009-07-27T15:03:00.008-06:00

When I have High blood glucose scores my husband calls dealing with me: Dancing with the Bear. He says it is like having a bear that is very cuddly and wants to dance one minute but cannot be sure when or if it is going to try to eat you. Last night I coined it Taming the Dragon and told my kids to call me a Dragon and to Check my sugar levels when I was being especially ornery, picky, or in high bad attitude form.

Bailey x 4 Asked a question on my last post about how I feel when my Sugar Levels are High. Thanks for the Comment by the way...

In answer to that question I could give all the usual answers that you are taught when you are first diagnosed like: extreme thirst, frequent bathroom calls, etc.

I am pretty sure that you are wondering about the nitty gritty stuff. The stuff that most diabetics have a hard time explaining.

One time I had a copy of a book that a wife wrote about her husband who was a Type 1 Diabetic, but in the intervening years, I have lost the copy. She told a gruesome story about his inability or complete disregard for his health and blood sugars, the kidney and liver failure and the amputation of limbs, and his general day to day struggle that involved her and their children. She described in detail about his mood swings going from loopy and eating to all out abusive because of the extreme anger episodes.

There were pictures in the book and I would be scared of this guy as he had to have weighed 250 lbs and was at least 6 ft tall. Can you even imagine someone that big getting angry and throwing things? Scary.

Ok so back to the subject of how do I know nitty gritty when I am high. One of my biggest clue ins if I haven't been paying attention to checking my sugars and taking insulin for the food I have been eating is Paranoia. That's right, you heard/read it correctly; I get paranoid when my sugar levels go above 200.

I want to run away.
I am afraid that everyone, especially the people I am closest too and love the most, are avoiding me, do not like me, are ignoring me and/or wish I would go away. I feel that I want to run away.

Anyone who knows me well and has been around me alot, would have a hard time believing this. Usually I am serious but fun when you get to know me and my sarcastic sense of humor, I seem to others at my funniest when I am being absolutely serious; at least that is the only time they laugh at what I say...Anyway: I am nice, fun, outgoing, friendly--the kind of person people like to be around and talk to.

However, when my sugars are over 200--I feel the opposite. I retreat from society in my mind and withdraw into myself to "protect myself"; I do paranoid things. You can take that how you want--. Something else that I do is react more stongly than I usually would. My anger is more angry and every negative emotion seems to be magnified. Strangely, every positive emotional response is minimized--I don't feel as excited or happy about things as I normally would. Unpredictability is the norm for high blood sugars. And the higher you go the more amplified the reaction. This is more of a worst case scenario situation.

Isn't brain chemistry interesting?!

When I get like that I need to be reminded that I am High and it will pass when my blood scores are back to normal. In an extreme case after I have treated the high my husband will tell me to go calm down somewhere by myself and come out when I am back to normal (no longer a dragon). Usually I will recognize the cause and effect of the problem and am able to mostly control myself because I understand the what’s and why’s of the irrational response.

A lot of the time, I just feel thirsty, or something internal reminds me I haven't checked or, haven’t taken any insulin in awhile and I have been eating. “Why didn't I take insulin for that huge piece of cake with the mile-high frosting on it?” I think to myself.

So when I check and the result is: you guessed it: 7million (ok less so, I’d likely be dead before I reached 1000) but I think you get the picture. All the while I am thinking: “Why, did I think I could eat that and not pay the consequences?”, “Oh man, my doctor is going to see this--agggghhhh!.

If I bite down on the response to get angry and contain the dragon, I am ok. I take insulin and wait for a couple of hours, drinking a few quarts of water, making numerous bathroom calls and my sugars come right down and I am relatively normal again.

False Hi's

2009-07-22T01:39:00.002-06:00

Has this ever happened to you?

I am feeling Low. So I eat a banana; then I think: "Oh Crap! I didn't check my blood!

So I go check my blood. The result is 200 !

I think: What?!? and treat by giving myself insulin.

My husband sees what is happening and says, "Did you wash your hands?" (Did you know you need to wash your hands? They may have sugar on them from hugging your sticky kids, or something.)

Hello Synapse!!!!

So I wash my hands. Then I check my Blood. AAAGGGHHH--52 ...

Oh Crap: I just gave myself a GALLON of insulin!----Better get eating... and eating... and eating... (This is where eating the entire contents of the Fridge would come in handy).

And the moral of the story is: Always wash your hands before checking your blood.

Low Blood Sugar--How do you know and what do you do about it?

2009-07-02T15:44:00.018-06:00

Three questions I am asked frequently are:

"How do you know when your blood sugar levels are low ?", "How do you know what to do to treat them?", and "What can someone else do to help someone who has low blood sugar?"

One of the first things I learned when I was diagnosed with diabetes was when and how to check my blood sugars. The nurses in the hospital would come in and check my blood glucose regularly on an hourly schedule; kind of like the nurse thing for making sure the patient is resting well by waking them to ask every hour if they are resting well, except they came to extract blood from my fingers every hour. Evil but necessary, especially in the beginning. Then, I was given a meter and taught how and when to torture myself (check my own blood). The schedule looked something like: test upon waking, before and after eating, prior to going to sleep, and then whenever I felt I needed to or didn't "feel right".

When I am feeling “not right” because my blood sugars are low some symptoms others may notice or that I feel are being 'off balance'--I can't focus, I change the subject in the middle of a sentence, I feel 'panicky'; parts of my body tingle or go numb. In extreme cases, I start to act like someone who is "drunk"; if you check though, the test would be negative for "drunkenness". I quit making sense, become edgy, excessively happy or angry; Often switching back and forth for no apparent reason. This sudden unpredictability keeps my family on their toes because at times it gets pointed at them if I don’t catch it fast enough.

This sound worse than it actually is. I have a habit of presenting the worst-case scenario and then you get to be pleasantly surprised when my blood sugars are 49 and I am joking around and acting loopy and not exhibiting any of the above behaviors. Wow--what a long sentence--I think I am low, I am going to go check my blood...be right back...

This feeling was very unnerving when I was first diagnosed, and can still be a pain if I get caught off guard by it. At first I wanted to stop that feeling quickly so I would eat all the food in the "refrigerator" until I felt better. Talk about OVERDOSE! I would have to deal with the "7,000,000" blood sugar (ok the 300 +) that resulted. Not a really fun experience to say the least.

I guess I could put something in here about CONTROL....people with OCD have nothing on people with Type 1 Diabetes who want to have good blood sugars all the time; but that is another post. I can see it all now.

A Type 1 diabetic (I can only guess that Type 2 is similar) with a very low blood sugar isn't going to like anything you give them. Low blood sugar affects how they taste things and they may or may not give you a preference. If they do: give them what they ask for, if you have it, and then have them check their sugar again in 15 minutes to see if the food you provided had an effect.

Just for your information: if you know someone who is dealing with this or you see any of these signs, or they ask you for something with sugar--juice is best:--preferably not Orange Juice.

Why not orange juice (or anything acidic?) you may ask. Because the acidic taste is nasty to me in this state, as my brain is not firing normally. You are likely to end up wearing it if you stand in the wrong place when I spit out the nasty tasting fluid on the well-intended you (not on purpose, of course). However if nothing else is available talk me into drinking it anyway; just stand out of direct spitting range (hubby's experience speaking). I like apple juice, or anything that is sweet; a small package will do; (Gallons not required; see the 7 million BGS above). I need a snack with enough sugar to pump glucose into my system. Then I can stabilize the whole thing when all the synapses in my brain are firing correctly.

The order for treating low blood sugar in my opinion and experience is the following:

fruit juice--or some other sweet liquid--1 serving having 15 grams of CHO(carbohydrate)

1/2 of a Banana or some other fruit easily eaten and digested

Milk--1 cup --milk has protein which the body turns into glocose at a much slower rate. This helps the BG to stabilize.

If all you have available is a candy bar, that will do, it's just not as healthy or as fast as juice.

When you check the BG level again, if the number has not changed or is lower: treat again by giving 15 more grams of carbohydrate. Repeat this process until the blood sugars return to normal; normal range being between 80-120mg.

*FYI: I am not a medical doctor. I am someone who has battled type 1 diabetes for 16 years with no complications or hospitalizations. Yeah I’m proud of that accomplishment!!!... (and humble too)!

Ragnar Relay

2009-06-24T15:31:00.003-06:00

If none of you have ever heard of a Ragnar Relay then you should go and check it out here.
I just ended my long road preparing for one while trying to learn about how my body handles my blood sugar levels while running.

I am about to tell you that my body handles running better than stress when it comes to my blood sugars.
The stress of running a long race coupled with running it with people I barely knew added up to very high blood sugars, an inability to know how much insulin to take to bring the blood sugars into normal levels and an exponential increase of the stress of the two compounding to result in alot of fear.

My blood sugars a couple of hours before my first run were around 400 with no food. I hadn't eaten anything because I was too nervous. I was afraid to take as much insulin as my pump recommended because I had experienced a rapid drop in blood sugars during my running while I had been training.

I opted to take only 1/2 of the recommended amount and then check my blood sugars more often to make sure that I wouldn't go down too quickly.

Well that was a bomb, to say the least. My body reacted very well even to the reduced amount of insulin so that when I was ready to run my first leg, 6.9 miles total mileage, my blood sugars were almost in normal ranges. I got kind of scared because I knew I still had 1/2 of my insulin working in my system.

I don't normally eat very much when I am running because it makes me upset to my stomach so I had packed some licorice and asked the fruit provider to buy bananas because I had trained with these: WELL: Technically I trained with the bananas and the licorice was an emergency supply that I hoped I wouldn't lose my lunch when I ate it.

I didn't specifically train with the licorice because I love black licorice so much and I finally found some that didn't have "ugh" high fructose corn syrup or any kinds of partially hydrogenated anything "ugh"

I can't keep that stuff in the house because I will eat it so it is a catch-22 because I needed it during the big race but I can't train with it because I want to eat so much of it.--bad thing for high blood sugars.

Well: needless to say I battled with my blood sugars throughout the race and finally a couple of days after I called up my doc and got an appointment. I see the doc in a month and have emailed a couple of times. I got some suggestions that I will use to bring my blood sugars back in line ( I have to use these as I don't have a Sensor. See earlier posts for that story....)

running off the fat

2009-05-09T15:36:00.003-06:00

I am finding out some very cool things about my body and running. My fear about running was that I would be running along and my blood sugars would drop dangerously low and I would be unprepared to handle that situation with a snack or something and then I would be hospitalized and die....or something like that.

I know--fear is not a reason not to do something and I was determined to face my fear head on and not hide from it anymore. I was also noticing my waistline was not getting any smaller and my thighs and hips weren't either; in fact, they were going very quickly in the other direction.

So, the first thing I did before starting my running was to tell my friends and neighbors and DOCTOR that I wanted to run a marathon. I checked books out of the library about running. I read all the books about running marathons--well, actually I only read two books. One was about Extreme Marathoners and the other one was Jeff Galloway's "Marathon, You Can Do It."

I read "Marathon, You Can Do It" first and then when I got an infection in my foot, I had more time to read the other about the Extreme Marathoner--Dave or Dan Kankarezes or something like that. Actually I just looked his name up and I was wrong on both counts he is actually called : Dean Karnazes and he is the 2009 UltraMarathon Man. You can read about him here .

Jeff Galloway got me running--he just told me I could do it and I believed him.

The thing telling everyone did for me was make me actually get off my butt and do it. How could I go back after not completing something I had told everyone I wanted to do and then have to backtrack and say it was too hard? I like my credibility too much for that and I have my pride to consider also. It won't let me say I will do something and then not do it. I will look bad.

I guess I was afraid more of looking bad than whether I would go low and DIE!

And the March goes on, and on; and on; and on.....

2009-02-04T16:32:00.004-07:00

So I haven't posted since January 11: Wow: I haven't taken the time to even think about blogging. I have been focusing so much on running, helping put together a team for the Ragnar Relay and my diabetes that I haven't even thought about my blog. Thanks Debbie for leaving a comment on my last post. You should check out her blog: it is hilarious. I have it bookmarked in my folder called : Hilarious....

So I have been having some interesting results with the running. I got a GPS for Christmas and have been logging the miles on it; and checking my pace, and trying to time my run/walk/run sequence; etc,
but I am getting frustrated because I can't run as far or as fast as I see myself running in my head.

I have this sunny day, blue skies picture in my head where I am out on the road in this totally hip running outfit with shoes that are totally new but still very well broken-in; just running and running and running and I am not even tired.

That is so totally not me right now and I am beginning to wonder if that ever will be me; I am too impatient with myself, I guess.

Where else would I want to spill my deep down desires but the World Wide Web where there is no privacy-ever?

The thing that has really been bugging me about running and diabetes is if my Blood Sugars are not under 200--I will be higher, not lower, after giving insulin at 1/2 the recommended rate and then running for 8 miles or some other ridiculously high number like that--it is ridiculous to me because I am a beginner but I am working on being able to run 30miles so I am really worried about what my blood sugars are going to do. I can just see myself getting back from a particularly stressful long run of about 15 miles or so and I am not over 200 or 300 but over 500: THAT really scares me--I thought running or exercising was supposed to help my body metabolize the sugar faster and better not the other way around.

I guess a chat with the doctor will have to suffice for this dilemma. I just expected to have problems on the other end of the spectrum: having alot of low blood sugars, not high...........

I must be in the Twilight Zone

2009-01-11T19:54:00.002-07:00

So I have this new pump. Now don't get me wrong, I think it is awesome qualified with one teensy, weensy problem that is totally unacceptable to me. The backlight doesn't work.

The backlight is the coolest thing because you can give yourself insulin or check an alarm in the dark. Except mine flickers and sometimes doesn't turn on so I think this pump is going back to the manufacturer to be replaced. I am assuming that is what they do for pumps that are only 3 days old.

Actually, what they will do is send me a brand new pump and a box to send their pump back to them. Then I don't have to be without a pump. They even pay for shipping. I love Minimed Customer Service.

Just know that Minimed Customer Service is second to none and that is why I keep going back. If I couldn't stand the customer service, I would have changed to a new pump company long ago.

There aren't alot of companies out there that make this equipment, but there are enough for competition and so it boils down to customer service and awesome people on the phone and internet. Thank goodness that the Twilight Zone doesn't insert it self into that part of their operation.

New Year, New Pump, but no Sensor

2009-01-09T20:07:00.003-07:00

So I have been trying to set up some training for the new Continuous Glucose Monitoring Sensor that I was supposed to get as soon as it turned January.

Everything, I thought, was all set up and I couldn't wait. I called January 2 to order my Minimed 522 Insulin Pump and linked Continuous Glucose Monitoring Transmitter .

This pump is awesome and I can't even begin to explain all of the benefits to using a pump with a continuous glucose monitor so I will send you here to read what Minimed says about it.

Pretty awesome huh?

Well I got a surprise when I went to order it. I talked to Pedro(name has been changed to protect the innocent) at the supplier and he told me that the insurance had not, in fact, approved purchase of my Continuous Glucose monitoring system and it was not covered like they had ASSUMED it was covered.

I called my insurance company and they told me it is still "experimental" and until they have more evidence than just my say so that it is not experimental, my insurance policy excludes purchase of this system.

WHAT?????

What I don't get is something that has these BENEFITS and are backed up by this Study; which was completed more than ten years ago, how could it still be experimental?

So I am going to put a case together to get the insurance company to change its mind.

I guess I will have to call the Minimed trainer back and unschedule my scheduled training. I already know how to use the pump. I have been using their pumps for more than 10 years.

I will also have to call my doctor's office and cancel the appointment I had with him to teach me how to adjust my insulin usage based on whether my Blood Glucose was going up or going down and how fast, etc.

What a mess. Oh well. On to the battle to train for a Half Marathon in May and Ragnar Relay in June; ALL WITHOUT A CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITOR.....

I guess I will have to make more pit stops to check my blood sugars and gobble some sugar so I don't go in to a coma and die while running 13.1 miles or on the hardest leg of a Ragnar relay (at least in my state) 8.5 up and mostly downhill.

Such is life: Murphy always happens and if it can go wrong, it will; just not in the way you expect.

I don't hate Diabetes--Exactly

2008-12-29T08:16:00.002-07:00

I have to qualify my first post where I said "I HATE DIABETES" in big capital letters(or at least that is what I was feeling like that day)

So many blessings have come into my life since I got diabetes that I can't discount all of the good that has come to me because of this diagnosis. I'll just name 5 blessings

1. I have better health than ever before. Since I have to eat more healthfully to keep my Blood Sugars under Control, the natural byproduct is better health. I also have to exercise and that is definitely a benefit for my body.

2. I have my husband. I had no intention of getting married after high school. I wanted to make my mark on humanity and I thought that was in the working world. I would never have moved to the town or frequented the places I met him if I hadn't gotten diabetes.

3. I have my children. I never wanted kids. I never liked babysitting other peoples and why would I want some of my own.

4. I have God. He was always there but I wasn't interested in what He had to offer, getting diabetes forced me to examine how I was living my life and what I wanted, really wanted out of life, and I realized that I wanted His help, and it was there for me....nuf said

5. I have friends. That sounds so contrite. I had them before but now I get to see their mettle, and if they are really my friends: the ones that stay long-term. Thanks you guys, you know who you are.....

Just one more

6. I have this blog: is it a blessing or a curse? I would never have started a blog of any sort, but diabetes gives me a platform that I know some small thing about; it allows me to be just different enough to satisfy my need to not follow the crowd.

I sweat sugar!!! Needs more tests

2008-12-21T20:14:00.002-07:00

I just ran into something fascinating about my body that I wanted to share. I just went to the doctor and I have been waking up low, ie: 59 BG instead of the wanted 90 so the doc changed my Basal Insulin Rate from 2AM at .95/u per hour to 6AM at .95/u per hour.

The first morning that I had the new basal rate change: my morning score was 266 which is about 180+ above normal range.

I had my long run which is up to 5 miles so I gave 1/2 the amount of insulin and got dressed and ran on the treadmill. I did a run walk routine for about 70 min. to complete my 5 miles and then I checked my Blood sugars.

Just a note that substantiates my claim about sweating sugar: I had been sweating profusely and I had been wiping it off with my hands to prevent the sweat from getting in my eyes. I was literally dripping when I finished.

My Blood Sugar reading was 186 which for my response to exercise, was much higher than I was expecting. Considering that I had just exercised continuously for more than 1 hour, I was expecting that my Blood Glucose would be in the 50-80 range. I thought that was strange but whenever I have a reading that I don't understand and is substantially out of what I am expecting, I always go wash my hands and then check again.

When I did this: my BG was 116. WOW!!! And I am therefore led to believe that when I have High Blood Sugars, my body uses every tool at its disposal to get rid of the excess sugar; IE: I sweat sugar----SWEET!!!

Of course to substantiate my claim: I will have to redo the test again.. If my BG is higher than 250 tomorrow morning I will try the test again: run 5 miles and see if the same result happens. I don't think I want to do this more than once so I hope that I will prove my theory right.

Back up and Running

2008-11-14T20:17:00.003-07:00

Is there ever a way to be back to normal? What is normal anyway?

I have been dealing with an infection on one of my toes. It started out as a hangnail that I just pulled off.
A week later it got infected and then I had to go through two rounds of Antibiotics and putting antibiotic cream on it twice a day. The doctor also ordered X-rays to rule out an infection in the bone. That kind of scared me because who knew how soon it would heal if the infection was there. He said I was doing the right things but the bacteria were just hanging on. 100.00 worth of X-rays later and I found out that day that my bones are clean and there is no infection.

I had almost given up hope that it would ever heal because I have to keep it covered to keep the germs and dirt away and every night, I would look at it and despair of it ever having that completely healed look. Thanks heaven I am almost out of the woods on this one.

It has now been two months, and a lost toenail later that I think it has finally healed. There is no more pain and that is all I can hope for. At least I can still feel my feet.

Since I have been going through this, I haven't been able to wear my normal shoe: a Saucony Running Shoe because they are the most comfortable shoes on the planet in my opinion.

I signed up to run a 5K on Thanksgiving morning and then found out just yesterday that I haven't completed the sign up process. So I can back out if I want to: but I won't because my goal is to run a marathon. I think a 5K is a good start but I am a little nervous because all the time I could have been spending on training has been spent on healing. I will go out tomorrow on my long run and see if I can run 3 miles. I can't actually run more than a few blocks in a row right now but I am going to be working on building my endurance and using Jeff Galloway's Walk-Run routine seems like the best way to run without injury.

I just finished reading Jeff Galloway's Book on Running and he saved the injury section for last. I think it was because the description of them, not to mention the pain involved would talk me out of running in an instant. He spends the entire book educating you how to run so you don't get injured and encouraging you that it is within your reach and then gives the bad news at the end.

I wasn't fazed -That Much-- I really want control of my diabetes and I feel this is the way to get it and get all of the benefits of running combined. Plus I don't like taking insulin and I would love if I could reduce my habit to almost zero. That is control in my book.

I also want to live to see my kids grow up and graduate, go to college, get married, go on missions, etc. I won't be able to do that if I don't get a handle on this Diabetes thing.

I am just working out how I will control my blood sugars in a marathon or any other race for that matter. I tend to use all of my sugar and am more sensitive to the insulin than when I am not exercising. I wouldn't want that to happen while I am running. I don't think I have seen a drunk sailor running and that is what I would look like with low blood sugars if I don't collapse altogether.

Hallelujah Monday

2008-11-03T22:36:00.007-07:00

I got a call from my supplier of Pump Supplies. When I called back, I got the whole rundown on upgrading my pump. The person also said they, meaning the Company, had already sent the necessary paperwork to my Doctor to start the approval process. I asked about the CGMS (AKA: Continuous Glucose Monitoring System) and said supplier said they had run the CODES and they had come back approved.

This is really cool because I had a conversation with my DOCTOR last week and he said he hadn't been able to get any approval on this item. This says to me that my insurance company is going to pay for CGMS!!!!

I am only so excited because the actual cost for this option and the necessary supplies run in the ballpark of:(don't let the air suck itself out of the room please, which would sound like a sharp intake of breath)

1500-3000 for the Sensor and 250-350 per month for the supplies. This is so I can have the A!C of a normal person which is currently 4-6% ( this is a whole math problem of the amount of sugar divided by the total amount of blood)

I don't know about you but that is a prohibitively expensive (do you think I could have used a bigger word?) amount of money each and every month.

Just so you know, I really do talk this way in real life and I am very excited about this because I think all of my efforts to keep my blood sugar levels under control will not go wasted on the whim of whatever is happening to me at any particular time during the day.

It's not Over till it's OVER.......

2008-11-03T01:22:00.004-07:00

I have finally started and I know it is very early in the morning but I had to do this. Tomorrow I will start adding raw data about what I am doing to take care of myself.

I will do this every day so that I will have a record of what I did.

I don't know if this will include what I ate (do I really want to give that information?) or if I exercised; I think it might because it does fall into the scope of things here so bring it on.

(My Significant Other says: Bring it on and bring some caffeine!! Anyone who knows me will know: I don't drink that stuff and I would be a hypocrite if I did because I spend so much time telling everyone that it is bad for you and not to do it; and maybe I shouldn't blog what he says...)

I wonder what the Doc will say. Oh I know; he will just laugh and chalk it up to: that is Wife of Ski. Yes that is what I am calling myself (you didn't really think I would leave my real name here did you?)

I just have to say: I hate Diabetes.

There. That being said: I will never give up fighting to have a better life in spite of it; and I mean that, not because I think anyone will read this (which I don't) but because I want a better life, even if I throw my hands in the air, some days, and say, "I give up today because I can't handle the stress"; or something along those lines.

So now begins my JOURNAL; what a horrible word; of my struggles and triumphs with Diabetes. And maybe sometime, I will post something that happened in the past.

This is a work in progress, as is all life and it just isn't over until it is over.....