Sep 10, 2022

The Land of the Low

 In 2011 when I was running the Wasatch Back my pump malfunctioned: when I was at higher altitude, I was getting more insulin than I needed due to a malfunction with the reservoir. I got a letter a couple weeks after from Medtronic explaining but the damage had already been done. I couldn't keep my blood sugars above 40 the whole time I was at that altitude. I had tried to train my team and explain but my team mate who was supplying me argued with me about what I was doing and I told him to just do it. I didn't know why....the longer I stayed low the ornerier I got....I hate going low. I tried changing my site but it didn't help....I had trained at those levels, I was prepared to run the legs I was responsible for---I was unaware of the malfunction and it didn't happen on any of my training runs. It was really weird.

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if the routine changes too much and I'm more active or less it does affect my blood sugars ....I'm going to bet she is more active because of the move: and it will calm down eventually.
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I have a defense mechanism that I set up shortly after that: I buy glucose tablets by the 50 ct carton. I buy 5-6 cartons at a time and store them until they are needed: I like the Kroger ones: they taste good and they are inexpensive. 3.99 for 1 carton. I also bought some smaller containers that fit like 12 glucose tablets in each: I have glucose everywhere I go: I always carry it in my purse and car and I have it in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom in 2 places. I also have my other favorite treatment which is nature valley granola bars: the crispy ones that I keep in my closet. They are for hiking to make you drink more water but I use them because they have 2 bars in each package and each bar is 15CHO and I can easily break it in half if I need less. I don't do candy: preservatives and additives make me swell and hurt my stomach.
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I've had Diabetes for almost 30 years. diagnosed when I was still a teenager and a couple of weeks ago I took 30 min in my backyard cleaning it up and went low....I didn't even think about how that would affect me or check to see how much insulin I still had on board......since I'm prepared with tools for quick treatment: its wasn't so hard to come back up but it knocks you out sometimes.

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