Elephants never forget... just get distracted

21 years with type 1 diabetes and this very seldom happens but it does happen. I did say to myself "how is it possible that I forgot to bolus for a meal?"

Then I reminded myself that it usually happens when a young person starts a sentence with "Mom ...".

Anyway, I very rarely forget to take my bolus insulin but this morning I did. It was breakfast. I usually catch the error when I'm expecting my insulin pump to notify me that it's been two hours since I bolused and that I should be my post-meal blood glucose test. This morning I had the added incentive of my weekly coffee morning and wanting to test before I left the house. 

I tested and I was 17.8 mmol/ls (323 mg/dl)!!! I knew I had started the day with reasonable (i.e. single digit) number, so I went into my pump history to see if I actually bolused. Surprise!!! No bolus, thank goodness for insulin pump histories.

I took my correction bolus of 2+ units and wondered how taking my insulin before breakfast can make such a HUGE difference? I have a medium sized bowl of porridge (I know, boring but reliable) and take 0.60 units which usually brings me in a little under the target for the two hours post-meal test. However, two cups of coffee later I'm on target for lunch.

I'm surprised that 0.60 units make such a difference, compared to the 2 units I needed to cover my breakfast two hours later.

I pause for thought!

Do you ever feel like all you see are the Highs and the Lows?

When you look at your record book, do you ever feel like all you see are the high blood glucose readings or the lows. Do you ever notice that you have a number of decent readings but that they don't count?

I test approximately 8 times a day and last night I realised that most of those readings were fairly decent, as in fairly close to my targets.

But when I went to bed last night all I was think about was the 12mmols before bedtime and how it was going to be high again in the morning. I then realised that the other 7 readings I took that day were decent (I'm not going to jinx it by saying they were good).

I seem to focus on the ones that are high and the few that are low. I know that I have to think about those readings more so that I can try to eliminate them but shouldn't I think more about the good readings to keep my head in a good space?

I'm being hard on myself. My endo always tells me that and that it's never as bad as I think. I suppose I'm afraid to give myself a pat on the back when I'm doing well because, no. 1 is it really my work that is to be credited, I mean who knows, it could just be all the stars lining up in the universe. Or No.2, I'm afraid to give myself a pat on the back because I might just get complacent and let things start to slide.

Or is it just because tomorrow is another day with diabetes. 

Why does my diabetes not stay the same?

Life with type 1 diabetes is always changing. That's probably THE most frustrating part of diabetes, well for me, for today anyway.

Three weeks ago my blood sugars after my dinner were skyrocketing up into the high teens and twenties. I haven't changed my routine in any way, the food is the same, my stress levels might be a little elevated but not too much.

This trend of high blood sugars after my meal (postprandial) continued for the week and my instructions from my endo are that if something happens for two days in a row then on the third day take action to prevent it. I usually let it continue for a couple more days though just to be sure that it's not something random happening twice (you never know do you?).

I considered all the options that were available to me. I could decrease my insulin to carb ratio for dinner, or I could increase the basal rate on my insulin pump from dinner time until bedtime. Or both but I decided that this was a bad idea. It's better to try one change at a time as too many changes at the same time can leave you guessing which one is to blame if you start having hypos.

I chose to decrease my insulin to carb ratio from 1 unit of insulin to 10 grams of carb (1:10) to 1:7grams. It worked just a little too well on the first night and I ended up with lows for the rest of the evening. So the next night I tried 1:8grams. BINGO! That's the perfect number.... for now anyway.

My next question is why did my insulin to carb ratio have to change for no apparent reason? I mean, I've been at 1:10 for a number of years. AND it was so easy to work out 1:10gms. Now I have to actually use a calculator cos I'm terrible at math.

Ah well, it's nice to solve a diabetes problem. I have so many others that I can't solve.

Type 1 Diabetic Hopes

Inspiration to live well with diabetes can come from the most unexpected sources. The inspiration from this post came from an essay entitled "Type 1 Diabetes - My Many Fears" written by Australian, Alex Williams.

His essay is very well written and even resonates some of my own fears. But as they old saying goes "a life lived in fear.... is a life half lived". So I am packing up those old fears (for today) and putting them in the attic part of my brain for when I might need them and I'm going to think about hopes.

I hope, someday, to be an octogenarian and proudly announce that I have lived 60+ years with type 1 diabetes and that apart from a few aches and pains I have no serious diabetes complications. I do have high hopes.

I hope to be fit enough to run and play with some of my future grandchildren. This is really my biggest dream. I've loved being Mom but being Granny won't have all of the angst.

I hope that in less than five years (that's 2019) the artificial pancreas/closed loop system will be available in Ireland.

I hope that that our health service has all the services in place so that the Artificial Pancreas is easy to access for all people with diabetes.

I hope that in 5 years that 80% or more of people with diabetes in Ireland will have been offered an insulin pump and/or a Continuous Glucose monitor.

I hope that some day in the near future that all people with type 1 diabetes will be able to access structured education where they are receiving their diabetes care. And that all Type 1 diabetes centres have more than 1 (but even 1 would be good) Diabetes nurse specialist, Dietitian and Phycologist.

I hope that, one day, there is a cure. 

World Diabetes Day 2014

It's HERE!!!!

World Diabetes Day falls on November 14th every year - it's a global event! But what is it? Any why make a fuss about diabetes anyway?

Well, if you have type 1 diabetes, or any type of diabetes, its a day to celebrate being alive. If any of us were diagnosed before 1922 none of us would have what we have today, our children wouldn't have been born, we wouldn't be alive!

92 years ago a couple of scientists made it possible for people with diabetes to live. Before 1922, people and children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes died within four months.

So I celebrate the day that Sir Frederick Banting was born, November 14th. And I celebrate that he met and worked with Charles Best. 

AND, not only are people with diabetes living today, we are thriving! So I’m not really celebrating having diabetes. I’m celebrating life and the quality of it.

Did you test Mom?

Yesterday, I wrote about my son, so today I'm writing about my daughter who is 10 and who makes me so proud everyday.

Mondays evenings are tough in my house. Especially, when the chef (i.e. hubby) is on a business trip!!!

I usually cook dinner before swimming lessons and then heat it up when we get home. Last Monday, while I was waiting for dinner to reheat, I tested my blood glucose and took my bolus.

I normally do this when I sit to the table.

I should probably explain that we also have a "good table manners" policy at the dinner table. This means nobody can start eating until everyone is at the table with food in front of them. I know we're weird in our house!

We do have one addition to the rule; everyone can start eating if everyone is at the table with food in front of them and if Mom is testing.

Last Monday, when we all sat at the table and we all started eating and my daughter asked; Did you test Mom? Here was me thinking that they really don't see any of my diabetes stuff any more, especially since the time my daughter said "that's new!" referring to a new glucose meter I had gotten one year earlier.

You never know with children do you? I just hope she doesn't ever become a member of the diabetes police!

My young lady