Thursday, September 24, 2009

Diabetes, stop messing with me!!

One of the most frustrating things about diabetes is that you never know what to expect.  Monday I spiked before I ate dinner, only to land squarely at 99 by bedtime despite some cheesecake for dessert.  And Tuesday?  Tuesday evening was even more confusing.

Pete and I had our ballroom lesson and then stopped at Panera for dinner.  Aside from liking Panera's soups, salads and sandwiches, I also love that their carb counts are readily available.  I easily tallied up the carbs in my dinner and bolused.

A few hours later, I was playing around on the computer and felt a little low.  My CGM showed me heading down towards the 70s.  I knew I should test, but instead I just ate a big spoonful of peanut butter and a Dove Promise.  About 20 minutes later my low alarm went off.  I was starting to get that cloudy feeling in my brain and I was suddenly very sweaty.  I couldn't remember where my meter was.  I called for Pete, who brought it in from the kitchen and waited while I tested.  39 flashed on the screen and Pete ran for a juice box, which I quickly downed.  I knew the 13g of carbs might not be enough, so Pete brought my favorite treatment for a very-low low . . . a spoonful of chocolate frosting.

After finishing that, I started to have that overwhelming urge to keep eating.  I went to the kitchen and got another spoonful of frosting.  Then I devoured one of those fruit strips Kerri turned me on to.  A strawberry one.  I wanted a grape one too but Pete was adamant that I had eaten plenty and I needed to stop.  So I waited until he went upstairs and snuck one, quietly wolfing it down before he returned.  Yes, I am five years old!

overtreating a low

Fifteen minutes later I tested again and was 68.  I got washed up for bed and did one last finger-stick . . . 83.  I debated taking a unit or two of insulin because I knew I had over-treated.  Pete talked me into letting it go and this time I listened to him.  We knew my CGM would alarm me of the impending high and I could just correct then.

Sure enough, at 3 a.m., the shrill of the CGM woke me.  I looked at the screen to see just how high I was . . . and was shocked to see it reporting a 68.  "This thing is not working." I said out loud to no one, since Pete was sound asleep.  I did a finger-stick to see how far off it was.  Turns out, it was only off by one point.  My blood sugar was 69.  "What the ^@%$*#." I said to K.C, who had come to investigate.  She stared blankly back at me - partly because she has yet to understand the intricacies of diabetes.  And partly because at 3 a.m. all she is interested in is a scoop of kibble or a scratch underneath her chin.

I thought about eating a few carbs, but I decided against it.  I've been waking up consistently around 100 every morning and I know that by 3 a.m. I start to rise a bit.  So I went back to sleep.  Three hours later, my fasting blood sugar was 58.

I just don't understand.  I ate a big spoonful of peanut butter, a Dove Promise, a Motts Tot's juice box, two big spoons of chocolate frosting, a strawberry FruitaBü and a grape FruitaBü.  And according to my CGM graph, I never went higher than 107.  Yet Monday I had salad and an apple for lunch and soared into the 200s.

Diabetes, stop messing with me!!!

6 comments:

  1. So frustrating. So very frustrating. I just don't get it. Never have. Never will.

    I try my best to go with the flow. There are days I just want to zone out and not deal.

    I love chocolate frosting as a pick me up too. ;-)

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  2. Oh, I hear you. Last night I was stuck in the 60s for three hours, and barely made it to 107 before bed...only to wake up at 387 at 2am :-( I overtreated, but not nearly as much as I've done in the past. Ugh...

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  3. I feel ya...when I think I've gone overboard at a friends bbq or out to eat is when I have some of my best #'s...

    and then there are times where I make my protein shakes, nibble veggies all day, exercise and can have some of my highest #'s...

    it's all crazy trying to figure out this D puzzle...

    P.S. I LOVE FruitaBü!

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  4. Don't you hate when that happens!?!? Geesh....OMG! Bright side---At least you had some good snacks:)
    darn diabetes

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  5. I love Panera too, but I've found their carb info to be a little undependable. I've looked up a sandwich and gotten 3 different results from Panera, Calorie King, and some other one that I can't remember at the moment. But as you pointed out, diabetes is undependable too, so maybe I just expect too much.

    P.S. That last paragraph was dangerous. Now I want peanut butter, chocolate frosting, and apple juice. Thanks. ;)

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  6. When you exercise you can become more insulin efficient for up to 24 hours. Was it the first time you've done ballroom lessons? I'm new to your blog so I haven't read back that far. It's possible you could need less insulin on the nights you have lessons. It's also possible that diabetes is just weird and has no rhyme or reason.

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