When I converted over to an insulin pump roughly four years ago, little did I know that syringes would never go away.  I have written here before some of the reasons I miss my syringes and my insulin pen.  With injections there’s no unknown.  You fill the syringe, you grab some skin and inject.  When using an insulin pump there are a few unknowns and a mental checklist that you need to go through when something doesn’t seem right or your numbers are out of whack. 

[Source]

I sometimes long for the freedom of no tubing or infusion sets.  I wonder what life would really be like if i was cured.  How long would I continue to test my blood sugar after being cured out of habit or curiosity?  When I am in between infusion sets and showering it’s the best feeling.  I don’t have to worry about the infusion set getting attacked by the towels’ strands. I know I digress, so I’ll get to my point of this post.

There will always be syringes in my house for two very good reasons. 

1. They are a backup for the time when/if my insulin pump dies
2. I use them very effectively for correcting my blood sugar

Anytime my blood sugar is over 300 I will almost always use a syringe to correct it.  I have found through experience that an injection in a different area than the infusion set will bring my blood sugar down faster than a corrective bolus any day of the week and twice on Sunday.  I imagine it that when I am bolusing and infusing insulin in one area, it can tend to get pooled up before it is absorbed.  If I eat a lot of carbs, bolus and then find I am still high, I find it more effective to inject into a different site.

Another benefit of using a syringe is that you take out the unknown of a bad infusion site, pump problems, reservoir problems, bleed backs, gusher, etc.  I know that when I inject the insulin my blood sugar WILL come down.  If I enter a corrective bolus, it’s a crap shoot.  When my blood sugar is really jacked up, I might inject about 70% of the corrective dose while bolusing for the other 30%.

Maybe this is a no brainer and you haven’t even read this far into the post.  Maybe you don’t even have an insulin pump. Quite possibly you don’t even have diabetes.  But if you didn’t know, now you do. A box of 100 syringes has lasted me literally years and only set me back about a $20 co-pay.  It is so worth the money and you will always find some in my case or home.

If you pump insulin, do you correct the same way or do you rely on your pump?

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Pumping Insulin: Keep Those Syringes Close By is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

1. Introduction

2. Caffeine

3. The Diet

4. Progress

So far I have discussed what the plan and goal is, the amount of caffeine I was drinking and the new diet I have started.  This post will discuss the progress I’ve made in a very short time.  Just to recap, I started with a goal of getting my blood sugars more in control and consistent.  Just like in my golf game, I will take consistency [in range] over distance any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Running & Shins

I’m not a huge fan of running especially for distance.  I played a lot of soccer in my younger days and did a lot of running, but that was much different.  Since high school, a few years back [wink wink], I haven’t done much running.  I will do a little jogging on the treadmill, but nothing that would win races.  The first piece of cardio equipment I purchased and still use was an elliptical, which is much easier on the body than running.  Since writing this post last November, I have wanted to get back into running to be more fit and drop a little weight.  The problem is that I would start with shin splints soon after starting to run regardless of how much stretching I did.  I tried everything, wraps, creams, stretching, exercises, etc. all to no avail.  That is until now… Part of my diet has been no caffeine and at least 8 glasses of cran-water mix per day, which I have been doing with ease and then some.  Well, now that my body is hydrated, I haven’t even had an ache or slightest bit of pain in my shins – none, nada, zip, zero.  It’s such a relief to be able to run, I’ve gone up to 4 miles so far with absolutely no pain in my shins.

Caffeine

After a week of weaning off of caffeine, I went cold turkey on Monday July 27 [3 weeks ago].  I’ve had a few cans of Diet Mt. Dew just to use up the supply I have on hand, but absolutely nothing like before.  Do I have times that I really want some, hell yes.  Does it quickly pass, yes.  I use to never be able to go down the soda isle at the grocery store without buying either a 2 liter or cans of the Dew.  Now, I just walk right by and could care less.  I also miss the Lo-Carb Monster, but not enough to give up how great I feel without caffeine.  No longer do I crash in the evenings.  When my kids are here and want to play, I have so much more energy.  I’ll never go back. Never.  I think people in general underestimate the power that caffeine has on the body and is very addicting.  The last benefit is that even with drinking so much cran-water, I go to the bathroom about half as much.  The soda just goes right through you.

Diet Progress

Remember my goal was to lose a few pounds and start eating more healthy.  I started probably a little more then 200 pounds, but let’s just call it 200.  After two weeks on this diet I was down to 193.5 pounds, roughly 3 pounds a week.  So even at 194ish, I only have less than 10 pounds to go and we’re just 2 weeks into the diet.  I don’t have the stats, but most diets probably fail because people lapse back to their old [poor] eating habits when they reach their target weight.  Not here – I have committed to a lifestyle change.  It’s so refreshing to eat healthy.  I’m not going to lie and tell you that eating salads almost every day is as tasty as a bag of Doritos or a hearty cold cut sandwich, but it’s liberating.  This coming from someone who ate sandwiches every day for years.  I don’t see much difference in the mirror, but feel a lot better. I have also switched to mainly organic and whole foods.  I asked my wife if she thought I look like I lost weight [loaded question].  Her response was, “how are your clothes fitting4″?.  After thinking for a second, I said, “yeah, my shorts are a bit loose and I’m down a belt notch.”  Enough said.

Blood Sugars

For ten years I’ve been trying for consistent blood sugars in the acceptable range [70-140].  I am all over the place and my doctor just says that many of his type 1 patients are all over the board like me.  I do a good job and rarely test less than 5 times a day.  I try to do all the right things, but snacking always kills my blood sugar.  Maybe I tend to underestimate my carb intake, but I am playing the 140, 340, 45, 250 game.  I will say, not proudly, that I can correct the shit out of a 250+ blood sugar without going low.  Put my going to bed sugars at anywhere from 250-400 and I will wake up in the morning between 80 and 150.  Since starting this serious diet 3 weeks ago, my blood sugars have been phenomenal.  I haven’t seen one 300 or even close to it in 3 weeks.  Think about that… I couldn’t go a few days without correcting one of these highs in the past.  Now 3 weeks without one even close.  That’s TIGHT.  The difference is that I’m not eating chips, rice, potatoes, bread or other processed carbs.  I get a ton of fiber and really my only carbs from fruits and vegetables.  Try getting a 300+ blood sugar from eating lettuce, peppers, carrots and sugar snap peas.  You’d have to eat a truck full.   Plus, I get full from these foods because they have very little carbs/calories and I can eat a lot.  I am filling my pump reservoir with about half as much insulin as before and my basal rate is much lower.  Honestly, this has been the most refreshing accomplishment in 10 years with type 1 diabetes.  Now I feel like I can win.  No longer do I feel like I’m fighting with one leg and my arms tied behind my back.

Thank you for all of your support.  I’m truly grateful for my readers and the feedback I receive.  As I’ve noted before, always consult with your doctor before starting a diet or exercise.

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I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

Blogging Diabetes – Progress [Part 4 of Series] is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

For the last few years I have been consumed by work, my first and second daughter being born and relocating from Virginia to Maryland.  I have always been healthy, give or take 10 pounds or so.  I’ve been working out since my mid-teens and at times heavier/more frequent.  For a long time now, it’s been non existent.

In the last few weeks I have gotten back on the bandwagon with weight training and cardio at least 5 times a week, coupled with a tight diet of more greens, salads, and fewer carbs.  It’s no surprise that my blood sugars went from getting into the 200s on the daily, to having to tweak my basal rate because I’m going low a lot.  I am finding myself in the 80s, 90s, and low to mid 100s for the majority of my testing.

Seriously, this isn’t rocket science.  More exercise and a better diet can only mean good things for someone with diabetes.  For me, it’s such a wave of relief.  I was constantly asking myself why my sugar was going high so often.  Now I am correcting to keep from going too low.  Granted, I haven’t been going to bed until almost midnight because I’m working out after my kids go to bed.  But, it’s so amazing to see the 90s and 100s so often again.  Losing about 10 pounds and getting better control has me so motivated it’s scary.  I’m not giving in to complacency and my doctor saying I have “good” control.  I want excellent control.  I want to see my kids grow up and think of their dad as an inspiration instead of a statistic. 

The Holy Grail to winning the battle against diabetes is simply exercise.  No excuses, period.  If I can do it with a 3 year old, 8 week old and full-time job, you can too.

[source]

Disclaimer – always consult your physician before changing your routine or introducing exercising.

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I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

The Holy Grail For Diabetes is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

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From time to time I will get a series of highs that will drive me crazy.  I review what I ate, how much insulin I took, if my basal rate stopped working or even if my pump battery somehow died without warning me.  To no avail, everything will seem to be right.  A few extra crackers won’t send a blood sugar from 125 to 290 within a few hours.  So what gives, Mr. Diabetes?  When I get a series of unexplained highs or my blood sugar doesn’t come down after one or even two correction boluses, I start to go through my mental checklist.  If you pump insulin, I’m sure you can relate and probably have defined your own system for troubleshooting the highs.

Unexplained Series of High, what I do:

1. First, I review my carb intake vs.insulin taken to ensure there wasn’t a snack consumed while I was “sleep walking” or something.   If everything checks out, then…
2. Take a correction bolus and don’t eat or drink.  If that doesn’t work, then…
3. Take a correction injection and remove the infusion set, then…
4. See if there is a gusher or a fair amount of blood from the site, then…
5. Check the infusion set tubing to see if it looks like it was kinked or damaged, then…
6. Insert a new infusion set at a different site.
7. In the rare instance (happened maybe twice in 10 years) that the next infusion set doesn’t resolve the unexplained highs. I throw away the insulin and get a brand new one from the fridge.  I have had two instances where the only thing I can logically explain is that the insulin was bad.  When this happens be sure to save the vial and report it to your pharmacy.  They have a way of tracking the lot number on the vial to see if others were reported.

[source]

When these unexplained highs happen, it’s so demoralizing.  You try to do everything right like, count carbs, basal rate is “dialed in”, eat right and exercise only to find out the site was bad or the insulin was bad.  Scott, who has type 1 diabetes and writes for Diabetes Daily, said it best:

“We are in this imperfect war, fighting unbalanced battles, sometimes barely winning the fights, and almost always taking a blow to give a blow. It is not easy…” Scott K. Johnson via Six Until Me blog

The title of this post is right; all the trouble with infusion sets isn’t an issue if you are on injections.  You can’t really mess up an injection, unless the insulin is bad.  That said, I wouldn’t trade my pump for injections.

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I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

Insulin Pump Disadvantage is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

I think many diabetics would agree that having a low blood sugar is one of the worst feelings.  Personally, I truly fear the lows that start around 40-50 mg/dL.  When I start to get shaky and slur my speech, I almost start to panic.  In an upcoming post, I will share the story of my lowest low – 23.  Running a little high doesn’t even come close to comparing to running low. 

In the past when I would have a low blood sugar, I would typically attack my pantry with reckless abandon.  Anything that had a good deal of carbs was fair game.  Some of these things included, pop tarts (Diabetic Kryptonite), chips, candy, cookies, brownies, juice (rarely), etc.  The problem that I ran into was I would eat until I felt better, which as you could guess, is about 15 minutes later.  In that time, I would definitely over correct my low blood sugar and many times would have to bolus or take insulin to counteract all the carbs I just took in.  It sounds crazy, right?  Well, if you have experienced it before you probably understand.  I’m pretty confident that I’m not alone here.

My new method of correcting a low is the grape "beauties" below – Glucose Tablets.  Instead of tearing up my pantry, I am simply going to take these tablets and WALK AWAY for at least 15 minutes.  If my sugar is dangerously low, I will probably add some juice to the mix.  I typically keep some high-test (non diet) Snapple on hand.  By doing this, I should be able to treat my lows more effectively and won’t end up on the high side.

How many times have you woken up in the middle of the night at 45 mg/dL, ate food, gone back to bed, only to awake with a blood sugar around 250 mg/dL?  I’ve had my share and then some.

Recently, I found the glucose tablets below at my pharmacy, CVS.  The grape flavor is amazing and really tastes like candy.  There are 4 carbs per tablet and 50 tablets per bottle, which costs about $5.  These "babies" are so good that I almost don’t mind correcting my blood sugar any more.  They can also be found at Amazon.

What is your method to treating a low blood sugar?

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I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

Treating Low Blood Sugar [Hypoglycemia] is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

This post is a spur of the moment post due to the diabetes kicking my rear today.  I don’t want to discourage anyone that has diabetes because it’s hard enough to keep good control.  My intention with this video is to let others know that you’re not alone.  I see a number in the 300 to 400 range all too often.    Sometimes the high reading is due to a lack of effort on my part.  Other times, it’s really difficult to explain if I can at all.  This day is one of those unexplainable times.

Here is a summary of the blood glucose numbers:

• Before dinner – 175 BG
• Dinner at 50 carbs and gave a bolus for 70 because I was snacking too
• After dinner – 44 BG
• Correction carbs – 40 carbs
• Workout – 30 minutes weights, 40 minutes light cardio (watching Nip/Tuck)
• After workout – 468 BG (mommy)

So, this is what a doctor doesn’t tell you:

The Next Day

The next day I woke up at 58 and ate 50 carbs for breakfast with a correct bolus.  Just a few hours after that, I tested and was at 367.  Baffled, I threw out my insulin vial and started a new one straight from the refrigerator.  After changing the insulin, I worked my way down to 135 before dinner.  A few times in the past I can only explain high BG readings from a bad insulin vial.  What a day – Phew.

Diabetes, in my opinion is 50% physical and 50% mental.  Everyone with diabetes will probably have a day like this; just know you’re not alone.

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I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

Diabetes – What The Doctor Won’t Tell You is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy