Weather the diabetes havoc-er

One of the factors not included in Diatribe’s 22 factors that influence glucose levels is the weather. Sometimes the weather plays with my diabetes management. And here’s how. Do you remember that really, really wet day we had last week? It seems like a distant memory now and I don’t think it had a name, like a storm name, but most of the country was flooded under a yellow weather warning.

When I got up that morning and look out the window I thought “Nope, I’m not walking, I don’t mind being wet and drippy but not that wet!” I was disappointed because most days I love my walk. It clears my head as I inhale clean fresh energy and exhale stress. I swing my arms vigorously and loosen up my neck and shoulders. I had missed my walk the day before due to a doctor's appointment so I was doubly disappointed.

So, with my daily constitutional off the menu, I took my “no-walk” breakfast insulin dose, which tends to be twice what I take if I am walking and off I drove the kids to school.

However, as I was dropping the teen and preteen to school the rain wasn’t that bad. So,I changed my mind (GASP)…. but how can I avoid a hypo seeing as I’ve taking all this insulin without using calories to prevent the low glucose reaction that will surely follow?

I decided to turn my background/basal insulin down to zero for one hour on my insulin pump. Yes, it was going to take an hour to take effect but it was better than a severe hypo. At least it might soften the blow.

Now, if I was on injection pens there is no way I could have avoided preventing a low without glucose.

So was I successful? Weeelll, kind of. I did have a hypo. A doosy at 2.8mmols but it didn’t feel as bad as it was and I didn’t feel like I had to consume the entire kitchen just about a dozen small jellies.

Compared to most hypos this one rebounded quite quickly and not too high. However, I did spend most of the day with glucose levels that were more elevated than my usual.

And there you have it, diabetes the spontaneity killer and weather the diabetes havoc-er.

Weight and W-Exercise Woes

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist the alliteration. Over that last number of years, I’ve put on weight!!! I’m not overweight… Yet! I don’t feel overweight but my clothes are tight and I feel frumpy.

I’m frustrated because I’m eating less and less, still fairly active but I’m still gaining weight. I’ve cut down of a lot of my carbs. I’m not willing to go carb free. I exercise a bit – I know I could do more but there are things that I have to do during my day and there are things on the “could-do-unicorn-list”.

The weight loss principle might sound easy, and simple; eat less and move more.  But in reality it’s not. And for people with diabetes who use insulin, even more so.

“How We Burn Fat HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM

When we eat, the glucose and sugar harnessed from carbohydrates are the first fuel sources. The liver stores the glucose in the form of glycogen and releases it into the bloodstream as necessary to keep our body trucking along. Think of your bloodstream as an interconnected conveyor belt that takes necessary nutrients to the body parts that need them. Once that glucose runs out, fat takes over. Harnessing energy by burning fat is referred to as ketosis.”

When a person exercises they burn up the glucose in their blood first, which usually keeps you going for about 20 minutes. In a person who does not have type 1 diabetes, when that glucose is used up, the body looks for glucose else where and the liver starts to release its stores. In a person with type 1 diabetes the body goes into a hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose).

It is extremely difficult to get your body to burn fat, when your body goes into the shutdown mode of hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose).

I'm also frustrated because what I've read recently about losing weight when you have type 1 diabetes seem like the are written in a foreign language.

I feel weight management is a common problem for people who use insulin. And actually it's been proven as the biggest reason people with type 1 diabetes don’t exercise; finding the balance between insulin, glucose and all the other influences on our glucose levels.

So what's my plan of action. Well, for now, my plan is to keep up with the research and try to find more ways to move while getting all the other stuff done.

I might come up with a better plan but this is all I have left to give for now.