It was just a regular day, though.
My insulin pump started alarming around 5:30. The continuous glucose monitor thought my blood sugar was too low.It also alarmed at 4:46 am, 3:01 am, 1:51 am, and 11:57 pm. Apparently I silenced those alarms without ever really waking up.
The continuous monitor really doesn't work well when there's something pressing up against it. Since it has to be inserted in my belly and I sleep on my stomach, it rarely works well at night.
I knew I was going to wear a blue shirt today and decided to grab a yoga skirt to match. I picked out the gray one because the waistband on my favorite black skirt tends to sag with the weight of my pump.
I then grumbled a bit about the way the pump sat on my hip like a pager was horribly obvious with my outfit. Sometimes I'm not bothered by the pump hanging on my hip, other days I am.
I saved at least 10-15 minutes in the bathroom this morning because I didn't have to change out my insulin set or the sensor for the continuous monitor.
I had my standard diabetic-friendly breakfast -- high protein, low carbs. (Note: I do what works to make me feel best. Diet choices are vastly different among diabetics.)
As I rushed out the door to run some errands, I doubled checked to make sure my glucose monitor was in my not-very-small purse. Monitor -- check. Test strips -- check. Lancets -- better grab a few more. I dumped a handful of used test strips in the trash can and a few used lancets into the sharps container in the bathroom. Doesn't everybody have a sharps container in their bathroom?
I ran back inside to grab an extra snack in case lunch was a little bit later than usual.
The next pump alarm was while I was fabric shopping. I had my arms full of fleece when it alarmed saying I needed to check my post-breakfast blood sugar. I juggled my full arms and managed to silence it.
I forgot to check my blood sugar after finishing at that store so it alarmed again in Wal-Mart. Thankfully, I wasn't carrying anything around and could do a quick finger prick in the middle of my shopping trip.
Starbucks was calling my name, but I decided it wasn't worth it. My favorite drinks are too high in carbs to splurge on often, and I didn't want to be feeling lousy later in the day.
There was another finger stick to get an accurate blood sugar reading at lunch and another bolus of insulin to cover the carbs. Lauren offered me a bite of her dessert, and I programmed my pump for a bit more insulin. Apparently, I guessed wrong on the carb counts because my blood sugars ran a bit high all afternoon. (Not scary high, but higher than I'd like. I'm a bit obsessive about my numbers.)
I had a healthy dinner and am now considering whether a bedtime snack would be a good idea. Sometimes it'll help my blood sugar stay at a better range overnight. I'm running in the morning so it might be a good idea to find something healthy before bed.
Like I said -- it was just a regular day.
My regular days happen to be filled with the responsibility of being my own pancreas.
That's why I wore blue today.
I'm hoping for a day when there is a cure for diabetes.
I'm hoping for a day when regular days don't include insulin pumps, glucose monitors, and carb counts.
Me too!!
ReplyDeleteSame here!
ReplyDeleteMy Powpow had diabetes before I was born, but I didn't understand it as a child. On their farm, my Granny's meals for him were always prepared with diabetes in mind. We always loved her cooking and laughed when we saw her do things like hiding the divinity and chocolate. I get it now. I wore blue today but didn't know it was world diabetes day. I dream of cures for so many diseases. I hope this one is available for you soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
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