If Every Day Was A Monday...

GrantGam

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Hello guys!

So Monday turned out to be one of the best days of my diabetic career; BG management wise:)

-Overnight BG was stable.
-I woke before DP took me out of range.
-Correction bolus for my waking rise worked fast enough to keep me in range.
-Advanced bolused for my breakfast and got the timing correct.
-Lunch and dinner carb estimations were spot on.
-Dinner advance bolus timing was perfect, lunch wasn't as good - but still acceptable wrt my 2hr post-prandial level.

Day2Day.png


Daily.png


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If only everyday could be as good as Monday's example. I would be a very happy diabetic! All that got me thinking. What is it that makes your management as good as it can be? Is it routine, is it exercise, is it eating set meals at set times? We're all different and face individual problems; likewise we have tailor made ways round them. What is it that works best for you and gives you the best numbers?

As you'll all know, there are various tips and tricks that make controlling your BG that bit easier. The overall impact good BG control can have on your day is huge! When diabetes is happy, you're happy and everything is grand. The problem is, sometimes it's not all that easy or practical to implement the techniques (advance bolusing, sugar surfing, etc) - and things go a bit Pete Tong. As a result, you're BG's can become a bit of a mess - and when they do, your emotions often follow suit. Or is it just me?

I'm at work just now on a usual fortnight trip. I tend to find that my diabetes management is so much easier and better here; and I feel that it's got almost everything to do with routine and predictability to my day. Ground-hog day almost! I work shifts that are predictable (6am-6pm). My activity levels don't vary all that much, meal times are regimented as are my start and finish times (almost always) - so I'm going to sleep and waking at very similar times each day. Things are easier to predict and as a result, easier to manage.

When I go home however, things change. My routine disappears as I'm 'on leave', long lies, the odd late night, meals out, last minute plans/plan changes, alcohol, I eat more junk so to speak, varied and irregular bouts of exercise, the list goes on. But I like my life, I don't feel restricted living like I do and that's liberating. That life means a bit of a trade off with my glycemic control, but that's alright isn't it?

If our lives were very simplistic, predictable and straight forward - then managing T1D well would be easier to achieve. But I guess it's about finding a balance, without finding it too taxing. How does everyone find their ideal balance and how strict are you? I know that routine seems to work well for me so I need to find a way to apply that to my time off without feeling restricted of sorts. A HbA1c in the low 30's would be great, but I don't know if I'd be all that happy living so strictly and regimented all the time.

Not overly sure where this rabble is going, I've already written too much - I guess I'm just looking to find out what makes your diabetes management easiest, most efficient and keeps your numbers good. There's nothing wrong with starting a thread just to share stories is there?:)

Cheers,
Grant
 

himtoo

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why can't everyone get on........
my somewhat boring addition to your great topic...........routine does suit me much better, !! :)

fab stats by the way !!
 

Diakat

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So impressed @GrantGam

Routine is good for better numbers for me.

Baddies are stress and unplanned exercise.
 
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TheBigNewt

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It doesn't say in your sig, but I'm assuming that graph/chart is from a Libre CGM?.
And "normal" is 4-10. That's actually halfway cool IMO. I've said it before but the one useful thing I would want it to do is alert me when I'm heading low, esp during sleep. I don't understand why they don't include this (potentially lifesaving) feature like the Dexcom has. They would sell a lot more of them (especially to people with diabetic kids) if they had it.
 

therower

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Hi @GrantGam . Great post / mini novel:).
Definitely routine makes things easier, but WORK routine, that's the biggest shame of routine for me. Life is for living, yes work comes into that equation but it annoys when work and good control seem to go hand in hand.
When I have one of those " perfect days " it's usually when I'm pre occupied and don't have time to think of the diabetes.
Then of course the day when every number on the screen is perfect, right up until last thing and bang 17.3. What the f**k where did that come from?:):):):):)
 
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GrantGam

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So impressed @GrantGam

Routine is good for better numbers for me.

Baddies are stress and unplanned exercise.
Exercise is a problem for me also, more so trying to balance my basal between a typical day and a day full of exercise. Not easy...
 
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GrantGam

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Hi @GrantGam . Great post / mini novel:).
Definitely routine makes things easier, but WORK routine, that's the biggest shame of routine for me. Life is for living, yes work comes into that equation but it annoys when work and good control seem to go hand in hand.
When I have one of those " perfect days " it's usually when I'm pre occupied and don't have time to think of the diabetes.
Then of course the day when every number on the screen is perfect, right up until last thing and bang 17.3. What the f**k where did that come from?:):):):):)
Mini novel indeed:)

You've summed it up perfectly! Work and good control do go hand in hand for me; I'd almost prefer it the other way round if anything... Then I wouldn't associate "living" with poorer BG control.
 
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GrantGam

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It doesn't say in your sig, but I'm assuming that graph/chart is from a Libre CGM?.
And "normal" is 4-10. That's actually halfway cool IMO. I've said it before but the one useful thing I would want it to do is alert me when I'm heading low, esp during sleep. I don't understand why they don't include this (potentially lifesaving) feature like the Dexcom has. They would sell a lot more of them (especially to people with diabetic kids) if they had it.
The graphs and charts are from Nightscout. I'm using the Dexcom G5 CGM through xDrip+ on my phone.

The range was (and is) set at 4mmol/l - 8.5mmol/l. I chose 8.5mmol/l as the upper value because that as an avg BG equates to a HbA1c of 53mmol/mol. That value is the cut off for "good control" in accordance with my Clinic and NHS Scotland.

Yes a predictive low system is very useful. The Libre in it's basic form is unable to utilise such a feature, as it doesn't transmit data. As you know, it only stores data and you have to retrieve it - hence 'flash glucose monitor". There are a few DIY projects that can make the Libre work like a CGM though; I looked into a few but opted for the G5 as it's a better system and more financially viable.
 
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Snapsy

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Hope you don't mind the mini thread hijack, @GrantGam , but if your image shows 'If every day was a Monday' this one of mine shows 'If every night was a good night's sleep'.

It never ceases to amaze me how varied the line pattern on my Libre is every night. So how this one is so straight I have not much idea at all.....

#differenteverytime

:)

image.jpeg
 

GrantGam

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Hope you don't mind the mini thread hijack, @GrantGam , but if your image shows 'If every day was a Monday' this one of mine shows 'If every night was a good night's sleep'.

It never ceases to amaze me how varied the line pattern on my Libre is every night. So how this one is so straight I have not much idea at all.....

#differenteverytime

:)

View attachment 23597
If I'm totally honest @Snapsy, I half got the idea for writing this from your 'last static Libre thread'. Glad I got that off my chest:)

Fantastic trend there, well done! How great would it be if every evening was like that!? That's your day made already I bet?
 

Snapsy

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That's your day made already I bet?
Yes and no, @GrantGam ! Am now mildly agonising on the theme of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' so am already beating myself up about the inevitable changes in my graph line with the whole bolus/shower/breakfast/go to work/go to the gym kind of thing!

Ridiculous!!!!!!!! The straightness of line should absolutely not rule my life in this way, should it?! LOL!

Am about to start my day so I'll see whether my line continues to conform to my stringent ideals!

#getalifeSnapsy

;)
 

tim2000s

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That's why you need a Hybrid Closed Loop @Snapsy then it can do the straight line for you and save you some effort ;)
 

slip

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Just trying to think when was the last time I had one of those 'perfect days'...................................................... . . . . . . . . .
 
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Just trying to think when was the last time I had one of those 'perfect days'...................................................... . . . . . . . . .

Mine was definitely not this Monday just gone, work was very stressful, everything went wrong, lost my echo pen and acuchek Mobile blood glucose meter, BS was high ,...................arrggghhhhhh,

But well done @GrantGam :)
 
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Thank god it's not like the movies............. Groundhog day :bigtears::arghh::banghead:

.................. too scary :nailbiting:
 

GrantGam

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Yes and no, @GrantGam ! Am now mildly agonising on the theme of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' so am already beating myself up about the inevitable changes in my graph line with the whole bolus/shower/breakfast/go to work/go to the gym kind of thing!

Ridiculous!!!!!!!! The straightness of line should absolutely not rule my life in this way, should it?! LOL!

Am about to start my day so I'll see whether my line continues to conform to my stringent ideals!

#getalifeSnapsy

;)
"Now if I skip work, don't wash and miss the gym then things will be fine..."

Compromise is definitely better than elimination in this instance;)
 

GrantGam

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Mine was definitely not this Monday just gone, work was very stressful, everything went wrong, lost my echo pen and acuchek Mobile blood glucose meter, BS was high ,...................arrggghhhhhh,

But well done @GrantGam :)
What a nightmare, did you find them again?