How do people manage swimming?

[ExtremelyW0rried]

We’ve got two ‘pool’ type holidays this year and I’m dreading it.
It’s just a nightmare with the taking the pump on and and off to go in the pool. I end up with random high blood sugars and not able to eat anything.
I’m only going because my husband wants to and my children. We usually only go abroad once at most each year but this year we are going again with all my husband’s family which will be a trial in itself, let alone if I’m running high all the time. They don’t get it at all. My mil just refers to her friend who is a t2 and not on insulin and says ‘well my friend goes in the pool and has no bother’.
Any advice on how to manage? I’ve tried taking the insulin I’ve missed when I reconnect but it still results in extremely unpredictable and choppy sugars.
I have to go in because my children go in and my three year old obviously can’t go in on her own.

I find the whole thing a trial - something else diabetes ruins.

 

[Deleted Account]

It depends how long I am going to be in the pool.
I try to reconnect and have a basal top up every 30 minutes.
If I found swimming had a habit of raising my bg, I would test at least and correct every hour to avoid going too high.

The other thing to consider is what I am eating. I don't spend much time in the pool and it is typically on holiday when I am eating unfamiliar food which involves lots of carb guessing. Again, this means more testing and correcting.

 

[porl69]

You say you are high all the time. Are your basal settings correct? Maybe test before you go into the pool and a small bolus before you disconnect?.
Don't let diabetes ruin anything you do

 

[ExtremelyW0rried]

I just don’t eat so that stops that’s variable.

I run high because of the gaps in basal I presume.

I’ve been swimming for an hour today. I was 7.3 on getting in and 5.3 in getting out. I had the missing basal when I got out and was ok for two hours but two and a half hours later I’ve hit 17.
It drives me crazy.

 

[lucylocket61]

I have to go in because my children go in and my three year old obviously can’t go in on her own.

as you are going with your husband and wider family, maybe one of them can take your three year old into the pool?

 

[ExtremelyW0rried]

Yes but not in the summer. Also it means I feel left out all the time because there’s nothing else to do.

It just gets me down. Everyone else will be enjoying themselves, swimming and eating and drinking what they like. It just amplifies that I’m different and don’t get to do that.

 

[lucylocket61]

Yes but not in the summer. Also it means I feel left out all the time because there’s nothing else to do.

It just gets me down. Everyone else will be enjoying themselves, swimming and eating and drinking what they like. It just amplifies that I’m different and don’t get to do that.

I am going to repeat some previous advice:

You need to get your blood sugars sorted, proactively.

You need to get your anxiety sorted. This may well involve using meds for 6-12 moths to give your body chance to recover from the long term anxiety you have had, and re-set is adrenaline trigger levels, as they get used to being triggered so often and the whole thing becomes a cycle of trigger and panic. Drugs will help break that cycle and calm your responses down. Drugs are temporarily needed to break that cycle and heal you, just like taking a long term antibiotic for some people.

My friends husband, and her two adult sons are all T1's. Have been for years. They can eat and drink what they like, it took time and a lot of forceful intervention and persistence to get the youngest ones levels sorted, but they got there in the end. They are all now on pumps.

You do not have to live like this, denying yourself everything enjoyable.

If you say your diabetic team wont listen, get an official complaint going.

 

[Bluey1]

There are lots of options.
1. Many pumps are water resistant so as long as your pump doesn’t go deeper than 2m and you are not submerged for more than 90min go for it PLEASE CHECK YOUR PUMPS SPECIFICATIONS BEFORE TAKING IT INTO THE POOL
2. Bolus a little before getting in the pool and get out every 30 min and do the same (or 10 min or whatever you feel comfortable with.
3 Do serious exercise in the pool

Depending on you and the insulin you are taking you have between 2 and 4hrs on board, so providing you top up before it runs out and the delay in it working, all is good.

Remember you are Superwoman and you have this little pump to prove it

 

[Jollymon]

Most pumps are water resistant. But it you really want something water proof, order an aqua pac for your pump. That will make it was proof. Their belt can do the job of holding it, but I’d rather stuff mine into an SPI belt which holds it tight against me.

If you wore a pod, no problem. Pods are watertight. But the controller isn’t! Put the controller in a ziplock bag!

 

[ExtremelyW0rried]

My pump is supposedly water resistant but it feels wrong drowning it? Like putting my mobile phone in!
I wish I had a pod instead of a Medtronic. No tubing then either. But my hospital gives no other options.

What waterproof pack do people recommend?

 

[Jollymon]

Aquapac. They also make cases to submerge cameras. You can buy an aquapac for you phone if you’d like. Aquapac.net

 

[ExtremelyW0rried]

Aquapac. They also make cases to submerge cameras. You can buy an aquapac for you phone if you’d like. Aquapac.net

Thank you. And will they definitely not let any water in? God I hate my life depending on machinery!

 

[bobcurly]

My daughter who has type 1 would live in the pool on holiday. We give the hourly basal amount as she takes the pump off and then have her test and give the next hours basal an hour later. Her bloods were fine on holiday and she just bolused for any food that we ate. Her pump is in theory waterproof but she is up and down water slides so we don't risk it.

 

[Michael090382]

Thank you. And will they definitely not let any water in? God I hate my life depending on machinery!

This might sound like a daft question but why not move into MDI then there potentially wouldn’t be an issue moving forward with the pumps etc.. just thinking for future holidays etc..

 

[Chas C]

I take my pump off, then top up my basal every 30mins to 60mins, where I can I use my pump but where that's not possible I use a pen.

I've never been in a position where I could not use either a pen or pump to top up but if my holiday would not allow this then I would go back to pens (short and long acting) for my holiday and then revert back to pump on my return.

I would not let my diabetes take control of my holiday

 

[Marie 2]

I am on Omnipod and it has no issues getting submerged. I go snorkeling all the time for about an hour. Since it doesn't have tubing there is nothing special I have to do either. I set my basal at 50% decrease a half hour before I get in for 2 hours, since I know I'm snorkeling, it's high activity for me (but I have to do the same thing when I go to the dentist lol.) I had read during exercise it is better to do a temp basal reduction than to stop it as you are more likely not to go too high. It does seem to work well for me.

I now have decom cgm, I have to use skin tac to keep it on. But I apply it on my arm and when I snorkel I wrap it with an ace bandage just in case as I don't want to lose the transmitter. The libre sensor was easier as it never came off unless hit wrong (which I would do ugh) but I never had to worry about it just falling off, but if it did it would have been easier to learn my lesson so to speak and just apply a new one. The Dexcom Transmitter/Sensor attachment is expensive and not so easy!