1st pumping christmas....how I have had to cope!!!

donnellysdogs

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Hi everyone...

Thought I would share just how much I have ate, and how I have coped. Would love to hear how others have fayred!!!

I have ate all day on Christmas Eve and Cristmas day, and I will do it again today. This is my one time when I really do indulge........

So, when everybody else has had liquer coffees, shortbread biscuitts, crisps, nuts, florentines, Christmas pud etc......SO HAVE I!!!! Probably more so than the eveerybody else actually!!!

What I have found is that yes, I have increased my bolus in accordance to my food.........but what actually makes sense to me now which I wasn't aware of until Jopar wrtoe about 'low carbing' on another posting of mine, that I would have to increase my basals.......

In fact to keep my levels brilliant I have had to do temporary basals rates of 250% all day and night!!!!! However by doing so, I have kept my levels on Christmas day between 5 and 6.

It makes sense, I have not actually been told that if i eat more that I would have to increase my basals....and I have downloaded my pump info today, and my basal and bolus ratio's still remain at 50:50. Staggering.....I have enjoyed so much excess food that for years I have not really indulged in, but I have managed it with the pump.

I think the alcohol had a play in my levels being really high Christmas morning, even though I had gone to bed at 5.6 I was really high for me at 15 in the morning. Last night I kept my pump running at 250% overnight and woke up to my standard 5.6!!!

Just today to go, and then back to normal eating and living. I wish I had realised what I would have to do with my basal increases as well, but hey lesson learnt. I have had the most brilliant Christmas eating everything and anything and remained superb.....what a result....roll on New Years Eve and New Years day.....then back to my normal ryvita's and banana's!!!!!!!

Hope everybody else is managing their Christmas's on their pumps ok......
 

Hazza

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Really well done, you seem to have got things spot on. Keep it up and enjoy the freedom that a pump brings.
Lily's main indulgence is chocolate as she is only 7 and as yet has not aquired a taste for alcohol. (well maybe the odd small glass of bubbly :) ). But we have found that if we give her an extended bolus of say 2 hours to cover the chocolate, then she has stayed quite level and her numbers are well within her target range. That would never have been possible with MDI of just a month ago.
She is sooooo chuffed that she has not missed out on the things that her friends are having.
Fingers crossed, this could be the start of a very good year for her.

Harry
 

donnellysdogs

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Oh well done Harry, I have done multiwaves instead of extended, as well as the 250% TBR's!!!! Just shows how much glutiny I have had in last 2 days!!!! That is fantastic for Lily, especially as she has been on the pump for such a short time.....well done to you on figuring out so quickly how to achieve better levels so fast during the Christmas period....

Give yourself some credit Harry. It is fantastic isn't it to be able to manage a bit more freedom of foods (and in my case drink!!!) without **** readings afterwards.....

Well done Harry.....I will celebrate Lily's and your success with another piece of Christmas Cake!!!!
Good job I am slim, and can afford to put on a few pounds!!!!

Bye for now
Sharon
 

Hazza

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Thanks Sharon, it is hard work to maintain the control, especially after a few bevvies ;) , but well worth the effort for Lily's sake and her future health. I suppose we will still have our ups and downs but it looks promising so far.
We have started testing only at random times during the night ie when nature calls, and she is staying pretty level so we think that we have got on top of the night time basals. So untill things change we are very happy.
All the best for the new year, and don't overdo the celebrations.
:D

Harry
 

MushyPeaBrain

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This is very interesting and I wish I'd seen it before my first pumping Christmas!! :lol:

I don't drink much but on MDI I was always told to mix my spirits with full sugar mixers as alcohol lowers BG. This had always worked for me but since being on the pump it doesn't. So on Christmas Eve I mixed with diet lemonade and my sugars didn't spike so badly but they did still hit 17 :shock: Of course I was picking at nibbles and guessing carbs but I thought I had well over bolused.

Can somebody explain how wine or spirits work with the pump as I always spike after drinking!

Anyway Christmas Day was fine but I did pig out and my sugars ran high. I just kept correcting but didn't touch my basal. Checked my BG before bed and was 14 so took correction. Normally this brings me down perfectly but woke up high at around 11. Same thing next night - corrected but woke up high. So I thought maybe I'm fighting a cold as been near ill people on Christmas Eve but maybe as I'm eating more I just need to adjust my basal :roll:

Even with running high the pump made all the difference with being able to eat when and where I wanted and correcting easily :D
 

donnellysdogs

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Hi Mushy

Your levels weren't too alarming though, considering you have been on a pump for such a short amount of time, and your 1st Christmas with it too!!

I had 2 days of pre practicing Christmas, sort of. I had 2 days of thinking how the heck can I stop going low at 2am and rising hugely by 7am....mine was pure glutiny and alcohol, I must admit I have ate and drunk everything....

I now know that to eat this glutinous amount of food I need to up my basals in line with my bolus's. I changed my basals from 3am til 8am on a permanent basis upward, and from 8am right the way through the day I had to raise my basals via a temporary basal rate right the way up to 250%!!!and also changed from standard bolus to multiwave.

I now realise that when I do eat/drink outside my normal eating patterns on a standard day that I need to bear in mind my basal rates will raise as well.

I am absolutely staggered that I had to do this, but Christmas Day and Boxing Day proved to be staggering for me...absolutely the best I have ever had. Glad I had a little practice beforehand...can't wait til New Years eve now.

Unbelievable, I always knew to increase bolus's for food but didn't realise that the basals would actually have to be raised too. It really makes sense to me now why the DSN's set us up to 50/50 or 60/40 ratio's....

Can't wait for last night of 2010 now!!! In fact just trying my very alcoholic trifle now, and just going back to 250% TBR for the next 3 hours......as well as the bolus. And yes, I have also had shortbreads, Christmas pud etc again today!!!!

First time I have really been able to enjoy eating at Christmas for 25 years. Never been able to do this and remain within limits...terrific!!!