I CAN’T TAKE THIS NO MORE!!!

[Neckarski_94]

 

[EllieM]

I'm guessing that rise was after a meal? Some possible reasons

1) you totally miscalculated the carbs (been there, got the t-shirt) or you eg drank what you thought was diet coke and actually had full carbs
2) you're coming down with an illness
3) you actually need to revisit your bolus insulin to carb ratios. (If you're still partially in honeymoon period I would expect your insulin needs to change
4) (and maybe this should be no 1) check your bg with a glucometer fingerprick test. Even if you are high it might well be 16 instead of 22 and if your cgm is acting up it might actually be normal for an after meal rise.

Yes it's very annoying, specially when your graph was so beautiful before, but try not to let it get to you. T1 is a learning process, and I'm still learning after 55 years.

What did you have to eat?

 

[Antje77]

That looks like an absolutely amazing graph all day until shortly after 5 pm, so your basal must be absolutely spot on!

Would you like us to think with you on whatever happened at around 5 so you can work out how to approach the situation differently next time?

 

[Neckarski_94]

I'm guessing that rise was after a meal? Some possible reasons

1) you totally miscalculated the carbs (been there, got the t-shirt) or you eg drank what you thought was diet coke and actually had full carbs
2) you're coming down with an illness
3) you actually need to revisit your bolus insulin to carb ratios. (If you're still partially in honeymoon period I would expect your insulin needs to change
4) (and maybe this should be no 1) check your bg with a glucometer fingerprick test. Even if you are high it might well be 16 instead of 22 and if your cgm is acting up it might actually be normal for an after meal rise.

Yes it's very annoying, specially when your graph was so beautiful before, but try not to let it get to you. T1 is a learning process, and I'm still learning after 55 years.

What did you have to eat?

Yes it was.

1) Had the same thing yesterday and didn’t go as high. Didn’t drink any coke.
2) I’m not ill.
3) Don’t understand any of that.
4) I don’t have any testing strips (I’ve ran out) until I pick my prescription up tomorrow!

Yes VERY annoying! My graph is so beautiful because I’m not eating. Maybe I shouldn’t eat in order for it to stay beautiful! Not letting it get to me is harder said than done! I’m nearly 1 year in (that’s gone fast!) I don’t think I’m ever going to understand this disease! Ah well I can’t see me living long anyway!

I had 2 pots of Porridge.

 

[Antje77]

3) you actually need to revisit your bolus insulin to carb ratios. (If you're still partially in honeymoon period I would expect your insulin needs to change

3) Don’t understand any of that.

I had 2 pots of Porridge.

How much insulin did you take for your 2 pots of porridge?
Your graph showed you that it wasn't enough for this meal, that's just a learning point. If you had the same thing yesterday, how high did it raise you yesterday?

How do you decide on your doses? Do you count the carbs and calculate your doses based on that?
The amount of insulin we need for a meal depends on the amount of carbs in that meal.

Maybe I shouldn’t eat in order for it to stay beautiful!

Not eating is not an option.
But personally, I would find dosing correctly for two pots of porridge very hard, it's a very high carb meal with very little fats to slow down the hit of the carbs.
Have you considered trying a little less carbs and more proteins and fats for your meals? I find it much easier to stay in range if I avoid meals with lots of carbs, like porridge.

 

[Neckarski_94]

How much insulin did you take for your 2 pots of porridge?
Your graph showed you that it wasn't enough for this meal, that's just a learning point. If you had the same thing yesterday, how high did it raise you yesterday?

7 units of insulin.

That’s how high it went yesterday compared to today’s HIGH reading!!!

Not eating is not an option.
But personally, I would find dosing correctly for two pots of porridge very hard, it's a very high carb meal with very little fats to slow down the hit of the carbs.
Have you considered trying a little less carbs and more proteins and fats for your meals? I find it much easier to stay in range if I avoid meals with lots of carbs, like porridge.

Well I’m not enjoying food at the moment. Diabetes has ruined my love for food! No haven’t considered a little less carbs. I like carbs! I’m not eliminating carbs from my diet because I have diabetes and not eating foods that I like. If it means me dying an early death then so be it. I’m DONE with this!

 

[Antje77]

If it means me dying an early death then so be it. I’m DONE with this!

Well, with those graphs you aren't likely to die anytime soon, you may even live healthily to a very old age with those numbers.
Think about those long time diabetics who've dealt with it for over 60 years without even a means of testing for blood glucose and are still going strong. Their numbers must have been much higher than yours for decades.

I’m not eliminating carbs from my diet because I have diabetes

I never proposed eliminating carbs. But how about having for instance one pot of porridge instead of two, plus a generous serving of strawberries and cream? Or one pot of porridge and some bacon and eggs?
Your blood glucose makes you very frustrated, and making the diabetes management a little easier could help you feeling better.

 

[Neckarski_94]

Well, with those graphs you aren't likely to die anytime soon, you may even live healthily to a very old age with those numbers.
Think about those long time diabetics who've dealt with it for over 60 years without even a means of testing for blood glucose and are still going strong. Their numbers must have been much higher than yours for decades.

I must be doing something wrong then. I honestly don’t won’t to live to a very old age. I can’t see me making 40! If I reach 50 and even 60 it will be a miracle!
Thank god I’m not one of those long time diabetics! Theres no way in hell I could have lived with this for over 60 years!

never proposed eliminating carbs. But how about having for instance one pot of porridge instead of two, plus a generous serving of strawberries and cream? Or one pot of porridge and some bacon and eggs?
Your blood glucose makes you very frustrated, and making the diabetes management a little easier could help you feeling better.

One pot you must be joking right? I’m greedy! One pot wouldn’t be enough! Adding strawberries and cream into the mix isn’t that just going to make me spike just as much! Bacon and eggs as good as that sounds if I fancied it I would have it but I would have a bacon and egg sandwich or I would have a full English!
I am indeed VERY frustrated! (emphasis on the word very) A cure for T1 diabetes would make me feel a lot better but I can’t see there being one anytime soon. Not in my lifetime anyway!

 

[Antje77]

or I would have a full English!

A full English is likely fewer carbs than two pots of porridge, and much tastier in my book.

Adding strawberries and cream into the mix isn’t that just going to make me spike just as much!

No. Close to no carbs in the cream, not that much in strawberries either. Especially compared to porridge.

On the other hand, you could try to get very good at dosing for porridge, it shouldn't be impossible. I mostly eat lowish carb but I love my high carb Belgian beers, so I took some time experimenting and finetuning my dosing for them.
Do you have an insulin to carb ratio and count the carbs in your meals to decide on your dose?

Theres no way in hell I can live with this for over 60 years!

Would you like to share what exactly it is that makes living with diabetes so hard for you?
Yes, I know it's a PITA, but it looks like you feel like the world is coming to an end with every hypo or hyper.
Would you be able to look at those numbers from a different point of view? When I go high or low (and I had an afternoon of completely illogical lows today) I see it as an opportunity to think about what may have contributed so I can try a different approach next time, and I shrug it off with some mild cursing, not desperation.

I must be doing something wrong then. I honestly don’t won’t to live to a very old age. I can’t see me making 40! If I reach 50 and even 60 it will be a miracle!
Thank god I’m not one of those long time diabetics! Theres no way in hell I can live with this for over 60 years!

Are you getting any help with your mental health? Looks like you're struggling.
I've dealt with depression, sometimes to a dangerous degree for a long time (not diabetes related), and it can really help to talk with a professional.
Contacting your diabetes team would be a good first step, many teams work with a psychologist specialised in the struggles of T1, can't hurt to reach out!

 

[EllieM]

I can assure you that my levels were probably way worse than yours for at least the first 20 years of my life (I was a very naughty diabetic in my teens and while I never forgot to inject I completely ignored my carb limits and regularly had levels high enough to make me feel very ill and thirsty.) Given the modern treatments for diabetes there is no reason at all why you shouldn't live a long and healthy life. My diabetes is a complete pain on occasion, but it hasn't stopped me getting on with my life and I don't expect my control to be perfect.

Yes it should be possible to inject for high carb meals, but I suspect it may take a while for you to get good at it.

You don't have to have perfect diabetic control to live a healthy life, just try not to give up when you have blood sugar glitches. I second the suggestion that you get help from your diabetic team about your depression about your diabetes.

Have you had a chance to go on a DAFNE course? That might give you more confidence and make you less anxious when things don't go right.

Please don't give up.

 

[Rokaab]

I can assure you that my levels were probably way worse than yours for at least the first 20 years of my life (I was a very naughty diabetic in my teens and while I never forgot to inject I completely ignored my carb limits and regularly had levels high enough to make me feel very ill and thirsty.) Given the modern treatments for diabetes there is no reason at all why you shouldn't live a long and healthy life. My diabetes is a complete pain on occasion, but it hasn't stopped me getting on with my life and I don't expect my control to be perfect.

Similar for me, I know my control when I was younger was well 'god-dam awful' - and thats the polite way of putting it!, during my A-levels my HbA1c was at 92 (that an average of about 14mmol/l!!!)

And yeah aiming for perfect control is just not a good idea, for many of us it just will not happen, ever, I try and do as well as I can, but there is only so much I can do without making myself completely miserable or without affecting me doing my job.

 

[Neckarski_94]

A full English is likely fewer carbs than two pots of porridge, and much tastier in my book.

I agree!

No. Close to no carbs in the cream, not that much in strawberries either. Especially compared to porridge.

No carbs but there’s sugar in it the strawberries and possibly some in the cream too!

I love my high carb Belgian beers, so I took some time experimenting and finetuning my dosing for them.

I love my lager and cider! I don’t drink often. I haven’t been bolusing for alcohol. Are you supposed to? I know it raises your BG initially because of the carbs but then it could plummet. Whereas sprits like Vodka and wine drop BG.

Do you have an insulin to carb ratio and count the carbs in your meals to decide on your dose?

Yes I just try to count carbs that or sometimes guess!

Would you like to share what exactly it is that makes living with diabetes so hard for you?
Yes, I know it's a PITA, but it looks like you feel like the world is coming to an end with every hypo or hyper.
Would you be able to look at those numbers from a different point of view? When I go high or low (and I had an afternoon of completely illogical lows today) I see it as an opportunity to think about what may have contributed so I can try a different approach next time, and I shrug it off with some mild cursing, not desperation.

To be honest it’s the injections that I’m really struggling with now. I now associate food with another insulin injection and that’s making me not want to eat. I’ve totally lost the love for food I once had. I had always enjoyed food and had a good appetite up until being diagnosed. Now eating is just a chore! I hate having to bolus and wait 15 mins before I can eat anything! Before I could just when I wanted to! Oh I fancy a big bag of crisps or bar of chocolate with a lot of carbs. Another time I have to jab myself!

Are you getting any help with your mental health? Looks like you're struggling.
I've dealt with depression, sometimes to a dangerous degree for a long time (not diabetes related), and it can really help to talk with a professional.
Contacting your diabetes team would be a good first step, many teams work with a psychologist specialised in the struggles of T1, can't hurt to reach out!

I self referred myself to something called NHS Talking Therapies. At the moment it doesn’t really seem to be helping me. I’ve suffered with depression for a long time! Which I think stems from the breakdown of my parents marriage when I was younger and mainly due to the obstacles life has thrown at me the last 3-4 years. My life just keeps going from bad to worse! Diagnosed with Scoliosis, Losing my Dad to his own mental health struggles, not seeing him for 8-9 years and then finding out he passed 2 years ago! Having to have my dog put to sleep, then finally being diagnosed Type 1 last year!
When I go to my appointments with my DSN I don’t feel like i can tell her how I’m feeling. She knows I’m really struggling with the carb counting. My last appointment she said I don’t know what I can do to help you. She said I know you want a pump (which I do) but I’ve got to grasp the carb counting before I can do the pump start! She asked me if I want to sit in on another carb counting session as a refresher. (If I want to). Even if I do that I still won’t get fully understand it!

 

[Neckarski_94]

Have you had a chance to go on a DAFNE course? That might give you more confidence and make you less anxious when things don't go right.

Yep did the DAFNE back in October last year! All of it just went in one ear and came out the other!

 

[Neckarski_94]

Another possible nighttime hypo! If it’s genuine I don’t know why!!

 

[Antje77]

Another possible nighttime hypo! If it’s genuine I don’t know why!!

Can you set the low alarm to wake you up so you can verify with a fingerprick if it happens again?

 

[Neckarski_94]

Can you set the low alarm to wake you up so you can verify with a fingerprick if it happens again?

I could do! Whether I hear the alarm and just ignore it is a different matter. Looking at my Dexcom Clarity app my low alarm went off at 05:18, 06:53 and 07:49. I can’t be doing with alarms going off constantly!

 

[Antje77]

I could do! Whether I hear the alarm and just ignore it is a different matter.

Worth giving it a try!
And yes, I know all about half waking from alarms and going back to sleep without doing anything about it, especially if I expect it's a false alarm. Pretty bad habit, but it's quite hard to make sensible decisions when half asleep.

 

[ianf0ster]

@Neckarski_94 I'm a diet controlled Type 2 diabetic (in remission for over 4yrs), so I can't talk to you about insulin, but I am very educated about carbs!

All digestible carbs turn into sugar when digested. In the UK when carbs are listed on a label - that already includes the sugars!
Cream does contain lactose, which is a sugar and thus a carb, but less than the same quantity of cows milk does. Skimmed milk usually contains even more!. Strawberries contain one of the lowest amounts of sugars (and thus carbs) of any fruit, similar with raspberries.
The parts of a full Englich breakfast to watch out for are any potato, or toast. Bacon, eggs, mushrooms are great, tomatoes a little less so, baked bean even less (mainly because of the sauce)!

 

[Lakeslover]

If you are sleeping through the alarm can you turn it up? If you can treat the low (assuming it is not a false low) when it first goes off hopefully it then won’t keep going off. I keep hypo treatment by my bed so it’s easy to grab. For me two fruit pastels and a wholemeal biscuit usually fix it…of course you may need more or less than me.