New Duck

[Jollymon]

I’m new here. I have a lot of t1 d experience, but not by choice. I’ve been at it almost 40 years now. I’m pretty good at it, but I’d rather not be.

I have sooo many questions, and am hoping to learn anything new. Maybe someone does something a better way that I can learn from. My first look into your forum the past couple days suggests most are quite conservative here. Makes me wonder if I’ll fit in, because I’m a little more aggressive at control. I shoot for normal numbers all the time- as result sometimes I get accused of not being diabetic. But I still am- I wear a pump and use insulin.

I found your site looking for anyone with experience with the eversense cgm. Me and most cgms do not get along, but I was curious of others experience with that one. Maybe it’s not yet available in the UK.

I am an avid cyclist. I love being active and on my bike everyday. It’s been a tremendous help in fighting dawn phenomenon. So it scares me on days when riding is not so good.

I am completely hypoglycemic unaware. I do not see this as a weakness. I test way more often because of it, and that gets me through.

Maybe more will spill out about me as time goes forward. So howdy!

 

[Jollymon]

Another observation that I’ve made is that you guys get some really bad spam attacks here- wow! I hate seeing that stuff.

 

[kokhongw]

Welcome to the forum...

Since you are a T1D shooting for normal numbers...and an avid cyclist...you may find this blog by Dr Keith Runyan interesting:-
MAY 15, 2018
#52 Hypoglycemia in Diabetes: Mechanisms, Avoidance, and Treatment
https://ketogenicdiabeticathlete.wo...-diabetes-mechanisms-avoidance-and-treatment/

 

[Jollymon]

Maybe I’ll look for that fella on Strava and see what he throws down.

 

[EllieM]

Another observation that I’ve made is that you guys get some really bad spam attacks here- wow! I hate seeing that stuff.

We seem to get them most UK nights, but luckily the non UK mods normally get rid of them pretty fast. A pain, I agree. Which country are you located in?
ps And welcome to the forums. (I found the site looking for help with the libre cgm - unfortunately I had to come to the conclusion that it just does not agree with me.)
48 years T1 here, I go hypo unaware if my hbA1C goes much below 7, so I aim to keep it there....
But Kudos to you for managing hypo unawareness and normal blood sugars, that's awesome.

 

[Diakat]

Welcome. If you take a look at this thread

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...hba1c-test-results.24469/page-89#post-1822858

You'll see the various levels our T1 members have. Lots in the 5% club, some not so lucky.

 

[Prem51]

Welcome to the forum @Jollymon! I'm T2 so I couldn't wouldn't know whether or not the T1s on here are conservative in dealing with their control, but I expect some of the T1s will be along to comment on that.

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @Jollymon,
51 years on insulin in Oz here.
At around the 45 year mark on insulin hypo unawareness become a threat to my life (hypos at night, even worse than in the day), to my job, ability to drive a car and to my freedom.
So 7 1/2 years ago I was switched to an insulin pump and have not looked back. Hypo awareness is back, HBA1C down and freedom back.
My concerns for you are
a) is you become hypo on your bike what stops you having an accident ?
b) you are even more vulnerable if you have a hypo at night.
Why on a pump your hypo awareness has not improved I do not know but it makes sense to look at some form of CGM with an alarm or auto-dose reduction measure. Please see the various threads on CGM and pumps.

 

[Knikki]

Welcome, from a nother newbie and a long term diabetic.

 

[porl69]

Hi @Jollymon and welcome to the forum. T1D for 46 years. I am totally hypo unaware and find that VERY scary. I have, until recently been a really poorly controlled diabetic. With bad control comes bad consequences....Blind in 1 eye and stage 4CKD!
Am currently using the Libre system which I find VERY good

I am hoping to hear today if I am to be put on a pump, hoping for the Medtronic 640G and possibly the Enlite CGM, which used with the 640G can suspend basal on detection of a downward trend in BGs to hypo level

 

[Jollymon]

Hi @Jollymon,
51 years on insulin in Oz here.
At around the 45 year mark on insulin hypo unawareness become a threat to my life (hypos at night, even worse than in the day), to my job, ability to drive a car and to my freedom.
So 7 1/2 years ago I was switched to an insulin pump and have not looked back. Hypo awareness is back, HBA1C down and freedom back.
My concerns for you are
a) is you become hypo on your bike what stops you having an accident ?
b) you are even more vulnerable if you have a hypo at night.
Why on a pump your hypo awareness has not improved I do not know but it makes sense to look at some form of CGM with an alarm or auto-dose reduction measure. Please see the various threads on CGM and pumps.

I don't ever feel anything. Low BS does not have a feeling to me. I have to stop and test to determine the reality. So I stop about 1x per hour and test. Blood sugar is a real number on a meter, and not something delayed with interstitial fluid. So that's what I do. On my bike I can do the same- just stop.

Every time I ride its not about racing. I have specific basal rates mapped for that. That get me through. If you have enough test data on what happens for the things you do and the effect on blood sugar, you can plan accordingly.

Medtronic's CGM was horribly inaccurate for me. Then I was on Dexcom's G4, which was only a little better than Medtronic. G5 caused my skin to burn. Adhesive didn't cause it. Uncharged sensor didn't cause it. The charged sensor with the transmitter on it caused my skin to burn and fall of like scales on a dead fish. Even my endo said to shelf it.

So I have a meter. I use it often. the data from it is pretty real.

I don't miss having hypo symptoms. I have no desire to get them back. I'm not sure if you can understand this. Please don't think of hypo unaware people like me as having a terrible illness. We are people and we are fine.

I like to work under the laws of little numbers. No big amounts for carbs so I don't need to take big doses of insulin. As result, I have no big swings in my blood sugar. My only hard variables are stress and emotions/hormones.

I love chocolate- its another one of my favorite things. All things in small doses, especially chocolate.