Written earlier today. . .
Hey there, Pancreas/Paperweight. Most days I love you, but today I’m not so sure. So, Sweetmeats, if you’re listening, I’m going to give you another chance to send some love back my way tonight.
I know we’ve been working on our communication and the basal rates a lot recently. The first twelve-or-so waking hours of each day have been (mostly) great over the last week, but can we get it together with the whole exercise thing? I’d really, really, Really love it if you could just point me in the right direction with some simple rules like “If you’ve got this much active insulin, eat that much carb to counteract it” or maybe “Lower your basal to this rate that many minutes before exercise” or perhaps “If you eat this many carbs at dinner, take that much insulin with it so that you aren’t wicked high before hopping into the pool.”
I know it sounds like I’m whining, but I work hard so that you can have nice things. See, I’ve even made you a little worksheet where we can enter all of those details that you love:
(Click for downloadable PDF version . . . .)
Here is one of them that I filled in with seven days of exercise at different times of the day when I’ve gone running and swimming. Look, there’s all of the various things I’ve tried, the blood glucose readings, the food I’ve eaten, the temporary basal rates, even some notes about how much my blood sugar changed during exercise.
(Click for downloadable PDF version . . . .)
I mean sometimes we have a lot of fun. Remember that Friday morning in Kansas when we went for a half-hour run, starting out at 104 mg/dL and ending at 128. That was so great! And that Saturday morning a week later in Arizona — going from 184 mg/dL to 154 — that was a good time, too.
So, what do you want me to do next, Punkin?
XOXO
Me (a.k.a., Low-Sugardaddy)
p.s. — Going from 180 mg/dL before dinner tonight to 290 a couple hours later when I hit the pool, well that’s something I should do better about; I mean I did only give myself 2.0 units as a bolus for about 60 grams of carbs. But dropping 140 mg/dL while swimming with only 2.0 units of active insulin, couldn’t we try to find a happy place in the whole “I need food. I need insulin. I need exercise. I need to stay in the target range.” dance we’ve got going?