Dexcom Sensors

Since I've begun using the Dexcom sensor, I have to say, it's been amazing to see the direction that my blood sugar is taking. I can see when it's steady, heading up, or heading down. It totally affects what I do, and how I anticipate lows.

Then, I used my last sensor, and didn't have it, and had a low of 28 the other morning. That's pretty low, and I didn't even feel it coming on. So, my first thought was 'great, hope that goes towards the case of getting Kaiser to support my Dexcom sensors' - that's kind of sad to think that way, but it really was helping prevent lows.

This morning, I woke up and it was 42, same thought.

I think I'm having all of these lows, mostly because I am still needing less insulin. But the affect of knowing what direction my blood sugar is going, and how quickly it is moving in that direction, which is what the Dexcom provides is really amazing. Hopefully insurance companies will figure out that it actually does improve their bottom line to have diabetics have them and consequently have less lows. But for now, I guess we just keep making the case. And documenting those low blood sugars.

Experimenting with Lantus and Exercise

After talking with a few people, I've tried increasing the amount of Lantus (long acting) insulin that I take on days when I plan to be exercising a lot. The idea is that, if I have more baseline insulin active, then what I eat during a long ride or run can be covered by that without having to inject short acting insulin. It's had mixed results. One day, two weekends ago, it worked pretty well, then last weekend, I still go high, and had to take 1 unit of Humalog. I think that the idea is good, and hopefully I can do that.

I have to remember that while exercising, I should be an athlete first, and a diabetic second. meaning basically that I shouldn't wait for my low blood sugar or decreasing blood sugar to prompt me to eat, but rather eat as anyone who is doing what I'm doing and doesn't have diabetes would do. That's hard when you've been riding for 3 hours, and blood sugar is stable or rising, because then you should eat, but the question is, if you eat, do you have to take humalog, or will the basal rate lantus cover it?

I don't always have the answer, and the answer probably changes, but last weekend I got pretty wiped out the next day and I think it's because during my ride I didn't eat enough. Better that happen now than on race day. So, lesson learned I think is to eat, even if it means taking insulin to do so.

Also, I discovered how SUPER fast insulin acts when injected directly into a muscle (especially one that you are using). I was pretty high on my ride on Saturday (300 or so, I can't remember). I took 1 UNIT injected directly into my leg muscle where I knew I'd be using it as I continued the ride for 4 more hours, ate a bar, drank some whatever electrolyte drink, and rode on. In like 1 hour, it was 75! Wow. Good to know.

Also, I've been having more lows lately. Monday morning it was 28. And then this AM 42. I'm wondering how many lows one has to have to get insurance to cover Dexcom sensors. That's crazy but when I have a low now, I think, 'wow, here's one more for the case for them to cover the sensors. That's totally ridiculous, but true.

Hoping to recover some, and then feel fresh for May 7, which is coming right up!