Oct. 29th: Before starting physical activity, what do you like your blood sugar to be?
150, but anywhere between 120 and 180 will do. I always check my BG 15-20 minutes into my runs to make sure I’m okay.
Oct. 28th: Have you lost sleep as a result of diabetes in the past week?
I never seem to get enough sleep. I wake up early to run most days (4:30 – 5:00) and sleep poorly many nights for many reasons, the main one being Adam who ends up in our bed most nights.
Diabetes also takes its toll on my nights. I stay up to check my blood sugar, set alarms and also find that even after a year of pumping I still wake up to move or untangle my pump.
On Wednesday night my blood sugar was surprisingly high before going to bed (203). I took a correction bolus and set a timer to wake me an hour and a half later to check my blood sugar again.
Oct 27th: How do you feel about living with diabetes?
Great. I love it.
Seriously now, I don’t ask myself that question. It’s just how it is and it isn’t so bad. In many ways, I wouldn’t be me with out it.
Oct 26th: User submitted (fun/hypothetical) question: In the case of the apocalypse, zombie outbreak, societal collapse, etc. how concerned would you be about your diabetes self care and self preservation?
This may seem like a silly question but it actually isn’t. Although I’m not particularly worried about zombie outbreaks, I often wonder how long I’d survive in a holocaust setting, or in a POW camp. What would happen to me if I couldn’t get insulin? How long would I survive?
Oct. 25th: How many of your non-T1D friends “get” diabetes?
I’m not shy about my T1D and when asked, I try to explain as much as I can. The people I run with, for example, have learned a lot about diabetes over the last few years. They’ve asked questions like Is that too high? What do we do if you pass out? How does the pump work? What is the difference between type 1 and type 2? How low can you go? Some have seen me quit a run because of a low, or they’ve seen me stop because I was way too high. They have learned a lot but I wouldn’t say they “get” diabetes.
The truth is I don’t think you can “get” diabetes if you don’t have it. Doctors, caregivers and family members may understand the technical sides of diabetes and may be very understanding, but I don’t think they really get it.
Oct. 24th: Do you feel that living with diabetes has helped you to meet people you otherwise would not have known?
Yes. Aside from the endos, diabetes educators and nutritionists I have met many wonderful people, some of whom write for ASweetLife.
Oct. 23rd: Do you feel that diabetes has motivated you to eat healthier?
This is an easy one. Yes.
Before diabetes I didn’t know anything about nutrition. I tried to eat a healthy diet but didn’t really know what that was.
Diabetes has opened my eyes to nutrition. Not only to the diabetes related aspects.
Since diabetes I have totally changed the way I eat. I went low carb and then paleo.
