Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Lows, Animas, CGMS, Dexcom, Resilience

Life has been a tad busy, a post I'll get to hopefully tomorrow.

Surprisingly my blood sugars have been doing pretty good amongst all the insanity that has been my life these days. I thought for sure they would be just awful  and I would have to do some serious fixing after things settled down. It hasn't been too bad, though.

Over the weekend (My BFF is Married!!) I had a blast, hardly ate a darn thing, enjoyed several glasses of champagne with the girls, Drank Coffee and not nearly enough water. I opted to go Insulin Pump free once I slipped on my Bridesmaid dress around 3pm and didn't put it back on until after 10pm. I hooked up a couple times to 'boost' myself, but the highest number I saw was 220 and I never went low, but rather stayed around 120-150. I was impressed/surprised/pleased.

Now, though? Sunday was great, had a minor low, nothing of note. Then Monday. Monday after waking up and having breakfast with Kenny I went back to sleep with Rylee on the couch. Lo and Behold I wake up with my blood sugar at a wonderful 38mg/dl! Oh yes.

I dislike that low of a number. I didn't realize it at first either. I felt lightheaded and was seeing fuzzy dots. Not until we got upstairs did I think to check, having thought I was just dehydrated and we'd both get lunch. I called Kenny right away (we were the only ones home that morning) and told him what was up. We talked for awhile as I shoveled food down my throat and made sure I wasn't going to pass out and need help or anything like that. After the 'All Clear' life went on as normal with that headache a person gets after a fairly bad low blood sugar. That headache that just won't go away no matter what.

In thinking about it, I am quite thankful at how incredibly resilient my body is. Many many many others would have passed out, been completely incoherent at that point. I have been much lower at a 26 before and able to keep my wits about me enough to get out of the low into 'feel really crappy the rest of the day.'

Funny thing is that when a Low Blood Sugar like these strike they totally sneak up on me. I end up feeling a million times worse after I start coming back up into more reasonable numbers, like 50-70mg/dl. At that point I start getting all shaky, sweaty, clammy... Not before.

I would just LOVE to have a CGM from Dexcom. That is something that has taken me awhile to "Get on bored" with. Much like my pump. I went into it kicking ans screaming and really just don't want to go back to shots ever again. Animas and Dexcom are supposed to be working on a Pump integrating the CGM system, which only Minimed offers at this time. It's supposed to be out at the end of this year. We'll see!

I know CGM systems are not a fix for checking blood sugars regularly. I would just like assistance in catching trends upward or down. Helping me work toward a little more fine-tuned goals. Hopefully catching those downward trending moments and preventing nasty 38's when I'm home alone with my daughter. I don't like that and they, honestly, frighten me a bit. I try not to let much frighten me, especially things that I don't have a lot of control over - I would like to have more control over this one. Soon, I really really hope, soon.

For now I am still thankful that I have the ability to be as self aware as I am and that my body is so resilient.

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