Another Hard Day :(

I have had another rough day. :frowning: I went low at my soccer game today and then went up to 220 then came crashing back down again. Also, on a complete random note, does anyone have any ideas for low carb snacks? I am not huge into eating high carb meals, especially when my blood sugar is high.

Hi Callyn,

Answering your last question first. I use “small” granola bars, total carbs 17 gm. Only 7 of the total carbs are “sugars” and fast acting, the other carbs are longer lasting and slower acting proteins from nuts, peanut butter and grains. And tasty too; I use these while bike riding and benefit from the energy they provide.

As to what happened today when you played soccer I can think of a couple of possibilities and suggestions. How low was your low in relation to your “usual” for that length of time following breakfast? What type carb did you use and how much?
When I go really low, I do NOT just use a fast=acting carb such as juice [I do carry juice boxes in my bike bag] but rather, I try to figure the number of carbs I need to bring me back to normal and take about half the carbs in fruit juice and the balance in crackers with peanut butter. Check again in 20 minutes and possibly eat more.

Our bodies are interesting and very complex instruments. When your BGL was dropping, a signal was transmitted to your liver instructing it to flood your body with glucose thus accounting for your 220. Something then reversed the rise - possibly your continuing exercise or, if your body can still make insulin, an infusion from your pancreas. When were you diagnosed with T1?

If you use an insulin pump. you should reduce your basal flow rate to something like 25% 90 minutes before you start play; if you use a long lasting basal insulin, such as Lantus, last night’s dose could probably be the source of today’s rollercoaster. Explore this with your medical team.

Something else to explore - how aerobic exercise as compared to anaerobic exercise affect you; there are differences. For most of us, BG goes down during aerobic exercise but then when we morph into anaerobic, our BG will increase. I’ve ‘kinda’ figured this out by guesswork and experimenting and frequent blood tests. .

Thank you for the idea of the small granola bars! @Dennis As to answering your other questions. I was fine when I started warming up for my game. Then, once warm ups were over I was rapidly dropping. I was only 132, but I have figured out from past experiences that if I do not eat rapid acting sugar, I will go low within minutes. At first, I had 2 glucose tabs, to slow down my dropping blood sugar. I waited for 10 minutes without exercising and then checked again, I was 120. Again, a great number but not ideal for exercise as I tend to drop very fast. I had one more glucose tab and decreased my basal rate by 70% for the next 1.5 hours.
I like the idea of decreasing my basal rate sooner (an hour before or maybe 90 minutes), and eating both fast and slower acting carbs.
I was diagnosed December of 2014.

Thanks for the advice!

You are on the right path, certainly you will try different approaches and find what works for you now. Be aware that just because some approach works now for you it is very apt to change over time - our bodies are living mechanisms. I almost always avoid using “empty” forms of fast-acting glucose except when I drop to 70’s or below, but prefer toe slower acting to avoid a spike and the almost certain sharp drop.

You are just about two years living with diabetes and 21 months into insulin therapy so that the fast acting insulin in your pump probably still works on the time schedule listed in the brochure; I switched to Humalog in the same month in 1996 that the FDA approved its use, and now find that both Humalog and Novolog react much slower and remain in my body longer. To avoid what I call “stacking of insulin” in my body, I now consider before I take any bolus what I have done over the previous 12 hours including foods, exercise and insulin.

Keep trying and enjoy life fully! Is there someone close to you on your soccer team who would be willing to know the signs when your BG is dropping and be willing to tell you? It can be very subtle without making a big production - more than once years ago when I’d be speaking at a Board meeting, one of my colleagues would refill my glass with sugar laden soda, not a word spoken but a signal to me.

Nuts are a great and filling low carb snack! I like a handful of almonds :grinning: I’m sorry you had that bad day and I hope you’ve been feeling better!