I had an incident this morning at about 5:30am. I woke up and felt absolutely horrible. I didn't even check my blood sugar, I went straight to the bathroom and checked for ketones. The strip lit up faster than my macbook pro wakes up from sleep. I stubbled through my apartment back to my room, apparently my pump had a problem with delivering or I had an absorption issue going on. I knew I had syringes on my shelf for just this occasion. I grabbed them, opened up a new vial of insulin and drew 5 units. I felt so bad I was laying down on my bed doing all of this, I didn't have my glasses on to see if there were bubbles, I just drew the insulin and stabbed it into my leg. The feeling of relief from giving your body insulin it is starving for is like a warm hug from your mother, or a cozy blanket by the fire in the winter. I didn't feel this feeling for almost 2 hours after I gave the shot. For the first 2 hours of my 4 hour descent from my 340 blood sugar, which doesn't seem very high but when your body is starved for insulin it feels like an infinite high. For the first half hour i just lay there on my bed face down trying to figure out what had gone wrong. I remembered from the previous night that my site was a little sore but that was a feeling I felt on occasion without these sort of problem. After the first half hour I decided I needed to plug back in my pump, but into a new site location. I had so much difficulty, the frustration of having the high in the first place interfered with my changing of the site. I could only stand for 30 seconds at a time without having the feeling of nausea, dizziness, and painted eyes that are associated with having ketones, I felt I could not keep down water but we are told to push water when we have ketones; an awful dilemma. I started to change my site, I drew the insulin into the reservoir and knocked all the bubbles out by squeezing the plunger slightly. I attached the tubing to the new reservoir and hit rewind on my pump and collapsed again face down on my bed waiting for the pump alarm to tell me it was ready to be primed. I leaned to my left slightly after hearing the alarm and started to prime it; laying down of course, there was no way in hell I was going to risk the nausea and dizziness. When the pump was all primed, it was time to change the site location. I got up off my bed, this task could not be performed laying down I figured, and ripped off my old site. It leaked of blood a little but also a white opaque liquid I now understand to be the sign of an infection, which I don't understand at this point because I didn't have it on for more than 3 days. I wiped it off a little and then started to feel the dizziness and nausea so I lay my torso and head on the bed while standing up. After the brief rest I grabbed the new site set and put it on the inserter (silhouette) and lined it up on the left side and pressed the fire button. It shot into my left butt cheek and I knew it was a bad one because it went in at almost 70 degrees (suppose to be 30 for those who don't know). I pulled it out opened up a new set and this one went in at 30 degrees and I took off the adhesive and finished the prime (0.7 units) into the canula. This morning was especially frightening because I live on my own with roommates who live in separate rooms from me, for the past 3-4 weeks I've been having major problems with my left side (the side I changed to) not absorbing insulin quickly, and I live in a building that would take paramedics a long time to locate my apartment (there are many many rooms and floors). After 3 and a half addition hours my blood sugar was finally back down to 130 and I felt relief. In total this morning I gave around 20 units of addition humolog to bring my blood sugar down into target and I tested 37 times to make sure I wasn't dropping to fast or to see if I was even dropping. It was an eventful day and I haven't even gone to class yet (3pm).
Wow what a tough start to the day. I've been through a similar situation myself just last week. I woke up feeling horrible. Checked my BS.. 419 and I had ketones. So I took insulin and started drinking water. Unfortunately I had to go to work. I somehow managed to make it into the shower and got myself dressed and ready. I was feeling a litte bit better before I left for work but I decided to check my BS to make sure it was going down. It was 297. I thought ok thats pretty good. So I drove the hour drive commute to work. By the time I got to work and parked my car I realized I was feeling a little shaky. I managed to make it upstairs to my office and the first thing I didnt was check my BS. It was 45. So in about 2 hours I went from 419 to 45. It was definitely not a good morning. I didn't start to actually feel better until sometime in the afternoon. So I can totally understand what you were going through. It's not easy. I'm glad your feeling better now.
About an hour after dinner I went low because I didn't do a dual wave bolus for the stir fry I had, and I had been running low all day earlier. I treated, went low again about 30 minutes later, and then retreated, but this time with about 40 grams, so I bolused for the excess carbs. After that, when things had settled, I went to the library with a couple of my housemates. After an hour of studying my CGM showed my blood sugar trending down slightly, but it said I was still at 100. I decided to go home knowing I would go low again soon. I get home from the library 5 minutes later, tested myself, and I am 47! So much for the damn dexcom being accurate with hypos. At this point I still had a lot of BOB and was sick of going low, so I pigged out on some frozen yogurt, crackers, and peanuts. Sure enough, I started climbing within an hour. I tested and had shot up to 220, so I decided to give myself some correction and increase my basal to 110%, knowing the nuts I ate would cause gluconeogenesis and digest slowly. I tested again an hour later and was now 280. At that point I gave myself more correction, and decided to stay up and see what was going to happen (it was just after midnight at this point). Over the next three hours my blood sugar wouldn't come down, so I went for a 40 minute walk around campus at 3 am. Finally, once I got home, my blood sugar was 90. I decided to have a snack to cover the BOB and went to sleep (after 4 am now). Sure enough I woke up in the morning at 180! Damn. It's funny how a single low blood sugar can trigger a chain reaction of bad sugars if not treated properly.
Coincidentally, I also had a rough day (more so night)...
About an hour after dinner I went low because I didn't do a dual wave bolus for the stir fry I had, and I had been running low all day earlier. I treated, went low again about 30 minutes later, and then retreated, but this time with about 40 grams, so I bolused for the excess carbs. After that, when things had settled, I went to the library with a couple of my housemates. After an hour of studying my CGM showed my blood sugar trending down slightly, but it said I was still at 100. I decided to go home knowing I would go low again soon. I get home, test myself, and I am 47! So much for the damn dexcom being accurate with hypos. At this point I still had a lot of BOB and was sick of going low, so I pigged out on some frozen yogurt, crackers, and peanuts. Sure enough, I started climbing within an hour. I tested and had shot up to 220, so I decided to give myself some correction and increase my basal to 110%, knowing the nuts I ate would cause gluconeogenesis and digest slowly. I tested again an hour later and was now 280. At that point I gave myself more correction, and decided to stay up and see what was going to happen (it was just after midnight at this point). Over the next three hours my blood sugar wouldn't come down, so I went for a 40 minute walk around campus at 3 am. Finally, once I got home, my blood sugar was 90. I decided to have a snack to cover the BOB and went to sleep (after 4 am now). Sure enough I woke up in the morning at 180! Damn. It's funny how a single low blood sugar can trigger a chain reaction of bad sugars if not treated properly.
wow, you guys have had such rough nights/days. Glad to hear you're both ok now though!
Greg do you normally have such horrible symptoms with high BG??? I don't think i've ever experienced symptoms that bad...Normally i just feel groggy and sleepy...well and thirsty haha...but really, was this a particularly bad high for you? My last A1C was good so i know i haven't become accustomed to highs or anything like that. Let me know because i've heard others saying that they throw up or have trouble standing too...Am I the only one who doesn't get this? ..or have i just been lucky so far?
Ugh how scary but I am glad you got them down and are doing better now.
My brain is missing something right now that I must read up on. Rileys BS have been up in the 3-400's daily but not all day at the 2 hour after eating mark but she has not have ketones since a little while after being released from the hospital.
I generally experience the same things as you Virginia, but my guess is hyperglycemia caused by almost no insulin compared to just having too many carbs produces different symptoms.
Jessica, you're more likely to get ketones with a high or illness, but won't necessarily get them every time. It's probably b/c he had no insulin on board?
I bet the ketones made you feel worse! Hope things are better now!
Yeah Sarah I had just woken up from a nap and was having a brain fart. I know Rileys highs are because we are not bolusing her carbs. So at that 2 hour mark after she eats she is sky high. Once we start that if she is high I will worry. I do check for them every couple of days just to be safe but she doesnt act off or like she has ketones. There is a big difference when those are present and she is just high.
wow, you guys have had such rough nights/days. Glad to hear you're both ok now though!
Greg do you normally have such horrible symptoms with high BG??? I don't think i've ever experienced symptoms that bad...Normally i just feel groggy and sleepy...well and thirsty haha...but really, was this a particularly bad high for you? My last A1C was good so i know i haven't become accustomed to highs or anything like that. Let me know because i've heard others saying that they throw up or have trouble standing too...Am I the only one who doesn't get this? ..or have i just been lucky so far?
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Like I said, I had absolutely no insulin in me, it sucked so bad it's only ever happened once before I think it was like 6 months ago :/ When my blood sugar is high I usually feel crumby but not to the point of not being able to function, this was abnormal.
Yes Sarah things are doing much better, but I've had lows like no bodies business as my body is catching up with all the insulin I've been experiencing.
ah that makes sense Dylan and Greg. Thanks... I don't think i've ever gone with NO insulin, so lets try and keep it that way. I'm glad you're doing better, and just think..today is almost over and you'll be back to normal in no time! :)
No doubt you had a terrible experience...just wondering if yo have checked your temp today. The fact that you felt there was trouble with absorption at the second site--you sure you're not metabolizing insulin faster due to illness that is compounding the pump issues? I don't know what the odds are of a site infection becoming systemic--probably slim to none--but if you contine to have highs or are still sick/ feverish...see the doc. I hope you feel better now.
Wow Greg that sucks so much Defintly know the feeling I hate when your not extremly high but it feels that way . That happened to me yesterday I woke up to find no insulin in my pump so I was just a bit high I was 14.9 (268.2) So I gave a little insullin and went on my way doing my site change I also did a silhouette . Apperently at the wrong angle because when I got to school about an hour later I felt so bad I was dizzy felt like I was going to puke dehydrated all the Fun stuff so I went to class realy sat down and felt even worse thats when I tested to check if my site was working it wasent my blood sugar was 29.9 (538.2) But my class just stared I had to write my grade 10 math final .. So I did what any crazy high diabteic does I got up walked out of class to the office by myself somthing at my school isnt allowed . At the office I reilized all my pump stuff was in the upper campus so I had to walk up the hill to get there once in that office all I rember is saying to the secerary was I don't feel so well and I woke up in my moms car with a nice black I coming in worst part I had to try to explain to my teacher why I left his exam my Day Sucked
No doubt you had a terrible experience...just wondering if yo have checked your temp today. The fact that you felt there was trouble with absorption at the second site--you sure you're not metabolizing insulin faster due to illness that is compounding the pump issues? I don't know what the odds are of a site infection becoming systemic--probably slim to none--but if you contine to have highs or are still sick/ feverish...see the doc. I hope you feel better now.
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I have an infection which raises your resistance to insulin, currently im on the left side and my insulin is absorbing slower than it was on the right side (the infected side) Odd.
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Wow Greg that sucks so much Defintly know the feeling I hate when your not extremly high but it feels that way . That happened to me yesterday I woke up to find no insulin in my pump so I was just a bit high I was 14.9 (268.2) So I gave a little insullin and went on my way doing my site change I also did a silhouette . Apperently at the wrong angle because when I got to school about an hour later I felt so bad I was dizzy felt like I was going to puke dehydrated all the Fun stuff so I went to class realy sat down and felt even worse thats when I tested to check if my site was working it wasent my blood sugar was 29.9 (538.2) But my class just stared I had to write my grade 10 math final .. So I did what any crazy high diabteic does I got up walked out of class to the office by myself somthing at my school isnt allowed . At the office I reilized all my pump stuff was in the upper campus so I had to walk up the hill to get there once in that office all I rember is saying to the secerary was I don't feel so well and I woke up in my moms car with a nice black I coming in worst part I had to try to explain to my teacher why I left his exam my Day Sucked
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Jesus, you had just as bad a day as I did. I'm worried to go to bed tonight I have an alarm set for 2 am to make sure that I walk up before anything happens.
QUESTION:
The problem is is that I can't tell if I still have ketones or not because when I tested it last it look like it had a little bit, but could that be left over from this morning's ketones? or can you have ketones with a blood sugar that's in target?
The problem is is that I can't tell if I still have ketones or not because when I tested it last it look like it had a little bit, but could that be left over from this morning's ketones? or can you have ketones with a blood sugar that's in target?
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you can have ketones while you're in target. happens to me all the time (it seems like). pretty much all you can do is try to drown them.
The problem is is that I can't tell if I still have ketones or not because when I tested it last it look like it had a little bit, but could that be left over from this morning's ketones? or can you have ketones with a blood sugar that's in target?
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you can have ketones while you're in target. happens to me all the time (it seems like). pretty much all you can do is try to drown them.
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No fair, I also researched a little bit and came up with an answer: