Free(dom) Weights

A lot has changed since July 2011.  Scrutinizing food labels for sources of added sugar.  Racing my liver in the early morning to see which one of us can get glucose into my bloodstream the quickest.  RL had told me that my early morning highs when I delayed breakfast were the result of my liver detecting minimal blood glucose and dumping its reserves into my bloodstream.  Praying, deep breathing, doing anything to maintain a state of relaxation and keep my body's fight or flight response - and the associated glucose release - at bay.

But what I miss most about my life before Type 1 diabetes is the freedom to run, lift weights, stretch, crunch, and twist whenever I'd like to.  To push myself for however long I can withstand it.

A friend and I had planned a phone date a couple nights ago.  The appointed time came and went, and I hadn't been able to get ahold of her.  I pondered all that could happen between feeding two young boys and tucking them in to sleep - quite a lot - and reconsidered how I'd spend my evening.

My first thought was how good it would feel to get a solid workout in before bed.  My second thought was how I'd just eaten a hearty dinner and given myself insulin to cover the whole thing.  I couldn't work out without risking a low, unless I had a pretty substantial snack.  And after my hearty dinner, even a small snack wasn't going to fly.

During my last appointment, Dr. G suggested strategies to fuel my workouts.  Reducing my basal.  Which I'd already tried.  I had turned off basal delivery entirely during workouts, with little effect.  I had reduced mealtime bolus by one unit, two units, 50%...by anything various sources advised would do the trick.  The only thing that seemed to work for me was to skip my mealtime bolus.  My sugar tends to drop by more than 100 points during workouts, and skipping my bolus has been the only way I've been able to maintain my stamina.  Yet, I fear the effects of letting my sugar run 100+ points higher than it should be just so there's room for it to drop.

Dr. G suggested bringing gels or other quick forms of energy with me to fuel workouts rather than skip my mealtime bolus, something I still need to try.

I'd really love feedback on what has worked for you all.  How do you fuel your workouts without running too high or risking a low?

Cheese!

I underwent a procedure a couple weeks ago for periodontal disease.  Dr. P assured me there was nothing I could have done differently to prevent myself from developing it, that having had undiagnosed diabetes was the likely culprit.  Yet, it was disappointing to be diagnosed with a second chronic illness - and just a few days after M and I returned from our honeymoon.  It would mean another set of quarterly appointments and hypervigilance about oral hygiene.  But, after a week on a soft food diet with black sutures between my teeth, my joy at being able to savor a vegetarian turkey wrap and to be rid of those unattractive black threads was such that my gratitude far surpassed any lingering concerns about managing this new disease.

I could now smile without looking like I got into an altercation with a spinach salad.  And smile I did.  I also began to recognize that I was the lucky one in all of this:  I still have my smile.  I still have my oral health.  The challenges associated with the procedure were only temporary.  I can still thrive.  And I can still love.  Which, really, is what this life is all about.  Nothing had stopped me from living the life I've imagined.

I suppose I could say the very same for my diabetes.  And for that I am truly grateful.