Comments on: Hi everyone….?? regarding exercise

By: Krystal Jesica

Krystal Jesica — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:11:37 +0000

Hi Audra, I take it you got on ok with Dr. Hanna?
fp

By: mable11

mable11 — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 17:29:15 +0000

Hi John
I’m doing computer imaging at home, and workshops, and photo based
art, besides teaching high school every other day. I know what
you mean about not having regular days with regular exercise, and so
on. Your note interested me because I am just ordering a pump
after 42 years with Type 1 and 4 shots a day since last August. I do
aquatherapy twice a week. Although my sugars dip, with
injections it has not been a problem - go low, take a glucose tab!

When I start pumping I’m sure you will be hearing from me! Yikes!!!
(excitement, fear, trepidation, excitement, "When will the MiniMed
rep call me to order my pump?????")

Audra
Type 1, 42 years

pumping soon

By: Carlos Kiara

Carlos Kiara — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 06:44:35 +0000

I understand exactly Chrissy. Having had it for a long time also, I know
where you are coming from. I often feel the same way and get mad at myself
because after 44 yrs I think I should be over the anger. But I am not.
The important thing is we keep trying, you wouldn’t be on here posting if
you didn’t. That says alot.
Gail

By: Jennie Mui

Jennie Mui — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 23:16:10 +0000

Chrissy,
I so understand you. I have been there before. The two times I was
pregnant, I was meticulous about keeping records and tweaking everything.
It was exhausting, but worth it. Now, after 33 years of being diabetic,
most adjustments just come automatic and I don’t worry about it so much. I
know I’ll have some highs and lows. I may have to increase the insulin or
eat the carbs. I just try to stay in the middle of the road as much as
possible. Stressing out about it just made my blood sugars go up. There
have been times when I wondered "why me" and other times when I was glad my
diabetes made me more aware of being healthy. Don’t worry, you’re normal.
We all have our moments. Just take it one day at a time. I remember once
sitting in the doctor’s office crying and telling her I just don’t want to
do it anymore. This was just before the pump and my A1c was 11. She just
said, "You must be doing something right, because you’re still alive!"
Those words gave me great encouragement. I ended up going on the pump and

although I don’t always feel the best, overall I think I’m doing okay. Yea,
I’ve had some complications, but I just deal with them. At least the A1c is
down around 7.5. That’s good for me. Hang in there. We’re here when you
need to vent. Love ya, Jeana in Alaska (Type 1 since age —– Original Message —–
> Can any of you understand where Im coming from? Chrissy

By: Randolph Fawn

Randolph Fawn — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 17:33:31 +0000

Forgot to add that I am now off ALL neuropathy meds!!!!! Started out with
four 100-mg Dilantin daily, as well as 300 mg. B6. I credit the pump and
better A1c’s for that - even though it took 15 years before I had a 6.3 with
the pump!!!!!!!

By: Randolph Fawn

Randolph Fawn — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 09:25:50 +0000

I dont know how you do it Jan for as many years as
> you have. Sorry about this letter I just needed to let off steam I guess.
> Can any of you understand where Im coming from? Chrissy

YES!!! I do understand, Chrissy. I don’t know why I’m as well off as I am. For
my first 31 years I had one shot a day and pee tests. The next 2 yrs had 2
shots a day which I thought was a GIANT step backwards. I wanted one a WEEK or
better yet, one a month - not a daily increase. When I saw my first BG meter I
turned around a walked away. WHY on earth would I want to poke my own
fingers - seemed senseless to me after all those years. My feet neuropathy
was so bad I agreed to try pumping (see the MONSTER thingy on my website
below). Even the first 15 years of pumping I didn’t know what I have learned
since from the ‘net!! There was a 3-yr period I was in the hosp. 5 times
(early ’60s)and to rectify that dilemma, I quit going to the doctor. Not good.

I have been legally blind 2x (20/400 WITH correction) and didn’t like that
either!! PTL I now see 20/20 & 20/25 withOUT correction, although I wear them
for the bifocals cuz plastic implants do not focus like natural lenses. No
biggie - I’ve worn glasses since 9 y/o.

Like I said, I don’t know why I’m doing as well as I am - HAS to be the luck
of the gene pool and the GOOD LORD doesn’t want me yet, either! (~_^)

By: patience_15

patience_15 — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 13:52:02 +0000

<< Hope this helps. I’d love to hear other folk’s experiences and
strategies for dealing with oddities of pump-based DM management >>

My ways of dealing w/things probably isnt the best because I just get plain
frustrated w/all the variables that come w/being diabetic whether pumping or
injections. There are just too many darn things that can mess you up. Too
little exercise, too much exercise, eat too much, not enough, gastropheresis,
dawn phenominon. I dont know about anyone else but to me all this stuff is
just so overwhelming that I just say forget it!!! Do I have an attitude
right now? Yes!! Sometimes I get so frustrated w/everything that goes
w/being a diabetic I just dont know what to do. So I just do my best. Im
not a good log keeper at all. I could do better on that. My goal is to stay
alive w/as few complications as possible. But….I cant monitor my entire
life and try and guess which little thing made my BGs do this or that. Sorry
if I sound mad but I guess I just am and thats the mood Im in right now. I

give credit to those of you who can tweak and keep endless records in the
hope of figuring out what caused what. Really I do. I guess Im just not one
of them. Ive dealt w/this stupid disease for 33yrs and I still have yet to
figure it completly out. I dont know how you do it Jan for as many years as
you have. Sorry about this letter I just needed to let off steam I guess.
Can any of you understand where Im coming from? Chrissy

By: Carlos Kiara

Carlos Kiara — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:43:10 +0000

John,
Even if you used the continuous monitor this week, next might be different.
I find I need to adjust basals spring and fall due to allergies during
those times of year.
Also hormone changes really bother me. When starting hormone therapy I had
to do alot of adjusting, now is seems to be going back. Don’t know why.
Gail

By: Carlos Kiara

Carlos Kiara — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 21:04:48 +0000

Audra,
Happy you have heard from you pump. Best of luck with it and know you will
love it like all of us.
Gail

By: Aida Winnifred

Aida Winnifred — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 19:30:56 +0000

Regarding excercise…

I’ve made a few observations about my own body and how it deals with
excercise.

While the pump is fantastic for gaining back flexability and spontanity
(food and sleep schedules in particular) it’s been my experience that
excercise is best done regularly; at the same time of day, for the same
length of time and the same intensity. I crank down to between 10 and
30% of normal approx. 1hr before begining and let it run at that rate
for the full four hours my Disetronic lets a temp. low basal rate go. I
have to be careful to watch for unexpected lows about four hours after
finishing excercise and, here’s the kicker, 22 to 26 hours after I
stopped excercising.

That last one was a toughie to figure out and required religious
charting of BG records and noting duration and intesity of excercise.
Most often it is 26 hours after excercising, so there’s no real way for
me to adjust my basal to counter for it, since I’m not so regimented
that I do excercise the same amount at the same time every day.

Also I have to be careful to be aware of walking more than ususal on
any given day. Shopping for 3 or more hours will put me low, and I
rarely remember to crank my pump down in advance of shopping, its
usually an hour or two into it that I remember to adjust it.

Periods of time that are remarkably stress-free or, conversly,
stressful also require me to be vigilant for otherwise unexplained
highs and lows. When I lost my job in the middle of January a few weeks
later I found that I needed to adjust my basals up. Now I’m more
relaxed and confident in my job search, I’ve had to make some downward
adjustments.

Furthermore… (as if this wasn’t enough already) I seem to have
seasonal differences in my basal dose requirements, though I don’t have
them charted to know what they are precisely.

Never mind what happens if there’s a low grade infection, toothache or
other health issues going on.

Hope this helps. I’d love to hear other folk’s experiences and
strategies for dealing with oddities of pump-based DM management.

And if anyone knows of a good job for a computer graphics/art
director/web geek in the Seattle area, I just moved here and am
actively looking….