A Good Day for Carbs

There are days when I am convinced my body must be producing insulin. Days when I feel as though I have been miraculously cured of my Type 1 diabetes and that somehow, someway my pancreas has come back from the dead to help me out. Yesterday was one of those days. My CGM hovered around my “low alarm line” of 70 most of the day and despite over-treating for lows, I never saw a blood sugar above 82. 

My BG Numbers for the Day.......

7:01am                 80           Great!

7:45am                 48           Ugh.

11:18am               81           Huh, surprised I didn’t rebound from that AM low…

12:07pm               42           After lunch…really?!?

2:01pm                 78           Still not climbing after waaay tooo many pretzels…..

4:51pm                 81           Eek-will I be able to workout today?!

7:04pm                 82           After an apple and spinning class…not bad…

8:27pm                 77           Guess I will have some fruit before bed….

Of course I am almost certain my pancreas did not have a change of heart and it’s likely the impact of my triathlon training is at least partially to blame for this crazy day of lows.  I worked out hard this past weekend, specifically on Sunday when I swam in the morning and went for a long run in the afternoon. I am sure my new workout routine is bringing my numbers down and changing my insulin requirements and I have been working to offset this by adjusting dosing and ratios. Still there have been days like this in the past, where exercise has not been as large as a factor, and I feel as though there must be insulin being produced somewhere in my body. It is not so much a “honeymoon period” because it only lasts a day or so but it leaves me exhausted, skipping workouts, reducing insulin intake and eating any carb I can get my hands on.

A year or so ago as I was having one of my “insulin producing” days, I found myself in the unlikely situation of sitting in a Dunkin Donuts eagerly scarfing down a blueberry AND a chocolate chip muffin. Usually straying away from donuts, bagels, and muffins since they typically send my BG through the roof, I walked away with a BG no higher than 150 or 160. Pretty much a medical miracle in my mind.

I will never be able to explain what was going on with my sugars that day or what caused all my lows yesterday. It could have been exercise, hormones, or maybe a pancreas beta cell giving a last chance effort.  Maybe it is a little of all three. That is what keeps diabetes interesting I guess. The only thing I really know for sure is that my brief period of lows will likely not last too long. I'll try to enjoy it, cause sooner or later a big fat 287 blood sugar will show up on my meter when I least expect it- reminding me that, yep, I still have diabetes.  I will slowly back away from the baked goods now.

Back From Vacation

Since my guest post on Kerri's Site about being the "perfect" person with diabetes, I have been well... far from the "perfect" blogger.  I wish I had found more time to write over the past two weeks since there has been lots going on, but somehow every time I sat down to write, something (including vacation) seemed to get in the way.

I first want to mention that the whole guest post experience turned out to be even more exciting and meaningful to me than I had ever thought it would be. I can't even describe how wonderful it was to read all the super nice comments I got on both her site as well as my own, from people saying they enjoyed the post and could relate to where I was coming from. To even just hear one person say that reading my blog made their day made my whole week! I am so appreciative to Kerri for helping me further connect to the Diabetes Community.

I  got back on Saturday from a week long vacation with my boyfriend in Clearwater Beach, Flordia. We were lucky enough to have a really great week- full of wonderful weather, time on the beach, a day trip to Busch Gardens and a few Phillies Spring Training games.

In terms of my diabetes while on vacation, I did have some highs, likely due to some splurges (homemade ice cream one night and some beers on the beach and at phils games- beer typically makes my blood sugar skyrocket) but overall my numbers were pretty good. My numbers typically tend to be better while on vacation because I am up and moving around more (versus sitting in a chair all day) and I am overall more relaxed and free from stress. It usually works out pretty nicely- the less stress and more activity helps balance my vacation indulgences.

While I was on vacation, I was also lucky enough to reach my fundraising goal for my Team In Training Triathlon. My family, friends, and co-workers have been BEYOND generous and supportive and I am so very appreciative. It means so much to me.  I very excited to be able to help the LLS raise this money and to be able to help this worthy cause. Thank you to everyone for their kindness and support!!

My Guest Post on Kerri's Site!

I am super excited to have a guest blog post up on Kerri Sparling's Blog Site sixuntilme. Kerri is a huge inspiration for me in terms of being a mom with Type 1 diabetes who uses her voice to advocate and share her story with others.  She is a very talented writer and has a huge following in the diabetes community.

I had the chance to meet Kerri this past summer (the way I reacted you would have thought I just met Brad Pitt!) and I credit her with inspiring me to start a blog of my own.

Thanks Kerri for letting me guest blog on your site! It is truly an honor! :)

You can check it out here: http://www.sixuntilme.com/

The Highs and Lows of the Week

This week as I continued my training and preparation for the PHLY Tri, I found myself at both ends of the spectrum in terms of emotions and blood sugars.  This past week has been both exhausting and energizing, filled with discouragement and promise, and certainly had some highs and lows.  

On Thursday I went for my final bike fitting with the folks at Wheel Wright Bike Shop and could not have been more excited to get the final tweaks made to my bike and load it up in my car to take it home. It was definitely a high point of the week. I officially owned a bike- complete with everything from a new helmet and shoes to a tire pump and a little compartment to hold all my diabetes necessities.

The low point and discouragement came into play when I went out on my bike Friday after work. Friday afternoon was an atypical February day here in the Philadelphia area with temperatures close to 65 degrees. Having brought my new bike home the night before, I could not wait to get home to take it for spin. I was quickly brought back to reality as I realized that this new bike, although custom fit to me, definitely has a different feel and fit than that mountain bike I rode as a kid.  It was not as simple as I had hoped to just jump on the bike, clip in my new fancy shoes, and ride off into the distance.  Let’s just say after a few falls and some discouragement and embarrassment, I walked my bike back to my house realizing I have a long way to with this bike thing.

My blood sugars have also seen both the tippy tops and lowest of lows this week. I‘m loving the change in my workouts in terms of adding spinning and swimming to my routine, but it has been a challenge (and exhausting) to try to balance my sugars with these changes.  The swimming drills at the our Team in Training swim practices have not been lowering my blood sugars as much as I expected and I was left with a 318 reading this past Saturday when I got out of the pool. Ugh.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I had my lowest reading to date this past week.  I could hardly believe it when my meter showed me a glaring “26” after dinner reinforcing that my new work outs are really pushing me and I may need to make some insulin adjustments to account for it.

Another high point of the week came as I began fundraising for my event.  As I drafted my letters, set up my website and sent emails to my family and friends, I was grateful and energized about the opportunity to make a difference for those suffering from blood cancers. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a wonderful organization that is committed to finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkins disease and myeloma. They work to improve the quality of lives of patients and their families and I am so excited and honored to be a part of this effort.  With each donation that came through this week, I was touched by the generosity of my family and friends and filled with hope and promise for these the patients whose lives will be greatly impacted by our support.

This high point of my week is truly the most important aspect of all of my efforts related to this triathlon and through times of discouragement, low blood sugars, and feelings of exhaustion, I work to remember all of the patients so deserving of our help and why I have challenged myself to this effort.  I already know that despite any roadblocks or lows along the way, what we are doing for these individuals will make it far worth it in the end.

If you are interested in supporting the LLS, feel free to visit my site for more information:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/epa/philtri11/hschweizer

Thank You!!

Did I really just sign up for a Triathlon?!?!

Last Thursday night I went with a friend of mine from work to a Team In Training Meeting. I had heard such great things about Team In Training, which raises money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, so I tagged along. I wasn’t sure if I was actually going to sign up to participate in one of the events because I have always fought a fear of doing any sort of run or race while managing my diabetes. Nevertheless I went to the meeting. After 20 minutes of chatting with some super nice and encouraging TNT staff and participants, my friend Sara and I found ourselves signing up for the Philly Triathlon this June! I left the meeting feeling both excited and nervous for what I had just gotten myself into. I am thrilled about the opportunity to help such a wonderful cause and be able to meet what I am sure will be some amazing people along the way. I am also excited for both the physical and emotional challenge this will for me since I am not much of a swimmer or biker, and because I will need to manage my sugars very closely while I train and participate in the event. And that is where the nerves come in. I am nervous about low blood sugars and nervous about preparation. I am even nervous about managing potential high blood sugars and how my body will react to the stress and event of the actual race day. A lot about this scares me, but overall I am really excited to begin training and participating in something that helps people so deserving of hope for a better future.

Since last Thursday I have taken some small steps in my triathlon journey including bike shopping and taking my first spin class in years. The spin classes have been a welcome change in my typical workout routine (I feel like I can barely walk afterwards!) and the bike shopping has been a success as well. I found a great bike shop in my area where the staff took LOTS of time explaining to me all different types of bikes and what all I need to get me started. The best part about the bike shopping was that the staff was so supportive and excited for me and my new challenge. It made me even more eager to get fitted and started on the bike.

I know I will have lots more to blog about over the coming weeks and months as re-learn how to ride a bike, begin training, and start fundraising for the event. I am sure parts of it will not be easy and that it will test me both physically and emotionally, but it will be nothing compared to what those fighting Leukemia & Lymphoma go through every day. I look forward to the chance to be a part of something that will really make a significant difference in these inspiring people’s lives. (And I look forward to sharing it with all of you as well!!) Wish me luck!!

Rooting for Jay Cutler

I wanted to write a post about fellow Type 1 Diabetic Jay Cutler and how I was cheering him on this past weekend ironically even before all of the drama that has come out since Sunday's game. I am not really sure the details of what all happened or even what his final injury was, but I know I was disappointed that I was unable to watch him finish the game and lead his team to victory on Sunday.

I was cheering and rooting for Quarterback Jay Cutler this weekend because I really admire his ability to manage his type 1 diabetes as a professional athlete. As much as it would have been awesome to have a Type 1 Diabetic be the QB of the team to win the Super bowl, it is still great for the diabetes community to have Jay Cutler as a role model. I know there are many individuals with Type 1 Diabetes that run marathons, play professional sports, and even go to the Olympics, but with each story of these individuals that I hear and the more time I spend with this disease, the more impressed I am of their accomplishments. As someone who probably has to end a run or workout a bit early at least once a week because my blood sugar is out of wack, I cannot begin to imagine how finely they must have to balance their sugars when they compete. I can just leave the gym early or take a break to have some Gatorade if my sugar is low but these athletes have a lot more riding on their ability to control their sugars. It could mean missing a critical play or losing a race- potentially in front of many many people. It takes a lot of skill and likely a lot of courage too.

For Jay Cutler as a Quarterback, not only is physical performance critical, but there is a lot of thinking and strategy involved too. The fact that low blood sugars can cause you to get very hazy and confused just adds to how impressive it is that Jay Cutler can prepare properly to avoid lows and avoid the effect a low could have on him or his team. I also admire how he balances not wanting to be treated differently because of his diabetes by his teammates or the media while dealing with the fact that he….well is different. It is a hard line to walk. Yes we are different but we don’t necessarily want to be treated as so. For example with my friends, would I ever want them to treat me differently? No, but at the same time I also expect them to understand if I need to bail out early or skip out on things if my sugars are not cooperating.

I give Jay Cutler a lot of credit for dealing with his disease in front the country and media with a positive attitude and for his effort to help kids suffering from diabetes through "The Jay Cutler Foundation". Not only is he a natural role model, but he is using his name recognition to raise awareness and help individuals affected by this disease. To me- this all is enough to make me a lifelong Jay Cutler fan.

Nervous About My A1C

As I do every three months, tomorrow morning I will go get my a1c test and tonight I am feeling the same nervousness I feel every time I have my "diabetes check in". For those of you not familiar with what an a1c test is, it is a test that shows your average blood sugar over the past few months and in my mind it is my "diabetes report card". Every three months I experience the same feeling of nerves and worry as I get the blood work done and go to my routine endo appointment for my check up and to hear the results. The test is supposed to be the best indicator of how we are managing our diabetes overall and there are many studies that show the benefit of having low a1cs in terms of reducing various complications. As I sit in the office waiting for my doctor and the results, I try to prepare myself for the chance that it may be higher than I would like. I think of how I will react if the doctor comes back with a number that shows I am "out of control". For example if its over a certain number, will I consider giving up carbs completely to try to get it down? Will I break down in tears and lose it completely right there in the office? Will I be ashamed to tell my mom the results? Will I consider going back on the pump?

I have been very blessed with what I consider pretty good a1c's for the past four years of my diabetic life. In fact they have been so consistent when I was sure they wouldn't be, that I somehow feel like I am destined for higher a1cs eventually as I spend more and more years with the disease. And I feel as though if my "bad" a1c level is going to come at some point, it may be with this next test considering this test will include all of my holiday splurging and the cold/infection I have been fighting on and off since the new year. My sugars have been less than great over the past few weeks with the combination of fevers, sore throats and less trips to the gym. I know this is an enviable part of dealing with the disease and I will try to keep this in mind as I hear my a1c reading next week. As much as getting my a1c results can cause me stress, I also rely on it to "keep me going" in a way. A good result gives me the praise of a job well done for the hours of effort and energy I put into managing my diabetes. Whether the result is good or bad I know I will left with the same disease to deal with and with the same unknown of whether I will develop complications or not. A great a1c is not a guarantee of a complication free life just like less than ideal a1cs do not destine you for bad kidneys, but the results still make me nervous. The result has a crazy combination of feeling like your "diabetes grade" and is very personal like your weight or salary. And for me I think it makes me nervous the most because it represents both my hopes and fears for the future.