Back on the map!!

I'm so ashamed that I haven't come up with a single diabetic related joke. Pitiful. I'm going to have my license revoked if I don't come up with something funny soon. G-Money has run away with the laughs, and I'm here just totally paralyzed by the pressure.

I spent a good part of today in outer space. You know, above the stratosphere? Up so high that you couldn't see me. An official astronaut I was.

There's that point, if you graph your blood sugar, where it goes so high that it is literally "off the chart!". And there is the point where you are "back on the map" - a point where you can, once again, actually see your blood sugar on the chart (what a relief!).

I left for space somewhere around 1:00 p.m., directly from the YMCA during basketball. I returned somewhere around 3:00 p.m..


How was the trip? Pretty shitty actually. My muscles felt funny, like they just wanted to cramp up. Especially my triceps. A slight nausea, but not too bad. But this was all at the peak of the journey, right before starting my descent back down.

After I was done with basketball, I just wanted to sleep. I sat down against the wall, tested my blood sugar, took a boatload of insulin, and just closed my eyes for a while. It felt so good to just rest my eyes. I could have laid down on the hardwood floor and caught some ZZZ's. I was startled back to reality by a guy coming into the gym and bouncing his ball.

What happened? Well, I'm not exactly sure!

It had something to do with my site change this morning. I've talked about those damn site changes more times than I can remember. The lack of constant behaviour is a huge deterrent in applying myself to figure something out. Sometimes it acts crazy - other times it's smooth sailing.

Scar tissue?

Maybe.

Great - another variable to keep track of.

No. thanks.

Here's the "play-by-play" description of how it all went down (or...up?).

I woke up a bit high - 202 mg/dl. I took a correction bolus and started my day. I changed my infusion set, a day later than scheduled. I finished getting ready and headed off to work. I got to work, settled in, and a while later I tested 124 mg/dl. Nice. Can't ask for much better than that!

Hmm. It's pretty late. 9:45 a.m. or so. I don't want to have breakfast now - I'll be playing basketball soon. That's one of the things the dietitian talked about - eating breakfast early to give my insulin a little more time to do it's thing and be done. 9:45 a.m. is not early.

I figured that I would just delay eating for another hour or so. I figured I would grab a bite to eat right before leaving for ball.

11:00 a.m. - 157 mg/dl. I took that as evidence that my temp basal rate reduction was working perfectly. 11:10 a.m. - I stop by the cafeteria and make a sandwich.

Two slices of whole wheat bread, some mayonnaise on both slices, a slice of swiss cheese and two slices of yellow american.

Yes. I know. Not much of a sandwich for you meat eaters (no, I don't eat meat. no, I don't consider myself a vegetarian (um, due to lack of vegetables mostly...)). A good old fashioned cheese and mayo sandwich. A staple in the Scott Johnson diet.

I step on the court about 25 minutes later, and test 220 mg/dl. Humph. A bit higher than I want, but considering I was out of my normal routine I was not too concerned. I did not bolus for that sandwich. I was also anticipating some great basketball action for the next couple hours, so there was no way I was going to take a correction bolus.

An hour later? 289 mg/dl. My highest test in a long time (a month maybe?). Ok, I'm frustrated now. Not feeling my game, not in my "groove".

Why? Because my damn blood sugar is high. I took what I consider an aggressive correction bolus - remember, exercise super charges your insulin. 1.5 units. I wondered if I should have bolused for that sandwich.

Back to the game. Back to stinking up the court. I dedicated myself to just working hard and at least trying to get a good workout. You know - something that I could feel much later in the day. A fatigue. A "good" tired. And I did work hard the rest of the session.

At the end of basketball, I sat down near my goody bag and tested my blood sugar. 363 mg/dl.

Holy WTF Batman?

A bunch of thoughts race through my mind:
- Something wrong with my infusion set (remember I just changed this morning - it hasn't been proven good yet)?
- Adrenaline rush (not likely, but possible, I guess...)?
- Ketones (I've never had them hit me like this before...)?

Then it hit me. That sandwich was the first thing I had eaten after changing my set. That's when it always hits me. A super high, not after my set change, but after the first meal after that set change.

Looking back on it, even if I would have considered that sandwich being the first "meal" after a set change - I was sure not about to load up on the insulin right before going to play basketball. That would be begging for a nasty low. I probably would not have done anything different.

I would have hoped that my aggressive exercise would counter act that possible rise in my blood sugar. Maybe evening the field so that things would "even out" and make for a day just like a non-set-change day.

No such luck.

I was able to get things back under control a bit later in the afternoon, so I know my infusion site is fine.

Now? Just before bed? 54 mg/dl. Damnit. Test THEN brush...

And testing low right before bed brings up a whole mess of fears and worries - a topic for another night maybe.

I also wondered if writing a post while low is as potentially dangerous as writing after a few drinks? Just kidding Julia - couldn't resist the opportunity. Love ya!

Ok, I'm off to bed now. I'm hoping to dream up a few funny d-jokes in my sleep...