How am I supposed to control my BG...

[jdstein11]

How the heck am I supposed to control my BG when, under the same conditions, at the same time of day, with me eating the EXACT same thing that I've been eating the past 4 mornings, my level is 244, 130 points above where it was yesterday at this time???

Sorry for the vent, but I've been a dxd diabetic for exactly 13 days now and I've seen my numbers steadily improve over the past 4, with yesterday my best yet:

- Average BG (6 readings) of 119.7
- High BG for the day of 158
- Low BG for the day of 73
- Std. Dev. for the day of 39.2

Sorry about the stats, but I'm a geek twice over: I'm a CPA and a software development project manager and have been an Excel developer in a prior life so creating Excel charts, formulas, automation and other stuff is in my blood (bad pun). I also think that by putting together such a tool helps me stay involved in my disease and gives me some feeling that there is something I can do to control it.

Anyway, my complaint is that, upon my endo's advice, I've been trying to replicate my habits for a few days to get a handle on how much insulin to take. It's been working, and yesterday was the first day that I didn't measure in the 200's and higher for my high reading, and today had a solid 138 when I woke up, ate the exact same thing for breakfast, yet I'm measuring much higher than the past 2 days at this time. I mean WHAT THE HE**???

Ok, I'm exhausted and think I'm done. Thanks for listening (reading).

Justin

[lgvincent]

I can understand your frustration. I have the same problem. I can do the same thing and have major differences in results and I have no idea why. Wish I had an answer for you (and me, too).

[Clint]

basically, there is now answer. This disease has no predictability what so ever. We all go through this at some point many times over.

All we can do is adjust, make corrections and go on. I feel your pain, as we all do... dont let this get you down...

[2Cert]

Your mood and stress can affect blood sugar levels as much as exercise. Also some things you eat can actually cause your levels to be dramatically lower than usual. Cinnamon is one example of this and eating a large enough quantity can cause your body to require much less insulin. If I eat one cinnamon stick (most of you probably think this is disgusting, but I like it) my levels go down nearly 150 if taking the same insulin and eating the same amount of carbs. I know your problem is that the levels were higher but it could be the result of a liver dump if you were low before testing.

Sorry for rambling on, I always think what I say is relevant and important even when it's not :boring:

[duck]

Your mood and stress can affect blood sugar levels as much as exercise. Also some things you eat can actually cause your levels to be dramatically lower than usual. Cinnamon is one example of this and eating a large enough quantity can cause your body to require much less insulin. If I eat one cinnamon stick (most of you probably think this is disgusting, but I like it) my levels go down nearly 150 if taking the same insulin and eating the same amount of carbs. I know your problem is that the levels were higher but it could be the result of a liver dump if you were low before testing.

Sorry for rambling on, I always think what I say is relevant and important even when it's not :boring:

The stick of cinnamon doesn't give you heartburn?

:topic:

[jdstein11]

I used to put cinnamon sticks in hot cider growing up and would suck on them when done; it tasted great, at least until they got cold and lost their flavor.

As for my stress level, I'm generally an even-keeled person who is an optimist (even when it comes to diabetes) and the only time my stress level increases is when under deadline, which is really rare in my business.

I just really needed to vent this morning after having a strong few days in a row as far as my readings go. My endo cautioned me to not let my readings define my life, nor should I present my day as "good" or "bad" based on my readings. I haven't - so far - but, as I described in my original post, I'm a linear personality, where one action has a predictable result and leads to other predictable results, so when I find an outlier that doesn't meet my expectations, I wonder what happend. As you guys keep stressing, there are many more factors than just what I'm eating, when I ate it and how much insulin I took right before I ate it. While I understand and accept your wisdom, it doesn't take away the feelings that I really can't control this as much as I'd like. When coupled with your other posts about "shock therapy", it makes me want to keep my numbers as consistent as ever to avoid the "complications" that so many others before me have unfortunately experienced.

As my endo says, "It is what it is."

BTW, I just measured 77 before lunch :)

[DeusXM]

You have to remember that diabetes is not an exact science. There are at least 3 billion factors affecting bg, although the main ones are amount of exercise, diet, insulin taken, and the postion of two of Jupiter's moons.

Seriously, there are a whole host of ancillary factors that can affect bg but don't usually, which means that it's very hard to budget for them. Stress can make your bg go either way. So can a change in temperature. Maybe there was a tiny bubble of air in your jab and so you got slightly less insulin than you thought.

This is precisely why I don't count carbs because a)life's too short for me to start weighing out everything I eat and b)your body is not a mathematical equation, and even if it was, you'd need a massive calculator to put in all the different variables.

Hang on in there. You've only had the condition for a fortnight and so certainly don't expect to get perfect control in that time. It's like driving - you've got the basic idea but there's so much that you just pick up from experience that is usually individual to you - for instance, I found out that Lantus gives me manic depression and that it's better to bolus 15 minutes after eating pizza, rather than before.

Give yourself a few months at least before you start beating yourself up, and test often. That way you'll always know what's going on, and then you'll pick up exactly what you need to do if there's a problem.

Like you, my dad is also a bit of a spreadsheet fanatic and I now run a series of Excel spreadsheets to help me keep tabs on exactly what's going on, so now I know all sorts, like what my monthly average at 10am is, or when I'm most likely to have a hypo, or whatever. However, you'll also appreciate that 14 days worth of results isn't enough to build a complete picture. Don't sweat it, everyone has off-days. The trick is learning how to minimise their frequency, and how to deal with them when they happen.

[duck]

:confused: I thought it was the moons of Saturn that could affect blood sugar? :confused:

[archimeech]

:confused: I thought it was the moons of Saturn that could affect blood sugar? :confused:


No Duck!!!! How many times do I have to tell you! It's that big ring around Uranus. :smartass:

Justin! Welcome to the world of Diabetes!!!!! If we could figure ou how to keep our sugars relatively level, then 95% of the stuff we complain about wouldn't be an issue anymore.

Just do your best, my friend.

[jdstein11]

Thanks for the advice; I know it'll get better with time and experience. That doesn't mean I have to like it!

[Clint]

none of us like it ;)

there were times when I was MDI it took all of my will to push the needle in... I hated it that much...

[jdstein11]

none of us like it ;)

there were times when I was MDI it took all of my will to push the needle in... I hated it that much...
It's funny you say that, Clint. The first week I loaded, set and plunged. This week, I've noticed that I loaded, set, set, set, set, set and then plunged. No reason, really, I just hesitate before inserting my pen. Weird. :joyman:

[Clint]

I would stand there for several minutes sometimes because I just could stick myself... somehow I forced myself to do it... thankfully...

[jdstein11]

I had to switch sides of my tummy b/c the right side, which I've been using since I was dxd, is all black and blue and doesn't look quite right. So now I'm using my right hand to inject on the wrong side.

At least I'll match!

[am1977]

Hey Justin,

:dito: on what others here have said, there are a whole host of factors that play a role on blood sugar control. Yes, you could eat the same thing every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and most likely you still won't have the same readings each day :mad: . If you sit and obsess over why these values are what they are, it will only drive you crazy :banghead: (speaking from experience). Sometimes it's just better to treat the hi or low and let it go. However saying that, I would definitely log your readings and if you can identify any patterns of highs or lows...get in touch with your doc :call2: . It might mean that your treatment plan needs some fine tuning...perhaps your carb ratio or insulin doses need to be changed.

Hang in there, it will get easier :wink:

[gettingby]

Dude,
I feel your pain. Trust me. I have been battling this dreaded illness for 20+ years now. Two things I have learned:
1. No matter if you do the same thing or eat the same thing every day, your results will NOT be the same. It's just differences in your body.
2. IT WILL AND DOES GET EASIER.
Hang in there buddy. It will get better and it will get easier(or as easy as it can with the big "D", lol).
Feel free to pm or email me to vent anytime.
:wavey:

[Del]

Hi Justin,

From one newbie to another- I was having horrible problems keeping things under control up until a couple of weeks ago. Diagnosis in April.

Fingers crossed, for whatever reason, things have gotten markedly better during June. I don't know why, not doing anything differently except measuring like a madman 10-15 times a day. Maybe that's the trick. For now. Until it changes :)

I'm sure you'll find your groove soon. It does suck though.

Take care
Del

[2Cert]

The stick of cinnamon doesn't give you heartburn?

:topic:

In my diet that is the least spicy thing that would give me heartburn! Now the habanera peppers in my chili, or the cayenne peppers in my jambalaya do occasionally give me heartburn :bandit:

[jdstein11]

Thanks, guys. I ended up having a decent day overall yesterday, as it turns out, and I appreciate the support.

BTW, the same **** happened today, where I spiked after breakfast and have been terrific since. I even keep upping my pre-breakfast dose, and it really didn't have much effect. Maybe Quaker Oatmeal Squares, OJ and a banana are insulin-resistant foods!