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Permalink Reply by still_young_at_heart on May 6, 2012 at 6:28pm

Many of us eat the same breakfast and lunch almost every day. Once you learn that two eggs, a slice of whole wheat bread, a cup of milk has approximately X carbs you can learn how to dose for it and feel fairly confident that you won't totally mess up.

I find that using a scale to weigh what I eat helps as well. The apple might have 16 carbs or 26 and the best way to get the dose right is to get the weight right.

The best way to avoid lows while driving is to test before you get behind the wheel and if you're a little too low for comfort eating a glucose tab (or two) to give yourself some margin. I store a roll of glucose tabs in my car. That way, I'm never without them while driving.

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on May 6, 2012 at 6:41pm

I haven't read it but fellow member Ginger Vieira wrote a book called "Your Diabetes Science Experiment" that I always thought was a great title that explains what goes on. If you "mess up", as you wrote, you still can get some good data to put back into your next try?

Driving is a good time to be careful. I drove my wife's car over the wall of a parking garage onto another car once.

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Permalink Reply by christy on May 6, 2012 at 6:48pm

I agree testing before driving is the best way to avoid lows while driving, and always keep some quikc acting glucose with you. Glucose tabs, jelly beans, a juice box. And I agree I certainly tend to eat close to the same thing and try not to vary to much in what I eat. I've played around with my pump to know what foods, and what serving sizes I can tolerate, it takes time but you will become more confident.

AR I love the title of the book and is that not the absolute truth we are living experiments everyday.

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Permalink Reply by John on May 6, 2012 at 6:49pm

If you're transitioning to the pump, one thing that might help is to test your blood glucose more often- I know that if I'm doing something that a low would devastate (from biking [no car!] to testing to anything mildly important), I'll usually check 15 minutes before beginning whatever the event is, which gives enough time to correct as needed with food or glucose tabs (ew!). As another member suggested, eating a core group of things is always a good way to go, but if you test your blood sugar frequently enough you don't actually have to eat the same ol' thing day in and day out. At the same time, eating consistently makes things easier-- perhaps after you know how many carbs are in your breakfast #1 (oatmeal and raisins) be adventurous and try Breakfast 2 (french toast with happy fruit, etc, whathaveyou), until you have those down pat.

Personally, I love the pump because I'm absolutely atrocious at self-control when in comes to eating consistent meals! Give it some time, don't panic, think before you send in your insulin, and after it's in don't worry excessively! Do worry by checking your sugar, but don't let the worry domiante you to the extent that you don't eat your food!

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Permalink Reply by MegaMinxX on May 6, 2012 at 8:41pm

Hi Kelsey,
some fear is very healthy ! Fear of driving low will help remind you to test before you drive, and remember to carry keep food/glucose with you when you drive. (I found a small key chain holder at Walmart that holds 4 glucose tabs, to ensure I'll always have some - ReliOn Glucose keychain.)

Having fear of eating because you might mess up, is not so great. You need to eat to stay healthy ! We all 'mess up' at times, and the best thing is we often learn something from it, and make improvements as a result. But other times, it just happens. Food, insulin and exercise are the primary factors to balance blood sugar, but there are MANY other factors, including stress. For women, monthly hormone fluctuations have a big impact for some, and barely noticeable for others.
Is it possible for you got get a CGMS ? This is often very helpful in seeing how all the different things impact your BG, and avoid the really low lows.

Fear of the unknown is tough, but gets easier as you get older because then more is 'known'. Here are a couple quotes that may help.

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."
Nelson Mandela

"I have learned the novice can often see things that the expert overlooks. All that is necessary is not to be afraid of making mistakes, or of appearing naive."
Abraham Maslow

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