OMG, Ely, I have been MIA lately on TuD because I have been really busy with work and my daughter (I've been working from home), so I completely missed the AWESOME news that you are PREGNANT!!!!! Congratulations!!! The life that is growing in you is such a special blessing. I know you will have a wonderful pregnancy because you are getting good care and are committed to working hard at it. Please let me know if you have any questions that you think I can help with!! I am so happy for you!!
I am SOOOO happy to hear your good news (the baby, and your A1c)!!!!! Congradulations on both! I'm so glad I was able to help you. It meant a lot to hear from you! Keep up the good work... and let me know how your doing!
Hey Ely! Thanks for adding me. Yep, having T1 while you're pregnant is a lot of work! But totally worth it, of course. :) As far as how you know... well, your bg's get really wacky (mostly low) in the beginning because the baby takes the sugar right out of your blood to form its organs. For me, my bg's were consistently low for at least the first 20 weeks! It got more manageable after the 1st trimester, but they were definitely lower than usual... I was taking the lowest amount of insulin ever! At about 26 weeks or so, I started having to increase my basals and boluses because I had a little insulin resistance. I didn't have nearly as much resistance as most women do, though.... it was manageable, as long as I tested really frequently. I made sure to keep my post-meals below 140 and tested in the middle of the night, etc., just to be sure I stayed within range. I never thought I could have done all that, but I did, and the outcome was great!!
If I were you, I'd consider a pump (if you haven't already)! It looks like you're newly diagnosed, so I'd be sure to get into the habit of everything and take some time to learn about how your body will react to certain foods, stress, etc., before TTC. I found that knowing my body well was the thing that helped me the most. That's just my unsolicited advice-- hope you don't mind!!
Hope you have a great evening, and thanks for your sweet note!
Katie
Welcome to tu diabetes,,, Well better late than never,,, lol I am also from Ma. and have been a Type 1 D for some time now. If you ever have any questions or just want to chat (girl stuff) I would love to be your friend. Be Well, Linda
YAY!!!!! Ely, I'm SOOOO happy for you! The more you're able to prevent from going high... the better! I gotta admit.... even I went over 135 yesterday!!! eeks! Awesome job! Keep doing what you're doing!!
Don't be shocked if your Endocronologist doesn't want you on a pump quite yet. Before they get people on a pump, they like to make sure that their BGs have stabalized, and so far, you have a lot more to talk about with your doctor before getting a pump. But, hopefully, you'll start improving quickly, and be on your way to getting a pump! I didn't get my pump until 4 months after I had been diagnosed... so give yourself a bit of time to regulate your numbers and get used to everything.
Oh, believe me... your questions and concerns aren't dumb!! the only reason you don't know a lot yet... is because nobody's told you much! So, always feel free to ask questions, even the "dumb" ones! I didn't know what an "Endo" (Endocronologist), a "CDE" (Certified Diabetic Eduactor / nurse), or a "BG" was for a while. Okay... I know what a BG is now... but at first, I was calling my Blood Glucose... my Blood Sugar (so... I typed it up as BS. lol.).
Good luck on trying to lower your highs tomorrow!! Please let me know how it works! If you start worrying or anything... there's usually always people on TuDiabetes who can answer any questions. Oh, and I'm just about ALWAYS sitting near my computer. So, feel free to write me whenever!
A bolus is the insulin that you take to cover when your blood sugar would normally go high. So, we "bolus" right before eating, to prevent from going high. And we "bolus" when we are high, to bring us down. I guess a better way of describing bolus is "a large amount of insulin at one time". The other way to give insulin is through a "basal", which is a slow release of insulin. That's what the Lantus does. It works over the entire day.
Okay, I think you need to start counting carbs. So, tomorrow, when you have lunch, try to figure out how many carbs you're eating. For every 15 carbs you eat, take 1 unit of insulin (i'm saying 15 carbs, because that's what they start most people off at the hospital). So, if you eat an apple (about 15 grams), a sandwhich (depending on bread... could be around 30 grams), and can of soup (maybe 30 grams...), the total is somewhere around 75 grams. If I were eating that meal, I would take at about 5 units of insulin. So, that's why you're probably going so high after eating lunch.
Now, I'm not sure if you want to do this without first checking with your doctor... but i think you should start thinking about taking more insulin at meals. There's no "fixed" amount of insulin for meals. I depends on what you're eating. I hope you're able to figure this out!
After you've been at this for a while it will be easier. But there's a lot of information to digest. If you ask to see a nutritionist they may help you to learn how to carb count. One way is to look at the nutrition information on the package for things you're eating. They always have a carbohydrate amount listed. For example most white breads are 15g-18g per slice.
So if you're eating a ham sandwich (for example), you could ignore the meat (mostly protein) and the spread (mayo or mustard) because it's probably too small an amount to count. Then your sandwich would have 30 grams if each slice was worth 15g.
If you're meant to take 1 unit of insulin for every 13 grams (your number is probably different) then you'd have to take about 2.4 units which is enough to cover 13+13+5 grams for a total of 31g.
It's easy for me because I can do simple multiplication and division in my head. But with practice it'll get easier.
If you want to get carb values for other things check out the Calorie King food database. They've even got things like Big Macs covered!
When you say that you take Novalog "between meals" do you mean right before you eat? To cover for what you're about to eat?
And, how much Novalog are you taking? Are you taking the same amount, no matter what you eat? Or are you taking 1 unit for a certain amount of carbs? And 2 units for 2x that amount of carbs?
I've heard about a lot of people being afraid of pumps. And though I was never afraid of them (I was asking about them the week I was diagnosed...), I understand where you're coming from. Pumps, I must say... are MUCH healthier, easier, realistic, and NORMAL. Normal in the way you feel about yourself (no longer feeling sick/different), and it's a more normal way for your body to be recieving insulin.
I would say that in general, pumps are not painful/uncomfortable. When taking shots, I was injecting myself 4x a day (minimum). But now, I only "inject" myself once every three days. And, changing the insertion site for the pump isn't painful. YES - you can feel it. But it's much better than getting 12 shots during those 3 days. 1 vs 12. I'll take 1, thank you! lol.
Um, other pumps don't bulge under the clothing, but you have to keep the actual "pump" clipped to your clothes somewhere, like on your pants. I didn't want that, so I got the Omnipod, which means that the only part that I have to have on me, is a device that's probably the size of half a hardboiled egg (sliced the long way). I've learned where to put it so that it doesn't stick out. There are a few places that you can put it that make it noticeable, but for the most part, people can't tell where I put it. put mine mostly on my back/sides. When I put it on my side, I put it higher, more at the top of my lovehandle/hip so that it kind of fits in the curve and doesn't protrude at all. I also wear mine on the backs of my arms and on my legs.
The Omnipod has definately helped me control diabetes better. I'm not longer hesitant to bolus when I'm high. I used to put it off until a meal time... because I didn't want an extra shot. But now, I can give myself insulin whenever I want. I can eat my meal... and decide that I want more. So I'll tell my pump that I'm eating more, and I don't have to give another shot for it! Plus, it's helped lower my A1c. It's 5.6 right now.
okay. are you ONLY taking Lantus? or are you also taking a short acting insulin? the short acting insulin that i took was Novalog. i would take it everytime i ate. this kind of insulin works much quicker than Lantus, and will take care of your going high after eating. Lantus' job is to make sure that your BG doesn't go up BETWEEN meals. so... yeah, are you taking more than Lantus?
Also, it sounds strange that:
a) your doctor's haven't taught you more by now (I learned just about everything in the first 24 hrs... and then some more later that week).
b) that the doctor's have a "set" amount of insulin for you to take. for me, how much insulin i take ALWAYS depends on how many carbs i eat. for example... when i eat an omlete, i take next to no insulin. but when i have a bowl of cereal, i take about 2.5 units. If i wanted a baked potato, however... I would take about 5 units!
and... yeah. getting to or close to 300 often isn't good. so, hopefully your doctors will help you stop that from happening. and if they aren't helping you... that's why we're here!! people who've had more experience than the doctors!
hi! I saw you are in MA. I'm going to school in Portland ME. I've heard about some meetings for the New England area, but so far they are scheduled during my spring break. I'll be going home for doc appts and such, and hopefully some warm weather! Hope things are going well and you are having a good day! If you ever have any questions or just want to chat leave me a message!
i know its hard to find out you have diabetes & its hard dealing with it cause your used to a "normal" life then all of a sudden you have to test your sugars & take insulin put hang in there! have you thought about insulin pumps ?
Elouise ru seeing an endocrinologist or are you getting your information about insulin etc. from a regular doctor? An endo really gets this stuff while a regular doctor generally doesn't have enough experience with diabetes management.
It may be that your insulin dosing is unusual because you're still in a honeymoon period where your pancreas is still producing some insulin. I expect you'll go on a sliding scale based on carbs per meal once your insulin needs stabilize.
Your cousin may have type 2 diabetes, and controlling that is way different to type 1.
It's hard to do, but don't stress out if you can help it. Big time stress will make your numbers higher. You know the control will come with time. If you were only diagnosed earlier this year, you've got lots of time to figure out the tricks.
Have you checked out any books? I sent a copy of Think Like a Pancreas to my son's girlfriend after she was diagnosed last year :-(
It's well worth the $12 or so and it's an easy read.
I hope we'll see you at the ADA expo in Boston on March 14th. Trust me, meeting up with a group of folks with diabetes is always a good idea. We don't sit around doing a 'poor, poor pitiful us' kind of show. Generally it's uplifting and informative. I'm fairly sure most of us will be wearing pumps, so you'll get a chance to ask about those and check them out.
oh, yes. from the day i was diagnosed, i was taking insulin with every carb i ate! i was taking Lantus in the morning (about 15-20 units), and at meals I was taking 1 unit of Humalog for every 15 grams of carbs i was eating. sometimes it would change, though. for a while, i was able to eat 17 carbs for every 1 unit of insulin. now, though... it's 13 grams.
is it only after lunch that you tend to go high? at first i was thinking that you might need to change your carb/insulin ratio. but, if that were the case... i'd think you'd be going a bit high at breakfast, too. however... if you're eating mostly protein at breakfast... that might not show.
in general, though... i would say that you might need to change you carb/insulin ratio (at least at the time of day where you always go high afterwards).
Hey! well... basically, my low A1c came from just really making sure that my BG was always around 100. for a few months after diagnosis in August, i was using shots, but i got on a pump (Omnipod) a few months ago, and that's what brought my A1c down all the way. so, i know that you can achieve a really good A1c with tight control through shots, but I know it's more realistic and easy for me to do so with a pump. basically... my #1 tip is: always count carbs!! don't eat it if you don't know the carb count (unless it's a special occasion, or you're willing to go high later).
Welcome to TuDiabetes!!! I'm pretty new to this, too. However, i'd love to help you whenever you need some!!
Welcome to TuDiabetes. Wow, you just got it a few weeks ago. How are things going for you.
There are 2 meetups in March for folks in New England. On March 8th there's a meeting in Marlboro on the Latest and Greatest Technologies, this is a great speaker and I'd highly recommend coming to learn about other ways to improve diabetes control.
A group of us is also meeting up in Boston on March 14th at the ADA Expo. Hopefully we'll get to see you at one of these.
Check out the New England diabetes group, it's a good way to connect with other locals folks with diabetes. I hope we'll see you over there.
Disclaimer
The contents of TuDiabetes is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, including without limitation diabetes. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on TuDiabetes.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. The Diabetes Hands Foundation does not endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, services, procedures, opinions, or other information that are advertised or mentioned on the web site.
TuDiabetes®, TuDiabetes.org®, Word in Your Hand™, Drawing Diabetes™, Diabetes Supplies Art™ and No-Sugar Added Poetry™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Diabetes Hands Foundation.
Elouise Davila is Preggo!!'s Comments
Comment Wall (33 comments)
You need to be a member of TuDiabetes - A Community for People Touched by Diabetes to add comments!
Join this social network
I am SOOOO happy to hear your good news (the baby, and your A1c)!!!!! Congradulations on both! I'm so glad I was able to help you. It meant a lot to hear from you! Keep up the good work... and let me know how your doing!
- Emily
If I were you, I'd consider a pump (if you haven't already)! It looks like you're newly diagnosed, so I'd be sure to get into the habit of everything and take some time to learn about how your body will react to certain foods, stress, etc., before TTC. I found that knowing my body well was the thing that helped me the most. That's just my unsolicited advice-- hope you don't mind!!
Hope you have a great evening, and thanks for your sweet note!
Katie
- Emily
Don't be shocked if your Endocronologist doesn't want you on a pump quite yet. Before they get people on a pump, they like to make sure that their BGs have stabalized, and so far, you have a lot more to talk about with your doctor before getting a pump. But, hopefully, you'll start improving quickly, and be on your way to getting a pump! I didn't get my pump until 4 months after I had been diagnosed... so give yourself a bit of time to regulate your numbers and get used to everything.
Oh, believe me... your questions and concerns aren't dumb!! the only reason you don't know a lot yet... is because nobody's told you much! So, always feel free to ask questions, even the "dumb" ones! I didn't know what an "Endo" (Endocronologist), a "CDE" (Certified Diabetic Eduactor / nurse), or a "BG" was for a while. Okay... I know what a BG is now... but at first, I was calling my Blood Glucose... my Blood Sugar (so... I typed it up as BS. lol.).
Good luck on trying to lower your highs tomorrow!! Please let me know how it works! If you start worrying or anything... there's usually always people on TuDiabetes who can answer any questions. Oh, and I'm just about ALWAYS sitting near my computer. So, feel free to write me whenever!
Okay, I think you need to start counting carbs. So, tomorrow, when you have lunch, try to figure out how many carbs you're eating. For every 15 carbs you eat, take 1 unit of insulin (i'm saying 15 carbs, because that's what they start most people off at the hospital). So, if you eat an apple (about 15 grams), a sandwhich (depending on bread... could be around 30 grams), and can of soup (maybe 30 grams...), the total is somewhere around 75 grams. If I were eating that meal, I would take at about 5 units of insulin. So, that's why you're probably going so high after eating lunch.
Now, I'm not sure if you want to do this without first checking with your doctor... but i think you should start thinking about taking more insulin at meals. There's no "fixed" amount of insulin for meals. I depends on what you're eating. I hope you're able to figure this out!
So if you're eating a ham sandwich (for example), you could ignore the meat (mostly protein) and the spread (mayo or mustard) because it's probably too small an amount to count. Then your sandwich would have 30 grams if each slice was worth 15g.
If you're meant to take 1 unit of insulin for every 13 grams (your number is probably different) then you'd have to take about 2.4 units which is enough to cover 13+13+5 grams for a total of 31g.
It's easy for me because I can do simple multiplication and division in my head. But with practice it'll get easier.
If you want to get carb values for other things check out the Calorie King food database. They've even got things like Big Macs covered!
And, how much Novalog are you taking? Are you taking the same amount, no matter what you eat? Or are you taking 1 unit for a certain amount of carbs? And 2 units for 2x that amount of carbs?
I've heard about a lot of people being afraid of pumps. And though I was never afraid of them (I was asking about them the week I was diagnosed...), I understand where you're coming from. Pumps, I must say... are MUCH healthier, easier, realistic, and NORMAL. Normal in the way you feel about yourself (no longer feeling sick/different), and it's a more normal way for your body to be recieving insulin.
I would say that in general, pumps are not painful/uncomfortable. When taking shots, I was injecting myself 4x a day (minimum). But now, I only "inject" myself once every three days. And, changing the insertion site for the pump isn't painful. YES - you can feel it. But it's much better than getting 12 shots during those 3 days. 1 vs 12. I'll take 1, thank you! lol.
Um, other pumps don't bulge under the clothing, but you have to keep the actual "pump" clipped to your clothes somewhere, like on your pants. I didn't want that, so I got the Omnipod, which means that the only part that I have to have on me, is a device that's probably the size of half a hardboiled egg (sliced the long way). I've learned where to put it so that it doesn't stick out. There are a few places that you can put it that make it noticeable, but for the most part, people can't tell where I put it. put mine mostly on my back/sides. When I put it on my side, I put it higher, more at the top of my lovehandle/hip so that it kind of fits in the curve and doesn't protrude at all. I also wear mine on the backs of my arms and on my legs.
The Omnipod has definately helped me control diabetes better. I'm not longer hesitant to bolus when I'm high. I used to put it off until a meal time... because I didn't want an extra shot. But now, I can give myself insulin whenever I want. I can eat my meal... and decide that I want more. So I'll tell my pump that I'm eating more, and I don't have to give another shot for it! Plus, it's helped lower my A1c. It's 5.6 right now.
okay. are you ONLY taking Lantus? or are you also taking a short acting insulin? the short acting insulin that i took was Novalog. i would take it everytime i ate. this kind of insulin works much quicker than Lantus, and will take care of your going high after eating. Lantus' job is to make sure that your BG doesn't go up BETWEEN meals. so... yeah, are you taking more than Lantus?
Also, it sounds strange that:
a) your doctor's haven't taught you more by now (I learned just about everything in the first 24 hrs... and then some more later that week).
b) that the doctor's have a "set" amount of insulin for you to take. for me, how much insulin i take ALWAYS depends on how many carbs i eat. for example... when i eat an omlete, i take next to no insulin. but when i have a bowl of cereal, i take about 2.5 units. If i wanted a baked potato, however... I would take about 5 units!
and... yeah. getting to or close to 300 often isn't good. so, hopefully your doctors will help you stop that from happening. and if they aren't helping you... that's why we're here!! people who've had more experience than the doctors!
It may be that your insulin dosing is unusual because you're still in a honeymoon period where your pancreas is still producing some insulin. I expect you'll go on a sliding scale based on carbs per meal once your insulin needs stabilize.
Your cousin may have type 2 diabetes, and controlling that is way different to type 1.
Have you checked out any books? I sent a copy of Think Like a Pancreas to my son's girlfriend after she was diagnosed last year :-(
It's well worth the $12 or so and it's an easy read.
I hope we'll see you at the ADA expo in Boston on March 14th. Trust me, meeting up with a group of folks with diabetes is always a good idea. We don't sit around doing a 'poor, poor pitiful us' kind of show. Generally it's uplifting and informative. I'm fairly sure most of us will be wearing pumps, so you'll get a chance to ask about those and check them out.
is it only after lunch that you tend to go high? at first i was thinking that you might need to change your carb/insulin ratio. but, if that were the case... i'd think you'd be going a bit high at breakfast, too. however... if you're eating mostly protein at breakfast... that might not show.
in general, though... i would say that you might need to change you carb/insulin ratio (at least at the time of day where you always go high afterwards).
Welcome to TuDiabetes!!! I'm pretty new to this, too. However, i'd love to help you whenever you need some!!
Welcome to TuDiabetes. Wow, you just got it a few weeks ago. How are things going for you.
There are 2 meetups in March for folks in New England. On March 8th there's a meeting in Marlboro on the Latest and Greatest Technologies, this is a great speaker and I'd highly recommend coming to learn about other ways to improve diabetes control.
A group of us is also meeting up in Boston on March 14th at the ADA Expo. Hopefully we'll get to see you at one of these.
Check out the New England diabetes group, it's a good way to connect with other locals folks with diabetes. I hope we'll see you over there.
Welcome to
TuDiabetes
Join
or Sign In
Spread the word
Get Badge
Follow Us
Our Other Programs
Most Popular Pages
TuDiabetes Team
© 2009 Created by Diabetes Hands Foundation, P.O. Box 9421, Berkeley, CA 94709.
Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations to DHF are eligible to be deducted.
Disclaimer
The contents of TuDiabetes is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, including without limitation diabetes. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on TuDiabetes.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. The Diabetes Hands Foundation does not endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, services, procedures, opinions, or other information that are advertised or mentioned on the web site.
TuDiabetes®, TuDiabetes.org®, Word in Your Hand™, Drawing Diabetes™, Diabetes Supplies Art™ and No-Sugar Added Poetry™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Diabetes Hands Foundation.
Badges | Contact Us | Privacy | Terms of Service