Thursday, August 8, 2013

What is common protocol?

One of the things about being so new at this is that I have no idea what I'm doing.  Well, I have a vague idea, but all the conversations about how to use insulin just led to an overall understanding, but as with anything on is new at, the minutiae is a mystery.  Additionally, it is, from my reading, an incredibly personal and variable thing...

How much does one correction bolus?  It depends...
Does one bolus for coffee without sugar?   It depends...
How many units of insulin is this cookie worth?  It depends...
Can I shoot into my boob?

You get the idea.

I'm trying really hard to get active again.  I managed my first day lifting on insulin quite some time ago, and although I had visions of going low in the gym and either passing out or throwing plates at a yahoo doing too much grunting, it was fairly anticlimactic.  I've seen my blood glucose drop rather dramatically from a lifting session many times, but oddly I've also seen it stay more or less the same.  It's like there's been some weird magical "floor" to lifting-related BG variations, but that wouldn't make a lot of sense, would it?

One thing I'd like to know (and yes, I know the answer is "It depends..." but humour me and tell me what you do) is if one normally would or should go to the gym after having a low they needed to treat?

Monday a student was back from vacation with gourmet sea salt caramel corn and salt-water taffy, and I can't just not even taste it, right?  Normally I'm not a big sugar person, but I want to be polite and I really do like popcorn, so I indulged, failed to bolus correctly, and of course over-compensated when I next ate.  It wasn't a very severe low at all.  Just enough to feel it, and fix it with a couple of glucose tabs.  But then later I wasn't sure if I should go to the gym or not.  I had a hard time gauging how I was feeling, and I guess I was just concerned that my BG was too labile after bouncing from too high to too low.  I'm not claiming it makes a lot of sense, but I'm pretty damn inexperienced with this.  Anyone have any advice or more experience to share?

1 comment:

  1. Well, I have no qualms about going to the gym after treating a low, as long as I feel I'm back in a safe range. That isn't to say it's how everyone should feel, but it's how it is with me. :) I'm more nervous about workouts after huge highs, because the whole ketone thing freaks me out.

    But honestly, I think there isn't any right or wrong way. If it works for you, then it is RIGHT!!

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