Perfect control?

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Morning all (good afternoon etc depending on when you are reading this). How is everyone today?

I thought today we would discuss perfect control, what that means, is it possible and have I managed it.

In an ideal world perfect control of ones glucose level as a type 1 is as straight a line as possible when looking at a graph of the results,  as close as you can to your target level.  In both mine and Thing 3's case our number to aim for is 5.5 mmol/l. We have found ourselves doing a little happy jig each and every time we see that little number appear. Sad I know! It helps to keep Thing 3 motivated I have found although I'll admit I am relived and happiest when I see it too.

Now don't get me wrong this is no easy task and keeping it there appears to be virtually impossible. If we work really hard and put all our focus into making minute adjustments to our insulin doses or food intake, it can be done. But that takes a LOT of calculations, food management and sugar level checking. I have done it but after a few weeks of eating, sleeping and breathing calculations I burnt out and desperately wanted to find a balance. A balance between that perfect number and enjoying life and everything it has to offer.

How did I achieve those weeks I hear? Well it took a lot of research, planning and a huge change in diet. You may or may not have heard of the low carb (almost keto) way of eating. Well I came across this movement of hundreds of type 1 diabetics limiting their carbohydrate intake and increasing their fat and protein. This way of eating for diabetics stems from the research and way of living of Dr Bernstein. His book The Diabetes Solution has become like a Bible to many a type 1 round the world, young and old. What he has achieved in his own health and life, let alone others, amazes me greatly. After being told in his twenties that he didn't have long to live due to kidney damage from high blood sugars, Dr Bernstein dramatically changed the way he ate and monitored his blood sugar levels. He is now in his eighties and doing very well indeed! He even managed to reverse most of the damage done to his body.

I tried to follow the solution as closely as I could but I admit it was my own weakness and inability to stay away from complex carbs (bread and cakes) that resulted in me not sustaining for long. Well done to those that do manage it, especially the children and whole families. I do believe the long term benefits are huge. Whilst eating this way I was consuming no more than 25-35g of carbohydrates a day, mostly from greens and berries. My average meal consisted of large portions of greens like spinach, bacon (with the fat on) and eggs. My sugar levels were very very stable and my insulin doses very small. I even managed to drop my basal (background insulin) by 10 units! I even learnt I need to bolus for protein, eliminating the little spikes several hours after meals. Did you know that protein is converted into glucose through the process of glycogenesis? Amazing I know!

It is getting easier to control our sugar levels with the use of technology and very careful monitoring. The likes of the Dexcom CGM and insulin pumps have made this a lot easier and I'm sure the future holds much more to help. However the biggest hurdles for type 1 diabetics, in my opinion, is the need for such close monitoring, massive amounts of calculations that need doing, and the feeling of being different being emphasised more by the huge difference in their diet. Manipulating the numbers can become all consuming and addictive, causing you to be ecstatic if all goes right but on the other hand if things go wrong or numbers don't add up it can be very depressing. Depending on your own mental health and personality to whether the perfect flat line is 'worth' it. 

So to finish it here with one final thought, perfect control is achievable, but only if you have the drive, understanding of how to manipulate numbers, and determination to succeed no matter what.

What are your thoughts? Have you achieved perfect control?

Mrs L

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All opinions in this blog are those of the author only and are not meant as medical advice or instruction. Please do your own research and seek advice and support before making any changes.

How Bad Am I?

There I was at the beginning of the year, planning on posting regularly and hopefully keeping readers interested, whilst opening their eyes to life with an insulin pump. How well did I do....NOT! There are no real excuses either. Yes my health hasn't been all that great but apart from the usual real life reasons I honestly don't know what happened. I have never been a journal writer so maybe that lack of discipline has meant I don't make time to sit down and write.  Who knows!

Any way here I am. For how long I don't know so I won't make promises. Yes in an ideal world I would love to post weekly but until I can get myself into that routine I won't commit to it.

Getting down to business, I have to say I love my pump. My HbA1C (3 monthly check on how my control has been) is now down to within the acceptable range. Admittedly it is the top end of the range but it's getting there. Within a year I have more than halved the measurement, and as a result I have halted and sometimes reversed some of the damage I was causing myself. My opthamologist is happy as I have almost repaired the back of my eyes (I had begun to develop bleeds in the retina, causing maculopathy meaning I was losing my central vision), although it appears I do have the beginnings of cataracts at 34! He is hoping with my better sugar control though the growth rate will be very slow. My nerves in my hands and feet are manageable pain wise now, although it looks like I may not regain full feeling back. I am just extra careful now to check my feet regularly and to massage them to aid circulation. Not feeling the cold is the worst part so I have taken to knitting myself socks to help. 

My weight is still an issue, with the demon being particularly loud some days. I am more open and honest with Mr Lyvit now when the voice gets too loud and find this admittance to him helps me reason with myself and ignore the impulses.  I am losing weight but at a much healthier pace, which should mean it stays off this time. Sadly it is hard at times though as I cannot exercise much, if at all, due to other health issues that have arisen in the past 6 years. It doesn't look like they are due to my poor control but they do go hand in hand with the diabetes. This is because they appear to be immune system related in that it has gone into overdrive again! I have been diagnosed with UCTD or undifferentiated connective tissue disorder, as well as fibromyalgia. The UCTD could eventually develop into something like Lupus and/or Rheumatoid arthritis but for now it appears to be managed. I wake each morning with trepidation of how I'm going to feel. I'm stiff in all my joints, particularly my hips and legs. Most days I need to go through a series of stretches whilst still lying down, just to allow me to get out of the bed. My muscles ache as if I have over used them and I find it hard to stay warm. I have a constant presence of pain, the level just varies, often hour to hour. I have to plan everything around how in feeling as even just running the hoover round can wipe me out for days. If I have an event coming up that is non-negotiable I rest for several days before and after, often sleeping more and confining myself to the sofa with the TV for company.

It's not all bad though haven't to take life at a much slower pace. I have learnt to appreciate the little things, like the times the children want to sit with me and be creative, or I see a lot more of nature when I'm able to go for a short walk. I literally can stop and smell the flowers, usually out of necessity. I am in the very fortunate position that I don't need to work. Don't get me wrong we are by no means well off, in fact we have to budget for things weeks, sometimes months in advance. But we are in the position that if I worked it would need to be full time, just for us to break even. This would obviously then massively impact my strength and well being, as well as the children and Mr Lyvit. This is why for now we have decided I'm better off staying at home, in the position most people dream of. It gets boring at times but I have found myself enjoying many forms of entertainment. These include the usual box sets on TV,  along with reading and housework. I know housework as entertainment! But it's amazing how just sorting out a pile of clutter can be therapy. Along with reading physical books I have found myself enjoying audio books, blogs and podcasts. I have also rediscovered my passion for arts and crafts, especially those that are yarn based. I am self taught (with the help of video tutorials), and I now knit, crochet, sew a little bit and cross stitch occasionally. I am a selfish crafter at the moment, as I only make what interests me but the more skills I gain the more I'm considering expanding and maybe selling some. Is there room for another craft seller?  What do you think?

I have waffled on and repeated myself from earlier posts it seems. That's what I get for leaving it so long between posts I guess!  So I'm will leave it there for now. Thank you if you have made it through this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Please do comment below and tell me what your thoughts are. Is there anything you would like to know, or see in a future post. 

For now take care and hope to speak soon

Mrs L
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