Category Archives: BG

Dreaded Question.

BG

As a person living with diabetes, having a laundry list of doctors to see is quite common. And those doctors are, unfortunately, not always diabetes experts. One of the things I am asked on occasion was asked of me recently on a phone call with a nurse from my retina specialist’s office. And it drives me crazy.

“How are your blood sugars?”

Now, I’m sure there are instances where someone could say totally out of control or close to perfect (don’t I wish!) but I think for the majority of us, it depends on what hour of what day. I know they mean well and are trying to get at how “controlled” your diabetes is. But how exactly does one respond to this question? Do you respond with your latest a1c result? Latest finger stick result? Latest blood sugar average from your meter? Current CGM reading? I mean if you ask me that at the peak of my female cycle, my answer is going to be fantastic. If you ask me while I’m battling a cold, my answer is probably going to be terrible. If you ask me that while I’m under a lot of stress at work, my answer will be could be better. If you ask me while I’ve had the time and energy to beef up my exercise, my answer would likely be great. With how very tedious the daily task of managing one’s glucose levels is, and just how many factors contribute to those readings, there should not be such a blanket question as how are your blood sugars. There are just too many elements to answer that precisely. I need to think of a great answer to this question when asked. I’d love to hear suggestions!

Not Sure What to Think.

A1c, BG, BG Meters, Edgepark

Recently I mentioned in a post that I have been testing my BG 17-19 times on some days.  I am trying to “control” my BG like never before but those frequent tests do not have all to do with my efforts.  I can thank many of those tests for the lack of confidence I have in my glucose meter readings. A few months ago I blogged about frustration I was having with my One Touch meter, leading me to switch my primary meter to the Freestyle Lite.  Since then, I have used the Ping meter on occasion since I am lazy it is convenient to be able to bolus from that, especially when I wear a dress or skirt and the pump is tucked away.  Also on occasion, I have continued my comparison between the two meters.  Here is where things take a turn.  When I conducted my “testing” between meters back a few months ago, the Freestyle was ALWAYS higher.  And I mean always.  Now in recent weeks, every time I do a comparison, the Freestyle is ALWAYS lower.  And I mean always.  (Except when I encountered a meter reading fantasy and the meters read the exact same!)  This is so perplexing. 

I was so sure that since using One Touch, I was not getting a1c results I expected since it was reading lower than my actual BG readings.  Now, I’m not so sure.  I don’t know what to think most times when I test my BG.  All I want is a reading that will help me manage my diabetes and let me make the right decisions that my health and life depend on.  All I want is information I can work with to get my a1c below 7%.  How am I supposed to do that if I’m not even sure what my BG really is?  Can the FDA or a diabetes meter company answer that for me?

Thank goodness for Edgepark allowing a split shipment of test strips between different kinds. I’m not sure what I would be doing if I didn’t have that option.

Possible Record.

BG

7:30am 79

8:55am 54

10:00am 76

1:15pm 51

1:35pm 45

1:45pm 53

2:00pm 89

3:10pm 63

4:22pm 57

5:30pm 178

8:05pm 63

9:30pm 134

These were my BG readings yesterday.  7 out of the 12 were low.  I had to calculate that I drank 168 grams of carbs in the form of juice or soda and it wasn’t even enough to keep my BG up.  I suspended.  I lowered my basal.  I was going to rip the insulin pump site out of my body!  I felt awful.  And I worried about what it was doing to my body.  I was driving (in between lows of course!) and it started raining.  My mind went completely blank on how to turn on the headlights.  That scared me for a moment. 

I did nothing out of the ordinary yesterday either.  I got in a workout around 11am when my BG hung out around 100 according to the Dexcom but that’s not unusual.  This isn’t the first time that I’ve encountered numerous lows in one day but this may be a record.  Even in the 29+ years that I’ve been dealing with lows.  And I know that others go through it occasionally too.  But it really makes me wonder what causes it.  I guess maybe I’ll never know.  I just hope it doesn’t happen again any time soon!