Keeping motivated.

I hit this summer after my exams, hard. With a lack of hours at work, stresses of new ventures in my life (learning to drive, volunteering, extra free time!) I fell into a bit of a funk, and my diabetes has suffered massively. With erratic blood sugars and inulin doses, I've gained weight, lost motivation and generally have ended up in a bit of a hopeless spiral!

Not to worry! All is not lost, yet...

I've been trying to eat as all natural as possible. More fresh cooked dinners from home, more fruits and veggies, and less processed refined foods. It does help that I'm vegetarian, but I'm hoping that eating much better will mean I can drop my insulin also, and thus lose weight!

I'm going back to the gym next month: due to financial issues, I had to freeze my membership, but that was no excuse: I could have gone biking, or even dare I say it "jogging." I hate jogging, even on a treadmill. But I'm going to start biking again. Exercise after all, improved your body's ability to utilise insulin, has lasting effects on lowering your blood sugar levels and exercise itself prevents against a whole bunch of nasties later in life.

I really don't know why I struggle with it so much!

All the best guys!
R x

The Rumour Mill!

This is just a super quick post to mention a couple of things I've heard recently. Bear in mind these are just articles i've read, so the information may be partially inaccurate...that being said it's always nice to have hope!

I've heard a couple of things: one, that two dogs have effectively been cured of diabetes using gene therapy! Now this just sounds amazing! Although the diabetes was induced unnaturally in these dogs, the DNA injected into them, cured the diabetes! You can read the full article here:

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/34394/title/Dogs-Cured-of-Type-1-Diabetes/

Now I know we're a little different from our canine friends, but it indicates that progress is being mad.

The other recent development has been that of the biohub: an essentially artificial organ, which acts of a house for artificial insulin producing cells, planted into the human. Sounds daunting, but again, seems to work!

http://www.diabetesmine.com/2013/03/newsflash-dri-creating-mini-biohub-organ-to-mimic-pancreas.html
These developments all seemed to come at once, which indicated to me great progress is being made towards a cure, and I have hope it might be in my lifetime.

But I'm still trying my best to live my life and manage the diabetes I do have now.

Rx

Meltdown!

I have been going into diabetes meltdown recently. I don't know if its stress, lack of exercise or a combination of factors but every morning I've been waking up with crazy high sugar levels in the morning, for no reason. My night time tests can't even shed light on what on earth is happening!

So I'm waiting for July now, so that a continual blood glucose monitor and rigorous food diary might shed light on this mystery. In the meantime, i'm just holding tight hoping my legs don't fall off (I'm only half joking.)

feeling so ill every morning makes me very aware of my own mortality; not in a morbis "I'm going to die" sort of way, but it makes me want to really take care of myself...

I swing too and fro with attempting to eat as all natural as possible, as I've heard but I also FEEL like that's what my body needs. Struggling with steady weight increase also, I figured this would mean less insulin required over all, with hopefully subsequent weight loss.

Fingers crossed!

Rx

May 2013

Just a quick check-in to say I'm alive! After making it through my exams, and starting a busy summer, i'll be posting regularly again!

I've been having a bit of a rubbish time with my diabetes lately, it's just not going well: high levels in the morning etc, so will be posting a few high sugar level related posts in the next week or two!

Rx

Smoothies!

Welcome Back!
Well I can only apologise for my absence: uni has swamped me and I have so many side project on the go, there's no time to sleep!
I will admit, I've fallen off the exercise bandwagon recently. It's so miserable outside the last thing I want to do is exercise! But I know I must...
The good news is my hbA1c's are at 8 which is the best they've ever been. They could be improved, but at least I'm doing something right!
Now I HAVE been to the gym a few times...and you know what the most annoying thing is?!

Post-workout hypos. So tricky to manage! But I've found a trick or two to combat these nasty things.

Post-workout smoothies! Not the shop bought, packed full of sugar kind, but the all natural diabetic friendly kind. I've included a website below with some suggestion, which should combat the effects of exercise, while intaking minimal calories, and avoiding huge sugar spikes.  Hope you find these useful! Let me know if you come up with your own! x


http://www.realage.com/information-on-diabetes/7-diabetes-friendly-smoothie-recipes-2?src=edit&chan=information-on-diabetes

Happy New Year!

     So it's that time of year again when people have a chance for a fresh start, and make those all important resolutions. One of my more sceptical friends commented "everyone makes a big deal about New Year, but it's all going to be the same as yesterday..."
     I don't believe this though. I think people receive a new vigour in the new year, a new leas of life. Maybe it the fact it's not just YOU trying to make a change, but many others around you.
And essentially, most new years resolutions revolve around the same things. Be healthy and happy.

     So when it came to making mine this year, Diabetes was at the top of my list. I'm at an age now, after having had it for so long, where i'm very aware of the future. I need to take better care of myself.

So here are my top  Diabetes Resolutions for 2013:

1. Get my HbA1c's below 8. To some doctors the fact I've not had mine below 8 for so long may send chills down their spine, but to me I see myself working to wards a long term goal. I'm closer now than i ever was. Having been responsible for my diabetes and eating from 16 went I went away to school, and then uni, I found it very hard adjusting, and getting things right. At one period, my HbA1c's were up to 12! Now that's dangerous. They're currently at 8....so i'm close now!

2. Eat less sugar. You know what its like, when you're tired or stressed. You eat ALL the wrong things. But sugar spikes are not even good for non-diabetics, so unless hypo or during super special occasions (I wouldn't say no to some birthday cake for example...) I'm attempting to cut it out.

3. Keep this blog up to date! The thought of having somewhere to record my trials and tribulations where at least one other person may be able to relate, is a positive thing, so i'll aim for at least one post a week, but hopefully more.

4. And the final one I think is one of the most common resolutions all people make. Exercise more. I' starting off reasonable next week I think, going to the gym every other day, or at least 3 times a week, whichever one makes sense. Exercise is great for diabetics, because it increases the body's sensitivity to the insulin, meaning less insulin, and hopefully resulting weight loss. Now that's just common sense.  I was doing pretty well going last year and then Christmas and my exams season hit and I fell off the wagon. It''l be easier in the spring and summer too when the weather's nicer and we tend to go out biking and walking more.

Post Prandial Peaks.

These things suck.

Breakfast will consist of toast and maybe an apple, and my sugar levels will SKYROCKET, resulting in me feeling groggy head-achey and grumpy for a good hour or two. It used to be worse. I'd often over correct with insulin for these terribly couple of hours and then go out ad crash as I was busy getting on with my day!

Has anyone else experienced these?

There's a new quick acting inulin I'm lucky enough to get to try out soon, which is even quicker acting than humalog I was on. With luck it will help correct these a little, and I can actually eat a decent breakfast without burning out afterwards.

The pump is supposed to help with this also.

Oh well. It really is just a constant learning curve!