Roller Coaster: Not Mr. Freeze

I’m super excited, I just ordered a new book off of Amazon.com. I went paperback, Brad did give me a tablet for my birthday last year, but there is just something about a real book. Plus, for some reason I just felt like I needed to have an actual book in case someone ever needs to borrow it. Don't know why, just a feeling. It’s titled “Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes”. It’s a true story of an eleven year girl diagnosed with juvenile diabetes back in 1919 just a little while before the discovery of insulin. From what I can tell by reading about it, looks like she beat the odds and survived longer than the doctors said she would before being one of the first people to ever use insulin. Apparently back then the only solution for T1D was starvation to keep BG levels down. I think it sounds like a pretty educational book and I’m sure I will be sharing my thoughts as I go through it. I found the book through a blog that I’m obsessed with reading, www.textingmypancreas.com . Kim, the author that writes this blog recommended the book. She has been T1D for 27 years, diagnosed at age 6 and reading her blog has been tremendously helpful to me. I swear it’s like reading my own thoughts at times. Reading her blog actually is what got me to start blogging. She also started the "You Can Do This Project", which is where other PWDs (people with diabetes) record themselves telling their story about how they were diagnosed, their struggles and then encouraging others out there and then posting their recording on Youtube. I love watching those as well. Again, it just reiterates what a great thing technology is and how it connects people. This has been a great avenue for me, because I have given thought to finding a support group, but if you are like me you envision what you see on TV and the movies. I don't want that, I don't want to sit around with a bunch of people crying and being depressed. Yes, I would like to have an understanding shoulder to cry on, or an ear to vent to that understands at times, (This is where my awesome hubby comes in, and he has been great!) but at the same time I'm not going to sit around and mope. That's why I think this whole new world (new to me anyway) of blogging and the online "D" support community has been so great for me. I can vent and get it out on here, and then live my daily life and tell my struggles on here without being a "Debbie Downer" all the time. 

So the reason I titled this blog "Roller coaster: Not Mr. Freeze" is because diabetes is a roller coaster. The highs and the lows are crazy! As annoying as they are, and frustrating as it can be, I was thinking about it the last couple of days and realizing what an amazing alarm system God has created our bodies to be. Having “D” I have to be so in tune with my body, but at the same time, it gives off signals when something is wrong. I know that I have talked about all complications and fears of “D” but I have not actually gone over the highs and lows of it all. I know I told my story about being in Target, getting really low and feeling confused, but now I’m going to give more detail.

The Highs

Depending on how “good” I’ve been I may or may not be able to tell if my BG has been high. Usually I can tell when I’m above 250 if it’s been for quite some time.

Symptoms are:

Head ache

I want to eat everything in sight
Nauseousness

Bloating (Like there is a huge rock in my stomach!)

Extreme thirst

Frequent urination

Extremely tired and lethargic

Feeling like I’m coming down with a cold (stuffy nose and slight sore throat-these two are huge indicators for me that I've been above 250 for a while.)

All of these tend to go away once things get back into check. I've not heard of some of these for other people, like the bloating and cold symptoms, but I've noticed it in me. I’m not a standard text book case on anything as my doctor likes to tell me so I’m not surprised if no one else get those.

The Lows

Confusion
Felling like I can eat the world
Nauseousness

Hot flashes (In the beginning of my diagnosis I would sweat like a pig being turned into bacon but now I don’t get these as frequently, these I tend to get in the middle of the night now and they wake me up. That’s how I usually know I had better go grab  a late night snack. Thank God I wake up!!!)

Shakiness

Dizziness

Tingling in my hands or tongue

Dazed

Can’t seem to focus (This one I have notices mostly at work. Sitting in front of a computer for the most part can sometimes make it hard to tell if I'm not moving around or doing much other than staring at a computer. If I've been really busy with computer work and notice that I can't seem to see straight or focus I know I had better check my blood sugar level.)

Lowest I've ever gotten was 32, highest was 402. As far as I know. (90's are where a non "D" would stay) There was a time before I was married and living in my apartment with my best friend. I had been out grocery shopping and as soon as I had pulled into the parking lot of our apartment I realized I was low. I felt like I barely made it inside. I vagley remember just eating anything in site. A bagel with peanut butter, a piece of fruit, way more that I usually would for a low, but I guess I was bad because I never sky rocketed after eating all of that. I had to be out of it though because when my roommate came home I had left my keys in the front door. 

Just because I correct one doesn't mean the other won't shortly follow. There are days when it's definitely a roller coaster and I can't seem to level out no matter what I do.