Self Experiment - Does Diet Effect Your Mood?



"Me Fired Up!!!"

 This was also Posted On My Sister Blog Diabetes Mind Game yesterday, but is relevant to all.

Good Day All! Boy do I have something I want to share!!!  I have not been this fired up in a long time. No I am not manic. This is some really revolutionary stuff. I didn't invent but check it out!!!

Not sure if I mentioned this,  but my last A1C was 8.4 % which, in my opinion for myself, pretty much sucks!!!

So I took a hard look at my current diabetes regime and self management.  By hard I mean honest, like; can I do more, am I measuring, trending, tracking, counting, am I consistent. To answer myself; as to whether I've been a well behaved PWD. I'd have to say, NO. I haven't been consistent in doing any of the above.

The result,  a shitty A1C.  Time to do something radical. Time to make a plan, and stick with it. Time to smarten up, and as you all know, I have 90 days.  At which time I will repeat my A1C and have a check-up with my physician.

Over the past four days, I know, not long, but I have to share this, I have been doing the following:

-Off my Pump, back on the Multiple Daily Doses.

-Re-Read Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution , for the second time in 4 months(This time I took notes)

-I have been eating the following portions daily:
Breakfast:  6 grams Carb and 3 oz Protein(Measured using a scale)
Lunch: 12 grams Carb and 4 oz Protein(Pre-made the evening before)
Dinner: 12 grams Carb and 6 oz Protein

-I have been taking the following insulin:
AM: Levemir 15 Units (split into 3 separate injections as per Dr B's Suggestion)
AM: Apidra 5.5 Units
Lunch: 4.5 Units
Dinner: 6 Units
Bedtime: Levemir 5 Units

Broken Down:

Correction Factor = 1 Unit will drop my BG by 2 mmol
1 gram of Carb increases my BG by approximately .3 mmol
1 unit of insulin for 1.5 oz of protein
1 unit of insulin for 6 grams of Carb
2 units to cover the Dawn Phenomenon (2 hrs after waking)

-I write everything down
-I tested every 2-3 hours for the first 3 days
-I discovered Sugar Stats a website that allows you to log your numbers, graph them, and so much more. Get this! If I am out, away from my computer I email my blood glucose reading using my phone to the site and review the numbers later. It really is awesome!(No I am not an affiliate, so I don't get anything if you visit the site)

Okay, so what?! 

I am going to tell you, the first day sucked!  I felt low(hypoglycemic) because I wasn't used to having sugars in the normal range. I felt hungry, I had a massive headache. Day two, still feeling headachy, but slightly better. Day three, better. 

Today, I feel fantastic!!!  I have no headache. I have no post meal spikes, my range yesterday and today has been close to that of a non-diabetic.  I never in my 28 years of being a Type 1 have seen numbers, I mean stable, steady. 

My mood and my mind is clearer then I ever thought possible. I am not exaggerating. I post my numbers publicly on Sugar Stats if you want to check them.  It's really encouraging to eat a meal or take a shot and knowing exactly what the outcome will be.  I admit I was really hesitant to take 1 unit for 1.5 oz of protein. But seriouly, it's totally possible!

The only downfall is it is a rigid regime,  but I feel great and that is motivation. I don't feel edgy, like I am on an emotional roller coaster that I would get with spikes and drops in my blood sugar.

Stable numbers (Stable Carb and Protein + Stable Insulin = Stable mood ) 

That is my conclusion thus far.  I know it is only day four but I am onto something life changing. I just feel it!

Trev


PS:  Yes this is my official plan, I am not Flip-Flopping as stated two posts ago.

To Pump or Not to Pump

Over a month ago we decided to give Rowan (our 6 Year old Pumper) a vacation from her pump.  The decision was not an easy one to make because her "Mr Wizard" is truly a wonderful device.  For those new to insulin pumps the wizard feature basically figures out a bolus calculation based on what her glucose level is and how much carb we want to feed our princess.  In other words it saves my brain cells.

So off came the pump.  Next we figured out her pump totals, and started her on multiple daily doses.  To my surprise Rowan was in great spirits! I can relate, as it is nice to take a pump vacation, you can roll around, wrestle with the kids, and not worry about snagged tubing, or a knee in the old "site"

It went well until Monday, the first day back to school.  She was now requiring a lunch time insulin shot to cover her lunch.  The school team have been absolutely fabulous and fully Pump trained but not injection trained.

Oh, why did we even take her off the pump?  Sorry getting ahead of myself.  Rowan's tiny arms, and hips/buttocks, were getting swollen, as the infusion set cannula(needle) is not small.  We needed to give her body a break.  Now we are giving more injections using a very tiny(4mm)needle and can rotate to different areas.

Okay lets get to the point, we all miss her pump, strangely enough Rowan doesn't.  She like the freedom, and doesn't mind the multiple daily injections.

In order for the school workers to give her needles, they need a physician to sign forms, we see the endo in March.  As much as I have enjoyed spending my lunch hours with Rowan, it is very cool for Rowan to eat lunch at school with her dad, it is not a good long term plan.

So "Mr Wizard" we miss you and want to formally invite you back.  Your brain is far better then mine, and I can visit Rowan for lunch for fun not out of necessity.  Rowan's arms and site areas are looking way better and are now pump ready again.

So if given the choice for school age diabetic control I would definitely go with the pump.

Trev

Insulin Pumping for Toddlers–Rowan’s Story

As I mentioned in my profile and previous blog I have 2 children with Type 1 diabetes.
Here she is:

Rowan was diagnosed when she was 20 months.  She exhibited the typical signs of onset like; unquenchable thirst, frequent urination, increasing irritability, and she generally looked unwell. 

We decided to use my meter to confirm what we suspected---and her blood glucose reading was 32mmol.  We were emotionally shocked----yet intellectually aware of what was going on.  My personal thoughts were “my damn genes are responsible for this”

We proceeded to the hospital to confirm the diagnosis of diabetes.  They re-hydrated her little body with intravenous fluid, sent off some blood work, gave a dose of rapid acting insulin, and referred her to the Pediatric Clinic the following morning. 

This forever changed her little life and also ours.  When you have a child with insulin dependent diabetes you really never truly sleep (especially the moms) or stop worrying.

The following morning we went through the standard curriculum for pediatric diabetes; diet, insulin injection teaching, targets, and hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia management.  We met the Social Worker, Nurse Educator, Pediatric Endocrinologist, and Dietician.

My wife and I were still experiencing the shock, so needless to say we didn’t retain nearly as much as we would have liked.  Nevertheless we did attend subsequent follow-up visits and did a lot of our own research on type 1 diabetes and children. 

Rowan was absolutely amazing! She took everything in stride.  It was three long days to us adults, but to a little child it probably felt like an eternity. There were two other families present during the education sessions.  Both were older children more typical for the onset of diabetes.  Rowan was so tiny, so innocent, and so brave.

What changed in our life?

Mental Health:  We were very overwhelmed in the beginning and really did not have time to deal with the emotions that we were feeling.  This subsided with time, increased knowledge, and new habits.  This aspect should always be addressed and is often not.

Food:  everything had to be measured with precision (we were told a small amount of error has a huge impact on her blood glucose) in order to avoid wide swings in glucose levels.

Insulin:  she did not like needles (go figure) every injection was met with resistance (Let the chase begin) Rowan didn’t know why we suddenly had to “poke” her 2-3 times daily. It broke our hearts.   

Blood testing:  Rowan didn’t mind the finger tests. Thank the lord.

Challenges:  

Toddlers are the most unpredictable eaters, so even though we’d carefully measure her meal and give her injection pre-meal we struggled with her to eat all her food, and this often resulted in last minute substitutions---usually less desirable choices.

Hypoglycemia is the “thorn” for us, and based on our own research and self discovery children under the typical onset age of 7-9 often do not feel the symptoms of hypoglycemia (The neurological system is too immature) Rowan is now 6 and is just beginning to recognize when she feels “low”

What did this mean for us?  Well a lot of sleepless nights and a complete change in her insulin regime. 

We struggled for months with her insulin regime.  There were nights she would drop low and other times where she would maintain normal readings.  There was no obvious pattern despite having the same routine and insulin/food amounts.  Very discouraging….

Then came the pump---and this greatly improved our quality of life!  The pump provided Rowan with continuous amounts of insulin 24 hours a day and required a “poke” or plastic catheter needle to be inserted every 3 days.  It provided us with the ability to safely give smaller doses of insulin to more closely match her requirements. It has also been proven to lower the risk of night time lows---which we can contest to.  

In summary: 

-Deal with the emotions----or they will deal with you.

-Learn all you can about your particular type or your child’s type of diabetes

-Consider the best therapy (insulin pump, pills, combination) for your diabetes. 

-In the beginning it may seem insurmountable but with time, effort, understanding, trial       and error, you will manage to effectively cope with diabetes. 

-Do not blame yourself if the numbers aren’t normal----simply ask “why, and what”

Why is the reading low?  To active, to much insulin, didn’t finish eating….

What caused the off reading?   Sick, stressed, forgot to bolus….

Most often you can attribute it to something and learn from it. 

Day-to-day life with diabetes is a challenge, and that’s how I view it, a challenge, something to beat, or manage successfully to avoid long term complications.

Yours in Health,

Trev