Diabetes… and company

Full disclosure part 2: My diabetes SUCKED the 10 days we had company.

I realized rather quickly in my mother-in-law and niece’s stay that having company was in no way the same as going on vacation. Not just because I wasn’t the one experiencing a new place, but also because when Big Ring and I travel we are predominantly the ones choosing where we eat, what we eat, when we eat. And we are walking miles and miles throughout the day so if I choose a sweet treat or a meal that might be frowned upon with those in the old-school diabetes hood, it’s okay – because it’s balanced.

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Berlin 2010, Brandenburg Gate: Now this is my kind of vacationing!

While we had hoped to tickle their taste buds with some of our favourite haunts, it became quite apparent that, for the most part, was not going to happen. You see, our guests were quite a bit more food picky than Big Ring and I.  (I pretty much eat anything as long as it’s not pork, and the only food items he turns his nose up at are root vegetables (???) and pie (he used to have an addiction :))). And so, the foods we ended up eating the majority of the visit, were uhm, dare I say, not quite as healthy or a lot more heavy than what I’m used to.

Gone were my plates filled with beloved greens and in their place: Pasta, pizza, stir fry, potatoes, meat, meat, meat. Don’t get me wrong, I love my meat, but there was just so much of it, and so much brown, my belly was seriously looking like I were a normal person’s 6-month pregnant from the constant bloat.

And the blood sugar readings, they were horrid! My gawd, it was as though I had been jet setted back to my rebellious teenage years with the roller coaster ride I was on. There were major highs then major lows. I was getting stressed, which resulted in even more of a roller coaster. Every time I pulled my meter out, I hid it from the view of curious eyes, and I honestly feared what each reading would present me – just like I did back in my teen years. And on the last day of the visit, I did something I don’t think I have EVER done since getting the pump nearly 4 years ago (although, it is something I feared I would do):

I FORGOT TO TAKE MY INSULIN!!!

Back in the day when I was all anti insulin pumps, I used to argue that there was no way I would forget jabbing myself with a needle before every meal (it’s kind of something you don’t forget), but I figured clicking buttons on the pump was something akin to popping a pill every morning, and I was sure I would forget to do it more times than not. But I didn’t. Nope, I’ve been a star at dialing up the dose. Until we had company.

I clearly remember that morning. I clearly remember calculating the carbs of my breakfast, steel cut oats and all the fixings with a half apple on the side: 49 grams of carbs. I clearly remember testing my blood sugars, which were 5.3 (Note: I was only showing BG perfection after getting a hit of insulin at 2 a.m. to combat that hour’s 11.7 reading). I clearly remember inputting the carbs and BG into my bolus wizard. But three hours later, when I was ready for a morning snack, my blood sugars read a whopping 18.1!!! Are you freaking kidding me? I went back into my pump’s history and sure enough there was no insulin dose for the morning – I forgot to hit GO on the pump!!! Three hours to go up. More than 6 hours to go down. And a nasty low in the mix. Awesome.

I don’t blame our guests for forgetting to take my insulin, not at all, it was hands down my fault, but I do blame the state of exhaustion I was in. We are now six days out from when our company left and I am still actively taming the diabetes lion. Me and my diabetes, we need a holiday!

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Florence 2009, gelato outside Santa Croce: Go figure, a holiday where I was averaging TWO gelatos a day, and my blood sugars cooperated more!

How do you manage diabetes when company comes for a visit?

IN OTHER NEWS: Stay tuned for a MAJOR announcement coming to a blog post near you 🙂

7 thoughts on “Diabetes… and company”

  1. I shudder to think what MAJOR announcements you got percolating, O Princess O’ Pavement 🙂
    I have learned a lot from reading your blog, about 60 per cent of it I never wanted to know in the first place!!! 🙂
    But it’s all good.
    It’s only what ya DON’T know that can hurt ya 🙂
    As far as I know, that is 🙂

  2. I remember that forgotten bolus status on FB and I cringed because I knew…. it takes 2-3 times longer to get back to range and that’s 5ish hours of uncomfortable crabby sick feelings. 🙁
    It’s too bad you CAN’T blame it on somebody else eh?
    Pfffttt…
    thanks for the cliffhanger ARG!

  3. I know how horrible it feels to forget to take your insulin however I am opposite of you in2 a way. I am still using a pen and sometimes I try and think back if I did take my dose and I seriously can’t remember. I guess for me after injecting for 23 years it has become like 2nd nature so it’s no longer a dramatic event. For you that is on a pump at least you can go back and verify and adjust. All I can do is wait and see. Test my BG every 15-20 minutes and see what’s going on. We are very similar you and I and that’s why I love reading your blog but if I can make you feel better, trust me when I say that you are way more controlled than I am. But I am trying so that has to count for something.
    Can’t wait to hear the news.

  4. I’m totally guilty of forgetting to bolus sometimes. It’s crazy how something that is so ingrained into us can be so easily missed. I blame diabetes, of course, for forcing me to multitask at every meal. 🙂

  5. Pingback: BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: And then there were two |

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