Friday, February 3, 2012

The Bad Kind of Comfortable

Since I've acquired my Eggster (aka my Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor), I've also noticed a bad trend.

I'm more comfortable with lows.

I'm less scared until hypoglycemia really, really hits me at a 40 mg/dl or even a 30 mg/dl.

I'm more complacent about letting my blood sugar chill in the lows 70s and high 60s. (everything about that statement makes me feel like a diabetes weather forecaster)

In reality, this has nothing do with Eggy and more to do with me. I don't know why I'm so unphased by lows but completely terrified of the lethargy that sets in with highs (read: leaded limbs and instant naptime). I'm sure it has to do with my insulin sensitivity. The longer your blood sugar is low: the more your body adapts to that environment. It's bad. I like my brain cells and my insides. I don't want them to slowly die off because I'm happier experience a mild low than a mild high. Eggy should be helping me out with that. But instead he's just begging me to do something with each buzz, and I just let him buzz away.

The worst is that I know that this is a major issue for working out and studying. I need to be in tip-top shape to be performing at my best. Exercising while low and studying while low have the same results. NOTHING GOOD.

What am I doing to remedy this? I'm lowering the low blood sugar alarm on my dex from 80 mg/dl to 70 mg/dl. Because when it buzzes and I'm rocking out at 78 mg/dl, I'm wayyy less likely to pay attention to it until it gives me the quadruple buzz at 55 mg/dl. Here's to hoping for some positive momentum to get back to a good kind of comfortable.

4 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, me too!!!! I tend to ignore my low alarm because I don't feel low. BUT part of the reason I have a CGM is because of hypo unawareness, so of course I don't feel low. I know it's a bad habit, and I know I need to act when the low alarm rings. How about we promise to work on it together??

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  2. Maria-

    The alarm feature is awesome but it's way to easy to ignore it. I don't know why we ignore it. I hope making adjustments to Eggy helps.

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  3. I thought I was the only who thought a 70 was like "meh".

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  4. I could be your polar opposite. 80 for me, is like sucking all the brain cells out instantly. Though I would rather be low than high (because it would help make me look better at my A1C review), I am very good at ignoring highs. My meter likes to greet me (HI) quite frequently. I just plugged my egg in last night. I am already astonished by what it has uncovered.

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