I love that land!
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it can be a very complicated land at times. 
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So happy to hear this! Can’t wait!
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Ditto what @Eric said! And congrats on the fantastic A1c!
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ALMOST BACK IN THE POOL; EXPERIMENT # 1 :
hey everyone, its me, Daisy Mae. since my pneumonia i have been pretty much under the radar; but because of this wonderful community, many of you have been sending me well wishes and questions about how i am healing. so here goes:
i have been up and walking without breathing problems every day now. i do get tired sometimes, but not lately. i’ll take any improvement i can take!!! i am even going up and down into the subways, which, even when completely strong and healthy is not the easiest. but, i am feeling soooo much better.
next wednesday i am seeing my pulmonologist to see how i have been healing, and then on next friday i am seeing my internist hoping for the get-go green light.
i have been warned about the possibilities of relapse, so i know its going to be a slow start, but i’ve done slow starts before, so i know how to be patient. i am guessing swimming 2 days a week for about 1/2 hour each day and then building up from there. Eric is going to be helping me navigate my progress ( of course 
).
so thats where i am at. i am very excited. and, as always, i will report my results.
hoping for the very best. signing out,
DM
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It is GREAT to see your post!
And this is even better!!!
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@daisymae, that is really exciting, and I hope it goes well! Take it slowly, right?? And stay warm!
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Holy cannoli! I am caught up and so glad to read you’re on the mend. It sounds like you got really knocked about in the last three months, and I’m glad that you are back in the pool!
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Hey everyone. Happy holidays!!!
just checking in and keeping everyone posted on my first future swim. i see my internist PCP on Christmas Eve (day), and i will hopefully get the go-ahead to get back into the pool. i am so excited. i miss feeling like a fish without diabetes.
i have REALLY missed the different consistancies in my BGs, my ICRs and my food intake since i have been infirm. its been hard to find the right balance for my basal rates. each day i seem to need different amounts of insulin, expecially for different activities like walking in my neighborhood. what a big PITA it has been. UGH, big time.
i miss everyone, and have just been spying on all the different threads. there is always so much i can learn and take away from each one of your experiences with their own particular situations, needs and success stories. i love it.
since i havent been swimming, for whatever reason, my total daily basal rate has been so low; i am only needing .275 units per hour throughout the day. more in the evening and overnight, but i am finding this so very odd. you would think that my basal needs would be lower because of the hightened activity during my swim days and more insulin during my “rest” days; but, its the other way around. i know i will figure it all out with the supreme help from our exercise guru Eric.
still on the mend,
DM
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FINALLY BACK IN THE POOL AGAIN EXPERIMENT #1:
OMG!!! I FEEL LIKE A MILLION BUCKS. just jumping into the water was like Heaven washing over me. i was starting to get afraid that i had forgotten how to do it; but, it was just like riding a bike. everything was back in working order.
i was only swimming a 1/2 hour today (got to start somewhere) so it was like taking a walk in the park. easy-breezy 
but i was very aware of the differences in my pre-swim prep. since i was only swimming for 1/2 hour, i only prepped on 0% basal for 1 hour before jumping in. i was very high before the swim so i had given myself a .2 bolus to try and bring my Bgs down. well, anyway, after the swim, i experienced a sharp drop, just like the ones i use to have when i was first learning how to be a pump wearing diabetic swimmer. but it all went well, and now i am very curious to see how my post swim goes.
i did my best for today, and i will use the info to modify my swim tomorrow. i am sooo over-the-moon with excitement that there are no words for it.
short stats for today:
before swim prep, BG was 164
after changing into my swim suit my BG was 154
after just a 1/2 hour swim my BG had come all the way down to 95.
i bolused to compensate on my 1.5 hours of missed basal .6 units (an estimated guess), and we’ll see how it goes from there.
will continue to keep you posted.
signing off,
DM
PS: now i am going to have to adjust all my insulin needs (basal rates, ICRs, etc ) BIG TIME UGH
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SECOND DAY BACK IN THE POOL; EXPERIMENT #2:
today was AMAZING!!! i turned my pump off for 1.45 hours before jumping into the water today. this allowed me to swim with lower bgs than yesterday and avoid the sharp drop i had yesterday as well. it worked out wonderfully. i know i only swam for 1/2 hour, but it was an awesome 1/2 hour. and the entire experience was reaffirming. i remembered how to swim! 
i swam at a moderate pace; nice and easy strokes. listening to my breaths, enjoying gliding through the water. not a worry in the world about crashing. remembering all the things i have learned and gleaned from my past experiences. next week i will crank it up to a 45 minute swim, and then from there, increasing my distance and speed. ONE DAY AT A TIME.
turned off pump at 12pm when my BG was 110 and waited till 1:15 before leaving for the pool.
1:40 bg 110
2:20 bg 92
bolused .9 units to cover missed basal for 2.15 hours off pump.
i feel great. i am eager to see how the evening goes.
signing off for now,
DM
PS: the reason i started my prep today an hour later than usual was due to several overnight lows. at 4am i was 53; i took 2 tabs and went back to sleep. i woke up at 6:45am and my bg was 49. i took 3 tabs and waited till 8am to eat bfast. then i had to wait 4 hours till my IOB was completely gone before i started my 0% TB.
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Great job today! Wonderful numbers!
I know you did not eat carbs last night, but make sure you have some tonight!
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yes sir, guru eric, sir!! 
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tonight i plan on eating a hunk of the sourdough bread that i’ve received over the holidays (from a really cool FUD dude by way of San Fransisco.)
(there’s nothing quite as wonderful as a hunk of the sourdough lathered in fresh sweet butter.)
(Just double bolused)
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DM,
I know there are a lot of ways to do this. Anyway that works for you is fine.
But while you are doing these shorter swims, it might be a good time to experiment with some different methods to see if there are other ways that work well for you.
For example, you normally do a longer ZB for your big swims, like 2 hours, and do a pre-bolus right when you start the ZB. You might try a shorter ZB, no pre-bolus, and also a few carbs before you start.
The advantage would be less prep time and also, the carbs right before you start would be great fuel for you. Like a granola bar 15 minutes before you start, or something like that. I think the carbs right before you start would make you feel very strong.
Just something to think about. Now would be a good time to experiment with some different methods, before you get back to the 2 hours swims! 
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i like this idea very much. also, when i am usually waiting so long on the ZB, i get quite hungry. i would love to be able to have a granola bar right before i begin my swim. excellent suggestion!!! 
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@daisymae, I am so glad to see this thread come back to life!!!
Just back from vacation. Happy belated holidays!
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THE LOWER 0% BASAL TIME AND THE OATMEAL/HONEY EXPERIMENT #1:
so today i tried something diferent and it turned out as i suspected it might. the best part of this experiment was that i was completely unafraid to try something completely new and putting any bad info toward my education.
some people can eat oatmeal for bfast without any weird consequences. i am not one of those people. whever i have eaten oats, i MUST have a dual bolus going because i spike 2 hours into my digestion. i can be completely flatlined, and then the 2 hour mark comes and WHAMMY, BOOM, big spike.
well that is exactly what happened to me today. several things i changed to test out a shorter wait period between turning off my pump and getting into the pool. i usually wait 2 hours off the pump before swimming. this way, i go in without any IOB, both bolus and basal. today, i jumped in with only 1 hour of no basal. well that little bit of IOB made a huge difference in how my body responded to my exercise.
before i jumped into the pool, my BG was 134; after 1/2 hour, it had come down to 75; i took a glucose tablet and jumped right back in for another 15 minutes. when i got out of the pool my BG was 60. i took another tablet and bolused .6 units to cover the time i was off my pump without basal insulin. then i showered and walked home.
when i got home my BG was 71, however, within another hour, i had spiked up to 150 bg. it was perfect timing with my oatmeal predicament. live and learn. tomorrow when i prep for swimming, i might consider taking the oatmeal bar when i turn off my pump; then,perhaps, it will boost me WHILE i am swimming as opposed to afterwards. food for thought.
and BTW, my BG has continued to climb, despite my correction and long pre-bolus for my food.
so here are the stats:
12pm BG 134 ate 1/2 serving of oatmeal bar (17gms of carbs, and 9 gms sugar)
12:45 BG 75 took 1 Gtab and jumped right back in
1pm BG 60 took 1 Gtab and bolused .6 units
walked home
1:40 BG 71
2:20 BG 150 bolused a correction and for food with a 25 minute pre-bolus
3pm BG 162
nothing too dramatic, but not the way my swims and my recoveries were before i got pneumonia. i’ll get there again. i have faith. these experiments are just education.
signing off for today,
DM
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WHAT AN AMAZING SWIM EXPERIMENT :1
WOW! i can honestly say that after two weeks of easing back into my swimming, i am back in the groove. today i didnt eat any pre-swim fuel (other than a very early morning breakfast), but i felt strong and excited about my swim. i decided i would swim for 60 minutes today and use my old, tried and true, trusty basal formula: 2.5 hours of 0% insulin BEFORE jumping in. i was able to keep my BGs nice and steady and in complete target range. it was a great swim. i swam at a moderate pace never stopping except to get out of the pool to test my BG. i am over the moon with how everything worked out.
i am eager to see what kind of post-swim results i get through the evening. yesterday, after i wrote up my results from my swim, i had started to spike (from, i think, the oatmeal bar). well i ended up spiking over 200 and had to give myself an IM correction bolus just to bring my BGs back down. its easier for me to bolus for a burger and fries as well as 3 slices of pizza than it is for me to bolus for oatmeal. i know how this site is all about being UNLIMITED, but it is just easier for me to not eat the oatmeal than it is to try and figure out a formula for eating it. for me, oatmeal is a crazy roller coaster. and i dont like it enough to work harder at figuring out a formula.
anyway, here are todays stats:
1pm BG 107
1:30 BG 114
2pm BG 86 (took 1 glucose tablet)
2:30 BG 90 bolused 1.1 units for missed basal
3pm BG 92 bolused for 65% of 32gms carbs (my favorite, reliable BOOST shakes)
now i just have to wait and see what kind of results i get for today’s formula. i wont be swimming again until next tuesday (i refuse to swim on the weekends, although i sometimes swim on sundays if the pool is empty)
i will be fueling up with major carbing in Chinatown tomorrow with my husband. we walk from Brooklyn over the Manhattan Bridge, back and forth (its about a 5 mile walk) , and we pig out. i eat this food called CONGI which is a traditional Chinese version of porridge but with chicken in it. its basically a rice soup with fried bread soaked in it with the chicken. its about 80 gms of carbs; its meant to feed a family, but i eat the entire bowl myself (the waiters always look at me cockeyed) HA !! !!!
hope you all have a wonderful weekend! and i look forward to hearing back from you!!!
signing off,
DM
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i love seeing these numbers. The difference from the beginning to now is just so stark. And I’m so happy to see you back in the pool!!
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