Daisy Mae's swimming BG thread

Sports & Exercise
, ,
1973

well, i wasnt a sloth. i took long walks on the beach, went bike riding,etc. and i wasnt over-indulging in unsual amounts of carbs. a lot of protein based meals.

today, i had similar problems as yesterday, and last night and this morning before i even started were pretty lousy also. but i persevered. tomorrow i plan to do things differently.

ANOTHER WEIRD SWIM EXPERIMENT #2:

Despite my hard swim yesterday and my moderate carb/ high protein dinner last night, i spiked twice last night. first to 144, then i did a correction, and then a little later at 1am all the way up to 189!!!

but then this morning, although my BGs were running a little high (for me), i was on target for my swim prep. (110 ). i was doing just fine on ZB for 1.5 hours. i did not go higher than 119. but then, within 1/2 hour, i spiked to 140. so i dashed to the pool. when i re-tested before jumping in, my BG had spiked even higher to 169!!! OMG. i did a tiny bolus of .1 units, and jumped immediately into the pool, and i swam as hard and as fast as i possibly could to try and fend off another possible spike.

well, thankfully, when i got out to test again, i hadnt spiked any higher. i really owe that to that extra micro bolus. tomorrow, i am not planning on waiting as long on the ZB. instead of 2.5 hours off my pump, i am only going to wait 1.5 hours before jumping in. even if this means that i have to take more Gtabs along the way, i would rather do that than have to swim like a maniac with high BGs :crazy_face:

here are today’s stats:

11am bg 110 turned off pump and did a .4 unit bolus
1pm bg 140 dashed out of my house likea maniac for the pool.
1:20 bg 169 bolused .1 units and jumped into the pool
1:50 bg 164
2:20 bg 129
2:50 bg 110 bolused 2.6 units got dressed and made a mad dash home
3:20 bg 140 bolused 1.6 units for my Boost Shakes (32gms) and an additional .2 units
3:55 bg 110 drank shakes.

just to give you a sense of what a lunatic i was swimming today: i usually swim a 1 minute lap. today i swam a 40 second lap. boy am i going to be sore tonight. i think i will take some Advil and Tylenol. i also plan to eat a hearty dinner (2 cans of tuna, which amounts to 4 servings, and 3 slices of fresh Rye bread, and an avocado.)

and just in case you are wondering, i changed out my entire pump set yesterday as well as again today just to make certain that none of these weird and unexpected BGs were the result of a bad infusion or infusion site. call me neurotic, i know, but remember, i am a perfectionist who lives with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. :wink:

i really did the very best that i could. this D can really through you off your game sometimes.

i am curious to see what this evening brings.

signing off,
DM

2 Likes
1974

Oh, I didn’t mean to infer you were!! I know you are always active and work hard to control your BGs and maintain good health! You are amazing! Your daily settings are so inspirational!

1 Like
1975

i was kind of kidding about the “sloth” comment. i didnt take it seriously, so no worries. but thanks for all of the compliments.

today i am trying something new:instead of doing 2.5 hours of ZB, i am only going to do 90 minutes. i am nervous as all hell, but i think that it will keep me from having the spikes that i have been having. this way, i can jump into the pool at a lower BG.

i will report back later on how it went. did i already say this: “I AM SCARED AS ALL HELL.” ???

1 Like
1976

DARING MYSELF TO SWIM WITH A LOW BG EXPERIMENT #1:

today was a new experience. i really wanted to achieve this goal of mine to start out my swim in the lower bgs, but i have been too nervous. but i have put myself to many different tests since i started swimming, and i figured it was time to try something new. so thats exactly what i did. :wink:

at 1pm my bg was 101, i made a mad dash out of my house for the pool. i was well stocked in sugars like my Gtbas as well as a container of apple juice. what could go wrong that i couldnt repair? of course, my nerves were very high, though.

when i got to the pool, my BG was 104. i took 2 gtabs, said a quick prayer, and i jumped in for my first stretch.I was so whipped from yesterday’s swim, that i kept a one minute pace (my standard) which basically translates to 3.5 miles in 90 minutes. not bad for a girl from brooklyn :wink:

here are todays stats:

1pm bg 101
1:20 bg 104 (took 2 Gtabs)
1:50 bg 92 (took 2 Gtabs)
2:20 bg 107 (considered i didnt need those 2 tabs)
2:50 bg 131 (definately did not need those 2 tabs!!! Ooops) (bolused 2.8 units)
3:20 bg 100 (bolused 1.6 units)
3:35 drank my Boost Shakes and had several TBs of peanut butter. think i’ll have some more now.

well, as Eric has been telling me for the past year (even though he has been my Guru for the past 2 years) : be flexible and adjust. each situation will be different. there is no perfect formula for every situation. i have tried so hard to fit everything into one box and expect the same reaction every time. i have proved myself wrong again and again. it has been an incredible roller coaster, and i suppose that that is just the nature of the beast of living with D. however, that doesnt mean that i am limited. i am persistant and with an idea, hope, encouragement, and courage, i can be UNLIMITED.

all of you have helped me to get to where i am today. i could never have done this alone. i guess it really does take a villiage. :sunny:

signing off,
DM

2 Likes
1977

Or one @daisymae!! I think it is easier to find a Daisymae than a village that works as hard as you do.

1 Like
1978

thanks chris!!! the encouragement and compliments are greatly appreciated!! somedays, its the one thing that keeps me going :wink:.

1 Like
1979

**SINUS INFECTION CURTAILS SWIMMING EXPERIMENT #1:

so last Saturday, i woke up at 4 am with chills, sweats and a fever, and a feeling that my head just might explode. i didnt know what was wrong, but i knew it wasnt good. my BGs were very high (for me) so i did a TB of 120% and went to my local Urgent Care. i was dx very quickly by a lovely doctor who put me on 14 days of Augmentin, and sent me home with specific instructions to drink plenty of water and sleep as much as possible. and “Yes,” she said, i should be able to be back in the pool by Monday if all goes well.

well, all didnt go well. i was living off of a TB, Tylenol, and antibiotics and Vitamin C. i was sleeping as much as possible and drinking copious amounts of water. i felt miserable.

i have been in bed all week, and finally have been able to lower my TB down to 110%(i tried 105%, but that didnt work out too well :grimacing:.)

So, i am still sick, but mildly better, and am hoping to be back in the pool on Monday afternoon. My husband and i are leaving (again) for a week on Fire Island, so the swimming i will be doing will be in the ocean :smile:.

i will keep everyone posted.

singning off,
DM

2 Likes
1980

Glad you are on the mend. Have a great time on Fire Island! :slight_smile:

1 Like
1981

POST LONG REST PERIOD EXPERIMENT #1:

well, i just got back from a nice vacation on Fire Island. i swam in the ocean, i went bike riding and took long walks with my husband…so i wasnt a total slug. we ate really well too; lots of seafood. i was totally relaxed beyond words. it was wonderful!!! and our weather was absolute perfection. 80 degrees with NO humidity every day, and the ocean was actually a very comfortable temperature (which is very odd for this time of year.)

but, back to business :wink: i had an awesome swim this afternoon. and it was my first day in the pool since i got my sinus infection, so i had 2 solid weeks off. i swam strongly but comfortably. my body did not feel as cooperative as i would have liked, though; i was kind of off my game; my strokes felt clumsy and out of sync. i know that i just got to get back into my groove and i’ll be fine. i started out a bit high, but had a nice soft landing and no crashes at all.and i swear, i am not certain how the heck i managed it, because i had been on a TB the entire vacation and forgot to turn my basal back to 100%…so when i woke up this morning, my BG was high and just kept climbing BEFORE i even turned off my pump to prep for my swim. SO, i did 2 things: i pre-bolused more than usual when i went onto ZB ( .6 units ) and i drank two large bottles of Diet Pepsi (which always brings down my BG). my BG was 154 when i turned off my pump, but trended down nicely (so much better than spiking before i even got into the pool!!! )

here are today’s stats:

1:20 bg 140
1:55 bg 125
2:25 bg 98
2:55 bg 92
3:25 bg 75

i wont be swimming tomorrow because of a dental appointment, but i will be swimming every day for the rest of the week. i am really excited and looking forward to getting my groove back.

signing off,
DM

3 Likes
1982

A VERY CROWDED POOL SWIMMING EXPERIMENT #1:

perhaps it was because of the Holiday weekend; who knows…the pool was packed. with swimmers and with children (summer camp). there were 5 people in my lane, and it was very hard to swim at my own pace. there were people in front of me, people behind me, people kicking and splashing. i couldnt get into my groove. but nevertheless, i persevered with determination. no one was going to ruin my swim if i could help it. :blush:

i swam at a moderate pace (not by choice :wink:), and tried to enjoy myself as best as i could.

when i began prepping for my swim, when i turned off my pump, my BG was 82. (a perfect # for me as a starting point…) i pre-bolused .4 units (which i thought was reasonable), and waited 1/2 hour to do a finger stick. well instead of going up slightly, my BG came down to 72. in a panic, i ate a Gtab…an error of judgement on my part. so, by the time i got to the pool, my BG has climbed to 140. OMG. no tablets necessary at this point. i keep forgetting the power 4gms of carbs has while on zero basal! so i just jumped in and started swimming.

here are today’s stats:

1:20 bg 140
1:55 bg 107 (huge, unexplainable crash) took 1 gtab
2:25 bg 100
2:50 bg 106 (a little confused as to why my bg went up instead of down, but i will write it off as either the remainder of the previous gtab, or my meter variance)
3:30 bg 84

i hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday weekend!!! (i will be spending mine in the pool and then watching the MACY’S fireworks from my rooftop)

signing off,

DM

4 Likes
1983

REALLY PUSHING IT SWIMMING EXPERIMENT #1:

today was one of my best swims ever. because of the Holiday, there was no childrens’ swim camp, so the pool had an extra 2 lanes open for adult lap swim. it was crowded, but not in a terrible way. i was determined to modify my stroke and swim as fast as i possibly could (i was very inspired by Eric’s latest accomplishment). i ignored the pain, and just pushed through it. i knew it would catch up with me later, but isnt that what Tylenol is for :wink: ??

there were 5 people in my lane, so we had to swim in circles instead of just back and forth. but it was okay because the pace of the other swimmers was well coordinated with my own. and i knew i was going fast (not just b/c i timed myself) but b/c i was lapping crawlers while doing my breast stroke. that was great for the ego :blush:.

i am trying two new experiments today: 1) i turned my pump down after my swim to a 90% TB to get me through the night without crashing (not just an overnight TB, but one which would get me through dinnertime) and 2) i changed my ICR (again) for dinner to 1:18 (originally it was 1:12) i’m eager to see how this works for me. ( i have also been able to lower my basal rates recently, but that may be due to some dietary changes; i dont know for certain.)

(when i turned off my pump this morning to prep for my swim, my BGs were running high at 103, so i did a pre-bolus of .4 units to try and keep me from spiking. also, as i was on ZB, when i noticed my BG start to climb too fast, i left for the pool 15 minutes earlier than usual. i think that this was well timed, b/c when i got to the pool, my BG had really climbed, and i think starting my swim earlier helped fend off a real spike.)

here are today’s stats:

11am bg103 turned off pump and pre-bolused .4 units
1pm bg 132 leave for pool
1:15 bg 140 jumped right in
1:45 bg 123
2:15 bg 95
2:45 bg 81 bolused 2.4 units for replacement basal of 4 hours
3:15 bg 73 bolused 1.6 units to cover 32gms of re-fuel shakes

(and i’ll be back in the pool again tomorrow! now i am ready to pig out for the Holiday! )

signing out,

DM

3 Likes
1984

It’s awesome, today you did those wonderful numbers without needing gtabs!

And adjusting the ZB time worked great! :+1:

Happy 4th, DM! :grinning:

1 Like
1985

A PERFECT HOLIDAY SWIMMING EXPERIMENT #1:

for whatever reason, today my BGs remained rather flat lined and on the low side considering that i was on ZB for 2.5 hours BEFORE jumping into the pool. and they remained that way throughout my entire swim. i dont know why. i was without insulin for over 4 hours!!! this diabetes is a fickle thing. you have something minor like a headache, and it throws all of your BGs off kilter. then you have a bad night’s sleep, and you’re just fine.

before i get into today’s stats, i want to briefly report on yesterday’s TB experiment. it did NOT work out as anything but a learning experience. as soon as i hooked back up to my pump after swimming yesterday, i put it on a 90% TB to last me throughout the evening and until 2am the following morning. when i tested 2.5 hours after bolusing for dinner, my BG had spiked to 184!!! OMG. i did a quick IM shot of 1 unit into my left calve muscle and walked around for 1/2 an hour to exercise the muscle and get that insulin in my system asap. after that i tested again, and my BG had come down to 125, and it continued coming down until it was in target range for the next 1.5 hours. (i love these IM shots, b/c they are quick and efficient.and they are in and out within 2 hours as opposed to a sub-q or pump shot which is a 4 hour duration.) also, i do not think that the ICR i set for myself gave me enough insulin for my dinner. (1:18 )

so today i am trying another experiment: no TB, an ICR of 1:16, and i gave myself LESS basal replacement insulin after my swim. i am hoping that this formula will help me to avoid the pre-dinner crash. we will find out, and i will, as always, report the outcome.

anyway,
here are today’s stats:

(from start to finish from when i turn off my pump)
11am bg 95 pre-bolus .5 units and 0% TB for 2.5 hours
12pm bg 89
1pm bg 107 made a mad dash for the for pool
1:15 bg 115 took 1/2 glucose tab, took off my pump, and jumped in
1:50 bg 111
2:20 bg 95
2:50 bg 89 bolused 2.4 units of basal replacement insulin to cover 4 hours of ZB
3:25 bg 84 bolused 1.6 units to cover 32gms of my protein/carbs shakes

this was my 4th day in a row this week, so i will be on the lookout for plummeting sugars. i must say: i am whipped. and i will be taking some Tylenol in about 10 minutes :sunglasses:.

anyway, i am taking the weekend off, but will be back in the pool next week. am hoping my evening’s experiments go well. i will let you all know.

signing off,
DM

4 Likes
1986

4th day swimming in 5 days! And yesterday was a very hard swim! Those add up! :grinning:

2 Likes
1987

thanks for the explaination. i know that you are constantly reminding me that consecutive swim days really add up and impact the days that follow.

and just to add, despite taking less basal replacement insulin, i went low. i am carbed up, but obviously not enough. maybe i need to do a short TB post swim…like for 2 hours, and not all night long. ???

1988

For me, eating a lot reduces the need for a TB throughout the night. So if you are planning on eating a lot tonight, you probably would not need it all night long.

1989

what i am trying to ask is what you think about doing a very short TB right after i get out of the pool, NOT something that i will need throughout the evening.

does that make sense? also, i am currently taking 50% bolus insulin to cover my 32gms of refuel. maybe that is too much???

my problem is not so much overnight crashing, but crashing about 1 - 2 hours after i get out of the pool once i am home and AFTER i have drank my shakes.

1990

If you are crashing 1-2 hours after, probably less bolus for the shakes would be the way to go. But probably either one would work.

1 Like
1991

i think that i will try out the less bolus for the shakes. i would consider having 3 shakes but they are VERY filling and then i would have no room for my dinner. tonight i had 2 cans of tuna with 4 slices of rye bread and a lg salad. i plan on having 2 cups of warm milk later this evening before bedtime. there is more that i enjoy knoshing on but my dental bridge came out and i cannot chew anything crunchy. :cry:

1992

CAUSE I SAID I WOULD REPORT BACK EXPERIMENT #1:

last night was wonderfully uneventful. only 3 minor lows; two before dinner and one afterwards. then 2 more during my overnight. all were easily correctable and not stubborn (oh! how i hate those stubborn lows!!!)

so i think that there were 2 things that i did differently that were helpful: 1) bolused LESS replacement insulin post swim, and 2) a small amount LESS insulin for my dinner.

for next weeks swims, i am going to try dosing LESS insulin for my Boost re-fuel shakes by .2 units.i think that will help with that pre-dinner lows.

2 Likes