Routines and Type 1 Diabetes

I feel like I am in a bit of a routine now with my food and insulin around the activities I do. I do most of my physical activity during the day so I tend to stick to lowish carb foods until dinner time where I can rest for the night and not be concerned with hypos. It helps to avoid taking a large bolus before exercise as I am very sensitive to insulin. My BG was 15mmols the other day, I took 1 unit, went for a 30 min power walk and when I came back it was 4.2mmols. My snacks throughout the day are usually fruit, and I tend to eat it after technique class or rehearsal depending on how my energy is going. There is another T1D in my class, he is on injections. He has been diabetic for about 15 years so he is a bit more relaxed with the food he eats throughout the day.

If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that my performance went beautifully the other night. The process was brilliant and to be able to be a part of such a beautiful piece of dance was a true pleasure. The dance piece was 13 minutes long. Pump was off when I was on stage but I plugged it back in as soon as I got back to the dressing room. During one of my rehearsals my cannula came out. It was literally on the floor in the middle of the studio when I noticed it (I had my pump unplugged at the time). Then, mid-way through another rehearsal I had to take my site off because on a particular part of the movement, my dance partners’ body weight would press directly on top of it and it hurt. There was a lovely bruise to show for it.

Last night I went to sleep and my blood sugar was 5.6mmol and I woke up 7 hours later and it was 8.6mmols. Now, I know my basal rate is right because I checked it recently. I didn’t eat anything particularly fatty either so it couldn’t have been delayed digestion either. The only thing I can put it down to is a hypo while I was sleeping. I had that hangover headache when I woke up. Do you get them if your bg drops during the night?

I haven’t really posted on my blog recently but I plan to do some more over the christmas period when I have a little bit more time to myself and when I don’t have a pile of uni work next to me.

Chat to me on Instagram and Twitter.

Rowena x

Unpredictable Type 1 and Dancing

What a strange week with diabetes. I’ve had to take almost double the amount of insulin I usually take because of the amount of corrections I have had to do. My diet hasn’t changed and I have exercised a lot so I don’t really get it. I think diabetes is so unpredictable. Even when my diet has been really good, my bgs have not. I also had a really bad low when I was in work; I was sweating and very short of breath. It took 70carbs to make me feel normal again and when I eventually tested again I was only at 5.2mmols.

On a more positive note, I have been doing more rehearsals, which can only mean one thing… more performances, Yay. I am working on a few dance pieces the moment. The first one is about bipolar disorder, second is about relationships in the space and the third is about sexuality in the dance industry. I am also due to start work on an intermedial dance piece, interesting stuff. Maybe I should create a dance piece based around type 1 diabetes? I could use stories from my readers for my inspiration? Would you be up for sharing?

Now that I am in my final year of uni, I really have to think about what I want to do when I leave. I know I want to perform and I know I want to create my own work and teach. A studio of my own and casually working for other people would suit me well. I like being my own boss. All of the above is definitely within my reach.

Back to diabetes, do you know when your blood sugar has been on a roller coaster, up and down and round and round, do you feel like absolute crap? I have noticed that it makes me feel ill like I want to throw up and it’s hard for me to be around light. When I feel like this, I want to go to bed for a sleep. However, I won’t do that. I’m usually quite busy during the day and feel that this “diabetes episode” would be an inconvenience for me. I don’t ever want diabetes to dictate anything.

Another thing that happened this week; my pump ran out of battery during a theory lecture. It made that lovely sound that goes higher and higher until you change it. I didn’t have no spare batteries on me but luckily my gf came to drop one off for me. This has taught me to carry a spare battery too. Along with my spare canula, a needle, hypo treatment etc. It’s gotta be done hey?

Are you following me on Instagram and Twitter yet?

Rowena x