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Bad few days

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
rebrascora said:
I don't think I am obsessive about it, but I find it useful to keep tabs on my levels very regularly and in fact since starting on Libre 4.5 years ago, I have consistently averaged mid 30s scans a day (I have a reader, so have to scan for readings) Apart from the obvious times when I need to scan, I don't have any real schedule but I find that having all this back ground info gives me a real insight into how my body responds to all manner of stuff and usually I can predict what my levels will be when I scan to within about 0.5 of a mmol. In fact predicting the result is part of the game for me.... I am sad, I know! 🙄 I don't stress about the results I see but I take action when necessary and "when necessary" has changed as my experience and confidence has grown.

As an example, this morning, at 10.30am before breakfast I got a reading of 4.2 with a vertical downward arrow just as I got back in the house, but experience tells me that Libre is being over dramatic. I didn't feel like I do with a fast dropping imminent hypo, so rather than eat a JB, I made my breakfast of berries with seeds and yoghurt and cinnamon and a cup of coffee and as I sat down to eat 8 mins later, I scanned again and I was still 4.2 but the arrow was sloping downwards instead of vertical as Libre was catching on that my levels were no longer dropping or indeed as low as it suggested. My levels had been dropping fast earlier because I had been outside working. The drop had slowed down as my FOTF insulin had run out, but Libre was still predicting a fast drop which was no longer happening. I didn't hypo and my yoghurt and berries brought me up before I hit the red.
If I didn't monitor my levels regularly I would probably have panicked at that 4.2 with a vertical downward arrow and eaten a hypo treatment and then ended up high later and needed more insulin. Keeping a close eye on Libre helps me to compare what I feel with what I see and know when to trust it and take action quickly and when I have time to potter on as usual.
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Since being diagnosed with LADA a few years ago, I've found that happening to have a good background in maths (especially statistics and ratios) has been really helpful in enabling me to make sense of trends. I think it would be good for everyone given a Libre to be helped to understand the numbers in depth - including when to worry and when not to worry.
 
CliffH said:
Wow! I really admire people who make marriage work for long periods, given the changes that presumably happen in people's lives over that length of time :party:.
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A good sense of humour and willingness to compromise goes a long way to smoothing the bumps along the way (and we have had plenty):D
 
CliffH said:
Since being diagnosed with LADA a few years ago, I've found that having a good background in maths (especially statistics and ratios) has been really helpful in enabling me to make sense of trends. I think it would be good for everyone given a Libre to be helped to understand the numbers in depth - including when to worry and when not to worry.
Click to expand...
Yes, I find the maths very reassuring even if it isn't totally precise. Knowing that 1 jelly baby (5g carbs) will raise my levels by about 1.5mmols in 15 mins and 2JBs (10g carbs) will raise them about 3mmols, really helps to calm me when I do have a genuine hypo and especially when Libre says I am 3.1 with a vertical downward arrow. 🙄 Knowing how many JBs I need to get me up to 5 or 6mmols or at the very least stop the drop, is very reassuring and stops me panicking. And since I stopped panicking my hypos are much less unpleasant. The panic added adrenaline into the mix and the effects of the adrenaline took far longer to wear off than the actual hypo.
 
rebrascora said:
I don't think I am obsessive about it, but I find it useful to keep tabs on my levels very regularly and in fact since starting on Libre 4.5 years ago, I have consistently averaged mid 30s scans a day (I have a reader, so have to scan for readings) Apart from the obvious times when I need to scan, I don't have any real schedule but I find that having all this back ground info gives me a real insight into how my body responds to all manner of stuff and usually I can predict what my levels will be when I scan to within about 0.5 of a mmol. In fact predicting the result is part of the game for me.... I am sad, I know! 🙄 I don't stress about the results I see but I take action when necessary and "when necessary" has changed as my experience and confidence has grown.

As an example, this morning, at 10.30am before breakfast I got a reading of 4.2 with a vertical downward arrow just as I got back in the house, but experience tells me that Libre is being over dramatic. I didn't feel like I do with a fast dropping imminent hypo, so rather than eat a JB, I made my breakfast of berries with seeds and yoghurt and cinnamon and a cup of coffee and as I sat down to eat 8 mins later, I scanned again and I was still 4.2 but the arrow was sloping downwards instead of vertical as Libre was catching on that my levels were no longer dropping or indeed as low as it suggested. My levels had been dropping fast earlier because I had been outside working. The drop had slowed down as my FOTF insulin had run out, but Libre was still predicting a fast drop which was no longer happening. I didn't hypo and my yoghurt and berries brought me up before I hit the red.
If I didn't monitor my levels regularly I would probably have panicked at that 4.2 with a vertical downward arrow and eaten a hypo treatment and then ended up high later and needed more insulin. Keeping a close eye on Libre helps me to compare what I feel with what I see and know when to trust it and take action quickly and when I have time to potter on as usual.
Click to expand...
Hopefully with more experience I will be like you, I would have panicked if low 4. Apart from bedtime doesn’t bother me as much
 
rebrascora said:
Yes, I find the maths very reassuring even if it isn't totally precise. Knowing that 1 jelly baby (5g carbs) will raise my levels by about 1.5mmols in 15 mins and 2JBs (10g carbs) will raise them about 3mmols, really helps to calm me when I do have a genuine hypo and especially when Libre says I am 3.1 with a vertical downward arrow. 🙄 Knowing how many JBs I need to get me up to 5 or 6mmols or at the very least stop the drop, is very reassuring and stops me panicking. And since I stopped panicking my hypos are much less unpleasant. The panic added adrenaline into the mix and the effects of the adrenaline took far longer to wear off than the actual hypo.
Click to expand...
Think it’s the panicking that makes me worse, especially through the day, night ones have never bothered me. I’m not as bad as the beginning, my lows sign it stinging mainly bum and hot when go high
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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