Borderline diabetes exhaustion?

[grainger]

Hi again,

Ive read a lot about diabetes exhaustion recently because I think I may have it but not sure and basically want to snap out of it…

so I’m still injecting (well on pump so it does it for me). I do input when I eat but my eating habits are frankly shocking at the moment. I look at my bg but don’t really pay any attention or care what it says and my time in range has slipped from the 80%+ to 50-60%… I just don’t seem to have the energy to care. Rarely have hypos because tslim is amazing but I’m clearly not doing myself any good.

I keep making excuses re being under a lot of stress (an extension which has taken almost 6 months, 3 of which we had no kitchen), two kids at home throughout etc… do we think it’s just this?
Ive also wondered if it’s because I’m still being turned down for funding for Libre/dexcom and so I’ve semi given up?

im hoping to just snap out of it but I wondered if there’s any tips/tricks etc to help me do that? My health is suffering (I also haven’t been for a run or gym session in 3 months which is unheard of for me and I’m piling on the lbs).

advice appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Inka]

Hi @grainger Sorry to hear you’re suffering with possible burnout. The external stress you’ve had is a possible cause, particularly being turned down for funding. As an aside, it makes me so angry that Libre funding is still a postcode lottery. I despise the pen-pushers who make up every excuse to deprive people of it.

Anyway, for burnout, the first thing I did was relax my limits slightly. Not hugely but enough that that pressure to be in range was relieved a little. You’ll find that even small adjustments can be helpful. I also simplified my meals - pretty much the same breakfast and lunch every day so no carb counting or thinking required. I also found getting out for a walk helped me. I’d listen to music or an audio book.

Keeping evening meals simple helped too. Again, I stuck to things I knew and could just inject the bolus that worked. It wasn’t clear from your post, but if your pump is adding to your stress, you can also take a pump break - ie go back to pens for a few weeks. A change is as good as a rest sometimes.

If you’re feeling really bad, do speak to your team. X

 

[grainger]

Hi @grainger Sorry to hear you’re suffering with possible burnout. The external stress you’ve had is a possible cause, particularly being turned down for funding. As an aside, it makes me so angry that Libre funding is still a postcode lottery. I despise the pen-pushers who make up every excuse to deprive people of it.

Anyway, for burnout, the first thing I did was relax my limits slightly. Not hugely but enough that that pressure to be in range was relieved a little. You’ll find that even small adjustments can be helpful. I also simplified my meals - pretty much the same breakfast and lunch every day so no carb counting or thinking required. I also found getting out for a walk helped me. I’d listen to music or an audio book.

Keeping evening meals simple helped too. Again, I stuck to things I knew and could just inject the bolus that worked. It wasn’t clear from your post, but if your pump is adding to your stress, you can also take a pump break - ie go back to pens for a few weeks. A change is as good as a rest sometimes.

If you’re feeling really bad, do speak to your team. X

Thank you. I think slow and steady working on each meal in turn may be a good way to start. Can’t imagine taking a pump break but maybe I should, will definitely think about it.

 

[Inka]

The trick is to ease off ever so slightly on the control, and to simplify things @grainger It sounds trivial but just little things like that can help so much.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear you are experiencing burnout @grainger - it can be so hard. but it’s not your ‘fault’, so don’t blame yourself. Diabetes is hard to live with, and sometimes it needs to take a bit more of a back seat.

Be kind to yourself, be proud of what you are continuing to do, and maybe drop a line to your diabetes team to let them know how tough you are finding things. There may be some psychological support available at your clinic?