Hi from a Newbie

[cazmeak]

First time posting here, I was diagnosed with type 1 last November - bit of a shock at 56 and right at the time my mum passed away so taken a while to get used to the idea. just working out how it is going to impact my life and realising with a bit of experience that I can do the same things I always have - just not so spontaneously! Are there any other individuals out there who sea kayak and manage type 1? I am lucky to now have the Libre sensor which really helps monitoring my levels but long periods of exercise seems to throw everything out. I either am too low or running on high levels because I am worried about getting a hypo in the middle of my activity.

 

[Saoirse]

Hi there. Do you have a DSN you could talk this through with? You’re right that extended periods of exercise are tricky But I have no experience of sea kayaking. Reducing basal can help avoid lows when i have a very active day but you need to do that mindfully. All kinds of things even the temperature can affect bg- for example many people find they need less insulin when it’s hot. It’s a bit trial and error with T1D, but it does get easier.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

Hi, for people to meaningfully comment it helps to know what your current insulin regime is, as well as any other major medications.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Are there any other individuals out there who sea kayak and manage type 1? I am lucky to now have the Libre sensor which really helps monitoring my levels but long periods of exercise seems to throw everything out.

Well not often, but I’ve been out in sea kayaks a few times, and have managed by taking my phone in a sandwich bag (!) to use as a sensor / CGM receiver. Being on a pump helps, as I can dial down my basal insulin to help ward off low BGs

I also had an Aquapac which is a much more reliable waterproof carrier for electronic devices while afloat.

I think you have just the right attitude that everything is possible, but that some things just need a bit more prep 🙂

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @cazmeak from another late starter (aged 53)

Exercise requires a bit of planning and some adjustments to insulin doses, depending on when you do this in relation to a meal. If I am doing something new I tend to plan it for aafter a meal as I am likely to be going a bit higher anyway.

I am not a ‘kayaker’ but I have gone out on a few occasions. I took my hypo stuff with me (JBs in a waterproof bag. My pump in theory is waterproof but I certainly had no plans to capsize, and avoided the ‘exercise at the end of a trip’ when it was clear that that was part of the plan.

it will certainly help people respond in more detail if they know how you manage your diabetes. What insulins, pens or pump, …. As you say it is a shock at diagnosis and there is a lot to learn very quickly but we can do most things with a bit of planning. Fire away with any questions that arise.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I posted some links to videos talking about exercise here: https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/how-to-get-back-in-to-exercise.83732/#post-932277

 

[cazmeak]

Thanks for your responses. I take Novorapid 3 times a day and Abasoglar as my basal dose at night. I inject and do not have a pump. I now have a sensor reader which avoids me having to carry my phone in an aquapak as they are not reliable. All my post diagnosis outing on the sea have been relatively sedate although I can still roll and rescue. My issue is more on keeping my level stable throughout the length of the day. I have resorted to using energy drinks in my water bottle for ease of access as trying to keep topping up with bars or bananas is not always practical on the sea. I am very conscious that I would be totally reliant on other group members if I went hypo and any usual signs that I am getting low tend to be harder to spot when paddling. I have been reducing my bolus by 50% (I only have two units at breakfast and lunch usually) and increasing my carb intake at the meal before, during and after and then dropping my basal by 1 unit (I take 13) at night.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I have been reducing my bolus by 50% (I only have two units at breakfast and lunch usually) and increasing my carb intake at the meal before, during and after and then dropping my basal by 1 unit (I take 13) at night.

You might try eating something very low carb in the morning instead (so you can skip a bit more insulin). But really it's the kind of thing that'll take some experimentation, preferably with a DSN or consultant who has an interest in exercise and T1. It's certainly possible to do this kind of thing but I wouldn't expect it to be easy.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

I completely agree with @Bruce Stephens .

Experimenting is going to be the only way to find out what works for you in relation to exercise; and even that will need variations according to the weather, possibly the time of day, as well of course as the degree of activity and exertion you are doing. I'm T3c because I had a total pancreatectomy, so I don't have the inconvenience of a 'helpful pancreas' occasionally producing a burst of insulin and while I'm getting better at managing insulin and exercise, I still get caught out.

There are a considerable number of factors that can affect your blood glucose, 42 are listed by one researcher/journalist. We all have a degree of natural resistance to insulin (T2 diabetics have this in excess) and for many of us that resistance alters from morning to night; which is why many of us have longer pre-bolus times before breakfast than we do for lunch and even dinner. My timings are typically 45, 25, 15 mins for these respective meals. Even knowing this and allowing for this, I sometimes find my metabolism still doesn't bring the carbs eaten into play to coincide with the insulin. This, for me, is particularly noticeable with breakfast which is my biggest meal of the day and has the same contents day after day. So consequently I sometimes have to wait to see my BG rising before I can start any activity or exercise; if I don't I crash very quickly.

It's manageable, but needs managing! The subtlety of that remark is that its not completely controllable; all sorts of external things affecting your BG mean that it's effectively impossible to arrive at perfection. That said I'm determined to do what I want to do and well done to you for not giving up on your sport of sea kayaking and for accepting that sometimes lack of spontaneity is one of the modest drawbacks.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I have been reducing my bolus by 50% (I only have two units at breakfast and lunch usually) and increasing my carb intake at the meal before, during and after and then dropping my basal by 1 unit (I take 13) at night.

The videos are really worth watching. They offer a variety of other things to try (and explain them). If you haven't already, sign up for Freestyle Libre Academy (where a couple of videos are from) since I think there may be another one published since. And you can participate live in the next one (whenever it is) and perhaps get some of your questions answered.

 

[cazmeak]

Thanks all, I will explore the videos and tweak my carbs. I am a little away from staying within a zone for my levels - I tend to run them a little high if I haven't got my carb counting quite right. My consultant is asking me to focus on trying to match my insulin peak with my BG food intake at meal times. Otherwise the DSN and consultant don't have masses to offer re exercise other than the basic tables. I am hoping to do a multi day trip this weekend so will feed back how I get on to see if anyone can offer more insight. Thanks again.