The Pump

I have been on my style of insulin pump for about eight years now. Like anything, there are negatives and positives. It does make life easier. I fought the idea of having a pump since the early 90's. I didn't want some wire sticking out of my body all the time and have to carry a pump around. 

Now as an adult, my thoughts are completely different. Part of me wears it as a badge. The best thing about wearing it is when my students think I have a beeper or playing some video game device. It amazes me that 9 and 10

year olds even know what a beeper is. Overall, my control stays pretty consistent unless I calculate carbs incorrectly.  

There are some days when the site is bad with the infusion set. This last weekend I was frustrated with this and unplugged my pump for a day. Things went well, but I was paranoid about where my numbers were. I figured that being plugged back into my pump was the best choice for me.

What control for me comes down to are the choices I make. I make good choices and my diabetes treats me nicely. I get a bit sloppy and the diabetes slaps me in the face. Life is all about choices. 

Reset

The last few weeks I have not been very disciplined with keeping a routine with diet or exercise. This has led my blood sugars to be on a roller coaster. I know what I need to do to feel good and have control of the blood sugars.

For me, I have found that a very low carb diet with lifting weights seems to do the trick. I know I have said this in the past. I have to accept that the fact that some routines are not the best for me. I am not going to put my health at risk. I need control. I have restarted 5/3/1 with low maxes and I am going to keep things simple. For conditioning work, I will push the prowler and train strongman events. I am also keeping my eyes peeled for any in state powerlifting or strongman events.

I admire those type 1s that can pull off the high intensity activities and still feel well. There is a type 1 athlete's page in Facebook that is very motivating. People that are a part of this group push the limits of being a T1D. More importantly, people offer help to each other and are very supportive.