This week.

This week's BGL - click to see it big (I think)

This is the graph of the last week's BGLs. I'm pretty happy with them for the most part. Once again, all of the spikes were due to things on my naughty (but nice) list. Finding a balance is still the mental struggle. It's not that I really miss sugar or starch, I just miss not having to think about what I am about to eat. What's worse is the knowledge that I am not counting carbohydrates or needed to yet.

Carbohydrate Counting

The basic principle here is figuring your ratio of carbs to insulin. I say "your ratio" because everyone has different biochemistry that means there isn't a one-size-fits-all formula. Too many carbs for the injected insulin and you've got a high reading, not enough and you may go low. Because my BGL has stabilised nicely (thanks to whatever residual pancreatic function I have left helping out) I can fudge the figures and take some pretty wild guesses with my insulin injections. In the eventual complete demise of my pancreas, I'll be on my own and control will be so much harder (I'm told). This is why I want to be good now, so that I can be better in the future.

I'm rapidly getting over the whole thing. I still haven't quite identified myself as a diabetic yet. I think of myself more as a patient. Luckily I have a good nurse, though his sense of humour is starting to wear thin.

On a side note, I said that I was planning to add exercise to my goal this month. Can we pretend I didn't say that and save the awkwardness for later? Ta. I swear I'll think about doing some push ups next month, maybe...definitely when it states to cool next year.

Going for control

I'm posting my last month's BGL stats, partly to brag, but partly to encourage me to be accountable for my ongoing health.

Each of the spikes usually involved beer, potato or eating out. The high points only go as high as 10.4 (My DE--Diabetes Educator--would say that anything below 10.0mmol/L is acceptable control for a diabetic). 95% of my tests have been on target, I'm really happy with this result. I have not experienced any major lows yet. Of the two lows recorded one was right before a meal that had been delayed by a few hours and the other was an erroneous result, the reading was 3.4 but an immediate retest (and a 2nd confirmation retest on a backup meter) showed me as 4.4.

The one thing I haven't done much of this month is exercise. It's one of the areas of diabetes that I am really unsure about and have been hesitant to try anything new other than the occasional walk. My goal for November (other than growing a moustache) is to add in some more physical activity. Sigh, it's a pity I like being sedentary so very much.

If I keep going with results like these my next HbA1C (glycoslyated haemoglobin... a three monthly average of blood glucose control) should be much better than the first one I had done in September. Stay tuned!