Diabetic Riders

Author Message
flag dmadness
Posted: Aug 22, 2016 at 16:25 Quote
Im sure youve been there. blood sugars at 2.0 mmol and two arrows down wondering if everything would work out.
flag Quitou
Posted: Aug 22, 2016 at 16:52 Quote
dmadness wrote:
Im sure youve been there. blood sugars at 2.0 mmol and two arrows down wondering if everything would work out.
Eeks. I'm new enough to this to have not had any extreme lows, but I'm pretty meticulous by nature and always listened to my body. I did have one awkward low recently. I was in a rather important meeting and must have pooched my bolus. Halfway through the meeting I had to say to a bunch of suits, "Excuse me while I inhale a couple bags of Skittles...."

I have made a career as a journalist by doing big solo backcountry adventures around the globe. I have a feeling those shenanigans are behind me now. Which sucks, as I was always rather good at it.
flag phatplat
Posted: Aug 23, 2016 at 3:02 Quote
I saw myself third party while in a low blood sugar state. Was weird.
flag Quitou
Posted: Aug 23, 2016 at 8:33 Quote
So, I have a couple pointed questions for you experts.

For those who use meters and CGMs, do you wear it when you ride? If you don't wear it, do you take it with you? I don't tend to have my BG get higher as I ride, or even after. Even on longer rides, it stays relatively stable if not low.

Also, how disciplined are you with your carb intake? With my MiniMed pump, I'm dosing about 35-40 units a day. I have no clue if that's a little or a lot, but I'm also keeping my carb count really low. No pizza or pasta in my landscape. I usually stick to less than 20 grams of carbs per meal. Almost never to I exceed 100 grams per day. I hear about T1s eating as many as 100 grams in a sitting and that blows my mind. That would be a 14 unit meal for me.

And lastly, how do you turn this shit off? It's been fun, but I think I'm over it. LOL
flag dmadness
Posted: Aug 23, 2016 at 11:04 Quote
your days of backcountry adventures are NOT over, you just need to make sure you bring a lot of glucose with you, think always worst case scenario.

I wear my CGM all the time, I never remove it... EVER.. it is my most trusted adviser
.
I am not very diciplined with regards to carb intake, I eat whatever... keep in mind your body may need in excess of 100 grams of carb just to maintain its base functions, lower than your base carb requirements your body is essentialy breaking down slowly over time. I had 150 grams of pasta last night for dinner.. was hungry. combo bolus takes care of it easy though. I dont eat a regular schedule though, I eat 2 peices of toast every morning and a coffee.. almost never eat lunch and have a huuuuge dinner ( my main meal )

And you can turn it off by combining reptillian and human DNA but we have still to sequence the reptilian dna at its full, the human genome has been fully produced as of 96. combining the two would mean that you could potentially re generate organs and limbs, like reptiles do.

Salute
flag Quitou
Posted: Aug 23, 2016 at 12:31 Quote
dmadness wrote:
your days of backcountry adventures are NOT over, you just need to make sure you bring a lot of glucose with you, think always worst case scenario.


I am not very diciplined with regards to carb intake, I eat whatever... keep in mind your body may need in excess of 100 grams of carb just to maintain its base functions, lower than your base carb requirements your body is essentialy breaking down slowly over time. I had 150 grams of pasta last night for dinner.. was hungry. combo bolus takes care of it easy though. I dont eat a regular schedule though, I eat 2 peices of toast every morning and a coffee.. almost never eat lunch and have a huuuuge dinner ( my main meal )


Salute
That's good info. As a former elite level roadie (don't hold that against me) I have a good command of nutrition, just not so much as it relates to T1. Prior to all of this mess, I was transitioning away from carbs anyway and it was working for me...I think.

It sounds weird but I made a career out of solo adventures. I solo sea kayaked the length of Baja, rode 500 miles through Iceland self supported, and climbed several big peaks solo. I was supposed to cross one of the largest ice fields in the northern hemisphere this year, but T1 entered the scene and my confidence went out the window. I have started to dip a toe back into my big adventures. I trekked to Everest base camp and recently to 18,000 feet in Peru, but with other people just in case.

Sure would like to return to my previous levels of confidence and performance.
flag dmadness
Posted: Aug 23, 2016 at 15:14 Quote
You will get there man, I do a lot of solo stuff myself and I have not slowed down ever, That being said I carry a LOT of glucose. I would suggest a glocogen injection pen as its very compact and Could save your life if you get into trouble and are very remote. hell, for a really long solo trip I would even recomend 2.. Plus Glucose tabs. If you are on a pump then know how your body will use and consume carbs and insulin... This is my learning progress this year as its the first year Ive used a pump ( only for the last few months ) it has made me weary of long distance isolation trips but I am working towards them again. diabeetus!!! its a pain in the ass for sure, but you will adapt. I cannot stress this enough.. Carry WAY MORE rapid carbs than you think you will need. Always. low blood sugars kill you in hours, high blood sugars kill you over years.

Salute


the human body averages needing 100 Gras of carbhydrate per day, depending on body type, metabolisim, stress, how many scrapes and cuts you have to heal etc.. many factors. if you are not taking enough your body will burn fat and break down glycogen from the liver to get the energy it needs, IF you have depleted glycogen in the liver then a low blood sugar can take a lot more rapid carbs to reverse and can be potentially more serious as you will drop much faster and could be un aware till you are a space cadet ( my symptoms are weakness, irritablity ) Ive a friend who goes full retarded when his sugars drop... he is un aware and hard to feed at this point, I usually trick him into eating or drinking carbs and a few minutes later he is thankful and aware. you MUST know your low symptoms and know what they are when they get really low and if they change.. you must be prepaired to save our own life if you are solo. Once I was out fishin and a huge storm blew in ower the mountain ( did not see it till it was on us ) I would likely have passed out because I didnt bring much at all for rapid carbs ( where we were camped was a 5 min boat ride, we got stuck by storm and huge waves on the OTHER side ) I found a bunch of rasberrys and blueberries growing wild.. they saved me from becoming a vegetablle while my friends tried to figure out if I was gonna die.. I was uber thankfull for my fortune and as such I never go out without a TON of sugar.. even if camp is only 5 mins away.
Salute
flag Quitou
Posted: Aug 23, 2016 at 20:28 Quote
dmadness wrote:
you MUST know your low symptoms and know what they are when they get really low and if they change.. you must be prepaired to save our own life if you are solo. :
I'm catching on to those signs. My vision gets wonky when I start to get low. I can also feel it in my neck, like a bobble-head. As a journalist, I'm often paired to guides as I was recently in Peru, despite having been a guide for years myself. As such, I know better than to tell some random Peruvian alpine guide I have T1. They'd freak. On this latest trip, for some reason my insulin WORKED. Too well. At about 16,000 on a glacier I got super low. I had to pull the old, "Hey guys, I know we just had a huge breakfast within the hour, but I feel like eating two chocolate bars...."

So, in some settings, when I'm alone I almost feel like I can manage my BG better. I don't have other people hawking over me. And I don't delay in monitoring or treating myself as I need to.

That's a great tip on the glucose pen. I do carry a shit load of various fast acting glucose foods. It is funny, if I leave the house for the day without insulin I don't sweat it, although it registers as a bad idea. I don't dare leave the house without my glucose tabs or a bag of Skittles.

The next test for me - one month in Alaska, much of it above the Arctic Circle in late October. Gulp. I'm never far from my inReach and sat phone these days. LOL
flag dmadness
Posted: Aug 23, 2016 at 22:01 Quote
I used to care what peoples reactions were... long ago now, I dont give a shit, I will inject myself in the stomach in the middle of a cafe line if have too, its easier now that im on a pump. DO NOT, delay testing or treating yourself, I have many long term complications from not being prompt with my treatments. be aware that insulin has a rediculous amount of factors, altitude is also a likely factor when considering how it effects you, I know for sure that I need less insulin at altitude.. I have n idea why, I assume it has to do with barometric pressure somehow. anyways, highly suggest a glucose pen, and something more rapid than skittles, something with a really really high Glycemic index and compact, glucose gel or dextrose tablets are the most portablle thing. also consider a 600 ml of gatorade added to your camel back when biking and in remote places ( contains Glucose and liquid sugar that is instantly metabolized. ) cause it will keep you stable when exerting effort, and remember that altitude makes everything you do harder on the body, even if you dont consciously notice it.

you should always have somebody that knows you are diabetic if you are not alone, should you get into trouble its better that they now than they just think "hh shit buddys acting all weird...aaaand now hes passed out"

I shit you not, this will kill you.
Salute
flag dmadness
Posted: Aug 23, 2016 at 22:04 Quote
I will mention also that chocolate is a bad choice ( though plenty sugary ) it has lots of fat that makes it take longer than what is ideal... ideally you want the highest glycemic index food possible. the other thing is, it gets easier with experience, though you will never stop learning. I have been diabetic for 28 years and still learn.
flag phatplat
Posted: Aug 24, 2016 at 2:51 Quote
Always keep the CGM on, I cannot function without it. I keep the meter close though. I eat what I want, I just control the portions. That being said I am not drinking juice/regular soda for fun or eating all the cake I see. Pizza and Pasta are a staple of my whole being, without them I am nothing.

Quitou wrote:
So, I have a couple pointed questions for you experts.

For those who use meters and CGMs, do you wear it when you ride? If you don't wear it, do you take it with you? I don't tend to have my BG get higher as I ride, or even after. Even on longer rides, it stays relatively stable if not low.

Also, how disciplined are you with your carb intake? With my MiniMed pump, I'm dosing about 35-40 units a day. I have no clue if that's a little or a lot, but I'm also keeping my carb count really low. No pizza or pasta in my landscape. I usually stick to less than 20 grams of carbs per meal. Almost never to I exceed 100 grams per day. I hear about T1s eating as many as 100 grams in a sitting and that blows my mind. That would be a 14 unit meal for me.

And lastly, how do you turn this shit off? It's been fun, but I think I'm over it. LOL
flag phatplat
Posted: Aug 24, 2016 at 2:52 Quote
I used to try to eat or chew when I was low and riding. Can't do it. Switched to drinking small juices like so:
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://southforkcoffee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Welchs-Juice.jpg
34c per 10oz, good bang for the buck.

dmadness wrote:
I will mention also that chocolate is a bad choice ( though plenty sugary ) it has lots of fat that makes it take longer than what is ideal... ideally you want the highest glycemic index food possible. the other thing is, it gets easier with experience, though you will never stop learning. I have been diabetic for 28 years and still learn.
flag dmadness
Posted: Aug 24, 2016 at 8:04 Quote
Welchs geape juice is my favorite anti low remedy of all time.
flag Quitou
Posted: Aug 24, 2016 at 9:31 Quote
That's great information. I stumbled across Glukos products and have had good luck with them. I keep several in my riding pack, glove box, wife's car, stashed in a tree....

http://www.glukosenergy.com

After three weeks in Peru at an altitude of 12,000 to 16,000 feet, I was ready to buy a farm and move there. My insulin needs were lowered by as much as 40-60%. It was a nice reprieve

Thanks for the information fellas. One last question.

How do you keep your insulin and pump cool while riding on warm days. I'm in the Southwest US. I'm not a fan of heat, but 80 degrees is a regular deal down here.
flag phatplat
Posted: Aug 24, 2016 at 9:59 Quote
I don't really worry about that. It is on my body in my pocket and it is regularly 95 here. No issues.

Quitou wrote:
That's great information. I stumbled across Glukos products and have had good luck with them. I keep several in my riding pack, glove box, wife's car, stashed in a tree....

http://www.glukosenergy.com

After three weeks in Peru at an altitude of 12,000 to 16,000 feet, I was ready to buy a farm and move there. My insulin needs were lowered by as much as 40-60%. It was a nice reprieve

Thanks for the information fellas. One last question.

How do you keep your insulin and pump cool while riding on warm days. I'm in the Southwest US. I'm not a fan of heat, but 80 degrees is a regular deal down here.

 


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