Old habits die hard... - DAFNE Online

February 27, 2011 18:40

grandma carol DAFNE Graduate
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust 61 posts

I was the same and keeped over corecting and then went on Dafne last SEP. and thought that it was not right for me as I was realy unwell with doing things that different from what I had been doing for years. From SEP. I have had very high reading I allways thought that I was ok before as I never had high readings like I was getting. But things have started to get better now and even though its not right yet I am a lot better and feel it and I dont have the hypos like I did before and my HbA1c has come down from 9.8 to7.6 so gess this must me doing me good then.
Bloods are back down in the 6.0 and 7.0 well most of the time except this week as I have a chest infection and they have gone up agen butgetting there.
Wanted to go back to what I was doing before but not now think this carb-countings a lot better for me.

February 27, 2011 21:53

JayBee DAFNE Graduate
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 587 posts

Sounds like you've both come a long way since doing DAFNE already... keep your chin up even when faced with highs! I went through that too but never forget that once you've sussed those highs, you'll have much better results at the end. Keep up the good work - you will get there!

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well at the moment grandma carol. How have you found the sick day rules in response to your chest infection? Is this the first time you've been ill since DAFNE? Pre-DAFNE, I don't think I would've done anything like the sick day rules DAFNE teaches!

Take care all!

February 28, 2011 18:57

grandma carol DAFNE Graduate
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust 61 posts

Yes its the first time that I have been unwell with anything like a chest infection since doing Dafne. I have been eating ok but BGs have been up for 5 days going from 9.0 up to 11.0 even with the corections they wont come down. But before Dafne I dident even test mutch but do now starting to feel a bit better now so hope things get back on track soon. As its took me this long to get it about right then this chest infection has knocked me for six. But Ill keep going as I dont want to go back to the hypos like I was having befor Dafne.

March 01, 2011 08:37

novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate
NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts

stick at it carol, your dedication so far has been outstanding........

March 21, 2011 21:58

Patty O Doors DAFNE Graduate
South of Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 4 posts

In response to the OP, I was diagnosed at the same time as finding out I was pregnant, so it was all a bit of a nightmare! Because I had to have such tight targets for my BG, I now can't get out of the habit of wanting to be low all the time and panicking about anything above 9. I knew that high sugars were bad for the baby but low sugars didn't harm it, and I can't get that out of my head even though my little boy is now 17 months old.
So too many hypos were my bad habit. Dafne is helping (only did the course last week) but still find it odd to see readings over 10 and think that is is ok (i.e. after meals).

March 22, 2011 08:41

grandma carol DAFNE Graduate
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust 61 posts

i was diagnosed at the same time I was pregnant and like patty panick with anything above 10 but since doing Dafne my bloods have been up to 18.0 sometime and I was feeling realy un well. But think things are getting better a bit now down in the 7.0 and 8.0 most of the time its just the morning that I have the trouble with.From getting up untill I have breakfast like this morning I was 8.3 and before I had me breakfast 30 mins later I was 12.1 It just drives me mad at times. Well my son is 36 now but I still dont like the highs know what you mean Patty.

May 12, 2011 08:33

AK 16 posts

I can understand your situations completely. I have a similar background to JWo, having been diabetic since I was 2 and now 23 years old. I have good HBA1cs and therefore my boomeranging doesn't seem to concern anyone (except myself). But when unsure about dosage I always opt for the higher choice due to a phobia of hypers and it rather wrecks your quality of life! Rolling Eyes I have found that one solution is to ask my boyfriend what he thinks because he's level-headed but that only works when he's at home. I'd really like to know if anyone else has found something that works for them. Counselling perhaps? However, fear of complications etc is quite rational, I don't really know what they could advise you?

May 20, 2011 22:09

WullieIrvine DAFNE Graduate
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 27 posts

All you talk of over correcting but I still do both pre and post DAFNE over compensate on hypo's.
I hate being hypo, usually can't remember whats happened, what I've done, who've I up-setted and so on. I HATE IT!

So when I hypo I munch, munch, munch, drink and munch..... needless to say I end up high for a few days.

Any advice?

Wullie (RNA)

May 21, 2011 09:33

AK 16 posts

WullieIrvine said:
All you talk of over correcting but I still do both pre and post DAFNE over compensate on hypo's.
I hate being hypo, usually can't remember whats happened, what I've done, who've I up-setted and so on. I HATE IT!

So when I hypo I munch, munch, munch, drink and munch..... needless to say I end up high for a few days.

Any advice?

Wullie (RNA)

I can understand why you hate them Wullie, but as someone who has several a day Embarassed

I can give you some advice.
Firstly, you may not treat them early enough if they have such a memory-wiping effect etc, there are tips on the RunSweet website on how to reclaim your early-warning signs. This might make you less afraid of them.

Secondly, the Dafne rule about 2.5 - 3 CPs being sufficient really does work! That was a revelation to me as I used to have a similar problem after hypos. I find that if you drink a lunchbox carton of fruit juice (eg Ribena, even Asda own brands) this is the best hypo treatment (although rinse your mouth out as the acid isn't good if you hypo frequently). These not only say they have the correct CP in carb grams on the box so you can rest assured that a whole packet is all you need, they are absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream making recovery quicker. I've tried many hypo treatments in my time and they are by far the best. The usual disclaimer that everybody's different applies of course, but there are good objective reasons for this to work for you!

Thirdly, look after yourself, don't make yourself carry on after treating a hypo. Take it as me-time and rest somewhere quiet where you won't be afraid of offending anyone etc and take the time you need to recover. I actually find I don't need to rest if I take juice as opposed to glucose tablets etc. Liquids better than solids, and especially those with a fast GI.

Sorry if you know all this already!

February 27, 2011 18:40 grandma carol DAFNE Graduate North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust 61 posts	I was the same and keeped over corecting and then went on Dafne last SEP. and thought that it was not right for me as I was realy unwell with doing things that different from what I had been doing for years. From SEP. I have had very high reading I allways thought that I was ok before as I never had high readings like I was getting. But things have started to get better now and even though its not right yet I am a lot better and feel it and I dont have the hypos like I did before and my HbA1c has come down from 9.8 to7.6 so gess this must me doing me good then. Bloods are back down in the 6.0 and 7.0 well most of the time except this week as I have a chest infection and they have gone up agen butgetting there. Wanted to go back to what I was doing before but not now think this carb-countings a lot better for me.
February 27, 2011 21:53 JayBee DAFNE Graduate James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 587 posts	Sounds like you've both come a long way since doing DAFNE already... keep your chin up even when faced with highs! I went through that too but never forget that once you've sussed those highs, you'll have much better results at the end. Keep up the good work - you will get there! Sorry to hear you're not feeling well at the moment grandma carol. How have you found the sick day rules in response to your chest infection? Is this the first time you've been ill since DAFNE? Pre-DAFNE, I don't think I would've done anything like the sick day rules DAFNE teaches! Take care all!
February 28, 2011 18:57 grandma carol DAFNE Graduate North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust 61 posts	Yes its the first time that I have been unwell with anything like a chest infection since doing Dafne. I have been eating ok but BGs have been up for 5 days going from 9.0 up to 11.0 even with the corections they wont come down. But before Dafne I dident even test mutch but do now starting to feel a bit better now so hope things get back on track soon. As its took me this long to get it about right then this chest infection has knocked me for six. But Ill keep going as I dont want to go back to the hypos like I was having befor Dafne.
March 01, 2011 08:37 novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts	stick at it carol, your dedication so far has been outstanding........
March 21, 2011 21:58 Patty O Doors DAFNE Graduate South of Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 4 posts	In response to the OP, I was diagnosed at the same time as finding out I was pregnant, so it was all a bit of a nightmare! Because I had to have such tight targets for my BG, I now can't get out of the habit of wanting to be low all the time and panicking about anything above 9. I knew that high sugars were bad for the baby but low sugars didn't harm it, and I can't get that out of my head even though my little boy is now 17 months old. So too many hypos were my bad habit. Dafne is helping (only did the course last week) but still find it odd to see readings over 10 and think that is is ok (i.e. after meals).
March 22, 2011 08:41 grandma carol DAFNE Graduate North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust 61 posts	i was diagnosed at the same time I was pregnant and like patty panick with anything above 10 but since doing Dafne my bloods have been up to 18.0 sometime and I was feeling realy un well. But think things are getting better a bit now down in the 7.0 and 8.0 most of the time its just the morning that I have the trouble with.From getting up untill I have breakfast like this morning I was 8.3 and before I had me breakfast 30 mins later I was 12.1 It just drives me mad at times. Well my son is 36 now but I still dont like the highs know what you mean Patty.
May 12, 2011 08:33 AK 16 posts	I can understand your situations completely. I have a similar background to JWo, having been diabetic since I was 2 and now 23 years old. I have good HBA1cs and therefore my boomeranging doesn't seem to concern anyone (except myself). But when unsure about dosage I always opt for the higher choice due to a phobia of hypers and it rather wrecks your quality of life! I have found that one solution is to ask my boyfriend what he thinks because he's level-headed but that only works when he's at home. I'd really like to know if anyone else has found something that works for them. Counselling perhaps? However, fear of complications etc is quite rational, I don't really know what they could advise you?
May 20, 2011 22:09 WullieIrvine DAFNE Graduate NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 27 posts	All you talk of over correcting but I still do both pre and post DAFNE over compensate on hypo's. I hate being hypo, usually can't remember whats happened, what I've done, who've I up-setted and so on. I HATE IT! So when I hypo I munch, munch, munch, drink and munch..... needless to say I end up high for a few days. Any advice? Wullie (RNA)
May 21, 2011 09:33 AK 16 posts	WullieIrvine said: All you talk of over correcting but I still do both pre and post DAFNE over compensate on hypo's. I hate being hypo, usually can't remember whats happened, what I've done, who've I up-setted and so on. I HATE IT! So when I hypo I munch, munch, munch, drink and munch..... needless to say I end up high for a few days. Any advice? Wullie (RNA) I can understand why you hate them Wullie, but as someone who has several a day I can give you some advice. Firstly, you may not treat them early enough if they have such a memory-wiping effect etc, there are tips on the RunSweet website on how to reclaim your early-warning signs. This might make you less afraid of them. Secondly, the Dafne rule about 2.5 - 3 CPs being sufficient really does work! That was a revelation to me as I used to have a similar problem after hypos. I find that if you drink a lunchbox carton of fruit juice (eg Ribena, even Asda own brands) this is the best hypo treatment (although rinse your mouth out as the acid isn't good if you hypo frequently). These not only say they have the correct CP in carb grams on the box so you can rest assured that a whole packet is all you need, they are absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream making recovery quicker. I've tried many hypo treatments in my time and they are by far the best. The usual disclaimer that everybody's different applies of course, but there are good objective reasons for this to work for you! Thirdly, look after yourself, don't make yourself carry on after treating a hypo. Take it as me-time and rest somewhere quiet where you won't be afraid of offending anyone etc and take the time you need to recover. I actually find I don't need to rest if I take juice as opposed to glucose tablets etc. Liquids better than solids, and especially those with a fast GI. Sorry if you know all this already!