How Medical Marijuana Has Improved My Life

WOA WOA WOA wait what?!  Before we get all huffy and puffy let me tell you the story of how I got to where I am today, which just so happens to be a very good place...

In high school I was diagnosed with PMDD, which is a severe extension of PMS.  Every month for as long as I can remember I would experience bouts of depression, crazy anxiety, horrible mood swings, debilitating cramping, insane headaches, high blood sugars from the hormonal changes (I have type 1 diabetes), insomnia, and major withdrawal from my friends and normal activities that I usually otherwise loved.  It made me feel out of control and it was taking a toll on my marriage and my life. In the beginning of this year I knew I had to make a change and needed to find something that would manage my ugly symptoms.

I made an appointment with my OB where I told her everything I was experiencing.  I actually started crying in the room because I realized how crazy I sounded saying all of that out loud.  After a few minutes of listening she said I was the perfect candidate for Xanax with a side of antidepressants.  I told her I wasn't ready for the antidepressants but said I would give the Xanax a try.  She told me to take it when the feelings were beginning to come on and I should feel better.  Just like that.  I didn't like the fact that I like to live my life as natural as possible and yet here I was filling my prescription, and about to pop a Xanax.  But I was desperate so I did and within about 10 minutes I felt like a complete muted vegetable-like robot mom.  I couldn't believe this was a legal thing that my doctor was so eager to prescribe.  That was the first and last time I was ever going to take another one of those bad boys. So here I was again back at square one, although this time I was determined to find a more natural holistic solution, since growing a third eye in 20 years is not on the tippy top of my to-do list ;)

I live in California where Prop 215 has made it legal for patients to use marijuana for their personal medical use given the recommendation or approval by a California-licensed physician. So with my husband's blessing I made an appointment. I was SO nervous.  The doctor I saw was amazing and empathetic as I told him all of the things I was experiencing. I told him I was a busy mom of two boys and wasn't totally digging the idea of smokin it up during the day. He explained to me that there are certain forms of cannabis that you don't have to smoke, which are actually very potent with few or no psychoactive effects.  That sounded like a good medicinal plan for me.  I left that day with my first ever medical marijuana prescription.  I was intrigued and hopeful.

My first experience with medical marijuana was the following week as I was getting ready to start my damn period again. This time it was a whole different ball game.  My period came and went without disrupting my life and ZERO negative side effects...well other than being hungry ha.  I mean WHAT?! This hadn't happened everrrrrrrrr.  I can't even express how liberating it felt knowing that I was taking something that is 100% natural and it was freaking working.

It has now been 5 months since I have started using marijuana for its medicinal purposes and it has improved my life without a doubt.  Here are the benefits that I have experienced:

• PMDD is gone...like gone girls gone.  That right there was a game changer. 

• My marriage is better than ever because I made the decision to improve my mental health. 

• My anxiety is at an all time low. 

• My blood sugars are in the best control ever, since marijuana is known to benefit people with diabetes. 

• Headaches are nonexistent. 

• I am off all prescription medications except for insulin. 

• I am happier and living a more fulfilled life since I am not experiencing the symptoms I described above anymore.

Besides what I have experienced, medical marijuana is also being used to:

• Treat epilepsy in children 
• Slow and stop cancer cells from spreading 
• Slow and stop the progression of Alzheimers 
• Treat Crohn's disease
• Treat ADD/ADHD
• Ease tremors in Parkinson's disease 
• Improve brain function after a stroke 
• Treat Autism and more 

So there you have it. My "secret" is out. It feels so scary to share this with the world because so many people have stereotypes and may be uneducated about all the positives effects medical marijuana can have...but that's okay.  I know not everyone will understand this alternative holistic route I have decided to take, but if I can help just one person by sharing my story that is good enough for me.

*Disclaimer: I am not saying that all prescription medications are bad.  I am simply sharing my story and what did and did not work me for. 

The 5 Most Commonly Asked Questions About My Type 1 Diabetes

Current favorite bathing suit can be found here. 

1. Where do you wear/hide your pump when you are wearing a dress or a bathing suit?  Ah well I have become quite the undercover agent when it comes to concealing my pump in tricky outfits.  When I wear a dress with straps I will use the clear pump clip and clip it in the center of my bra in the front.  So, the pump and infusion tubing are facing down.  I have tried to just shimmy my pump in between the girls inside my bra and that never works and usually results in it falling out when I bend over and me acting like an organ just fell out whenever that does happen ha!  So the clip action is the best.  If I am wearing a dress with a strapless bra or where it is not possible to clip it into the center part of my bra, I will clip the pump to the side of my undies.  This works great if I am wearing a maxi dress or a dress that is not tight on the bottom half.  This obviously does make it almost impossible to bolus in public but a quick trip to the ladies room solves that.  When I wear a bathing suit I usually just tuck it into the bottoms on the side.  I also have to get creative with tucking in the tubing so my kids don't pull it out if we are just playing at the beach or outside of the pool. And then when I get in the water I obviously take my pump off completely.

2.  How did you start eating Paleo and how does it help with your diabetes management?  I have always had issues with grains and legumes and whenever I would eat them in the past they would always without fail cause my blood sugars to spike and then drop.  I could never quite figure out how to cover for them so I just started avoiding those two things pretty much altogether.  So, when the Paleo diet become really popular a few years ago I just figured this would be an easy lifestyle to follow, and it was and still is.  I would say I am not as big of a meat fanatic as the typical Paleo person and I eat more of a vegetable based diet but for me this is the best and easiest way to avoid spikes and to control my blood sugars through my diet. I do still eat cheese because I just can not go through life without putting feta cheese on my salad or having cheese and salami together but other than that I would say I follow about an 80% Paleo diet. My Paleo grocery shopping list can be found here.

3. I notice that you love wine and I would love to know how does alcohol affect your blood sugars?  Okay yes it is no surprise that I love my wine and I am happy to report that for some weird phenomenon wine does nothing to my blood sugars. It does not raise it or lower it.  Maybe I am immune haha.  But, other alcohols can take a major tole on my blood sugars. I avoid beer almost all together because it always spikes me and makes me feel so sluggish because of the gluten and hard alcohol like vodka usually tends to be mixed with drinks that are full of sugar and in turn these tend to make my blood sugars rise and then fall fast several hours later or early in the morning the next day. So when I do drink alcohol I usually just stick to wine.

4.  Did you ever have a diabetes burnout? Yes and I talked about that in great length in this post.

5.  I remember you mentioned you were going to go on a pump vacation a while back.  How did that go?  It lasted only one week and it sucked big time. I was quickly reminded how much I hate doing shots.  Also, because I have had the luxury of bolusing and then snacking with the pump that had to stop with the pump vacation since every time I wanted a snack I had to give myself a shot.  I was also having so many highs and overall I just felt super crappy. So after one short week I decided I will forever love my pump, stop complaining about it and never do that again.

I would love to do a part two to this post so if you have any other questions that you did not see covered I am more than happy to answer them on the next post.

The Highs & Lows of Type 1 Diabetes: How I'm Getting Back on Track After a Not So Great A1C

It's been a little while since I have done any updates on The Highs & Lows of Type 1 Diabetes series and I decided now seemed like a good enough time for a post and an update since I started back on the CGM (continuous glucose monitoring system).

About 2 months ago I went in for my routine blood work where I got my A1C checked. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the A1C is a blood test that provides information about your average blood sugar levels over the past three months.  The lower the number the better.  My results came back not so great. Was I surprised?  Not really. I can be honest with myself and say that I had not been eating as good as I should and guessing when it came to corrections for my insulin pump.  I was basically not making my diabetes a priority and my test results reflected that.

I was on the CGM when I was pregnant with both boys and because of it I had the best A1Cs of my life. During my pregnancies my A1C average was 6, which is awesome.  The only problem with the CGM back then was I felt like after a couple days it wold give me inaccurate readings and the whole process of the insertion was super painful and left ugly marks when it was time to change it and take it out.  So after my pregnancies I got off of it.

My doctor recommended that I get back on the CGM and to be honest, I wasn't too excited about it.  BUT he told me the good news is the new updated Enlite Glucose Sensor is supposed to be wayyyy better than the old one in terms of accuracy, insertion process, longevity of each sensor and pain.  Plus the new sensor sets off alerts if you go too low and will shut off your pump if you remain unresponsive to the alarm, which I thought was another really great new feature.  So I decided to give it a try.

I have been on the sensor for 3 weeks now and it has been night and day in terms of managing my diabetes.  My blood sugars have been awesome and I feel so much better. I am pretty sure this is going to be a permeant thing for me until they come out with something even better.  I have been wearing the sensor on my outer thigh and it does not hurt nor is it irritating in the slightest bit. I don't notice it when I work out, do squats or any other physical activities.

I can't wait to re-do my A1C in the next month or so.

It's World Diabetes Day! + A Few Thoughts and a Weird Selfie

Yes that would be standing on my dining room chair in order to get a decent selfie haha. 

I have had Type 1 Diabetes for 22 years now (you can read my diagnosis story here).  Diabetes in a weird way has made me a healthier person.   Because of diabetes I exercise daily, I eat clean and I think about everything I do when it comes to my body.   Some might think this is a curse but I look at it like a blessing.

My husband is my biggest supporter.  Diabetes can play with your head and make you feel like you are all alone at times so having a good support system to lean (and sometimes cry) on is very important.  I am beyond thankful that Ian is always there for me and helps bring me out of the slumps and the burnouts when they do happen.

Type 1 diabetes should not hold you back in life.  You can still have a beautiful family and do everything that you ever dreamed of doing.  You are in charge of your life and your diabetes.  Your diabetes is not in charge of you.  And all the people said....AMEN!  That just felt necessary ;)

Read more of my Type 1 Diabetes posts here.

The Highs & Lows of Type 1 Diabetes: Tips For Parents With Newly Diagnosed Children

A sweet friend of mine just recently found out that her son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  He is 3, which just doesn't seem fair.  Type 1 diabetes is something that you may hear about or may even know someone who has it but when it actually happens to you or you very young child it completely turns your otherwise normal world upside down for a period.  And just a reminder, type 1 (known as juvenile diabetes) is very different from type 2, which is the one you are always hearing about in the news.

I have shared my diagnoses story before here but basically when it happens you are thrown into everything so fast.  You go to the doctor, they test your child's blood, it's off the chart high and then you are whirled to a children's hospital where you have to spend the next week or so learning how to give insulin shots, doing multiple daily blood tests, learning how to carb count all while trying to figure out how your child acts when they are having a high or low blood sugar when they may not be able to actually notice themselves.  When you get home it's just you and your newly diagnosed son or daughter and the idea of doing something 24/7 (because that is what it is) can be overwhelming to say the least.

I have decided to write a post for moms, dads and caregivers that might help make things easier and seem less scary...since I am type 1 diabetic veteran (I have been living with it for 23 years now) I believe I may be able to offer some helpful tips.

Tips for adjusting to your new life with your type 1 diabetic child:

• Let them prick you or give yourself a shot every now and then.  When I was first diagnosed and still in the hospital my dad would let me give him a shot filled with saline every time I had to do one. It made me feel like I wasn't alone and looking back that made such a huge difference.
• Holidays like Valentine's Day and Halloween are almost always revolved around mass amounts of candy.  Let your child pick a piece or two (cover with insulin of course) and then have them "trade in" the remainder of their candy for an awesome new toy or whatever else might motivate them and make the candy seem insignificant.  I was always motivated by money (ha!) so my parents would give me 10 cents for every piece I turned in.  This worked like magic for me and sooner or later the candy did not even matter and I only cared about how rich I was becoming ;) 
• Make carb counting easy and download an app! They did not have that when I was little but I can only imagine how convenient that would have been.  We had this giant book and in the beginning my mom and dad would flip through the pages to look up a certain food item.  Try to remember that learning anything new (even carb counting) can be daunting but if you devote enough time to it you will soon become a carb counting pro.  It's funny because I now look at foods and see carbs.  For example a banana...I do not think banana I think 27 grams of carbs.  One cup of strawberries (give or take a few) boom...11 grams grams of carb.  You will get the hang of it! 
• There is no need to think that you can no longer enjoy sweets or your child's favorite foods.  You just have to make a few changes with ingredients and my blog is filled with diabetic friendly recipes that even non diabetics will love.  You can make chocolate chip cookies with no flour (virtually carb free), flour less chocolate cake, cauliflower mashed potatoes and more.  Life is not over in terms of yummy foods, I promise. 
• Put their diabetic supplies in something that they love because you will have to bring it with you everywhere.  My mom let me pick out whatever I wanted and I decided on this hot pink makeup caboodle (remember those?!).  It made me a little bit happier whenever it was time to do my daily shots and blood tests. 
• Things like too much sun, exercise and excitement can lower your child's blood sugar so on days where any of the following is happening just make sure to test a little bit more and be prepared with backup sources of sugar. 
• Get your child a medic alert bracelet.  Have them pick out one they like.
• Talk to your doctor about the Dexcom and ask him or her if it is something that they think would be beneficial to your child.  It is approved for children as young as two.  The Dexcom is a little device that your child wears usually on their belly or upper behind and it continuously monitors their blood sugars.  It is not a pump but rather just purely a continuos glucose monitoring system.  It sends an alarm to you (the parent) if your child goes too low or gets too high.  It takes the guessing game out of what your blood sugar pattern may be doing and it is a genius invention in my opinion.  When you are able to get a better idea of your child's blood sugar patterns at certain times of the day it makes managing the disease so much easier.     

Having type 1 diabetes does not mean your life is over or that your child is not going to grow up and live a perfectly normal and healthy life.  Your child will still thrive and will still be able to do all the things that you imagined they would do before they were diagnosed.  Nothing is impossible.  You are going to have days where you and your child are pissed off and just over diabetes.  On those days remember to give yourself a break and remember that not every day is going to be perfect and that's okay, there is always tomorrow. 

The Highs and Lows of Type 1 Diabetes: The Insulin Pump & My Love/Hate Relationship With It

I have been on the insulin pump for about 5 years.  I did a ton of research before I chose which one to go with and I ended up going with the Medtronic MiniMed Insulin Pump.  I love the customer support they offer and all the new advancements that they are constantly making to their products.

Even with all I know now and the different options for other pumps out there I would still go with the MiniMed.  I like that is it small and I can easily hide it in my bra, back jean pocket or attach to the side of my shorts.  I would say that it has drastically helped get me in tighter control and made life much easier.  I can eat snacks when I want and do a correction right there and then.  It comes with me everywhere I go and only comes off when I take a shower or go swimming...or spray tanning ha.  I would also say that it is a must have when you are pregnant since insulin doses are much higher the further along you get and doing a million shots a day would just not be ideal.

But with all that said sometimes (like this week) I just want to rip it out all dramatically, cry, throw it across the room (okay maybe not throw it because it's so expensive) and say screw it and just go back to regular insulin injections.  Most of the time it works great.  I insert my infusion set into the top part of my butt (my favorite spot) hit the start button and we are good to go.  No problems.  But other times (more frequently than I wish) I will insert the infusion set and a shooting pain will go through my body telling me something is wrong.  I will pull it out and blood will start spewing out.  Other times I will insert the infusion set and I think everything is fine.  A few hours later I will test and I will be 300+.  I will take it out and it turns out the infusion set had somehow bent when it was inserted and insulin was never delivered to me.  This is beyond frustrating because I have to do it all over again plus for the remainder of the day I cant eat or do much of anything until I get my blood sugars back on track from something that I did not even cause.  This always seems to happen at inconvenient times too like when I am on vacation or out with my family.  I do always bring a back up just in case but it still puts a major damper in my day.

Now you may be thinking, "Well maybe you are using the wrong infusion set or inserting in the wrong spot?"  The truth is I have tried all of the different kinds and inserted in all kinds of places on my body and it still happens every so often no matter what.  I have told my Endocrinologist about my pump frustrations and told me that sometimes people go on "pump vacations."  This means that for a few weeks or even months you don't use your pump and go back to insulin shots.  I have thought about it but haven't done it yet.  The thought of being without my little gadget that I have been attached to for so long is frightening, but nonetheless the thought is still on my mind.

If you are type 1 diabetic I would love to hear if you struggle with your pump as well and how you deal with it?  I would also love to hear if you have ever taken a pump vacation and what the results were.

See all the posts of this series here.

The Highs & Lows of Type 1 Diabetes: Common Statements/Misconceptions about Type 1 Diabetes That I Feel Compelled to Address

A semi weird picture of me but hey I have type 1 diabetes and this post is about that so it felt relevant.   

I have heard it all and nothing really surprises me anymore.  You can't really get mad at the people addressing the questions or statements because they are just simply uneducated with the world of type 1 diabetes and I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to this kinda stuff.

The following are either questions or statements that people have actually really said to me.  I felt like it was important to clarify and address some of them.

1. "But you're not fat.  How you do have diabetes?"  I will never forget this question asked in high school by a boy a few grades older.
- Type 1 diabetics are not typically overweight.  In fact when I was diagnosed (at age 7) I had lost 10 pounds.  The media often portrays diabetics as being chubby little kids or overweight adults and that is because they are talking about type 2, which is different in terms of diagnosis and overall treatment.  Type 2 is a growing epidemic because of horrible diets and obesity.  Type 2 diabetes is actually preventable and reversable if diet and exercise are made a priority.  Type 1 diabetes is not something that is curable...as of right now.

2. "I've heard diabetics do not live a very long life."
-  I have heard that unhealthy people in general do not live a very long life.  So if you are type 1 diabetic and not making your health a priority then yes, the odds are not in your favor.  BUT if you are healthy and taking care of yourself and making your health a priority then you have an even better chance of living a full life just like anyone else.  So may the odds be ever in your favor :)

3. "I am worried that you might not have healthy children because you are type 1 diabetic."  Yes, this was really said to me by someone close.
- Type 1 diabetics do have a higher chance of miscarriages and complications BUT again if you make the health of you and your baby a full time priority for a full 9 months your odds of having a perfectly  healthy baby are just as good as any one else's.

4. "Your medical bills and insurance must be so expensive!"
- Yep they are there is no way of getting around that.  I am so thankful that I have a husband who makes me a priority and would do anything to make sure I have everything I need.

5. "Oh you're diabetic?! My Grandpa/Grandma had diabetes and lost their leg or went blind because of it!"
- Well thanks for that little story that I have heard a million times.  To be honest, if you have diabetes complications it does not just happen over night.  It takes years of neglect to get to that point.  Diabetes medical advancements have also come a long way since any grandma or grandpa had it so that is also a plus.

If you have ever had someone ask or say something to you that made you say, "What?!" I would love to hear.

See all the posts of this series here.

The Highs and Lows of Type 1 Diabetes: Having a Diabetes Burnout and How I Got Over It

Image via 

A reader recently asked me if I have ever experienced a "burnout," and if so how I got back on the right track.  I loved this question and thought it was really important to address.

The answer is yes.  I have most definitely experienced a diabetes burnout.  It was when I was 18.  I am sure everyones definition of what exactly a burnout means to them is slightly different but my definition of a diabetes burnout means you are just over it, and for a little moment in time you neglect your diabetes.

I moved out with my friend the week after I graduated high school.  We got a little apartment in Huntington Beach where we were both going to school.  Living on my own was exciting.  I made a ton of new friends and started getting my self into a little trouble. Most of my friends were over 21 so I started drinking, staying out super late, eating horrible, testing my blood less frequently and "guessing" when it came to my insulin shots.  I was a mess for a little bit there.  I just wanted diabetes to go away and I was not dealing with it very well.  I remember I would drink a few beers with my friends and then we would order a giant pizza and I would eat it just like I was a regular non diabetic girl.  It started to become normal for me to go really high and then crash late at night.  There was even a few times where I would get low in my apartment and realize I did not have any juice and had to get really creative with weird things in my cupboard or fridge.  I just was not caring about my self like I should have.

My burnout lasted almost a whole year.  I remember feeling tired and depressed because no one really knew what I was going through.  I was over feeling sick and knew I needed to change and start caring about myself again.

My husband has a lot to do with me coming out of my burnout phase.  I have known Ian since I was in elementary school and we had even dated for a brief time in high school but after I moved away we lost contact.  I had come home to visit my family for a few days and randomly ran into him... well not totally randomly but that's for a different post :)  He was HOT (like really really hot) and I was single haha.  He got my number and that night we went out to a movie.  We started spending more and more time together and  soon after we made it official.  He truly cared about me.  He would always ask me how my blood sugars were and would always make sure I had juice with me and in my apartment.  I loved him and the way he loved me made me want to change, so I did.  We became healthy together and it was the best feeling.

Since then whenever I start to have a day or week where I feel overwhelmed or frustrated with my diabetes I remind myself that it's normal and I do not need to feel guilty for having a disease that sometimes does it own thing no matter how hard I try.  For me personally the best way to avoid long burnouts is by making my health a priority.  I do need to exercise and I do need to eat healthy on a daily basis.  I also remind myself that it is okay if I decide to take a few days off from the gym or I want to enjoy a not so healthy meal every now and then.  It is all about balance and when the balance gets thrown off completely that is when I notice I struggle.

If you are type 1 diabetic and have ever experienced a burnout, I would love to hear your story and how you dealt with it.

See all the posts of this series here

The Highs and Lows of Type 1 Diabetes: Extreme Low Blood Sugar & Seizures

This is what a glucagon shot looks like.  It is SO important that to have one in case of an emergency if you are type 1 diabetic.  This will save your life.  

My first seizure was when I was seven years old.  It was only a few months after I was diagnosed with diabetes.  I had a double header soccer game that day.  I remember being so excited because I had scored around 10 goals and my Dad would give me a dollar for every goal I scored.  I was rich haha!

I recently asked my mom to tell me the story of exactly what happened the morning of my first seizure.  This was hard for her to tell me but I am sharing her story so that other parents with type 1 diabetics can be aware.

From my mom's memory:

"You were always active so when you were diagnosed with diabetes we did not want that to change for you, although your dad and I were still unsure exactly how exercise really affected your blood sugars at that point.  You had played two long soccer games that day.  You ate a ton of oranges and had a normal lunch.  We kept your insulin the same as every other day (thats where we went wrong). I did the carb corrections for everything you ate just like we were supposed to.  Your blood sugars that day were good.  They were not too low and never got too high.  That evening you were exhausted.  We checked your blood sugar before you went to bed and it was perfect.  Around 4am I had a weird feeling.  I went upstairs and you were fast asleep.  I looked a little closer and you were sweating.  I checked your blood sugar.  It was 35!  I tried to stay calm and had you walk downstairs with me to get juice.  You were in a daze.  We got downstairs and I told you to sit down on the floor.  I ran to the kitchen as fast as I could while screaming to your Dad to come help me.  Seconds later you were on the floor having a seizure.  We were panicking and didn't know what to do!  We called 911 and they said they would be there as fast as they could but in the mean time they told us it was vital to give you the emergency glucagon shot.  We mixed the medicine up in the little bottle and injected it into your thigh.  You seemed to slowly start to come out of it but you still were not our Lindsay.  After what seemed like forever an ambulance showed up and off we went to the hospital."

I remember feeling so sick the next day.  I also remember feeling like I had been run over by a truck.  My whole body was sore and I just felt weak.  My parents outlook on diabetes had changed after that...for good reason.  Paranoia for them was kicked into overdrive.  From that point on I was only allowed to spend the night at friend's houses whose parents were doctors or nurses, which basically eliminated everyone except a select few.  I can only imagine how scared they must have been and I would have been the exact same way.

My second (and it will be my last) seizure was when I was 14.  It was pretty traumatic.  I was a freshman in high school and on summer break.  That night I had gone out with a group of friends to Denny's.  I ended up doing much more of a correction than I should have that night.  At this time my parents were divorced and I was at my Dad's for the weekend.   I remember waking up in a complete sweat and shaking like a leaf.  I always kept my blood tester next to me on my night stand so I tested.  I was 39. I couldn't get the damn straw out of the plastic wrap to drink my juice.  I was panicking.  I tried to get downstairs as fast as I could.  We had these really steep stairs and I remember getting half way down and my brain was starting to take over.  It was the scariest thing I have ever experienced.  I knew I was going to have a seizure and I was still on the stairs.  I tried screaming out to my Dad but all I could get out was a muffle.  I tried to walk down one more stair while holding onto the rail and my body went stiff.  In my mind I was trying to scream for help but nothing was coming out.  It went black from there.  My Dad did hear my muffle scream...I am pretty sure he woke up to a whisper since my first seizure and thankfully gave me the glucagon shot as fast as he could.  He told me my head was in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs and he had no idea where it was coming from.  Turns out I had bitten my tongue really bad.  I woke up not to long after with a team of paramedics around me hooking me up and getting all my vitals.  I was still out of it but I heard one of the paramedics say, "She might have broken her nose and definitely cracked a few teeth."  To this day I still can see all of the faces that were surrounding me as I was waking up.  After a day stay in the hospital I came home.  Thankfully I had not broken my nose but I did indeed crack a few teeth which was fixable.

After that seizure I vowed to never have another one again.  And since then I have gotten even lower at times (I was 29 once while I was pregnant!) and was able to get my act together and treat it as fast as it could.  Now that I am a mom I never go anywhere unless I am prepared for the worst.  I bring my glucagon and never ever leave without tons of juice in my car.

How I am prepared and deal with extreme lows:

• If I test and I am really low I try to stay calm.  The mind is a very powerful thing and I have noticed that if I start to panic my blood sugar will drop even faster and I will start to lose control.  I am in control and that is what I tell myself when I go really low.  
• I treat lows with juice or honey and sometimes both.  I do tend to overcorrect for a low and don't always follow the 15 gram rule (sorry doc) but I would rather be over cautious than not. 
• I always keep a juice box with the straw out next to my bed.  If I feel too low to test I just drink it and worry about testing later. 
• If I am having a day where I exercise more than normal I will lower my insulin and check more frequently. Sometimes I even set an alarm on my pump to wake me up in the middle of the night to test. 
• My husband is the most together person I have ever met and he knows exactly where my glucagon is and how to use it if I ever needed it again.  He has also dealt with me being really low before and has handled it like a champ (more on that later). 
• I have had many talks with Max (my three year old) about me being low.  He understands fully.  He knows where the juice and honey is if I need it and can't get to it.  He also knows not to drink the kids juice boxes in my car.  He is a special little person for sure.  It makes me cry writing this but you must involve your family.  It is so important.

Telling these stories was not easy but I want to share because it can happen.  And the best way to prevent it is to always be over prepared in any situation.

If you are type 1 diabetic and have had an extreme low or seizure I would be so grateful if you shared your story as well.  How do you treat lows and what solutions have you come up with that work the best?

See also:
Exercise and blood sugar management (not as easy as it may seem)
How I prepared for pregnancy 

The Highs and Lows of Type 1 Diabetes: Exercise and Blood Sugar Management (Not as easy as it may seem)

Image via 

I can still remember being seven (the year I was diagnosed with diabetes) and hearing my Dad yell to me in the middle of my soccer game, "ARE YOU LOW?!"  I would shoot him a quick annoyed "I'm okay" look and roll my eyes because I thought he was being over paranoid.  There were a few times though where I was actually low in the middle of a game and my Dad would run out on the soccer field with my blood tester and an already opened juice box, which he told me to drink right away.  I remember feeling embarrassed because everyone would look at me but looking back I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been for my parents to have to solely rely on me recognizing my low or high symptoms.  I also think my parents are amazing for caring as much as they did.

Being active has always been a huge priority in my life.  It not only makes me feel great both physically and mentally but it makes a huge difference when it comes to having tighter control with my diabetes.  But with all that said, having type 1 diabetes can make it quite frustrating at times.  Different activities do different things to my blood sugar and trying to figure out how my body is going to react to certain things can be quite challenging.  Sometimes it seems like no matter what I do, my blood sugars have a mind of their own.  To this day I do not have the whole exercising while maintaining perfect control thing down to a science, but I have figured out what works best for me most of the time.

A few things I do when working out:

• I prefer to have my starting blood sugar around 160 before starting a workout.  This might seem a little high to some but if I start any lower I drop really fast.  If I am on the lower end of the blood sugar spectrum before working out I will have a small snack, such as half of a Larabar to help raise it a little.
• I almost always take off my pump and put it on suspend if I am doing an intense workout.  If I am doing a low intensity workout like Yoga or weight lifting I will put my pump on a 50% temporary basil rate. 
• Running, swimming, dance and spin all make me drop about 30 minutes in, so at the 30 minute mark I stop for a minute and check my blood sugar.  If I have dropped significantly I will eat a couple Cliff Shot Bloks. 
• I have noticed over the years that outside activities on a hot day make my blood sugar drop at a faster than normal rate compared to days where it is cooler outside.  Does anyone else notice or experience this?  So for days where it is hotter than normal I make sure to pay extra attention to my pre/during and post workout blood sugars. 
• I bring my blood tester with my wherever I go.  If I am running outside I will carry it in my hand.  I need a better system for this now that I think of it. 
• If I am running long distances (outside) I always bring a juice box with me as well as another back up source of sugar. 
• I have gotten over the feeling that people are going to think I'm weird if I stop in the middle of spin to check my blood sugar if I feel low.  I know how important it is to take care of a low right away and that is always a priority for me no matter what the situation. 
• If my blood sugar goes high during a workout, I usually will do a small correction and then continue my workout since exercise will naturally bring it down faster. 
• I always check my blood sugar post workout and drink a protein shake to help keep me stable the few hours following.  My favorite protein powder is Joy Rob Whey Protein.  I am the queen of buying crappy protein powders and I am so happy to have finally discovered this one.  I will never switch and it is beyond delicious. 

If you have any questions regarding this specific topic you can leave them below and I will do my best to answer in the comment section.

*If you are thinking of changing anything regarding your diabetes management, it is always best to talk to your doctor first.

See also:
The Highs and Lows of Type 1 Diabetes: How I Prepared for Pregnancy

The Highs and Lows of Type 1 Diabetes: How I Prepared For Pregnancy

I was 36 weeks pregnant with Max here and my super talented cousin took this picture. 

I wanted a baby so bad.  It was all I could think about.  But I knew because I was type 1 diabetic it would have to be planned and discussed with my doctor first.

About 8 months before trying to get pregnant I met with my endocrinologist.  I told him we were hoping to get pregnant soon.  After reviewing my A1C (a blood test that provides an overall picture of how you're managing your diabetes) he said he didn't recommend it until I got my A1C much lower.  At that time my A1C was 8.7.  Major bummer! I was exercising regularly (I was a running machine), eating somewhat healthy, my weight was great but I can admit that tight blood sugar control was not a huge priority.  I was doing about 5 insulin shots a day back then and was somewhat flippant with when I wanted to do them.  For example, I  would eat a giant bagel for breakfast, spike to 350 and think, "Oh well it will come down after I go running."  I remember feeling normal at around 200, which is not good at all and low at 120.

He told me that if I was to get pregnant now, my chances of having a miscarriage were very high (they are already high even if you have tight control).  He also told me my baby would have a higher chance of having permanent complications that could effect the rest of their life as well as a higher chance of a still born.  Comforting right?  He even gave me specific examples of other girls that did not listen to him and got pregnant anyway and their babies either did not make it or were born with oversized organs (due to the mother having uncontrollable high blood sugars) which were life threatening.  I did not want any of those scenarios to happen and I was ready to make some serious changes in my life.

Up until that day I had been anti insulin pump.  The idea of wearing a pager sized device at all times tucked into my back jean pocket, poking out of my bra while wearing a dress or having a visible tube connected to my thigh while I was at the beach in my bikini did not sound awesome but I knew I had to have one regardless if I thought it looked cool or not.

I left the appointment that day with a prescription for an insulin pump and a continuos glucose monitoring system.   A few days later a lady came to my house and got me all trained.  I was officially connected to a pump and a separate little gadget that I wore on my stomach called a continuous glucose monitoring system.  That night I went to bed with my first ever pump tucked into my sports bra.

It took about a week to get used to it but I noticed my blood sugars were improving almost instantly.  I became even more military with my diet.  I cut out starchy carbs almost completely since no matter what I always spike after eating them and I continued to exercise.  I thought about every little thing I did and how it might effect my blood sugars.  It felt good caring so much about my diabetes because I knew I was ultimately doing it for our future baby.  About 4 months later my A1c was 6.9.  My doctor said he would like it even tighter (geeeeeze doc) but gave me the green light to start trying! Now the fun part...kidding I won't go there ;)

4 long months later (I am not a patient person) we found out I was pregnant!  I remember waking up that morning and thinking, "OH NO I HAVE THE FLU!"...but three positive pregnancy tests later we realized it was not the flu and we were going to have a baby!  We cried, laughed and no idea what this diabetic pregnancy journey was going to look like but ready or not we were on the train.

If you are type 1 diabetic and thinking about getting pregnant here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Plan it.  While surprises might be exciting for your non-diabetic best friend, it is not the best idea when you are type 1. 
• Meet with your doctor and tell him you want to start trying.  Get your A1C up to date and make sure you have the green light from him or her. 
• If you are able to get on the insulin pump, do it!  You will not regret it and it will make managing your diabetes so much easier while pregnant. 
• Get serious about your diet.  I personally cut out high carb foods and anything else that would spike my blood sugars.  I had no idea what the Paleo diet was back then, but if I knew about it I would have been doing that without a doubt. 

In future posts I will also be including more about how I dealt with my blood sugars during pregnancy (the weird spikes and the scary lows), how I dealt with morning (ALL freaking day) sickness, insulin changes, what I ate and more.

On a side note:  This series will not be in any specific order because my brain does not work that way.   Instead, I will be sharing different topics based on what comes to mind that particular week.  But if there is anything in particular that you are really curious about please let me know in the comment section. 

You can read the first post of the series here.

* I am not a doctor, I am simply sharing my personal story and what has and hasn't worked for me with type 1 diabetes. If you are thinking of changing anything regarding your diabetes management it is always best to talk to your doctor first. 

A New Series: The Highs and Lows of Type 1 Diabetes

I am starting a new series on my blog called, "The Highs and Lows of Type 1 Diabetes." For those of you who do not know, I have had type 1 diabetes for 21 years.  You can read all about my diagnosis story here.  When I was diagnosed at the age of seven years old people said to my Mom and Dad, "Aw are you sad that your daughter may not be able to have children?" Yes, people really said that to them and they told me later in life.  At 28 years old I am beyond thankful to say I am a wife to an incredibly supportive husband who "gets it" and I am a mother of two perfectly healthy little boys ages 3 1/2 and 18 months.

With this new series I will be sharing a more in depth look at how diabetes impacts my life. I will share my struggles, along with the good and how exactly I deal with it and what works for me.

My first post will be next week.

If there is any topic (nothing diabetes related will be off limits) you would like me to cover please leave a comment below so I can make sure to incorporate it into a post.

*If you are thinking of changing anything regarding your diabetes management it is always best to talk to your Endocrinologist first.