Yo-Yo Diabetes

Yesterday I wrote about the easy run that was anything but.

I didn't write about what happened afterwards.

See, we had plans to go golfing with friends at 1:30pm. So I ran, stretched, showered, ate and then we headed off to the golf course.

I've been playing enough that I have figured out how to manage my blood sugar on a long, slow, 4-hour walk. I've learned that, by lowering my basal insulin to 60%, 90 minutes before we go, I can keep my blood sugar pretty steady. If there is any downward movement at all, I'll have a Clif bar halfway through and that usually is all it takes for Rose to have a pretty straight line on her CGM.

On Saturday, after I tanked on my run, I also tanked on the golf course. What should have been an easy afternoon turned into four hours of chasing my blood sugar (and my errant golf balls).

I lowered my basal insulin as per usual and took less insulin with my lunch than I should have to compensate for the run. Sensible decisions I thought as I patted myself on the back.

We started playing and, by the third hole, I was down to 5.0. I ate an entire Clif bar (which is a lot of carbs at the start of a golf game). I figured I'd spike to the heavens with that. I climbed up to 8.0 but immediately dropped back down again.

By the 9th hole I was back down to 5.0. I figured another entire Clif bar would be too much so I split my backup one with Doug. I didn't even climb a little bit after all those carbs. I just kept dropping and was down to 3.8 by the 10th hole.

I had two packages of fruit chews and climbed back up to 8.0 again by the 13th hole.

At the start of the 15th hole I was still at 8.0.

By the end of that hole I was 5.0.

I bought another bar at the halfway house and ate the whole thing. By the time we reached the 16th hole I was 3.8 and dropping. I hit my ball twice but by then I was tanking so fast I had to pick up the ball and give up on that hole.

I waited for the rest of them to finish which gave my latest food a chance to arm wrestle my blood sugar back into shape. By the 17th hole I was back up to 5.0 and I managed to hold it together for the last two holes.

We immediately headed into the restaurant and ordered dinner. I took a conservative amount of insulin and proceeded to eat two buns and a huge grain salad. I went low after dinner. Three more lows during the night and, by Sunday morning, I was so sick of eating I didn't know what to do with myself.

So I dragged myself out of bed and went for a bike ride.

Thank heavens. Two hours with friends, some fresh air and exercise and I felt 100% better by the end.

My CGM graph for that 24 hours looked like a big yoyo. Up down up down.

I didn't even bother to take a picture since I had no desire to look at it again and wanted no memory of that roller coaster.

Trust me. No amusement park would even consider building a ride that wild.