Playing in the Sandbox

It's been almost 12 years since I discovered that my pancreas was sputtering to a halt. Twelve years since I stepped into the role of Pancreas CEO, with nothing on my résumé to indicate that I was ready for the job - well other than a love of numbers and patterns, a degree in biology (which helps a lot actually), and a desire to learn and do well.

So, after 12 years, you'd think I'd know that there is no formula to predict how blood sugar will react to a situation - particularly a new one. Say, like a one-hour CoreFit class that happens at night rather than first thing in the morning. A new activity at a time of day that I rarely choose to work out. What could possibly go wrong?

I have 12 years of experience living with diabetes. I have been running with diabetes since 2008. Cycling with diabetes since 2010. Curling with diabetes since 2011. Swimming with diabetes since 2012 and golfing with diabetes since 2013.

So why was it so surprising so discover that my blood sugar did something completely unexpected during the first class? Or that it did it again the second class because I didn't think my blood sugar's behaviour during my first class was, I don't know, characteristic?

My blood sugar drops during all the sports I listed above. A lot during running and curling. A little during cycling and golf. Even less during cycling.

Guess what it does in a CoreFit class?

According to Rose it spikes from 9.0 to 15.0 within the first 15 minutes. With double arrows up and vibration alarms aplenty.

Guess what happens after I learn this and decide to take a wee bit of insulin before class because I'm so smart?

I drop, double arrows down, within the first 15 minutes, have to eat a package of fruit chews partway through class and then I spike back up to 15 by the end.

On Tuesday, during my fourth week of this, I thought I had it pretty figured out. I ate a snack before but it was entirely protein (not the best pre-workout plan I know but I didn't want the spike again). I made sure I had no insulin on board. I made sure my blood sugar was hovering around 7, nice and steady.

The class started and I climbed up to 9.0 before slowly moving back down to 7.0 again by the end. I ate the second half of my dinner when I got home. I spiked up to 15.0 (bah!) but then slowly and steadily dropped back down over the next few hours (I was asleep but Rose told me what happened).

So the newest plan is to avoid eating too much before class to keep a steady number heading in. Then the plan is to take a full bolus with my post-CoreFit dinner (which is kinda scary because I go to bed not long after but I have to trust the patterns...and Rose to wake me if I'm horribly wrong).

I don't have it down to a science quite yet and, as soon as I do, the diabetes gods will certainly throw in something to eff it up anyway, but I do think I'm getting the hang of my latest fitness pursuit.

One day soon, diabetes and corefit may play happily together in the sandbox.

Until then, I'm keeping my candies at the ready and waiting the full 20 minutes to eat after I bolus for my dinner.