The joys of having Bowie my CGMS – Chapter 1

 Okay, for those of you who have never read my #dblogs before, I give names to all my little gizmos that I use for controlling my diabetes.  What we have today, to help keep us in control, is night and day over what I grew up with.  Really, urine testing to see how your control of your diabetes is in this day and age …. Pweaseeeee …. That is so old school !!!

My CGM or CGMS  (Continuous Glucose Monitoring System) gives me a trend of how my blood sugar is doing.  If you read my blog from earlier this year, you will see how I managed to get hold of one from a former T1D (Type 1 diabetic), who underwent the Islet Cell Transplant through the Edmonton Protocol.  Click on this link to read it! 

Last week, I went out, only for what I thought would be a short ½ hour or less trip to the grocery store to pick up some staples.  I left the house, just with the car keys, and my purse.  Well, and my Ziggy my Animas Ping insulin pump, as well as Bowie my CGM. 

According to Bowie, I was in the good zone.  Arrow on the trend line was level.  I was good to go.

MISTAKE #1

I made the ultimate error of not bringing my meter !

So, I’m finished with what I need to buy.  As I get into the car, and Bowie starts to alarm.  I glance down, he’s a 4 (72) and showing an arrow going down.  Okay, home is only less than 5 minutes drive away, I’m good to go.

Less than a minute later, Bowie is now really screaming, double arrows (not good), and I’m showing 3.1 (56).  This is NOT good in my books for being a safe driver.  At that point, I knew a) I was hungry (hadn’t had dinner yet); and b) just around the corner … my fav Greek restaurant … that serves up a Pikilia for one (it’s a platter with a smorgasbord of various mezedes and the owner of the restaurant makes the best spanakopita that I’ve ever had this side of the Altantic Ocean).

So, under 2 minutes … I was in parking lot, inhaling a few sugary things that I keep in the car, and went into the restaurant.

So, munching away, enjoying the appetizers was pure heaven.  As most of you know it, if you’re not too far gone in hypo fairy land … you can enjoy what you are stuffing into your face.  The only problem, after finishing it up …. Bowie is screaming again (and not like he's singing Changes ) …. ½ hour later … saying I’m 2.5 (45). WTF???

MISTAKE #2

With no meter, you cannot confirm the true value of your blood sugar (I never use the CGM for calculating my blood sugar for eating, etc.  – the blood finger test NEVER lies … unless you’ve sucked on it after eating something sweet.

So …. decadent chocolate cake is ordered up (you can see my Instagram post of the dessert here), and already I’ve started my diabetes education with the waitress of what is happening to me, and she’s going to great lengths to get me back into the good #BGNow zone.  What a sweetie pie (and her husband is a T2D on metformin and Lantus … so she gets what a low is like).

My point in this blog you maybe asking?

Always remember, even if you’re only going for a short stroll / walk / whatever … away from home … ALWAYS BRING YOUR BLOOD METER … it never lies.

NB:  Yes, I did sky rocket later on in the wee hours of the morning … overkill of chocolate cake (I only ate ½ and my DH ate it when I got back home).  The main thing, whether or not you are hypo aware like I am or not … do not play with the Hypo Fairy – she can get nasty on you if you are not careful!!!