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Which emotions do you most often feel when your blood sugar is above 250 mg/dL (13.9mmol/L)? Choose all that apply to you.
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All of these answers are negative or indifferent. How about “Hey, there’s a problem to solve, so lets solve it?”
While I’m naturally curious and like a sense of logic it doesn’t matter, we’re diabetic because our levels go high. I think every diabetic can expect high levels someday (and low levels?). I’ll be curious what happened, will definitely dose to correct it, and consider a plan to prevent next time. Accepting? no don’t want to “accept” higher levels. And yeah sometimes might get angry if I can’t determine the “why,” but that’s to prevent next time. Like you said “solve it,” the most important thing. The only guilt we should ever feel would be to sit worrying rather take steps to correct.
I didn’t know how to answer the question because as a T1D high blood sugars are going to happen. I see no sense in getting mad/sad/disappointed over a high blood sugar. Those emotions don’t solve the problem. The emotion I experience most often when I have a high is motivated – motivated to bring it down.
Hopeful or motivated. It’s my basic nature.
It’s the equivalent of slipping on the diabetic banana peel. It happens. 🍋 🍋 🍋
And for you it has always been “part of life”……
I very very rarely go over 200. When I do it’s a miscalculation of carbs. So it annoys me that I was so far off. I will give myself more insulin and do some form of cardio exercise.
Feelings don’t help with correcting the high, focus on fixing the situation.
I just don’t get there, above 250…..my blood sugars are much more frequently in the low range but I can see them coming and deal with them so I’m afraid I’m feeling a little too “in control” which can be somewhat dangerous if you think it just can’t happen that you’ll be too low to manage. It’s been a good chunk of time since I’ve needed help so I’m being a little too proud of myself???
Doesn’t happen as often as it used to. But it is frustrating. I try to do everything right, but sometimes things happen. Kinked line, 1am snack to correct a low, that extra glass of wine I didn’t bolus for…..it gets frustrating. Not angry. Don’t get angry after a lifetime of this.
Not even a little bit thirsty!
Excursions above 250 have occurred 2x in 2+ years and I’m grateful. Frustration at not being able to treat were highest.
Worried, frustrated and very tired.
maybe a bit frustrated. But being a medical person I under stand that there are many physiologically things going on in the body. Insulin absorption, hormones, viruses, stress, diet, exercise……….. Plus we are really only replacing 1 of 6 known hormones the pancreatic islets produce. So if you are eating and experiencing life I think that some degree of BG fluctuations are to be expected.
Very well put…. It is just a part of D life!!
I’m more accepting when I can understand the cause like a mistake in calculating carbs, bad infusion site , stress, or something else. I can be frustrated when I have no clue why the reading is high.
I put other because it’s not about how I feel about myself but how it affects my body. Hormones that are out of whack because of high glucose. I turn into a “crabby patty”!
There is the reaction triggered by the high and the s there is the psychological. I know my sugars high because I become angry but I feel shame and frustration when I realize my sugar is high but that’s not caused by the high per se
My most common reason for going above 250 is because I forget to take my insulin for a meal. So, I get a tiny bit angry with myself for forgetting to take my insulin. Then, I know I’m going to be high for another 3 or 4 hours. I also go high when I’m sick, so I just increase my basal rates and take a shot of bolus. That can be a tiny bit frustrating. (But, I’m not losing any sleep over any of this). Sometimes I go high after breakfast, especially when I eat too many blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or cherries. I know my blood glucose will come back down soon, so I don’t sweat it.
Honest realistic answer – thank you, Lawrence!
YES !!! It is just part of D life!!!
Impatient
I would say annoyed and frustrated (not quite to the level of angry so I didn’t choose that option)
Just a little annoyed or frustrated. Not angry.
Frustrated because I tend to move slow. Slow thinking, slow moving etc. Ugh.
I seldom get as high as 125. Low carb for the win!
@sdimond, rarely getting a BG >125 mg/dl is amazing! Mine routinely creep to 150-180 even if fasting. Have you had a C-peptide blood test? I wonder if you are one of the lucky ones who still makes a little insulin?🤞
In the past I have felt very angry & frustrated because I usually know it’s because of something I ate and didn’t bolus correctly for. Now that I am on Afrezza, I don’t get upset. I just inhale a 4 unit dose and I’m back down in range within minutes instead of hours. I love it!!!!!
It really depends on the circumstances.
Tired, and very grumpy and headaches
One reason I sometimes feel frustrated is that I can eat the same exact meal, with my sugars around the same as they were the day before, give myself the same amount of insulin I did yesterday for the same meal (it covered the meal perfectly) only to have my blood sugars go very high.
Frustration itself can cause that, I find…. BTW I like your happy look in the photo!!!
Frustrated is the usual response. I’ve been hitting 250 mg/dL approximately 3 – 4 hours after dinner, a little too ofter lately. Did I miscount carbs? Should I have chosen different extended bolus numbers? Do I need to increase the basal after dinner? Lots of questions with a variety of possible solutions. No quick fixes…and that’s frustrating.
Emotional reactions? Not much … have gotten so used to living with the continuous ups and downs of artificial BG management in a body without the presence of organic functioning beta cells that I don’t fret too much about it anymore. If I see a trend that’s out of range I do my best to figure out why without getting hung-up on self-blame or anger at the disease. It is what it is, it is only a temporary BG reading captured a particular moment in time and I can deal with it and go on with my life.
thanks Connie… me also..
I feel heavy, lethargic and not willing to do anything when my bg is high, above 10mmol/L (180mg/dL).
So THAT’S why I’m peeing so much!
great… I forgot that one… me too!!
I am very suprised at the Higest answer of “angry or frustrated”…. It is just part of T1D life !!!!
Today I put in a new AutoSoft 90 tubing set. After my glucose crept over 300 I changed cannulas and found the first one badly kinked. This is an ongoing issue. Is there no solution to this issue. Six hours later I am still hovering around 250 and wonder if this cannula is crimped!
Cannula kinks are frustrating @ Carolyn Barloco! The darn uncertainty of what’s going on under the skin.
I can’t tolerate the infusion sets that insert straight in; almost always kink.
I’ve found that the Vari-soft (Tandem) or Silhouette (Medtronic) sets that insert at an angle around 45 degrees kink very rarely. I’ve heard other using Tru-Steel sets with success. If you haven’t already tried these varieties before, you might try calling your pump manufacturer, and tell them the issues you’ve been having. They will often make recommendations and send you samples to try for free. Pump equipment that causes crazy highs BGs and risk DKA are not good for business!
All numbers generated cause at best indifference, and almost solely entirely negative emotions. Loathe all numbers period. The persuit of them in any other context would result in hospitalization… for anxiety, and severe obsession at least. IMHO
Most often I’m emotionally indifferent to highs (and curious). I see highs more as as routine issue I need to fix. Sometimes frustrated when it’s a real puzzler and taking a long time to correct.
From indifference to frustrated. Depending on the situation. Most times I just take them as they come, make necessary corrections, and go about my day. But when I don’t feel good, it interferes on me being able to eat in a social setting, if there is no explanation for the high I feel frustrated.
I am usually curious why this occurs as my blood glucose does not follow a pattern, at least not one that I have been able to detect.
It was nice when I noticed cause and effects for lows. I don’t usually feel much emotion when it comes to diabetes.
I do have gratitude for the difference science understands it in comparison to neurology. Hopefully much more headway is made and type 1 diabetes is only a remembrance of past conditions.
It really depends on the situation! I have felt all of these at one time or another. I chose the ones I have felt the most, but all really do apply. Just not all the time/every time.