New Low

I hit a milestone of sorts today - s new recorded low of 42.

It wasn't all bad though - since I was so low, I drank an entire can of Classic Coke, the first sugar drink I've had since my diagnosis.

I woke up 65.

Either my insulin sensitivity is improving, or I'm making more of it myself. This might be a "honeymoon" period. We'll see, if it lasts for a while.

The rotten thing about lows is that I usually feel kind of icky for the rest of the day after one. I think it has to do with the adrenaline that produces the symptoms of a low.

I'd rather not have them, but I have to say I'm still grateful to be sensitive to the symptoms.

Treating Lows: Being Prepared

I am finding that most of the difficulty in having lows is in being properly prepared to treat them.

I always carry Smarties with me for such situations.

I like Smarties because:

1)  They keep almost indefinitely
2)  They're almost pure sucrose
3)  They have well defined carb values (6g/roll)
4)  They're easy to unwrap and eat, if a little noisy
5)  They're relatively small and discreet

I started with Lifesavers, which I still like.  I don't carry them for lows anymore, though for these reasons:  Lifesavers rolls are hard for me to open, especially when I'm to the point where I really need to.  Also, getting them in bulk can be tricky.  (Our local Sam's club sells a box of 20 rolls for about $10.)

On the other hand, Smarties always come in larger bags, either for $1 or the big party bag for about $5.50.  The big bag is a couple pounds worth - I've barely made a dent in the one I got almost two months ago.

Having 4-5 rolls seems to be more than enough for most purposes.  I keep stashes at home and at work; I keep 4-5 on me in case I go low when I'm away from my supplies.  I try to take a roll when I'm in the low 80's, which is when I normally feel impaired.  The most I've ever taken at once was 3 rolls, when I hit 48 in the middle of a training class.