Sit back and enjoy the ride

I love roller coasters! The higher they get, the more excited I become. Having worked in a amusement park as a young teen, I would always rush to the roller coaster right after work. We would hang out there with my friends and enjoy numerous rides, screaming our lungs out and getting all wound up. Back then, I never would have thought roller coasters could also have a completely different meaning..

I hate roller coasters! The higher I get, the more fatigued and miserable I become. Going from high to low and back is no longer something to get excited about, on the contrary. I truly despise the alterations in my blood sugar. To be honest: it's probably the one thing I really hate about diabetes. I have discussed the subject with my endocrinologist on numerous occasions. He listened to me and told me it's part of being a T1 diabetic. I know it is. Does that make it any easier or more bearable? Don't think so. I really want to find a way to cope better with these swings. I don't want to be the party pooper because I'm messed up by lows and highs. Going out with friends and having a good time, is just one of those things I love to do. Having a good meal and great conversations, but always with diabetes in the back of my head, is part of it. I prefer to have one cool glass of Chardonnay with my meal, rather than having beer or cocktails. Making sure I have some carbs while sipping my wine, I try to prevent lows later on.

I don't know what caused my roller coaster last night, but it was no fun, I can assure you. I was exhausted (well, not just from the highs and lows - I'm nearly 42 and no longer used to staying up that late) and all I wanted to do, was lie down and catch some sleep. Just little time after closing my eyes, my Dexcom beeped. I opened one eye to take a look: 71 Not bad. I would love to have this number all day, but not to go to sleep. I reached for the bottle of Glucotabs I brought from my recent trip to Florida and shook a couple of tabs into my hand. I hate dextrose. They dry out your mouth and leave you with a stuffed feeling, like having chewed on cotton balls. But o well, I had already drunk 3 small cans of coke prior to the tablets. I closed my eyes, turned over and clamped my Dexcom in one hand. Not for too long: there was the alarm again. I looked over to my Hubby, who was sound asleep in the hotel bed. Reaching out for the bottle of Glucotabs a second time, I knew it was going to be a very short night. I was so exhausted and I knew we had to get up in just a couple of hours. Diabetes, I hate it when you deprive my sleep. I feel like crap after short nights and especially if they have been interrupted for lows. Ten Glucotabs later, it was time to get up and get ready for breakfast with our friends. I could do with some coffee and toast. It felt like a terrible hangover, without having had the alcohol. If it's a choice not to have alcohol, is there a way to choose not to have lows at night?