Another Good 'Un

3K @7'23

Today's run was great. I woke up kind of grumpy and stuffy. The weather looked fabulous and it was. A slight breeze in the direction that I was running when I headed out, clear skies, and bright sun. Plus, a great pace time and a short run. Instant upper.

One of the issues that I handle when I run is my Diabetes. Basically the blood sugar in my system can't be processed and it naturally high. It means that my blood doesn't flow through my body as easily as it should and there are sugar particles in my system. They also scratch up my blood vessels.

When my blood sugar (technically, blood glucose) gets too high it really affects me. I get really thirsty, really tired, really sluggish and really irritable. When you're body's out of whack it does some crazy things. Exercise naturally lowers blood sugars. Taking medications to control my blood glucose I have to be really careful because I can go too low. Then I get shaky. Thankfully I've never gone too low.

Blood glucose control reduces complications like nerve damage and kidney disease. There are 3 different times when I measure my blood glucose. What is high and low, you may be wondering. There's an A1C test which is taking every 3 months and determines the average over those 3 months. The goal for this is to keep my level at 7% or lower. My fasting glucose can be taken through a lab or I can test it at home. This one is done after not eating for 8 hours. It lets me determine how well my sugars are generally being controlled. My goal for this one is 4-7 mmol/L. I don't know what a mmol/L is but all I know is that when I check my glucometer I want to see any number between 4 & 7. Another test that I do at home is the one 2 hours after eating. Naturally sugars increase as carbs are being processed. After I've eaten typically I aim for between 5& 10 mmol/L. This number is under debate currently amidst the medical profession. My nurse explained that this number may be too stringent as people who are not Diabetic also show noticeable increases post-meal.

Of course I am closely followed by my family doctor and the diabetic clinic which includes a staff of a nurse, dietitian and social worker. I have ensured that I have built a support team around me that are easily accessible and who I trust. I didn't particularly feel comfortable with the first dietitian that I saw. It was just our personalities. So, when booking my next appointment to see a dietitian I just requested that I see another dietitian. No questions asked, I was booked in to see the other team member. It is important to feel comfortable with who you're going to see you want to ensure that you're going to get the best care possible. Your health is important.