Today was not a good day.
This morning I was especially tired and just putting one foot in front of the other was a real struggle. I had an appointment with my MS Nurse today and was really concerned that my Chemo was having an adverse effect on my condition.
My Blood pressure as usual was high when the HCA did it (it is obvious White coat hypertension as it is fine at home), and I am becoming increasingly depressed that my weight seems to be increasing by around 2 kg a week thanks to the steroids.
I feel my appointment was a total waste of time, as I felt so confused and fatigued that I even forgot to ask her about what dose Vitamin D3 I should take and had no energy to even hold a conversation about the upcoming MS Information Day in November.
It wasn't until we were deciding whether or not it was necessary for her to take a blood test this time, that I had a thought. Maybe I was Hypo? Surely I couldn't have been - I only had 4 units of insulin with my breakfast which was 2 poached eggs on 2 slices of white seeded bread toast. I suggested to Elaine that this might be the case and chewed a couple of dextrose tablets . Sure enough I did a check and my sugar was just 3.9 mmols!
I was indeed having a Hypo. I should really have considered that out much sooner but had really thought 4 units would have just about covered my breakfast Carbohydrates and no more than that, plus of course low blood sugar can impair cognitive function which is why I didn't think of it sooner.
Anyway, having discussed my Rebif injections, the issues I have had with deliveries and the Rebismart device, plus the fact my blood results are looking so good and positive, we decided my next appointment should be in 4 months time. I am already having regular blood tests for my Chemo, which duplicate those required by the Neurologists, so it would be a waste of resources to have everything done more frequently.
Hopefully I have learned a valuable lesson today, 4 units of insulin are enough to cause a Hypoglycaemic attack even when taken before breakfast.
My concern was that I would run out of testing strips for my glucometer so I was rationing them, but I have now ordered some more online as back up, and have just seen I could order some more on prescription which I have now done.
I have told Ron to make sure that if I feel like that again he prompts me to check my blood sugar before doing anything else. He seems pretty unsympathetic though and (wrongly) believes I am trying to keep my levels too low, but I am aiming for between 5 - 7 mmols normally (and <15 when taking steroids). It is not just a case of taking a certain dose of insulin, as so many other factors also come into play - activity, diet, fluid intake and so many things.
As Diabetic Nurse Jen explained - you can have the same dose of insulin and the same food and yet blood results can vary every time with seemingly no rhyme nor reason.
I didn't have any insulin with dinner tonight so it will be interesting to see what happens with supper!
