Yesterday was my first insulin-less day. I was very nervous about it, but it ended up being the first day since being diagnosed that I didn't have a low! I'm so very very happy about that. Of course, I'm still being excessively anal about testing while I'm off the insulin (at least once an hour!), but other than my numbers being a bit high (9.6/ 172.8) after breakfast yesterday my results were all well within the range the doc and dietician gave me. They were 4.5 (81), 4.3 (77.4), 4.8 (86.4), 4.6 (82.8), 4.9 (88.2), 5.2 (93.6) etc. As the doc said, he's pleased with how tightly I'm controlling it, but we need to raise the mean level to avoid the lows. We caught it early, and if I carry on controlling it this well hopefully we can extend the honeymoon period and avoid complications later on. The doc was also surprised when he tried to explain the honeymoon period to me, and found out I'd read all about it on various websites already! I think the "no insulin" period is his strategy for raising my mean levels.This morning my postbreakfast number was a bit higher at 12.1 (217.8) today, but it dropped to 6.6 (118.8) an hour later.
My dietician stressed the need for me to exercise, although when I first got out of the hospital and was having 4 lows a day I couldn't bear the thought of doing anything that could induce yet another low. After getting down to only 1 morning low a day, I decided that it was time to start exercising. My first attempt was an hour long walk around the suburbs with a friend, and it went well. I took all the necessary precautions, and I didn't have a low. My next attempt was a yoga class, which I enjoyed and also didn't produce a low. I'm the kind of person who feels a bit silly sitting cross-legged and chanting "om, om, om", but other than that I loved the atmosphere of the class. I kept comparing the quiet candle-lit hall we used to the fluorescent-lit, electronic music pumping gyms I've been to and couldn't help but feel more connected to the people around me and more comfortable in the new setting. I think I'm going to do the yoga class twice a week from now and try the mini-hike into the hills around the dam on the weekends, while the weather still permits me to.
P.S. I call hypoglycemia "lows". They are less intimidating to me that way.
