21 Day Fix and Diabetes

Hey everyone. So Tom and I have officially started the 21 Day Fix, and we are four days in.

I'm not sure how many people know this, but Tom is type 1 diabetic. So that means shots and insulin for the rest of forever (hopefully not, but we'll see!). I'll start from the top so everyone can understand how amazing this is.

Diabetics will understand these words, but if you're not diabetic or new to this, here's some definitions.

Pancreas: The organ that goes about making insulin.
Beta cells: These are the cells within the pancreas that specifically make insulin. When these cells are damaged or destroyed, type 1 diabetes will occur.
Basal insulin: This is background insulin. It's a long-term shot you take once or twice a day. It slowly distributes a bit of insulin all day, to stabilize sugars. Some names are: Levemir, Lantus
Bolus insulin: This is a rapid-acting insulin. Diabetics are supposed to take this immediately prior to a meal, to keep glucose levels from spiking. It works quickly, within 15-20 minutes. Some names are: Novolog, Humalog
A1C: This is a measurement of how blood sugar levels have been over around 3 months. A good A1C is about 6.0. Tom is at about 8.0 right now.

What's the difference between type 1 and type 2?
Type 1 diabetes is occurs from the destruction of beta cells within the pancreas. It used to be called juvenile diabetes, but you don't have to be young to get it. It can happen at any age. There is no cure to type 1. Some say it's genetics, but I personally believe it's a very specific virus that affects pancreatic beta cells. There is on and off proof of this virus. (Coxsackie b4, I believe is the name.) Type 1 diabetics must take shots.

Type 2 diabetes is your body's cell rejection of insulin. Your pancreas still makes it, but your body won't process it. A lot of people relate this to being overweight, but again, this is NOT a requirement. It is possible to lessen the effects of type 2 by losing weight, eating healthier, and working out. Type 2 diabetics can take shots and/or pills.

When I started dating Tom, he was taking his Lantus (basal, or background insulin) before he went to bed. This seems to be okay for a lot of diabetics, but I can't exactly figure out why. Lantus specifically has a life of about 12-16 hours, depending on the person. It also kicks in immediately. So when you take a shot at 8pm, half of it is worn off by the time you wake up. It's also processing ALL YOUR CARBS WHILE YOU SLEEP. Tom has woken up with glucose levels below 30.  I want to make it absolutely clear that this is borderline coma, and it can kill a diabetic. Easily. This is ridiculously dangerous when you're asleep. It's like being asleep and a tornado suddenly rips through your house. You have no idea it's even there until it's too late.
His sugars would spike around 4pm, he would take a shot of bolus insulin to bring it down. Then he would drop low again. Rinse and repeat every night. I had alarms set every two hours to make sure he was okay. Every. Single. Night.

So, we switched his shot to the morning. The amount of distress this took off our shoulders is not comprehensible for someone who doesn't deal with diabetes on a regular basis. The lowest number we've woken up with has been about 60. It's low enough for him to feel it, but to know WHY he feels goofy and fix this issue (aka eat a couple pretzels). However, he is young and of course he doesn't want to eat the same meal every day forever. No way!! So we don't have a set amount of bolus (Novolog) that he takes daily. If my fiance wants a damn pretzel dog from Auntie Anne's, HE GETS IT. So he takes anywhere from 10-20 units a day (3-4 shots, depending on when he eats). This is perfectly alright, but it's a lot of needles.

Fast forward to the 21 Day Fix period. We are only in day 4 right now, but I felt the past few days have been enough to make a post about this.

I won't bore you with each individual meal we made, but as of the start of Day 4, Tom has taken ONE shot of Novolog (bolus), which was 3 units. That is absolutely it, and it was because we had a potato for dinner last night. His numbers haven't exceeded 200 at all. He does snack on pretzels occasionally, but he hasn't had any numbers below 60. He has been doing the full workouts too, without a single problem (no lows or anything). 

He drinks Shakeology every morning, after taking his Lantus shot. He also takes an ActiVit vitamin daily. So if you're either type diabetic and reading this, I could not impress the awesomeness of Shakeology and the 21 Day Fix for your health. I truly can't. If you are having trouble getting your sugars under control, PLEASE consider this program. It's so easy, kids love it (I'll admit, the colored containers ARE cute), and it REALLY helps!

- Soon to be wife of a diabetic