A little over a month ago I started trying to manage Gestational Diabetes through exercise, which my doctor said I was doing more than most pregnant women at already and diet. Though I tried my best to follow all the meal instructions and exercise even more by walking after meals, I couldn’t get the first blood glucose reading of the day, known as the fasting number, lower than 90. After a week Dr. G had my dietitian put me on Insulin. I was lucky in that my insurance covered the pen method, yet each pen was only good for two weeks regardless of how much was used. Still, for reasons that will become clear in a few moments, each pen had a good deal of Insulin left over, these are my first three pens showing an increased amount of wasted Insulin in each one.
The first dosage recommended by the dietitian was 15 mL of Insulin. I knew that would just be a starting range and that it was normal to have to increase it as my numbers changed. I was amazed at how little I felt the needle (I injected into my side the first time) or the injected Insulin going into my body.
Each time the pen is used it is to be primed, that is 2 mL has to be released into the air to make the pen ready to use. So say I was getting 14 uses out of a pen, that’s 28 mL gone, for a good reason but still not usable to me. If my dosage had stayed the same 15 mL the first two weeks, out of a pen containing 300 mL total, that would be 210 mL of injected and 28 mL of primed insulin. Together, that is 238 mL of Insulin used, and 62 mL that would be wasted, at which point the pen would be thrown away as it was used for 14 days. Each time my. Looks sugar was over 90 for fasting I had to increase the dosage for the next night. (If it was under 90 I’d keep it the same dosage.) So, I didn’t get to use any of my first three pens for two weeks, and ended up with wasted Insukin in each pen.
Despite taking Insukin as directed I’d wake up with some high fasting numbers including this one my highest yet while taking it.
Yet by increasing the dosage as required two days later I got my lowest fasting number. I hoped it would keep on this paths and wondered if it could get so low I’d have to follow the low fasting number protocol which starts with eating six Gummy Bears and retesting.
Yet, that wasn’t meant to be as the next day my blood sugar was up again.
The pen can only dispense 60 mL at one time – four times as much as I started with. This means I have to divide the dosage into two doses and use the pen twice. If I do say 30 mL followed by 35 mL the dosage used hurts less than 60 mL would (then followed by 5 mL).
I know in weeks 32-36 a placenta may go crazy making lots of Glucose and requiring lots of Insulin. My Dietician said she had had women taking up to 90 mL late in pregnancy.
For the most part, I’ve had my one hour after meal numbers within range. Some things I think would not cause a spike do, and vice versa. Twice I’ve tried a mini gluten free meat, lettuce and tomato pizza and while I can lower the number with water and some exercise it still had been over.
I bought this mini purse for my shower snd hoped parts of my Glucose testing kit would fit.
To my delight the whole kit for inside.
Perhaps due to having to watch what I eat with Gestational Diabetes I am doing great with my weight gain which is within range. Being done with the multiple needle sticks is one of many reasons why I’m excited our baby will be born next month.
~ Danielle
Over 40 First Time Mom 