Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I'm Part of the Resistance

The insulin resistance, that is. Over the past few weeks, my body's resistance to the stuff that keeps me and the babe healthy has stubbornly dug its heels in, and refused to cooperate. I'd been warned that, due to pregnancy hormones, my insulin needs could double. However, at this point my needs are between tripling and quadrupling. If I don't exercise after I eat, my insulin is even more sluggish, and I often have to stack dosages. It's freaking me out, and making it very hard to manage things. I'm checking my bloodsugar about a dozen times a day, and constantly having to change ratios on my insulin pump. It's kind of the suck.
Because of my insulin resistance, my doctor has recommended that I work from home for the remainder of the pregnancy, so I can exercise after every meal. While this is for the best, I'm also a bit worried about becoming a recluse (so, if any Bay Area peeps want to stop by and exercise/work with me, please let me know). I plan on trying to swim close to every day, hike with the pups, and work on pilates/yoga/strength exercise at home at night. I have a plan, and I'm pushing on, but having my body refuse to cooperate has made things difficult, and more than a little scary. I worry that my bloodsugars will get out of control, that the baby will get too big, that I will have to be induced soon, soon, soon . . . . basically, I worry.

But I'm trying not to, you know? I'm trying to enjoy things, even as they're this hard right now. On Sunday Peter and I went on an 8 mile hike. We did it in a little over 3 hours, which, as far as I'm concerned, is damn good for a Type 1 diabetic mama-to-be who's 32 weeks pregnant. My body may not be cooperating with the insulin, but it is still capable. I have to concentrate on that.

6 comments:

  1. hang in there lady. you're looking good. and no more commute for a long while! can't wait to see the little peep.

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  2. I love it! The photo of you at the end is Gorgeous. I'll sending you good insulin energy from the Puget Sound. You are an inspiration. I don't have insulin problems (yet) but I worry about it because of my size. The fact that you are out there exercising every single day (meal) really encourages me to keep up with my own regime. Thank you!

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  3. tried informing myself more about insulin resistance in pregnancy...and learned about gestational diabetes. but, in your case, it's not that. so, you've got a big baby boy growing in you, and he's pumping up your insulin, and your body is rejecting it being incorporated as it should, and therefore you have to push more of it into your pump OR try to exercise immediately after eating to regulate it into your blood. yes? i try to understand this with you. anyway, glad u got in a long hike!! and that's a beaut of stained glass.

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  4. Maggie, check out the whole chapel in our Flickr stream, or here: http://www.thesearanchchapel.org/

    It's totally elvish.

    At this point it's a combo of more insulin and more exercise: I did 24 laps in the pool this morning, and that kept my bloodsugar at a sweet, perfect 100, and last night hand weights and ridiculous pilates marching legs and squats kept it at 114, so . . . progress!

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  5. Thinking of you in this home stretch, Elka. Your boy will be amazed that his mama is so damn tough one day! Channel your best warrior pose and carry on.

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