Do You Find Yourself Getting Frustrated by T1D Mistakes?
YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
But here’s the thing: mistakes are part of the process. They’re not something to avoid at all costs or feel shame around.
There are moments when your body is giving you feedback on a decision you made.
Diabetes doesn’t come with an instruction manual, but if we’re paying attention, it will point us in the direction we need to go.
Let me give you two examples of mistakes I made just last week.
Example 1: The smoothie
Last week, I had a smoothie with a new protein powder and a different frozen fruit-and-veggie combo. It was my first time having this exact mix, so I made my best guess at the insulin dose based on the nutrition facts labels.
Two hours later, this was my blood sugar:
Was I thrilled about this? No.
But was I frustrated or mad at myself? Also no.
It was a new meal, and I couldn’t have predicted exactly how my blood sugar would respond, even with a carb count. This was part of the process.
From this graph, I can tell this wasn’t a timing issue. It was an insulin amount issue.
(If you want to learn how to interpret CGM graphs like this, be sure to sign up for my CGM interpretation masterclass)
My learning: I needed a larger bolus.
Two days later, I tried the smoothie again using what I had learned. Here’s where I landed three hours later on the second attempt:
That’s progress!!
There are moments when I have to remind myself that frustration doesn’t move me forward. Instead, I focus on what I can control for next time.
Example 2: Dexcom site changes
Here’s how my Dexcom warmup went last night:
And to be honest, I’ve slipped into this pattern with Dexcom site changes a lot recently.
The timing of the site change has been landing right before dinner, which is making that two-hour warmup (yes, I'm still on the G6 lol) so much more variable in terms of blood sugars (I know that dinner is usually my hardest-to-bolus for meal!)
But even just the act of writing this blog, I've realized a few simple changes could set me up for more success here. So here's my two commitments going forward with Dex site changes:
I’m moving my site change earlier in the day (around 3pm) so I can eat dinner once the warmup is complete.
I’m also going to check my blood sugar with a meter halfway through the warmup to give me more visibility! (This is an example of something I absolutely do not want to do, but I know it will help me so much. It takes less than a minute, and saves a lot of chasing.)
Small shift, big impact.
There is so much we can't control with T1D. That’s why I try to focus on what I can. Frustration, annoyance, anger: while these emotions are SO VALID living with T1D, they don't help me move forward. They just start a cycle of more avoidance, rage bolusing/correcting, and roller coasters.
The key for me is honoring the emotion and what it's telling me, then letting it go and shifting my focus to where I can put effort to prevent it from happening again (if possible).
Identifying patterns and making changes that actually make an impact starts with reading your CGM graphs and reports. And this is a HUGE topic we cover inside my group program, Confidence & Control! If you’re tired of making the same mistakes again and again without understanding WHY or what needs to change, join our next round!! Learn more about the program here!
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