How My Blood Sugar Levels are Affecting Me
For the last couple of weeks, I've started noticing a lot of dizzy spells, where I feel completely fatigued.
During these spells, when I get up and walk around, even just across the room, I feel a burning sensation throughout my arms and legs, as though I have been working out for hours...and I will feel so weak that I don't feel like I can do much at all. I have been wondering what is causing it...I wasn't sure if it might be due to my glucose levels or not.
It took a while (I am 32 weeks now!), but I finally got some test strips prescribed, along with a glucometer today. I wish they had given them to me sooner, but they didn't feel like it was necessary to test earlier since (according to what I was told), your blood sugar doesn't really start behaving badly until after about 26 weeks or so, if you have gestational diabetes. I personally feel I should have gotten the strips earlier, but that is just my opinion.
After getting my test strips from CVS, I went to Sonic and bought a Chicago dog and small water, and went home. This hot dog was something I should not have had, but I thought it would be okay because I had barely had any carbs throughout the day and I was really hungry. About an hour later, I started to notice that I was having that horrible fatigued feeling again, so I got my test meter out and tested- my blood sugar was 200. This confirmed to me that this feeling I was having was due to high blood sugar levels in my body.
I drank a bottle of water and then tried cleaning out my closet just to burn some carbs off. It wasn't easy since I was feeling so exhausted, but after another hour, I started to feel SO much better and my energy level was back to normal. So I decided to test again, and lo and behold, my blood sugar was down to 120. Still not perfect, but much lower. This confirmed again that the glucose levels have a lot to do with the way I'm feeling right now...when it's lower, I feel better and have energy. When it's higher, I feel miserable.
One good thing about this is that I have never before actually experienced any symptoms (that I was aware of), which made it easier to indulge in simple carbs and think it was no big deal - but now I have a negative consequence of bad choices, and will be hopefully find it easier to avoid eating things I shouldn't be eating right now.
After the baby is born, I am going to get my blood sugar levels checked again to see if I might have diabetes, and not just gestational. I think there's a good possibility since it runs in my family.
I'm trying to be creative and come up with many good low carb (or GOOD carb) meals, and so far I have found some really good recipes. If anyone out there has any recipes like this, please feel free to share! I'm always willing to experiment with new things.
During these spells, when I get up and walk around, even just across the room, I feel a burning sensation throughout my arms and legs, as though I have been working out for hours...and I will feel so weak that I don't feel like I can do much at all. I have been wondering what is causing it...I wasn't sure if it might be due to my glucose levels or not.
It took a while (I am 32 weeks now!), but I finally got some test strips prescribed, along with a glucometer today. I wish they had given them to me sooner, but they didn't feel like it was necessary to test earlier since (according to what I was told), your blood sugar doesn't really start behaving badly until after about 26 weeks or so, if you have gestational diabetes. I personally feel I should have gotten the strips earlier, but that is just my opinion.
After getting my test strips from CVS, I went to Sonic and bought a Chicago dog and small water, and went home. This hot dog was something I should not have had, but I thought it would be okay because I had barely had any carbs throughout the day and I was really hungry. About an hour later, I started to notice that I was having that horrible fatigued feeling again, so I got my test meter out and tested- my blood sugar was 200. This confirmed to me that this feeling I was having was due to high blood sugar levels in my body.
I drank a bottle of water and then tried cleaning out my closet just to burn some carbs off. It wasn't easy since I was feeling so exhausted, but after another hour, I started to feel SO much better and my energy level was back to normal. So I decided to test again, and lo and behold, my blood sugar was down to 120. Still not perfect, but much lower. This confirmed again that the glucose levels have a lot to do with the way I'm feeling right now...when it's lower, I feel better and have energy. When it's higher, I feel miserable.
One good thing about this is that I have never before actually experienced any symptoms (that I was aware of), which made it easier to indulge in simple carbs and think it was no big deal - but now I have a negative consequence of bad choices, and will be hopefully find it easier to avoid eating things I shouldn't be eating right now.
After the baby is born, I am going to get my blood sugar levels checked again to see if I might have diabetes, and not just gestational. I think there's a good possibility since it runs in my family.
I'm trying to be creative and come up with many good low carb (or GOOD carb) meals, and so far I have found some really good recipes. If anyone out there has any recipes like this, please feel free to share! I'm always willing to experiment with new things.
Bethany I actually had the exact same feeling while pregnant. The feeling in your arms and legs might be peripheral neuropathy. I felt it a lot and I got it even after chemo for up to a year. It's also felt by diabetics.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001619/
There is a link that you can read about it on. I remember feeling so overhwelmingly tired that made feel like I had to sit down NOW or I'd fall down. I didn't have gestational diabets though. I believe it was just a side effect of chemo and they warned me about it. I know how it feels so I do hope you feel better when your levels are more controlled. I used to make my dad a zucchini lasagna. It's amazing! The zucchini takes place of the noodles. I also would make him homemade icecream in the icecream machine with splenda. It was great. My dad followed a low carb diet to lose weight before he had his stroke. Hope those are some ideas for you.
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Thank you so much, Sandi! I really appreciate your input and help. I know you went through a lot when you were pregnant. Zucchini lasagna is a great idea...I've been thinking about making it and I think I will as soon as i get to the grocery store and buy the ingredients! It's yummy and low carb.
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