In the past week, my normal routine has been completely shot to hell. Pea took some days off so we could finish a bathroom re-do project we started far too long ago. Many balls were dropped while trying to juggle a home improvement project along with my normal daily routine. Sure, spackling and sanding, priming and painting, ripping out old cabinets and installing new ones is quite a work-out - but it's very different from my normal exercise routine. Our meals were off schedule and consisted of take out or easy to cook foods that weren't all that healthy. We couldn't get all the work finished, and I'm left with mounds of unwashed laundry, piles of neglected chapters, assignments and quizzes for my on-line class, and blogs that have been sorely neglected. Along with a week of blood sugars that have seen both higher highs and lower lows than normal. It's pretty stressful.
How do you cope when life has you juggling things outside of your normal routine? When you find yourself starting to drop balls, is diabetes one of the first ones to fall off track? I found it hard to make healthy food choices when I was too exhausted to care. I found that the combination of hard physical labor and being totally engrossing in our project made me less likely to feel a low coming on. I'm left feeling like I'm behind on everything and completely off track, which doesn't help keep my stress levels down. It annoys me that a home improvement project can throw my disease and control so far off track.
But I guess the thing to do now is stop dwelling on the past week and start moving forward. The hardest work in the bathroom is done, and we should be able to finish things up over the next few weekends. It's time to stop juggling and get back to the normal routine. Trade bathroom demolition for walks on the treadmill. Stock back up on healthy snacks and make nutritious meals. Stop feeling overwhelmed by my school work and just get it done. Hopefully these efforts will get those blood sugars back in line.
How do you keep from dropping the diabetes ball when life causes you to start juggling your routine? I'm determined to do better on our next home improvement project!
It's tough--life seems to have a snowball effect when there are so many things going on! For what it's worth I try to keep up with testing, shots, etc. and eat as well as I can. But sometimes I'm guilty of just letting my numbers run a little high until the whirlwind passes. Gah :(
ReplyDeleteHang in there Karen.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean but I made a career out of Not Normal days and juggling so my body seems to be ok.
But if a project comes up that really focuses me and/or is hard labor, like Ashley said, killin' the juice that day then dealing with highs so I won't go low again. All it takes is one low for me to act like I never need insulin again....
Darn 'beedees....
Hi Karen,
ReplyDeleteYou've been keeping up with blog so you know some of the curve balls life has thrown my way in the past few months. I deel with the most important stuff first. My health, making sure family is ok, dog, Molly (my GF), work, cleaning/laundry/etc. Stick to your priorities and let other people know what they are similar to goals and usually they will help you make sure they get done. Hang in there, I'm sure everything will work itself out! Great news as well, had my Dr. appt. yesterday, my A1C was 6.2!!! A 15 year low!!! Craziness!!!
Mike
Sister - I guess if the db were "fully integrated" into one's life, there would be no sense of disruption - of course it would come first. But I am not aware of anybody who's reached that level of evolvement yet - ha.
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