# New here



## Talia (Oct 15, 2011)

Hello, 
i just got diabetes last December so i have had it nearly a year, and i am trying really hard to keep good levels and keep on top of things.
Me and my mum worked out that i do 22 hours of dance a week, i love it so much but i just have hypos all the time i hate having to have sugar before dance because this makes you feel really hyper for about ten mins then you feel really tired all of a suddern, and when we reduce my levimer i wake up high does anyone have any suggestions? please help xx


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## margie (Oct 15, 2011)

Hi Talia

Welcome to the forums. I can't really help you with your query but if you have a look here

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=15

you may find something useful.

Have you been taught to carb count and how to modify your insulin dose based on food and or exercise. If not see if your team can help you or you and your Mum can take a look here

http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/


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## Northerner (Oct 15, 2011)

Hi Talia, welcome to the forum  Sorry to hear about the problems you are having with hypos, it can really be a problem when you are so active to work out how much to adjust your insulin by. Have you and your mum ever considered an insulin pump? It would give you lots more control over your insulin so you could work out just how much insulin you need at busy times and times when you are being more relaxed. Have a look at this website, is has lots of information about pumps and the people there will help you to make a case to present to your clinic.

Don't let diabetes stand in the way of the things you love! I know it is so much harder for you than if you didn't have diabetes, but with help from the right people you can achieve all you wish. I read a wonderful book, The Sugarless Plum, about a dancer with the New York Ballet who got diabetes just as she was reaching prima ballerina status. I'm sure you know more than most how much hard work goes into being a ballet dancer, so you can see that it is possible. Keep positive, and find out about pumps!


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## Steff (Oct 15, 2011)

Hi Talia and a warm welcome to the forum


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## Shopaholic (Oct 15, 2011)

Hi Talia
I help at a local dance school (tap, ballet, modern & acro) and one of our dancers (aged 12 at the time) was diagnosed around Easter time. There's a big difference in that she only does about 7 hours a week of dancing though, unless there's a show or gala/festival when it significantly increases, but still not to 22 hours!! Also I know everyone is different so the advice given previously is right about sorting it all out with your diabetic nurse/team - her DN came to visit us at the dance lessons to explain it all to us and to see what her dancing involved.
For a third of the number of hours you're doing, the agreed approach for her was to sip on coke or orange juice throughout her lesson or performance. She keeps a snack box in the cupboard with us which contains small cartons of orange juice and some of the mini cans of coke. She is learning how much she needs and tips what she doesn't need away, but for her it seems to be working and her DN is very happy with her control and progress.
The local hospital diabetes group even organised a day at Pineapple Studios for a group of them to go up and have lessons in the studios there.
She's a lovely dancer and has managed to continue her dancing whilst getting better control. Her consultant even told her that he thought the dancing was a good discipline to help her get good control. 
Hope you get to figure it out soon! Keep enjoying the dancing! xx


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## Copepod (Oct 15, 2011)

Welcome Talia

There are 2 main techniques to maintain adequate blood glucose levels during exercise - eating sugar before AND reducing insulin doses - certainly short acting if within a few hours before exercise and probably long acting as well. Obviously, only possible if you are taking both short acting and long acting; twice daily  bimodal regime is much less flexible.

Although aimed at sport, you will probably find www.runsweet.com a useful source of information.


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## Mark T (Oct 15, 2011)

Welcome to the forums Talia


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## teapot8910 (Oct 15, 2011)

Welcome to the forum Talia  x


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## slipper (Oct 15, 2011)

Hi Talia,


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## daisymoo84 (Oct 15, 2011)

Hi Talia,

Welcome to the forum. Everyone's very friendly here! xx


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## Talia (Oct 15, 2011)

Northerner said:


> Hi Talia, welcome to the forum  Sorry to hear about the problems you are having with hypos, it can really be a problem when you are so active to work out how much to adjust your insulin by. Have you and your mum ever considered an insulin pump? It would give you lots more control over your insulin so you could work out just how much insulin you need at busy times and times when you are being more relaxed. Have a look at this website, is has lots of information about pumps and the people there will help you to make a case to present to your clinic.
> 
> Don't let diabetes stand in the way of the things you love! I know it is so much harder for you than if you didn't have diabetes, but with help from the right people you can achieve all you wish. I read a wonderful book, The Sugarless Plum, about a dancer with the New York Ballet who got diabetes just as she was reaching prima ballerina status. I'm sure you know more than most how much hard work goes into being a ballet dancer, so you can see that it is possible. Keep positive, and find out about pumps!



Thankyou so much for that adevice, i will certainly concider the pump,
Zippora Karz is my biggest role model, i really want to read her book.. 
thankyou again xx


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## Talia (Oct 15, 2011)

Shopaholic said:


> Hi Talia
> I help at a local dance school (tap, ballet, modern & acro) and one of our dancers (aged 12 at the time) was diagnosed around Easter time. There's a big difference in that she only does about 7 hours a week of dancing though, unless there's a show or gala/festival when it significantly increases, but still not to 22 hours!! Also I know everyone is different so the advice given previously is right about sorting it all out with your diabetic nurse/team - her DN came to visit us at the dance lessons to explain it all to us and to see what her dancing involved.
> For a third of the number of hours you're doing, the agreed approach for her was to sip on coke or orange juice throughout her lesson or performance. She keeps a snack box in the cupboard with us which contains small cartons of orange juice and some of the mini cans of coke. She is learning how much she needs and tips what she doesn't need away, but for her it seems to be working and her DN is very happy with her control and progress.
> The local hospital diabetes group even organised a day at Pineapple Studios for a group of them to go up and have lessons in the studios there.
> ...



Its so nice to hear people who are facest with the same difficulties and who have overcome them, it makes me feel alot more confident about everything. Wow i bet that was amazing dancing at Pineapple Studios. 
Thankyou for the advice and encouragement, xx


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## Pigeon (Oct 16, 2011)

Hello there and welcome. I used to have the same problems as you when I was training for half marathons - I needed to reduce my lantus the night before but then woke up high and felt rubbish.

I wondered have you tried using Levemir and splitting it into 2 doses 12 hours apart for your basal? I do this now, and so I take levemir at 7.30am and 7.30 pm. So the night before a run I take the normal levemir dose, but then in the morning take about half the usual amount. I still have lucozade when I'm exercising too, but I found that levemir suits active days much better than lantus did.

Keep up the dancing, it sounds like you're really fit!


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## Talia (Oct 16, 2011)

_Hello, that sounds like such a good idea and i have never heard of it before, i will definately think about this so you take half of your insulin 12 hours apart? and do you just do it for that day or do you do it always..
Thankyou xx_


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## Pigeon (Oct 17, 2011)

Hi,

I always split my Levemir - I think splitting it is normally recommended with levemir as it's profile does not last 24 hours like Lantus does.

At the moment I'm splitting it roughly 50:50 but on an active day I will reduce my daytime levemir by half and take about 20% off the evening's levemir after the exercise. I find exercise a lot easier to handle with levemir than I did with lantus, but that could just be me. It's perhaps worth asking your nurse or consultant about changing.

Persevere with it, hope you find something that works for you!


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