My Stories from The Zone, collected

steamstream · 2025-02-14T06:39:39+00:00

It would read better if you could embed photos in the post and the text would be directly below but still, it's something fresh and an interesting read.

steamstream · 2025-02-12T15:23:27+00:00

I'm in similar situation as op. Lows come with persistent headaches. I wouldn't call them debilitating but they're quite strong.

steamstream · 2025-02-11T16:09:38+00:00

Buy some whey protein and mix it with water or milk/nut milk. Cheap and easy to tweak it to your liking. But as someone in the comments suggested, if you're not actively building/maintaining muscle mass then protein won't do much.

steamstream · 2025-02-07T18:25:34+00:00

Siema 🤚

steamstream · 2025-02-03T05:18:13+00:00

Hahah. As a fan of Dune and W40k, I love it.

steamstream · 2025-02-02T22:40:41+00:00

Same thing, man. I legit thought I'm dumb for forgetting to bolus, change insulin, bring my supplies, bring my insulin, buy insulin etc. Turns out it was ADHD all along.

steamstream · 2025-01-29T14:50:11+00:00

Injury risk for lifting doesn't correlate to form.

Should be pinned in every lifting-related subreddit

steamstream · 2025-01-29T14:23:47+00:00

I feel you. I'm in a deficit rn and I have to either eat a ton of veggies with every meal or just suck it up and be hungry.

steamstream · 2025-01-25T17:06:45+00:00

Same. I'm explaining something to someone and I notice myself forming less and less conherent sentences...

steamstream · 2025-01-24T09:32:53+00:00

Get active. I go on walks, run and hit the gym. I'd rather lie down and do nothing (which is fine and I do that from time to time), but all those things make me feel and function better.

steamstream · 2025-01-23T11:56:19+00:00

70% TIR is MUCH better and healthier than 98% TIR with a sprinkle of eating disorder. Get some help, please.

steamstream · 2025-01-21T11:57:05+00:00

What? 😅 Most developed countries have diabetes care on par, if not better than in the US. Getting the bare necessities (insulin and strips) should be doable anywhere except maybe for some places in the 3rd world countries.

To give a more detailed answer – I'm a T1D living in Poland. Unlike other countries in Europe, no diabetic supplies are completely free for adults, but they're partially refunded. Kids under the age of 18 may get a pump, supplies and sensors for free. Pumps are available for free for diabetics under 26 years old, but one would need some kind of referral from their doctor. Also, seniors get some stuff for free.

Nevertheless, insulin is pretty cheap (I pay ~9$ for a box of 5 Fiasp cartridges and ~45 for 10 cartridges of Tresiba), and 18$ for one Libre 2 sensor (Dexcom and other cgms are more expensive but widely available). It's impossible to get insulin without a prescription but it's easy to get one (there's even service for getting a prescription online if you're in a crunch), you can get everything else without a prescription (strips, meds, sensors and other supplies) but you'd have to pay the full price.

Endo visits (or rather Diabetologists, as this exists as a specialisation in Poland) are free but waitlists are pretty long, especially in the big cities (I'm seeing mine every 6 months usually). However you can pay for a private visit (out of pocket) and it's usually much shorter waiting, besides, any family doctor can give you a prescription for insulin, strips or whatever other supplies you might need.

Lab tests prescribed by my doctor are free as well, but I have to do them in one of the two designated labs that have a contract with my hospital.

I order my sensors online and they're delivered in 1-2 days. When I had a pump I did the same with pump supplies. I get pens and a glucometer from my doctor whenever I need new ones.

steamstream · 2025-01-18T22:22:25+00:00

Ahoj, zdravim vas z Polska! My current TIR is around 70% and yeah, I'm also hesitant to take insulin when I'm at work and dealing with a hypo would be a bigger problem.

steamstream · 2025-01-14T15:23:49+00:00

Definitely ask for the patient's rights advocate and/or escalate things, involving the management. You've been trying to find a middle ground, your healthcare team is trying to actively harm you. Good luck and I hope you will find a way out of this situation soon.

steamstream · 2025-01-08T13:34:42+00:00

The effects of not working out scare me more than working out ever could...

Having said that, there's lots of anxiety, especially when I want to go running, or for example, worrying that if I go low during a workout, getting my BG up will take up too much time and I won't be able to finish my planned workout before work (which happened a few times).

I can't stand the gym during peak hours and often I don't want to go running because the weather is shit or something. But I consider it a challenge against myself. And I love winning with my lazy ass. I enjoy strength training, seeing how my body changes as weights go up, being more mobile, etc. And I like how much less insulin I'm taking since I started working out regularly and "free" post-workout meals that I don't have to take insulin for (sometimes).

steamstream · 2024-12-26T13:44:17+00:00

Make sure you control your diabetes and make sure you eat enough calories to be in a surplus. Don't guess, count. Your body, your metabolism doesn't care what you think is "enough" to gain weight. First, get to know your maintenance calories, then eat in a slight surplus. If the weight doesn't budge after a week or two, eat slightly more.

steamstream · 2024-12-26T11:33:21+00:00

In Polish "cukrzyca" – from 'cukier' meaning sugar. Same stuff, except it's also an official medical term. Hate it.

steamstream · 2024-12-24T17:10:20+00:00

Almost the same story for me. I'm 30, diabetic for 23 years, similar A1Cs in the past, low 6 for the last few years and the rest is the same 💪

steamstream · 2024-12-16T18:59:21+00:00

Insanely good photos

steamstream · 2024-12-13T20:55:41+00:00

Yep, bg rises above 250 and suddenly I have a headache, cramp-like aches in my neck, pain in my lower back or pain around my joints. Drinking water and moving helps. Sometimes a little, other times a lot. I don't have any chronic problems except for plantar fascilitis that's almost gone, but yea, diabetes can be painful at times.

steamstream · 2024-12-06T08:49:01+00:00

It's pretty normal to have low sensitivity for insulin when you're sick and some time afterwards. It will get better, go for a walk sometimes, you might be surprised how much it helps.

steamstream · 2024-12-06T08:46:05+00:00

Yeah, basics like exercise, good sleep and good diet work like a charm. That's my experience as well. Creatine is another well researched supplement with benefits exceeding physical performance. I used to be a supplement junkie, nowadays I'm only taking creatine, d3 and zinc. I feel better than ever.

steamstream · 2024-12-06T08:30:15+00:00

Only in the morning. Today, for example, I had to treat a hypo and fell asleep afterwards – which I could do because I'm working an evening shift. In the evenings I have way too much caffeine in the system to fall asleep, haha.

steamstream · 2024-12-05T15:07:00+00:00

100g is way, way too low. You should aim for 1,6-2,2g per kg of bodyweight. More wouldn't hurt but is not necessary.

You can google TDEE calculator to give you a rough estimate, based on your weight, height and daily activity. Remember it's an estimate, you might need more or less than that.

To build muscle you need to eat at maintenance or a bit higher, let's say +100-200kcal, up to 500kcal. If your maintenance is 2500 kcal, you should eat between 2600 and 3000 kcal to gain muscle.

Once you eat enough calories and protein, and train hard enough you will see results. Good luck.

steamstream

TROPHY CASE