Diabetes + WINTER!

Good afternoon! Christmas is getting closer by the minute, and I can hardly wait! My excitement levels are constantly rising! (as are my blood sugars, but that's a different story!)

But Christmas isn't the only thing happening at this time of year. Winter is almost upon us, and with winter comes snow. 

When there is snow, we can do lots of outdoor activities like sledding, skating, having snowball fights, skiing, and things like that.

But we need to be prepared to do those things diabetes-wise. 

First of all, every single activity that I just mentioned is active. When we do activity, our blood sugars usually go down. 

And with something as active as sledding or skating, sometimes it goes down too low. But who wants to watch their friends having fun while they're chugging juice boxes?

Not anyone I know, that's for sure. 

To prevent that from happening, simply have a slow-burning carb snack before you head outside. It should keep you steady throughout your activities. 

Second of all, do you have a continuous glucose monitor? An insulin pump, perhaps? Basically, do you have a small device attached to your body? 

I know I do. I always have two things connected to me; My Omnipod and my Dexcom G5.

If you have similar devices and are planning to go sledding, then there is one thing that you should be careful of. 

If you are wearing your device on your stomach, then avoid going sledding on your stomach.

Sledding downhill on your stomach can potentially crush/break/rip out your sensor. I having a feeling that it wouldn't end well.

Those are my two tips for snow, but there is more. (there always is with this disease)

One thing about winter is that it is freaking COLD outside! Cold is no good for insulin, or diabetes supplies. In fact, it's the opposite.

~ When insulin gets cold, it stings more when injected

~ When insulin gets cold, it isn't as effective

~ When BG meter gets too cold, sometimes it stops working

To prevent that from happening, there are a few simple things that we can do. 

Keep your diabetes supplies in an insulated bag.

Keep your diabetes bag close to your body.

If you do MDI (multiple daily injections) and your insulin pen is cold, rub it vigorously with your fingertips and it should warm up a bit. 


Whether you spend it outside enjoying the snow, or inside enjoying a nice cup of hot chocolate, I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season and that your life is blessed with love, happiness, and good blood sugars!

Happy Holidays Type 1 Warriors!



Thanks for reading this post of That Stupid Pancreas!


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Today's question of the day is...


Do you prefer being outdoors or indoors in the winter? I'm outdoors all the way!