Got Milk?

After nine years of blogging it has come to blogging about milk, but hey, it does relate to my diabetes!

I have always enjoyed drinking milk. It was a staple in our home growing up, a glass of milk in the morning and with dinner and also anytime I enjoyed something sweet - you bet I was pouring myself a glass of cold milk.   Just before I was diagnosed, before we had any clue what was happening to my body, I would crave milk to the point I would stand with the fridge doors wide open, pouring myself copious amounts of milk. Refilling without shutting the fridge doors, glass by glass until the bag was empty (yes, in Canada we have bags of milk!)  I would drink so much milk in fact, I would get the absolute worst stomach aches, complaining to my mom that I could hear the swishing around of liquids in my belly, groaning that while I felt completely flooded with milk, the thirst was still there (enter diabetes diagnosis.) 

I shutter to think what my blood sugars were climbing to when I was drinking litres upon litres of milk within hours.  I truly think this was one of the first warning signs that made my mom insist I get tested for diabetes because even the greatest of milk drinkers - don't finish two bags of milk in a day - or at least I hope not.  I was drinking milk like I was a growing teenage boy when in reality, I was withering away, so sick with type 1 diabetes and so very thirsty.

After diagnosis, my love for milk continued despite my love-hate relationship.  However, now I was able to see the affects milk had on my blood sugars.  When I was truly paying attention to that pattern - I'd see my blood sugars rise as soon as I took a sip.   Thankfully, as a student at the time, I rarely bought milk and if I did, it was small amounts.    Fast forward to now being in home where Mike and I both drink milk in a glass and with our coffee - we always have bags of milk in the fridge.

Are you bored of my milk story yet? 

Anyways, fast forward to almost ten years after my not-so-healthy relationship with milk.  Knowing now, if I want a glass, I have to pre-bolus.   But, also knowing that milk has been one of the best ways to bring my sugar up and stabilize it.  Lately, I have been very conscious of my blood sugars (thanks to Freestyle Libre & wanting to start a family!) so most of the day I have been riding the line between 6 mmol/L & 4 mmol/L This has caused some lows in the night, where juice just isn't doing its job.  It is almost like the juice becomes water and I am left waking myself up to scramble for more.  One can only drink so many juice boxes in the night - just saying.  I have realized, much like a baby, if I want to stabilize my blood sugars for a good nights rest, milk is the answer!

Kayla