diving and diabetes

[Diesel298]

Only if it's Type 2 (Adult Onset) diabetes, if it's Type 1 (Juvenile) diabetes you are on insulin for life. Though exercise is still important to all diabetics (Type 1 and 2) as it's one of the sides of the triangle, along with Insulin and Diet.

I'm an active Type 1 (Juvenile) diabetic diver (38 years old, diabetic for 22 years), and I'm open to any questions.

The most important things are good control, ability to recognize hypoglycemia, doing lots of blood tests, and informing dive masters, organizers and buddies of your condition, along with the symptoms of hypoglycemia and treatment of hypoglycemia before every dive. I guarantee you'll get some operations who are wary of letting you dive, so I carry a copy of my PADI physical form completed by the doctor. Though, I've heard some whispers, I've never been stopped from diving and after the first dive everything usually becomes normal. You should have seen the faces of the office staff in the Galapagos on my arrival........

I for one test my blood sugars immediately before every dive, and immediately after every dive (sometimes difficult with prune like fingertips, but I manage). I have 2 blood testers, my everyday one (which stays at home, hotel, or in car when diving) and my sport one which accompanies me on the dive. The reason for 2 is in case someone drops a weight belt on my dive bag on the boat, or it gets kicked overboard, etc. Having 2 means I'm won't be in trouble, especially when on vacation.

I usually dive with my blood sugars a little higher than normal to be on the safe side (i.e. a normal blood sugar means I have something to eat before hitting the water). I carry a couple of small tubes of liquid cake icing (pretty much pure sugar) in my right BC pocket (my buddy and DM know they are in right hand pocket) in case I'm in need of sugar.

Also, I have a full physical done every second year by a hyperbaric doctor, in addition to my regular visits to my endrocrinologist, just to be on the safe side.

Let me know of any specific questions you might have on diving and diabetes.

i think that this is what i was looking for..
real world whos doin it.
very helpfull.
i plan on seeing a dive Dr as soon as my situation is stabilized, and calling dan tomorow just to see what they have to say and recomend a Dr.
i plan on getting a pelacan case for my tester, having a second one is a very good idea for reasons you said.
pre and post dive testing also seems to be a good idea.
and altho my issue is Hyper.... hypo is still a concern, so a snack pre dive also seems like like a good idea...
what your normal snack. some veggies or something with carbs?
thanks again. very helpfull
Ray

 

[ZzzKing]

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabtetes in '93. The above post is correct in stating that a newly diagnosed diabetic may not be aware of the warning signs of an impending low blood sugar episode and may be at increased risk. In the past 13 years I have gotten pretty good at being able to tell my approximate blood sugar level by the way I feel. It takes a lot of time and a lot of sore fingertips from all the test strips, though. And I'm not sure how good I would be at it if I wasn't in good control.

I feel very comfortable with my own level of risk when diving but I'm in really good shape, eat right, get lots of exercise, etc. I haven't had any sort of low blood sugar episode in 7-8 years. That's me.

You should assess your own self knowledge and health and draw your own conclusion. If you are recently diagnosed, you may want to spend some time learning about the disease and how your body reacts to differing blood sugar levels before continuing your dive hobby. Oh yeah, and ask your Internist about it. It is definitely not something to be taken lightly but if you are in good control and in good shape, there is no reason it should adversely impact your life, either.

One thing I did as a contingency was marry the cutest Physician Assistant that would have me. She keeps me in line after those fancy dinners when the double chocolate cake looks so good.

 

[ramblinpaul]

what your normal snack. some veggies or something with carbs?

Veggies don't have enough sugar. I eat carrots, celery and/or red pepper slices (in ziplocks) as a surface interval snack, but just for a snack, not for sugar regulation.

My two stand-bys for pre-dive blood sugar regulation are:

Granola bars - in a water proof package, 190 Calories with #1 ingredient Rolled Oats (long acting), and #2 ingredient Sugar (fast acting), and they can go into a dive bag and for last months.

Apples - Sliced, so I can select to only eat a portion, in a ziplock bag. I put some ReaLemon in the ziplock so the apple slices don't go brown (Fuji apples are my favourite ). It's good fast acting sugar, and healthy.

Let me know of any questions, concerns, problems and I'm happy to try and help.

 

[Diesel298]

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabtetes in '93. The above post is correct in stating that a newly diagnosed diabetic may not be aware of the warning signs of an impending low blood sugar episode and may be at increased risk. In the past 13 years I have gotten pretty good at being able to tell my approximate blood sugar level by the way I feel. It takes a lot of time and a lot of sore fingertips from all the test strips, though. And I'm not sure how good I would be at it if I wasn't in good control.

I feel very comfortable with my own level of risk when diving but I'm in really good shape, eat right, get lots of exercise, etc. I haven't had any sort of low blood sugar episode in 7-8 years. That's me.

You should assess your own self knowledge and health and draw your own conclusion. If you are recently diagnosed, you may want to spend some time learning about the disease and how your body reacts to differing blood sugar levels before continuing your dive hobby. Oh yeah, and ask your Internist about it. It is definitely not something to be taken lightly but if you are in good control and in good shape, there is no reason it should adversely impact your life, either.

One thing I did as a contingency was marry the cutest Physician Assistant that would have me. She keeps me in line after those fancy dinners when the double chocolate cake looks so good.

i have been reading everything i can asking lotsa questions to lotsa people, Dr's nurses, other people.... ect.. reading online..... i got lotsa info to read during my multiday hospital stay...
i have no intention in resuming diving till my system get stable, and im comfortable with my newley aquired inconvence, diet and exercise goes unsaid...
the biggest issue is diving is not a hobby...
im a commercial diver, DM (supposed to complete my instructor in 2 weeks)
and a avid tech diver....
right now its been 6 days sence my last dive and i think im going thru narcosis withdrawls

 

[TSandM]

The OP said he was diagnosed as Type II, which colors everything I am about to say:

The ideal for diabetics is to keep the glucose as close to normal as possible. In general, that's pretty difficult to do. The normal body is fast and extremely good at regulating blood sugar and insulin levels. No externally administered medications do as good as job.

The difference between Type I and Type II diabetes, practically speaking, is that Type I diabetics get into a lot of serious and life-threatening trouble if their glucoses are high, and Type II diabetics can, in general, tolerate much more variation in their sugars. Type II diabetics are more likely to run into life-threatening complications from low glucoses than from high ones. (Please note there are exceptions to all of this, and I'm not condoning or advising high blood sugars for ANYBODY.) Therefore, Type II diabetics have the luxury of eating something like an energy bar before diving, where Type I's have to know their own biology really well to do that.

If someone is willing to have the discipline to monitor their diet and activity levels and their sugars, Type II diabetes is generally quite manageable. It means you have to give thought to things the rest of us don't have to pay any attention to, but it can most definitely be done. Hopefully, while you were in the hospital, you had a visit or two from a nutritionist or diabetes educator. If not, you should ask your physician if such a resource is available. Diet, activity, and appropriate medications are the three pillars of diabetes management, and they're all important. All too often, we prescribe the pills and forget to help the patients with the other two parts.

I don't know what the commercial diving world thinks about diabetes, but the sport world has accepted that well-controlled diabetics can dive.

Sorry about your diagnosis. It changes your world, and that sucks.

 

[rawls]

Good news for diabetics in the new Alert diver

 

[AquaDuck]

Lots of very good advice here already so I am not going to restate the same again. Best I can say is take it slow and very easy until you are 201% about your control; keep the hypo supplies close at all times; make very sure that whatever medication you take with you stays cool and dry...etc.

It is the exception to the rule that type 2 diabetics are put on insulin injections and then usually only as a suplemental measure. Tablets are usually the way they go where I come from but you'll soon get all the information from your doc I'm sure. Just be careful to make sure that the medication is kept safe wherever you go so you do not run into trouble with it having gone off or something when you're on a diving holiday and not close to medical assistance etc.

Very good advice above to see your doc regularly as well as building up a good relationship with a trustworthy hyperbaric doc. Stay fit, exercise, eat healthy, and keep your medication regime to your doc's recommendations. Above all else, and perhaps not only good advice for diabetics but all divers - do *not* dive if you do not feel well and are confident you are up to it, no matter who is putting pressure on you, and that includes dive operators, the DM, the Instructor, your buddy, or the devil.

 

[Knight]

Think if you have type 1 you shouldn't be diving at all, come from Netherland and maybe rules are different but this is serious if someone told me they had I would have to pass on dive. No hard feelings my grandma got it (type 2) I got full respect but I don't think anyone should be diving who got it.


Always descending,
ch.

 

[JohnL]

Sorry to hear about that Ray. It may take a bit of time to get it sorted out, but diabetes management is a long way from where it was only ten years ago. My mother is diabetic and I have worked with a few people in an outdoor education program who are diabetic. The key seems to be monitoring, recognizing when your sugar is about to bottom out, and finding a doctor who is willing to make things work for you. My mother went through three doctors before she found one who would try differrent drugs and combinations of drugs until they found one that would work. Today her blood sugar is very close to normal without and according to her doctor she has no complications.

My mother's doctor was reffered to her by the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston (www.joslin.org) and they also have a well regarded education program and research team. Might be worth checking out if your current doc isn't agressive enough.

I have worked with a woman in an outdoor program who would test her sugar before heading out and every time we stopped the Peli case would come out. She would carry a few tubes of glucose and could tell when her sugar was starting to get low well before she would become hypoglycemic. Maybe it's not as demanding as diving, but towing groups of kids in kayaks home on a rough day or taking the heavy stuff out of their packs while heading uphill can be a bit of a work out.

Back when I worked as an emt I saw a few diabetic "horror stories" and the common theme was that they couldn't be bothered to monitor their blood sugar or just didn't care about the consequenses. Those who do take the time to manage it correctly rarely have problems.

One of these days we need to get out and dive together...

 

[ramblinpaul]

Think if you have type 1 you shouldn't be diving at all, come from Netherland and maybe rules are different but this is serious if someone told me they had I would have to pass on dive. No hard feelings my grandma got it (type 2) I got full respect but I don't think anyone should be diving who got it.


Always descending,
ch.

This is exactly the type of ignorance we as diabetics need to combat.

Help me understand why you think this is serious? What have you used for the basis of your opinion was it, incidents, facts, first hand knowledge of diving with diabetics?

Or is it an: "I don't know much (anything) about diving with diabetes so instead of learning, I should totally avoid the scenario".