Insulin and winter sports..hunting, fishing

As I continue to wait for my new minimed paradigm continuous glucose monitor (almost 1 month under the belt), I'll share my some daily joys of being diabetic, a deer hunter, a fisherman, and an insulin pump wearer.

As crazy as it sounds, during the winter months, I enjoy ice fishing. I get cold walking from my car to my office, but yet I can sit outside in 10 degree weather fishing all day. My biggest challenge while outdoors for extended periods of time, is that I tend to not check my blood sugar as often as possible. For the most part, my meter gets too cold and it then sets off alarms and errors. So, I must take the meter out of my bag, and place it inside my pants to warm. Finally, I got an idea...they sell disposable heat packs which remain hot for almost 12 hours. I've figured out that I can place one of these in my One Touch Ultra's pocket, and it will stay toasty all day long. (just be careful not to heat your extra insulin bottle if you carry a spare).

Being a sportsman, the biggest worry I have is being out in the woods, or lake and have my blood glucose drop too low. Usually I'm alone, so I have the tendency to eat too much which causes occasional high values. It's like a chess game; however I anxiously await my new glucose monitor to keep a constant eye on my sugars.