Covid lurgy can make you lazy

With COVID floating around student-ville since university kicked off back in February, I was lucky to not have gotten it sooner. It was an early Thursday morning when I took an RAT that came back positive. My mood upon seeing those two red lines was not so positive although I wasn’t surprised having had a pretty sore throat and flu-like symptoms when I rolled out of bed. However, it would only take a seven-day room isolation aka “staycation” to get me back into peak form. I had the luxury of my Adidas yoga mat, my “best sister in the world” mug and a radiator approximately the length of my body (5’4”) (the radiator is supersized whereas I am fun-sized).

Seeing as I’d be having a few sick days, I knew my insulin requirements might increase as a T1D’s body typically needs more insulin with illness and the higher blood sugar as one tries to fight off the lurgies. Go away lurgies! I got experimenting and observed that a significant increase in doses was in fact necessary to maintain my blood sugar levels in a suitable range. This was tricky business but nothing that I couldn’t work out… or more like nothing that I didn’t have the time to work out.

Another aspect to think about with blood sugar management was my exercise. There was an apparent lack of it whilst I was on my staycation. Exercise is an important mechanism for control 1) the muscles are better at absorbing glucose when they are contracted 2) the activity slows carbohydrate absorption and counteracts a meal that would spike blood sugar levels. I found it harder to control my blood sugar because I wasn’t doing anything physical.  On one rare instance I went outside all masked up; most of the time the weather did not look very inviting (Winter is approaching!).  When I did go out to the exercise yard there was nobody to applaud the many 3 pointer basketball shots or valiant efforts practicing the execution of my slam dunks (remember I’m only 5’4”).

Stress is also a factor that influences blood sugar management and I can confidently say that I was most certainly not stressed during this time. Quite the opposite. During isolation, I found that I was lazy. I used up all of my productivity quota on creating multiple Spotify playlists that consisted of some great songs for different occasions, like my “run like you’re being chased” playlist featuring hits I plan to listen to on my next jog. I am not sure the onset of the laziness is a corroborated symptom of T1D with COIVD but I must confess it suits me to state that is probably is.  Just between you and I, I currently have a few recorded lectures that I need to catch up on.

I am pleased to report that I am feeling/doing much better now and got out of isolation just in time for my mid-semester break.

I do hope that everybody is staying safe and taking care.

Glucose upon publishing: 10.8mmol/L

Ps many thanks to my friends that looked after me and brought me meals  

Above is my playlist, evidence of the existence of my mug and the view from window