It was a good diabetes weekend. I biked 12 miles on Saturday, which is the farthest I’ve ever gone (since having diabetes). I had zero hypos all weekend. Due to the exercise and time of the month, I required less insulin than usual, and I enjoyed eating dessert! I treated myself well.

I was on the edge of low blood sugar while grocery shopping today, but I had some candy in my pocket, that I ate, and I sugar surfed my way though the store.

I am proudly wearing my insulin pump in my new Type 1 Tactical case and love it more. I actually love that I sometimes forget that it’s visible. I’m getting less self conscious and it has become a part of my identity. While it’s fairly easy to take out of the holster (can do that with one hand), sometimes I find myself looking down at it and reading the numbers upside down. If that’s not your thing, you may be interested in a swivel case for the Medtronic Insulin pump, although I can not vouch for them — if you use a swivel case, I’d love to hear from you – post a comment below!

I’ve been wearing the Type 1 Tactical holster on my belt, sometimes visible, sometimes not. I think being visible is important for advocacy. When out bike riding or walking, I always bring candy and juiceboxes. My blood sugar can drop pretty fast when exercising. I wear a fanny pack around my waist, which holds a juicebox, plus my phone, and a snack.

When I first got my insulin pump over two years ago, one of my motivations was that I thought it would allow me to bike ride more. Exercise was very difficult due to my blood glucose dropping so quickly. The insulin pump is great, but it actually took a lot of practice and learning to get to this point. If you also struggle with exercise, be patient with yourself. You will learn over time how to manage it. Read more about how I’ve learned to manage diabetes and exercise.

I do purposefully overpack. If I think I’ll just need one juicebox, I’ll bring three. Be prepared!