Obviously it is more challenging to breathe and be active in higher altitudes until you are acclimated and it seems, this holds true to maintaining an average blood sugar as well. I can honestly say, even with the vacation routine, which is anything but routine, eating at random times and not always the healthiest options, my blood sugar never rose above 185 on this trip! We are on day 6 and stayed at an elevation of 8600 feet for the majority of our stay. As we ventured to Jackson, WY, on day 3, I couldn't help but take in the beautiful view of the Teton Mountains and the Snake River along the valley and notice its similarity to the view of a difficult day with diabetes on my DexCom. :) Only a person with diabetes or someone close to that PWD could appreciate the irony of that humor. Just as only my kids or another family member of a PWD knows what I'm looking for when I declare, "Has anyone seen my pricker?!?!?!"
But on this journey into the Tetons and Yellowstone, my hopes happened and diabetes remained a sidekick packed in the luggage that I only had to monitor periodically throughout our days. We walked along western shops in Jackson where my girls had their old time photos taken, we ate delicious local meals, hiked to see waterfalls, stood several yards from herds of bison and watched as Old Faithful erupted every 94 minutes or so, just as it has done since I was there in 1979 and so many years before. As I was taking all of this wonder and family fun in, I just had to keep an eye on the blood sugar but it NEVER got to take the driver's seat, not even co-pilot. It just stayed tucked away under the luggage and snack bags in the back! Aside from the one night we ate dinner early, went to bed late, and after a full day of fresh mountain air and hiking, when I was 58mg/dl at 3AM and I had to fumble around in the dark, attempting to quietly open a noisy bag of fruit snacks (mental note for next time I'm traveling with others to keep my noisy snacks in the bathroom where I can find and eat them in the privacy of my own lit room while allowing others to sleep peacefully in the dark!), aside from that one incident, I would consider this trip a success in the diabetes department!
I rather enjoyed this adventure of my blood sugars hangin' in the valley, not diving below the river like a moose (another fun fact we learned from our tour guide on our raft along the Snake River, had no idea moose were deep divers!:) and just enjoying the incredible mountain views without actually climbing up them!
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