Last week, I spent several days in Mexico on vacation and on a business trip. With the extra carbs and the change in normal routine, my averages went from the 140's to the high 150's. I had one or two severe lows and a handful of minor lows. I also had one day where my pump site went sour and sent me soaring into the 300's for several hours.

Coming back from Mexico has been interesting on my blood sugars. I've had a few lows, of course. But at the same time, I've decided not to try so hard to keep my numbers down. I'm not completely blowing it, but I'm just not stressing myself out over highs and off numbers.

So Monday night, I decided to order a pizza while working on a research paper. It was nice to eat the pizza, do a fairly normal bolus, but not stress about what my blood sugar might be in the next 12 hours. I didn't even freak out when I saw consistent 200's on my meter screen.

The fact that I'm not having as many lows has me jumping for joy. It means that my body is in less turmoil on a routine basis. It also means that when I start making more adjustments to get the highs down and bring the lows up, my body will recognize the lows more readily (although it will still be that I have to be super vigilant about them).

I've taken "diabetes sabbaticals" several times in my lifetime. After sixteen years of diabetes, you get burnt out on the routine and the stress and the whole hassle of diabetes. When I take these breaks, there are certain rules that I don't forget. But there are also rules that I'm very ready to break.

I stay persistent with testing my blood sugar. Today, I've already checked my blood sugar three times and we're barely half way through the day. I also bolus when necessary, for food and for corrections. Just because I don't freak about a high doesn't mean that I don't want it to come down. I also keep logging my blood sugars and staying aware of my body.

The main things that I stop worrying about are food and exercise. Food can have a major effect on my blood sugars. If I take in more than 130 carbs per day, my blood sugar averages jump about 10 points. So usually, I stay under that limit so I don't have to take more insulin to accommodate the extra food. But on sabbatical, I don't care...which is exactly why I ordered pizza on Monday.

I also don't stress about getting workouts into my routine. I tend to relax and watch TV or read, instead of keeping my (recent) workout schedule of two or three jogs a week. Exercising doesn't lower my blood sugars that much. It mainly gives me the piece of mind that I'm doing something healthy for my body a few nights a week. But sometimes, your body just needs a break.

I'm already feeling better about everything and I'm wondering why I didn't take a break a few weeks ago when things were getting really rough. I know that I try to push through all of it because after sixteen years, I know that I can do it. It's just a matter of letting myself off the hook once in awhile.

So this week, that's exactly what I've done. I'm not stressing. I'm not worrying. I refuse to be bothered by diabetes and its nastiness. I refuse to have severe lows just to stay in control. I refuse to worry that a blood sugar of 202 is going to take moments off of my life.

Do any of you take breaks from diabetes? Or give yourself a little breathing room when the going gets tough?