Type 1 Diabetic and Rooftops heat

[Wilkinsjt87]

Any other diabetic commercial guys out there what u do to stay cool on the roof

[ammoniadog]

Your question has nothing to do with being diabetic. Non diabetics need to stay cool also. Drink lots of water. Bring a water jug with you up to the roof and keep it with you if it's hot. Also take brakes and head into an air conditioned space if you feel that you need to.

I do like your question about Type 1 diabetes though, and hope to keep it rolling. Hopefully other T1's will respond if there are any.

I was diagnosed with adult onset T1DM about 10 years ago. I am lucky to be in what seems to be a perpetual "honeymoon stage", possibly due to a clinical trial I was in soon after I was diagnosed. This means I still have some of my pancreas function, so I can usually get by with one shot of Lantus at night, and that usually carrys me enough to where I don't need to bring meal-time insulin with me to work.

For all of the real T1's, who don't have any pancreas function, I often wonder how you do it. Insulin has a very narrow temperature range that it's supposed to be kept at. If it's too hot in the work van it will go bad, if it's too cold it will freeze and also go bad. Even keeping it in your pocket (or an insulin pump) is technically above the 86°F that the instructions on my Novolog say it's supposed to be kept at. Glucose meters are the same. They won't work if too hot or too cold.

Either way, as a T1 diabetic, keeping carbohydrates with you at all times is very important. Especially if you are working alone on a roof. I recommend hard candy or glucose tabs or gel. Hopefully you have some sensitivity to where you can feel the lows coming on so you can treat yourself if needed. I don't wear a pump or a continuous glucose monitor, but I imagine those are a great help to those that have them.

Anyways Wilkinsjt87, what's your story? Are you new to HVAC and/or Diabetes? Are there any other T1's out there with any tips or stories?

[dan sw fl]

Any other diabetic commercial guys out there what u do to stay cool on the roof.

Really No such thing as " staying cool".
___ Stay hydrated. Start with fluids BEFORE the project.


CamelBak with Gatorade should be useful.
___ Make your personalized Gatorade with use of their powder which is sold in 3 # container.

__ Water only will not assist with keeping electrolytes well balanced.

[ammoniadog]

Really No such thing as " staying cool".
___ Stay hydrated. Start with fluids BEFORE the project.


CamelBak with Gatorade should be useful.
___ Make your personalized Gatorade with use of their powder which is sold in 3 # container.

__ Water only will not assist with keeping electrolytes well balanced.

As long as the water or Gatorade is cooler than your body temperature, it will help to cool you down your internal body temperature. I'm not a doctor (or a psychrometric chart expert), but I believe when the outdoor temperature is warmer than your body temperature, sweating alone isn't enough to cool you off. I imagine if it were over 100° outside, and you only had 100° water or Gatorade to drink, you would eventually end up with heat stroke no matter how much you were sweating and drinking.

Of course, people in Africa and other warm places have been able to survive long before refrigeration was invented, so it's entirely possible that maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.