Living with Diabetes

Blog

  • If you don’t do this, you should…

    This year is the first year I opted to go for a flexible spending account. It works out really well. The money for it is deducted pre-tax dollars, and put in an account. When I have a medical expense (actually I usually do 4 at a time), I fill out a form, send it in, and get the money back.

    Actually, it works out even easier. I scan the receipts, and file them on my hard drive. I fill out the form online, print it, sign it, and scan it. Then I take that form, the 4 receipts and fax them to the administrating company. Less than a week later, I get a check back, which I put straight into my charge account.

    Oh, that’s the other key — I charge everything — especially mail order prescriptions, since I do that all online too. That’s one reason I always put the reimbursement checks on the charge card.

    Here’s the cool part — they go ahead and give you the money, even if you haven’t deposited yet. Right now, I only have $30 in the account, but they are still giving me the money. They pay up to the projected amount.

    “Next year” starting in August, the state will be putting some money is a savings account. I have to pay out of the flexible account before I can go to the savings account, but one neat thing about that one, is that it has a debit card. I wish this one had that option, and maybe it will. That would make life a bit easier all around.

  • Good news

    Still have decent control with the 11:1 carb ratio. My insulin usage is down to less than 45 units a day on a fairly consistent basis. I’m still going as low as 120, 4 hours after I ate, and the 7 day average is showing that I should be at 12:1. I do think I’ll wait until I see 12:1 on the two week average, OR I start seeing 110’s 4 hours after.

    I’m also showing some significant weight loss. I’m sure that its all related.

    I’m even having a bit of trouble making sure I eat enough food. iShape wants me on somewhere between 2200 and 2600 — it varies your calorie level each day.

    By the way, I stalled out for a while when I was consistently eating 600 calories less than I burned and was really having trouble on non-cardio days. Which I switched to the calorie level (but not meal plan) on iShape, I saw a change in weight loss. In other words, I losing. Still slowly, but still a steady loss.

    Another hint — use a scale that measures digitally and at .10’s It makes you feel better when you see the .10’s as the change is more apparently.

    Head game, but head games work.

  • Darn .. this would be nice if it worked….

    NEJM — Absence of an Effect of Liposuction on Insulin Action and Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease

  • My insulin finally arrived and it was cold…

    I ordered insulin last week, and it was shipped Monday night. I was worried because in April the gel packs were room temperature.

    Well these didn’t arrive until this morning and was still cold. However, I think this was first off the truck and in April it was last off.

    I stress out every time I mail order insulin.

  • Therasense (Freestyle Flash) Disappointment

    I was afraid of this … Yesterday my Freestyle Flash meter failed. Switching batteries worked temporarily….

    But I called and was on hold for over 15 minutes — I know, because my Treo told me. Didn’t get a satisfactorily answer but did get the meter working.

    But today it was dead. I called Therasense again, and was on hold for 15 minutes AGAIN, I know, I recorded the time I called. The rep was not friendly, was not very helpful and resisted replacing the meter. Wouldn’t believe me at all, because yesterday’s rep did NOT record the battery problem.

    I was afraid of this. I am afraid I’ll be switching to One Touch Ultra because

    a) Animas has parterned with them and is planning having their pump talk with their meter.

    b) The copay will be $60 instead of $112 starting in August.

    My CDE really doesn’t want me to switch or I would have already. She claims the Hb1AC is correlarates to the reports better than any other meter.

  • I figured this one out myself….

    Real Gains but Practical Limitations to Glycaemic Control With

    I was on MDI (Multiple Daily Injections) for almost a year. This study sites the reasons I went to the pump.

    I couldn’t get my HbA1c better than 8, I lost control when my schedule changed — which happens fairly frequently. If I went to a workshop, had a long weekend, etc. I lost control.

    Also, I kept gaining weight no matter what I did.

    Going to the pump solved all those problems.

  • Basals and Boluses

    The new bolus ratio seems to work okay. In fact, it might still be too high, but I’m giving it a few days. Especially in case I have another — “got to have everything a diabetic shouldn’t eat in one day” day. Still amazes it that it took 3 days to recover from that. Good learning experience though.

    I’ve been able to do two short basal tests. One this morning which lets me know that the correction we set up for dawntime phenomemom still works. I’ve been wondering if that needed to be changed.

    One the other evening that let me know that the new basal rate (.05 less every hour during the day), is okay. I still don’t have enough courage to completely change that time period without talking with the CDE. I see her in two weeks.

  • The real reason I’m still up…

    I think it was because I hurt from sitting in one place, but I really wanted to know my TDD (Total Daily Dosage). 38.135 which puts me at 11:1 for the 14 day average and puts my correct at 38, which I think is more reasonable than the 7 day average (11:1 / 41).

    So I test a lot tomorrow.

    And it makes me feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel …

    … probably a train though.

  • Fun site if you are a Palm junkie

    Daily Palm, views & rants updated multiple times a day

    I just sent them a User Thought, even though the case company doesn’t have a Treo case yet, and I need another Palm like I need another hole in my head….

    But it’s a fun little article about addictions.

  • Sad, but dumb

    wnbc.com – Education – Conn. Teacher Fired After Student Pricks Finger On Used Needle

    I’ve never made a secret that I inject and use needles. I make sure my students know in advance that they need to avoid my desk and my personal items. I keep a sharp container in my desk and dispose of everything in it.

    But he’s right, he was sloppy and used poor judgement.

    (If the article is gone — basically teacher with diabetes and Hepatitis C dropped an insulin needle on the floor and a student picked it up and pricked herself).