Living with Diabetes

Blog

  • 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).

  • Inhaled Insulin — I’m not impressed with HbA1c values…

    Inhaled Insulin Formulations Continue to Show Promise

    The doctor that diagnosed me “promised” the inhaled insulin. I have been on asthma drugs, and I am not thrilled with that mode of delivery. It seems to waste quite a bit of medicine.

    I also have a feeling they force the patient to comply, rather than dosing the insulin on needs — that’s the beauty of the insulin pump.

  • Changing Basal Rates

    Before the “Saturday binge” of Saturday a week ago, I was just experimenting with carb ratio of 11:1 (means I take the number of carbs in food and divide by 11) and it was working for most meals.

    I went back to 10:1 because my insulin usage was up, and the 11:1 wasn’t working and I was chasing highs.

    Now I’m chasing lows… (I write this stuff so if I screw it up, I can go back and look at it, even print it out and show the CDE or Dr.)

    All weekend, two hours after I ate, I was in range of 120-130. If I am that “low” — the goal is 140, I tend to go low within two hours. I really don’t want to eat every two hours, it aggravates the GERD (the more often you eat with GERD, the more often you experience heart burn). In fact, in a perfect world, like tonight, I eat about 5:00 and don’t eat again until morning, and I sleep better. I ate enough slow carbs and protein to keep me going tonight, so far. Though I’m keeping a close eye.

    SO, I think I’m going to try the 11:1 ratio again, though I hate that math (10:1 is the easiest, you just move the decimal point). If I do a 7 day average, the 500 rule works out, it’s just that nasty 70 unit day that is causing problems.

    Besides, I’ll just be chasing highs rather than lows, and it takes less calories to chase a high — but more insulin.

    I really hate making two adjustments at once, but that’s the way it goes — when you reduce insulin usage, you reduce it all the way around, basal AND bolus.

    Fun stuff isn’t it?

    And I decided to look this stuff up in Pumping Insulin. Interesting facts: According to Pumping Insulin, I should be taking 72.5 units a day, based on my weight. So at an average of 44 units over the past 7 days, I’m doing REALLY REALLY good. My exercising is paying off.

    The book says decrease or increase by 5% and recalcuate everything, but I honestly am afraid that’s too much too fast.

    And according to the book, I’ve done two things that cause my TDD to go down: changed my activity level (more weights, more time on the treadmill), and changed my weight — lost weight.

    Anyway my goal is to make gradual changes without screwing up control. I really hate chasing highs.

  • This is the study DB was referring to

    Tight Glucose Control May Provide Long-term Benefits in Diabetics

    And it is interesting, because of the long term results and the opinions of the researchers.

  • A good short guide on eating “out”.

    June 15, 2004