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D-Packages that Bring a Smile



made my day

http://www.glucolift.com/

I may or may not have popped a Wildberry myself.

Lenny joins our family thanks to Kim at textingmypancreas.com and

her fabulous GiveAllTheThings giveaways. 

Now I can practice inserting Silhouette infusion sets! (manually) 

I can do it.  I can do it.

Thanks Kim!



used with permission

I won over at Diabetesaliciousness, too! 
Love me some pharmacy grab-bag.   Can't wait for that to arrive!

I attribute my winning directly to karma.  I sent some test strips and batteries when Kelly called

for help for D-folks affected by Hurricane Sandy.  Six days later, I win!
Thanks Kelly!

Apple in My Eye

After doing some long, painful, kill-me-now, handing out some serious hurt if one more person parks their cart in the middle of the aisle Christmas shopping we stopped for a bite to eat.  I caved on the apple juice and Cheetos because "everybody at camp drinks apple juice" and I was tired.

BG before: 150 something

BG three hours after: 130

"IN. YOUR. FACE!" so says the apple juice according to Roo.

Sigh.  I'll hear about this for years.

In other news:
Went to Roo's band and chorus concert and upon return learned that Pink had a low of 56 shortly after I left.  She was home alone.  So proud of her treating and keeping herself safe!!!  But left my tummy a little sick.

Here's some insulin and have a nice day.

I have a friend whose spouse has Type 2 Diabetes.   Just recently Spouse experienced very elevated blood sugars and her primary physician prescribed NovoLog Mix 70/30.  She was told to inject insulin before breakfast and supper and to check her blood sugar 4 times a day.  She is to call in her logs and the doc would make the appropriate adjustments.  That's it.

Well, I'm sure that wasn't all of it but there was no emergency training for my friend, no more detailed training how to treat hypoglycemia and no Glucagon prescribed for Spouse.  No set number of carbs to eat.

I'm not familiar with Novolog 70/30 but I looked up that the 70% is intermediate insulin and the 30% is Novolog.  I don't understand how there is set amount of Novolog (fast acting) involved here but no set amount of carbs.  And just for breakfast and supper.  No lunch coverage?  Does the intermediate peak cover lunch?  How can she tell if there are no checks at lunch?  So on a carb heavy day she has to live with high blood sugar or for a no carb breakfast she risks going low? 

And let me tell you, I'm shocked (and disgusted) about insulin being prescribed with no emergency education or guidance treating a low.  (I believe they were told to use glucose tablets when first starting oral meds but nothing additional, as far as I know, when starting insulin.)  Shouldn't something like Glucagon go hand in hand with using insulin?  Or at least how to use a gel or rub honey on gums or...anything?  Are my expectation too high?  I don't think so.

We have only ever counted carbs so maybe I just don't understand the other ways. --No.-- I don't accept that.  An insulin, partially containing a fast acting insulin, was prescribed to a patient without any explanation of its duration or peak or how to match carbs to the insulin.  Was there any training on how to deal with insulin and sick days?  No emergency guidance.  Were they told to always carry a fast acting glucose with them?  Cripes, now I'm doubting everything.

I know not all patients are the same and some would want little information and just follow doctor's orders (or not) but I don't think this applies here.  I feel they are being ripped off.  Shouldn't complete education be the default?  Wouldn't this offer the patient a chance for the best health they could achieve?  Wouldn't this save everyone money in the long run?  And...it's INSULIN for crying out loud.

Waiting

They don't tell you that diabetes management includes a lot of time suckage.

waiting for a number

waiting at the pharmacy

waiting in the doctor's office

waiting on the mail order

waiting for a carb count

waiting to eat
waiting for the pump prime

waiting for an update text

waiting for better tools

waiting for Java to load on Carelink
waiting for uploading
waiting for my eye twitch to end

waiting for sleep

waiting for new Netflix episodes

waiting for the emergency we fight to avoid

waiting for a lower number

waiting for a higher number

waiting for the chest rise of a sleeping child

waiting close by

waiting fighting for a cure

Only relevant to this post because of the title.

And I like Green Day.

And it's my post.

Pump Break Reflections

It looks like Roo is staying with MDI (multiple daily injections).  Who would have thought?  Not me.  I threw out the idea of slapping in a pump site over the holiday just for meal boluses and snacking.  She thought that was a good idea but even opted out of that when the day came.  It partially has to do with her entire Thanksgiving meal consisting of mashed potatoes and pie, so not a lot a snacking.

Here are my reflections so far:

• I love that there is Lantus swimming through her at all times. 
• I have realized I think about a disruption of insulin more than I thought I did when they are pumping.
• I miss the pump tracking insulin on board
• mostly checking at ~2.5 hours when fighting a high to keep the insulin flowing without having to solve an advanced math problem.  (really need to find an app for this)
• I miss temp basals!
• Have had to relearn post exercise lows.  Holy moly - weight training on Lantus means a snack and an addition night check for sure.
• I suck at logging
• I don't like that we had to go back to having a discussion to include ALL the food she might possibly want for a meal to keep it to one shot.  Second helpings are easy using a pump!
• It was a little adjustment for Roo to carry the insulin pens.
• When both were pumping there was no throwing out 100s of units of insulin because it was past 29/30 days. 
• I must not forget to order more pen needles!
• The injections are not as traumatizing to her skin as the infusion sets.
• Roo's likin' it.

Oh, and where in the hell house do you stash a $7000 medical device? 

By the butter stamp, of course.