Guest guest Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Also frustrated. But it seems what works for one does not work for all ? Even though its all diabetes with so many factors it does seem to take some time to get to that fine balance of what works right for you. Consider giving it a few months before making any fixed (pump) plans, read everything you can, ask a lot of questions. For me I have started to be able to dial in to what works with the help of a Sony Clie UX50 (PDA) + a small program to track everything - Meds, exer, food etc... The key is the ability to at the press of a button view a graph to nail down what I did to get to a given target. Yes it takes lots of time and lots of testing and not low cost, but it's not just my life - I need to stick around for my kids :-) I can also send the info with ease to my doctor, and after some basic input over time the program makes a guesstimate (sp?) as to Lantus amount and this have proven very close. As I am kind of a tech guy, this has become fun taking what is basicaly a crapy problem and giving me a tool to do battle with. If anyone needs tech help please feel free to contact me. > , > > What is a GAD test? My mom also has to take insulin. She's on > Lantus and Novolog also. > > We looked in to the pump as a possibility for her but she ended > up not being interested. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 << I am so frustrated that I have to figure out how much insulin I need when I eat and if my sugar level needs to be adjusted. >> Hi , I understand your feelings of frustration. When I was diagnosed, I felt as if I would never be able to adjust to these increased responsibilities that were placed upon me -- and that I *had* to take care of, no matter how much I might have objected. Actually, for me, learning how to properly dose insulin was the easy part (I didn't mind the injections, the frequent monitoring of my BGs, or any of the steps involved in that aspect of my self-management); the *difficult* part was figuring out what I could and couldn't eat, particularly the realization that going forward, I would need to give that degree of focus and attention to the food that I ate every day. I was so frightened when I left the hospital, because I was convinced that I would never be able to put this food puzzle together properly. It's funny -- I was actually thinking about this just the other day. It will be seven years since my diagnosis (I'm T1) in September. For seven years, there hasn't been a single day when I haven't carefully planned and calculated my meals. I didn't think I would be able to do it for seven *days*, yet I've managed to pull it off for almost seven years. I still have days where it's overwhelming, and I just wish that I could have ONE day off. I haven't eaten a " spontaneous " meal in such a long time. That's not always the easiest thing to do when you're reliant upon injected or infused insulin to survive. The two are so closely interrelated and depend so much on one another that to temporarily upset even one side of the delicate balance can potentially create even *more* problems that aren't necessary. I've given myself the chance to eat foods that I typically wouldn't eat on a regular basis anymore; I don't deprive myself to that degree. But I realize too that the focus I have on food is so much a part of who I am now, so much a part of my daily life, that to some degree it's almost become unconscious. I just do it. Insulin dosing, and fine-tuning your short-acting boluses to match the carbohydrates you consume, is a challenging process. I'm *still* learning about some aspects of carb counting, even now (i.e., certain foods will affect my BGs differently than others despite the fact that the carb content is identical). Are you self-adjusting your doses based on the foods that you're eating, or are you using a *set* dose for meals, and adjusting up or down when your BGs are high or low? There's a considerable learning curve attached to using insulin. You didn't mention how long you've been using Lantus and Novolog; you mentioned that you were diagnosed in December, but you didn't say when your doctor started you on insulin. It *will* take time, but it will become easier. You're actually in a better position right now in terms of what you're using to control your diabetes. So many of the oral medications have side-effects (in the same way that oral meds for other conditions have side-effects as well), but insulin is a naturally occurrinig hormone -- you're replacing something that your own body no longer makes or utilizes properly. I wish you the best of luck with everything. But I did want to mention something else, since I'm not certain if your doctor explained this to you: << My doctor told me that once I finish my Advanced Classes and go to a class about insulin pump, they will help me get a pump. Life will be much easier I think and I will have better control. >> I'm on an insulin pump -- for the second time. I used a pump for 4.5 years, from one year after my diagnosis until February of last year, took a one-year vacation, and have been back on the pump since February 2004 (exactly one year to the day that I started injections again). I can't say enough about the pump; I didn't truly realize how much of a gift it was until I took a break from it (I needed it both physically and psychologically). But the one thing I *did* want to tell you is that an insulin pump will not automatically measure your blood sugar, decide how much insulin you need at a given time, and automatically deliver that insulin. That's still *our* responsibility. When using a pump, you will still need to test your BGs as frequently (and in the beginning, more frequently, in order to verify that your basal and bolus insulin is programmed correctly) as you do now. The pumps that are available now will do bolus (meal) calculations for you, but you still need to program your insulin to carbohydrate ratios, and how much carbohydrate you'll be eating at a given meal, into the pump. The pump will calculate the bolus you'll need based on the information it has already, but the pump can't automatically detect BGs and automatically deliver insulin. That's still up to us. I think it's a very good idea for you to attend classes about the pump. It's a big decision for anyone to make. Again, I wish you the best of luck, . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 My husband was talking to a man yesterday who uses an insulin pump and loves it. My dh was diagnosed Type 2 about a month and a half ago and he's still adjusting. He's just upped his metformin to 2x a day. We're finally starting to see levels in the 180's - 220's -- and those are good readings for him. Funny, how we both get excited about a reading of 165 (which he had yesterday for the first time!) -- two months ago, that was a foreign concept to us. I didn't even know there was such a think at Type 1 1/2. This diagnosis certainly has been a learning experience for us! Gwen married seven years to SAHM/Homeschooling mom to my beautiful blue-eyed girls 6yo , 2yo & 6mo Audrey Rose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 In a message dated 4/30/2004 12:49:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time, fmtisit2002@... writes: The only thing positive out of this is that I have lost weight and my clothes are getting big. Hi , It is okay to gripe/vent in this group. It was hard for me to accept diabetes at first, but then I started losing weight and was able to go off 3 meds. Now, I can truly say, diabetes has made me a much healthier person. My weight has stayed at the same level for over 3 years. I'm still enjoying being small and able to wear skinny clothes. It won't take you long to find out what you need to do to control diabetes. Once you get on the pump and get that regulated, things will be much easier. hugs Eunice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 How much does stress play in this deal - talk about stress - we live stress ---- free & T1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 > Once you get on the pump and get that regulated, things will be much > easier. The pump, The pump, The pump - We've heard about it - but is it magic? & T1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 No the pump is not magic, however the pump has allowed me to have a very " normal " lifestyle. I am not chasing insulin with food, not tied to a " HARD " schedule, can eat when hungry not because I have to, and the list goes on. Yes a pump requires that you pay attention and work some and in MHO (My Humble Opinion) it is worth it. www.insulin-pumpers.org is a good source of information. Vern Catron www.history-buff.org <http://www.history-buff.org/> Meddle ye not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup (or HP). Re: Frustrated > Once you get on the pump and get that regulated, things will be much > easier. The pump, The pump, The pump - We've heard about it - but is it magic? & T1 Diabetes homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes/ To unsubscribe to this group, send an email to: diabetes-unsubscribe Hope you come back soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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