Re: What is Too High BS

[Guest guest]

In nondiabetics the blood sugar doesn't actually go up in the morning. Instead

insulin secretion goes up, with doesn't happen at all in diabetics (or if it

does it's not as effective). My endocrinologist said this is why diabetics wake

up high, and even though the same phenomenon happens in nondiabetics, their

blood sugar never actually goes high, they just secrete more insulin to deal

with it.

I talked to someone I know who has had type 1 diabetes for 45 years. She said

that when she was pregnant she had a dawn phenomenon and took pills to help with

it. I'm not sure what kind of pills she took, but she said she only had this

problem when she was pregnant and hasn't had it before or since.

Jen

What is Too High BS

, you agreed I could be having the so-called dawn

effect. And you said I could take medication to keep going

too high, which I do take Glucophage at night. But, what is

too high? I understand the normal range is 80-120 and we

are not normal. Does that mean we need to eat, exercise or

medicate to get into that range or is our too high

different.

Many thanks!

SS

[Guest guest]

Jen, that is good information. It kind of makes sense, as

much sense as anything else is making these days. GRIN

Your friend might have been taking Metformin? I am on that

and maybe the reason I was told to take it at night was to

counteract that dawn effect.

As an aside, while writing this, I finally got a call back

from the local Diabetes Association office I had called

almost two weeks ago asking about finding a Certified

Diabetes Educator. And the beat goes on... She said the

classes they offer for newly diagnosed diabetics would not

be good for me because they show a lot of things. I didn't

scream I can feel or I can imagine descriptions, but I did

point out to her that we do hear and we can get the gist of

most anything being talked about. Oh, nope, no materials in

alternative formats. Just like the national. Very, very

disappointing. But, not unexpected, I suppose.

Thanks for the info and for letting me rant.

SS

[Guest guest]

Hi and list

I just don’t get this “no information in alternative format” crap. It’s the

same with talking glucometers. Why has it taken so long to get a decent,

reasonably priced talking glucometer. And why can’t we get diabetic

educational information in Braille or on tape. Have these people not heard

that many diabetics lose some or all of their vision due to the diabetes?

And what about those of us who are blind for another reason? People who

make these products and sponsor educational programs need to wake up.

Okay, now I’ve ranted too. LOL

_____

From: blind-diabetics

[mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of sseric57

Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 3:07 PM

To: blind-diabetics

Subject: RE: What is Too High BS

Jen, that is good information. It kind of makes sense, as

much sense as anything else is making these days. GRIN

Your friend might have been taking Metformin? I am on that

and maybe the reason I was told to take it at night was to

counteract that dawn effect.

As an aside, while writing this, I finally got a call back

from the local Diabetes Association office I had called

almost two weeks ago asking about finding a Certified

Diabetes Educator. And the beat goes on... She said the

classes they offer for newly diagnosed diabetics would not

be good for me because they show a lot of things. I didn't

scream I can feel or I can imagine descriptions, but I did

point out to her that we do hear and we can get the gist of

most anything being talked about. Oh, nope, no materials in

alternative formats. Just like the national. Very, very

disappointing. But, not unexpected, I suppose.

Thanks for the info and for letting me rant.

SS

[Guest guest]

Actually your 130 is not very high, but it may be indicate a great

propensity toward dawn effect. Either more exercise or an even low BG at

night might do it for you. Diabetes is so individual you will probably have

to experiment on yourself. If it keeps getting higher and higher in the

morning despite less carbs, more exercise etc., you might need a med

adjustment It's a constant battle and when you think you have it,

something changes and you have to start all over!

What is Too High BS

, you agreed I could be having the so-called dawn

effect. And you said I could take medication to keep going

too high, which I do take Glucophage at night. But, what is

too high? I understand the normal range is 80-120 and we

are not normal. Does that mean we need to eat, exercise or

medicate to get into that range or is our too high

different.

Many thanks!

SS

[Guest guest]

Yes, the dawn effect in non-diabetics makes their pancreas put out more

insulin. When I was pregnant, I did not a dawn effect (there wee no meters

available then) that I know of, but I became very hypoglycemic because the

baby made more insulin for me. With both pregnancies, I ended up in the

hospital with super low blood sugars.

Re: What is Too High BS

In nondiabetics the blood sugar doesn't actually go up in the morning.

Instead insulin secretion goes up, with doesn't happen at all in diabetics

(or if it does it's not as effective). My endocrinologist said this is why

diabetics wake up high, and even though the same phenomenon happens in

nondiabetics, their blood sugar never actually goes high, they just secrete

more insulin to deal with it.

I talked to someone I know who has had type 1 diabetes for 45 years. She

said that when she was pregnant she had a dawn phenomenon and took pills to

help with it. I'm not sure what kind of pills she took, but she said she

only had this problem when she was pregnant and hasn't had it before or

since.

Jen

What is Too High BS

, you agreed I could be having the so-called dawn

effect. And you said I could take medication to keep going

too high, which I do take Glucophage at night. But, what is

too high? I understand the normal range is 80-120 and we

are not normal. Does that mean we need to eat, exercise or

medicate to get into that range or is our too high

different.

Many thanks!

SS

[Guest guest]

You are absolutely right Becky. When it comes to diabetic information,

there is very little that is blind friendly. With all the activists there

are, it amazing to me that more has not been done.

RE: What is Too High BS

Jen, that is good information. It kind of makes sense, as

much sense as anything else is making these days. GRIN

Your friend might have been taking Metformin? I am on that

and maybe the reason I was told to take it at night was to

counteract that dawn effect.

As an aside, while writing this, I finally got a call back

from the local Diabetes Association office I had called

almost two weeks ago asking about finding a Certified

Diabetes Educator. And the beat goes on... She said the

classes they offer for newly diagnosed diabetics would not

be good for me because they show a lot of things. I didn't

scream I can feel or I can imagine descriptions, but I did

point out to her that we do hear and we can get the gist of

most anything being talked about. Oh, nope, no materials in

alternative formats. Just like the national. Very, very

disappointing. But, not unexpected, I suppose.

Thanks for the info and for letting me rant.

SS

[Guest guest]

It all depends on your approach to diabetes management. If you are looking for

good A1C levels, then making sure your bs does not go over 120 will give you

good A1C numbers. On the other hand, if you are aiming for normalized bs

levels, then any thing out of the normal range is out of the question.

Normalized bs levels range 80-90 and rarely go over plus or minus 15 points.

[Guest guest]

Becky,

I quite agree with you about having more information in Braille on diabetes.

Regarding your comment about the lack of manufacturers making talking blood

meters for us blind diabetics. It seems that the largest of the Diagnostic

companies who are in the business of manufacturing such monitors for diabetics,

are not interested in adapting or designing a new talking blood monitor for the

use of blind diabetics.

When I was doing my research towards obtaining a talking blood meter for blind

diabetics in England about three years ago, the attitude from four of the

largest major manufacturers of diagnostics was, " There Were Not Enough Blind

Diabetics To Warrant Their Justification In Their research In This Field " . When

I pointed out to them that, diabetes was one of the biggest causes of blindness,

and that diabetes wasn't only just a illness in England, but also a worldwide

issue. It didn't seem to make any difference to their policy.

I think this is why smaller companies are more likely to be helpful when it

comes to manufacturing such equipment.

I don't know about the States, but over here in England, the larger diagnostic

companies seem to give both hospitals and general practice doctors, some of

their products free of charge as a PR practice, to pass on to their respective

patients, and yet, they are not prepared to pay the cost for research into

manufacturing a talking blood meter just for blind diabetics, doesn't seem to

come into their equation. [Excuse the pun], In my view, the four large players

in this field of manufacturing such equipment, could, and should, do something

about designing or adapting an existing blood meter that could talk, are very

short sighted.

Rowe

RE: What is Too High BS

Jen, that is good information. It kind of makes sense, as

much sense as anything else is making these days. GRIN

Your friend might have been taking Metformin? I am on that

and maybe the reason I was told to take it at night was to

counteract that dawn effect.

As an aside, while writing this, I finally got a call back

from the local Diabetes Association office I had called

almost two weeks ago asking about finding a Certified

Diabetes Educator. And the beat goes on... She said the

classes they offer for newly diagnosed diabetics would not

be good for me because they show a lot of things. I didn't

scream I can feel or I can imagine descriptions, but I did

point out to her that we do hear and we can get the gist of

most anything being talked about. Oh, nope, no materials in

alternative formats. Just like the national. Very, very

disappointing. But, not unexpected, I suppose.

Thanks for the info and for letting me rant.

SS

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

A few years ago I had an appointment at the diabetes clinic at my local hospital

to learn about carbohydrate counting. They didn't have any accessible materials,

and so I took what they did have and brailled it for my own reference. At my

next appointment I brought the braille copies with me and made a point to show

them. They were impressed and asked if this was something I thought they should

look into making avaialble to other patients. Being in high school at the time I

said I didn't think many people read braille (don't ask me what my adolescent

brain was thinking!) and it sort of ended there. But perhaps bringing some

information about where your clinic could send materials to get brailled or

scanned, or showing them an example of similar materials produced in

braille/tactile diagrams/whatever other format, might make them more interested

or willing to look into it more themselves. A lot of sighted people don't have a

clue about how it's possible to represent something like a table of nutritional

information, or a diagram of how insulin works, or anything else of that nature

could be represented in an accessible format, and even less of an idea of who

could help them even if they knew it could be done.

Jen

RE: What is Too High BS

Jen, that is good information. It kind of makes sense, as

much sense as anything else is making these days. GRIN

Your friend might have been taking Metformin? I am on that

and maybe the reason I was told to take it at night was to

counteract that dawn effect.

As an aside, while writing this, I finally got a call back

from the local Diabetes Association office I had called

almost two weeks ago asking about finding a Certified

Diabetes Educator. And the beat goes on... She said the

classes they offer for newly diagnosed diabetics would not

be good for me because they show a lot of things. I didn't

scream I can feel or I can imagine descriptions, but I did

point out to her that we do hear and we can get the gist of

most anything being talked about. Oh, nope, no materials in

alternative formats. Just like the national. Very, very

disappointing. But, not unexpected, I suppose.

Thanks for the info and for letting me rant.

SS

[Guest guest]

This reminds me of something I should have told you earlier, . Since

you live in Columbus, you do have a resource for getting material put into

Braille or on cassette tape. Vision & Vocational Services has volunteers

who can do that. And if you get Braille or tape materials done for you, be

sure to let the leader of this support group or informational group know

about the service. E-mail me privately if you need to know who to call to

get the Braille or taping done for you.

And to those of you who live elsewhere, if there is a rehab center in your

area or a state service for the visually impaired, those would be good

places to check with about getting things transcribed for you.

Becky

_____

From: blind-diabetics

[mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Jesso

Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 8:50 PM

To: blind-diabetics

Subject: Re: What is Too High BS

Hi ,

A few years ago I had an appointment at the diabetes clinic at my local

hospital to learn about carbohydrate counting. They didn't have any

accessible materials, and so I took what they did have and brailled it for

my own reference. At my next appointment I brought the braille copies with

me and made a point to show them. They were impressed and asked if this was

something I thought they should look into making avaialble to other

patients. Being in high school at the time I said I didn't think many people

read braille (don't ask me what my adolescent brain was thinking!) and it

sort of ended there. But perhaps bringing some information about where your

clinic could send materials to get brailled or scanned, or showing them an

example of similar materials produced in braille/tactile diagrams/whatever

other format, might make them more interested or willing to look into it

more themselves. A lot of sighted people don't have a clue about how it's

possible to represent something like a t

Jen

RE: What is Too High BS

Jen, that is good information. It kind of makes sense, as

much sense as anything else is making these days. GRIN

Your friend might have been taking Metformin? I am on that

and maybe the reason I was told to take it at night was to

counteract that dawn effect.

As an aside, while writing this, I finally got a call back

from the local Diabetes Association office I had called

almost two weeks ago asking about finding a Certified

Diabetes Educator. And the beat goes on... She said the

classes they offer for newly diagnosed diabetics would not

be good for me because they show a lot of things. I didn't

scream I can feel or I can imagine descriptions, but I did

point out to her that we do hear and we can get the gist of

most anything being talked about. Oh, nope, no materials in

alternative formats. Just like the national. Very, very

disappointing. But, not unexpected, I suppose.

Thanks for the info and for letting me rant.

SS