[Diabetes] General Chat and Support Thread

Eircom_Sucks wrote: »

what types of fruit are good for T2 ???

also who is montitoring your Diabetes ? ie clinic or gp ?

Any berries(Strawberry/blueberries/raspberries) ! Next in line would be apple.

Avoid rest if you can.

Roberto_gas wrote: »

Any berries(Strawberry/blueberries/raspberries) ! Next in line would be apple.

Avoid rest if you can.

Blueberries are great

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

If you're being referred then the chances of not getting a pump are very low, I imagine.

I'm on a pump with the last couple of years and CGM since last year and both are game changers.

With the pump, you have no long acting basal injections, just continual small doses of fast acting insulin. They will help you calculate your new basal insulin levels but, in my case, the number of severe hypos has dropped to nearly zero. I'm on the Medtronic 640g and it stops my basal injections when my levels drop to 5 and sound an alarm and vibrate to alert me to take something to stabilise my glucose and bring it back up. I used get very bad hypos in the evenings due to work type and that's reduced hugely now. And it restarts the basals again when levels are starting to rise above 5 as well.

The CGM is very handy as well as you can monitor your levels from night times when you get up in the morning and use that to adjust your basal levels after a few days of monitoring.

If you're prone to hypos like I was or need better control and simplicity, you'll love your pump.

Best of luck and let us know how you get on:)

Hello Buford T,

What CGM are you using and is that something that was bought by you or was it provided by the HSE ?

I’m sure I’ll get asked why I want a pump .....is the reason I have given ok to give ?
I find managing the condition hard currently due to family and work commitments. My control is good but I just need something to make things easier for me

Thanks

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

I'm on the Medtronic CGM which syncs with the Medtronic pump and the Medtronic blood meter syncs with the pump as well. So you test your blood and it gets sent to the pump, then you input the carbs you're going taking and the pump calculates the level of insulin needed for you. The pump then allows you to sync the reading it received from the meter with the CGM so the CGM will remain accurate. All provided by the HSE, everything you will need will be on your prescription. We were given a half day training for the pump and brought back 2 weeks later, once we were used to the pump, to get trained for the CGM.

Your reasons are perfectly valid for getting a pump, there seems to be a push on to get more people on pumps for better long term control and reduced complications in years to come from poor control. With young kids and a job to juggle, every bit of help and reduced hypos when you're minding the kids and travelling to and from work is hugely important. If they question you about your need, just stand your ground. I wish I had done that earlier but I expect you'll have no problem getting it sorted.

Just tell them you're not leaving the room without getting the pump if all else fails:)

Thanks Buford, your info is great and really helpful. They don’t have a pump support team in Clonmel (STGH) hence the referral to CUH.

I’m diabetic for 21 years and I’m fine. I have a tiny touch of diabetic macular odema and that’s treated on a recurring basis which sorts it out.

I hope I can get it as I really need something to help making managing easier.

I know how to carb count as the dietician in STGH met with me a few times to go through it.

Do you find the device(s) cumbersome to manage and wear ?

Thanks again

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

No difficulty, tbh. I have a bumbag that I put the pump into and keeps it out of my way. I also keep a small store of glucose tablets there as well, just in case.

I was on the Animas pump before the Medtronic one and the Medtronic patches to keep the the insertion patch attached is much superior to the Animas one. There's a number of differ types of insertion patch as well, I have a longer one that goes in at an angle and rarely comes out. You can ask about the different types and find one that suits you if the first one comes out too often.

And they will come out at times. If you get a high reading, you're reminded to check the insertion patch to make sure it's still attached. Once the bolus starts flowing, check for any wet patch after the first unit had been given and you can stop the flow and change the insertion patch.

When the kids were younger, one of them in the bed with us would normally kick it off during the night but they're bigger now so less of a problem.

I’d also say to look at https://flipbelt.co.uk
I have one and use it while I do CrossFit/ run etc. Of get the zipper one for the pump and then there are extra slots for glucose tabs etc. It’s form fitting, so you can easily disguise it under clothes etc. I know of a few diabetic females that absolutely love it for that feature. Only an idea.

As Buford said you’ll get the guardian sensors covered as well. My recommendation with the c sensors is to calibrate them 3-4 times a day. Or else the results get a bit wonky.

I know that you’d want to get one now, but it might be worth waiting for the 670g to come online in Ireland. Really it should be months now at this stage. I have this one but it is only because I personally know the CMO of Medtronic (I’ve done a ton of work for them). But even the guardian sensor 3 are covered which I get on the LTI.

CramCycle wrote: »

I have the Guardian 3 transmitter. Not as firm at sticking as the old one (in regards the patches you stick on top). Have a few old patches from my previous transmitter and they are way better but the new transmitter is way better at staying on track, and the old one was fine. Nurse says it is the software rather than the transmitter but I don't care.

The new sensors have a different patch. It was a requirement of the FDA in the US. They kept it for Europe as well. These patches take up a lot of real estate (about 2.5 times bigger than the Enlite sensor patches). I only wear the one, but if you go to training you’ll have both put on and you’ll need unisolve to get the feckers off.

I need a few peoples opinion on something.

My 19 year old son is Type 1, he recently got the flu while in Paris and had a bad DKA incident which left him in ICU for 5 days and took him a few weeks to get over it all.

Him and his New Zealand girlfriend are planning on going back to NZ in May. We would rather he stayed but he is an adult so we cant stop him. The problem is that due to the corna virus, flights on Chinese Airlines are at rock bottom price for long haul flights. They want to book a ticket from Dublin to Taiwan to Auckland.

Given his diabetes I am quite worried about this virus anyway but I think he is putting himself in harms way by flying this route with a Chinese Airline. For the sake of a few hundred euros he could fly with another carrier to the middle east or USA routes.

I do a lot of risk assessments for work, my analysis is as follows: Liklihood of catching the corona virus from a Chinese Airlines plane or while in Taiwan airport = low (but probably higher than with another carrier and route). Severity of catching the virus as a Type 1 diabetic with an already weakened immune system = high. Risk rating = Medium.

For a medium risk level I would review my current proposal and additional control measures or identify and remove elements that are considered as posing the greatest risk. We cant remove the diabetes so the only changeable factor is the travel route.

Am I getting caught up in the mass hysteria surrounding the virus or would this be considered an unacceptable level of risk for a type 1 diabetic to take. It is getting to the point now where we are arguing about it and this is not how we want them leaving.

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

I need a few peoples opinion on something.

I'm glad he has recovered well after the Paris incident BE.

As you have mentioned, he is an adult and will make his own decision on this 1.
Unfortunately he is at that age when there is often a rebellion against the limits that a life time illness can place upon us.

Be it taking risks, messing up meds or just being plain auld irresponsible and messy drunk teenagers.

Regarding the flights, he may never have the opportunity to travel this cheap again.
The prophylaxis options aren't great but barrier and disinfection does seem to be effective.

Unless you are funding his trip, there really isn't much you can do to stop him that won't lead to at least an argument.

Advise caution, hope he takes it but honestly...
Place more hope in the Airline's cleaning and sterilisation

CramCycle wrote: »

Not my experience, the two patches were not good enough when training. I found the three from the previous model done the job unless tugged but the two would work loose quite easily after about two days. Regrettably I hadn't gotten round to getting more Tegaderm or similar and lost my sensor. Pretty annoying, perfect bloods for 3 weeks and I can't afford a replacement.

Out of curiosity are you talking about this one:



Or this one:


I’m talking about the second one. That’s the one that comes with the 670g

CramCycle wrote: »

Yep, the top one was with my previous sensor, the bottom with my new one. At least the top one worked loose and you'd feel it long before it caem off, I could top it up with med tape or tegaderm. The bottom ones only worked if I had additional ones on. Came off two days in, no warning or tugging. Bloody transmitter is expensive so thats me done with CGM for awhile sadly. Maybe I got a bad batch of the sticky things but they were not great for me.

So are you using the Enlite sensor still or are you on the new one?

CramCycle wrote: »

The new one, Guardian Sensor 3. Or I was till it went off into oblivion. I had an enlite sensor and when that was over the year I got the Guardian Sensor 3, about 2 months ago. The sensor is actually great, really on the ball. Only issue was the stickers not being great, which now means I don't have one.

So do you have the 670g pump then? Out are you on the 640 pump?

Any advice most welcome here...

Travelling to Australia in a while so planning what we need to do. My 16 year old is Type 1, just wondering how other posters have managed the travel - he is on a pump.

Thanks in advance.

sylvanb wrote: »

Any advice most welcome here...

Travelling to Australia in a while so planning what we need to do. My 16 year old is Type 1, just wondering how other posters have managed the travel - he is on a pump.

Thanks in advance.

We moved back from New Zealand about 1.5 years ago. The jet lag takes about a week to get over however my body took a lot longer to adapt to my new day / night routine so my blood sugars etc were all over the place for ages. It is more than just changing the time on the pump as your metabolism and whatever else affects diabetes is basically turned upside down. It was nothing major but worth noting so you know what to maybe expect after you arrive.