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[Diabetes] General Chat and Support Thread

tbh

Hey guys - I've created a single "chat" thread for all the diabetics for any topics of conversation that don't fit in the existing threads.

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CramCycle

robinph wrote: »

You have to re-apply for the license every three years as well giving them your consultant details and answering a few questionnaires and giving them permission to check medical records. Now, I don't think they have ever actually done that for me as the license always came back far too quickly for there to have been time for them to refer to the hospitals, either in the UK or Ireland, does give you a chance to update your picture card more often though. For some reason my latest license actually came back with an older picture of me on it than the previous one though.

I'm not aware of any loading on the insurance previously, but at the moment I'm just a named driver. If I did have any loading on insurance then it would previously have been due to driving issues rather than medical ones.

Thats the weird thing with me, I applied for my lisence, ticked the box about Diabetes and handed in a letter from my GP saying I had good control and my Diabetes would not affect my driving capabilities in any way.

I got a 10 year lisence, I never queried it, never had an accident. I always check my bloods before driving and even while driving but it doesn't mean I won't be in an accident through some other factor that is my fault.

Apparently (according to nurses a few years ago) they cannot load you if you have a consultants statement confirming your control, the ironic thing is when I was first insured (almost 10 years ago) they never asked about my health and I never told them because they never asked but I was considering switching companies and it was a fairly prominent question in the statement you have to sign.

@TBH Quinn were who I was looking at, I might not switch though as FBD have gotten back to me saying they would like to talk to me about offering me a better deal (nothing like asking for your no claims letter to kick start them into action, although I won't even go into the pain in the ass that is). As for the hypo definition, that mighth be theirs but if a consultant is writing a letter it could be that or it could be under 3.5 or under 4.

My definition defies scientific logic so I won't talk about it here.

CramCycle

tbh wrote: »

I've always understood "hypo" in this sense to mean you actually passed out from a hypo. also, I'm with quinn about 4 years and they load me about 60 quid.

Passed out is a strong term. I have often, in my youth, faded from conciousness but remained active and interactive according to friends (just low bloods, no alcohol involved), diabetes is a funny thing, the dietician was telling me about a patient who had severe hyperglycaemia, despite perfect control at all other times, whenever she eat fish (unbattered), I did not tell her about how diabetics lie to Dieticians :pac:

CramCycle wrote: »

I got a 10 year lisence, I never queried it

It's up to the doctor.
On the form the doctor fills out there are check boxes for whether the doctor is certifying you as fit for 1, 3 or 10 years - form here: http://www.dublincity.ie/Documents/Application_Forms/Roads_and_Traffic/Driving%20Licence/Driving_licence_medical_report_form_D501.pdf

They then grant the licence based on whatever the doctor ticks.
If he/she ticks 10 years then you get a 10 year licence.
Mine always ticks 3!

Mr Trade In

I have type 2 diabetes, over the last few months I have noticed a sharp decline in my long vision,today I was late for a lecture and was forced to take a seat on the far left of the back row, I could not make out anything on the projector screen,up close my vision is perfect, I can still read computer screens and very small print books,my bloods are quite stable at the moment. Should I go to my GP or just walk into a general Optitions on the high street?

graflynn

Mr Trade In wrote: »

I have type 2 diabetes, over the last few months I have noticed a sharp decline in my long vision,today I was late for a lecture and was forced to take a seat on the far left of the back row, I could not make out anything on the projector screen,up close my vision is perfect, I can still read computer screens and very small print books,my bloods are quite stable at the moment. Should I go to my GP or just walk into a general Optitions on the high street?

I think - but I could be wrong here, that if it's your GP who is looking after your diabetes that he/she should be able to refer you to a specialist diabetic eye clinic.

5live

tbh wrote: »

I've always understood "hypo" in this sense to mean you actually passed out from a hypo. also, I'm with quinn about 4 years and they load me about 60 quid.

I thought they couldnt load your insurance for diabetes

. I'm with FBD for years and have never been loaded and my insurance is lower than 'healthy' friends. And after writing off 3 motors one night after getting a hypo while driving home after dropping my OH to hospital to have our first child:o(i did have no claims bonus protection though:cool:).

I am a bit surprised tbh, tbh:p(wanted to do that with a while:pac:)

graflynn

5live wrote: »

I thought they couldnt load your insurance for diabetes. I'm with FBD for years and have never been loaded and my insurance is lower than 'healthy' friends. And after writing off 3 motors one night after getting a hypo while driving home after dropping my OH to hospital to have our first child:o(i did have no claims bonus protection though:cool:).

I am a bit surprised tbh, tbh:p(wanted to do that with a while:pac:)

I thought I heard the Diabetes Federation say that they can't also but I can't find it written anywhere official. I've never been loaded for car insurance either and I've been driving for 10+ years.

CramCycle

graflynn wrote: »

I thought I heard the Diabetes Federation say that they can't also but I can't find it written anywhere official. I've never been loaded for car insurance either and I've been driving for 10+ years.

I have heard this said as well because it is discriminatory if you are in good health and keep an eye on your sugars to a reasonable degree but I wasn't confident enough to point it out and luckily no one has asked :eek:

elvis jones

I'll have to ring all my insurance companies now !

Life, motor etc.........correct ?

Should i wait until i go on my tablets. I'm just keeping an eye on all my levels so the doctor has an idea of what sort of dosage to put me on.

graflynn

The Clare Type 1 Diabetes Support Group will meet on Tuesday, the 11th of October, in the Old Ground Hotel, Ennis from 8pm to 9:30pm. The topic will focus on sharing information about Exercise. Anyone interesting in learning more about Type 1 Diabetes is welcome.

The meetings take place in a relaxed setting and are focused on sharing the challenges we face in living with diabetes and congratulating the triumphs.

The Support Group can be contacted on the following telephone number 087 641 5747 or by email at clarebranchdfi@gmail.com

5live

That time of the year again when the flu shot is due. I made an appointment for tomorrow and cancelled all work. My bloods take a nose dive for about 36 hours after the shot and i normally get at least one bad hypo in the evening. Does anybody else get this or am i the only one:mad:

Apanachi

My daughter has been recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes so I'll be popping in here for a look quite a lot.

At the moment she is on Lantus & Novrapid and so far things seem to be fine, we are still in the starting phase, so her levels tend to go up and down a bit, put I guess we'll sort things out as times go by.

My biggest fear at the moment is that she'll get a hypo during the night, but the doctors assured me, that if this does happen, people tend to wake up during a hypo (kind of like when you realise you have to pee your body sends you warning signals before it's too late).

She should be able to get an insulin pump after 6 months of using the pen which should make things a bit easier (only another 5 1/2 months to go

)

We are working things out as we go along and so far things are grand, we are still trying to find substitutes for certain stuff, for example we found a sweetener we can use for her cornflakes, baking etc...which has absolutely no effect on her blood sugar, no side effects (diarrhoea, bloating etc.) AND it tastes good!!!!

My biggest task at the moment is to find someway to make caramel (for caramel squares) using as little sugar as possible, I've done a bit of googling and have come across the suggestion of using isomalt, does anyone have any experience with this regarding the usual side effects if too much is eaten, effect on blood sugar levels and of course taste - there's no point in it working a treat and tasting disgusting - in that case, I'll just have to settle on using normal sugar and only letting her eat very little at a time, but with Christmas coming up and all that, I do want her to be able to indulge a little just like the rest of us or alternatively has anyone a tried and tested low sugar tasty caramel recipes suitable for diabetics.

That's all for now, but I'm sure I'll be back soon for more information or just to share my experiences

CathyMoran

Personally I eat the normal stuff - I just take the insulin to match it. Better get back to my liitle girl who is tired and needs a nappy change...point is, I had children after having diabetes for several years. Best wishes.

Apanachi

CathyMoran wrote: »

Personally I eat the normal stuff - I just take the insulin to match it.

Yes, we have decided not to go near the "diet" stuff either, but for cakes & stuff with high sugar amounts (like caramel), it would be nice to have a substitute so she can have an extra slice or two with ending up on the toilet for hours. The sweetner we use for stuff like apple pie is great and she can eat loads of it without having to inject too much insulin, but no good for making caramel, if all fails we will just make them as usual and just limit her intake (or plan ahead how often and how much she can eat)

On another note, this might sound quite silly, but I am living in Germany, so all the appointments, lessons on Diabetes etc we had were in German, so I have no idea how to explain certain things in English (which I'm going to need to be able to do when I go home to Ireland), like what do you call the units used to measure the amount of insulin required in German it's Broteinheit, I've come across the term "bread unit" but it doesn't seem to be standard, I've seen CP being mentioned here, what does that stand for? (I'm guessing carb/carbo/carbohydrate something or other) can someone give me a run down of the standard Diabetes "terms" in English, so I'll be able to explain to my friends and family in my native language

Thanks

tbh

Apanachi wrote: »

Yes, we have decided not to go near the "diet" stuff either, but for cakes & stuff with high sugar amounts (like caramel), it would be nice to have a substitute so she can have an extra slice or two with ending up on the toilet for hours. The sweetner we use for stuff like apple pie is great and she can eat loads of it without having to inject too much insulin, but no good for making caramel, if all fails we will just make them as usual and just limit her intake (or plan ahead how often and how much she can eat)

On another note, this might sound quite silly, but I am living in Germany, so all the appointments, lessons on Diabetes etc we had were in German, so I have no idea how to explain certain things in English (which I'm going to need to be able to do when I go home to Ireland), like what do you call the units used to measure the amount of insulin required in German it's Broteinheit, I've come across the term "bread unit" but it doesn't seem to be standard, I've seen CP being mentioned here, what does that stand for? (I'm guessing carb/carbo/carbohydrate something or other) can someone give me a run down of the standard Diabetes "terms" in English, so I'll be able to explain to my friends and family in my native language

Thanks

Sure!

CP: Carbohydrate portions. 1 CP = 10g of Carbohdrates.

I can't think off-hand what other terms you might need to know, there aren't really any diabetes specific terms that aren't also used in the same sense in wider English. If you have any tho, just post them there. One I can think of is Basal insulin, also known as background insulin - this is your lantus or long-acting insulin, as opposed to your bolus insulin, which is your fast-acting insulin you take before every meal.

re: the caramel debate, I agree with Cathy - let her have the normal stuff and just increase the dose of bolus to deal with it.

Apanachi

tbh wrote: »

re: the caramel debate, I agree with Cathy - let her have the normal stuff and just increase the dose of bolus to deal with it.

OK, will do that thanks.

The term Basal insulin is used here in the books, but the doctors refer to is as "basis insulin" - easy enough to understand I guess, knowing what CP is is very helpful, as when I finally get home a Christmas, I'm sure my daughter will be spending quite a bit of time whit her cousins and telling my brothers & sisters how many "BE"s she has on her plate might not be such a great help so thanks for that.

What's the highest CP intake one should have per meal? The doctors, nurses and dietician in the hospital all gave us different recommendations, I know it shouldn't be too high, because that can increase the risk of a hypo a few hours later, right but how high is too high. The dietician said 7, the doctor 8, but the nurses on the ward often let her eat 10!!!

robinph

It the "Broteinheit" measured in grams, like 10g* for a slice of bread, or 1* for a slice of bread? (* Made up numbers)
It's either going to be the exact number of grams of carbohydrates in each item of food, which you'll get on the side of the various food packages, or it will be "carbohydrate portions" which will be more along the lines of the way I think they teach you in the DAFNE courses.

I would expect that they use the same name for "hbA1C" test results. You've probably not had one of those done yet, but they results give an idea as to how the average sugar level control has been over the previous several months before the test. The numbers used for this test scale are being changed soon internationally though so the range of numbers the doctors will be looking for you to reach will be changing slightly, but around about 5-7 is considered pretty good at the moment.

I would highly recommend getting the book Carbs and Cals which is just a big book of pictures of foods on plates, but shows you how many carbohydrates are in each sized portion so helps when the food your eating does not come with instructions on the side of the packet, such as eating out.

tbh

Apanachi wrote: »

What's the highest CP intake one should have per meal? The doctors, nurses and dietician in the hospital all gave us different recommendations, I know it shouldn't be too high, because that can increase the risk of a hypo a few hours later, right but how high is too high. The dietician said 7, the doctor 8, but the nurses on the ward often let her eat 10!!!

The advice given here in general, and to me specifically, is that there is no limit - you just need to know how much you're taking so you can adjust your insulin dose accordingly. I've never been told to limit the amount from a diabetic point of view, but of course carbs can also turn quickly to fat so the advice may be given from a weight management point of view as opposed to an insulin management. To be honest, it'd be quite easy to eat 10, especially for dinner. I love spuds

tbh

robinph wrote: »

It's either going to be the exact number of grams of carbohydrates in each item of food, which you'll get on the side of the various food packages, or it will be "carbohydrate portions" which will be more along the lines of the way I think they teach you in the DAFNE courses.

actually it's not either/or - the latter is worked out by using the former. E.g. - slice of bread is 20g of carbohydrate, so 2CP. If there are 30g of Cho in 100g of food, and you eat 50g, that's 15g Cho and 1.5CP. I tend to round up when I land on a half.

robinph

It's just moving the decimal point really.

Apanachi

robinph wrote: »

It the "Broteinheit" measured in grams, like 10g* for a slice of bread, or 1* for a slice of bread? (* Made up numbers)
It's either going to be the exact number of grams of carbohydrates in each item of food, which you'll get on the side of the various food packages, or it will be "carbohydrate portions" which will be more along the lines of the way I think they teach you in the DAFNE courses.

I would expect that they use the same name for "hbA1C" test results. You've probably not had one of those done yet, but they results give an idea as to how the average sugar level control has been over the previous several months before the test. The numbers used for this test scale are being changed soon internationally though so the range of numbers the doctors will be looking for you to reach will be changing slightly, but around about 5-7 is considered pretty good at the moment.

I would highly recommend getting the book Carbs and Cals which is just a big book of pictures of foods on plates, but shows you how many carbohydrates are in each sized portion so helps when the food your eating does not come with instructions on the side of the packet, such as eating out.

One Broteinheit is about 10gs of Carbohdratesn so it's the exact same a CP,

I have a similar book to Carbs and Cals in German, but it might be handy having something in English too.

Her hbA1C was 24 when she was diagnosed (the doctor didn't diagnose her until it was almost too late, despite us having gone to see her with my daughter numerous times with typical diabetes symptoms...)

I'll have a look online about what I can find on DAFNE courses, we had courses here in German and feel pretty confident about managing her diabetes, but again it would be good to have something in English so I can "educate" my family at home (having said that, my daughter has a good grip on things already and we have another 2 months to go before we head home for Christmas, so there probably won't be much need for my family to worry about things (apart from a severe hypo) but I think it would give them peace of mind.

It's good to know that Novorapid and Lantus are available in Ireland too, just in case anything happens and she needs to get a replacement, it's reassuring to know she can stick to what she's used to

tbh wrote: »

. To be honest, it'd be quite easy to eat 10, especially for dinner. I love spuds

Yeah, my daughter loves her food too, she's very active, so I'm not too worried about her getting fat, but she loves oat flakes with milk for breakfast and the CPs add up very quickly

ElBarco

robinph wrote: »

I would highly recommend getting the book Carbs and Cals which is just a big book of pictures of foods on plates, but shows you how many carbohydrates are in each sized portion so helps when the food your eating does not come with instructions on the side of the packet, such as eating out.

I'll second that one. They also have an app on the iphone/ipod app store of the same name if you have one. I think it's about €5 or so. Very handy to have in the pocket when you're out and about.

And best of luck with everything! It's a bit of a rollercoaster but it can be done.

tbh

Apanachi wrote: »

One Broteinheit is about 10gs of Carbohdratesn so it's the exact same a CP,

I have a similar book to Carbs and Cals in German, but it might be handy having something in English too.

Her hbA1C was 24 when she was diagnosed (the doctor didn't diagnose her until it was almost too late, despite us having gone to see her with my daughter numerous times with typical diabetes symptoms...)

I'll have a look online about what I can find on DAFNE courses, we had courses here in German and feel pretty confident about managing her diabetes, but again it would be good to have something in English so I can "educate" my family at home (having said that, my daughter has a good grip on things already and we have another 2 months to go before we head home for Christmas, so there probably won't be much need for my family to worry about things (apart from a severe hypo) but I think it would give them peace of mind.

It's good to know that Novorapid and Lantus are available in Ireland too, just in case anything happens and she needs to get a replacement, it's reassuring to know she can stick to what she's used to

Yeah, my daughter loves her food too, she's very active, so I'm not too worried about her getting fat, but she loves oat flakes with milk for breakfast and the CPs add up very quickly

Whereabouts will you be based in Ireland? It can take a long time, and be expensive, if you're trying to get insulin if you're not on the system (and sometimes even if you are). Might not be a bad idea to know of a diabetic in the same general area who could pass on a pen in an emergency - I'm in north county Dublin and am on N/R and Lantus.

CathyMoran

tbh wrote: »

Whereabouts will you be based in Ireland? It can take a long time, and be expensive, if you're trying to get insulin if you're not on the system (and sometimes even if you are). Might not be a bad idea to know of a diabetic in the same general area who could pass on a pen in an emergency - I'm in north county Dublin and am on N/R and Lantus.

West Dublin for me - but the same here.

Apanachi

tbh wrote: »

Whereabouts will you be based in Ireland? It can take a long time, and be expensive, if you're trying to get insulin if you're not on the system (and sometimes even if you are). Might not be a bad idea to know of a diabetic in the same general area who could pass on a pen in an emergency - I'm in north county Dublin and am on N/R and Lantus.

I'll be in Sligo, I'm not anticipating any problems, but you never know what could happen (losing you bag, getting it stolen, dropping the insulin etc...)

I don't know if I know any diabetics in the area, but having said that, once I told people my daughter was diabetic, I was amazed how many people I knew here "admitted" that are diabetic too (for some reason, people like to keep it a secret here, I think it's good to let people know, so if anything happens, people will know how to react) so maybe I know more diabetics at home than I think...

CramCycle

Apanachi wrote: »

I'll be in Sligo, I'm not anticipating any problems, but you never know what could happen (losing you bag, getting it stolen, dropping the insulin etc...)

I am in Longford (so not far away at all) most weekends so if anything does pop up feel free to drop me a PM. I am on Lantus, Novorapid and have almost every glucometer known to man somewhere.

Apanachi

Thank you all, on the plus side, if there's any problem with her glucometer or Ketone tester Abbott Ireland Diabetes Care is located in Donegal Town and as I'll be in North Co. Sligo it's really just around the corner

robinph

ElBarco wrote: »

I'll second that one. They also have an app on the iphone/ipod app store of the same name if you have one. I think it's about €5 or so. Very handy to have in the pocket when you're out and about.

And best of luck with everything! It's a bit of a rollercoaster but it can be done.

I'm checking daily for them to release the Android version of the app. Supposed to be out in "October" but no sign yet.

http://www.carbsandcals.com/App.aspx

ElBarco

robinph wrote: »

I'm checking daily for them to release the Android version of the app. Supposed to be out in "October" but no sign yet.

http://www.carbsandcals.com/App.aspx

Hopefully it won't be long. I wouldn't mind getting it for the tablet.

cynder

Apanachi wrote: »

She should be able to get an insulin pump after 6 months of using the pen which should make things a bit easier (only another 5 1/2 months to go )

Dont count on it! my lady has been diagnosed 4 and a half years she has been on a pump waiting list for the last year and no sign of getting it any time soon, be sugars have been going bananas for the last 15 months, however she has her first true hypo at night a couple of weeks ago, had to call an ambulance, it was scary at the time, but if i only took a camcorder and filmed her it would be funny to watch now. It was like she was so drunk she couldnt talk or walk and the wacky things she would then come out with. 4 years and 6 months for her first true hypo is not bad going.

I was told that in a bad hypo that they go into a fit, she didnt have a fit i woke her up form what i thought was a nightmare, she was tossing and turning (but not fitting) i woke her up but she was unable to drink anything and was going in and out of consciousness, called an ambulance as the hypo kit was left at home ( i was at my sister in laws). they kept her in and it took at least 7 hours for her to go back to her normal self.

She is now off novo rapid and lantus and takes humulin m3 humulin s and humulin i. Her sugars have slightly improved but still are very hard to control thanks to hormones/viral infections/colds and so on......

How old is your daughter? my lady is now 12 diagnosed age 7.