Response to Comments
First, I love comments! As long as you aren't advertising a poker or porn site -- I have to delete those.
Jan makes some great comments. Yes, after the first week, I haven't found symlin to be that great of a wonder drug either. I'm definately using less insulin, but I am not getting the weight loss, etc. I did before, and my calorie count is much lower.
I'm hoping that some of the problem is that my activity level has been the lowest it's been this summer, due to the amount of writing I've been doing. I've honestly spent hours at the computer on my projects.
I'll also admit that for the past almost 3 years, diabetes management has been a full time, on my mind, no matter what I am doing, job. It is a drag. BUT, my energy level is higher, I'm happier, etc.
The symlin syringes and vial are major drags. I am keeping an eye out for the promised pen. FYI: On the way out of the elevator from my endo's appointment I ran into the Amalyn rep, and complained about the vial for us. He said that they really didn't expect approval when they got it, which is why they came out with the vial. They don't know when a pen will be coming out. I'm going to bug the 1-800 number about it too. 1-800-349-8919 for those to lazy to go to the Symlin site to look it up :-)
I honestly don't know how next school year is going to go, don't know what I'm teaching yet, or where, and I'm trying hard not to think about it. I've got enough on my mind with the master's.
Comments
Hi, I'm gonna take your invitation for comments! I'm neither Endo nor APN, my comments are *as a patient with NO professional qualifications*. They are only my understandings as a long-term T1 (over 25 years, most of my life). ------- --------- -------- Symlin, by re-establishing the proper amount of time food stays in the stomach, should tend to (1) reduce postprandial spikes, but also (2) cause the entire digestion process to work better. Diabetics lacking the corresponding hormone dump their stomach contents into the small intestine before stomach acids and enzymes have enough time to do their work. -------- -------- -------- So, a larger portion of the calories (and other building blocks of life) which you eat are now getting into your bloodstream than before. I think that you should definitely be expecting weight GAIN if you eat the same amount of food, while digesting better and having better post-prandial control. But, remember that a lot of your former calories didn't show up because they were being spilled by your kidneys (under high bG situations), and that high bG was also globbing up your eyeballs, your kidneys, etc.. This is a better place to be. ------- ------- ---------
I strongly agree that carrying a 30mL syringe to do 5 or 10 "units" (the volume of 30 or 60 mcG) is a nasty hassle.
Posted by: Rick St | August 2, 2005 3:28 PM
BTW, I saw that one of your earlier commentators (July 16) is David Mendoza. Wow, youv'e got some great company.
Posted by: Rick St | August 2, 2005 4:39 PM