Living with Diabetes and Lapband

Metformin: What, Me Worry?

The problem for me has never been lactic acidosis but the digestive effects....

OEA - A New Player in Appetite Regulation Answers Old Questions

This is interesting because it suggests that there is a lot we need to know about Type 2 before there is a "cure".

Incidence of Hypoglycemia in Insulin-treated Type 2 Diabetes Higher than Previously Recognized

I was sure having trouble with this!

MayoClinic.com - Medical and health information for a healthier life from Mayo Clinic

I really have a problem with several of their answers:

Q: What should you do if you forget an insulin injection?

A: If it's only been a short time — less than six hours — since you were supposed to take the medication, take the dose you missed. Then continue to follow your normal schedule.

Why is it okay to skip pills but not injections? It just doesn't make sense at alL! It takes days to get over a missed injection -- been there, done that.

Q: Can you use an insulin pump if you have type 2 diabetes (formerly called adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes)?

A: A pump is an option if you take insulin, whether you have type 1 (formerly called juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes) or type 2 diabetes. Most people with type 2 diabetes aren't advised to use a pump, though, because they do well with less-intensive treatment. A pump is a beeper-sized device that delivers insulin through a tiny catheter inserted under your skin.

But gee, it makes your life SO much better. No more eating to insulin but taking insulin for what you eat.

DB's Medical Rants

He's started something, but one of my recent favorites is from Jimmy Buffet's Growing Older But Not Up, most recently in Meet Me In Margaritaville.

I'm growing older but not up
My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck
So let the winds of change blow over my head
I'd rather die while I'm living then live while I'm dead

I listen to Jimmy Buffet when I walk on the treadmill. I like his upbeat, fun, Key West kind of music, with his ironic lyrics.

My husband doesn't it get it, since I don't drink, never done drugs, and yes, so much of his lyrics to glorify that ... but at the same time put down that lifestyle. It's weird.

I attribute a lot of my liking him, because he too is a graduate (or is that former student?) of the University of Southern Mississippi. They've always had a good music program, but while I was there, had one of the best Computer Science programs in the country.

To start with, the motto of the insulin-pumper's group is YMMV -- meaning Your Milage May Vary.

SimpleChoice : : Innovative Insulin Delivery Products For Diabetics

Frankly, I hate fewer things more than I hate these infusion sets. I actually sent half a box back to them.

Why? Well to begin with, there is always an edge that has no adhesive. If you are not careful, you catch that edge on your clothing and you pull the whole set off. Yep, did it twice.

Second, their adhesive melts when you get in a hot tub. That's even more annoying because the whole set slides, pulling the cannela out. Of course, you don't know until the cannela is halfway out, and you are wondering why your blood sugar is too high, until you started getting pinched by the almost out cannela.

ARGH!

Also, it takes two hands to disconnect.

Did I mention I really hate these things?

Oh, and there is no room on the sides of the plastic connection system to put tape down to keep the site down better.

Did I mention I really hate these things?

Oh, and it's THEIR A1C kit that takes 10 days to get a result.

I won't be trying them again.

I don't really trust this ... but I did another at home A1C -- nor do I recommend this -- more in a moment, but I had an A1C of 6.0 -- which translates to average blood sugar of 124.

Obviously the pump is working! And that is an excellent A1C. The ADA's goal is 6.5, another groups is actually the 6.0

The kit was easy to use. It's from Diabetes Technologies and I wouldn't use them again. If I go through my insurance company/doctor's office, I get the full panel (lipids, blood glucose, etc.) and I get the results in 2 days. The results were posted sometime in the last twenty four hours, and I mailed this on 12/03.

I did get this free ... long story on that, which I need to post. However, it's annoying.

DB's Medical Rants

A thread started on the insulin pumper's list about how some doctors don't prescribe pumps ... and I decided to go to the best source I knew.

FDA Meets with Stakeholders to Address Issues Related to the Implementation of the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act of 2002 (MDUFMA)

The main thing holding back the Continous Blood Sugar Monitors, new pumps, etc., is meeting FDA requirements and getting approved.

Hopefully this will help!

In addition to teaching 6 different subjects ... okay, with computer science I always teach 4 different subjects, but that's my choice...

I've been taking two master's levels courses to get additional certification. I got A's in both classes. Not bad. These have been almost 100% online -- there were two face-to-face meetings for the one class.

Finishing these two classes, put me in line for getting my district to pay for a master's degree (in CECS). Boring, but it's a master's. Most of the other districts around here want them. It looks good on the school stats, etc.

This also means I'm triple certified -- computer science, technology apps, and mathematics. The good news, is the certifications are all recognized shortages.

So it's been a good weekend. And maybe I can start breathing.

Husband was even walking around the house without crutches last night, and seemed to have a close to normal gait (yeah, that's been the biggest OTHER issue -- he broke his hip about 11 weeks ago.

He's going out of town to Shreveport to gamble, which is a major breakthrough. The thought of sitting/driving that far has not been attractive to him.

I've got one week of classes, one day of classes + 4 days of finals and winter break.