When I converted over to an insulin pump roughly four years ago, little did I know that syringes would never go away.  I have written here before some of the reasons I miss my syringes and my insulin pen.  With injections there’s no unknown.  You fill the syringe, you grab some skin and inject.  When using an insulin pump there are a few unknowns and a mental checklist that you need to go through when something doesn’t seem right or your numbers are out of whack. 

[Source]

I sometimes long for the freedom of no tubing or infusion sets.  I wonder what life would really be like if i was cured.  How long would I continue to test my blood sugar after being cured out of habit or curiosity?  When I am in between infusion sets and showering it’s the best feeling.  I don’t have to worry about the infusion set getting attacked by the towels’ strands. I know I digress, so I’ll get to my point of this post.

There will always be syringes in my house for two very good reasons. 

1. They are a backup for the time when/if my insulin pump dies
2. I use them very effectively for correcting my blood sugar

Anytime my blood sugar is over 300 I will almost always use a syringe to correct it.  I have found through experience that an injection in a different area than the infusion set will bring my blood sugar down faster than a corrective bolus any day of the week and twice on Sunday.  I imagine it that when I am bolusing and infusing insulin in one area, it can tend to get pooled up before it is absorbed.  If I eat a lot of carbs, bolus and then find I am still high, I find it more effective to inject into a different site.

Another benefit of using a syringe is that you take out the unknown of a bad infusion site, pump problems, reservoir problems, bleed backs, gusher, etc.  I know that when I inject the insulin my blood sugar WILL come down.  If I enter a corrective bolus, it’s a crap shoot.  When my blood sugar is really jacked up, I might inject about 70% of the corrective dose while bolusing for the other 30%.

Maybe this is a no brainer and you haven’t even read this far into the post.  Maybe you don’t even have an insulin pump. Quite possibly you don’t even have diabetes.  But if you didn’t know, now you do. A box of 100 syringes has lasted me literally years and only set me back about a $20 co-pay.  It is so worth the money and you will always find some in my case or home.

If you pump insulin, do you correct the same way or do you rely on your pump?

Like what you see here?  Check out our new Facebook page for more tips and insights into real-living with diabetes.

.....................................................................

I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

Pumping Insulin: Keep Those Syringes Close By is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

For those readers that are newer to Blogging Diabetes, I will say that I’ve been on an insulin pump for about 4 years now.  The entire time I have been using a Medtronic MiniMed 715 pump.  In each infusion set package from Medtronic, there is a small round disk that clips on to the infusion site in place of the one connected to the tubing that is connected to the pump. 

When I was given a pump, no one ever explained anything in detail to me.  It was basically, insert the infusion set and prime it.  There was never any information about the mysterious disk or any complications to watch out for.  I guess it could be used when going to the beach to keep sand out, but I really don’t know for sure.  I even opened a new box of infusion sets to look at the directions to see if there was any information.  None.  Below you can see what the disk looks like.

Let’s run some rough numbers together:

Remember, I change my site religiously every 3 days and have never once gone to 4 days.  Sometimes I have had to change early, but let’s not take those occurrences into account for this example.

• 4 years x 365 days = 1460 days on a pump
• 1460 days / 3 days per infusion set = 487 infusion sets
• 1 = the number of disks I have actually tried to use

Seriously, I have only used one of these besides giving them to my cats, which makes for some good humor.  Milk top rings and infusion set disks are the best cat toys that aren’t really cat toys.  Not too long ago, Kerri wrote a post that mentioned some situations for using these disks, which were:

• Showering
• In ocean
• Intimate moments

When I have been vacationing, I have never used the disk and haven’t ever had a problem with being in the pools or hot tubs.  I have never worn the disk while in the shower.  Finally, I have never, ever……ever, put one of these disks on before or during an intimate moment(s).  Maybe I’m missing out on a new trend, tip or secret that the doctors never told me about.  Will that disk take things to a different "level"?  I’m actually a little scared to think of the possibilities I’ve been missing out on.  In all seriousness, the only reason I can think of to wear this in the bedroom is so the sheets or clothing doesn’t get stuck on it and rip the site out.

Does anyone have any solid information on the recommended or suggested use for the disks?

.....................................................................

I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

Infusion Set Mystery Disk is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

Because it’s Friday and I’m in a good mood, here are a few fun ones for correcting a low blood sugar.  Over correcting is simply treating a low blood sugar with too many carbohydrates where you end up with a high blood sugar.  It’s like going from 40 to 300. 

You know you’ve over corrected when…

1. Your jaw hurts from power eating for 15 minutes straight 
2. You bolus to correct a future high blood sugar while eating to correct from a low blood sugar (probably the most famous of all)

Share yours!  If we get to 10 comments (unique commenter) maybe I will give out a free book that I have on diabetes to a random person that commented.

Do you like what you see and read here on Blogging Diabetes?  If so, subscribe to our email updates or RSS feed.  Thank you for visiting!

.....................................................................

I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

You Know You’ve Over Corrected When…. is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

1. Introduction

2. Caffeine

3. The Diet

4. Progress

So far I have discussed what the plan and goal is, the amount of caffeine I was drinking and the new diet I have started.  This post will discuss the progress I’ve made in a very short time.  Just to recap, I started with a goal of getting my blood sugars more in control and consistent.  Just like in my golf game, I will take consistency [in range] over distance any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Running & Shins

I’m not a huge fan of running especially for distance.  I played a lot of soccer in my younger days and did a lot of running, but that was much different.  Since high school, a few years back [wink wink], I haven’t done much running.  I will do a little jogging on the treadmill, but nothing that would win races.  The first piece of cardio equipment I purchased and still use was an elliptical, which is much easier on the body than running.  Since writing this post last November, I have wanted to get back into running to be more fit and drop a little weight.  The problem is that I would start with shin splints soon after starting to run regardless of how much stretching I did.  I tried everything, wraps, creams, stretching, exercises, etc. all to no avail.  That is until now… Part of my diet has been no caffeine and at least 8 glasses of cran-water mix per day, which I have been doing with ease and then some.  Well, now that my body is hydrated, I haven’t even had an ache or slightest bit of pain in my shins – none, nada, zip, zero.  It’s such a relief to be able to run, I’ve gone up to 4 miles so far with absolutely no pain in my shins.

Caffeine

After a week of weaning off of caffeine, I went cold turkey on Monday July 27 [3 weeks ago].  I’ve had a few cans of Diet Mt. Dew just to use up the supply I have on hand, but absolutely nothing like before.  Do I have times that I really want some, hell yes.  Does it quickly pass, yes.  I use to never be able to go down the soda isle at the grocery store without buying either a 2 liter or cans of the Dew.  Now, I just walk right by and could care less.  I also miss the Lo-Carb Monster, but not enough to give up how great I feel without caffeine.  No longer do I crash in the evenings.  When my kids are here and want to play, I have so much more energy.  I’ll never go back. Never.  I think people in general underestimate the power that caffeine has on the body and is very addicting.  The last benefit is that even with drinking so much cran-water, I go to the bathroom about half as much.  The soda just goes right through you.

Diet Progress

Remember my goal was to lose a few pounds and start eating more healthy.  I started probably a little more then 200 pounds, but let’s just call it 200.  After two weeks on this diet I was down to 193.5 pounds, roughly 3 pounds a week.  So even at 194ish, I only have less than 10 pounds to go and we’re just 2 weeks into the diet.  I don’t have the stats, but most diets probably fail because people lapse back to their old [poor] eating habits when they reach their target weight.  Not here – I have committed to a lifestyle change.  It’s so refreshing to eat healthy.  I’m not going to lie and tell you that eating salads almost every day is as tasty as a bag of Doritos or a hearty cold cut sandwich, but it’s liberating.  This coming from someone who ate sandwiches every day for years.  I don’t see much difference in the mirror, but feel a lot better. I have also switched to mainly organic and whole foods.  I asked my wife if she thought I look like I lost weight [loaded question].  Her response was, “how are your clothes fitting4″?.  After thinking for a second, I said, “yeah, my shorts are a bit loose and I’m down a belt notch.”  Enough said.

Blood Sugars

For ten years I’ve been trying for consistent blood sugars in the acceptable range [70-140].  I am all over the place and my doctor just says that many of his type 1 patients are all over the board like me.  I do a good job and rarely test less than 5 times a day.  I try to do all the right things, but snacking always kills my blood sugar.  Maybe I tend to underestimate my carb intake, but I am playing the 140, 340, 45, 250 game.  I will say, not proudly, that I can correct the shit out of a 250+ blood sugar without going low.  Put my going to bed sugars at anywhere from 250-400 and I will wake up in the morning between 80 and 150.  Since starting this serious diet 3 weeks ago, my blood sugars have been phenomenal.  I haven’t seen one 300 or even close to it in 3 weeks.  Think about that… I couldn’t go a few days without correcting one of these highs in the past.  Now 3 weeks without one even close.  That’s TIGHT.  The difference is that I’m not eating chips, rice, potatoes, bread or other processed carbs.  I get a ton of fiber and really my only carbs from fruits and vegetables.  Try getting a 300+ blood sugar from eating lettuce, peppers, carrots and sugar snap peas.  You’d have to eat a truck full.   Plus, I get full from these foods because they have very little carbs/calories and I can eat a lot.  I am filling my pump reservoir with about half as much insulin as before and my basal rate is much lower.  Honestly, this has been the most refreshing accomplishment in 10 years with type 1 diabetes.  Now I feel like I can win.  No longer do I feel like I’m fighting with one leg and my arms tied behind my back.

Thank you for all of your support.  I’m truly grateful for my readers and the feedback I receive.  As I’ve noted before, always consult with your doctor before starting a diet or exercise.

.....................................................................

I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

Blogging Diabetes – Progress [Part 4 of Series] is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

1. Introduction

2. Caffeine

3. The Diet

4. Progress

This is the first post in a series about what I’ve been up to.  Things here have been quiet for a little bit and here are some details explaining why.

My goal for a long time has been to get my A1c and diabetes in general better under control.  I have good control, but when it comes to my life, I don’t consider good to be good enough.  The reasons I started blogging here was to attempt to focus more on my diabetes instead of staying complacent and grinding it out.  By that I mean, I think most problems with diabetes management is due to the approach.  I’ve had Type 1 for 10 years now.  For the last 10 years I have used insulin to try to lead a “normal” life.  When I wanted a dessert, I had my dessert with an extra dose of insulin.  For a long time I have had trouble keeping a steady BG range.  I get 300s, 40s and everything in between.  I try to eat semi-healthy, but don’t think twice about splurging. 

If you’ve been keeping track, I stated previously that I have been weight training for around 15 years, seriously on and off.  So I’m not a slouch by any means.  My current stats are 5′10″, 200 lbs and good A1c control.

After recently seeing a good friend from high school pass away, our second daughter born and thinking about the future, I’ve decided some changes are long overdo. 

Goal

• Cut back on caffeine
• Get down to about 185-187 lbs and then build back up with lean muscle
• Get and keep my A1c well under 7.0
• Set an example for my daughter in being healthy

The next post in this series will discuss how much caffeine I’ve been drinking, the problems it can cause and my plan of attack.

.....................................................................

I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

Blogging Diabetes News [series] is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

One of the hardest things to get information on when it comes to diabetes has been how to properly dispose of used diabetes supplies like lancets, test strips and syringes.  Well that and the impact caffeine has on blood sugars, but let’s stick to the disposal issue.

While doing some research, I came across this site by the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), which lets you choose your state in the U.S. to get more information on.  A startling fact on their site is that approximately 3 billion syringes are used in households each year and require disposal.  That’s a lot of injections huh.  The largest issue with placing used diabetes supplies in the trash is that “it places people at risk of being stuck by a needle and increases their chances of contracting a bloodborne infection” (cdc.gov)

Click here to find out what your state recommends!

According to my trusty diabetes resource, the American Diabetes Association, proper disposal of syringes is to safely snip the needle off the syringe, which requires a special device so the needle doesn’t go flying into someone’s eye or something.  Yeah, like people are going to take the time to snip each needle and used lancet…  The other method they recommend is to place the used object into “a heavy-duty plastic bottle with screw cap or metal box that closes firmly”.  The first thing that comes to mind is that a plastic soda bottle would definitely not be puncture proof. 

Not really satisfied, I called my pharmacy where I get my supplies and they told me that they just refer people to their doctors.  I called my Endocrinologist who doesn’t believe in answering the phone unless it’s between 10:24 and 10:29 in the morning with nobody checking in.  Call me crazy, but doesn’t it seem like there should be a universal location that is readily accessible to everyone where medical supplies can be disposed of properly and without added cost?  My guess is that the doctor’s office would take them and include them with medical waste.  But what if you live far away (like I did while attending the Joslin Clinic) and it’s not convenient? 

I did find a service that you could purchase to have safe containers shipped to you (3 of them) with prepaid shipping back, but the cost was like $170 -  ‘F’ that.  Like we don’t have enough to pay for…

In the end, I learned that in Maryland, all you need to do is place the used supplies in a puncture proof container (which can be purchased everywhere like Target) and put it in the regular garbage.  I’m not sure why there isn’t a Federal mandate that covers all states when it comes to this issue that obviously crosses state lines.   Amazon sells a package of 12 for $32, which would last a while.  Each state may have different laws and regulations, so check before you follow what’s listed below for Maryland.

Maryland’s Guidelines (source):

Recommends that sharps be:

• wrapped securely in paper or other material;
• placed in tough plastic or metal containers with tightly sealed lids, such as detergent containers or coffee cans; and
• placed safely in the trash can.

It also includes these warnings:

• Sharps cannot be recycled.
• Sharps should only be properly disposed of.
• Sharps should not be tossed in the trash haphazardly.
• Sharps should not be placed in soft containers such as milk jugs or cartons that can be easily punctured.

.....................................................................

I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

Disposal of Used Diabetes Supplies is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

I know I’m a little behind the news flash on this one, but I want to make sure that all my readers know about this recall.  Medtronic announced a voluntary product recall for all of the Paradigm Quick Set (mostly in U.S.) infusion sets that have a reference number of MMT-396 to MMT-399 along with a lot number starting with an 8.  I checked the 5 boxes I had on hand and every one of them are part of the recall.  Here is part of the press release from Medtronic.

"Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) said today that it has initiated a recall of specific lots of Quick-set® infusion sets that are used with MiniMed Paradigm insulin pumps. An infusion set is a thin plastic tube used to deliver insulin from an insulin pump to a diabetes patient, and is typically replaced by the patient every three days. Affected infusion sets are reference numbers MMT-396, MMT-397, MMT-398 and MMT-399 with lot numbers starting with the number “8.” Medtronic recently discovered that approximately two percent of “Lot 8” Quick-set infusion sets (which represents approximately 60,000 infusion sets out of an estimated 3 million infusion sets currently with customers) may not work properly. The affected infusion sets may not allow the insulin pump to vent air pressure properly. This could potentially result in the device delivering too much or too little insulin and may lead to serious injury or death." (source)

Click here to access Medtronic’s web page regarding the recall with instructions on what to do.  It got a little fuzzy when I tried to figure out how to exchange my sets for new ones.  I called my supplier and they said I should be receiving something from Medtronic or getting a call back from them with further instructions.  It seems that Medtronic is pointing to the suppliers and the supplier is saying they are awaiting more instructions from Medtronic. 

.....................................................................

I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm Quick-Set (Infusion Sets) Recall is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

For the last few years I have been consumed by work, my first and second daughter being born and relocating from Virginia to Maryland.  I have always been healthy, give or take 10 pounds or so.  I’ve been working out since my mid-teens and at times heavier/more frequent.  For a long time now, it’s been non existent.

In the last few weeks I have gotten back on the bandwagon with weight training and cardio at least 5 times a week, coupled with a tight diet of more greens, salads, and fewer carbs.  It’s no surprise that my blood sugars went from getting into the 200s on the daily, to having to tweak my basal rate because I’m going low a lot.  I am finding myself in the 80s, 90s, and low to mid 100s for the majority of my testing.

Seriously, this isn’t rocket science.  More exercise and a better diet can only mean good things for someone with diabetes.  For me, it’s such a wave of relief.  I was constantly asking myself why my sugar was going high so often.  Now I am correcting to keep from going too low.  Granted, I haven’t been going to bed until almost midnight because I’m working out after my kids go to bed.  But, it’s so amazing to see the 90s and 100s so often again.  Losing about 10 pounds and getting better control has me so motivated it’s scary.  I’m not giving in to complacency and my doctor saying I have “good” control.  I want excellent control.  I want to see my kids grow up and think of their dad as an inspiration instead of a statistic. 

The Holy Grail to winning the battle against diabetes is simply exercise.  No excuses, period.  If I can do it with a 3 year old, 8 week old and full-time job, you can too.

[source]

Disclaimer – always consult your physician before changing your routine or introducing exercising.

.....................................................................

I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

The Holy Grail For Diabetes is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

It’s been over 40 years since we put a person on the moon.  We have nano technology that is way beyond me.  I can fit about 5,000 songs on my iPod nano which is almost paper thin.  Apple has a laptop that fits into an envelope.   There are cars that can run without gas.  We have amazing insights on DNA sequencing, chromosome mapping, etc.  I can talk and see someone thousands of miles away through my computer without costing me a dime (Skype).  The list goes on and on.

And yet…….

I still have to freakin’ code my meter every time I get a new bottle of test strips where the code is different than the one I’m using.  WHY?  Seriously?  I find it very hard to believe that this annoyance can’t be overcome very easily.  I also wonder if the code really matters.  For example, does putting in the wrong code and testing give a different result than the correct code?  This calls for a little experiment.

My Experiment

Below you will find the results of 10 consecutive blood glucose tests.  The first 5 were done using the correct test strip to meter code.  The second 5 tests were done where the code was not correct between the meter and test strips.  The results are interesting.

What immediately stands out is the variance between the average correct and average wrong test, which is 63 mg/dl.  That really blows my mind.  In essence, you could expect a 63 mg/dl swing down when the code is incorrect.  The second thing that jumps out is test 5 where the number went from being around 145 to 207.  A 61 mg/dl swing between two tests for no apparent reason is cause for concern.  Keep in mind the 5 tests were done within minutes of each other if not 30 seconds or so apart.  The results and variance is pretty scary because I would certainly treat a 207 differently than a 146.  I use the OneTouch UltraLink meter with LifeScan One Touch test strips.  I’m not trying to be critical of LifeScan or Medtronic; I’m simply trying to understand the accuracy and coding need.

[Image source]

What They Said

This was the first time I actually read the little folder paper in the test strip box.  LifeScan has a caution in the writing that says:

“Matching the code on the meter and the code on the test strip vial is essential to obtain accurate results.  Each time you test, check to make sure the code numbers match.”   …”a clinical test was done and showed that the variability from test strip to test strip in blood tests was 3.2% or less.” [LifeScan]

Here is a quote from a study done that warns about miscoding meters:

“In this study, for certain miscoded meters, the probability of insulin error of plus or minus 2 units of insulin was 50% as compared to 8% for correctly, manually coded meters.  The probability of insulin dose error of plus or minus 3 units of insulin was 23% for the miscoded meters but only 0.5% for the manually correctly coded meters.”

Summary

My test using a very small sample size yielded a 6% variance mainly due to the test #5 that threw off the average.  Besides #5, the results were very close when the code matched from the meter to vial.   On average, there was a 63 mg/dl variance between when the meter was coded correctly and when it was not.  Make sure you code your meter correctly when changing test strip vials.  Seriously, this could mean a severe life-threatening episode by simply having the wrong code entered into the meter.  Although I still don’t understand WHY I still need to code (after 10 years), I do understand the importance of accuracy and will take extra care to ensure correct coding.  Coding may seem like an annoyance, but it could also cause a high/low just for the code being wrong.  We have enough to deal with as insulin dependent diabetics – can’t we get rid of the code?

Question

Does anyone know really why we still need to code meters?  They say it’s to match the vial of strips to the meter for accuracy, but WHY?  I know there are some meters on the market that are codeless.  Are they less accurate?  I doubt it. 

.....................................................................

I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

Blood Glucose Meter Test Strip Experiment is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy

This is a guest post submitted by Lorraine who is doing an excellent job managing her son’s (Caleb) type 1 diabetes.  I met Lorraine through twitter, which is an excellent medium to talk real-life diabetes.  From our first few conversations, I knew that she was doing a lot of things right for Caleb and keeping his A1c numbers near perfect.

I want to thank Lorraine for sharing her story and tips to help manage type 1 diabetes.  Thank you Lorraine and keep up the great work!  Caleb may be too young to understand, but someday he will thank you for all the hard work you put in to help him live a better/longer life.

* * * * *

Managing Caleb’s blood sugar, from a self-admitted neurotic mom

Background:

My son Caleb was diagnosed almost 2 and a half years ago at the age of 3 (almost 4). With so few non-D years behind him, and so many D years in front of him, I have made it my mission to bank as many years as I can with near-normal A1Cs in hopes to minimize those ugly complications when he is older. Caleb has been pumping for just over 2 years, since about 3 months after he was diagnosed. I never set out to achieve a certain A1C.  All I know is I do whatever I can to keep his blood sugars in range.  I am often unsuccessful.  But lots of the time we achieve what we want to. I have never been given any specific guidance on targets or acceptable ranges.  Caleb’s Endocrinologist has always reviewed his results and found them acceptable and not mentioned what precisely they “should” be.

Guiding Principles:

1. I check Caleb’s blood sugar about 12 times a day, including overnight.  Sometimes less, sometimes more.  I check, assess and act.  
2. Everything he eats, I weigh and measure whenever I am able.
3. I do not limit what or how much Caleb eats.  I manage it, but I do not limit it.  There are foods I prefer to stay away from, but I won’t ever tell him he can’t have something because he has diabetes.  Even at school and birthday parties, he eats what the others do.  It usually means 100 plus carbs for a snack and a few extra BG checks, but he smiles as he shoves the cupcake and other junk in his face and that makes me smile.  Everything in moderation – that goes for him and my other, non-D kids.
4. Caleb typically eats 3 meals and 2 snacks a day.  That frequency allows me to be a little aggressive on dosing when I have unknown carb counts.  If I have an uncertainty, I will check and hour and a half after a bolus and if it’s lower than I think it should be, it’s usually around snack time and I can just decrease the bolus of what he eats to mitigate that low without disruption to his schedule.  
5. Caleb seems to go through “waves”.  His insulin needs creep up, up, up….plateau, and then go down, down, down…plateau, and over and over again.  Perhaps all diabetics are like this.  I attribute the waves to growth, but who knows.  In order to keep up with the waves and still keep his sugars in range without constant corrections, I track all his dosing and stats in a spreadsheet.  I used this religiously for months.  As I have learned from it and things have become more predictable, I do not use it as much – only in periods of lots of unexplained BGs.
6. I keep a pretty close pulse on his basal rates.  If there’s a low or high 2 days in a row and I am confident that food is not an issue, I will adjust basal rates.  I know that .05 will have about a 30 point impact on his BG.  
7. Food – Pizza, Ice Cream, Chinese, Bagels, Pasta, anything fried – they all break the rules.  I have charted Caleb’s BG’s for months when he eats these foods and have been able to develop specific extended bolus’ for each.  I keep them in my spreadsheet and in my cell phone.  I continue to tweak them since things are ever-changing, but I at least have a baseline and don’t have to completely freak out when we indulge.
8. Super Bolus.  Of course there are occasions when that nasty 300 pops up.  I don’t mess around.  I find John Walsh’s Super Bolus to be very effective: bolus the calculated correction plus the amount of basal to be delivered for the next two hours.  Then turn off basal for the next two hours.  This front loads the insulin to bring the BG down fast, but prevents bottoming out since the basal is turned off.  This has been particularly useful when we are about to eat a meal that would be awkward to delay (like at a party).  But I am careful with this at nighttime – not quite as aggressive.  For Caleb, I find I need to add a little insulin for those high highs – his normal correction factor needs a turbo charge to tackle those numbers – but of course YDMV.

Those are the highlights.  I’ve been thinking about this as we go through our days to make sure I have everything covered.  I think a big thing is keeping on top of things at night, particularly since that’s about 10 or 11 hours for Caleb.  I check a minimum of two times while he sleeps, but in times of change or when he eats a challenging food, I will check more.  And if a correction is needed, I will always check 2 hours after no matter what.

* * * * *

One thing that quickly jumps out at me is the care and effort Lorraine puts in to managing Caleb’s diabetes.  She doesn’t just check and react.  There is much more planning, trending and analysis put into his diabetes management than I would expect most diabetics put in, me included.  The theme here is to not be complacent and just wing it.

If you are interested in providing a guest post, please contact me for more information.

.....................................................................

I want to sincerely thank you for your continued support and subscription. This blog is better because of you.

8 Tips For A Better A1c is a post from: Blogging Diabetes

Canadian Pharmacy