Thanks so much for your encouragement… I know things will go ok. Lavetta, a Tumember and Nurse Anestethist gave me a lot of info as to what to expect, Stu.,( see the first page of this discussion) . But I am so grateful for anything else you can tell me. I am calling my endo and the hospital’s vascular Imaging dept as well as their CDE. to get any additional information specific to the facility. It so great to have friends in Tuland who care about me!! Thanks again, all!!!
I dito Gerri’s comment about clarification with docs and hospital ahead of time. I’ve had many angiograms keeping my pump and cgm on continuously during my stay. My first priority with the pre-procedure conversation at the hospital is to have the doc clarify, in his “orders” to the staff, that you may take care of ALL aspects of your diabetes as long as your conscious and able to think clearly. I’ve had incredible fights with nurses that their orders don’t allow them to let you take any insulin by yourself without the docs approval which has taken hours to get them to clarify. It’s much easier on a pump, they recognize that you do have the ability to take care of your own diabetes. Over the years docs have gotten much better at allowing this, decades ago it was hart to get docs to let go of their control over your diabetes.
Thanks Franco for the first-hand experience and your report. I received somewhat conflicting info form other sources: I called the Radiology dept. at the hospital where the angio is to be done and they said that both the pump and the Cgm transmitter were okay.
I called Medtronic’s 24- hour help line, and was basically encouraged to disconnect during the proceudre from the first responder, who said that they do not encourage that the pump be worn during ( as she read it to me) " during MRI, X-ray or radio-transmitting procedures.". She researched the exact restriitions and said that if the angiogram machines had less than 600 “gauss”, that the pump could endure it She then transferred me to a person who did not recommend that the CGM transmitter be worn…I explained that althoug the pump could feasibly be disconnected for the 1 1/2 to two hour procedure , but recovery is to take from 3 to 4 hours, and I really do not want to disconnect for 6 hours and go on lantus and /or humalog for that amount of time. do you have a MM pump and CGMS?
Thanks again for your info!!!
God Bless,
Brunetta
P.s. I just got a replacement MM522 a couple of days ago due to " motor error" messages during a few bolusess, and I do not want to tear this new pump up!!!
Hi to all!! I had the brain angiogram today. Everything went well, very little pain. Blood sugars maintained between 78 and 104 the entire time I was there, for all of 6 hours from 10 am to 4pm. The hospital staff was very personable and well- informed. I got the results immediately:. It appears I have a miniscule AVM : an arteriovenous malformation.Hard to tell if I should treat it… It is a cost-benefit-risk analysis… I will be discussing the options(surgery, blotting if off with a glue prodecure, radiation, leave it alone) that I have with my neuorologist and a neurosurgeon I have been referred to. Evidently it is not something I have to make an immediate decision on. I have been told that I can continue to proceed with all other medical treatments for my spinal stenosis, keep the diabetes care regimen as is, and to only avoid “extreme” exercise like bungee jumping and powerlifting (LOL)Thanks so much for your support, Tudiabetes!!!
Thanks Gerri…got some decisions to make when I get more information… but I am feeling blessed and unstressed… Everything will work out the way it is supposed to.
Im so glad everything with your angiogram went well. I knew you would be fine! Good luck on those decisions that you have to make, I know first hand how that can be. I also know you have faith in God, so I know whatever you decide, you will be ok! Take care and if you need anything, just let me know!
Thanks all for the well-wishes and prayers. I came through o.k.Lavetta, everything was just as unremarkable and not a hassle, as you said… I had minimal pain and no nausea or anything afterwards, just sleepy. from the anesthesia. I will keep everyone posted about the coming treatment (or non-treatment ) decisions, but I am confident all will be well.
I was running a little higher blood sugar this morning from not taking a long enough bolus for Chinese last night ( and I did not even have the rice,must have been the brown sauce) but I am down to 99 now,post-correction and pre-breakfast. Have a great day, all!!
Hey Brunetta: I have been away from tudiabetes for awhile as my computer has been down for 2 weeks. I am sending you love and also information. About ten months ago, I began having pain in one butt cheek or the other and pain down a leg with sometimes tingling. first a cyst was removed off my spine wich was pressing on the sciatic nerve but after a few months, the pain returned. A week ago I had spinal surgery. I was afriad of it but the results are dramatic. No more sciatic nerve pain. I am recuperating very fast. All of this had nothing to do with diabetes, just a spine with some arthritis in a few vertebrae. Best of luck. I am wishing you the best. If you want an actual person to talk to, call me at 352-262-5554. Jan
Thanks so much, Jan. I am going for the spinal stenosis treatment, the corticosteroid injection, on Thursday. It worked for me before, about 10 years ago, for unbearable shoulder and neck pain…I may just call to chat . Thank you again for your interest and support.
Here is the update on the 9/22/2010 brain angiogram:I got a consult with the neurosurgeon. On Wednesday, October 6 . Dr. ‘X"was a relatively Young man ,about 39-40 ish.; reported to be one of the best and most knowledgable neurosurgeons in the city… I had been forewarned by my neurologist that he was a bit brusque and not at all warm and fuzzy… Now I did not find him to be rough, just lacking a warm “bedside manner” He was a bit “House” like… He said that the AVM (Arteriovenous malformation) in my brain , a miniscule tangle of capillaries leading from arteries to veins; was congenital. He said that I had risk factors for a bleed/stroke that double every 2-4 years: the risk this year is 2%, and another 2 years 4%; in another 2 years ,8%,;in another 2,16%,… The treat ment is 1: leave it alone , 2:surgery,3; insert a glue in, through a catheter, or 4:treat it through isolated radiation. He indicated if i I do decide on treatment, that he would recomend the radiation. It is less invasive and has an 80% chance of getting rid of the AVM forever… but there is a small risk (2% to 5%)r with this treatment of me having some mild to moderate stroke like symptoms, that also may last forever… I commented, " So right at this moment, I have a 98% chance of staying well, and in 4 years I have a 92% chance of staying well. So I am looking at it from a different perspective."
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“Dr. X” then made a couple of statements that made me believe that he felt I had one foot in the grave already.: While perusing my intake data, he said"When did your mother die?" I said, “My moher is not dead. she is in good health at 82… All the women in my family live to be into the 90"s and 100’s’ . I suspect the same for me.” He said “Well you are type one diabetic, and even if you have no major complications now, say you may live just another 10,maybe 20 years, and your life span is already compromised…You have to consider the quality of life you would have anyway”. I replied . You acan look at the acturarial tables form insurance and the statistical data, which is the scientific way you have, from your training to look at this. But I am going to look at it from my own petrpective…the glass is half-full ( actually" my cup runneth over", but I did not go there with him… I asked him if I had to make an immediate decision, and he said no., it was not critical. He said to “look him up” if I decide in the future years to do anything at all about it.Posslble bleeds from miniscule AVMs can be dangeous ; but what is the cost/benefit? I thanked Dr"x",bid him adieu and have decided to keep on steppin’!!
BTW there is evidence from the angiogram that I may have had an asymptomatic minor “bleed’ from this AVM, years ago that , according to Dr.X, “healed itself” without causing me any damage… I believe that is the nature of my brain, and that are various stages of “normalcy”. This may just be " normal” for me
I always knew and have been told that I have a weird brain…, Now I have physiological evidence(LOL)
Long story short…never disconnect from pump for any procedure unless advised by YOUR Endo. I’ve been hospitalized for a variety of things (not serious) and have never disconnected. I think of my pump as my Pancreas and would not disconnect for anything remember we always need insulin. Little story I don’t know if you remember (dating myself:)) Totie Fields an entertainer who had D. She had cosmetic surgery and the dr. who was doing the procedure told her not to take any insulin for that day…anyway that was the start of her down fall. This was many years ago and info wasn’t what it is today. Remember we always need insulin whether through a pump or injection.
There is no evidenve that good controlled T1 will shorten our lifespan. Insurance companies already know about this positive development - it is just the slighty higher risks they are not willing to take (life insurance) or the treatment costs (health care). Yes, we might have complications and under very very rare conditions those can be fatal. But the talk of Dr. X about 10 maybe 20 years is just rude and reveals that this doctor needs much more education about T1 and the effects of good control.
U R right Holger . I think most doctors outside of the field of endocrinology or internal medicine have rarely seen any diabetics in good control; I guess even if the insurance companies know about unaltered life span in well-controlled Type one diabetes…, They are not telling…
