I am on saline until 3/3. Oh how frustrating! I was sooo ready to go as I had the hang of it all. Oh and I learned that no one ever told me (and that includes my first dr that I saw when I lived in NY) that I could give a partial amt of insulin and if I finish everything on my plate, give the rest after I eat. Well that would explain A LOT of lows! If they told me from the beginning I could of saved myself a lot of lows if I have known that give myself half and if needed to give myself the other part. ARG!!! I figured after 4 years of this thing I knew everything and they dont tell you everything!
My opinion might be one extreme vs the other, but I have learned very little of any value from doctors. Most of what I’ve learned I’ve learned from books (Using Insulin, Blood Sugar 101, now Pumping Insulin) and on here and other places on the web. As well as from trial and error.
I’m happy doing things that way and the only thing I use my doctor for is writing my prescriptions (that’s what I mean by one extreme) but I think even the very best of doctors couldn’t possibly tell you all the details of day to day management of your diabetes. There is just too much! Think of how long it would take to read “Using Insulin” out loud. And each doctor visit is what, 15 minutes, 1/2 hour if you’re lucky.
Yeah, you can definitely use a smaller dose and then if you eat more, a larger. Though it’s probably easier with MDI to try and estimate as much as possible what you are hungry for and what a “regular” lunch or breakfast might be. But with the pump things like that will be a lot easier because if you are in the middle of eating and realize you are going to eat more than you bolused for you just press a button instead of having to go and get the pen, the needle, take a shot, etc.
Since you have time now, maybe you can work on programming everything in so you are good to go. Have they told you what hourly basal rate they want you to start at? You can put that in, your I:C ratios, Correction Factor, set any alarms you want to use, daily maximums, all that fun stuff you find in the Manual!
ugh i cant wait to go live with insulin as i can have that option…but im in an angry mood
Understood!! I would be too!
The drawer dropping for the loo is one of the MAIN reasons i went with the longest length of tubing for the infusion set… Yes it gives you a bit more slack to catch on… BUT you can put the pump almost under your pillow OR drop your pants without pulling out your set…
Yep, and I like it for getting dressed too! I just tuck in the loops of tubing.
That’s B.S. - I HATE being treated like a baby. I would jump up and down and tell them to stop treating you like a child.
Unfortunately if you want a pump, you play the game… This particular clinic in Boston tends to make people go through a lot of classses/red tape/bull… before they will submit your prescription and then you are committed to a deluge of appointments. At this point the pump prescription was submitted and she actually physically has the pump… Iv tried to help and advise to the best of my capacity, because they make it so you want to give up… Its a really horrid system and one particular person seems to always drop the ball and not keep you informed of what more demands and appointments they want of you before they will submit the prescription…
(for the pump itself, then for the infusion sets, etc)… At this point its not worth having an issue untill you get ALL the stuff you need in your hands because the attitude is Oh well… we won’t give you any prescriptions for supplies and such…Iv already suggested some people to complain to and discuss it with in private.
Also hint when you need a larger amount of insulin for a “treat/cheat”… another thing that makes it easier is dont give it all at once… spread the larger bolus over say 15 minutes… (once your working with insulin)… Can sort of do this with Novalog/Humalog iv you take half before you eat, then half after you eat… or half when you start eating, and then the rest 15 minutes later… Youll find a bunch of tricks… Say if your eating at a restraunt, even though you try to bolus before a meal, but eat more, (plus restraunt food tends to keep you high longer)… Ill add 20% as a temporary basal for 3 hours ON TOP of the boluses… Its very much a trial and error thing…
Found it easier to start with temporary basals to fiddle with blood sugars, still trying to work out the whole dual wave/multiwave (not sure what Animas calls it, its basically an insulin split, for most foods that have a little/lot of fat… because a lot of food has two blood sugar peaks … and the idea behind this is some insulin up front, and then some a few hours later to catch the second peak
Hang in there
Jake you should see the stupid binder she gave me. I am wanting to email that person you suggested. I know they want me to be successful and be safe but at the same time, GIVE ALL THE INFO THAT THE PERSON NEEDS AT THE FOUNDATIONS CLASS!!! arg…My CDE told me that normally other CDE’s would put the person on insulin and what not and some have died. She had a patient that almost died. I’m like I’m not stupid. I know what I am clearly doing and being treated like I’m 10. I understand kids going on the pump to take their time but a freakin adult.
I could go on and on but I’m not going to
That was exactly my impression of Amy’s careprovider’s, Cheri. Very controlling, very infantalizing.
I really dislike careproviders who forget that we are “consumers” of services - we pay them (or our insurance does) to provide us with a service that meets our needs, not theirs!
Jake are you referring to the combo bolus? I haven’t learned that yet…just so beyond pissed to even clearly think what i want to say.
Yes its the combo bolus im referring to… At some point you might find that your best using the combo bolus for anything other than skittles…but even I’m not there yet…
Im curious about the binder myself… you know you can always email me and ill try to help you out… You got the pump in your hands, the major battle is over…
(am trying to think how long i was on saline for)… Think it was about 1 week total… Its hard to differentiate people who know what they are doing, only need a few hints, and people who need it step by step, so they tend to lump us all as idiots and start us as complete idiots… really wish it was more customized to suit the patients skills…
As usual, ill give yah my advice… Hang in there…
=)
we should get together for coffee and I’ll show you this stupid thing. I’m trying to hang but losing it by the minute!!!
Hate to say it - but this is all about THE MONEY they can charge for all those extra and unnecessary appointments.
You may be right, Jake - IF she has no other choices. If I had choices - I would make certain they knew I was really, really close to walking. I would also call my insurance company and protest.
Geez - it’s not rocket science. And guess what? PWD can learn just as easily as others.
I agree, Amy. I would also guess that some o the people who died had not been successful at managing their diabetes before getting the pump. While some believe that the pump can help people who aren’t good at managing their diabetes, my doc makes the good point that it should really be used by people who do well at managing it before the pump.
I agree with Jake, by the way, the combo bolus will be your best friend - I use it exclusively for meals, but that’s because I’m a TAGer - http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/tagers - that’s how I’ve gotten to a 5.4 A1c. So, after you get comfortable with the pump, you might check it out.
I still havent gotten the timing right… I alway seem to miss it, having it too soon or too late to hit that second peak… Someone told me i might need to have a larger gap between the start bolus and the second one than my usual 2:30-3 hrs…
because I have managed care medicaid, I have little choices as to who i can go see. If I work in a hospital, I am getting my medical records from Joslin and will transfer where I work. easy commute for a dr appt :)…
I may have to check it out…I’ve done so well since I was first diagnosed (with the exception of a few months when i didnt have insurance and didnt do my meds).