Type 1 diabetes

Thank you one and all for your thoughts & perspectives on this topic,

I know I beat a ~dead horsey~ but I will still loudly contend pushing the A1C too low is immediate and dangerous. Yet choose the other direction and the “long term problems” are ~sure and certain~ by all accounts. There is an apt (I think) story out of Chinese philosophy which describes the perils of a man on a cliff who for all intents and purposes could easily be ~one of us~, a diabetic.

A villager on his way to collect water is being hunted by a pair of tigers. He is chased to the edge of a local cliff running for his life, seconds ahead of his hunters. The man climbs down a small vine in the cliff’s face dangerously rapidly… a hairbreadth ahead of the enraged tiger now above him. Only realizing half-way down that its mate awaited him below. The rough cliff face giving no handhold, and his meager weight climbing down begins sawing the vine against the rocks, begins to shred.

At precisely that moment he notices tigress below, he sees a wild strawberry buried in the cliff face. What does he do ??? <Playful Smile

Jeff

Morning,

I’ve got time for one more, hope nobody minds terribly??? I realize I’ve asked before but my email system was ummmmmm, played with Tuesday night….. some files are gone (:: ( My question:

At what point does one’s A1C number become directly causal of problems. For example, we’re all been bashed over the head with the DCCT trial information big-time, one assumes? The more we control the sugars the “better off” in general. We’ve seen the studies which say for every point you bring the A1C down the better off… again no magic. (Provided we don’t go crazy over controlling it….)

If you can bring it down with ease, fine. But at what point does making ourselves ~insano~ cancel out the benefits (I.e. When does bringing it down become instead a control-freak thing?) ? The required efforts canceling out the reduction whether great or small?

Any of the research out here pointing to the continuous time requirements my A1C must be X, to guarantee impotence? To guarantee kidney failure, foot problems, eye problems? When does the A1C just become a number we’d all like lower, versus guaranteed 100% certain, cause and effect… (I.e. I’m toast its back at 8.5 (or whatever) for the second time in 15 years say and therefore that means…. I don’t know that I can be confidant my toes will tingle… in 10 years because of that)?

I can’t remember what conclusions, perspectives we might have come to… but would like to rehash it just for a brief time, please.

Jeff (Back to work I go…)

Hello Liz,

Two things…

The reason the “white coats” focus on the lows, is pure and simple, because they’ll kill us instantly if the circumstances are wrong. Lows, particularly lows which “require help” will always ruin our freakin day, no????????? Nobody cares about a single high if magically somehow forced to treat ONLY one or the other (ie high/low), cure the lows first… the highs can be figured out.

As for the unawareness, look up the term BGAT (Blood Glucose Awareness Training) out of University of Virginia, person names… Cox, I believe. Bottom line, to whatever degree it IS possible for any of us to have an impact if/when “unaware”, there is excellent material coming out, some part CAN be regained. The basic idea being we stop treating our sugar level like it was a slave, always whipping it trying to keep it in line type of thing… as soon as we literally let up, for several days, keep the average “HIGHER” and small symptoms are reported to return. Even if you never do the training (I’ve never been able to get a class local to me) the HOPE, based in actual evidence, makes me feel a whole lot *@)#@)#& better!!!

Smile.

In terms of the nurse manager not paying any attention to the highs…. hey, you could be 10,000% dead right. She/they are idiots and dismissive, patting you, me all of us on the heads like little children. It could very, very well be the case, right?!

Alternate B, have blind faith with this “creature” (sic the nurse manager) and make yourself a robot. Blindly follow their/her instructions just like you were a little girl again. Worst that’s going to happen, you say ENOUGH and reassert control down the road, right? I had massive experience over everyone I was working with on my pump. Most were textbook diabetics, meaning they treated people, and I mean lots of people, just like us, but did not walk the walk themselves. (”…. oh, I see, you require me to get my *** up four days running at 1am, 3am, 5am because you say so….). Easy to say…. chuckleheads.

I obeyed. I was not happy about it period and said literally out loud many times, “I WILL OBEY” but often was opposed to their methods and ideas and said so. But I obeyed, textbook perfectly. I gave them the benefit because MY method (pre-pump) wasn’t working… whatever it was possible to do to change the outcomes, I was failing, PERIOD. I was weary and was facing my worst demons. So, I gave them my broken rent armor, my obliterated shield, my notched sword and said HERE… you know how to tame this (@#&*@#)@&#)@@ dragon, well, here you go, take my proverbial equipment and I give you it all, and threw it at them with the last of my spirit and remaining energy.
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Hello Stephanie,

<Big Smile

It will take several weeks to get the basal rates “ideal”. It also sounds like they didn’t use the 3 day 24-7 monitor to get her body’s rate, correct?

How bout her pre pump testing????
The 3 day (at a clip) testing whereby she went completely off the long-term insulin, used only the short acting insulin, EXCEPT for the four hour window (every day for the 3-4 days) and took tests every hour during that window (sic every day). Once a good pattern was established, moved onto the next 4 hour slot until you had at least 3-4 days of pattern for every 4 hour time slot.

From that they figure out the basal rate/s….

Sometimes they micromanage and have LOTS of different rates during different times of the day, others a single rate.

Keep us posted

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What is the correct estimate of carb grams in a typical slice of pizza
from a pizza place?
The rep from the pump company just told me 75 grams, while the
nutritionist Maddie sees says 35-40 grams. That’s a huge difference
and if the pump company is right, that explains the monday afternoon
and evening highs. (Every monday is pizza day at school)
What do all of you go by?
Thanks,
Stephanie

To Burn Off Big Mac Meal, Walk This Far

Enjoying a McDonald’s Big Mac meal–that would be the Big Mac, french fries and a milkshake–every once in a while won’t make you fat, right? Not if you walk off those extra calories.

Nutritionists in Great Britain helpfully computed just how far you have to walk to shake off the 1,411 calories from that Big Mac lunch: 9.5 miles.

London’s Sun newspaper reports that even the McDonald’s salads require a 2.5 mile walk to ward off the extra calories, thanks to the fatty salad dressings that can have more calories than the burgers.

So it doesn’t just pick on McDonald’s, the Sun compiled a list of several favorite fast food items and how many miles you have to walk to get rid of the extra calories:

* Meat pizza: 930 calories requires a 6.2 mile walk
* KFC meal: 910 calories requires a 6.06 mile walk
* Apple: 45 calories requires a 0.3 mile walk
* Stick of celery: 2 calories requires a 0.013 mile walk

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Hi Everyone,
So we’re a week on the pump, and I have to say, it stinks!!!!! Ok, I’m
sure it will get better. Her rates are still being adjusted and the
nurse manager from Animas assures me, “these highs are normal”. In one
week her average BG has gone from 130 to almost 200. My child is very
happy and that’s all that matters. “No more shots!!!” she tells
everyone, and she likes her pretty pump pack.
I have a picture of the proud pumper with her pretty purple pump pack,
but have no idea how to attach it in one of these things, so just
imagine a very happy 6 year old, beaming from ear to ear.
Hope all of you are happy and well.
Stephanie

Hi, I know some of you have neuropathy in your feet. Lately, I just
can’t get comfortable no matter what position I’m in.
I take Neurontin 100mg when it’s unbearable and warm baths…..Any other
new suggestions.
At my wit’s end!!!!
Carol