Comments on: meter programs for the best computer http://www.diabetic.netslonguirado.com/2005/12/03/meter-programs-for-the-best-computer/ Blog for the diabetics who use an insulin pump to control diabetes Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:45:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: colin_140 http://www.diabetic.netslonguirado.com/2005/12/03/meter-programs-for-the-best-computer/#comment-24681 colin_140 Thu, 08 Dec 2005 04:39:49 +0000 http://www.diabetic.netslonguirado.com/2005/12/03/meter-programs-for-the-best-computer/#comment-24681 << Joan, This summary of yours should be required reading. You have encapsulated the essence of the story; good work. David >> Thanks...:)) << Joan,
This summary of yours should be required reading. You have
encapsulated the essence of the story; good work.

David >>
Thanks…:))

]]> By: colin_140 http://www.diabetic.netslonguirado.com/2005/12/03/meter-programs-for-the-best-computer/#comment-24680 colin_140 Wed, 07 Dec 2005 20:32:08 +0000 http://www.diabetic.netslonguirado.com/2005/12/03/meter-programs-for-the-best-computer/#comment-24680 << Joan, This summary of yours should be required reading. You have encapsulated the essence of the story; good work. David >> Th << Joan,
This summary of yours should be required reading. You have
encapsulated the essence of the story; good work.

David >>
Th

]]> By: Olin Ok http://www.diabetic.netslonguirado.com/2005/12/03/meter-programs-for-the-best-computer/#comment-24677 Olin Ok Tue, 06 Dec 2005 16:13:26 +0000 http://www.diabetic.netslonguirado.com/2005/12/03/meter-programs-for-the-best-computer/#comment-24677 Joan, This summary of yours should be required reading. You have encapsulated the essence of the story; good work. David Joan,
This summary of yours should be required reading. You have
encapsulated the essence of the story; good work.

David

]]> By: colin_140 http://www.diabetic.netslonguirado.com/2005/12/03/meter-programs-for-the-best-computer/#comment-24672 colin_140 Sun, 04 Dec 2005 19:23:03 +0000 http://www.diabetic.netslonguirado.com/2005/12/03/meter-programs-for-the-best-computer/#comment-24672 << Querry: I know most of you are on pumps and so have the cannula inserted into the stomach area, but I heard the wierdest thing on Friday! I call a local CDE because on Thursday my sugars were 306 at supper, took 12 Humalog, and it was still 17 at 11pm. So I took more insulin to compensate for that and... at 3am my husband shot me up with Glucagon to get me out of a deep reaction. The thing is, the CDE hardly hardly had time to talk to me. (The CDE who is taking care of my file was unavailable.) When I told her to help me with the above problem, including the high sugars at both dinner and bedtime, she told me. "Why in the world are you taking insulin in your buttock?? That is not recommended at all! You must only take shots in your stomach." Well, already tense, I almost broke the phone! I've never heard of this. As a matter of fact, I'm sure I've heard that some pumpers insert in the leg. Have any of you heard this? >>Dear Audra: Not to rank on CDEs since I hope to have my certification <!--more--> by the end of the year....maybe she isn't a nurse. Most places you have fat, are reasonably acceptable. Anyplace that you can pinch up an inch (which is what I teach my patients )is a good place to place insulin. Have to remember a couple of things: 1. If your sugars are going up...could be a number of things.... poor absorption at a particular site.... if you 've been injecting insulin for a long time, you can develop hypertrophy.... thickening and hardening of the fat under the skin. Keeps you from absorbing well. 2. Too close to scar tissue , your belly button, or too close to a boney surface...like over the ischeal crest----top of the hip bone....not as much fat there. 3. If you've kept your insulin at room temperature for more than a month, it can lose it's potency. If it gets frozen, cloudy, what some of us call turbid....sort of like seeing olive oil when it's cold....gets cloudy. It isn't good anymore...gotta chuck it out. 4. Rotate, rotate, rotate...those sites. 5. Remember....if you use insulin in your legs or arms, it can absorb faster, simply because of muscle activity and greater blood flow through tissue. Same is true for some of us that use our abdomens as insertion sites....should not leave administration sets in too long.....increases risk of infection, then you can't use that site for quite a while. Have to let it heal. 6. What did you eat that brought your sugar up so high, and what were your numbers? Humalog is a rapid acting insulin....it's better to take little doses and wait a couple of hours before compensating with more....Since you're type 1, you should have some NPH on board until you start pumping. That could also be part of the problem. 7. Don't rely on just one glucometer reading....if you don't feel as if your sugar is high....and many of us can read the clues our body tells us, wait and recheck. If your meter is too cold or too hot, like near a radiator or heater, that can skew your results. 8. Always have a back-up meter so you can double check. If your meter is more than 5 years old, time to get one that's more accurate. The newer ones have computer chips and don't use reagent strips. Having secure test strips improves accuracy. Heat, light, and moisture all affect reagent strips, so they lose their accuracy over time. 9. Dipstick your urine for glucose and ketones. If you're spilling ketones and your sugar is high, go, don't walk, run to the emergency room and have it checked. Ketoacidosis is not a nice thing to play with... 10. Go to www.diabeteswell.com and join the site. It's time to know more than your CDE 'cause obviously she needs a bit of education. 11. You want your CDE and endo to know what they're talking about. If they can't tell you about pumps....time to go shopping for someone who can. 12. Don't be frightened. Sounds like you just need a bit (a whole lot!!) of education. Invest in John Walsh's Pumping Insulin...whatever edition he's up to now...think it's the third. That's OUR diabetic bible when it comes to pumping. Hope this helps....and welcome to the site...Joan:)))) << Querry: I know most of you are on pumps and so have the cannula
inserted into the stomach area, but I heard the wierdest thing on Friday!
I call a local CDE because on Thursday my sugars were 306 at supper, took 12
Humalog, and it was still 17 at 11pm. So I took more insulin to compensate
for that and… at 3am my husband shot me up with Glucagon to get me out of a
deep reaction.
The thing is, the CDE hardly hardly had time to talk to me. (The CDE
who is taking care of my file was unavailable.) When I told her to help me
with the above problem, including the high sugars at both dinner and bedtime,
she told me. "Why in the world are you taking insulin in your buttock??
That is not recommended at all! You must only take shots in your stomach."
Well, already tense, I almost broke the phone! I’ve never heard of this.
As a matter of fact, I’m sure I’ve heard that some pumpers insert in the
leg. Have any of you heard this?
>>Dear Audra: Not to rank on CDEs since I hope to have my certification

by the end of the year….maybe she isn’t a nurse. Most places you have
fat, are reasonably acceptable.
Anyplace that you can pinch up an inch (which is
what I teach my patients )is a good place to place insulin. Have to
remember a couple of things:
1. If your sugars are going up…could be a number of things….
poor absorption at a particular site….
if you ‘ve been injecting insulin for a long time, you can develop
hypertrophy….
thickening and hardening of the fat under the skin. Keeps you from
absorbing well.
2. Too close to scar tissue , your belly button, or too close to a boney
surface…like over the ischeal crest—-top of the hip bone….not as much
fat there.
3. If you’ve kept your insulin at room temperature for more than a month, it
can lose it’s potency.
If it gets frozen, cloudy, what some of us call turbid….sort of like
seeing olive oil when it’s cold….gets cloudy. It isn’t good
anymore…gotta chuck it out.
4. Rotate, rotate, rotate…those sites.
5. Remember….if you use insulin in your legs or arms, it can absorb
faster, simply because of muscle activity and greater blood flow through
tissue. Same is true for some of us that use our abdomens as insertion
sites….should not leave administration sets in too long…..increases risk
of infection, then you can’t use that site for quite a while. Have to let it
heal.
6. What did you eat that brought your sugar up so high, and what were your
numbers?
Humalog is a rapid acting insulin….it’s better to take little doses and
wait a couple of hours before compensating with more….Since you’re type 1,
you should have some NPH on board until you start pumping. That could also
be part of the problem.
7. Don’t rely on just one glucometer reading….if you don’t feel as if your
sugar is high….and many of us can read the clues our body tells us, wait
and recheck.
If your meter is too cold or too hot, like near a radiator or heater, that
can skew your results.
8. Always have a back-up meter so you can double check. If your meter is
more than 5 years old, time to get one that’s more accurate. The newer ones
have computer chips and don’t use reagent strips. Having secure test strips
improves accuracy. Heat, light, and moisture all affect reagent strips, so
they lose their accuracy over time.
9. Dipstick your urine for glucose and ketones. If you’re spilling ketones
and your sugar is high, go, don’t walk, run to the emergency room and have it
checked. Ketoacidosis is not a nice thing to play with…
10. Go to www.diabeteswell.com and join the site. It’s time to know more
than your CDE ’cause obviously she needs a bit of education.
11. You want your CDE and endo to know what they’re talking about. If they
can’t tell you about pumps….time to go shopping for someone who can.
12. Don’t be frightened. Sounds like you just need a bit (a whole lot!!)
of education. Invest in John Walsh’s Pumping Insulin…whatever edition he’s
up to now…think it’s the third.
That’s OUR diabetic bible when it comes to pumping.
Hope this helps….and welcome to the site…Joan:))))

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