Insulin Pump Users

Marj, for what it’s worth, the 508 really frustrated me (an experienced
computer user with tons of Minimed/CDE training) the first several times
I changed sites. I remember whining on here, "Does it ever get any
EASIER?" and people swearing it did…but without that assurance, I
probably would’ve trashed the whole thing and gone back to shots.

So if Mike’s having a hard time, he’s sure not alone…it sounds like
you’re doing everything you can possibly do. (If he goes back to shots,
you’re STILL not alone — it’s just that anybody who stopped pumping
probably hasn’t stayed on this loop.)

Anyway, if you’re feeling frustrated, I just wanted you to know that a
lof of us (and a lot of spouses) know what you’re going through…and
wish you better times!

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Well, I’m back from neph visit. My potassium level is still very good (4.9 -
top is 5.2) even though I have fallen in love with grape tomatoes! He has
doubled one of my BP meds since I’m leaking more protein. I am disapointed cuz
I almost filled a jug when it’s usually only half full. Thought I was doing
better. My kidney function is now at 16% - that’s another 2.3% loss in six
months. And life goes on….

Howdy all,

I am just feeling so fed up with my body. I am having some very pronounced
symptoms of angina and am going in to se the Dr. this afternoon.

I am so angry that one more thing is wrong with me. I have lost most of the
vision in one eye, have to take B12 shots and synthroid, have diabetes and
here is another one.

I tried to tell my hubby how I was feeling, that the things that come up
with my help and not temporary but things I will have to live with forever.
I don’t usually whine like this but I am tired of being the one that has to
be "careful" or watch what I do. I want a good body that just keeps going
without all this nonsense. <sigh>

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Hi everyone,
Well, 2x Hubby has changed the insertion set,reservoir, etc. though
still using saline. The first one was ……, the second, not much
better. He doesn’t seem to recall what the CDE taught him, and I’m
concerned about that as well as his "practice" bolusing has not gone
well. First try when hooked up (saline), he didn’t know what he did,
but I stopped the bolus when it said 7.5. Another time, he ended up
on the basal screen, settings were different, but he didn’t know what
he did to change them from what the CDE had set. Best part, he looks
at me and says, "Why didn’t you pay attention to what [his CDE]
showed!!" when I couldn’t even see what was being done. I think he’s
a bit frustrated which is understandable at this point.
I watched the teaching video again (we’d watched it together over a
week ago), read all the stuff that came with the reservoirs,
insertion sets, 508 user manual, and CDE typed outline (very general
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On the subject of potassium… I was thinking that since my kidney function
was down to 50% that I should start restricting my potassium. I asked my
doctor about it and she said NOT yet. Restricting it could create a
deficiency which would cause alot of problems. She said that potassium
has to be in a good balance for the heart to function normally. (Too much
and too little is not good) I’m pretty sure it’s part of the standard blood
check we all get. Just keeping it in the normal range is best. –Jeana Ü

I guess I should have just typed the rest of the article… Here is the next
paragraph or two about trigger finger. (May 2001 Diabetes Forecast magazine
page 25)
"Trigger fingers occur when there is scarring in the sheath of the first,
third, or fourth fingers. This scarring, known as flexor tenosynovitis,
occurs in up to 20 percent of people with diabetes. It can cause affected
fingers to "lock" around objects. (For example if people with this
condition close their hand around the handle of a briefcase, tendons in the
fingers can lock into place. When this occurs, those with this condition
have to pry their fingers free with their other hand.) This condition may
respond to a steroid injection into the thickened tendon sheath, but, often,
surgery is required to release the tendon".

I have trigger finger and it’s not as bad as the article said. I just live
with it. Haven’t had surgery. Both my hands have carpal tunnel so that
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Bill wrote:
>>> Kathy, this is in answer to your post. I have had DM for about 50 years,
>>>

Bill,
if you contact the records dept. of the hospital where you were dx’d with DM
and give them a time frame, they can probably send you dated BG reports,
copies of invoices, etc. to prove this. Send copies to:
Awards Dept.
Joslin Diabetes Center
One Joslin Place
Boston, MA, 02215

And you will receive their bronze 50-yr medal. They in turn will alert Eli
Lilly Corp. who will send a sterling silver medal engraved with your name on
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Dear group members,
I have type 1 diabetes, have had it fourty years and have had one heart
attack and two heart catherations. I am now having the pain in both arms
and chest again, and have been told that if these symptoms occured
again, then I will have to face a double bypass , as they found another
blockage behind my heart. I already have a stent put in, but my body
produces scar tissue. That was the reason for the heart attack this past
January. I’m very frustrated about all of this, as well as scared. Is
there anyone in this group that has had this procedure done? If so,
could you email me thru this group? I won’t be able to see the
cardiologist until the 24 of this month. I just feel as if I can’t go on
like this for much longer. Thanks. Kathy Buchecker.

Hi!

I generally lurk about here, but now I’m just wondering…..

For the past several months, I have been having pain in the muscles (I
thought) in my upper legs, and particularly in my left shoulder. Also
my neck at times. My endo (a WONDERFUL man) sent me to an orthopedic
surgeon, who decided that his specialty wasn’t what I needed, so he
sent me to a rheumatologist. She has run some blood tests, declared
my left shoulder nearly useless (probably true - I am learning to
shampoo my hair with one hand!), and has made a first stab at
diagnosing this as "inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis" while she
continues testing to ensure that it isn’t really lupus(!). None of
this has made me very happy, but she has put me on a low dose of
prednisone, which has not interfered with my BG’s (yet), replacing 10
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Hey everyone,
I was interested to see that people were having reactions due to hormaonal
fluctuations and weather. My diabetic control is LOADS better in the heat,
which is a bit unfortunate as I live in the North of UK. I guess it’s just
that my metabolism deals better with the heat, and of course that I eat less
when it’s warm.
THe hormonal thing (sorry lads), but it’s interesting to hear how other
women’s blood sugars react to menstruation, I tend to have a day of HIGH
blood sugars just at the start of my period and then it all calms down, when
Disetronic where trying to sell me their pump, the rep suggested that I
programme one on a ‘time of the month’ regime and one on arest of the time
rate, but I think that would require too much fiddling with tests etc.,
temporary basal rates make it just as easy.

Has anyone found that they have a severe blood sugar reaction to Penicillin?
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