Thursday, January 31, 2008
Woo hoo.
The 2008 ADA Tampa Diabetes Expo is on my BIRTHDAY this year. I'll be collecting lots of free gifts and milking that from those vendors. You know you're getting old when you go from going out clubbing, to attending a diabetes expo to celebrate your birthday. haha.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
I've Got It!!
I've decided what to name my insulin pump. After much thought, I've decided my insulin pump is a dude....and his name shall be....
HOWIE.
This name stemmed not from the bald TV game show host, but from my 3 year old who calls my pump, "Mommy's ow-ie" but it sounds like he's saying Howie.
Since my pump has a guy name, I decided Dexcom should be a chick name so they could be happily married like I am. So Dexcom's new name is
IONA.
Because I feel very lucky, blessed and privileged that I get too "own a" CGMS.
What do you think? =)
HOWIE.
This name stemmed not from the bald TV game show host, but from my 3 year old who calls my pump, "Mommy's ow-ie" but it sounds like he's saying Howie.
Since my pump has a guy name, I decided Dexcom should be a chick name so they could be happily married like I am. So Dexcom's new name is
IONA.
Because I feel very lucky, blessed and privileged that I get too "own a" CGMS.
What do you think? =)
Monday, January 28, 2008
$$ Billions and Billions $$
The American Diabetes Association released THIS article about the raising cost of diabetes in America. It was up 32% from 2002 and is now costing Americans $174 billion dollars a year. (This is also not including any healthcare costs of the approx. 5 million undiagnosed diabetics in America) Amy T. from Diabetes Mine noted that this is more than the cost of all the wars we are fighting overseas. That fact is stunning.
Ahhh, all this leading back to my own personal small scale financial troubles with this disease. Co pays, doctor visits, pump supplies, and now CGMS supplies. I am really praying that my insurance company doesn't give me too much trouble about covering my new CGMS. To me it makes so much sense for them to cover it. Due to the more stable BS levels there will be... less hospital visits, less chance of long term complications, lower A1c's, I could go on and on. Yet I continue to read blogs of diabetes patients having go arounds with their companies in getting their basic supplies covered. As Type 1 diabetics, we have to deal with so much already, that it would be a BLESSING to not have to deal with the financial aspects on top of the health and emotional issues.
Ahhh, all this leading back to my own personal small scale financial troubles with this disease. Co pays, doctor visits, pump supplies, and now CGMS supplies. I am really praying that my insurance company doesn't give me too much trouble about covering my new CGMS. To me it makes so much sense for them to cover it. Due to the more stable BS levels there will be... less hospital visits, less chance of long term complications, lower A1c's, I could go on and on. Yet I continue to read blogs of diabetes patients having go arounds with their companies in getting their basic supplies covered. As Type 1 diabetics, we have to deal with so much already, that it would be a BLESSING to not have to deal with the financial aspects on top of the health and emotional issues.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Naming My Friends
My new friend on Tu Diabetes, Toni Crebbin, decided to name her pump and her CGMS. I think that is a GREAT idea. I mean, yes, they are inanimate objects, BUT they are soo much more, aren't they? My pump is hooked to me 24/7 and when we're apart I feel like I'm missing a limb! And my new Dexcom... well, she's growing on me. Sometimes I lose her because she's so new, I forget to bring her from room to room. So I challenge you to join me!! Name your friends. I'll be back when I think of something good. =)
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Type 2 Cure? Uh, DUH.
I was forwarded THIS article by my brother-in-law and my good friend, Ryan. They thoughtfully sent this to me, thinking it might be a breakthrough for my Type 1 diabetes. As I read the article I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. From the title, I expected more. Sometimes it bugs me when people don't separate Type 1 from Type 2. (And I'm not talking about my family and friends who thoughtfully sent me the article, I'm talking about the writers and editors of the article).
I weigh less than 140 lbs. and most of the Type 1's that I network with aren't extremely overweight. We'd probably be dead or have failing kidneys, blind, and be limping around on one leg if we were extremely overweight. Because if you are a Type 1 diabetic that was diagnosed in early childhood, like myself, you must keep your sugars low to avoid or delay long term complications. And in order to become obese you have to eat poorly, which would cause your sugars to remain high.
Thus, gastric-bypass surgery is not going to rid ME or ANYONE of Type 1 diabetes. This article talks about the high percentage of people who have reversed their Type 2 diabetes by having lap band or gastric-bypass surgery. To me, this is a complete no brainer. Lose weight, begin to pursue a more active healthy lifestyle = reversing insulin resistance and allowing your pancreas to function more properly. I have known a few folks personally, and read testimonies of hundreds of people with Type 2 diabetes who have gone off all their meds completely, and been able to control their disease simply by living a healthy lifestyle. And I'm not belittling this, it's a huge task, but I'm just saying IT CAN BE DONE. I'm not a doctor granted, but from experiential evidence, I believe Type 2 diabetes can be reversed.
Now I'd be nothing more than a whining dork if I vented about this and left you with no opportunity to learn about the basic differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, so here we go. Here is a pretty decent explanation that sums up the differences that I found on Diabetesplanner.com
Type 1 Diabetes is a disorder in which the body does not produce insulin (a hormone that aids in moving sugar from the blood to the cells). This type of diabetes can be due to a virus or autoimmune disorder in which the body does not recognize an organ as its own and attacks it. In this case the body attacks an organ known as the pancreas where insulin is made.
Those with Type 1 Diabetes are required to take insulin injections to move sugar from the bloodstream. This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed before age 40.
Type 2 Diabetes occurs when insulin that the body produces is less efficient at moving sugar out of the bloodstream. Some sugar is moved out of the blood, just not as effectively compared to a person with normal insulin efficiency. High blood sugars are a result of this.
Diet, exercise, weight loss, and possible medications are the treatment for this type of diabetes. Occasionally, someone with Type 2 may be placed on insulin to better control blood sugars. This type of diabetes is associated with physical inactivity and obesity. Type 2 Diabetes used to be thought of as the adult onset type of diabetes. However, an alarming rate of children are now being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
Notice that LAST statement. More American children are also becoming obese. Connection? Come on people, this isn't rocket science.
I weigh less than 140 lbs. and most of the Type 1's that I network with aren't extremely overweight. We'd probably be dead or have failing kidneys, blind, and be limping around on one leg if we were extremely overweight. Because if you are a Type 1 diabetic that was diagnosed in early childhood, like myself, you must keep your sugars low to avoid or delay long term complications. And in order to become obese you have to eat poorly, which would cause your sugars to remain high.
Thus, gastric-bypass surgery is not going to rid ME or ANYONE of Type 1 diabetes. This article talks about the high percentage of people who have reversed their Type 2 diabetes by having lap band or gastric-bypass surgery. To me, this is a complete no brainer. Lose weight, begin to pursue a more active healthy lifestyle = reversing insulin resistance and allowing your pancreas to function more properly. I have known a few folks personally, and read testimonies of hundreds of people with Type 2 diabetes who have gone off all their meds completely, and been able to control their disease simply by living a healthy lifestyle. And I'm not belittling this, it's a huge task, but I'm just saying IT CAN BE DONE. I'm not a doctor granted, but from experiential evidence, I believe Type 2 diabetes can be reversed.
Now I'd be nothing more than a whining dork if I vented about this and left you with no opportunity to learn about the basic differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, so here we go. Here is a pretty decent explanation that sums up the differences that I found on Diabetesplanner.com
Type 1 Diabetes is a disorder in which the body does not produce insulin (a hormone that aids in moving sugar from the blood to the cells). This type of diabetes can be due to a virus or autoimmune disorder in which the body does not recognize an organ as its own and attacks it. In this case the body attacks an organ known as the pancreas where insulin is made.
Those with Type 1 Diabetes are required to take insulin injections to move sugar from the bloodstream. This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed before age 40.
Type 2 Diabetes occurs when insulin that the body produces is less efficient at moving sugar out of the bloodstream. Some sugar is moved out of the blood, just not as effectively compared to a person with normal insulin efficiency. High blood sugars are a result of this.
Diet, exercise, weight loss, and possible medications are the treatment for this type of diabetes. Occasionally, someone with Type 2 may be placed on insulin to better control blood sugars. This type of diabetes is associated with physical inactivity and obesity. Type 2 Diabetes used to be thought of as the adult onset type of diabetes. However, an alarming rate of children are now being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
Notice that LAST statement. More American children are also becoming obese. Connection? Come on people, this isn't rocket science.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Tired and Cranky...
pretty much describes my mood this morning. Though it is being brightened by several happy messages on my myspace from various friends.
Zoe woke up about 3 times last night and needed to be fed or cuddled. She's still got her cold. Gabriel kept waking up with "growing pains". He was sobbing because his "wegs hurt." Justin said his legs and feet used to hurt too at night when he was a little boy and his Mom would have to come in and rub them.
I'm just in a daze and totally unmotivated this morning. I reset my Dexcom to see if I could get a couple more days out of this first sensor. It's been a week since I started on my CGMS and without a doubt it is helping me keep my sugars close in target range and is waking me up at night if I get too high or too low. Haven't heard from insurance company yet. (taps nails, waits, paces, waits...)
Zoe woke up about 3 times last night and needed to be fed or cuddled. She's still got her cold. Gabriel kept waking up with "growing pains". He was sobbing because his "wegs hurt." Justin said his legs and feet used to hurt too at night when he was a little boy and his Mom would have to come in and rub them.
I'm just in a daze and totally unmotivated this morning. I reset my Dexcom to see if I could get a couple more days out of this first sensor. It's been a week since I started on my CGMS and without a doubt it is helping me keep my sugars close in target range and is waking me up at night if I get too high or too low. Haven't heard from insurance company yet. (taps nails, waits, paces, waits...)
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Zoe And Justin
Today Gabriel begged me to let him test his blood sugar. I showed him the lancet and told him it would hurt. He kept persisting. So I did it. He didn't even flinch. He thought it was so cool. He was 110 about 30 minutes after eating milk and a banana. Good reading. I pray daily that neither of my kids ever get diabetes.
My husband is a goofball, but his girls sure do adore him. Our daughter, Zoe, is absolutely in love with him. I love watching her crack up when he makes funny sounds and faces for her. Enjoy!
My husband is a goofball, but his girls sure do adore him. Our daughter, Zoe, is absolutely in love with him. I love watching her crack up when he makes funny sounds and faces for her. Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Dexcom Has Arrived
I am all hooked up to my Dexcom Seven... it is sooo rockin my world!! Right now I am 92. I can't stop looking at it. We went to the Apple store tonight to get our laptop tuned up and I just wanted to stand up and scream, "I got something cooler than an iphone!! Come see my Dexcom!" Justin was glad that I refrained. Maybe next time.
I've calibrated it a couple times and it seems to always be within about 20-30 unites of my Ultra meter. So far so good. =)
I've calibrated it a couple times and it seems to always be within about 20-30 unites of my Ultra meter. So far so good. =)
Monday, January 14, 2008
Monogenic Diabetes
I found a very interesting article about a rare form of diabetes that can be cured now. Here is a link to the website.
Here is a paragraph that describes briefly what monogenic diabetes is:
Monogenic forms of diabetes may account for about 1 to 2 percent of all cases of diabetes in young people. In some cases of monogenic diabetes, the gene mutation is inherited; but in others, the gene mutation develops spontaneously. Most mutations in monogenic diabetes reduce the body's ability to produce insulin, a protein produced in the pancreas that is essential for the body to use glucose for energy. As a result, monogenic diabetes can easily be mistaken for type 1 diabetes.
Here is a paragraph that describes briefly what monogenic diabetes is:
Monogenic forms of diabetes may account for about 1 to 2 percent of all cases of diabetes in young people. In some cases of monogenic diabetes, the gene mutation is inherited; but in others, the gene mutation develops spontaneously. Most mutations in monogenic diabetes reduce the body's ability to produce insulin, a protein produced in the pancreas that is essential for the body to use glucose for energy. As a result, monogenic diabetes can easily be mistaken for type 1 diabetes.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Winners
And the winners for the New Testaments are.....
Laura J.
Valerie G.
AND
Becky A!!!!!!
Congrats and thanks for participating in my first giveaway ever!!! Stay tuned for more....
Laura J.
Valerie G.
AND
Becky A!!!!!!
Congrats and thanks for participating in my first giveaway ever!!! Stay tuned for more....
Friday, January 11, 2008
Pancreas Transplants
They're getting close. However, I've been hearing that they've been getting close to a cure since I was diagnosed in 1988. Last night I researched the Mayo Clinic website. They have a branch in Jacksonville called St. Lukes that has performed pancreas transplants. I am not very knowledgeable on this procedure but from what I read, it seems some people have walked away from Type 1 diabetes completely after having this surgery. There are a lot of risks with having extreme hypoglycemia's (low blood sugars) afterwards. If you're interested you can read a summary about the procedures HERE.
I wouldn't qualify for this procedure because I have no long term complications... yet.
In general, candidates for pancreas transplantation include:
Pancreas transplant alone
Diabetics who have early or no kidney disease but need a pancreas transplant to improve blood sugar control and/or prevent the onset of diabetic complications (including progression of kidney disease).
Pancreas-after-kidney transplant
People with diabetes who have received a kidney transplant in the past and now need a pancreas transplant to improve blood sugar control and prevent other diabetic complications.
Combined kidney-pancreas transplant
Diabetics with kidney failure in need of a kidney transplant. These patients have the option of also receiving a pancreas transplant.
I have only bits and pieces of information right now, but honestly, I did not know this was even being done in the United States yet.
I wouldn't qualify for this procedure because I have no long term complications... yet.
In general, candidates for pancreas transplantation include:
Pancreas transplant alone
Diabetics who have early or no kidney disease but need a pancreas transplant to improve blood sugar control and/or prevent the onset of diabetic complications (including progression of kidney disease).
Pancreas-after-kidney transplant
People with diabetes who have received a kidney transplant in the past and now need a pancreas transplant to improve blood sugar control and prevent other diabetic complications.
Combined kidney-pancreas transplant
Diabetics with kidney failure in need of a kidney transplant. These patients have the option of also receiving a pancreas transplant.
I have only bits and pieces of information right now, but honestly, I did not know this was even being done in the United States yet.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
I've begun my first photography project that I linked to via Bernard's blog. It's called Diabetes365. I have added a banner in my sidebar where you can link to the photo pool as well.
I will add one photo for 365 days documenting snip-its of living life with Type 1 diabetes. Hope you keep up with it! I have some neat ideas in mind.
Here is a LINK to my first two photographs. The first is of Gabriel's birthday cake. I thought a little poetic irony would be nice to start things off. The second is of my digital piano with my testing strips and meter on the keys.
I will add one photo for 365 days documenting snip-its of living life with Type 1 diabetes. Hope you keep up with it! I have some neat ideas in mind.
Here is a LINK to my first two photographs. The first is of Gabriel's birthday cake. I thought a little poetic irony would be nice to start things off. The second is of my digital piano with my testing strips and meter on the keys.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Happy Birthday Baby!
My baby boy turned 3 years old today. I can't believe it. He was a 4 lb. little premie and has blossomed into a 32 pound 3 year old with the biggest vocabulary you've ever heard on a kid. I swear he never stops talking. We have many upcoming changes for our family and I look forward to the day when Gabe starts pre school. Even though I'm a little sad that he's getting so big, so fast... I know he will LOVE the interaction with other kids, structure, and learning that great pre schools offer!
I weighed myself today at 139. That's 6 lbs. lighter than a week and a half ago. I am committed to getting these last pounds off! I've been doing The FIRM video every day and started jogging with DH last night. I've decreased the amount of insulin I take per day by almost 20 units. It feels wonderful.
I weighed myself today at 139. That's 6 lbs. lighter than a week and a half ago. I am committed to getting these last pounds off! I've been doing The FIRM video every day and started jogging with DH last night. I've decreased the amount of insulin I take per day by almost 20 units. It feels wonderful.
Monday, January 7, 2008
My New Toy... SEVEN.
On Christmas morning I awoke to several paramedics standing over me. I was having a diabetic seizure due to extremely low blood sugar. On the 29th I had another seizure in the middle of the night. Both times were terrifying for both myself and my family. Now I will never have to worry about that again thanks to a new technology by Dexcom.
I just bought a new Dexcom Seven system. It is a Continuous Glucose Monitoring ("CGM") device for people with diabetes. It basically takes a glucose test about every 5 minutes throughout the day and night, allowing users to see trends and patterns in glucose readings. It also has an alarm that goes off when your sugars hit below 70 and above 250. This feature will be lifesaving for me.
The Seven Continuous Glucose Monitoring System consists of 3 parts:
Sensor
Transmitter
Receiver
The sensor looks much like an insulin pump infusion set and lasts for 7 days. The transmitter connects to it and send the info wirelessly to the receiver base. There are many ways to view the data on the transmitter. It can also be downloaded to a computer with Windows for viewing on the Dexcom software.
The rep who helped me was extremely helpful and answered ALL my questions. I had to pay in full for this product since it is a brand new technology. After I receive it they will automatically contact my insurance company with a claim and a letter of medical necessity from my doctor that they have on file. There is no guarantee that the insurance will cover this, but hopefully they will!! In total I paid $718 for the system and six sensors. This also includes training in my home next week by a tech rep. Refill sensors come in boxes of 4 and are $240.
Hopefully you found this article informative! Please check back in a couple weeks for my reviews of this product after using it for a while!
For more information please visit the Dexcom website by clicking HERE
More Giveaways...
MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!
I have a strong passion for ministering to and mentoring teenage girls. My husband has several copies of a fantastic resource from Women of Faith called Revolve. (He was a youth minister) It is a complete New Testament designed for teenage girls that is attractively designed to look like a teen magazine. It has supplemental columns in it with godly advice on getting along with parents, friends, and relationships. For my FIRST blog give-away ever, I will be giving away 3 copies! To enter, please leave a comment and share quickly about why you'd like to win one! I will draw the winners on Saturday, January 12th! Good luck!!
Bargain Lady
Ever since I ceased teaching piano lessons last year I have been sorta bummed about not being able to contribute financially to our family's income. So, I started researching internet sites that were helpful to our budget. Coupons, bargains, etc. THIS site was very helpful to me at Christmas time and saved me TONS of money on gifts. This is a SAHM who finds amazing online and in store deals and shares them on her blog! Check it out and visit her often!
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