Sunday 17 June 2012

All the other type 1's


I never really thought about it before I discovered the DOC (Diabetes Online Community - always amuses me how its like the shortening for doctor because it is a bit like a community of doctors to help us out with the day to day things) but I have contact with quite a few Type 1 diabetics including a few around my age!

A gathering for JDRF's walk to
cure diabetes
There are two girls in my sixth form, one who is in my year and another in the year below me. This is pretty cool because I can complain about being high or low to the girl in my year who I'm pretty friendly with and she understands what I'm talking about and how it feels!
I also live on a street with two other diabetics, one who is the mother of some teenagers I used to play with when I was younger and the other a three year old girl who was diagnosed as a baby, its pretty inspirational to see her and her family handle such a young child with this disease.
One last person I know (well know of) is a family friend's brother, who was diagnosed as a child and is now the same age as my parents.

So overall I do know people with diabetes and I am lucky to do so as many people have no idea of the number that most likely surround them!

Lastly the countdown to my pump is now just 3 days which means just 3 (including tonight's) more doses of the stingy Lantus Woop Woop!

Wednesday 13 June 2012

Insulin Pump

So, one of the main reasons for setting up this blog was because I had the possibility of getting an insulin pump in a month or so due to HORRIBLY out of control sugar levels that need to be reined in. This is becoming difficult on MDI even with changing almost everything possible so pump it is! :)
I know that getting a pump is not a final solution and a lot of work is needed but hopefully with all my efforts it will offer more control and flexibility for my lifestyle.
I now have a date for training and getting up and running on the pump next Wednesday! I'm excited now!

So what is an insulin pump?

The animas 2020 in blue!
I decided on an Animas pump mostly for the fact that its waterproof but also the way it works and all sorts of reason which appealed to me. So I'm getting a blue Animas 2020 insulin pump next Wednesday and hope it all goes well :) 
An insulin pump is an electronic device about the size of mobile (bit bigger?) that continually delivers insulin through a tube into the body with background rates that can be changed in accordance with activity or time of day. To give insulin for food the user programs in the insulin needed (in different ways on different pumps) to cover the meal. The user can administer corrections if the sugar level is high.

There are different companies which manufacture different pumps with different ways to set them and different ways of working so its up to the person on what they want to get from the pump as to which one they go for.