Type 1 Diabetics Super Mega Thread

it is a ton to take in, when my kid was diagnosed it felt like an impossible amount of stuff to take in. You will find your way and get on with your new norm, it took us a few weeks but he was back to his normal life pretty quick. When he was younger he was on a pump and it really kept his numbers in check however it got in the way of baseball and football so he eventually went back to pens. Now he has a CGM by Dexcom and it does a pretty good job of watching over him. We have a pretty strong diabetes facebook group here, they have been great when supplies run short (missing bottles of test strips) or even just questions on different things like CGM's or pumps, you might have that in your area as well.

 

yeah I’m on the new tandem tslim x2 paired with a dexcom now. I have a love hate relationship with the pump. I’ve learned I don’t really need a basal dose during the day, and very little during the night. Mostly the control IQ just brings down any late high after a fatty dinner. I’m able to unhook from my pump for hours at a time which is very nice but kind of defeats the purpose of having a pump, right? However, I’m probably still honeymooning and I’m sure things will change at some point down the road. I don’t have a lot of good places to put infusion sites either. My stomach is the only decent painless spot for sensors and infusion site and it’s pretty torn up. Shots were better- right in the butt. I’m 6’ and 130lbs.

This pump never shuts the hell up either. Once I figured out how to turn off every alarm I could (phone and pump), it’s like it creates new ones. Inactivity alarm? WTF isn’t that the point to not have to be constantly hitting buttons and shit???

Anyways...once I figured out a mountain of primary and secondary insurance I said why not give it a go.

I hate that I can’t get insurance to give me spare sensors and pump paraphernalia in case of an emergency. But I’ve been calling in sensor and infusion failures to build up some stock and just dealing with a bad infusion site or sensor as long as I can. Great system we have.

 

Also, Dexcom or Tandem why do I need an alert about a low 15 minutes ago? I’m not dead, so I obviously did something about it...

 

Is reassuring that the people, families that live with this the community is huge & very supportive. We have found that very quick.

 

Yup. Being skinny sucks for possible infusion sites. I rotate between stomach (2x) and butt (2x) to hopefully keep the scar tissue to a minimum, but its still pretty bad after 20 years.

Sounds like you're right in the middle of the honeymoon phase thing right now.

Thats the biggest reason I dont want to step away from my old Paradigm 723 is all the widgets in the new pumps. Like I dont really want / need any of that..

 

I don’t blame you. Most of it is useless for me right now, but the extended bolus feature is nice for fatty meals and I do get peace of mind with the control IQ except when it’s trying to kill me when I over correct for a low with fast acting carbs and it decides to dose haha.

I cannot seem to get a comfortable infusion set on my butt, but (ha) would be interested to know where you went for and if it gets in the way of pulling your pants up/sitting on it in a chair. No pics though please, I’ll be a non visual learner today haha

 

Oh god, my poor grandma, always trying to help. Always asked my mom in a lowered voice, still easily audible from the next room where I was sitting and still does if were all home for the holidays, etc.

Can he have tomatoes?
yes
Can he have broccoli?
yes
What a bout a sandwich?
...


Or my favorite question:

So like, if you go low and pass out, how much insulin am I supposed to give you? NO! Just call 911 and leave me alone. I dont trust half my friends with a bandaid, let alone hypodermic needles and accurate dosages.

 

haha I can definitely relate to that. My answer is usually I’m not type 2, I can eat whatever I want. Truth of the matter is, some things are just a pain in the dead pancreas to eat, and not worth fighting a high blood sugar all night.

I could slap whoever decided to name type 2 diabetes. “You’re so skinny, how did you get diabetes?” Well, actually I got skinnier when I got diabetes, because I have the type you don’t get from being extraordinarily unhealthy.

I prayed I had type 2 so I could diet and exercise that shit right out of my life...We can’t afford to run 400’s for years, we go DKA in no time. Some Type 2s get a leg cut off and keep on rockin’

 

Yeah, its not exactly easy haha. I tend to go higher towards the belt line, and fairly centered left to right. So it usually doesn't interfere with sitting, the belt line of pants doesnt grab on it. And you get used to the other stuff like pulling up pants or drying off after a shower. But I also believe theres a 'mental' aspect to it - in that you kind of 'get used' it after years and years. Like I think the exact same site 5 or 10 years ago in the same spot would be more uncomfortable for me than it is now. Kind of like a reduced perception of pain in those areas or whatever.

 

well I went for it. You gave me the needed boost to try again. Pulled out a bleeder in my stomach and put a new one in about two inches from my belt line and it’s been much better. Thanks for the info!

 

For those of you that use some sort of CGM, how accurate are your results?

I am minimed 670G

Just tested, sensor said 136, actual was 112. sometimes this thing is spot on, (+/- 5, I call that spot on) sometimes not. I reset my sensors weekly on Sunday AM, and it takes up to 24 hours of calibrations for me to even consider it as being close, which is normal I think.

 

I’m on the dexcom and some sensors or placement is better than others. I have the option to calibrate, but only do so if the difference is greater than 30 more than once and definitely when my blood sugar is stable and not rising or falling quickly. There’s a lag between blood and interstitial fluid from what I’ve read. Usually the dexcom is good about figuring out what’s going on after a calibration, and I’ve found it best to let it do it’s own thing instead of constantly calibrating. Also, learning to trust your body and what you’re feeling is huge, but keep in mind running lows for extended periods of time will change that. You may be running low and not notice anything different because your body has gotten used to it...

Also, I ain’t no doctor! Every diabetic is different and the endo can only give you the tools needed to help yourself. That’s why I love discussions like this though. Lots of people sharing what works for them.

 

Very true

 

10-4, i get it. this dang minimed requires calibrations 3-4x per day, and some other random times as it deems necessary, I stick my finger now, more than I ever did without the CGM. (some days 6-10x) I am definitely a proponent of trusting your body, we all know how we will react to certain foods, etc. after all these years. I understand the lag between interstitial and blood

 

I’m still new to all this, but have had some great help from a couple guys I went to school with who got diagnosed at 8 months old. They’ve seen pretty much all the tech and options out there, but they also don’t know any other way to live- whereas I had a solid 29 years being a normal person haha. My brother and his wife are both MDs, but not endos so they help as much as they can.

 

I just calibrated a bad dexcom reading this morning. Usually I have no issues, but maybe since I’m putting it on a site I usually pump it’s giving me issues. Dexcom said 80, but my hands were shaking so I finger tested and it was 55

When I have a good sensor and infusion site at the same time it’s like I’ve hit the jackpot

 

Another random thing I'll throw out there for those that regularly test on the fingers: Use the day of the month for a specific finger to avoid overusing any single finger.

Aka the 1st, 11th, 21st of the month are the first little finger. The 2nd, 12th, and 22nd are the first ring finger. 7th, 17th, 27th are the second index finger. Rotating them through every 10 days. I think you get the point..

I picked that up a long time ago and its definitely saved my fingers a lot. Without some sort of system I found that I always favored a few specific fingers over all the rest.

 

I'm a type 1 since 6yrs old. I'm lucky that my insurance from the hospital covers all my diabetic supplies at no cost(well, after a $150 yearly copay). I've been on an insulin pump since I was 18. I have just started using the libra 24/7 continuous monitoring.

 

howdy fellow Alabamian haha. Are you in the 600-1/2 group thing too? Thought I recognized your picture.

 

I am