Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Nov 22, 2011

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

marke said:
You also have to accept that works one day may not work as well another, life just isn't that simple ( as if)

Agreed............................. Crying or Very sad

Nov 22, 2011

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

I use the Flexpen disposables for my Novo and Levemir......................so no spares as such, just fresh unused ones........................ Wink

Nov 21, 2011

PNThompson 57 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

I have a spare pen for both QA and BI though I am using my spare BI now and haven't ordered a replacement yet.
I also have some syringes which I keep just in case the pen fails.

Nov 21, 2011

Joanne L 7 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy

Thanks for you quick response, Simon. I spoke with my Eye Consultant's secretary who advised me just to come for my yearly check up in August. Feel this is a bit late so will probably ask for appointment to be changed to Feb/March time for peace of mind.

Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated!! Laughing

Nov 21, 2011

Alzibiff 21 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Poppadoms - really?

sjohno,
Thank you for your reply - one question: how large is large? The ones from our local takeaway must be around 30cm across (12 inches) and without sounding personal, how large are yours? Embarassed

Alan

Nov 21, 2011

Simon Heller 46 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy

Hi Joanne, the trouble is that these changes aren't predictable and don't apply to everyone, I am sure your eye specialists would be pleased if you can get your HbA1c down a bit but they should probably be seeing you a little more frequently if you do manage to tighten your control. I think no-one can say for sure but if you gradually got your control tighter over about 6 months this might be a good idea.
Simon

Nov 21, 2011

Joanne L 7 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy

I currently have an HBA1C of 9.3% and have just graduated from the Dafne course. I have retinopathy and only sight left in one eye. I have been advised that I cannot have any more laser in my good eye so am worried as I have heard that lowering your HBA1C too quickly can cause retinopathy to worsen.
Does anyone know what the safe timescales of lowering your HBA1C are when you have retinopathy? Sad

Nov 21, 2011

Garry 328 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

Always have a spare QA pen in the cupboard...except for now!
Using the Lilly Humapen Memoir for Humalog (with dose memory display) and when the battery of my usual pen clapped out I had to press the spare into service.
When I contacted Lilly in September to supply a new spare, I discovered that they are in the process of bringing out a new type of pen and cannot supply any service at this time. So I will have to hope that this one lasts until March 2012 when they release the new type. Good thing is that this pen still can be used as a manual type....but I can imagine it being quite difficult to use in this way, as Iâ€™m a bit deaf and counting the pen clicks whilst turning the dose adjustment, would not be straightforward for me. Lilly support has been first class and I was surprised that they had no stock of old pens left with another 6 months to go. Shocked

I also always keep a bag of disposable syringes too for QA which I can use as last resort.
My BI pens are disposable, so no problem there.
Meltow....you sound like a true Yorkshireman. Have to admit though to using the manual forerunner of the pen that I use now for 3 or 4 years generally before breaking them somehow.
Regards
Garry

Nov 21, 2011

Simon Heller 46 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Kidney Problems?

Just to add Simon that this may be nothing to do with your diabetes, it could be connected with your RA or perhaps medication. Also at 65 eGFR you might find that this was in the normal range when tested next time. As a one off test, probably the best thing before doing a huge range of other tests is merely to repeat it.
Simon

Nov 21, 2011

Alzibiff 21 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Poppadoms - really?

I know that is says "verified" in the Carb counting section but am I the only one who thinks that 3 large poppadoms contain significantly more carbs than what is indicated in the DAFNE handbook - 1 CP? Just a gut feeling (no pun intended) but I would reckon more like 3CPs for 3 large poppadoms - 1 CP each but I would be interested in the opinion / experience of others.

Thank you,
Alan

Nov 21, 2011

Alzibiff 21 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Popcorn, nuts - the "don't bolus" stuff

Hello,
Whilst I understand the DAFNE principle of not taking a bolus for low glycaemic index foods like nuts and popcorn. (As confirmed at a recent DAFNE refresher carb counting evening). What I don't think helps is that for me at least, these sort of foods are exactly the sort I eat during an evening in front of the TV. Now.... if I were eating these at say 9am, I would see the effect on my BG later in the day and take a correction as required. However .... these foods are typical of those eaten before bed and as a result, morning BG levels are high as a consequence. Any comments or strategies from anyone? I suppose that an increase in bedtime long acting may be the way but how much? For insulin pump users, maybe an increase in basal rates over the night time period?

Alan

Nov 20, 2011

mike_skinner 8 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

Fair point - I teach product design so my old pens get studied by my classes. I used to think they were a good design before I was diagnosed but now depend on them - kind of gets them to think about design on a whole new level. That can only be a good thing.

Nov 20, 2011

meltow 78 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

I do have a spare pen for both QA and BI insulin; however still using the same QA pen which I was given about 12 years ago when first diagnosed.
I don't believe in waste! Wink

Nov 20, 2011

mike_skinner 8 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

Have spare pens at home and change to a new one every three months. Just would like to change the script to blue and silver to save spray painting them!

Nov 20, 2011

leonard.8 7 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome

Thanks all for the advice, learning that DAFNE is aimed at type 1 diabetis is just part of the learning experience for me but the information I have learned through this website has been invaluable.

Nov 20, 2011

leonard.8 7 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome

Thanks all for the advice, learning that DAFNE is aimed at type 1 diabetis is just part of the learning experience for me but the information I have learned through this website has been invaluable.

Nov 20, 2011

marke 686 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome

Sadly Type 1's CAN get insulin resistance if they are on other drugs such as Steriods as I found out. I back up Novarapidboi to a degree, when I had insulin resistance it wasn't
linear and often didn't make sense. Even with DAFNE I struggled big time to keep my levels even vaguely in range. However I also totally agree that just because you are T2 and haven't done DAFNE you are not excluded from asking and getting advice. I'm sure people on here are more than happy to give advice.
I understand your frustrations with the support you are receiving, however you also have to remember a lot of these Diabetic teams are under a LOT of pressure and have very little resources to play with. They are most likely doing the best they can, however that doesn't make it any easier for you when they don't call you back. You ARE doing well and just have to keep plugging away, it does get easier over time and you are more than welcome to ask for advice on this site !

Nov 20, 2011

marke 686 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Spikes

I agree with sjohno to a degree, what Novarapidboi is suggesting is above and beyond DAFNE. Thats not to say people shouldn't do it, however its taking Diabetes mangement a step further than 'most' people want to go. In an ideal world my PCT would let me have a Continuous Blood Glucose (CDM) meter even for a few weeks that would let me understand what is going on in my body. With the best will in the world testing 1 hour, 2 hours etc are still very approximate snapshots of your BG. The only way you really know how food is affecting you is with a CDM and obviously even that is not as good as a working pancreas.
To go back to Bezza's question , any ideas, well yes this is what happens with an approximate system like insulin injections and BG testing. You can take it to the next level
as novarapidboi suggests and try injecting at periods before you eat as this will make a difference, however in this respect everyone IS different and if you want to remove these spikes you will have to experiment to get it right with more BG tests to confirm the effects. You also have to accept that works one day may not work as well another, life just isn't that simple ( as if)

Nov 20, 2011

mum2westiesGill 502 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

if you're a type 1 diabetic on 4 (sometimes more) injections per day, you have 1 pen for QA & 1 pen for BI, your pen for QA suddenly goes faulty on a Sunday?

Ps re the above question, i'm just purely wondering what you'd do, i do luckily have 1 spare pen for QA & 1 spare for BI, my in use pen for QA went faulty on me earlier today so i'm now using my spare one, i'll have to get in touch with the surgery tomorrow to issue me with a "new" spare one.

Nov 20, 2011

Bakerboy 9 posts

Topic: General Discussion / test strips

-Thanks to you all for replying to me i get 50 strips at a time which last just over a week or so Recently spoke to my gp and sorted things out Once again thanks Laughing

Nov 20, 2011

Ahmentep 99 posts

Topic: General Discussion / How long inbetween meals??

Hi,

I have always tried to leave four hours between meals, although it is more like six between lunch and dinner.

Kind regards.

Nov 19, 2011

williammcleod 6 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Dafne ratio works - upto 18 units or so.

Bear in mind that they reckon any BG over 11 and the effects of 1 unit of insulin is unlikely to be the same as if the BG was below 11

Nov 19, 2011

Nikki H-C 23 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Feeling hungover!!

williammcleod said:
Also remember any BG over 11 and the effects of your correction are liable to be different from correction at lower BGs

I'm sure I learnt that on DAFNE but completely forgot! Thanks for the reminder!

Nov 19, 2011

williammcleod 6 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Feeling hungover!!

Also remember any BG over 11 and the effects of your correction are liable to be different from correction at lower BGs

Nov 19, 2011

williammcleod 6 posts

Topic: General Discussion / test strips

If you are have problems getting enough strips you can speak to your local patient liasion service .

Nov 22, 2011 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Spikes marke said: You also have to accept that works one day may not work as well another, life just isn't that simple ( as if) Agreed.............................

Nov 22, 2011 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... I use the Flexpen disposables for my Novo and Levemir......................so no spares as such, just fresh unused ones........................

Nov 21, 2011 PNThompson 57 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... I have a spare pen for both QA and BI though I am using my spare BI now and haven't ordered a replacement yet. I also have some syringes which I keep just in case the pen fails.

Nov 21, 2011 Joanne L 7 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy Thanks for you quick response, Simon. I spoke with my Eye Consultant's secretary who advised me just to come for my yearly check up in August. Feel this is a bit late so will probably ask for appointment to be changed to Feb/March time for peace of mind. Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated!!

Nov 21, 2011 Alzibiff 21 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Poppadoms - really? sjohno, Thank you for your reply - one question: how large is large? The ones from our local takeaway must be around 30cm across (12 inches) and without sounding personal, how large are yours? Alan

Nov 21, 2011 Simon Heller 46 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy Hi Joanne, the trouble is that these changes aren't predictable and don't apply to everyone, I am sure your eye specialists would be pleased if you can get your HbA1c down a bit but they should probably be seeing you a little more frequently if you do manage to tighten your control. I think no-one can say for sure but if you gradually got your control tighter over about 6 months this might be a good idea. Simon

Nov 21, 2011 Joanne L 7 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy I currently have an HBA1C of 9.3% and have just graduated from the Dafne course. I have retinopathy and only sight left in one eye. I have been advised that I cannot have any more laser in my good eye so am worried as I have heard that lowering your HBA1C too quickly can cause retinopathy to worsen. Does anyone know what the safe timescales of lowering your HBA1C are when you have retinopathy?

Nov 21, 2011 Garry 328 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... Always have a spare QA pen in the cupboard...except for now! Using the Lilly Humapen Memoir for Humalog (with dose memory display) and when the battery of my usual pen clapped out I had to press the spare into service. When I contacted Lilly in September to supply a new spare, I discovered that they are in the process of bringing out a new type of pen and cannot supply any service at this time. So I will have to hope that this one lasts until March 2012 when they release the new type. Good thing is that this pen still can be used as a manual type....but I can imagine it being quite difficult to use in this way, as Iâ€™m a bit deaf and counting the pen clicks whilst turning the dose adjustment, would not be straightforward for me. Lilly support has been first class and I was surprised that they had no stock of old pens left with another 6 months to go. I also always keep a bag of disposable syringes too for QA which I can use as last resort. My BI pens are disposable, so no problem there. Meltow....you sound like a true Yorkshireman. Have to admit though to using the manual forerunner of the pen that I use now for 3 or 4 years generally before breaking them somehow. Regards Garry

Nov 21, 2011 Simon Heller 46 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Kidney Problems? Just to add Simon that this may be nothing to do with your diabetes, it could be connected with your RA or perhaps medication. Also at 65 eGFR you might find that this was in the normal range when tested next time. As a one off test, probably the best thing before doing a huge range of other tests is merely to repeat it. Simon

Nov 21, 2011 Alzibiff 21 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Poppadoms - really? I know that is says "verified" in the Carb counting section but am I the only one who thinks that 3 large poppadoms contain significantly more carbs than what is indicated in the DAFNE handbook - 1 CP? Just a gut feeling (no pun intended) but I would reckon more like 3CPs for 3 large poppadoms - 1 CP each but I would be interested in the opinion / experience of others. Thank you, Alan

Nov 21, 2011 Alzibiff 21 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Popcorn, nuts - the "don't bolus" stuff Hello, Whilst I understand the DAFNE principle of not taking a bolus for low glycaemic index foods like nuts and popcorn. (As confirmed at a recent DAFNE refresher carb counting evening). What I don't think helps is that for me at least, these sort of foods are exactly the sort I eat during an evening in front of the TV. Now.... if I were eating these at say 9am, I would see the effect on my BG later in the day and take a correction as required. However .... these foods are typical of those eaten before bed and as a result, morning BG levels are high as a consequence. Any comments or strategies from anyone? I suppose that an increase in bedtime long acting may be the way but how much? For insulin pump users, maybe an increase in basal rates over the night time period? Alan

Nov 20, 2011 mike_skinner 8 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... Fair point - I teach product design so my old pens get studied by my classes. I used to think they were a good design before I was diagnosed but now depend on them - kind of gets them to think about design on a whole new level. That can only be a good thing.

Nov 20, 2011 meltow 78 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... I do have a spare pen for both QA and BI insulin; however still using the same QA pen which I was given about 12 years ago when first diagnosed. I don't believe in waste!

Nov 20, 2011 mike_skinner 8 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... Have spare pens at home and change to a new one every three months. Just would like to change the script to blue and silver to save spray painting them!

Nov 20, 2011 leonard.8 7 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome Thanks all for the advice, learning that DAFNE is aimed at type 1 diabetis is just part of the learning experience for me but the information I have learned through this website has been invaluable.

Nov 20, 2011 leonard.8 7 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome Thanks all for the advice, learning that DAFNE is aimed at type 1 diabetis is just part of the learning experience for me but the information I have learned through this website has been invaluable.

Nov 20, 2011 marke 686 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome Sadly Type 1's CAN get insulin resistance if they are on other drugs such as Steriods as I found out. I back up Novarapidboi to a degree, when I had insulin resistance it wasn't linear and often didn't make sense. Even with DAFNE I struggled big time to keep my levels even vaguely in range. However I also totally agree that just because you are T2 and haven't done DAFNE you are not excluded from asking and getting advice. I'm sure people on here are more than happy to give advice. I understand your frustrations with the support you are receiving, however you also have to remember a lot of these Diabetic teams are under a LOT of pressure and have very little resources to play with. They are most likely doing the best they can, however that doesn't make it any easier for you when they don't call you back. You ARE doing well and just have to keep plugging away, it does get easier over time and you are more than welcome to ask for advice on this site !

Nov 20, 2011 marke 686 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Spikes I agree with sjohno to a degree, what Novarapidboi is suggesting is above and beyond DAFNE. Thats not to say people shouldn't do it, however its taking Diabetes mangement a step further than 'most' people want to go. In an ideal world my PCT would let me have a Continuous Blood Glucose (CDM) meter even for a few weeks that would let me understand what is going on in my body. With the best will in the world testing 1 hour, 2 hours etc are still very approximate snapshots of your BG. The only way you really know how food is affecting you is with a CDM and obviously even that is not as good as a working pancreas. To go back to Bezza's question , any ideas, well yes this is what happens with an approximate system like insulin injections and BG testing. You can take it to the next level as novarapidboi suggests and try injecting at periods before you eat as this will make a difference, however in this respect everyone IS different and if you want to remove these spikes you will have to experiment to get it right with more BG tests to confirm the effects. You also have to accept that works one day may not work as well another, life just isn't that simple ( as if)

Nov 20, 2011 mum2westiesGill 502 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... if you're a type 1 diabetic on 4 (sometimes more) injections per day, you have 1 pen for QA & 1 pen for BI, your pen for QA suddenly goes faulty on a Sunday? Ps re the above question, i'm just purely wondering what you'd do, i do luckily have 1 spare pen for QA & 1 spare for BI, my in use pen for QA went faulty on me earlier today so i'm now using my spare one, i'll have to get in touch with the surgery tomorrow to issue me with a "new" spare one.

Nov 20, 2011 Bakerboy 9 posts	Topic: General Discussion / test strips -Thanks to you all for replying to me i get 50 strips at a time which last just over a week or so Recently spoke to my gp and sorted things out Once again thanks

Nov 20, 2011 Ahmentep 99 posts	Topic: General Discussion / How long inbetween meals?? Hi, I have always tried to leave four hours between meals, although it is more like six between lunch and dinner. Kind regards.

Nov 19, 2011 williammcleod 6 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Dafne ratio works - upto 18 units or so. Bear in mind that they reckon any BG over 11 and the effects of 1 unit of insulin is unlikely to be the same as if the BG was below 11

Nov 19, 2011 Nikki H-C 23 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Feeling hungover!! williammcleod said: Also remember any BG over 11 and the effects of your correction are liable to be different from correction at lower BGs I'm sure I learnt that on DAFNE but completely forgot! Thanks for the reminder!

Nov 19, 2011 williammcleod 6 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Feeling hungover!! Also remember any BG over 11 and the effects of your correction are liable to be different from correction at lower BGs

Nov 19, 2011 williammcleod 6 posts	Topic: General Discussion / test strips If you are have problems getting enough strips you can speak to your local patient liasion service .