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15,849 posts found
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Sep 1, 2010
Byron
2 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Introductions 'but three years later I saw the same happening to me' - What you started drinking from puddles!Lol I probably wasn't far from that, the thirst was unquenchable at times. Happily sorted now though. |
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Sep 1, 2010
Karl
83 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Introductions Hi JackWelcome. 'but three years later I saw the same happening to me' - What you started drinking from puddles! Glad to see another graduate from Hull actually posting :-) Karl |
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Sep 1, 2010
Labsteward
6 posts
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Yes found cable on com30 seems to work ok |
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Sep 1, 2010
Labsteward
6 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Carbs and cals book Love this book I have always like visual things and this is really easy to count carbs with . good buy thanks to the author and photographer. |
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Sep 1, 2010
novorapidboi26
1,819 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Introductions Welcome to the forum Jack, the more the merrier......... |
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Aug 31, 2010
Byron
2 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Introductions Greetings everyone, I'm Jack and I've just last week completed the DAFNE course - which I thought was excellent and extremely insightful. I was lucky to find myself in a very good group, filled with different levels of experience and histories, which helped a lot.I've been diagnosed for two years - pretty much to the day. I had started noticing I was drinking much more and generally feeling fatigued a lot (I was writing a dissertation at the time, and finding days when I wasn't visiting the gym really hard going and unproductive - I even joked to my supervisor that the dissertation was killing me). I suspected diabetes because of my cat, who when he was 17 had started drinking a lot of water (including puddles), so I took him to the vet who found he had developed diabetes. He lasted a further year, but three years later I saw the same happening to me. I had to wait a few weeks for a blood test since it was summer and my GP's staff were mostly away or working through a backlog from having been away. By the time the test came I thought I was feeling much better, and considered cancelling the test, but decided to proceed and rule out silly things like diabetes. I even said to my GP I only took the test to rule out diabetes while he told me I had diabetes... Luckily my health is holding up fine, with good glucose readings - to the point that I repeatedly get told I'm still in the honeymoon phase. I hope reading this forum will extend that good control and build on the DAFNE course for the future. |
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Aug 31, 2010
marke
681 posts
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If you don't have a particular GP then address the letter to the practice manager. All surgeries have a practive manger who does as the name suggest manages the GP's , patients etc for the surgery. They should be able to resolve the issue for you. If you explain what you did on here, about duplication etc they should be able to provide all the answers. They will know if they do have online patient records and if not when they will have. They should also be able to stop you being sent the blood test stuff. They are usually very responsive because nowadays its all about patient choice ( supposedly) and you can pick and choose your GP, hospital etc. I'm not sure thats true in reality but if they think it is and it makes them take notice of patients then all the better ! |
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Aug 31, 2010
Lizzie
87 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / The Hospital - Channel 4 Marke - when you say you wrote back, who did you write to? I don't really have a GP per se, don't see them very often, and when I do it is an on-the-day appointment with whoever is the duty doctor. |
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Aug 31, 2010
NiVZ
82 posts
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Topic: Site Development / New Meter Upload Development HelloStage 1 is ready to test and Marke has kindly uploaded the file to the DAFNE online website. So for anyone who wishes to test, here's what you need to do: 1. Install Lifescan OneTouch USB Cable driver For Windows XP install this driver: http://www.lifescan.co.uk/Data/Resources/LifeScan/Corporate/GB/en/software/USBDriverSetup.exe For Windows 7 install this driver: http://www.prolific.com.tw/support/files/IO Cable/PL-2303/Drivers - Generic/Windows/allinone/PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v130.zip 2. Connect your data cable to the PC and wait for the Add New Hardware wizard to finish 3. Download the FINDCOM.exe from here http://www.dafneonline.co.uk/FindCOM.exe 4. Double click FINDCOM.exe (NOTE: you don't actually need to connect the meter at this stage) You wil get a message box saying wich COM port the cable is connected to, or a message saying it could not be found. Can you please post if it works or not back here please. Thanks, NiVZ |
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Aug 31, 2010
novorapidboi26
1,819 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Help or advice...please? Thats good news, I have heard all good stories for pumps, in the long run anyway...It is meant to be quite a task at the start working out your doses and delivery times, but once that is established the benefits are good.... Keep us posted....... |
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Aug 31, 2010
EMS
15 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / back again I know, I really hate the idea of having to rely on something outside myself to, literally, survive. I was diagnosed in 2002 and, especially the first few years, I found it all very hard to accept. In the last couple of years I've started to reconcile myself to the idea that I have this for life and that denial will only make things worse. I suppose that, in a way, managing this properly is me taking back control. If that makes any sense. |
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Aug 31, 2010
julee mistry
3 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / back again Hi thanks for all the ideas into regular testing. So far today I have done my morning and pre lunch. My afternoon was very high and I think I know why. I'm am so glad its not just me. Just hate feeling like this is controlling me. I'm going to keep going. Let me see if I can get a days reading.Thank you for all the messages. By the way I'm a teacher and I teach the little ones. |
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Aug 31, 2010
marke
681 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / The Hospital - Channel 4 I should be careful what I say here, but I put patient care above politics so.... Your GP does want in because of money. They get paid an amount by the NHS for each Diabetic they 'treat', they also have to pay some of that to the hospital if you see a consultant/team there. Hence its in their interest for you to be treated at the GP's. It is NOT in your interest however, having been DAFNE-ed and being a Type 1 you really need to be seen by a specialist team not a GP and a Diabetic nurse. I'm not suggesting these people don't do a very good job, however to manage your diabetes in the tight way that DAFNE demands means 'generic'advice is really no good for you. You have the right to demand to be seen by the hospital and indeed I do. I had a letter not long ago from my GP saying 'I see you HBA1c has gone up, your control is not as it should be, you need to come and see me'. I wrote back, telling her to read my notes properly ( I have been on steriods that cause insulin resistance) and that I would not be coming to see her since I was under the care of the hospital and that was the way it would stay. I have not been bothered by the GP since. You CAN do the same, I know its not always easy to go against 'medical' advice, but you can. If you have any problems with this, go to your PCT's website and search for PALS. This is a department dedicated to helping people with issues with the NHS/PCT/GP and they do a very good job. This brings me nicely to your other point, about the GP accessing your hospital data, they should be able to and most probably can. If they cannot currently they WILL have to be able to soon. It is a now a requirement, however like most large UK IT projects the NHS systems are a badly managed mess ( from an IT point of view). Where I am its definately in place and my GP does have access to my data as do my various consultants ( since they know I work in IT, they show off their system to me) . It may not be in place in your PCT , but I would be suprised its not given where you are. At some point in the future YOU may also be able to access some of the data as well, the NHS has plans to put it all online, you can go here to find out more. I think it has been put on hold to a degree at the moment due to issues with confidentiality and patients having a 'proper' right to opt out. I also take on board your point about DAFNE 'support' , obviously thats one of the things we started this site for. However there have been and ARE research projects ongoing about how to better support DAFNE graduates in the long term. This is one of the reasons that DAFNE is important as a programme as opposed to PCT invented equivalents. To provide ongoing care and improve the training, you need proper investment and research which one off courses cannot provide. The thing about DAFNE is its national, its followed up with research and a dedicated team who are constantly working on improving it. Lastly I take your point on 'money saving' but personally I would rather the money went to the expensive doctors than the NHS management consultants ! Most of the doctors and consultants I have met have been brilliant and dedicated and deserve all the money they get. My PCT on the other hand was 5th on the list of spenders on external consultants, we don't need better management just the money going to the front line to treat people. But hey enough of the politics already :-) |
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Aug 31, 2010
EMS
15 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / back again Hi,you are not alone.... I find it very hard sometimes. There’s a couple of things I find really useful to help motivate myself. Firstly, the blood glucose diary is a great help, I open it first thing when I get into work and have it open on my desktop all day so I can keep track of every morsel of food and drop of insulin; this makes me more mindful of what I’m doing and reminds me that I can't really get away with ignoring that I’ve eaten the odd sweet or bag of crisps. The graphs are great for monitoring progress, especially the pie charts - so much more satisfying to see more green than red! Also, everyone at work is aware that I’m diabetic, so I have no problem testing at my desk. Initially I tried to avoid telling people, but it just got to be too much work trying to hide it, so I just told them. Weekends are much harder because I’ve not set routine, but I reckon that if I can stay on track for most of the week, the odd slip here and there should not be too bad in the greater scheme of things. |
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Aug 31, 2010
kid127
25 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Help or advice...please? Hi,Thanks for the messages. I had an appointment with my consultant and spilt my background does which helped a bit but I also went for an appointment to look at getting a pump this morning and I think thats the way I'm going to go. The pump nurse thinks my problem might be because of injction sites and the pump should help with this. I need to wait until October to get it fitted but I'm looking forward to it after reading other peoples comments about pumps on this site |
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Aug 31, 2010
Lizzie
87 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / The Hospital - Channel 4 Hi again MarkeI see the clinic. That is another thing that annoys me. The Gp seems to always want in on my diabetes management for some reason, probably to further inflate their already massive paycheques. I am quite happy being monitored by the hospital. But the GP keeps sending me plastic vials through the post and asking me to go to the hospital (some sort of outpatients clinic where they take all sorts of blood samples) and get it done, when I already get it done by the hospital diabetic clinic. I see this as needless duplication of resources and wish they would communicate better. The best they currently manage is for the hospital clinic to hand me a letter to deliver to the GP at my annual review. I don't understand why they are not using the same computer system or cannot send my results electronically to the GP, for example as a secure email attachment or something. It seems ridiculously old fashioned to have to hand deliver a letter. But anyway. I am seen by the hospital. I see a doctor, usually a different one, for annual appointments and the eye department for appointments and occasional photos and thats it. I have tried asking for other help but they don't seem interested in giving it to me. I suppose it is cheaper and easier their way. I don't think DAFNE has made me less reliant on the diabetes support team. I don't think that is the point. That to me smacks of cutbacks and moneysaving (hey, diabetics are a big drain on the NHS! How can we save money on them? I know, send them all on a one-week course and that will mean we can save on expensive doctors salaries!). My self management has improved since DAFNE. But it was one week several years ago. It will have less and less of an effect as time goes by. I desperately need the support of my diabetes team to keep me on the right track after the course has finished. |
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Aug 31, 2010
Mark2
23 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / back again Also one thing I have found which helps - is to make it as easy as possible to do tests. I mean keep your meter close at hand at all times. So testing becomes almost like a reflex - its done in a couple of seconds. If you set the date and time accurately on your meter - you can also enter the values in your diary later, maybe at the end of the day if this is more convenient. |
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Aug 31, 2010
Mark2
23 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / back again Yes its a difficult one.Like you I used to be very bad at testing, and would find anything to avoid taking the time to do it. Even though each test takes less than a minute using modern blood testing meters, I guess it felt like an unecessary chore. What I discovered is that when i started TO TAKE A REAL INTEREST in my readings, and managing my sugars, it got much better. What I mean by this I suppose, is that you need some real motivation for testing. Try to become genuinely curious about what your readings are and what has affected them. What did you eat? did you get the calculation of QA right that time? As soon as you start to achieve some success at managing sugars, motivation gets a lot better. At least thats what I have found. |
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Aug 31, 2010
novorapidboi26
1,819 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Blood glucose results I agree, you need to change your ratios....(which you did and seen good results)I am personally on quite alot of insulin; a 17-28 split of background, 1:3 in the morning and 1:1.5 the rest of the day.... As mark2 mentioned we can experience a time in the morning when our cells are more resistant to insulin and our liver may be dumping glucose into the blood as a result of hormones being released, as a result the ratio ususally need to be higher here. Also when in the double figures, for me above 12.0, you may need more correctional units as the normal reduction in sugar for 1 unit (1u=2-3mmol/l), may not be enough......... Also when excercising you should be taking a reading before as well, if your to high then excercise will actually push your readings up. Apart fromt that you seemed pretty clued up...well done |
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Aug 31, 2010
novorapidboi26
1,819 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / back again Its hard to keep testing all the time........I personally was encouraged to test because of dafne, the understanding it gave me actually makes me want to know what is happening with my blood sugars........which I need.......... Its all about routine really.............what is your lifestyle like? Is there any routine or does it change from day to day.......... |
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Aug 30, 2010
marke
681 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Android App Hi, I think the answer is a tentative 'yes'. I plan to try and do a version of the app that will run on a number of phones including android. However its a question of time , since I have never written code for a mobile phone before its a new challenge and learning experience.As soon as there is any news about the app I will post it in the Site Development forum. |
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Aug 30, 2010
julee mistry
3 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / back again hi im julee and i have just started to use the site again today. I am feeling a little upset with the whole diabetes thing and i just cant seem to get this right. I start the week testing my blood and then it stops. i give up and just cant seem to stay on track. my HBa1c is 9.2 and i need it much lower than this. was diagnosed in 2005 and i feel im not winning this battel.i need to take control of this situation. Is anyone else in the same situation or is it just me |
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Aug 30, 2010
julee mistry
3 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Android App hi i agree with the comment above. please could there be an app for my HTC legend phone. may help me rrcord my blood sugar readings and inform the team who look after me,thanks |