Recent Posts by marke

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Dec 7, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: General Discussion / My Diabetic Review

so whats the difference between quickly the absorbed sugar in jelly babies and the quickly absorbed sugar in dextrose ? Not a lot.
On what grounds has she advised you to drop you BI from 34u to 30u, I would only ever reduce it by 2u at a time and only with good reason i.e I had tried a carb-free meal
and my BG was dropping because of too much BI.
Congrats regarding your HBA1c, you must be doing something right Laughing
What are you defining as 'lo' by the way ?
 
Dec 5, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: Questions ? / Ten days on after stopping my Levemir

Hi Fiona, no problem it was an 'interesting' post. It makes sense now ! well almost, they obviously left behind some islets if you can still produce insulin and I would guess you will quite happily keep producing insulin. Its a shame they cannot give you an islet implant since I would guess you have more chance of the transplanted cells keeping working.
Anyway you are welcome to general Diabetes advice but you are quite a unique case Smile
 
Dec 5, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: Questions ? / Ten days on after stopping my Levemir

Hi, sorry but I have removed your phone number from your original post. I'm not being awkward but these forums can be read by anyone ( although you need to be registered to post messages to them) and its for your own safety. Its never a good idea to post personal information to public websites and we don't want to be responsible
for you being phoned by untrustworthy people.
I'm a bit puzzled as to why you were put on a DAFNE course if you are still producing a substantial amount of insulin ? How were you diagnosed as having Type 1 ?
as novarapidboi says its a lot easier for most of us since if we don't inject insulin ( including BI) or blood glucose shoots straight up. Have they tried metformin or other
T2 type drugs with you. I'm just curious, I'm not sure we can provide any useful information you really need to talk to a consultant who may be able to help with your
issue. We are generally just graduates with additional input by Health Care Professionals, however to give good advice we would need your medical history which is
why your consultant would be a better bet.
I'm sure people on this site are more than happy to help if they can though, so feel free to ask questions Laughing
 
Nov 25, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: Questions ? / High blood readings

I would definately talk to your diabetes team before considering splitting a lantus dose. The opinion at the DAFNE Collaborative was that Lantus really was a 24 hour insulin that could not be split into 2 doses where as Levemir was not a 24 hour and could be split. This of course may not be the opinion of your specialists, like anything else it is not clear cut. But its always worth checking something like this before you do it in case there is a problem and you need support.
 
Nov 24, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Hi BG

Hi, just spotted this thread sorry. Yes steroids DO cause insulin restistance which obviously raises your BG. They should have explained this to you when you had the treatment if they knew you were a diabetic. My case was slightly different in that I had to take the steriods over a period of months, it is very frustrating since they don't have a linear effect on your BG. By this I mean the more CP's you eat the bigger the effect that the steriods seem to have.
I agree you should speak to an expert on this , there are a number of types of steroid and the effects of each type may be different. However a consultant should know exactly what effect you should expect, even a GP should know the basics ( although mine did not apparently ). I would guess the injection you had IS having an effect and you will
need assistance when the effect of the steroids wear off since your insulin requirements will drop back down and you will need to adjust for this as well.
 
Nov 20, 2011
marke 657 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 657 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 17, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Adjusting my doses help

Hi it looks like your BI is not right, however you shouldn't be changing 2 doses at the same time really. If you up your evening BI by 2 you should first see what effect it has before upping the morning one as well. The problem is if one of the BI doses is not right it will mean you start off higher than you should be and it will mislead you about the other BI dose. You really need to provide a bit more data for us to go on, I'm afraid. Any change you make will take a couple of days to really show in your results so just 2 days of data is not really enough to spot a pattern.
Another thing to point out is you will most likely find that correction doses if you are 20+ BG will not have the same effect as a correction at 10 and below. Thus if the corrections don't seem to be working don't be to worried. The key is to get your BI right as everything else hinges on that. Try a carb-free lunch if you can and compare your BG in the morning and evening. If it is going up ( by at least 2) your BI is not right. The idea is the BI should keep your blood sugar roughly the same if you don't eat. If you can get this right then your QA will just be needed for what you eat and hopefully not dramatic corrections.
If you can record a few more days and post I'm sure you will get a lot of responses with advice and information. It is a bit daunting to start with especially if things don't seem to be going right. Try not to worry about it, stress increases your BG, and just keep plugging away. You can always ask your DAFNE Educators for advice if things are still not improving in a week.

P.S Please only post the question to one subject, I replied to your other post that is the same but under a different name. It just easier to get responses by having one post.
 
Nov 5, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: Site Development / Online handbook

Hi, yes and no ! Yes you cannot access the online handbook because you are not a graduate. But no you could not access it from the 'apps' (iphone/android) anyway just from the site. This is for several reasons, first we are only permitted to give access to the handbook to graduates and so this is potentaily more difficult in an app, but more importantly it wouldn't fit on a mobile screen very well. There are large diagrams, charts etc in the handbook, that wouldn't really work. You can access the handbook, if you are a graduate, using a mobile device. There is a specific version of the website for mobiles but it is still harder to view than on a full size screen.
 
Nov 5, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Holiday worries, any advice

Hi, PLEASE don't take this the wrong way or as a criticism but I suspect you are worrying too much about being totally accurate and so are getting anxious. This will tend to elevate your BG which makes you more anxious and it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle. I know its easy to say but... two weeks of higher BG's will not do you any great harm in the overall scheme of life and if you don't worry so much about your BG while on holiday you will probably be more likely to stay in range.
I have been to Florida a few times and if its a family holiday that probably means theme parks. This means plenty of walking which will keep your BG's down anyway, the challenge will be to ensure you take on CP's regularly and keep you BG at higher level. I appreciate everyone is different and face different challenges but I had no real
problems at all in the USA. They all sort of speak english Wink and food labelling is not that much different to here. Sure most of the food has a higher carb content than
here so you have to beware what you eat, but providing you keep testing and making correction doses you will be fine. One thing to remember that if you are doing a lot of walking it will have a knock on effect the NEXT day when your body is still using sugars even if you have stopped walking around.
I say go for it, if you have not been before it is an experience ! You will learn to appreciate the art of parting people from their money in more and more elaborate ways Very Happy
 
Oct 31, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pump Users

I wouldn't worry too much, the end of the article says he wrote software for Meditronic so he was party to information on exactly how the devices communicate. This is not your 'average' hacker. It is also highly unlikely someone would spend the amount of time necessary to hack into the devices and reprogram them. There is no financial gain to be had from doing it which is the biggest reason by far for hacking. Its not comparible with sabotaging a saline drip that requires no great effort just access.
Unfortunately there are always 'proof of concepts' like this being reported and the press often distort what is being said into a more 'interesting' story. Whilst there is ALWAYS a risk with any wireless device, you have to weigh up the benefits and the risks. The benefits are potentially high and the risks are very low.
 
Oct 21, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Hi, my advice would be to go see a Podiatrist, preferably with Diabetes understanding. I am very lucky in my area we have Podiatrists that are Diabetes trained and excellent. We have had one of the guys come to
my Diabetes Support Group twice to give talks on it. The last one he included a lot of 'scary' pictures NOT to scare anyone but because people had requested to see what 'can' happen. The key word is 'can', like all Diabetes complications as soon as you suspect you may be developing a complication get it checked out by a Diabetes specialist ( consultant, podiatrist etc). The sooner it is detected the more chance it can be treated quickly and with the minimum of impact. As our Podiatrist says, better to waste his time with nothing than to not treat something.
Another point is you are correct, even if you are the best behaved Diabetic in the world you might get a complication. You could be the worst in the world and get nothing. Life is just not fair that way.
 
Oct 13, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: Questions ? / Local Authority Changes

I would go to your PCT's website and find the link to PALS - Patient Advice and Liaison Service. Contact them and ask them to find out where this 'supposed' advice has come from. It may be this is just a GP excuse and is NOT based on any advice. If it is 'real' advice I would certainly be interested to know what this advice is based on ? Its not come from Diabetes UK or any other central body, so what evidence base are they using to decide this. Its patently stupid to make short term savings on test strips that increase the chances of complications that will cost the NHS a fortune in future.
If you do get any feedback please let us know. This is potentially an issue that could affect many people.
 
Oct 12, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Iphone - contract or pay as you go

Have you reported any crashes to Simon ? He can't fix them if he doesn't know about them. The ipod is the same as an iphone as far as the app is concerned, however like all PC's everyone has different software installed on them and other software could potentially interfere so its sometimes hard to track down the exact issue. I agree I wouldn't necessarily just get an iphone/ipod for the app but hey you can also get Angry Birds and other great games Very Happy
 
Oct 10, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Iphone - contract or pay as you go

Do you actually need an iphone though ? From what you say you don't need to make calls or texts so you don't really need the 'phone' function, So the crucial factor is do you want to be able to use it 'on the move'. If you are happy to just use it at home or with range of a WiFi hotspot then you could get an ipod touch rather than an iphone, this will run the app quite happily. The only difference between an ipod touch and an iphone is the 'phone' part the rest is all the same. The advantage of an iphone is it would let you use the 'app' where ever there is a phone signal. If you don't need it to be this mobile then you can use an ipod touch. As far as I am aware you can even add entries in the app on an ipod touch when out and then upload them when you get home and in range of your home broadband.
 
Oct 10, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Chocolates - Help!

I know, I know, I'm going to get into trouble for this but... Your female and you say just eat 2 !! IS that possible ? surely you will eat the whole box Wink
Being slightly more serious, it depends on what they have in them and what CP value they have. Chocolate has fat in so not rapidly processed by the body, although still probably quite a quick sugar fix that goes in and out of your system. I would most likely have a couple with a 1:1 ratio of insulin to their carb value and then if I found I was high either have a bit more insulin or more chocolate to get the balance right. There is no right or wrong answer it depends on you and how you process the chocolate. the main thing is enjoy it !! We don't have to deny ourselves in the quest for perfect BG's otherwise life would be too dull to bother with. Just learn from how the chocolate affects you so you know how to cope with it better the next time.
Oh and Happy Birthday Very Happy
 
Oct 5, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Carbohydrate list in .csv format

sorry but we are not allowed to distribute the carb book in cssv form. In fact we are not allowed to distribute it in any form apart from web form, I am keeping quiet about the pdf one on the page Wink
Your best option is to go to www.dafne.uk.com click on contact us and ask DAFNE central who are the ones that 'own' the carb book. I agree it would make sense for them to provide it but they are the ones that decide.
 
Oct 5, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Handbook and CP List booklets - version differences list

Hi, sorry no. For 2 reasons, firstly we are not allowed to distribute the handbook in any form. We had to sign a legal disclaimer to this effect. Secondly and more practically, there doesn't seem to be any change control
between the two versions ! I got the handbook as a PDF only and so had to completely rebuild the online handbook from scratch, there is no way to do comparisons since the original was a word document and as you can see there are lots of diagrams etc in there that cannot be compared. The carb booklet is change controlled but as I say I'm not allowed to provide these only put them online.
I would suggest you go to www.dafne.uk.com click on the contact us and ask them the question direct since the documents come from here not us, hopefully they may be able to help.
 
Sep 25, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: General Discussion / How can you work out HBA1c by using your BG averages? Is it possible?

Nikki, thats not how HBA1c works. It is a measure of the glucose attached to haemoglobin in the blood. This process occurs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You measure your blood glucose 4 times in 24 hours probably, thus what you see is only a very brief snapshot of what your BG is doing. So basically the two things do different things. The HBA1c is to let your diabetes team see what your BG has been doing on average for the last 3 months, the BG tests are telling you if your insulin intake is correct. Both are important but probably the blood tests are more important because if you are doing them regularly then you should pretty much know your HBA1c is going to be ok even if you don't know exactly what it is. There is also the fact that HBA1c is not 100% accurate and becasue its is an average your BG could have been 10+ half the day and 4- for the rest of the day giving an average in 'range'.
Sorry but life is never that simple Very Happy
 
Sep 23, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: Site Development / Add Multiple Diary Entries

yes, its another 'on the drawing board' feature that hasn't quite been implemented. Earlier in the year there was some prototype software for Lifescan meters and I have a Menarni 'Glucomen Lx Plus' that was very kindly supplied by the manufacturer in a box waiting for me to do something with it. The big issue is if we can get all
manufacturers to tell us how we access the data stored on the meters. Some are happy and helpful to do this, others are very protective and seem to want you to
use their software to manage your Blood Glucose data. In an ideal world we will produce a program that links to the site and allows you to add the 'extra' bit that talks to your meter. Hopefully it will happen one day in the not too distant future, it would be nice to be able to upload direct from your meter to the online diary.
 
Sep 20, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Smart Insulin

Jwo, not licensed in the UK means it cannot be prescribed and used in the UK legally. If someone IS using it in the UK they do so at their own risk and must be importing it via questionable means. I would not recommend this course of action since you have no guarantee what you are getting, there are very good reasons to have clinical trials and licensing rules. It is to protect people from those that want to make money out of people. Anyway I'll step off my soapbox now... Confused

I agree its worth keeping an eye on the website but I wouldn't get too excited until a realistic date is set to bring the product to market i.e until it is likely to be available to be prescribed to people in the UK. With a product like this it is likely that there are lots of tests needed to ensure it really is safe, Injecting a load of insulin and trusting
it to only be used when it is needed is a big challenge and one that really needs to be working correctly before it is used by a lot of people. It would be nice to have something like this but only if it REALLY works effectively.
 
Sep 19, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Smart Insulin

Their website says its still in pre-clincical trials ( the article referenced is from 2008 ) which means its still a long way from being released onto the market. It would be nice BUT its a long way from reality.
 
Sep 15, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: Questions ? / BG Results

Hi, Sorry but this information is not really going to help anybody. Thats not a criticism of you, its just the idea of DAFNE is you match your insulin intake to the carbs that you eat. Since you haven't provided any insulin details its a bit like watching a film without the sound its not easy to work out what is going on. One of the key things taught on the course is to look for patterns in your readings based on your insulin intake. We also have no idea what insulin regime you are on e.g most of us inject Quick Acting before each meal and take one or two Background Insulin injections. Pre DAFNE I was on an insulin mix twice a day which would not have really worked with DAFNE.
So I'm sure lots of people will be happy to give you advice but they will probably need a bit more info to do so. If nothing else regularly recording you BG is a good thing and will help you in the long run. Do you know if there are DAFNE courses in your area ?
 
Sep 14, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: Site Development / DAFNE Online iPhone application - help with content/design needed

Thanks for noticing the problem with Chocolate, I have fixed it on the site. I await advice on how the apps get corrected as its not my area.
 
Sep 5, 2011
marke 657 posts

Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Feedback from Android beta testing

I agree with Geoff, although I do understand the concept of litigation Wink I hadn't realised that Simon had mentioned it himself. I believe the answer is to add a big disclaimer to the app, making it clear that it does NOT provide medical advice and is used at the users risk. We are not medic's and the app cannot and should not make
claims or give the impression that it does provide medical information.