Recent Posts by marke
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656 posts found
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Sep 5, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Can someone please remind me... Well the first step is to work on your BI as this is the key to the rest of it. You don't say if you are on a single dose or split dose, the principle is the same for both however the way to check is slightly different. The theory is if you don't eat and just use BI your BG should stay roughly the same. So of you inject before bed and test then don't eat again until morning your BI should be pretty much the same. If you are on a split dose and inject BI in the morning and skip lunch again your BI should be roughly the same before dinner. Of course its not always as simple as this but that is the basic principle.If your BI is right and stable then your QA should only be needed to work on the food you eat. Therefore you should be able to inject the QA to match your CP's, if this doesn't have the effect expected then you increase the ratio of QA to CP's. However you need to base this decision on more than one meal, it needs to be done over a period of days to remove one-offs. Also remember that ratio's may vary at different times of day e.g a lot of people need a higher ratio in the morning to the mid-day or dinner ratio. Hope that all makes sense, it is in the online handbook somewhere, I probably should know having just converted it to the online version 
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Sep 5, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE Myths
Sadly this is true in a lot of centres, mainly due to lack of funding for follow-up sessions. The DAFNE programme management is aware that this is an issue but there is no easy answer. I will raise the point with the DAFNE User Group though as it is an area that i think they ( myself included) should be looking into. I agree a central update mechanism would be a good idea and DAFNEOnline would be more than happy to help with this if we are asked too, however we can only publish the information we are provided by the DAFNE programme. I suspect the answer will be that DAFNEOnline too strongly favours those with Internet access and the interest to sign-up, it is however at least a quick and easy way of getting information to Graduates. It should NOT be used as a replacement for proper DAFNE follow-on meetings however in the abscence of funding anything is better than nothing and it is at least one way of getting information to graduates. |
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Sep 4, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Feedback from Android beta testing
Geoff can you elaborate on your comment regarding 'litigation' ? what do you mean by this. |
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Sep 1, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE Myths lizzie,The point of posting the presentation was to provoke discussion which is has done  I'm sorry but I don't think I agree with what I perceive is your view that doctors know best and always have the answer. The truth is, with something like diabetes there are no correct answers because everyone is different and have differing experiences. In addition different studies and research are revealling things that were thought to be true are not necessarily. Hence this thread gives people a chance to discuss if they ARE myths and what their experiences are. Not a scientific study but an interesting experiement just the same, what are graduates experiences on these things ?Personally I don't believe that night-time lows cause high's in the morning. If I was low in the night I would know and have often woken in the night when my BG is too low. I think I far more likely culprit is dawn phenomeon, like a number of people I find my insulin ratio is higher in the morning than later in the day. I think the point about alcohol was it was taught that it always lowered BG and as said at the collaborative if that was true why bother with insulin when alcohol was a far more attractive alternative 
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Aug 9, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: Questions ? / dairy this is the correct link http://www.dafne.uk.com/dafneshop-64.html for the DAFNE shop where they sell paperdiaries. However your DAFNE Centre should have supplies to provide you with extra copies, although these seem to run out 
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Jul 19, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Are we all eating too many carbs? Sorry but for me the wonderful thing about the internet is anyone can publish any rubbish and hence we get articles like that. He says 'back in the day before insulinwas discovered... diabetes was treated with a low carbohydrate diet', haha, nope sorry before insulin was discovered people just died. There is a good book about it apparently, my consultant who likes to stray from the subject told me about it that is about the discovery of insulin and how people used to just die before it.The article then goes on about engineers being the best medics, again haha, I hope my consultant didn't help to write windows or I'm in big trouble  As you can tell I don't think much of the article or the idea that we eat too many carbs, i would rather enjoy a shorter life eating them than have diabetes for 80 years. Genetically I might be able to eat loads of carbs and never suffer complications anyway or I might be a perfect diabetic and get them anyway, life is just not so simple as eat low carbs = live longer. I'm not advocating a total do what you want obviously but I really don't think low carb diets are a good idea. I also trust the medical profession to give me the best advice they can rather than believe its all drug companies trying to line their pockets.... rant ends
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Jul 6, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Getting partner involved Lizzie, sorry but if you ask for help you have to expect some people to have views that don't conflict with yours. I don't think Sarah was passing judgement on your life, just suggesting the solution is ultimately in your hands. Before you get upset with me, I'm not being critical, I too have a family that loves Chocolate and know all about temptation .With regards to 'support' my experience is my wife went from being casual about my Diabetes to being paranoid after a had a 'proper' hypo. You can get too much support. But I know what you mean. The problem is finding simplistic information about Diabetes that a non-Diabetic won't find completely boring or mystifying. Diabetes UK do provide leaflets information and do have local support groups your can find ones potentially in your area here . Most of these groups are run by Diabetics and can help if you can get your partner to go with you to one of their meetings. My group has helped a number of people and their partners with Diabetic issues. With regard to unhealthly food all you can really do is try to strike a balance between 'crap' and healthy food. If we all ate only what was good for us then life would be pretty dull. So why not try a softly softly approach. Just cut one bit of the bad stuff at a time and gently steer to a healthier range of foods. Keep the chocolate for now, hey don't tell me you can quit it completely  , just try to reduce the amount you personally eat. We are all happy to try to give support via this site, but typing to a computer screen is not the same as meeting and talking to people. Have you tired your DAFNE Educators or are they snowed under like most ? |
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Jun 29, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: Questions ? / Blood Testing Hi, just to back up what others have said. You need to stand your ground with your GP, involve your DAFNE educators and also find your PCT's PALS ( Patient Advice and Liaison Services ) office via http://www.pals.nhs.uk/ and contact them. PALS staff are usuallyvery helpful and its their job to help you with any issues you have with the NHS. They will assist you AND log your complaint so the GP has no excuse for not acting. I appreciate this would be a last resort as you have known the GP for some time, however it is NOT acceptable for any one in the medical profession to act in such an unhelpful fashion. Its natural to assume its all about cost, however in some cases its down to not understanding the requirements of patients and particularly the DAFNE approach and why its essential to test regularly. |
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Jun 29, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Battling Diabetes Derek, thanks for the suggestion and sorry to be negative but... Any site that gets you to put in your interests usually only has one thing in mind to target you with advertising. If you read their privacy section (stumbleupon) they explicitly state they may do this. I'm not saying this should stop you using the site, just making you and others think about what they share on the internet. You should also read the privacy section on battlediabetes, where they don't take responsibility for advertisers on their site !This site (DAFNEOnline) does not and will not share your info with anyone since we are DAFNE Graduates like you. However if google come along with a big financial offer who knows I have a family to feed after all |
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Jun 27, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: Questions ? / For Carol McMasters Ron and Carol, if you want to share Ron's diary it may be better if Ron explicitly shares it with you. there are instructions for doing this in 'My Blood glucose Diary->DAFNE Diary Help' ( its near the end of the help). Posting to the general forum will and should stimulate discussion and input from a number of people thats what the forums are for. If you are happy that this is the case then fine, but can I suggest that you don't direct the post at one person in particular, thanks
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Jun 23, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: Questions ? / Does flu vaccine affect BGLs 99% of people react to the suspension (fluid) used to deliver the vaccine into your system NOT the vaccine. The vaccine is NOT active and cannot make you ill, the suspension can and in some people does. I may be wrong but I don't think the vaccine works your immune system much, its just used as a 'id' so when you get the 'real' thing your immune system is ready for action.Like others I have the vaccine every year and have never had a reaction on any kind. I wouldn't worry about it
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Jun 21, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / local meetings JWo and others your link in the previous post didn't work because you put speech marks around the website link, you don't need them and indeed they stop the link working. I have fixed your post so that it works but for future reference you need url=<website link> without speech marks around <website link> |
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Jun 21, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Some advice please Its interesting what you say about Humilin, at the DAFNE collaborative it was suggested that it is probably more effective as a 4 times a day injection but they felt people would not be prepared to do this. My view was a few more injections wouldn't make much difference either way. Apparently 4 times give optimum control becasue of the 'duration' of Humilin, originally it was used as a 'long' lasting once a day insulin but it is not as effective if used only once a day. This is the kind of information that is lacking about Lantus/Levemir becasue there is not the body of evidence built up over time.With regard to high BS in the morning the opininon was as per Novarapidboi i.e inject as close to bedtime as possible to get the best effect on morning BS. Although they still insist that Lantus IS a 24 hour insulin and care should be taken if you overlap a split dose. I can't comment on that as I'm on Levemir. I'm not sure about the 3am testing though, I thought that was a DAFNE Myth
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Jun 20, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE Myths On the 10th June the Annual DAFNE Collaborative was held. This is the DAFNE get-together of all educators, programme management etc. I wasfortunate enough to be there as a DAFNE User Action Group rep. One presentation that really caught my ear that I can now share with you was about DAFNE Myths and Misconceptions. If you click here you can read the presentation in PDF form. Remember it is being said that ALL the things in the presenation are myths. Have a read and post your views here ! Its bound to cause some controversy, which is why I'm posting it here to see what peoples views are. |
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Jun 17, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: Questions ? / Newer Insulins under pressure from QIPP since I know at least one of the DAFNE 'top brass' read this forum I will let them give a 'full' answer if they wish too. However at last weeks DAFNE Collaborative I attended a workshop that contended that NPH could well be preferrable to newer analogue insulins. Indeed the original DAFNE program was and still is based on NPH insulin NOT the newer insulins.One of the problems with new analogues is there is not the long term evidence and experience of using them like there is NPH. It was said at the DAFNE workshop that if they had known years ago what they now know about NPH insulins they would use them differently and more effectively. Newer is not always best ! Although all new insulins have obviously been safety tested before being generally available that is not the same as years of experience of using them over a very wide range of people who are all different. Perhaps QIPP is just trying to trying to avoid the 'newer is better' syndrome, or maybe not, I can't really comment on that. |
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Jun 17, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / iPhone BG Meter nothing on their websites, just press releases at various other sites so I guess its not acutally available commercially yet. It looks potentially interesting but why plug it directly into an iphone, a bit of a strange decision. The connector looks weird sticking out of the side, presuming its not retractable its likely to potentially get battered in use. Also using something like bluetooth would mean you could connect it to any device that you wrote the software to talk to it on, opening up a bigger market with android, windows mobile etc. Anyway as I said it looks interesting, would be very interest to hear if anyone gets their hands on one. |
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Jun 17, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / How can you work out HBA1c by using your BG averages? Is it possible? Carolin has asked me to post the table below from the new handbook ( available online shortly) that she thinks will help. It basically what she posted on this thread previously but laid-out in the same way as the handbook. (if you are reading this in an email, it won't display properly. You can only view it on the site) |
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Jun 13, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Hb1Ac results hmm your worst years seem to be your teenage years, I just can't imagine why I always tell people how thankful I am that I didn't develop my Diabetes until I was in my 30's when my rock'n'roll years where all behind me. I meet so many people who were 'off the rails' in their teenage years and its not hard to imagine why. It does show however 30 years and hopefully only a minor complication so its not inevitable that complications occur. Nice to see you Hb1Ac drop after the course as well, another happy DAFNE customer
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Jun 11, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / How can you work out HBA1c by using your BG averages? Is it possible? Being the cynic of the site and the internet, I would say use this with extreme caution. There are a million sites offering suggestions and ideas as 'facts' all over the internet and most have absolutely no scientific basis for what they say. As Novarapidboi says we would neeed to make VERY clear it is only an estimate NOT based onany scientific evidence. As ever what works for some may not work for all and so the answer for some may be very accurate whilst for others it may be way off. The site referenced says its based on CGMS data and indeed if we all had Constant Glucose Montoring Systems ( man that really would be good) the HbA1c results probably could be calculated reaonably accurately. However with only 4 points of measurement each 24 hours, I don't see how any calculation can be accurate. I also think that your HbA1c result will not 'really' be a suprise to anyone, if you have been testing regularly so an estimate ( via this calculation ) will only confirm what you all ready know so will be of limited use. But if people do find it useful why not. |
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May 23, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Some advice please Hi, well BI won't affect Dawn Phenomenon so don't try to use it to do that. Also I'm a bit worried about the variations in your BI in the evening. You shouldn't be changing it that radically and that often. You won't see a pattern if you keep changing it so much so quickly. You need small changes and slowly (2-3 days at least between changes).The tues/weds/thurs you hypo-ed and so this could case fluctuations in your BG's. You need to settle on getting your BG right and changing it slowly. A few days of high BG's is NOT going to cause any damage and it will let you get things under control slowly. ALL insulin affects your BG, thats its whole purpose so I don't know who told you BI doesn't affect it. Yes BI is primarily to keep you BG steady not cover CP's but it does have an effect and it is the key to good control. Get it correct and you will find things much easier. It does look though from your readings that you are insulin resistant, you seem to need a lot of insulin for not much CP and if I injected that much QA I would be straight to A&E ! Have your Diabetes team not discussed insulin resistance with you ? |
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May 23, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Diabetic Survey All,We have been requested by someone at University College London to post a link to a survey they are conducting on Type 1 Diabetes. The link is here and we would encourage everyone to follow the link and do the survey. The results of this survey may not benefit us immediately however it is a chance to express your opinions to people that want to listen and compile results besed on what we say. It might not make a difference to anything, but then again it just might and unless we try we will never know. so go on click on the link you know it makes sense
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May 4, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Android app Novarapid boy is spot on, its dependent on your phone company (Network operator to tekkies ) . Sadly many phone companies do not release updates even when they are available. Yes they have to test them fully but even so.... I used to suffer this in the days of windows mobile 6, now I have an iphone and despite the peoplethat crtiicise them having the updates done by apple and NOT the phone compaines is a big advantage for me. And I get Angry Birds updates all the time, whats not to like ( its also possible that there is an update even if the phone doesn't tell you there is, another joy of some operators, we used to have to update our users phones becasue it was too complicated for them to do ( you might suspect this is a deliberate ploy by the phone companies). |
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May 3, 2011
marke
657 posts
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I take Cetirizine hydrochloride based tablets and these don't affect my blood sugar. I found Loratadine based tablets didn't work very well on my allergies. Its worth trying both types to see which work best and have the least effect on yout BG. I agree with others the lactose content should not have a noticable effect on your BG. |
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Apr 21, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: Questions ? / Fitting when hypo Hi, It has never happened to me, I will let others comment if it has happened to them. I would recommend the DAFNE course though and if your nurse is aware of it I would guess its available in your area. I did the course with someone who was hypoing regularly, as she said she knew all the ambalance crew by their first name At our 6 month re-union she hadn't had an ambalance since the course. It didn't totally stop every hypo but it did make a huge difference to her control and understanding of why it was happening. This is what DAFNE gives you NOT just carb counting.
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Apr 20, 2011
marke
657 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Travelling on a pump! I would be interested to know if this is true. I have a number of issues with it. Firstly is this not discrimination ? Does it fall under the UK legislation for discrimination. Secondly what is special about a pump ? Because its electronic, like a phone or a handheld games console etc all of which are allowed on aircraft. Is it the insulin ? Ihave never had a problem with insulin and have never even been asked to produce the letter I carry. Agreed the time to challenge this is not at the airport, but in advance. If its true I would get Diabetes UK involved to challenge this attitude by Virgin and anyone else. I see no justification whatsoever to have to provide any details of the pump, if you have a letter to say you need one that should be it. 
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