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| Yep, my site was just barely hanging onto my skin. |
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
I ran out of insulin..
On my trip to Savannah (for Choir), my pump decided to provoke me, so my site stopped working.
I had to change it in a cramped bathroom stall, (I don't recommend it.) and even better: it didn't work! My mom had to bring another site from the hotel to where I was practicing.
It did work, and buy the time I gave myself insulin, I had one unit left. (A new record!)
As I was walking back to the Choir room, my director (Who is amazing and more like a friend then a teacher,) commented on how my tubing was sticking out of the bottom of my shorts.
Quote of the Day: "Pay no attention to the tubing sticking out of my pants."
I changed my cartridge once I got to 0 units, and forgot to snap a picture of the warning. :P
Moral of Story: Tubing is hilarious.
I had to change it in a cramped bathroom stall, (I don't recommend it.) and even better: it didn't work! My mom had to bring another site from the hotel to where I was practicing.
It did work, and buy the time I gave myself insulin, I had one unit left. (A new record!)
As I was walking back to the Choir room, my director (Who is amazing and more like a friend then a teacher,) commented on how my tubing was sticking out of the bottom of my shorts.
Quote of the Day: "Pay no attention to the tubing sticking out of my pants."
I changed my cartridge once I got to 0 units, and forgot to snap a picture of the warning. :P
Moral of Story: Tubing is hilarious.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Some Advice I Wrote
I make tips on a website called Polyvore and someone asked me to write tip about living with type 1 diabetes, so I thought I should share it with you guys. C:
Testing Your Blood-
Testing your blood is one of the main ways to keep your diabetes under control. It is NOT optional and must be done.
- I find it easier to use a pricker, (lancing device) rather than poking the needle into my finger. (Lancing devices come with all blood testers.)
- Always test your blood before you eat and 2 hours after you eat.
- Test it if you are feeling weird, it might be high or low blood sugar.
- If you are sick, test every 2 or 3 hours to keep your blood sugar in check.
- Test wherever you want to; unless someone requests that you go somewhere else to do it, stay put!
- You may feel like testing your blood is awkward around your friends and wastes time, but in reality it only takes one minute and you can also explain to them why you have to do this.
High Blood Sugar-
When you have high blood sugar you just feel bad. It can affect your performance in school and even make you throw up!
Some symptoms of high blood sugar are:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Increased hunger
- Tiredness
- Lack of interest and concentration
- Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as the flu)
- A tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet
- Blurred vision
- Slow-healing wounds
Once you test your blood and see that your blood sugar is high, cover it with insulin immediately.
Low Blood Sugar-
When you have low blood sugar, you feel hungry, tired, and maybe even dizzy. If you don’t treat a low immediately, you can go into a diabetic coma.
Some symptoms of low blood sugar are:
- Nausea
- Extreme hunger
- Feeling nervous or jittery
- Cold, clammy, wet skin and/or excessive sweating not caused by exercise
- A rapid heartbeat
- Numbness or tingling of the fingertips or lips
- Trembling
- Mood changes, such as irritability, anxiety, restlessness, or anger
- Confusion, difficulty in thinking, or inability to concentrate
- Blurred vision, dizziness, or headache
- Weakness, lack of energy.
- Poor coordination.
- Difficulty walking or talking, such as staggering or slurred speech.
- Fatigue, lethargy, or drowsiness
If you are low, treat it immediately! Eat 15g of sugar. Four glucose tabs, a juice box, four pieces of small candies, or even 1 tablespoon of sugar will bring your blood sugar up. Test again after 15 minutes since you ate; if you are still low, eat 15 more grams of sugar. If you are low for more 45 minutes, call your doctor.
Giving Yourself Insulin-
You have to give yourself insulin, or your blood sugar will always be high. It can be annoying to give yourself shots, but you will get used to it eventually.
When to give yourself insulin:
- After you eat
- If your blood sugar is high
When giving yourself insulin, you have an insulin to carb ratio for after meals, and a correction factor for high blood sugar. If you don’t know what these are or what to do with them, call your doctor.
There are 3 methods of getting insulin:
- Shots
○ This is the most commonly known way of getting insulin. It looks like a shot you would get from a doctor, but it is really small, and barley hurts.
- Insulin Pens
○ These are things that look like large pens, but actually have insulin already in them! You attach small needles to them, give yourself insulin, and then dispose of the needle. Once you use all of the insulin you have to throw them away. They last 28 days after being taken out of the fridge.
- Insulin Pump
○ These are devices that look like pagers and have cartridges with insulin in them. You have to refill the cartridge every three days and put in a new canula every three days, as well. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin_pump)
If you are on shots, you should know how to draw up insulin and give yourself a shot; here is a quick refresher: (http://diabetes.webmd.com/give-yourself-insulin-shot)
If you are on an insulin pen, here is a PDF guide on how to give a shot with an insulin pen: (http://www.bd.com/resource.aspx?IDX=10256)
If you are on a pump, you should know how to give yourself insulin with the press of a few buttons. If you don’t know how to deliver insulin from your pump ask your doctor.
Going to the Doctor-
People with diabetes must go to the doctor every three months for a routine checkup, A1C test, and just to help with your diabetes care. If you don’t go to an endocrinologist, talk to your parents about it.
What to expect at the doctor:
- Having your blood drawn, to test your A1C, the average blood sugar from the last 3 months. (Talk to your doctor about what they recommend your A1C to be.)
- Needing your blood sugar to be charted, so the doctors can change your insulin dosage as needed.
Living with Diabetes-
Yeah, diabetes does stink sometimes, but you have to live with it, so here’s how.
- Diabetes goes before everything else.
○ If you have high or low blood sugar, tell your friends you have to wait. If they refuse to understand that your health is more important than going shopping, they aren’t your friends.
- Diabetes can make you prone to more illnesses and weaken you immune system, so you need to get your yearly shots and a yearly dose of all flu shots.
- Start a blog about your life with diabetes. (I wouldn’t make a tumblr, because it is more complaining about their lives than anything else. Try Blogger or Wordpress.) Many people have them, and we are a tight-knit group of people called the DOC. (Diabetes Online Community) It lets you know that there are, in fact, other people just like you! (I have a blog, here’s the link: http://insulinpensink.blogspot.com/)
- Going to a camp for diabetic kids is tons of fun and helps you learn how to manage your diabetes, while having a fun camp experience. Here is a link to a list of all camps in every state, Canada, and Latin America: (http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/camps/)
- Don’t think that you can’t do something because you are diabetic! You can, it just might require more effort. C:
- Tons of people will ask, “Why do you have to give yourself a shot?” “What’s Diabetes?” So, you need to have a simple answer that people can understand. Say something like, “It is something where my body doesn’t process food right, so I have to give myself medicine to keep the food working.”
Here are some diabetes blogs I love:
- http://diabetesaliciousness.blogspot.com/
- http://insulinpensink.blogspot.com/ (my blog)
- http://www.textingmypancreas.com/
- http://portablepancreasgirl.com/
- http://www.sixuntilme.com/
- http://youcandothisproject.com/
Diabetes Accessories-
These include fun blood tester cases, pancreas stuffed animals, and more!
- Blood Tester Cases: (http://sugarmedicalsupply.com/)
- Medical ID Bracelets:
○ (http://www.laurenshope.com/)
○ (http://www.medicalert.org/shop/shopHome.htm)
- Stuffed Pancreas/ Other Pancreas Stuff: (http://iheartguts.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=8)
- Medtronic Pump Skins: (http://medtronic.skinit.com/)
Testing Your Blood-
Testing your blood is one of the main ways to keep your diabetes under control. It is NOT optional and must be done.
- I find it easier to use a pricker, (lancing device) rather than poking the needle into my finger. (Lancing devices come with all blood testers.)
- Always test your blood before you eat and 2 hours after you eat.
- Test it if you are feeling weird, it might be high or low blood sugar.
- If you are sick, test every 2 or 3 hours to keep your blood sugar in check.
- Test wherever you want to; unless someone requests that you go somewhere else to do it, stay put!
- You may feel like testing your blood is awkward around your friends and wastes time, but in reality it only takes one minute and you can also explain to them why you have to do this.
High Blood Sugar-
When you have high blood sugar you just feel bad. It can affect your performance in school and even make you throw up!
Some symptoms of high blood sugar are:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Increased hunger
- Tiredness
- Lack of interest and concentration
- Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as the flu)
- A tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet
- Blurred vision
- Slow-healing wounds
Once you test your blood and see that your blood sugar is high, cover it with insulin immediately.
Low Blood Sugar-
When you have low blood sugar, you feel hungry, tired, and maybe even dizzy. If you don’t treat a low immediately, you can go into a diabetic coma.
Some symptoms of low blood sugar are:
- Nausea
- Extreme hunger
- Feeling nervous or jittery
- Cold, clammy, wet skin and/or excessive sweating not caused by exercise
- A rapid heartbeat
- Numbness or tingling of the fingertips or lips
- Trembling
- Mood changes, such as irritability, anxiety, restlessness, or anger
- Confusion, difficulty in thinking, or inability to concentrate
- Blurred vision, dizziness, or headache
- Weakness, lack of energy.
- Poor coordination.
- Difficulty walking or talking, such as staggering or slurred speech.
- Fatigue, lethargy, or drowsiness
If you are low, treat it immediately! Eat 15g of sugar. Four glucose tabs, a juice box, four pieces of small candies, or even 1 tablespoon of sugar will bring your blood sugar up. Test again after 15 minutes since you ate; if you are still low, eat 15 more grams of sugar. If you are low for more 45 minutes, call your doctor.
Giving Yourself Insulin-
You have to give yourself insulin, or your blood sugar will always be high. It can be annoying to give yourself shots, but you will get used to it eventually.
When to give yourself insulin:
- After you eat
- If your blood sugar is high
When giving yourself insulin, you have an insulin to carb ratio for after meals, and a correction factor for high blood sugar. If you don’t know what these are or what to do with them, call your doctor.
There are 3 methods of getting insulin:
- Shots
○ This is the most commonly known way of getting insulin. It looks like a shot you would get from a doctor, but it is really small, and barley hurts.
- Insulin Pens
○ These are things that look like large pens, but actually have insulin already in them! You attach small needles to them, give yourself insulin, and then dispose of the needle. Once you use all of the insulin you have to throw them away. They last 28 days after being taken out of the fridge.
- Insulin Pump
○ These are devices that look like pagers and have cartridges with insulin in them. You have to refill the cartridge every three days and put in a new canula every three days, as well. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin_pump)
If you are on shots, you should know how to draw up insulin and give yourself a shot; here is a quick refresher: (http://diabetes.webmd.com/give-yourself-insulin-shot)
If you are on an insulin pen, here is a PDF guide on how to give a shot with an insulin pen: (http://www.bd.com/resource.aspx?IDX=10256)
If you are on a pump, you should know how to give yourself insulin with the press of a few buttons. If you don’t know how to deliver insulin from your pump ask your doctor.
Going to the Doctor-
People with diabetes must go to the doctor every three months for a routine checkup, A1C test, and just to help with your diabetes care. If you don’t go to an endocrinologist, talk to your parents about it.
What to expect at the doctor:
- Having your blood drawn, to test your A1C, the average blood sugar from the last 3 months. (Talk to your doctor about what they recommend your A1C to be.)
- Needing your blood sugar to be charted, so the doctors can change your insulin dosage as needed.
Living with Diabetes-
Yeah, diabetes does stink sometimes, but you have to live with it, so here’s how.
- Diabetes goes before everything else.
○ If you have high or low blood sugar, tell your friends you have to wait. If they refuse to understand that your health is more important than going shopping, they aren’t your friends.
- Diabetes can make you prone to more illnesses and weaken you immune system, so you need to get your yearly shots and a yearly dose of all flu shots.
- Start a blog about your life with diabetes. (I wouldn’t make a tumblr, because it is more complaining about their lives than anything else. Try Blogger or Wordpress.) Many people have them, and we are a tight-knit group of people called the DOC. (Diabetes Online Community) It lets you know that there are, in fact, other people just like you! (I have a blog, here’s the link: http://insulinpensink.blogspot.com/)
- Going to a camp for diabetic kids is tons of fun and helps you learn how to manage your diabetes, while having a fun camp experience. Here is a link to a list of all camps in every state, Canada, and Latin America: (http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/camps/)
- Don’t think that you can’t do something because you are diabetic! You can, it just might require more effort. C:
- Tons of people will ask, “Why do you have to give yourself a shot?” “What’s Diabetes?” So, you need to have a simple answer that people can understand. Say something like, “It is something where my body doesn’t process food right, so I have to give myself medicine to keep the food working.”
Here are some diabetes blogs I love:
- http://diabetesaliciousness.blogspot.com/
- http://insulinpensink.blogspot.com/ (my blog)
- http://www.textingmypancreas.com/
- http://portablepancreasgirl.com/
- http://www.sixuntilme.com/
- http://youcandothisproject.com/
Diabetes Accessories-
These include fun blood tester cases, pancreas stuffed animals, and more!
- Blood Tester Cases: (http://sugarmedicalsupply.com/)
- Medical ID Bracelets:
○ (http://www.laurenshope.com/)
○ (http://www.medicalert.org/shop/shopHome.htm)
- Stuffed Pancreas/ Other Pancreas Stuff: (http://iheartguts.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=8)
- Medtronic Pump Skins: (http://medtronic.skinit.com/)
Friday, February 17, 2012
Catalog of Cool Diabetes Related Stuff
Yes, I have found some awesome diabetes stuff, so I am making a catalog of it all for future reference!
Pumps-
Tandem t:slim Pump
Animas Vibe
Meters-
One Touch Verio IQ
Contour USB
Other Stuff
Pump Skins-
Medtronic has teamed us with skinit.com to make Medtronic Pump Skins! They are super cute and come in tons of patterns; you can even upload your own picture to make a skin!
Animas also has their own skins, which slide on to the pump, rather than stick on, like Medtronic's. These are also protective cases.
Stuffed Pancreas/Pancreas Pin/Pancreas T-Shirt
Yes, your childish dreams have come true; there are now stuffed Pancreases! They are cute, fluffy, and come in small or pillow sized!
There are also Pancreas pins, and a T-Shirt that says, "Gimme some sugar."
Lauren's Hope Medical ID Bracelets
I found out about these through Kerri's blog post. They are medical IDs that are actually stylish! They come in tons of different designs, for boys, girls, women, and men. They are so fashion-forward, and are much better-looking than the normal chain link IDs. You can get them with or without an ID made by them, so you can attach your regular id to their cute bracelets.
(I would reccomend buying one of the cheap ones from Medic Alert [because they have your information and have all of your information if doctors need to call and find out more.] and putting them on one of their cute bracelets. C:)
I hope you enjoyed my little catalog of cool diabetes related stuff.
I wasn't payed to endorse any of these products, I just thought they were cool.
Pumps-
Tandem t:slim Pump
"An insulin pump that’s sized like a credit card, Tandem’s color-touchscreen t:slim is today’s slimmest, sleekest insulin pump—up to 25% slimmer than others."
This pump is a touch screen pump that looks more like an iPhone than a pump. It looks sleek, hi-tech, and expensive. I like it because, and I quote my friends on this: "...Look like a video game from the 80's." (That's what they said about my Animas Ping.) Good thing my pump warranty expires this November. C: And yes, it is FDA approved. (For everyone 13+)- Tandem Website.
Animas Vibe
This is a Pump/CGM duo. It has Dexcom's sensor and Animas's pump power. It combines all of the Animas Ping's features with Dexcom's CGM features. One of the perks of Dexcom's technology for a CGM: the sensor lasts 7 days! It is also on my want list, but it is awaiting FDA approval."The Animas Vibe insulin pump and CGM system combines state-of-the-art Dexcom G4 Sensing technology with high-performance Animas pumping. That means it gives you the features Animas pumps are known for, like waterproof durability, fine-tuned dosing and a high-contrast, self-illuminating color display. It’s also designed to streamline the whole CGM experience for you, while giving you a full-color view of how your glucose is behaving." - Animas UK Website
Meters-
One Touch Verio IQ
This blood tester just looks fancy. It is a sleek white and can tell you when there are patterns in your blood sugar readings, it has a light where the test strip goes for easy testing at night, it has a LCD screen, holds up to 750 blood sugars in its memory, and only has 4 buttons. I want it.."It's the first meter ever that automatically alerts you to patterns you might not even know were there. Together with the One Touch Verio Gold Test Strip, this system gives people on insulin more information for less work, right in the palm of their hands." - One Touch Website
Contour USB
This is my current blood tester, and its claim to fame is that it has a USB on it, so you can plug it into your computer, and with the software, it will chart for you. (I mean, no one likes charting..) It can also store 2000 blood sugars in its memory!"Plug into a whole new diabetes management experience" - Contour USB Website
Other Stuff
Pump Skins-
Medtronic has teamed us with skinit.com to make Medtronic Pump Skins! They are super cute and come in tons of patterns; you can even upload your own picture to make a skin!
Animas also has their own skins, which slide on to the pump, rather than stick on, like Medtronic's. These are also protective cases.
Stuffed Pancreas/Pancreas Pin/Pancreas T-Shirt
There are also Pancreas pins, and a T-Shirt that says, "Gimme some sugar."
Lauren's Hope Medical ID Bracelets
I found out about these through Kerri's blog post. They are medical IDs that are actually stylish! They come in tons of different designs, for boys, girls, women, and men. They are so fashion-forward, and are much better-looking than the normal chain link IDs. You can get them with or without an ID made by them, so you can attach your regular id to their cute bracelets. (I would reccomend buying one of the cheap ones from Medic Alert [because they have your information and have all of your information if doctors need to call and find out more.] and putting them on one of their cute bracelets. C:)
I hope you enjoyed my little catalog of cool diabetes related stuff.
I wasn't payed to endorse any of these products, I just thought they were cool.
New Record High!
Yesterday stunk.
I think I forgot to cover lunch because when I tested my blood sugar at 8:45, I was apparently over 600. (Yikes!) I covered it with 11.15 units and didn't eat anything; after about 2 ½ hours, I tested again because I felt like I was going to throw up, had a headache, and felt just plain horrible. I was 512. I had to take a shot of insulin. *gasp* I think I took 10 units. After about 30 minutes, I had gone down to 486, so I was slowly progressing. After an hour I was 415, so my dad gave half of a correction for that, and I changed my site. (I figured it had gone bad even though I had just put it in at 5:00 that day.)
I woke up at 142 and felt a 1,000,000,000 (billion [Sorry, I felt like typing a lot of zeros..]) times better.
Moral of Story: Let's just say I will never, ever forget to cover lunch again.
 |
| Uh-oh, Spaghettio.. |
Moral of Story: Let's just say I will never, ever forget to cover lunch again.
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