Then there is this whole fat thing. Now I have had diabetes for almost 18 years. I am pretty decent at carb counting, it's really not that hard. But how to tell an insulin bolus based on the carbs and level of fat? Wtf!? This is a whole other level for me. Never had to get this detailed. And have no idea how to even begin this. Your suppose to keep a food diary and see what foods hit you certain ways... Wowza. Idk about all of this. For now, I just want controlled BG's. First 2 weeks with the pump, flawless bg's, now? not so flawless. What has changed? really not much. Eating out less, eating healthier, but with higher bg's.... And then I have to start my birth control again for my PCOS. I stopped taking it, cause I have a hard time remembering, and my work shifts were all messed up. Now that things are straightened out, I get to try again. Wonder how that will effect me. God knows it made me very depressed, and I think contributed to my weight gain. Only explanation considering I am more active and eat very healthy...
So many new things, and so much change. My stress level is only slightly less elevated.
All I really want to know is... How do you be Borg?
I Borg-ify in most of the areas you don't want to, lol. I've been pumping for 7.5 years, off and on a bit, and use a Dexcom, too. Since the Dex is always on my stomach, I use my hips for the pump. You'd be amazed--it really doesn't interfere with your pants much! Takes a littttle getting used to, but you can do it :-) I haven't found the nerve to use my arms, either, but most of my reason there is vanity--I hate having the sites show when I wear clingy clothes. :-(
ReplyDeleteAs far as the fat/carb thing, I don't do any of that anymore. If you can suffer through it for a little while, I think you'll probably find that it becomes intuitive and you won't have to keep the crappy logs forever.
And I totally agree on cracking the DOC nut. I can't devote my entire life to blogging/advocacy/etc, and I haven't managed to get "in" with them either. It's nice just to read, a lot of times, because you know you're not alone, but it is REALLY important to know you can ask questions and get RESPONSES! You could email me or add me on facebook, if you wanted to... :-) Not that I have all the answers by ANY means, but two heads are better than one!
I am not a borg but my son is...he hates using his butt but loves using his arms and legs. He also is not fond of sites in his stomach.
ReplyDeleteAs for fats, we really don't worry a lot about them because he doesn't eat a lot of fatty foods. We do use an extended bolus if we know its nasty (usually 60% of the insulin now and the 40 over another few hours) but you have to just wing it and see what works for you. As Katie as said, you will learn what works for you. You will eyeball carbs and figure it out.
My son is 14 and has had diabetes for 12 years. Its still a learning game for us. I take life 4 hours at a time. Good numbers for 4 hours is a victory for me as a pancreas.
Hang in there!!
I have been pumping for almost 8 years and using a CGM for over 3, so I feel you on the shortage of real estate for these devices. For me, I wear my Dexcom sensors on the outside of my thigh (since they stay on for 7+ days, the need for lots of real estate isn't as high) and for pump sites, I use the back of my hip (above the waistband of my pants) most of the time, but I also use my arms and abdomen (on rare occasions). I'm happy to answer any questions for you, so email me or catch me on FB/Twitter if you need anything at all!!
ReplyDelete(And the fat-calculating thing? I've never, ever done it. Carb-counting only, over here.)
Derbáil, I'm not on a pump (or even Type 1), but someone posted your issue to Twitter and asked if we'd give you some DOC love :) If you look at who Kerri's Twitter Roll (off her blog, sixuntilme.com), you should get an idea of some of the active DOC members on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteI'd also suggest signing up with one of our diabetes-specific communities, such as dLife or TuDiabetes.org. You can post questions there in the forums, and people will answer you -- or, you can search those forums for answers to questions you may have.
Please note that it is a two-way street, so the way to get involved in communities and social media is, well, to be social. Find things you have in common with other community members, respond to other folks' blogs and questions as well as asking your own.
I feel your pain (literally and figuratively). Cracking the DOC is tough but you do it one person at a time. I've found that certain people are more responsive to certain forms of communication. You breakthrough one person at a time. But in the meantime, TuDiabetes and Diaboogle are pretty awesome tools for getting info from the right people.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of sites, you'll learn that eventually they become a little numb so sleeping on them isn't really an issue. It takes a little while to get used to that. I JUST started using something other than my stomach after a decade of pumping. Now I use the outsides of my stomach (lovehandle-y area) for my Dexcom and my thighs/ lower hips for my infusion sets. It was definitely weird to try my hips but they're pretty solid and stay out of the way more than thigh sets.
For the first few weeks, focus on your basal rates. I hate fasting to test basals but doing so in 4-hour increments over a week or two helps. They will change based on exercise, stress, and hormones (certain points in your monthly cycle will need more insulin and others will need less).
The food thing will come slowly. Don't worry about fats unless you're eating something like Pizza. The bolus is just the same as what you would do as a shot. Square/Dual waves are definitely for after when you get a handle on the basics.
It's all about little adjustments. It can drive you bonkers. But if you've ever got any questions or just need to pick someone's brain, I'm usually available.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI agree - pumping, just like most of the rest of diabetes, is trial and error. Try a bunch of stuff and figure out what works well for you.
I've tried a lot of different places for my pump sites, and found that I like my lower back, and sides of my abdomen for them. But I'm a guy, and probably have different wardrobe issues/concerns than you do.
Keep on trying stuff! :-)
And! What's your twitter handle? I'm at @scottkjohnson
ReplyDeleteAnd! And! I don't calculate the fat into my foods much either, other than being aware that it might slow the overall digestion of the carbs.
ReplyDeleteOk, I think I'm done now... :-)