Average Response

You can tell a lot about how much someone knows about diabetes by telling them your average bg - when they ask, not just for fun. My average for one week was 110. Anyway, here were the responses I got:

Optometrist: I guess that's okay.

Oral surgeon: Wow, really?

Endocrinologist: Wow! Unbelievable! How do you do it?

Internal medicine doctor: [No response because there was nothing about it for us to discuss]

Dental hygienist: Well, that's not *that* bad. You should really be careful, though.

FU Diabetes

FU Diabetes
Originally uploaded by lilituc.

My check-in slip for my endo appointment today made me laugh out loud and startle all the waiting people.

You all knew that stands for "follow up," right? ;)

Wait, what?

I like the Diabetes In Control newsletter (which is for doctors) and I like to take the quiz. However, the new one stumped me. Well, in that I didn't see any of the answers I wanted in the list. I did end up picking their "right" answer (after saying, "What? How is that? What?")

Anyone else know what I mean? ;)

carbowhat?

So I went to a Seder last night and my daily total was 176 grams of carbs. I went to another one tonight and my daily total was...394 grams of carbs. That's a new record! I should note that last night I ended up high because I forgot that grape juice has 40 g per cup so I did underbolus. Anyway, 394g? Wow.

17 boluses, but I don't know if that's a record because I don't look at that much. With a situation where you eat over a long time, I bolus each time I get food. I saw someone once who seemed to think that was wrong, but in the end I guess they can't argue with my results, even if I can't win them over with logic (why *wouldn't* you bolus each time you eat?).

Good thing I don't eat like this every day, though. Before tonight my average carbs per day was 154g.

PSA: Calibration

It seems more than a few people are under the impression that doing a control solution test calibrates your blood glucose meter, and that this needs to be done often to keep it working. I keep seeing control solution tests referred to as "calibration" and people being told to "calibrate" more often.

Well, doing a control solution test DOES NOT calibrate the meter. It doesn't actually do anything to the meter. It just tests the control solution, which tells you if the meter is operating within normal parameters. That's it. I think in three years, I've only ever done it three times. Twice it just told me what I already knew - my meter needed replacing.

The only way you as an end user can calibrate today's meters is by coding. So when you put in the code on the side of your test strip vial (if you're using a coded meter), then that is how you calibrate it.

I don't understand where this idea that control solution tests calibrate the meter comes from and how it got so widespread. Does anyone know?

Incorrection Part 2

Well, after an hour on the phone with MM (during which I was asked to read them the data three times), they are overnighting me a new pump.

I think I may actually have figured out where it was getting the numbers from (although I can't compare enough data points since the Bolus History only goes back so far). I really think it's just a minor software issue, but since it's a medical device, better to not take any chances, you know. I wasn't worried or anything.

So now I am eagerly awaiting a new pump. I hope it's as nice as the new old one.

Incorrection

So I love my new pump and all - the buttons are all stiff, it's all shiny and new-looking. Lately, though, I've been noticing a disturbing trend.

The other day I was looking at my daily totals when I came across something odd - it said that day my correction percentage was 12%, 2.7 units. Huh? I'm pretty sure I would remember that! I checked the bolus history and no, I did not correct that much, not even close.

Tonight, I reviewed today's total. I did quite a lot of exercise today so I didn't end up doing any corrections at all. The screen tells me that I had a total correction of 1.2 units, 8% of the daily total. No, no, I didn't.

I checked another day I didn't do any corrections and that one is correct. Out of the 16 days I've had this pump so far, four have incorrectly high correction totals (all at least 100% too high) and the rest are correct. I can't see anything different about those particular days, either.

It's so strange. I mean, how does this even happen? I can't figure out where it would even get those erroneous numbers from. I always use the bolus wizard, almost never change the recommended total, and, well, my old pump of two years never had this problem. It was always...correct. The only difference is that this one has updated firmware (and the only difference I've seen is a tiny one in how it handles selecting bolus type).

I guess I'll call the hotline tomorrow (and try not to sound like a crank), but, um, any ideas? I know I'm probably the only one who uses this information... ;)

Don't dream it's over

Uhoh
Originally uploaded by lilituc.

Today I was setting my pump down when the light hit it just right: so pretty and yet immediately I knew it was Wrong.

Yep, it's a hairline crack. Don't worry; a brand new refurbished pump should get here tomorrow morning.

All I know is it wasn't there two days ago, and I haven't dropped my pump. I have had it just over two years, though, and these things happen.

Goodbye, pump #1!

Old and new

Old and new
Originally uploaded by lilituc.

Anyone remember that forum post about the battery cap symbols that caused so much confusion? I finally got to see them when I got my new battery cap. Here it is with the old one on the left.

Meetup

Meetup
Originally uploaded by lilituc.

I was able to meetup with Scott Johnson when we were in St. Paul. We had a great time chatting.