Second verse

I feel like I gave the Ping a good try, wearing it for almost a year. In the end, though, it just wasn't for me. Oh, I love the technology, the color, the precision. After switching to the Ping my average TDD dropped from 29U to 17U. It really did seem to make a difference.

The problem turned out to be the form factor. No, I'm not joking. The shape and size were bothering me. In fact, I didn't realize how much until I put my 522 back on. Then all the little things that had been bugging me became apparent. I thought I would love the Ping meter remote, but in practice I almost never used the remote function. I wasn't checking my bg as often, but I couldn't figure out why not. I never even used the carb database, since it worked differently from how I'd been told. Little things abounded - like after I tested I would immediately forget what the number had been.

When I switched back to my 522 and UltraSmart, the problems disappeared. I have no trouble remembering the number from the UltraSmart (and yes, I know that's weird). The 522 and its clip are flat on the back and much smaller than the Ping. The display goes the other way, which makes it easier because I like to wear my pump on one side.

With all this in mind and the fact that my MM warranty expired last year, I decided to upgrade to the Revel. It's been rocky (although nothing like the ordeal I went through with Animas), but I got my new Revel and hope to start on it soon.

CWF FFL 2011

It's time for my annual blog post! Er, that was a joke.

I had a great time at the Children With Diabetes Friends for Life 2011 Conference.

It was my first time going during a Disney year. In some ways, it was challenging - it can be tough to be a disabled person with diabetes. However, now I have a much better idea of what the challenges and can plan better.

It was great to see old friends and new - Kerri, Scott, George, Sara, Kim, and many others. It's great to see so many adults with Type 1.

One highlight was seeing Crystal Bowersox perform. I'd never heard her before, but wow, is she talented! What a treat! They never know who the VIP will be, so that was a nice surprise.

Hope to see everyone at CWD FFL12 next year!

LADA Awareness Week

It's LADA Awareness Week.

- What is LADA?

Note: This article mentions "double diabetes" which is different from LADA, not another name for it - I'm not sure where that particular misconception is coming from.

- Could you have LADA? (PDF)

- LADA Awareness Week on Diabetes Mine

Trial Time

Ping and 522
Originally uploaded by lilituc.

Anyone else feel like pump technology hasn't advanced all that much recently? I've had my 522 for about 3.5 years now, and the new "upgrade" seems to be features that other pumps already had before I got mine.

So I'm looking into other options. I feel like I know way too much about other pumps and why they wouldn't work for me. The Nipro Amigo is cute, but only has one infusion set available, and I'm allergic to it. The Accucheck Spirit comes with a PDA, which I love, but it doesn't talk to the pump; it just calculates your dose because there's no bolus calculator on the pump itself.

So I'm doing a trial of the Ping.

Long Time

I've been absent from the blogging world, mainly because I got a job last year. Pretty much all I do these days is work. We don't have personal-use internet where I work, so I've been away from anything I can't access from my phone.

Since I've been working again, diabetes has really shifted to the background. I haven't been testing as much as I want to, or looking at the data as much. I suppose it's my upcoming endo appointment, but I want to try to get back to that.

My pump warranty is up soon, so I will be looking at what's available now. I just found out about Colorware last week - am I the only one who wishes we could do that with our diabetes devices? Awesome.

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.

Holidays

Somehow I find myself in St. Paul until Thursday.

Well, I know how. We came in through MSP and drove across Minnesota to visit my family. Then some of them left early and it threatened to snow and we had to come back early. So that's how it happened.

Would you believe I've never been to anything here? I hear you guys have a mall...

Hey, I need that

I was supposed to see my endo in two weeks, but she's having a baby (!) so they rescheduled me to this week, meaning I'd have to scramble to go get my labs done in time.

I hate fasting tests. Hate. If I get into the shower before I've eaten, I usually get very nauseated. And you wouldn't want to see me without coffee. It's not pretty.

Anyway, I got up at 7 so I could get to the lab when it opened (and not prolong the fasting). I turned my basal down to 70% because my bg is usually low by the time I get to the lab. I had just gotten out of the shower and thought I'd be done in 10 minutes. Then I happened to glance down at my tubing. Um, it's not supposed to be *that* color. Hey, I need that!

So I had to do a set change, which added a bunch of time. I didn't prime it quite all the way because I knew if I did, I'd be really low by the time I got there (my body is really weird and I'm pretty impatient).

I finally got to the lab and tested at 96 before they drew me. Woohoo. I bring coffee with me in a travel mug so I can chug it as soon as they let me out of the pen. No, really, this is for the safety of the other patients. Of course, today I also spilled coffee on myself.

Now I just need to upload my data so I can print out the reports for my endo. I have never used a paper log.

D-Blog Day

How about that D-Blog day?

Other diabetes

Other diabetes
Originally uploaded by lilituc.

I was looking for something else and came across this table.

Other diabetes

Other diabetes
Originally uploaded by lilituc.

I was looking for something else and came across this table.