The Problem with Patch Pumps

They're sleek, for a medical device. They're stylish, for a medical device. They bring the diabetics who take insulin freedom from injections and obtrusive pump tubing. You can check your blood glucose and wirelessly control your pump from one PDA-like doohickey. (Yes, that's a technical term there.)

And they are, at this point, utterly pointless for me to consider. Patch pumps might be all the rage, thanks to famous customers like Nick Jonas, but this dorky diabetic is presently not a fan. Now, don't get me wrong. Everyone's insulin needs are different, and coming up with pumps that hold tiny amounts of insulin that dose miniscule, super-accurate amounts is certainly a very important medical device development. However, patch pumps leave diabetics like me out in the dust, unless we want to refill every single day.

I take what some people consider to be a lot of insulin. My low basal rate during the day is 2.8 u/hr. Now, granted there's not a lot of change during the course of 24 hours from that rate, but some people are just completely flabbergasted to find out what my daily intake is, as if that's a bad thing. I just call it what I need to stay alive and healthy. If you want to criticize me for how much insulin I'm taking, I'm sorry, but you're kind of a dick. Believe me, I wish I could take a couple measly units to cover a meal. I'd save money on insulin!

So I was utterly thrilled at the promise of something I saw over at DiabetesMine last week: the Picosulin Pump/Patch! At last, somebody is considering a patch pump which will be discreet, stylish (for a medical device) and will hold 3ml of insulin at a time! What a completely brill idea! I love the fact that somebody is working on a device which will give me options. Ever since Smiths Medical announced that they were bowing out from the diabetes business, I've been heartbroken, because when I get my next pump, I won't have choices. The only pump company that makes a 3ml pump that's worth a hoot, in my opinion, is Minimed. And I've had Minimed before. I wasn't unhappy, but their pump didn't offer the customization I really needed. Their bolus cap was too low for me.

I would love to see further development by Picosulin. In fact, if you visit their website, they have a survey you can take to tell them what you want in a pump. Everything I just told you, I also told them. (Maybe in a few less words, but the idea is the same.)

Maybe one day, there will be a patch pump that could work well for me. Then I can be just as hip as one of the Jo-Bros.

Happy D-Blog Day to the Diabetes Blog-o-verse!

So here it is, folks. It's D-Blog Day, that creatively invented holiday we diabetes bloggers celebrate with empowerment, bittersweetness, and fond memories of the first time we found, read, commented on and/or started a diabetes blog. I think so many of us came online searching for information or just someone who had a voice similar to ours, and instead we found a huge wealth of friendship, support, and stories that tell us we're not alone. We've all found that our daily struggles, while still somewhat unique, are not the misunderstood mysteries of days past. As diabetes bloggers and diabetes blog readers, we've all found a home here in the vast wilderness of the World Wide Web. Doesn't it feel great?

Here's to the future of d-blogs, their authors, their readers, the good they can do.

This coming Saturday is World Diabetes Day, and at the World Diabetes Day in Philadelphia event, I will be proud to host an information table on online support and resources for everyone affected by diabetes. While I've never been shy about performing or hosting events in public, I'm a little nervous about this one. People will be looking at me as an expert! Whoa! So, I have to thank everyone out there in the DiabetesOC for making this possible for me. The support, friendship and love I find through D-Blogs and communities is something I want to share with everyone now. And I will. And I can't wait to post some pictures from the event after it happens.

I believe that a blog can be a great tool for both empowerment and emotional outlet, and I'm so happy that I started reading DiabetesMine and SixUntilMe back in 2006, because I realized that I don't have to let diabetes run my life. Yet, when I feel like diabetes is trying to become some kind of dictatorship in my body, I can blog about it, feel better, get the virtual hugs I need. I can even learn something.

I can't really say for certain that the DiabetesOC has saved my life, but it has certainly made this life with diabetes feel a lot easier and more rewarding to live! Happy D-Blog Day to my fellow bloggers, readers, and lurkers!

Diabetes Social Networking for Dummies?

Hello readers and friends!

Just a quick post/call for help today. This year, on World Diabetes Day, I will be [wo]manning an information table at the Philadelphia WDD event, all about online support for people with diabetes. This means visitors will receive handouts and information on diabetes websites, blogs, resources, etc.

Just because many of us know where all the good stuff is online doesn't mean it's easy to find for everybody. There are a lot of diabetes sites out there, some awesome, some less-than-stellar. I want to be able to direct people to the good ones!

This is where you can help play a part in my display. Imagine for a moment you are searching for diabetes websites and resources for the first time. What are some of your picks for diabetes sites, social networks, and blogs for those who are DiabetesOC beginners? What would you recommend for a Type 1? A Type 2? A parent of a child with diabetes? A child or teen with diabetes?

Also, who are the other bloggers and diabetes activists in the greater Philadelphia area? Thinking maybe a list of the locals would appeal to passersby as well.

Your comments are really, really appreciated! And if you want to mention your own blog, I won't judge you, but if you feel self conscious about saying "Dorkabetic is the best diabetes blog ever" or what have you, anonymous comments are cool.

Thank you so much, friends!

One for the Ladies: Diabetes, Meet Auntie Flo.

(Author's Note: All the fellas out there are encouraged to read this post, but I do not expect you to understand. Or by all means, turn away if you don't care. However, if you have a lady friend, spouse or female relative with diabetes, maybe you want to check this out, and the comments that are guaranteed to follow!)

A monthly visitor. A little friend. Aunt Flo's in town. A gift from Mother Nature. The curse. The crimson tide. That time of the month. Menstruation. Your period.

Whatever you want to call it, ladies, have you ever noticed it can be tricky business when it comes to The Big D? Some people I know complain about the blood glucose roller coaster they go on. Some people go high. Some people stay low. I always get really low in day 1 then shoot way back up. A blood glucose catapult, if you will.

This makes things tricky the entire almost-week my Aunt Flo is in for a visit. I'm suddenly overly sleepy. Is my BG high? Is it just my hormones wreaking havoc on my energy levels? I never know. Peeing more often. Having no energy. Being really hungry. It seems like half the symptoms that go along with having your period are also symptoms of high blood sugar, and I am normally plagued by both at the same time. Ugh.

Let's not even talk about the food cravings. No, wait. Let's. That's what this blog is for, right? Discussions? I am one of those women who wants salty things followed by sweet things followed by more salty things followed by more sweet things. I think the absolute worst part of having my period is that not only do I get cravings, but I'm also just hungry all the freaking time. I'll eat a big dinner, then an hour later I want a snack. Then after that I might consider another snack.

Now I am wondering if my high that-time-o'-the-month blood sugar levels are related to my constant snacking. I'm sure the answer is probably yes, somewhat. I seem to be high regardless of my snack intake. You do not want to get between me and my food right now. I'm crabby enough as-is, but if you will be prying this here miniature Mr. Goodbar from my cold, dead hands. Look, I'm even bolusing for it!

Ladies, what kinds of issues do you have once a month? Let's commiserate!

On How *Not* to Be a Diabetes Halloweenie.

Tomorrow is Halloween, and of course, I can't let this slip by without blogging. I'm sure the masses still think that Halloween (along with Easter) is a diabetic's biggest enemy. All that candy! All those sugary treats! What will our children do? Can they never enjoy Halloween again?

How often can I say it? I really love Halloween. This year I won't be dressing up as anything, and I have no parties to attend. My mom is coming to visit, and I'm actually quite excited about that. Matt and I are considering taking her on a haunted hayride, possibly a ghost tour in Philadelphia.

But really now, let's pause to look at Halloween for a moment, as people with diabetes. (Or people who help people with diabetes.) A simple Google search for "diabetic kids Halloween" or something similar turns up piles and piles of results, including a story that just appeared in USA Today. Oh, Halloween, if nothing else you seem to serve as a reminder to media outlets that kids are actually sick with Type 1 diabetes. The article is actually forward-thinking enough to have commentary from Fit4D.com, which tells the world that sweets are not the no-no for kids with diabetes anymore. They are simply like any other indulgent food--something to be planned for ahead of time.

Someone from the Mayo Clinic then opens their big mouth in the article, saying how candy is forbidden for pediatric diabetes patients at Halloween. Parents should seek out alternatives. Hey, I like alternatives--I loved getting Halloween toys and pencils and apples as a kid on my neighborhood trick-or-treating excursions. But hey--fruit also has carbs. You know, like a fun-sized Snickers. Also, realistically speaking? I don't think any child should be eating all of their Halloween candy on Halloween. Not only is that unhealthy, resulting in tummyaches and wiley sugar-high behaviors, but I think it teaches our kids to be greedy. I think I'm digressing. I apologize.

When it comes to Halloween, you do not want your children doing what I did in my middle school years. After years of candy deprivation, I went crazy. Sure, I made a little money by "selling" my parents and grandparents the candy that they were interested in, but there were plenty of goodies that were unappetizing to them. I told everyone I was giving them to my friends at school. Instead, I kept the candy hidden under my bed, covertly eating it at night while doing my homework or noshing when I returned home from school to an empty house. Hell hath no fury like a tween five years deprived of real candy.

I've seen some parents who take all of their children's candy and save it for episodes of low blood sugar. In my opinion, that's kind of an awful idea. I don't think the practice of unintentionally teaching your kids that having lows = getting treats is a good one. It seems too easy for an older kid who checks their own blood sugar to wander into the kitchen, say, "I'm low!" and be a glutton over the candy dish. Call me old-fashioned, but I was raised to treat my lows with juice or glucose tabs, unless none were available.

I really like the stance that Children with Diabetes takes on helping your kids have a normal Halloween with diabetes. They advise their readers, "[The common misconception is that] kids with diabetes shouldn't enjoy the treats -- they should. The issue is integrating the treats into the child's meal plan so as to minimize the disruption in blood glucose control. With fast acting insulins like NovoLog and Humalog, more and more families simply integrate candy into their child's meal plan." So basically, find out what your kids' favorites are. Ask them what they consider to be bolus-worthy. The CWD article is really helpful, as it has carb-count information for a number of different varieties of candy. Yay!

Many of us have learned how to manage our diabetes from a young age. I am so with Kerri, that as people with diabetes, we all need to learn how to manage our guilt, too. So let's start young with learning that the occasional treat is not the straw that breaks the camel's back. Let's all teach our kids that treats are good once in a while, but must come along with insulin, and testing to make sure everything is okay. Sure, we're diabetics. But that doesn't mean we need to suffer and deprive ourselves at every single turn. We're also humans with cravings for sweets.

And cravings for brains.

Oh wait, that's zombies.

Happy Halloween to all. If you need me, I will be bolusing for these fabulous 15g of carbs I am about to ingest. Bless you, mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

40 Odd Things: A Time-Wasting Oddity

Unsure what to blog about, but feeling the urge to blog, I have resorted to that time-honored tradition: the meme. I definitely copied this off of Lee Ann, because it was unusual and fun. Feel free to post your own if you haven't already. I think we all get a kick out of learning each others' trivia.

1. Do you like bleu cheese? Yes, especially crumbled on a salad with a good vinagrette, occasionally melted on a burger or steak, and of course, bleu cheese dressing is the tops with any Buffalo chicken items.

2. Have you ever smoked? Nope, though I am occasionally jealous of smokers because they are often allowed to take more breaks during the workday.

3. Do you own a gun? Only if squirt guns and Nerf weapons count.

4. Favorite type of Food? Type? What I'm in the mood for changes from day to day. I like comfort food, ethnic food, fried food, grilled food...food food food. It's too close to lunchtime for me to be thinking about so many kinds of food. I may end up eating a pencil.

5. Favorite type of music? I guess indie or alternative, though I don't really put much faith in actual genres of music anymore. I like too many kinds of music to pick one favorite type. How about "the good type"?

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I think they're pretty tasty once in a while. It's not like I eat them every day.

7. Favorite Christmas movie? I can't think of one offhand, but I'll tell you that WAY back in the day it was "Home Alone".

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? I like a really big cup of coffee, but recently I've been drinking diet sodas due to lack of a coffee machine at work.

9. Can you do push ups? If I can do any, I'm sure they're really terrible and sissy-looking.

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? My engagement ring. It's still totally awesome and not too over-the-top.

11. Favorite hobby? Writing!

12. Do you have A. D. D.? Maybe mildly? I've never been diagnosed. I just think I need a lot of caffeine to function during the day. You know, like most people.

13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? Glasses, since I was 5. If I take them off, I can see clearly to about six inches in front of my nose.

14. Middle name? Ellen.

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: I'm hungry, so I should probably get some lunch. My eye itches. I'll be glad when the construction is done at the office and all these extraneous noises go away.

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink: Diet Soda, water, iced tea.

17. Current worry? What if things with my job don't improve and I get really unhappy with it?

18. Current hate right now? Hate is a really strong word, and I don't hate things or people strongly. But I do hate that we don't get our free coffee machines until our entire office suite is completed. Three more weeks...

19. Favorite place to be? Somewhere comfortable in the company of good friends and people that I love. (awwww.)

20. How did you bring in the new year? In Grandma and Grandpa McD's living room in Indiana with some drinks and TV.

21. Someplace you’d like to go? Back to Austin, TX for a bit. It's a cool town and all of the food was fantastic.

22. Name three people who will complete this. *points* You, you, aaaannnd you. That could be directed at anybody.

23. Do you own slippers? Yes I do, they're purple ballerina-type things.

24. What color shirt are you wearing? It's black with a pattern that is primarily royal blue, magenta and gray.

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I've never tried it. They might be, uh, fun, for uh, certain things, but I'm not even sure I like wearing satin clothes, with the exception of undergarments.

26. Can you whistle? Indeed.

27. Where are you now? My desk.

28. Would you be a pirate? Do you mean as a career? Or just an outfit? Or a Ren Faire re-enactor? I would probably do the 2nd or even the 3rd.

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Anything that strikes my fancy at the time, though nothing beats a good showertime showtune.

30. Favorite Girl’s Name? I like Nora, Grace, and Kate.

31. Favorite boy’s name? I like Ian, Seth, and Colin.

32. What is in your pocket right now? While I am wearing a skirt with pockets, they are currently empty.

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Something our IT guy said. But then again, everything makes me giggle, so it may not have even been that funny.

34. What vehicle do you drive? Presently, a Chevy HHR. It's my rental car while my actual car, a 2004 Mazda 6 wagon, is still at the body shop. The HHR as a whole isn't bad, but I miss my car.

35. Worst injury you’ve ever had? Probably my broken middle finger which my dear friend Cari "fixed" for me. Yeowch.

36. Do you love where you live? Yes and no. The town where I live is pretty convenient, has great stuff in it, and I can walk to almost anything I need from my house. However, I do wish we were situated just a teensy bit closer to Philadelphia itself. I would appreciate an easier way to get onto 76 from where we live.

37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2, one we use, one that we haven't used in a while but still intend to hook back up.

38. How many computers do you have in your house? There are 2 which get used, Matt's desktop and my laptop. There may be a few others floating around in the basement, but they are old and may run Windows 98 or something like that.

39. If you changed your job, what would it be? I would love to write for a living. Or maybe even work at a library.

40. If you were granted three wishes, what would they be? (Assuming these all come free of those "be careful what you wish for" scenarios...) A cure for diabetes, a lifetime of loaded Apple computers, and a career that I will always love.

Bad Habits, Stress, Looking for New Directions. The Usual.

You know what? Let's not even talk about my BG readings right now. I went to the wedding of one of my childhood best friends over the weekend, and it was such a wonderful event. I ate a lot of stuff and drank a lot of tasty, tasty sweet wine. I even purchased some bottles from the winery that supplied their reception. Sometimes you just have to live for the sake of living.

It's true, though, diabetes has been riding in my backseat for a while now. I know it's there. It's just so quiet most of the time that it's easy to ignore. As always, I could be doing more. I could be doing better. I am a diabetes blogger, not a diabetes role model.

Let's couple some mismanagement with stress, and I'm sure my numbers are pretty awful right now anyway. I know that I'm stressed out because I've started biting my nails again. Nailbiting has been a habit of mine since childhood, but at times like this in my life, let's just say the nail clippers are pretty much useless except for filing down the odd edges I can make with my teeth.

I still like my job. I'm relatively happy here. I work with nice people...I just feel frustrated lately. I'm not really sure where this job falls in terms of any career goals I might have. At this point, it's just starting to feel like another job--not exactly a track I want to follow for the rest of my life. Every day when I'm doing some repetitive task, or filing, or answering the phone, I would most love to be writing or creating things. I would love to find enough freelance writing work that I could work from home all the time. Honestly, if anybody knows of any good opportunities or good places to start freelancing, I would absolutely love to start writing now and build a portfolio. I am beginning to think that what I want to do when I grow up is to be able to work and write for myself. Words are the one thing in my life that I've always been the most passionate about.

Meanwhile, the economy still sucks so I'm not about to leave my current job for what could be nothing but disaster. As I said, I like my current job. It's just not everything I want it to be, and as time wears on, I feel less and less okay with that. I hope that when our office moves that everything will change. Maybe my responsibilities will finally align with my true talents and passions and desires.

So in the meantime, does anybody know of any writing projects that would appeal to a sassy blogging gal with a Bachelor's in Communications?

If you need me, I'll be chomping on my fingers in private. Thanks.