BACK TO BASICS FOR ME NOW - I'VE BEEN TOLD!

[mum2westiesGill]

Actually I put a sensor back on and have been using it yesterday and today but only because I thought it would be of some help for my DSN - I much prefer my finger pricking and BGL testing which is what I've still been doing yesterday and today.
I've spoken with my DSN today and mentioned this to her and she's told me not to use it because it's just complicating things for me. I mentioned about it worrying me about what goes on in between finger pricking but she said not to worry about it. I also said about me doing 2 hours after a meal tests but she said just to stick with the basics of waking, meal to meal and bedtime. xx

 

[Sally71]

Sounds good! The trouble is, if you try to micromanage every tiny detail you just confuse yourself, and really it isn’t possible to be that precise with diabetes. The numbers you get from your BG tests are not 100% accurate, even with finger pricks. The carb information for your food, whether you get it from the backs of packets or from apps such as carbs and cals, is never 100% precise. Human bodies don’t work that precisely either. Whatever you do it’s always only your best guess, so you might as well make it as simple as possible and enjoy your life. Before we had sensors we just used to do mealtimes and bedtime and only in between if we thought something might be wrong. I’ve never done a 2 hour post meal test because I don’t see the point, you know you’ll be higher because of your food, if you’ve gone down again by the next meal then there’s nothing else you need to do! And trust your bolus adviser and don’t spend too much time worrying about how it works, if it’s giving you good results then it obviously knows what it’s doing!

 

[Lisa66]

I totally agree with Sally...if you try to micro manage for perfection you’ll be disappointed, never leave the house, never have time for anything else and never do anything new that might mess with your tight management.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Sounds good! The trouble is, if you try to micromanage every tiny detail you just confuse yourself, and really it isn’t possible to be that precise with diabetes. The numbers you get from your BG tests are not 100% accurate, even with finger pricks. The carb information for your food, whether you get it from the backs of packets or from apps such as carbs and cals, is never 100% precise. Human bodies don’t work that precisely either. Whatever you do it’s always only your best guess, so you might as well make it as simple as possible and enjoy your life. Before we had sensors we just used to do mealtimes and bedtime and only in between if we thought something might be wrong. I’ve never done a 2 hour post meal test because I don’t see the point, you know you’ll be higher because of your food, if you’ve gone down again by the next meal then there’s nothing else you need to do! And trust your bolus adviser and don’t spend too much time worrying about how it works, if it’s giving you good results then it obviously knows what it’s doing!

When I looked, there is no set accuracy to the nutritional information.
All it has to do is not be "deliberately misleading"
And the food can vary quite markedly from batch to batch.

 

[mum2westiesGill]

When I looked, there is no set accuracy to the nutritional information.
All it has to do is not be "deliberately misleading"
And the food can vary quite markedly from batch to batch.

Hi @travellor are you talking about scales here?

 

[Sally71]

I think he’s talking about the nutritional information on packets. It might say there are 26 grams of carbohydrate in whatever you are about to eat, but that’s not necessarily correct. There are presumably some tolerances food companies have to work to, but nothing is exact. And if there is more than one portion in the packet (e.g. breaded fish pieces, sliced bread, prepacked desserts etc) it’s fairly likely that they don’t weigh exactly the same. So no matter how precise you try to be, you’re still only getting an estimate. So your carb count and insulin dose are only ever a best guess from the information available.

 

[Leadinglights]

Your DSN is absolutely right as although not Type 1 so it all seems a bit of a muddle to me, what does come over is you are suffering from info glut with all the data you are getting some of which may not be representing the true situation as you are sampling without allowing an adjustment to take effect and settle down. The temptation is to make too many changes at once so you don't know which was the one that made the difference.
Think simple and hopefully you will be less stressed.

 

[Paulbreen]

Type1 is pretty easy to manage once you have your head around the basics

1. Insulin to carb ratios
2. Insulin to BG ratios
3. Measuring BG
4. Personal physiological feelings (you feel your’e not right so check it)
5. find your system from the above and stick with what works for YOU

I meant to add that I’d much rather be T1 insulin treated than T2 where there is the constant battle with carbs. You shouldn’t worry too much if you don’t keep in very strict parameters, going a bit high or low is not a big issue as long as your aware of it and are carrying out some sort of reactive actions, you should rule your diabetes and not let diabetes rule you I would say.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Hi @travellor are you talking about scales here?

Just seen this sorry.
I mean the nutritional information printed on packaging.
Originally it did have a tolerance, but that was removed at some point.
So unless the product is deliberately misleading, the information can vary, based on batch to batch.
The information can also come from testing the product, or based on the ingredients declared information, so can have many steps to the information printed on what you see when you buy it.
Basically it's a "best guess".

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Type1 is pretty easy to manage once you have your head around the basics

1. Insulin to carb ratios
2. Insulin to BG ratios
3. Measuring BG
4. Personal physiological feelings (you feel your’e not right so check it)
5. find your system from the above and stick with what works for YOU

I meant to add that I’d much rather be T1 insulin treated than T2 where there is the constant battle with carbs. You shouldn’t worry too much if you don’t keep in very strict parameters, going a bit high or low is not a big issue as long as your aware of it and are carrying out some sort of reactive actions, you should rule your diabetes and not let diabetes rule you I would say.

Thanks @Paulbreen

 

[Deleted member 21371]

I think he’s talking about the nutritional information on packets. It might say there are 26 grams of carbohydrate in whatever you are about to eat, but that’s not necessarily correct. There are presumably some tolerances food companies have to work to, but nothing is exact. And if there is more than one portion in the packet (e.g. breaded fish pieces, sliced bread, prepacked desserts etc) it’s fairly likely that they don’t weigh exactly the same. So no matter how precise you try to be, you’re still only getting an estimate. So your carb count and insulin dose are only ever a best guess from the information available.

Breaded fish pieces are a classic.
If it's a goujon style, random size, the fish is by volume, the coating is by surface area. So it a ratio dependent on a cube for protein, and a square for surface area.
Smaller they are, the more carbs.
And then the shape also changes the formula on top of that.
So it's pretty hit and miss.

 

[Docb]

Can I second @travellor's observation? I did a bit of looking up when I started carb control to see exactly what the readings on foodstuffs actually meant and yes, they are basically a good guess - the regulations allow them to be. The chances of somebody doing the rather complicated set of tests needed to measure the carb content of some prepared food is pretty slim. The saving grace is that the guess is being made by somebody, the manufacturer, who is in the best position to make a guess.

This does not mean that the packet labels are of no use. Far from it. Its just that they need to be taken as a guide and worked with accordingly. Just like the readings you get on your glucometer!

At the end of the day there is no real substitute for your own experience of how your body reacts to your medications and your food.

 

[mark king]

Wow!!! Hi @ mum2westies
Deffo less is more, as your nurse has said "just stick to the basics".
Clearly you are a somewhat intense person just look at your Signature then look at everybody else's and you will see a vast content difference between yours and theirs.
I also notice that even with noting all this information down you ended up in hospital with poor diabetic control. I do think you are over complicating everything and confusing yourself.

Do the basics, understand the basics then repeat and do not introduce too many changes but go for consistency.
When I first was diagnosed as T1 I was given a book that simply stated the cause and effect of Diabetes it sounds as if you didn't get that?
I quickly understood what I needed to do if I went LO or if I went HI and the relationship of carbs and insulin to my diabetes.

Simplifying your Diabetic control will give you more confidence, just do like your nurse has said.

Good luck.