Early days.. insulin ratio..

[christophe]

Hey Jenny, if it comes across as if I am rigidly try to hold a figure then I haven't told it right..

I have the 4-7 in mind and if I am 6.5 or 7.2 or whatever, that's what it is although I would prefer it to be a bit lower.. if I am 5+ then I can drive but it's the time on the road and working that is a bit of a worry because I can't differentiate between high and low until I am definitely too low.. this is what causes me to stress a bit and test like 15 times a day. Don't care too much sat in front of the tv with a cat on my legs.. but outside it's a different thing.

I sound like its panicking me all the time.. it's not, not really. I am doing the same job as pre diagnosis and (apart from being out on a bike for hours on my own) I am doing the same things.. eating has changed admittedly but as it stands that's it. I have no doubt I will get on top of it but.. no short cuts right? I have to live it to beat it and I will.

Thank you for being there

 

[christophe]

Awww jeez thanks, you just made me smile for the first time in a while!! 🙂
What I found out quite early on is that the pre-filled pens
1 - work out more expensive over time and
2 - they can be pretty useless if your not a standard 1 unit to 10g OR your extremely sensitive and need a small correction
It may be worth asking your team if you could have a half unit pen, these are much sturdier and it only takes a minute to change the cartridge when it needs done, its just a thought like but it made my life so much better when I was prescribed the half unit pen xx

If you got to smile then it's all good! Happy to make that happen.
The pens do feel a bit flimsy to me and I was wondering about a more convincing feel.. if I inject 1, it doesn't make me confident that it did actually deliver "1".. I think the sensitivity on my part is to carbs not insulin! It kind of feels like calling the fire brigade to put out a candle if that makes sense.. inject what seems a large number to deal with the smallest square of bread, I am exaggerating but that's how it feels at times..

 

[trophywench]

Well it took them a week to teach us everything, and none of it was wasted.

Yeah some of it was 'revision' but there again - nobody had ever bothered to try and teach me anything in such a structured way since 1966 so that was a novelty too. Some of the diagrams of bodily bits obviously we did in O level biology 40 years previously but you do forget stuff in 40 years when you don't exactly eg need to recite all the enzymes in the digestive tract once a week underwriting liability insurance for global clients.

Stuff changes over the years - in 1972 when we all had to 'eat to the insulin' our doses were matched by our consultants, to the number of carbs in our normal diet - we had to stick to that dose and that amount of carbs at those times every day. When the synthetic insulins came out, it was just trial error and guesswork, When I changed to Lantus and Novorapid in 1999 the hospital DSN charged with changing me onto them told me I was never never never to ever counts carbs again and if she ever heard that I was doing it then there would be trouble. There was a lady on the same carb counting course I was on who was also a victim of that stupid woman. The current DSNs at that time, started off disbelieving her when she was telling her story - until I corroborated it.

That was bollards in 1972 and it was bollards in 1999 same as it's bollards today. But to discover there's a very simple logical method where one can so easily check carb ratios, basal doses, correction rates etc etc etc specific to yourself - WAS a revelation. And to be able to share and compare results and differences amongst the random other participants across a such wide age, ability and lifestyle range (Uni student to retired) was very illuminating indeed.

 

[christophe]

If a label tells you the cake is Xg carb per 100g weight - use a calculator to calculate how many g 44.5 g of it is, and again use it to calculate the dose of insulin. Round odd amounts of insulin DOWN. Better to be a bit higher for a little while than in the back of an ambulance!

Do NOT aim to stay at 5.0. That's far too close to hypo to give you a safety margin for errors - or having to run for the bus, etc. Aim for more like 6.5 at the moment.

The aim of this treatment is to let us lead as normal as possible lives - so start cutting yourself a bit of slack mate - cos hopefully you'll have a LONG one!

I replied but I realise there is a better way with the @ thing that Kaylz did, I haven't worked that out yet either..!

 

[Kaylz]

I replied but I realise there is a better way with the @ thing that Kaylz did, I haven't worked that out yet either..!

If you press the @ sign then start typing the name of the person you want to respond to you should get a little drop down menu of the folk that use that name then you just click on the name of the one you want to tag, there is no space between the @ and the name, hope this helps 🙂 xx

 

[Matt Cycle]

Hi Chris

Some good points already made. In my experience you can't manage Type 1 between strict parameters, it's impossible. You can try and do your best but you also have to live your life and it's about striking a balance because no one wants to feel miserable. I'd not long turned 18 when I was diagnosed and we didn't have blood glucose machines (or at least I didn't and didn't get my first bg machine until the mid-late 90's) and something like CGM or Libres were science fiction. I always took my insulin and tried my best in dealing with it (had the occasional wobble in my 20's) but I realise compared to now my control was probably not very good. However, in spite of that I've still got my feet and legs, my sight, my kidneys and everything else. I certainly wouldn't say to anyone you should be doing this or that or throw caution to the wind but in my opinion you need to strike a sensible balance between control and enjoying life. If I get a 25 because the cannulas failed or I've just messed things up in some way, then shrug, can't do anything about it apart from learn from what happened and move on.

In 2 days time I'll have had it 32 years and I'm aiming for my 80 year HG Wells medal. I'll be 98. 😱😉

 

[christophe]

If you press the @ sign then start typing the name of the person you want to respond to you should get a little drop down menu of the folk that use that name then you just click on the name of the one you want to tag, there is no space between the @ and the name, hope this helps 🙂 xx

I tried that but it stayed in black.. I guess it doesn't become an active tag until you post it.. see how much you can learn here!

 

[Kaylz]

I tried that but it stayed in black.. I guess it doesn't become an active tag until you post it.. see how much you can learn here!

Hmm I'm not sure then, @Northerner you any ideas? Maybe it's only an available option for well-known members? xx

 

[christophe]

Hi Chris

Some good points already made. In my experience you can't manage Type 1 between strict parameters, it's impossible. You can try and do your best but you also have to live your life and it's about striking a balance because no one wants to feel miserable. I'd not long turned 18 when I was diagnosed and we didn't have blood glucose machines (or at least I didn't and didn't get my first bg machine until the mid-late 90's) and something like CGM or Libres were science fiction. I always took my insulin and tried my best in dealing with it (had the occasional wobble in my 20's) but I realise compared to now my control was probably not very good. However, in spite of that I've still got my feet and legs, my sight, my kidneys and everything else. I certainly wouldn't say to anyone you should be doing this or that or throw caution to the wind but in my opinion you need to strike a sensible balance between control and enjoying life. If I get a 25 because the cannulas failed or I've just messed things up in some way, then shrug, can't do anything about it apart from learn from what happened and move on.

In 2 days time I'll have had it 32 years and I'm aiming for my 80 year HG Wells medal. I'll be 98. 😱😉

I guess I am aiming for 4-7 and it goes 3-9 ( or 12, or 15..) then I'll take it but I will hold it where I can.. understand about CGM and Libre, I have bought a Libre after the fortnight trial. Being able to test and test and test is so good for a beginner (but apparently there is no cost benefit according to Leicestershire..never mind, I will have to ration myself). I realise we have it easy compared to before..
Would have been useful last week, or any week actually where I am out of my house and eating hotel food then go walking in the cold and rain.. (was in Portsmouth, why is there no Wiggle shop??) hit my lowest ever at 2.9 but felt ok and only tested because it had been a while..

 

[christophe]

@Kaylz
In black at the moment.. I'll hit post and see what happens

 

[christophe]

There you go!

 

[Kaylz]

@christophe yep it's worked, it does stay in black, sorry I didn't realise! 😳 xx

 

[trophywench]

What the heck is a Wiggle shop ? Google says they sell bikes. Don't appear to list any shops on their website, appears only to be online sales - don't people need to try bikey things same as you do motorbikes and the clothing for doing it? Weird.

 

[christophe]

What the heck is a Wiggle shop ? Google says they sell bikes. Don't appear to list any shops on their website, appears only to be online sales - don't people need to try bikey things same as you do motorbikes and the clothing for doing it? Weird.

That's them.
Head office is in Portsmouth and I have spent loads of money with them..a physical shop where you could go and impulse-buy would be great, had a few hours looking at shops in Gun Wharf so an extra one would have been fine.
True there are things that you need to try on but they are pretty reasonable about returning things.. they put a small pack of Haribo in their outgoing boxes which was always a bonus but I have to give them away now.. btw I bought some pen-tips online the other week when I was getting low, my 5mm needles for insulin injections arrived with ... Haribo!!

 

[Matt Cycle]

What the heck is a Wiggle shop ? Google says they sell bikes. Don't appear to list any shops on their website, appears only to be online sales - don't people need to try bikey things same as you do motorbikes and the clothing for doing it? Weird.

That's them.
Head office is in Portsmouth and I have spent loads of money with them..a physical shop where you could go and impulse-buy would be great, had a few hours looking at shops in Gun Wharf so an extra one would have been fine.
True there are things that you need to try on but they are pretty reasonable about returning things.. they put a small pack of Haribo in their outgoing boxes which was always a bonus but I have to give them away now.. btw I bought some pen-tips online the other week when I was getting low, my 5mm needles for insulin injections arrived with ... Haribo!!

I've certainly spent a fair amount with Wiggle. The business itself is massive and I think it is the biggest online cycle shop in the world. They grew out of a physical cycle shop in Southsea and got into online at the right time. They also do running and swimming gear as well. Head office is still in Portsmouth but the warehouse moved to Wolverhampton. I think at one stage they set up bike repair 'shops' and places where you could pick up ordered items at somewhere like Homebase but that obviously didn't work out and they didn't have stock like a normal shop. I always give the Haribo to my kids but only because it's never a veggie one. If it was the Haribo jelly beans or giant strawberries then I'd have them.

 

[christophe]

I've certainly spent a fair amount with Wiggle. The business itself is massive and I think it is the biggest online cycle shop in the world. They grew out of a physical cycle shop in Southsea and got into online at the right time. They also do running and swimming gear as well. Head office is still in Portsmouth but the warehouse moved to Wolverhampton. I think at one stage they set up bike repair 'shops' and places where you could pick up ordered items at somewhere like Homebase but that obviously didn't work out and they didn't have stock like a normal shop. I always give the Haribo to my kids but only because it's never a veggie one. If it was the Haribo jelly beans or giant strawberries then I'd have them.

Just knew you would be on board with this! The Wolverhampton place is pretty big.. the citadel it is called.. a huge warehouse to everyone else..
They have got to be very big from working out of the back room of a regular bike shop. Merlin are pretty good too and they have a shop of sorts but they can nip out the back and get stuff from their warehouse. Fair play to them, pretty decent to deal with, have to say Evans have been doing it for ages as well..
Bikey things eh?

 

[Matt Cycle]

I tend to go to Wiggle first (most of my clothing is DHB stuff) and I'd had things from CRC but obviously they've merged with Wiggle now even though they've still got the separate website. I like Merlin though and have had a few things off them. Sometimes it's worthwhile to have a scan around as sites I wouldn't normally use may have offers on. My current bike was from Decathlon who do some fantastic specced bikes at bargain prices. When I go for N+1 I'd choose them again. Obviously have shops around the country as well so you can try things out. Their higher end clothing is pretty good as well for quality and price. Website is poor though and stock control levels seem to be all over the place.

Ha, I love bikes but it's gone off topic a bit. You'll have to get back out there.

 

[christophe]

I tend to go to Wiggle first (most of my clothing is DHB stuff) and I'd had things from CRC but obviously they've merged with Wiggle now even though they've still got the separate website. I like Merlin though and have had a few things off them. Sometimes it's worthwhile to have a scan around as sites I wouldn't normally use may have offers on. My current bike was from Decathlon who do some fantastic specced bikes at bargain prices. When I go for N+1 I'd choose them again. Obviously have shops around the country as well so you can try things out. Their higher end clothing is pretty good as well for quality and price. Website is poor though and stock control levels seem to be all over the place.

Ha, I love bikes but it's gone off topic a bit. You'll have to get back out there.

Yes this thread travelled! Thanks to all.
Before it comes to a natural end let me say.. Castelli, Endura and my lovely Giant TCR..
I do need to get out.. will take a few nervous steps with the Libre in hand unless I glue a Garmin mount on it.. trying my bg reactions on the turbo and I can go through my available glucose in half an hour which is scary.

Ok I think this is done! If there is an @ everyone then I would use it.. my day got a lot better with your help

 

[stephknits]

see you tomorrow 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Decathlon are exactly the same in France - we tour France a couple of times a year and if you happen to see something you fancy in Decathlon in eg Calais then it's no good saying - Oh I won't get that now, I'll go while we're in Narbonne next week. They won't have whatever it is if you do.

I forgot we have a D in Coventry and they sell bikes - yes we go in there but don't walk round the bikey part for obvious reasons. It doesn't always cost us anything to go in there either - cos they don't have either anything worth bothering about for fishing, nor such attractive ladies shoes and sandals in England! LOL