New to forum, low-carber with 33 years T1D

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Terry O'Rourke

Terry O'Rourke

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
I've been lurking on this forum for years. I'm an American and I like reading how a different culture deals with diabetes. I found it intriguing how forum members here influenced the low carb way of eating position of Diabetes UK. I feel you are years ahead of the social/policy positions of diabetes charities in the US. I'd love to learn more of that back-story!

Diagnosed as a 30-year old in 1984, I've always had an interest in diabetes tech and started wearing an insulin pump in 1987. I added a CGM in 2009 and switched to a carb-limited way of eating in 2012. (What took me so long?) That tactic served as a major inflection point in my diabetes health.

My blood glucose numbers are substantially improved using low-carb eating. My time-in-range went from 50% to 85%+ with hypos limited to less than 5% of the time. I dropped my blood glucose average into the normal range, cut my total daily dose of insulin in half, and significantly reduced my glucose variability.

I now use an open source hybrid artificial pancreas system, Loop, to treat my diabetes. I'm six months in, experiencing substantive gains and still learning. I live in an urban setting, walk every day, don't own a car, and live with a hypoglycemia alert dog, my avatar for the time being.
 
Hi Terry a warm welcome to the forum. Where are to from in America
 
Hi Steff - I live in Portland, Oregon, now and have lived in California, Idaho, Minnesota, and Illinois. Thank you for the welcome. I've visited London a few times and thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
 
Hi, Terry, and welcome. I hope you are going to thoroughly enjoy your time on the forum too. I live in a part of Scotland where we have snow capped mountains. We could compare notes🙂
 
Welcome to the forum, Terry.🙂 Just out of interest, what's your typical lunch as a low-carber?😛
 
Hi Terry and welcome. Great to have people joining from other parts of the world and to see what is different re attitudes, treatments etc.
 
Terry O'Rourke said:
I've been lurking on this forum for years. I'm an American and I like reading how a different culture deals with diabetes. I found it intriguing how forum members here influenced the low carb way of eating position of Diabetes UK. I feel you are years ahead of the social/policy positions of diabetes charities in the US. I'd love to learn more of that back-story!

Diagnosed as a 30-year old in 1984, I've always had an interest in diabetes tech and started wearing an insulin pump in 1987. I added a CGM in 2009 and switched to a carb-limited way of eating in 2012. (What took me so long?) That tactic served as a major inflection point in my diabetes health.

My blood glucose numbers are substantially improved using low-carb eating. My time-in-range went from 50% to 85%+ with hypos limited to less than 5% of the time. I dropped my blood glucose average into the normal range, cut my total daily dose of insulin in half, and significantly reduced my glucose variability.

I now use an open source hybrid artificial pancreas system, Loop, to treat my diabetes. I'm six months in, experiencing substantive gains and still learning. I live in an urban setting, walk every day, don't own a car, and live with a hypoglycemia alert dog, my avatar for the time being.
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Welcome to the forum and inspiring to hear how well you manage your diabetes. I also am low carb and exercise though I don't use a pump and I have not heard of a 'open source hybrid artificial pancreas system' . Can you tell us more?
 
Welcome aboard.

I'd really like to hear more about your system. I use the Medtronic 640g with sensors. I know there is a newer 'closed loop' version (not that I'm very sure what that means:D) available in the States, but probably not available in the UK for two years.
 
Hi Terry and welcome. Very interesting introduction from you 🙂 Look forward to hearing more.
 
Hi Terry Welcome.
 
'Closed Loop' means that the patient is supposed not to have to lift a finger, cos the machinery does the thinking for them - BG going down, stops or reduces insulin and vice versa - so it's more active than just the bit that turns the insulin off when you are TOO low. ie More like one of them working pancreases we used to have !) I'm not sure how it copes with being 5-10 minutes behind the blood - but no doubt there's some MORE complicated algorithms that should deal with it!
 
Hello Terry, and welcome 🙂
Artificial pancreas system sounds really interesting - I'd like to hear more about it too.
 
Hi Terry and welcome to the forum. 🙂

Terry O'Rourke said:
walk every day, don't own a car
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That must make you a bit of a rarity in the US - both the walking and not having a car. :D

The US seems to be much more progressive in the provision and use of technology for the management of T1.
 
Terry O'Rourke said:
I've been lurking on this forum for years. I'm an American and I like reading how a different culture deals with diabetes. I found it intriguing how forum members here influenced the low carb way of eating position of Diabetes UK. I feel you are years ahead of the social/policy positions of diabetes charities in the US. I'd love to learn more of that back-story!

Diagnosed as a 30-year old in 1984, I've always had an interest in diabetes tech and started wearing an insulin pump in 1987. I added a CGM in 2009 and switched to a carb-limited way of eating in 2012. (What took me so long?) That tactic served as a major inflection point in my diabetes health.

My blood glucose numbers are substantially improved using low-carb eating. My time-in-range went from 50% to 85%+ with hypos limited to less than 5% of the time. I dropped my blood glucose average into the normal range, cut my total daily dose of insulin in half, and significantly reduced my glucose variability.

I now use an open source hybrid artificial pancreas system, Loop, to treat my diabetes. I'm six months in, experiencing substantive gains and still learning. I live in an urban setting, walk every day, don't own a car, and live with a hypoglycemia alert dog, my avatar for the time being.
Click to expand...
Well done & Keep at it !
 
Terry O'Rourke said:
I've been lurking on this forum for years. I'm an American and I like reading how a different culture deals with diabetes. I found it intriguing how forum members here influenced the low carb way of eating position of Diabetes UK. I feel you are years ahead of the social/policy positions of diabetes charities in the US. I'd love to learn more of that back-story!

Diagnosed as a 30-year old in 1984, I've always had an interest in diabetes tech and started wearing an insulin pump in 1987. I added a CGM in 2009 and switched to a carb-limited way of eating in 2012. (What took me so long?) That tactic served as a major inflection point in my diabetes health.

My blood glucose numbers are substantially improved using low-carb eating. My time-in-range went from 50% to 85%+ with hypos limited to less than 5% of the time. I dropped my blood glucose average into the normal range, cut my total daily dose of insulin in half, and significantly reduced my glucose variability.

I now use an open source hybrid artificial pancreas system, Loop, to treat my diabetes. I'm six months in, experiencing substantive gains and still learning. I live in an urban setting, walk every day, don't own a car, and live with a hypoglycemia alert dog, my avatar for the time being.
Click to expand...
Hi Terry and a warm welcome to our UK forum - we are a friendly bunch of souls - always helpful & supportive of each other no matter which Type of Diabetes we unfortunately have to endure. Interesting intro. Take care
WL

Dx Type 2 April 2016
Metformin withdrawn
Diet control and exercise only
 
Terry O'Rourke said:
Hi Steff - I live in Portland, Oregon, now and have lived in California, Idaho, Minnesota, and Illinois. Thank you for the welcome. I've visited London a few times and thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
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Boo shame I can't say I've been to Portland in return hehe
 
Hello Terry and welcome to the forum. 🙂 The Rolloffs live near you.
 
Returning to your forum after being absent for many years. My apologies for any lack of response to the many warm welcomes extended to me back in 2017. I'm looking for a new online home and your site seems to be the best fit for me.

I still use a carb limited way of eating to help me control my type 1 diabetes of 39 years now. My blood sugar control has been good with my time in range, 3.6-6.7, around 90%. My lows, < 3.0 , are often kept at < 0.5%. Glucose variability, as measured by standard deviation comes in at < 1.0. I wear the Dexcom G6 CGM.

I continue to use newer versions of the do-it-yourself open software, Loop, to help keep my sugars in check. This is an automated insulin dosing system comprised of an old Medtronic pump, a MM722, the Dexcom G6 CGM, my iPhone XR, and a bit of electronics to enable communication between the pump and the phone.

Unfortunately, I've also experienced some significant health setbacks. In late April of this year I survived a stroke. While I can still walk and talk, my right side is affected and I work everyday to improve my walking and keyboarding.

I hope to become more active in your community, especially in the low carb and the technology threads.
 
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