u/swim-bike-life

The title says it all. This sucks. I've been in the emergency all day and now they decided I need to be admitted.

Long story: I started prednisone for asthma on Sunday, sugar went high enough to raise ketones on Wednesday along with vomiting, ketones got better next morning but asthma got worse, got a higher dose of steroids Thursday, and the asthma just kept getting worse Friday until... I had to go to the ER. :( Now my heart rate is constantly high, and glucose is a bit hard to keep down.

Well, hopefully this will be over soon. They just have to get the asthma under control first, then the heart rate, then the diabetes. That's all!

At least I got to watch Harry Potter all day. 😀

Hello. I have MODY 3, which supposedly makes me more sensitive to insulin. I started using a pump almost 3 months ago and my ISF was calculated (by endo) to be 80. A couple of weeks later, SmartGuard (Medtronic's algorithm) calculated my ISF to be 122. But today, while I'm on prednisone for a week, my doctor was trying to figure out a correction dose for me so she looked at the pump data and calculated an ISF of 200.

Yeah... ISF = 200. Unbelievable!!

Which brings me to my question: is an ISF that high even realistic?? Does that really happen with HNF1A-MODY?

I just feel like something must be throwing it off. My TDD was cut almost in half from 18 to 9 by the pump after 2 months, and the bolus wizard is always giving me less than 50% of my programmed I:C (1:12 daytime, 1:15 nighttime). Is it plausible that SmartGuard really nailed it and that is my true ISF??

One weird thing about MODY3 is that I still produce insulin, but the threshold that tells my pancreas to release it is off. My pancreas seems to start producing insulin in the mid 140s (vs mid 90s for a normal pancreas), and starts overshooting once I get to upper 170s. And more often than not, it does that at a random time. Maybe that makes the ISF seem artificially high? On the other hand, ISF (1700/TDD) is supposed to measure the effect of exogenous insulin, so whatever I produce just means my exogenous requirements really are that low, meaning a high ISF.

Anyway, if anyone here is NOT shocked like me 😲 to hear of an ISF of 200, let me know!!

(Clarification: This post is about what supplies to carry daily and on trips; doom prep was just humor).

Hello everyone!

I am trying to figure out what and how to carry now that I am also hauling along an insulin pump. For background, I have a subtype of MODY that makes me very prone to lows. Yet I can still go very high without properly timed insulin. I also have asthma which gets triggered easily be perfumes, outdoor allergies or cigarette smell. I also have a few severe food allergies, and more than a few medication allergies.

Here's what I'm thinking, and I'd like your opinion on what I could be missing, or if it's too much. My diabetic to-go supplies up until a year ago, before starting insulin, consisted of only CGM receiver, glucose gel and hypopen. So, I am not feeling too certain about this.

#1 Pocket: always carry rescue inhaler and a glucose gel packet.

#2 Pump waist carrier: the pump if I can't have it on my belt, plus EpiPen, Gvoke HypoPen (glucagon auto injector, more appropriate than baqsimi for self administration), and ID.

I would carry this when going around town - dropping kids off at school, stores, restaurants, parks. Plus it's easier to stash the pump there than to carry on my belt.

(BTW being Hispanic in the times we live in, I would be too scared to bring any kind of diabetic bag into a store, fearing being accused of coming to steal and being threatened with a call to the masked government kidnappers, ICE. I am a U.S. Citizen but have started carrying my passport everywhere out of fear).

#3 Small crossbody sling bag. EpiPen, HypoPen, Inhaler, 2 glucose gels, BG meter, test strips, FastClix lancing device + extra drums (easier to poke my finger when I'm low and hands potentially shaking), alcohol pads, kids' inhaler (my kids have asthma), Benadryl, and perhaps crackers and fruity snacks.

I would use this bag for day trips, the park, hiking, restaurants, and the gym (when swimming, I would keep this by the pool). Also to doctor appointments - possible hypos with long waits, and I've had asthma attacks when the person in the room before me was wearing a strong perfume or smoked.

When biking, I would throw this inside the rack bag.

#4 Diabetes supplies bag. No, not a bag that can give you diabetes. :) I am thinking an insulated small backpack or sling bag with a couple of infusion sets, reservoirs, extra AA battery (MiniMed 780g pumps use a regular AA battery), 2 larger syringes for filling reservoirs, 3-5 smaller syringes for injection (insulin or other hormone injections I need), pen needles, alcohol pads, skin barrier wipes, one extra CGM.I would throw bag #3 inside it. If going on overnight trips, camping, or to the beach, I would throw in ice packs and a small insulated pouch with an insulin pen and an insulin vial, to ensure I can refill the pump but still have a backup pen.

I would so throw more snacks in it, and any meds I will need or that the kids will need.

What do you guys think? Too much? Too little? Too worried? :)

Honestly, I decided to prep better after a scary asthma episode that my youngest kid had today He almost stopped breathing, but fortunately I had my inhaler on me and his chamber and mask were nearby. I mean, I've had my fair share of medical emergencies too - severe lows, passing out from lows, anaphylaxis - but this really got me thinking about being better prepared. After all, my kids are little and they need their dad, so I want to stay alive for them!!!

Thanks!!

Just curious, is it just me or does this happen to other people with diabetes when their socks get wet? Like, if you walk across the bathroom and the floor was wet, and you don't take off your socks right away, does your sugar drop real fast?

It seems to happen to me every time if my kids splashed water all over - it's always a very sharp, fast glucose drop - like you would see with compression lows, but for real. That one in the pic for instance is a drop from 127 to 56 within 10 minutes.

Maybe it's a body temperature thing?? (I've read about brown fat activation with sudden cold temperatures).

For context, I have MODY3 and tend to get hypos a lot. If you're not familiar with MODY3, the pancreas sometimes releases insulin too late after a meal, and the liver doesn't release stored glucose in sync with glucose levels in the bloodstream. The kidneys leak glucose into urine when levels are <120, so things that force muscles to absorb glucose (like exercise) come with the double whammy of the kidneys also dropping glucose.

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(Yes, I know it's a very silly question... but honestly, with all the weird stuff that happens to your body when you have diabetes, I wouldn't be surprised if this is a thing).

Hi, this is for Libre 3 Plus CGM users. Did you know that Abbott makes a standalone receiver that also doubles as a BG meter? Well, I found out recently that it also takes ketone test strips!!

The brands compatible are:

• Freestyle Optium (available thru pharmacy and DME)
• Precision Neo (discontinued in the U.S. and Canada but still available from existing stock, and around the world)

I have been using the Precision Neo strips for the past couple of years. They are very, very accurate during hypoglycemia (I discovered that after digging up FDA data - the other great brands for low blood sugars are Accu-Chek Guide, Freestyle Aviva Plus, Contour Next). Having ketone strips handy is good especially for pump users or those prone to DKA.

Anyway, just thought I'd mention it in case you weren't aware this was an option.

Dang it. I was doing so good, 100% time in range for two days in a row. Then I caved, and had a half cup of rice... I even overstated the amount of carbs in bolus wizard to get more insulin, and this still happened. 😔

OK enough venting, I have two actual questions:

* How does anyone here deal with rice? I just avoid it as much as humanly possible.

* Shouldn't SmartGuard have been able to catch this?? I don't even see auto corrections so far.

Tonight is naked shower time!!!

I never understood why diabetics were always so excited about taking a "naked shower". I wore CGMs and even some insulin patches for a while, and I didn't see what the big deal was. That is, until I went two months with an insulin pump and a CGM constantly attached to me. Not tonight!

Now I get it! 😄

Tonight is naked shower time!!!

I never understood why diabetics were always so excited about taking a "naked shower". I wore CGMs and even some insulin patches for a while, and I didn't see what the big deal was. That is, until I went two months with an insulin pump and a CGM constantly attached to me. Not tonight!

Now I get it! 😄

I have been on a 780g insulin pump for about 6 weeks now, I think. Three of my extended infusion sets went bad due to issues with Apidra, so I have had quite a few infusion sites already. I was running out of places to rotate to, so I decided to give the back of the arm a try. It has been the best spot by far!!!

It's like literally not in the way at all. I didn't feel it going in, and I don't feel the tubing at all under my shirt. But the best part is I no longer have a few loops of tubing sticking out of my shirt or pants, and it feels like a really good spot for biking.

What has been your best infusion site so far? Any experience with biking or swimming specifically?

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So many good questions! Let me compile them below.

Q: How long is your tubing?

A: Extended set with 23 in tubing. I am a little on the shorter side though - my guess is if you are average height, you might need 35 inch tubing.

Q: Where do you clip the pump?

A: On my waist as usual. 23 in still gives me a little extra slack, but the extra tubing stays under my shirt. It's not that long a distance from the upper arm to the waist, unless you are really tall. And for those wondering the bathroom question... I clip it to the collar of my shirt. ;)

Q: Do you have full range of motion?

A: Yes! I worked out this morning just fine! I also went for a bike ride for a little bit and no issues with tugging there. I did give myself a little extra slack under the sleeve just in case.

Q: Do you have any absorbtion site issues? What about during sleep?

A: After almost 2 days, no absorption issues. It seems to be the same absorption as the abdomen or flanks. No issues with sleep either - when I was on my side, I didn't feel it so it didn't bother me. Just as a side note: I have used both the set and CeQur Simplicity patches on the upper butt, below the waist line. The butt is a great spot, very out of the way and obviously very private, but absorbtion seems to be a little slower. I have not tried the thighs yet, but I heard absorption there is a little faster.

Q: Where exactly is it on the arm?

A: Same place the CGM would go, but I went a little bit more to the side so the tubing wouldn't end up in my armpit. I saw a nurse once who was wearing it on the front of the arm, and the CGM on the back of her arm. To me that sounds like it would be painful because I have some muscle.💪

Q: Where do you wear your CGM?

A: Right now on the pecs (about 1.5 in above the nipple, and a little to the side). I know it's not an approved site but it seems to work well and really doesn't get on the way of anything. No more sensor ripping off with the car door! (Warning: chest placement is very unofficial and may not work for women!!). I need to rotate sites in a few days though, so my next Instinct sensor will go on the opposite arm. Technically, oer the CGM and infusion set manuals, you can wear both on the same arm as long as they are at least 2 inches (5 cm) apart. I rather not risk ot though - I have a feeling it might affect readings, especially with Instinct.

Q: Does the tubing bother you?

A: Not at all. The Medtronic extended set tubing is so thin and soft that I don't feel it at all. That was one of my worries before starting a pump, and I am glad people here advised me it wouldn't bother me - they were right.