[Diabetes-talk] Can Anyone Help?

Mon Jun 24 20:14:28 UTC 2013

One of the things I keep asking the two companies who make continuous
glucose monitors is to at least make the alarms different for high and low.
There's no reason why beeps can't use ascending or descending tones, and
even have a fast or slow rate of beeps so we'd at least know, going low,
fast. It still wouldn't be as good as being able to read the number but it
would at least be the real life-saving part of the device. And they wouldn't
have to add anything extra to the devices to make this happen. But alas,
nobody's hired me as a consultant yet. <laughing!>
Veronica

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Phone: 831-429-6407

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
cheryl echevarria
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 2:51 AM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Can Anyone Help?

With the pump, I am always having the Doctor or my husband adjust the basal
rate on my minimed from Medtronics, since I am losing weight, my blood
sugars drop to around 60-50s so we keep adjusting them, as well as,
possibly, suspend the pump for a few hours here and there when I can.
But I have learned to go by beep methods, there are no talking pumps yet,
but they do have peeps you can learn to do.

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> From: bpollpeter at hotmail.com
> To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 23:49:57 -0500
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Can Anyone Help?
> 
> Sascha,
> 
> Welcome. What's your current treatment and regimen? It can take time to
> fine-tune basal rates on a pump that fit as best to you as possible. An
> endo will work with you and determine these rates, but until you
> actually start using a pump, it can be difficult to know exactly. I
> spent two days in hospital once I started so if anything happened, I was
> near help. I tend to have lows, though I feel symptoms typically in time
> to catch, but nonetheless, getting low sucks. From time-to-time, my
> basal rates need to be adjusted especially depending on activity level,
> if I'm PMS-ing, change in meal times or anything else, but this will
> usually show up in your glucose readings.
> 
> Having said all that, since being on the pump, I've experienced more
> balance in my glucose readings, and my A1-C has been stable.
> 
> How often do you currently test blood sugars, because the more
> frequently you test, the easier it can be to catch any extreme. I test
> around 8 times a day, more if I'm more active. This also helps the
> doctor to determine patterns, which helps in establishing basal rates.
> 
> The basal rates are the doses of insulin delivered every hour. Most
> pumps can be set up to deliver different amounts every half-hour if
> necessary. So for example, between midnight and 5 am, I receive 0.7
> units per hour, from 5 to 8 am, it's 0.5, from 8 to 2 pm, it's 0.6, from
> 2 to 5 pm, it's 0.65 and from 5 to midnight, it's 0.8 units. Then when
> eating carbs, I count carbs and deliver 1 unit per 20 grams of carbs in
> the morning, and 1 unit per 15 grams the rest of the day. Both rates may
> change if I'm really active, like when I exercise, I either turn on a
> temp. basal that runs at 50% less than the normal rates for two hours,
> or I unhook it completely. When PMS-ing, I often have to run a temp.
> basal at 150% for a few days. My body also tends to change it's rhythms
> every three months or so, so each quarter I tend to adjust rates
> accordingly.
> 
> Something that hasn't been mentioned is how the pump hooks up. I'm not
> sure about newer versions, but a little item called an infusion set is
> placed somewhere on your body. It can be your tummy, legs, arms, thighs.
> I only use my tummy. It looks like a little tabby thing with a small
> needle. You put it in then remove the needle. A small canule is inside
> you now, which is what allows the insulin to enter your body. Tubing
> attaches to the pump and the set. You change the set every three to four
> days.
> 
> It sounds complicated, but it's actually not difficult once you learn.
> And your medical team will spend time teaching you the pump, how to
> change the set, carb counting and any other training necessary before
> they unleash you into the world using a pump, grin.
> 
> No pump is currently accessible in terms of a talking feature. Some
> pumps have an audio feature which is a beep or chime that sounds
> whenever a button is pushed. This is what allows a visually impaired
> person to use the pump. It also means most of the pump you won't be able
> to use because the menu is too complicated to navigate with beeps alone,
> or because the audio feature doesn't sound for every function.
> 
> I have a Cosmo, which is no longer available. Every function has the
> audio feature, but I don't believe any current pumps have the audio for
> every function. The pumps I've looked at are useable enough even without
> that audio feature, but I would say 95% or less of the pump is useable
> by a blind user.
> 
> I'm one but many here, but I've still managed to successfully use a pump
> for ten years, and I've yet to have the device malfunction on me
> resulting in out of wack blood sugars, nor have I goofed something up to
> the point I was screwed.
> 
> The only sighted help I use is when adjusting basal rates, certain
> features like changing the time and to fill cartridges. Some on the list
> fill their own cartridges, but I prefer someone with sight to do it,
> though I've filled one in a pinch. Otherwise, I operate the pump on my
> own, which is good since the only people I live with are my hubby, who
> is also blind, and my son, who is ten-months-old, grin.
> 
> BTW, what part of Northern Ireland do you live in? I'm part Irish and
> obsessed with Ireland. My hubby and mine's dream holiday is Ireland. And
> I have a minor in history from university and my emphasis was in Irish
> history and literature. We also named our son Declan. I know there's a
> difference between Northern Ireland and the rest of Ireland, but I'm
> fascinated with it all.
> 
> Bridgit
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of P
> Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 6:33 PM
> To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Can Anyone Help?
> 
> 
> Hi Everyone! I am a new List Member and am delighted to have found You
> All. I am resident in Northern Ireland so hope I am permitted to join
> and take part in discussions? I found this List while searching for info
> on an Accessible Talking Insulin Pump. I am a Visually Impaired Type 1
> Diabetic who is prone to frequent Hypos without warning and am looking
> for ways to manage and treat my Diabetes. Sascha
> 
> Sent from my iPhone _______________________________________________
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> 
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