[Diabetes-talk] Can Anyone Help?

Tue Jun 25 05:34:41 UTC 2013

Bridget,
How is your son's name pronounced?

On 6/24/13, Veronica Elsea <veronica at laurelcreekmusic.com> wrote:
> 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
>
> Watch the video as The Guide Dog Glee Club sings "Rehab!" Yes! Yes! Yes!
> http://youtu.be/JvakJ5lk6Us
> Then find more music from Veronica Elsea and The Guide Dog Glee Club at:
> http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
>                 Veronica Elsea, Owner
> Laurel Creek Music Designs
> Santa Cruz, California
> 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.
>
> Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 of NY StateLeading the Way in
> Independent Travel!
> Cheryl Echevarria,
> Ownerhttp://www.echevarriatravel.com631-456-5394reservations@echevarriatrave
> l.comhttp://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com
> Affiliated as an independent contractor with Montrose TravelCST -
> #1018299-10 FL CST T156780Your old car keys can be the keys to literacy for
> a blind child.  Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking
> https://nfb.org/vehicledonations or call 855-659-9314.Echevarria Travel has
> partnered with Braille Smith. http://www.braillesmith.com for all her
> braille needs.Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama
>
>
>> 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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