[Nfb-seniors] This and that

[Mike Freeman]

Judy:

I'm sorry you thought Diabetes-talk was mostly about pumps. There has been a
lot of discussion during the past two years or so about pumps because as you
discovered, there is no fully-accessible pump and, frankly, many blind
diabetics want the same latest and greatest gewgaws available to sighted
diabetics. While they are correct, accessible pumps and CGMS systems aren't
coming anytime soon, if only because we, the blind, are a minority and,
despite all the hype, diabetics are still a minority among the blind.

It may or may not interest you to know that I also use an insulin pen and
the only way I'd go on a pump would be if someone were to pay me to test
one. Frankly, in my view, the reason some people get such supposedly
superior results using a pump is that it forces them to do the math and pay
attention to their bg readings and insulin doses -- something they should
have been doing *without* a pump but found too burdensome or got too lazy to
keep up with.

But if you had been on Diabetes-talk, you would have seen a post from Tom
Ley who uses a CGMS system that is inaccessible but whose manufacturer has
developed linkage between the CGMS system and an iPhone to transmit data to
the doctor and for someone else to follow the readings, presumably to help
with care-giving for the diabetic using the system. Tom's imaginative
innovation was to follow himself on the iPhone and thus gain access to his
CGMS readings so that he can calibrate the system by himself.

It's this sort of can-do philosophy that NFB exemplifies and that, I fear,
is becoming less fashionable in the blindness world today in favor of
caterwauling constantly about accessibility. Mind you, I'm not knocking
accessibility. But in a world where we, the blind, are and always will be a
minority, we must develop the faculty of inventiveness that Tom's solution
exemplifies.

Besides, us pen-and-syringe users gotta stick together.

And, as I say, you'd contribute a lot I am sure.

Incidentally, as to my bona fides on this list, I'm sixty-six but quite a
few people don't know I'm that ancient. (grin)

Mike freeman


-----Original Message-----
From: Nfb-seniors [mailto:nfb-seniors-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Judy
Mayo via Nfb-seniors
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2014 6:38 AM
To: Dianne Hemphill; NFB Senior Division list
Subject: Re: [Nfb-seniors] This and that

Good Morning Gang (or evening),
I was signed up on the Diabetic List, but got off of it. All the talk
was about the insulin pump. Until an insulin pump comes out that will
talk, I am not interested anymore. I was on the pump when I started
losing my sight. Loved it. Then I started running into trouble.When
the batter died, well, I could replace the battery, but I could not
reset the pump. I called the Blind Center to get help setting it and
the people would not help me. I had to go around the apartment complex
to find someone home and ask for help. Then my companion and I moved
to another town and I had to change  insurance company through
medicare. That company would not pay for the pump supplies. I went
back on the shots.
As far as other Blind and Visualy Impaired people being out and about
in public, well, when my companion and I go out together, he says that
he never sees other blind people around. I used to wonder about that.
Then I came to the conclusion that the way the Blind and Visually
Impaired are treated,,,, a lot of times I do not blame them for
staying away from the public eye. Of course I haven't let that stop
me. As long as I can get transportation, I will go when I can.
As far as learning Braille goes. Hadley School for the Blind is where
I learned what Braille I know. I know the Braille alphabet. Have
things labeled. Then came the Pen Friend and I got lazy as far as
keeping up my Braille skills. I just have to get back to working with
it.
I could go on and on. This is enough for now,,,tehehe. Everyone have a
great day.--
Judy H Mayo

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