Hi @SweetBlood_Sky . Checking in to see how things are going, and how plans are coming for camp. I hope all is well.
Good morning @wadawabbit . They (my husband, his ex and my stepdaughter) had a meeting Monday with the director, which is an RN, BSN and CDCES, of the camp here in Oklahoma . She was recommended by the new dr as someone with T1D and to encourage the camp. My husband came home that day feeling much better about things that the new dr made him feel uncomfortable about. Her mom was supposed to get her registered for the session next month and apply for the scholarship, if the scholarship works out great, if not itâs a good investment and my stepdaughter is excited about it. My stepdaughter is still anti-pump at the moment, even after seeing the one the director had. Our hope is that the camp will help with that some. The kids went back to their momâs last Friday and as of Monday numbers were back in the high range. They did switch her long lasting to be split between bedtime and morning, so we will see if that helps anything. The director did say that the Levimere that she is on for long-lasting doesnât control the highs and lows as well as the Novolog used by the pumps, or something to that effect but basically the pump should help with that better. Things are at least moving in the right direction and we are getting some confidence and reassurance that what we are doing is right. The pump should help with the stress we feel when she is at her moms. It always seems like baby steps forward and adult steps back sometimes but progress is happening, I can feel it. The kids are with their mom for two weeks so we will field phone calls about things, like she called the night she got them back because she âforgot how to do the calculations after not having them for two weeksâ. Thank you for check in on me Dorie, I appreciate it.
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Iâm happy to hear about the progress, and hopefully camp will encourage your stepdaughter to take more of an interest in her care. She is young, but never too young to start. And hopefully mom will realize she has some power in affecting the numbers. Looking forward to hearing about future progress!
Thatâs great news. Iâm glad youâve got some progress.
I can explain that a little more fully. Meetings like that can come with a lot of information in a short period and not much opportunity to review.
A natural functioning pancreas produces a constant trickle of insulin, so your cells can always absorb a little sugar as needed. We call this basal insulin.
When your blood sugar is high (after eating, for example), it releases a larger amount in a short period, to bring things under control and let you digest the food in your system. We call this a bolus.
Levemir replaces the basal insulin. It provides a steady low-level background insulin dose.The insulin is altered so that it works very gradually. Almost a completely steady action over a 24 hour period. Itâs not the same as what the pancreas does, but itâs a decent substitute.
Novolog is your bolus. Itâs a fast-acting insulin delivered in one quick injection, with meals or to bring down an unexpectedly high BG. Novolog and Humalog are cloned human insulin. Just what your body would produce. They start acting quickly, reach peak action after a couple of hours, and then fade away.
The pump works more like your pancreas. You only fill it with Novolog (or Humalog or similar). Itâs just unaltered human insulin. The pump releases a constant trickle of it as your basal, and then larger boluses when you tell it youâve eaten or when you have a high BG and not enough insulin in your system to bring it down. This is much closer to what your body expects.
But also, if itâs connected to a CGM, the pump is able to adjust your basal rate. Levemir is one shot that provides steady coverage for 24 hours. The pump can increase or decrease the basal flow (just like your pancreas would) to help keep your BG values in range. A little more when youâre running high, a little less when youâre heading low. It can even stop the insulin entirely if necessary.
Itâs also able to deliver a bolus over an extended period (again, more like what your pancreas would do) so your body has time to absorb it and so it can better meet the food as itâs gradually digested. Beyond that, it can deliver a correction bolus if youâre running high. Or a string of small boluses if youâre snacking or eating a multi-course meal. Without requiring any extra needle jabs.
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Hi [SweetBlood_Sky Jennifer]
I hope she was able to get to the camp and it helped. I was first diagnosed back in 1976 when I was 12. The first couple of years I wouldnât give myself insulin (my parents did it) and I rarely did urine tests. I went to a camp roughly around 1979 and after seeing the other kids even younger than I, dealing with their diabetes, gave me the incentive to take charge of my own condition. Good luck! I donât know if it ever gets truly easier but to survive we all find ways to cope⊠You just have to keep trying but be careful. I still will not speak with my mom regarding diabetes control⊠The fact that you are here is a good sign!
Hello! I totally 100% understand how you feel!! Im at that point where im so exhausted and overwhelmed with my daughterâs type 1D, its literally everyday something different!! We are currently dealing with this darn dexcom saying sensor error, continuously, so finger sticks till it gets changed again on Friday? Had to keep her home from school today, its just exhausting i totally feel your pain!! My daughter has highs/lows, dex goes off at night, no sleep, and i feel like i have absolutely no one to relate to! I was told about these camps, which sound wonderful, but they are pricey, and my daughterâs never been away from home for an extended time. Just know your not alone, we feel alone,but i know there are many fellow type 1 kiddos and people out there! It just gets very exhausting and overwhelming!!! And who can yiu vent to,i have no one who has diabetes that can relate! I just joined here,so im hoping to meet fellow parents of type 1D kiddos!! Hang in there you got this!!
Hi @Rankin78 . If your Dexcom is giving you constant alerts and having issues call Dexcom and tell them what is going on - they may say you can change it early and send you a replacement. You may not have to wait until Friday.
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Hi Angela @Rankin78, I think I know how you are feeling, although I donât have any kid with diabetes although I did need to get up at 2:00 AM to give my granddaughter an IV antibiotic - she was born very-primi without an immune system.
Diabetes camps are really good for youngsters learning to live with diabetes, from what I hear, but can be expensive. Iâm aware of organizations who do help with paying some of the fee. Perhaps her doctor may know some organization. I also suggest that you might speak with people in a JDRF Chapter near you - there is probably someone there who has experience. Find a JDRF Chapter by entering your zip-code in âJDRF Near Youâ under the âResourcesâ tab at the top of this page.
Another thought about the Dexcom sensors, in addition to what Dorie @wadawabbit said about the simple free replacement [can also be done on-line] is to take a break from using those devices - YES, it can be done. Dorie and I both did well for years [20 and 30] before digital glucose meters were available. Perhaps a break from constantly reading BGL numbers and trying to catchup may relieve some anxiety and the over-whelming feeling
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@Dennis thank you oh so very much for your suggestions! I will definitely be looking into this! Every bit of information helps,im so glad i joined this group, all of yiu have been so helpful and wonderful! Its nice to know my daughter is not alone!