DiabetesCare.net Beta Test

For those whom participated in the Beta test of the DiabetesCare.net App, please make sure and visit and take the Survey as a follow up to the Beta test. 

Also, they are looking for two people to also conduct an Interview for a followup. If you participated and would like to be considered for the Interview, please send an email  indicating your interest for the Up Close story on the tracker.

We are very pleased to also be planning to work with DiabetesCare.Net after the Beta test Project, and you will be hearing more about that in the very near future.

About DiabetesCare.net From the  'About' Page:

Our name says it all - we help you to take care of your, or a loved one or friend's diabetes - and we willhelp!

Use DiabetesCare.net daily as a personal resource to learn, explore, ask questions, interact and share your experiences of living with diabetes, or caring for people with diabetes.

DiabetesCare.net is also your one-stop location to track your health with our free-to-use tools, find others you want to communicate with about your, or a loved one or friend's diabetes, and gain access to healthcare professionals.

Bottom line, DiabetesCare.net, which contains no commercial advertising whatsoever, and therefore that means no bias, just useful information and support, is a friendly and interactive medically-based website offering practical information to take care of your, or a loved one or friend's diabetes. We strive every day to provide you with the resources you need to deal with diabetes so you and/or your loved ones and friends can enjoy the best quality of life.

DiabetesCare.net is a 100% philanthropic project funded by Robert Schwartz, who declares no interest with any other organization related to diabetes.

Tell Congress to Strip Safely!!

In the last month or two you may have noticed people's FB status updates stating "Strip Safely". While I know some of you went there...in the gutter...with thoughts of stripper safety this Strip Safely is about diabetes! It's about the blood glucose strip that you or your love one uses to receive their blood glucose reading.

For those of you who read this blog and don't deal with diabetes daily a blood glucose meter is a hand held device that you insert a little test strip in. You poke your finger with a lancing device; apply the drop of blood to the strip and wait 5 seconds for a blood glucose reading. 

So what's up with the new campaign? (You can read about it here.)

It's about safe, ACCURATE, glucose readings.

Did you know the FDA allows a +/- 20% variance in accuracy? What does this mean? Imagine a thermometer. You insert the thermometer to get an accurate temperature reading. If it reads over 100 you will most likely take some Tylenol, drink fluids and apply a cool compress. If it reads over 103+ you are calling your Doctor with a possible ER visit. IF the FDA allowed a +/- percentage variance with thermometers how would you know how and when to treat a fever? If 103 isn't really 103 how do you know what to do and if you should call a professional?

In comes the test strips. On average diabetics take their blood sugar 6-8 times a day...that's AVERAGE. There are days we test 6-8 times in the span of an hour. Diabetics look at this blood glucose reading and determine how they will treat that number. If it reads a 50, that's low, you will treat with a fast acting carbohydrate. If it reads between 80-120 your golden...you do nothing. And if it reads above 120 you will administer insulin to bring your glucose down.

Now, throw in the fact there is a +/-20% variance. Prime example: last night I was up most of the night battling low blood sugars with Nora. At 10pm she was 120 with no active insulin. This is PERFECT! Just an hour and a half later her MySentry is reading an 82. This is NOT good for Nora. I go upstairs to test and find she is actually in the mid 60's (I know...that's another post for a different day!!) So I give her a juice and set a temp basal (this reduces the amount of ongoing insulin she receives). I go back downstairs and watch the MySentry. It hoovers at 62. I recheck in 15 minutes to find her blood glucose has not budged. It goes on like this for a good hour. Checking, drinking juice, more temp basals, hoovering, checking, juice, slowly creeping up. Finally she reaches 124 set a temp basal and I'm feeling confident she will make it through to the 3am check. Glorious (you can hear the sarcasm dripping as you read that, right?) 3am check comes and she is back down in the 80's!! Repeat above steps. First day of school today and we are up at 6am! I look at the MySentry and it reads 82. Throw some blueberry muffins in the oven and go to check on her and wake her up. Again, 62!!!! Ugh!!

The reason I'm giving you this blow by blow description of how diabetes worked last night is this...since there is an allowable 20% variance in test strips, is a reading of 62 really 62 or is it a 74 or worse...a 50!!! See what I mean? That's a big difference when you are treating a low or even treating a high.

How are we as caregivers, or even as diabetics, be held accountable for diabetes management if there is such a variance? Because I can tell you I would treat a glucose of 74 different than I would a 50. Yet our Endo's are looking at us and wondering why we aren't "controlling" diabetes!

This is how you can help. Make your voice be heard. Write your Congressmen. Let them know this IS important and why. Urge them to send their Health Aides to the Diabetes Technology Society Meeting September 9th. Heck, if your savvy enough...tweet your Congressmen! Here is the link to send your tweet.
You can also join in a twitter-in tonight, Wednesday, 8/21, at 8pm EST. Educate and Advocate. It's up to us to tell Congress we need to Strip Safely!

 

Walk the D Walk...

Friday I ran into WalMart with the hubby and my son. I needed to get a few things for the girls who are away at diabetes camp for the week!!! Woo hoo!! (and yet, here I am, not having to worry about ANYTHING D related and I'm writing this blog...it's a habit...can't help it!) So we parked the car and spotted an ambulance parked by the entrance with it's lights on. No telling what happened...our WalMart is ever so adventurous! We walked in and D smacked us in the face. This gentleman had passed out (but had come to by the time we entered) from a low. How do I know? The paramedics were pricking his finger and applying that little blob of blood on a test strip; asking him if he felt better. Instantly, Joe looked right at me. We don't even need to say a word. I get a little teary eyed and just keep walking. But my D Momma instincts were on high alert. I wanted to go over there and make sure that man was okay.

Isn't that one of our fears?

It is for me anyway. Not being able to help my girls if they go too low. Passing out. Not being able to get enough carbs in them to bring them up. Administering glucagon. Some of you are shaking your heads...you've been there and done that.

A few months ago, my hubby was able to assist an elderly gentleman who had a severe low and about cracked his head open on the floor of the local grocery store. He just happened to walk by this man and his wife and saw the man's legs give out. He was able to catch him. His wife said, "juice" and Joe laid him down on the floor and ran for the OJ aisle. Came back, pried his mouth open and forced OJ down this man's throat. He had called me right after as he was extremely shaken by the incident. I immediately teared up as we both were thinking the same thing...that could happen to our girls.

It's an incident that shakes us to our core. Sure, others could walk in and look at the man pricking his finger and go about there business. Not knowing what happened or caring less. But those of us that walk the D walk know all too well.

Diabetes is REAL.

It's SCARY.

It's LIFE altering.

It's DEADLY.

And since I can't seem to erase the WalMart scene from my head I will focus on my two girls who are having a BLAST at D camp this week. I know they are well cared for. They are surrounded by other diabetics and medical staff that can help if need be but still remembering that D can show it's ugly head when you least expect it.

and what am I still awake for?!?!? No midnight or 3am checks this week baby...off to relax...

Welcome!?!!

I was asked to write a Welcome letter (of sorts) to be included in a JDRF brochure that will be placed in the waiting rooms of our local Children's Hospital Endo/Diabetes Center, as well as, adult Endo offices. This brochure introduces the reader to JDRF and the new Mentor program. Before I started writing I had to stop and think. I didn't want to be so upbeat that I was channeling my inner cheerleader (yes, back in middle school) and welcoming them to diabetes. It's not like they won the lottery....whoo-hoo!! Welcome to diabetes!! Glad to meet you!! Truth be told I DO get excited when I meet another diabetic family...(maybe a little too excited). I get the urge to want to give them all my years of experience in one conversation. 

Which is ridiculous. 

I know. 

Maybe I need to go to a D-Mom Anonymous meeting...   

One the other hand,  I didn't want to be all Emo (never was) and pull the diabetes sucks, it's a horrible disease, you'll never sleep again, you'll be able to recite the carb count in every food item better than the Calorie King app, whoa is me, etc., etc. 

I needed to find a gentler approach. 

An "I know how and what you are feeling but it'll be okay".

So this is what I came up with: 

 First of all, I want to let you know, you are NOT alone. I know you may be confused, scared, angry or uncertain and please know it is okay to feel this way. You see, I know how you feel.  Our daughter, Nora, was diagnosed at age 4 with Type 1 Diabetes in 2005. Then in 2012, we received a second T1D diagnosis; our eldest daughter, Evelyn, just 5 days before her 18^th birthday. The first call I made in the hospital back in 2005 was to JDRF. I needed to connect with someone who had been through what I was going through. I was contacted by a Mentor when we arrived home. Even though I hadn’t grasped diabetes fully, my Mentor was there for me with any questions or concerns I had. We signed up for our first Walk to Cure event in the Fall of 2005. It was from then on that JDRF became an extension of our family. I have met some wonderful families with children living with T1D. I have met some amazing adults that have been living with T1D for years. My daughters have met other diabetics their age who have become lifelong friends. And we’ve met them all through JDRF. I know you may be feeling overwhelmed right now and this may all be too much. I respect that. Just know, when your ready, there is a whole diabetic community that is out there ready to welcome you with open arms. Please feel free to contact the JDRF office with question, concerns or just to find someone who gets what you are going through.

Just know, I was shaking my blue pom poms as I was writing this :) 

She NAILED it!

A few weeks ago Nora and I applied to be Team A1C Champions for Sanofi. It's a program that provides speakers to organizations or programs that deal with diabetes. Both Nora and I filled out a separate, 3 page resume of sorts. Asking us why we wanted to do this, our background, speaking experience, etc. We filled it out and I emailed it in. The next day we were contacted for our first of three interviews. 

I was a little nervous...not for me, as I can speak diabetes in my sleep. I was nervous for Nora. Beyond telling her what I thought they would ask her she was left on her own. And man, did she NAIL it. I know, I know, yes, she has been dealing with D for 8 years now but just to hear how optimistic and full of hope she was when she answered her questions truly floored me. I know she is an awesome young lady who has had to grow up before her years but I couldn't have scripted better answers for her. There were even a couple of questions that flustered me but she was able to answer with no pause at all. Truly a proud Momma moment. 

Two days later we had our second interview. This was a little more clinical and harder, I thought anyway. But again, she NAILED it. 

This week we had our third and final interview via Skype. That was fun! More of the same questions and Nora answered like a pro...well, technically, she is. The bummer to this whole process is we have to wait a year. Why? Because the training they fly us out to attend is the EXACT same week of Diabetes camp!! Oh, the irony!! So, we will wait until next summer for our opportunity to share our A1C story with others. Of course, all of you get to hear all about our stories through our blog posts! 

I'm excited to be involved in something that I live daily but also am passionate about. I'm excited that Nora wants to share her story and make sure other T1D kids don't feel alone. I'm just excited to be able to give hope to all who live with or take care of loved ones with diabetes. And I'm proud that what I'm trying to instill in my kids is sinking in...and I know this by how they treat others, as well as, speak on their behalf. Proud Momma here, proud Momma!