New pump idea from a Dutch company but I don't think I would personally wear it.

 

Kaleido: Adding Color to Insulin Pumps with an Odd Hybrid Device

http://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/kaleido-color-pump#1 

"Kaleido is insulin pump therapy for those who don’t believe in boring. Although our main focus is to provide an effective insulin delivery device, we also believe that diabetes is not what defines people –- instead, it’s their personality and freedom to choose. After all, if you’re going to wear something 24/7, it should look good and be something you can enjoy, right? With the choice of 10 colors, customers will be able to choose two pump colors for their Starter Kit."

Life is short

Since my daughters' birth I have learned a lot of things about life. Children are blessings from God that teach you what life is really all about and how to love unconditionally. I have learned you have to live each day to its fullest, you are not guaranteed tomorrow. Only you are in control of your reactions, don't let others bring you down. Life is hard and sometimes it feels like the rest of the world should stop because your life feels like it has stopped but it doesn't. You have to keep moving forward. 

The past year has seemed to be a rough one for me, but I can't stop going forward, the loved ones we have lost this year wouldn't want me to stop living life to the fullest. Cherish each and every day, make each day the best day of your life, make other people smile every day, make yourself smile every day for today could be your last.

The Holiday Season is fast approaching along with the dreaded carb and sugar loaded family gatherings

The Holidays.  I love them, I love family gatherings, I feel blessed to be able to share so many holidays with so many of the people I love.

I also dread family gatherings but not for the most typical reasons.

My broken pancreas.

It rules the choices I make in my life because I choose to live a long life with less diabetes complications and hopefully less blood sugar swings.  The ups and downs are what are doing the damage.  I want to try as hard as I can to mitigate the swings.  The only way to do that with today's tools and medications is to avoid the things that make my and every other type 1 Diabetics' blood sugars spike or go up.  The higher I am away from a non-diabetics blood sugar levels the more damage I am doing.  If I want to prevent complications later on in my life from type 1 Diabetes I need to try to keep my blood sugar as close to the levels of someone without type 1 Diabetes.

A normal persons blood sugar stays around 60-85.  90 is my goal.  I'm not there yet and I am trying hard to nail down my pump settings. Its hard, Diabetes is hard.  Being a woman with Diabetes and menstruating is even harder.  Hormones mess with everything including your insulin resistance levels.

Some good Diabetes news

I just saw this on Facebook this morning and FINALLY something positive about Diabetes and our insanely high cost of treatment and insurance.

This is what sounds amazing, "patients with diabetes receive discounts on their health insurance for achieving better outcomes"! I and thousands of others could really REALLY use cheaper health insurance and medications.

Things are changing, they have to change, someone has to do something because someday some of us wont be able to afford our health insurance and manage this disease in a way that doesn't bankrupt us. I am dreading my insulin pump warranty expiring next August.  I am looking at anywhere from 1200-1500 I will have to pay for a new insulin pump AFTER insurance coverage.  Does that sound appealing?  I don't have a flipping clue how I will pay for that but I can't live with this disease without it and a pump under warranty either. 

Cheryl's Spinach Squares

2 10 oz pkgs of frozen, chopped spinach; cooked, drained and squeezed dry
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t garlic powder (or 4 cloves fresh garlic)
1 lb Muenster Cheese slices (not thin)
Dash of pepper
Combine all ingredients other than Muenster cheese.
Use nonstick olive oil spray on pan before laying down cheese
Line a 9 x 12 in pan with cheese on bottom and sides, using the cheese as a "crust."
Spread filling over cheese and top with remaining Muenster cheese.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.


These are FANTASTIC and my husband and 2.5 yr old loved them!   Thanks to Cheryl McLeod for this recipe!

UP Rising Against DKA is gaining momentum!

The group formed in July called UP Rising Against DKA on Facebook is gaining ground.  The group was just featured on Insulin Nation.  Cindy Turner also helped form the advocacy group TestOneDrop.

Here is the link to the article: http://insulinnation.com/living/not-one-missed-type-1-diagnosis/

Join the group, join the revolution, lets STOP undiagnosed DKA and stop these children/people from dying from undiagnosed type 1 Diabetes!

Oh how I love seeing this Dexcom graph

This Dexcom graph isn't quite yet low enough for me but my high alarm is at 130 (120 is as low at the Dexcom will let you set it, which really aggravates me) and my low at 80.  

Eating no grains, no starch, no real sugar and no fruit and staying under 30 carbs a day, if you eat this way as well, you can achieve closer to normal blood sugars.  I am on month 5 of eating this way and I am still tweaking things to get it nailed down but this sort of graph is what motivates me to keep going down this path.  

Toe nails and Diabetes

All the years I have been Diabetic I keep hearing how much I need to take care of my feet.

Today I finally went to the podiatrist to figure out what to do about my chronic ingrown toe nail issue on both my big toes. 

For over 5 years I have been managing these dumb nails myself, digging this tiny piece of nail out and clipping it with a nail clipper.  I have finally had it and I am sick of all the pain involved with this "digging".  

So I think I will just have these little pieces removed and deadened so they don't come back again.  It would be nice to have a toe nail that I don't have cut down so far it looks all crazy. 

Man all this crazy stuff you have to be extra cautious about just because your pancreas decided to quit working. =D

Any of you out there in the world wide web had this done and are happy you did?

Insulet Corporation Issues Voluntary Recall of OmniPod® Insulin Management System

 http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm460169.htm 

Contact:
Consumer:
1-855-407-3729
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 27, 2015 – Billerica, MA – On July 8, 2015, Insulet Corporation (Insulet or the Company) initiated a lot-specific voluntary recall of 40,846 boxes (10 Pods per box) of the OmniPod (Pod) Insulin Management System. This field corrective action is due to the possibility that some of the Pods from these lots may have a higher rate of failure than Insulet's current manufacturing standards. This recall does not affect the OmniPod Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM).

I am so freakin sick of Diabetes

Im really ticked off today so here is your warning for swear words* If you don't like swear words and reading them might make your eyes burst into flames then don't read this blog post today. 

This month has sucked.  I am so freakin sick of Diabetes and all the bullshit that comes along with it.  I have had nothing but issues with occlusion alarms on my pump and the stupid ass cannulas in my infusion sets. They keep getting kinked inside my body fat.

Why?  Why why do they have to keep kinking.  I am so freaking pissed that this keeps happening.  I lose weight, get closer to my goal and then my body flips the f*ck out and now that I don't have enough fat they have to kink. Really? That's just f*cking wonderful.

I am wearing pretty much the only set I can tolerate and it has to stop working properly.  I contacted Tandem to see if I can get some different ones to try and they told me I have to go through my rep, who lives 5 freaking hours away.  They said they would let him know about my issues and see what he can do.  I can contact him too but its just easier if they contact him since I have a ton of work to do.

But then what do I do if I try the other ones and I still hate them because they poke me nonstop.  Im just stuck using the ones that keep kinking?

I have a request for all you tslim pump users

I need all of you who use the tslim to watch your BD syringes very very carefully as you draw insulin into your syringe. I have been having an issue with mine for months. I finally called tandem and initially kind of being blown off they called me back to tell me they will locate a new lot of syringes and check them for foreign objects.  They called me today and said they inspected the syringes but I apparantly didnt clarify enough or well enough to explain that I think the white substance is coming from inside the needle itself.  

Next time you are filling up your syringe watch it VERY closely and draw up the insulin slowly and watch for a white particle to come out of the syringe and into your insulin.

If you also see this PLEASE call Tandem ASAP because as of right now they think that only I am having this issue.  I was told it has been reported before but that nothing has been done and BD doesnt seem to care that there is some foreign object in their products.  I am wondering if a lot of the occlusion alarm issues with the tslim pump are from faulty products from BD.

In case you live in a cave and have not heard that Dexcom G5 was FDA approved!

The Dexcom G5 got FDA approval last week!  That is really fantastic news IFFFF you use an iPhone.  I do not and I am not paying to upgrade to the new receiver or buy another transmitter since I just got one last month and was 15 days past being able to return it for refund.  Figures. My middle name is and always will be, a day late and a dollar short. So goes my luck.

So I will wait until December to get the share receiver under insurance coverage and then wait for the G5 to be Android compatible next year. I have been an Android user for 4 years now so I dont plan on switching any time soon.

You can read about it here: http://www.dexcom.com/g5-mobile-cgm and submit your request to get one!
 

My first time ever

Today is the first time I have ever made bread from stratch and its wheat free to boot!

A fellow lchf type one grit group member shared this super simple wheat free bliss bread recipe with me and ive been really delayed in making it.

Im home with a sick kid so while she is napping I bit the bullet.

The dough is incredible, with no wheat or gluten it tastes just exactly like real bread and has the same texture. Its still in the oven, Im standing here waiting for it to get done.  I would always sneak hunks of bread dough when my mom cooked bread, its just so freakn good!

Toast. I want toast. Badly. I miss toast. I miss bread. Since Im Dutch and German I think the addiction to bread is in my genetics. I havent had bread in months, ok a bite here and there, but not a lot because my blood sugar goes right up to 250-300 almost as soon as its in my mouth!

4 minutes left. I will be back to let you know how wonderful it is. It looks wonderful baking!

Recipe:

http://wheatfreebliss.blogspot.com/2014/07/super-simple-wheat-free-bliss-bread.html?m=1

The bread is pretty good, my loaf shrunk after it cooled so next time I think I will try to make rolls or bread sticks out of it since I cannot find any deli meat anywhere around me without any sugar in it I wont be eating sandwiches any time soon. I need a smaller loaf pan as well to help force the bread upward or I might try a double batch too.