Increased Basals helping a little
We have had a much better day today. This morning's numbers were always between 74 and 202. Something is still off though because he still needed a correction at 2:00 when he was 202 and holding steady two and a half hours after lunch. Maybe I'll reduce the carb ratio a little. These adjustments sure are easier to do with this monitor on him. I feel that I can be a bit more aggressive in the adjustments. We normally would have changed his basal rate by .05/hour, but last night I adjusted his .5 to .6 for the early morning. I think he needed a jump.
The minilink is still attached and in good shape. Tommy went swimming at the neighbors yesterday. The minilink is supposed to be waterproof, and it did not prove to be a problem. And I love the feature that it continues to track even when he is not connected to the pump. It will do that for up to 40 minutes. So when Tommy hooked back up to his pump, it displayed all of the missing data from his swimming break. So cool!
I am attempting to make a few changes to the template of my blog. I did subscribe to bloglines after Sandra sent me the link. I'm not exactly sure how this will work, but it sounds like it will save a little time checking my favorite blogs. Also, Tommy no longer has the time to coauthor the blog, so I will just have to include my thoughts about his feelings. I should probably put my picture in the profile, but I can't remember how to do that. This blogging stuff is not as easy as it looks. Oh well, enough changes for today. More to come---
Saturday, May 19, 2007
He wasn't mad
Tommy wasn't mad, just surprised which was a relief. I might try to insert the sensor while he is sleeping next time also. Tommy didn't complain about it except when he felt he was going up double arrows without any obvious reason. I think we have a few frustrating years ahead of us with these periods of high blood sugars due to hormones.
I can't wait to do the CareLink (software)for today. I am going to change a few basal rates especially 9:30 am - 10:30 am.
Tommy wasn't mad, just surprised which was a relief. I might try to insert the sensor while he is sleeping next time also. Tommy didn't complain about it except when he felt he was going up double arrows without any obvious reason. I think we have a few frustrating years ahead of us with these periods of high blood sugars due to hormones.
I can't wait to do the CareLink (software)for today. I am going to change a few basal rates especially 9:30 am - 10:30 am.
Inserted sensor while he was sleeping!
The sensor is in. He didn't even wake up! I put numbing cream on his stomach at 5:15 am. I took it off at 6:15. I inserted the sensor and then attached the minilink. Programmed his pump. And he is still sleeping!
I wonder how much he will complain in the morning? I printed off a sheet of his carelink reports from his meter in case he complains too much. (In the last two weeks he has been high 65% of the time.)
The first time he used the minilink, he did not put tape over it. He wore it for a day and a half. I guess you don't have to put tape on it, but you can if it seems to be catching on things. This time, I put a IV300 over it. Maybe it will last longer.
Now, I need a nap.
The sensor is in. He didn't even wake up! I put numbing cream on his stomach at 5:15 am. I took it off at 6:15. I inserted the sensor and then attached the minilink. Programmed his pump. And he is still sleeping!
I wonder how much he will complain in the morning? I printed off a sheet of his carelink reports from his meter in case he complains too much. (In the last two weeks he has been high 65% of the time.)
The first time he used the minilink, he did not put tape over it. He wore it for a day and a half. I guess you don't have to put tape on it, but you can if it seems to be catching on things. This time, I put a IV300 over it. Maybe it will last longer.
Now, I need a nap.
Enough is enough! Tommy has had 2-3 weeks of crazy high blood sugars. I keep increasing the rate, but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. I am probably not being aggressive enough with the increases, but the lows that come every once in awhile scare me. Maybe he should put on his CGM!!!!
It has been awhile since I last posted. Just an update. Tommy is still on the 522 pump, but hasn't used the CGM part of it for what seems about 2 months. He used to wear it every couple of weeks just to get an idea of how his settings were going. He tried the new minilink transmitter when it came, but didn't seem too interested in it. I haven't pushed it yet.
He is now finishing 6th grade. He is almost a teenager! He is starting to worry about his clothes, his hair, his GIRLFRIEND!! Yikes! He asked me the other day about going back to shots. I told him that we were lucky to have the flexibility of having a CGM because if he ever wanted to go back to shots, all we would have to do is hook him up to the CGM while he was changing to Lantus. But I haven't heard any more about it. I am not going to push it.
I have sometimes bribed him to put in the sensor. It seems that usually once he has it on, it is not a problem. But agreeing to put it on is proving to be a little tricky. I have got to get him to wear it!!! These high blood sugars are scaring me!!!
I'll have to try something.
It has been awhile since I last posted. Just an update. Tommy is still on the 522 pump, but hasn't used the CGM part of it for what seems about 2 months. He used to wear it every couple of weeks just to get an idea of how his settings were going. He tried the new minilink transmitter when it came, but didn't seem too interested in it. I haven't pushed it yet.
He is now finishing 6th grade. He is almost a teenager! He is starting to worry about his clothes, his hair, his GIRLFRIEND!! Yikes! He asked me the other day about going back to shots. I told him that we were lucky to have the flexibility of having a CGM because if he ever wanted to go back to shots, all we would have to do is hook him up to the CGM while he was changing to Lantus. But I haven't heard any more about it. I am not going to push it.
I have sometimes bribed him to put in the sensor. It seems that usually once he has it on, it is not a problem. But agreeing to put it on is proving to be a little tricky. I have got to get him to wear it!!! These high blood sugars are scaring me!!!
I'll have to try something.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
New sensor augmented pump
Yikes! I haven't posted in awhile. Sandra from "A Shot in the Dark" did a link to this Blog, so I thought I better post something.
On Tuesday, Tommy got trained to use his new Medtronic 522 REAL-Time pump. He feels that it is such an improvement over the Guardian RT/515 pump combo. We both love the charts and the arrows.
It is nice that he doesn't have to carry around another big monitor. The numbers go straight to his pump.
Yikes! I haven't posted in awhile. Sandra from "A Shot in the Dark" did a link to this Blog, so I thought I better post something.
On Tuesday, Tommy got trained to use his new Medtronic 522 REAL-Time pump. He feels that it is such an improvement over the Guardian RT/515 pump combo. We both love the charts and the arrows.
It is nice that he doesn't have to carry around another big monitor. The numbers go straight to his pump.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Now Covered by Insurance
Jenny says:
Human Resources called today. They have overroad the two denials from the insurance company. They have told the insurance company to cover the Guardian RT and the sensors from now on! Oh Happy Day! We are so thankful to our employer!!
Our rep. told us that a handful of adults have also gotten 80/20 coverage from their insurance agencies! Why is it that everything that comes out about Continuous Glucose Monitors from the experts says that they are not currently covered by insurance. Shouldn't they now say that "some, but not all are being covered by insurance." Shouldn't the people that are trying to get coverage be able to say, "I know of a lot of companies that are covering them." Wouldn't that make it easier on them?
Jenny says:
Human Resources called today. They have overroad the two denials from the insurance company. They have told the insurance company to cover the Guardian RT and the sensors from now on! Oh Happy Day! We are so thankful to our employer!!
Our rep. told us that a handful of adults have also gotten 80/20 coverage from their insurance agencies! Why is it that everything that comes out about Continuous Glucose Monitors from the experts says that they are not currently covered by insurance. Shouldn't they now say that "some, but not all are being covered by insurance." Shouldn't the people that are trying to get coverage be able to say, "I know of a lot of companies that are covering them." Wouldn't that make it easier on them?
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Tricking yet another sensor
Jenny says:
It has been our practice lately to try to get more days out of the sensor than Medtronic allows. The Guardian RT automatically turns off after 72 hours, but if we unplug the sensor from the transmitter and do another search, it will reinitialize. We always check out the skin around the sensor to make sure that it doesn't look red. I read somewhere that the sensor sight is less likely to get infected because insulin is not going through it. So, with a little caution, we have been turning an $11/day sensor into a $8/day sensor.
The other morning, Tommy woke up with a reading of 74 on his Guardian, and a 73 on his meter. It is starting to get hard to know which device to trust more.
I have been talking to a Mom in Canada whose son is on the Medtronic 522 pump and has designed a transmitter pouch. She is going to be sending me a couple, so we will be experimenting with them next week. We are excited that there might be a way to avoid all the transmitter tape.
Jenny says:
It has been our practice lately to try to get more days out of the sensor than Medtronic allows. The Guardian RT automatically turns off after 72 hours, but if we unplug the sensor from the transmitter and do another search, it will reinitialize. We always check out the skin around the sensor to make sure that it doesn't look red. I read somewhere that the sensor sight is less likely to get infected because insulin is not going through it. So, with a little caution, we have been turning an $11/day sensor into a $8/day sensor.
The other morning, Tommy woke up with a reading of 74 on his Guardian, and a 73 on his meter. It is starting to get hard to know which device to trust more.
I have been talking to a Mom in Canada whose son is on the Medtronic 522 pump and has designed a transmitter pouch. She is going to be sending me a couple, so we will be experimenting with them next week. We are excited that there might be a way to avoid all the transmitter tape.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Jenny says:
I found out that Joslin in Nevada was using the picture temporarily while they were trying to get the brochure together. They never meant to use it externally. Joslin was just excited about this new technology and had a lot of people asking them questions. They were going to use this flyer as a tool to answer some of their patients' questions.
I found out that Joslin in Nevada was using the picture temporarily while they were trying to get the brochure together. They never meant to use it externally. Joslin was just excited about this new technology and had a lot of people asking them questions. They were going to use this flyer as a tool to answer some of their patients' questions.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Taking a photo from this blog
Jenny says:
I had someone contact me to tell me that they saw Tommy's tummy photo from this blog on a Joslin (Nevada) flyer. They said that it was a flyer that compared the DexCom to the Guardian RT. They said that the caption under it said adult male with Guardian RT. Tommy is a 60 pound 11 year old. I am a little put off by it. They didn't ask permission and then they incorrectly portrayed the Guardian RT size because of it. I'm sure the DexCom looked very small compared to the Guardian RT. As soon as I verify that it really is his stomach, I will be writing them a letter requesting that they remove the flyers. I am not sure how protected our photos are that are on this blog? Does anyone know?
Jenny says:
I had someone contact me to tell me that they saw Tommy's tummy photo from this blog on a Joslin (Nevada) flyer. They said that it was a flyer that compared the DexCom to the Guardian RT. They said that the caption under it said adult male with Guardian RT. Tommy is a 60 pound 11 year old. I am a little put off by it. They didn't ask permission and then they incorrectly portrayed the Guardian RT size because of it. I'm sure the DexCom looked very small compared to the Guardian RT. As soon as I verify that it really is his stomach, I will be writing them a letter requesting that they remove the flyers. I am not sure how protected our photos are that are on this blog? Does anyone know?
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