My carb filled weekend in New York State!

I went away for the weekend to visit some friends - the main reason for this trip was to go to the Renaissance Fair in Sterling, NY.  Road trips tend to throw my diabetes off abit, but since re-educating myself with how insulin works, and counting carbs properly, my carb filled w/e was actually quite successful (and I ate alot - including the Ninja burgers - on a low-carb bun mind you).  I'm still on a pump vacation, and with the few BG (blood glucose) tests (10 over a 72 hour period - usually it's alot more) I did when I had some time to do it,  I seem to be getting the hang of it with MDI (multiple doseage injections) - just like I was with the insulin pump. 



Below are replies to my Facebook profile page statement I made earlier today below for you to read.  I felt it worth reposting here on Diabetes1.org - to show the different opinions of diabetics who take control of their diabetes with either the pump or MDI. For those of you who aren't hooked up to me there and to respect the folks who are discussing, I have just used their initials for now. 

FCA (me) wrote on her profile page - Woke up to #bgnow 5.2 - pretty good - considering all the high carb foods I ate on the w/e - mananged to maintain pretty good blood sugars the whole w/e on MDI - pretty impressed I can do as well with D management on needles as I did on insulin pump :)

DJD - See ... I keep telling people they won't die without the pump. You're proof of the pudding - so to speak.

HS - Wonderful B/S ...DJD , yes, but she is more dedicated than most diabetics. Pumping for 7 years now and I still don't have quite the control she has.  I still awaken with 6's or 7's in the morning. The ODD morning will be 4's or 5's. If I went back to multi-dose daily... my BS would skyrocket!!! I believe that most diabetics are more like me.

DJD - Hi HS... with an A1C of 4.7-5.1 myself, I can tell you Anna's not alone in her success. I have other pumpless friends who do it as well or better than I - consistently, without passing out.

Your blood sugar doesn't have to skyrocket.  The amount of time I spend testing and taking small shots is miniscule and well worth the what - 15-20 total minutes per day spent on the effort. There are plenty of tricks of the trade that are not taught which can be employed to accomplish the task.

The point - those who can't afford or don't want pumps shouldn't be made to think the ONLY way to accomplish good blood sugar is to spend an inordinate amount of money and/or be connected to a tool. They shouldn't be told they are going to die without it. Not everyone has to have horrible experiences and can learn techniques and info that may prevent any further horrible experiences.

Which is what Anna did. She learned more. She tried different insulin. And now Anna's proven her point and I'm sure sooner or later she'll go back to the pump. But she too can now teach people techniques that do work. She doesn't have to say "when I was on MDI I had horrible control" and leave it at that. She's seen the other side - the success.

People do not have to fear multiple shots and glucose testing (one without the other does not work). MDI just doesn't have to be a bad experience the way some people portray it. If a person doesn't want to do it, well then I/we can't help. But if someone wants to put forth 15-20 minutes of effort a day, there are much less expensive ways to control blood sugar than a $5-6k pump.

Some of the other reason I'm not interested in a pump - anything attached to me, scar tissue potential (I don't have any now), relying on one type of insulin, pump failures, progressive insulin resistance the longer the tubing/pod is attached.

Thanks for listening to my explanation.

JD - Anna and others are to be commended. I love my pump. I have been pumping since January 2001. I am doing much better now that I am off Apidra and back to Humalog.

DJD - When you tried Apidra did you adjust your basal and bolus rates - for the increased speed? I use both Apidra and Humalog. Apidra is at least 15 minutes faster (peak) and finishes about 30 minutes quicker than Humalog.

I don't know if you're in the US or Canada but in the US Humalog is usually cheaper both $ per bottle and copay wise. So you're probably saving $ anyway.

FAT - DJD - JD lives in NY (I probably waved at his house yesterday as we scooted back to Canada).

Well, I have to still say - that even before the pump I still had good success on the MDI routine - I had to plead with my endo to go onto the pump - and in the end - went ahead without his approval (needed his signature). When it came time for me to plunk the cold hard $$$'s down - and my A1C went from regular 7% to 5.7% - and that's with next to no hypos like I had with MDI - then he signed - otherwise my insurance company wouldn't pay the 80%.

That said and done - for me - both pump / MDI work - and to me - being a "lifer" - I'm lucky in that aspect. I personally find MDI no more work then the pump - but I have to admit - the convenience of the pump is in the basal side of things - e.g. sleeping in which I rarely do. With MDI, you have to be abit more clockwork with the basal insulin (back to Lantus now - Levemir reaction was getting annoying). Now, I have experimented with not taking my Lantus/Levimir at the "correct" times - and so far - touch wood - no ill effects. Again, this works for me, and like HS says, maybe I'm more regimented (darn - should have been in the military ).

I'll be going back to the pump in a few weeks - for holiday time on the sailboat - but am not 100% about that even as I type this out - since this past w/e of unusual life style proved that even with all the junk food I ate (and it was good - salt potatoes smothered in butter - never had that before) - and lots of other high carbs - didn't effect my blood sugars with taking the correct amount of insulin - but of course - I'm sure I gained some weight :)