I was quite impressed when I saw this insulin pump, seems to stand out from the ones currently around. I don’t doubt it will take a long time before it is available to us brits on the NHS, most likely because of the expense. It’s always nice to see new technologies and advancements, and I hope that one day I will have one as suave as this.

I found out that the device lets you share information with other devices, such as PCs, mobile phones and other mobile devices. It also has built in applications, such as blood glucose meter, food library and activity monitor. This sounds like a great idea, I especially like the built in food library, means I would not longer have to carry about my carb books.

It’s not yet approved for sale in any part of the world, but with such an advanced device, I’m sure it wont be long before it’s out there.

They currently only have one image of the product on their website, however they do have lots of videos at this page: http://www.cellnovo.com/products.html

So today was a normal today, until I went to lunch with my friend Shelley. We met in our usual place, and had our usual lunch together.

We got chatting about diabetes and the insulin pump, I was asking her some questions about the cannula’s. This is something that had bothered me after watching a YouTube video of a girl inserting one, and I don’t have a problem with needles but this really freaked me out. I didn’t like how long the needle was, so I told Shelley about this and how it freaked me out, so she got a spare cannula out to show me.

Well I am glad it wasn’t as long as the one in the YouTube video, I feel much better now. She also managed to persuade me to insert it, I was so nervous and I am not even sure why because it was nothing. It didn’t hurt; in fact I didn’t even feel a thing! It was really nice of her to share her supplies with me, and I am really glad she did, I am going to leave it in for 2 or 3 days to see how it goes.

So with just over a month to go (or 35 days, as I am counting) I am looking forward to a new era with Diabetes, and hopefully this will help me improve my control.

P.s. Excuse the crazy PJ’s!

The way in which HbA1c results are being presented is changing. From June 2011 the values of HbA1c will be expressed as mmol/mol rather than a percentage.

Below is a table comparing the two values, to help you gain an understanding of the differences.

The recommended target for someone with diabetes is 6.5% and 7.5% therefore 48 mmol/mol and 59 mmol/mol. A non-diabetic reference would be 4.0% and 6.0% therefore 20 mmol/mol and 42 mmol/mol.

If you wish to calculate your HbA1C from percentage to mmol, DiabetesUK have one here.

There is a lot of terminology that I have often never heard of before, on websites, forums or even in conversation. So I thought it would be a good idea to write some of them down and explain them, so that I can help others that don’t understand certain terminology.

Amylin (Islet Amyloid Polypeptide)

Slows the rate at which digested carbohydrate appears as glucose in the blood and thus reduces total insulin demand

Brecon Group

The professional association for clinicians in Wales specialising in the care of children with diabetes.

CHCs

Community Health Councils: the statutory bodies representing the interests of patients and the public in the NHS in Wales. Visit the website of the Board of Community Health Councils in Wales.

Basal

This is referred to as the slow acting insulin used to cover your bodies own glucose stores

Beta cells

Pancreatic cells responsible for the production of insulin, amylin and C-peptide

BG

blood glucose (this is the measurement of glucose circulating in the blood)

Biphasic insulin

An insulin mixture containing both fast acting and slow acting insulin, usually injected twice daily

Bolus

This is referred to as the fast acting insulin used to cover food, typically carbohydrates, some cover for protein as well.

BP

Blood Pressure

Brittle diabetes (labile diabetes)

Most often seen in type 1 diabetics

BS

Blood sugar

CHO

Carbohydrate (Carbon Hydrogen Oxygen)

C-peptide

A by-product of normal insulin production

Double diabetes

Comprises symptoms of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes

DAFNE

Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating: an intensive five day education course for people with Type 1 diabetes. The course focuses on adjusting your insulin dose to give you more freedom to choose what and when to eat. Visit the DAFNE website.

DAFYDD

Dose Adjustment for Your Daily Diet: an education programme for people with Type 1 diabetes based on BIDAC (Bournemouth Insulin Dose Adjustment Course). The BIDAC course is delivered for one day a week over a four week period.

DESMOND

Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed: an education programme for people with Type 2 diabetes, delivered over one or two days. Visit the DESMOND Project website.

DRSSW

Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service for Wales: an all-Wales service aiming to offer annual screening with a digital camera for diabetic retinopathy to all people with diabetes in Wales aged 12 and over. Visit the DRSSW website.

DSNs

Diabetes Specialist Nurses: nurses specialising in the care of people with diabetes, and work alongside specialist physicians and other professionals to support people with diabetes.

Fulminant type 1

G.I

Glycemic index. A G.I value tells you how rapidly a particular carbohydrate is turned

G.L

Glycemic load. A G.L value takes into account not only G.I, but also the total quantity

GAD (Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase)

Antibodies test

GDM

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Glucagon

A hormone produced in the alpha cells of the pancreas

Glycogen

The storage form of glucose in animals and humans

Glycogenesis

Glucose storage, mainly in the liver and muscles

Glycogenolysis

The breaking down of glycogen stores in liver and muscle tissue

GNG (Gluconeogenesis)

The generation of glucose from non-carbohydrate carbon substrates

HBA1C

HbA1c is the scientific shorthand for Glycosylated Haemoglobin

HCP/HP

Health care professional

HDL

High Density Lipoprotein (the “good” cholesterol)

Honeymoon period

The period of time after a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes when there is better than expected blood glucose control

Hypo

Hypoglycaemia (this means blood sugar level is too low)

Insulin

A hormone which causes most of the body’s cells to take up glucose from the blood

Insulin analogues

Genetically altered versions of insulin

Insulin antibodies

An immune response to exogenous(injected) insulin

Insulin resistance

Normal amounts of insulin are inadequate to produce a normal insulin level.

Ketoacidosis

A severe accumulation of keto acids in the blood, resulting in acidosis

Ketones

Ketone bodies are acids left over as a byproduct of ketosis

Ketosis

A process in which your body converts fats into energy

Lantus

Long-acting insulin analogue used as a basal(background) insulin, which is normally injected.

LDSAGs

Local Diabetes Services Advisory Groups: sometimes known as a Local Implementation Groups (LIGs). These are teams of professionals, managers and people with diabetes who are working to improve local diabetes services. Contact Diabetes UK Cymru to find out how to get involved in your LDSAG.

Levemir

Long-acting insulin analogue used as a basal(background) insulin.

LHB (Local Health Board)

Welsh equivalent of a PCT (Primary Care Trust)

Liver dump

The common term given to glucose production from the liver

Low-carb diet

A proportional reduction of dietary carbohydrate
An idiopathic subtype which has a very rapid onset and no honeymoon period.

MDI

Multiple Daily Injections – an insulin regimen adopted by the majority of type 1 diabetics

MODY

Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young refers to a number of dominantly inherited, monogenic defects of insulin secretion. There are currently eight different varieties of MODY

Nephropathy

Damage to or disease of the kidneys

NICE

National Institute for Clinical Health and Excellence

NSF

National Strategic Framework

PCT

Primary Care Trust

PDSNs

Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurses: nurses specialising in the care of children with diabetes. They are often the main point of contact with the NHS for the family of a child with diabetes.

Peripheral neuropathy

Damage to the nerves of the peripheral nervous system

PP

Post prandial (this means a period of time after eating, usually recorded as 2 hours but often 1)

Primary care

This usually refers to the care you receive at your GP’s surgery, from your doctor, the practice nurse or other professionals based there. The Assembly Government is keen to move more diabetes care into primary care.

Pump

Insulin Pump, used as an alternative insulin delivery method to MDI. The pump is connected to you 24/7 and pumps tiny doses of insulin thorought the day, with the ability to give extra doses at meals times and with snacks.

QOF

Quality and Outcomes Framework. This is the framework through which general practioners (GPs) are paid by the NHS. Payments are made for accumulating QOF points, and with diabetes accounting for 93 of the possible maximum of 1,000 points, there is a h3 incentive for GPs to provide a range of diabetes services.

Retinopathy

Non-inflammatory damage to the retina of the eye

Secondary care

This is the care you receive from specialist professionals, usually in a hospital. This includes the care you may receive from a diabetologist or DSN.

SHA

Strategic Health Authority

Somogyi effect (rebound hyperglycemia)

A high blood sugar (hyperglycemia)

Type 1 (autoimmune)

The most common form of type 1 diabetes

Type 1 (idiopathic)

All forms of type 1 which occur without a known cause

Type 1 (surgical)

Diabetes caused by partial or complete removal of the pancreas

Type 1.5

Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA), also known as slow onset type 1

Type 2

Diabetes mellitus type 2 is most often attributed to insulin resistance and relative

WAG

Welsh Assembly Government: the body with overall responsibility for manging and overseeing the NHS in Wales. Visit the Assembly Government website.

WIDAC

Wrexham Insulin Dose Adjustment Course: like DAFYDD, this is an education programme for people with Type 1 diabetes based on BIDAC (Bournemouth Insulin Dose Adjustment Course) model.

WEDS

Welsh Endocrine and Diabetes Society: the professional association for physicians specialising in diabetes in Wales.

X-PERT

An education programme for people with Type 2 diabetes, run as six weekly sessions. It is available in a number of areas of Wales. Contact your Local Health Board to find out what’s available in your area. Visit the X-pert website.

Young-onset type 2

Anyone diagnosed with type 2 under the age of 45 is considered young

Well, as you may or may not know I am a Type 1 Diabetic. I feel there is not enough awareness around the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. So I have written an article, hopefully, that will help to explain the differences and bring more awareness.

When I have previously told people I have Diabetes, I have had comments like “you have Diabetes? But you’re not fat!”, this to me, shows that people know far more about Type 2 than Type 1.

According to Diabetes UK, there about 2.6 million people in the UK with Diabetes. Around 90% of these have Type 2. Therefore, I calculate that there are about 260,000 people in the UK with Type 1.

Type 2 Diabetes is often because of a high insulin resistance, where the cells cannot use the insulin produced efficiently, therefore the glucose is not removed from the blood very well, leading to a high blood glucose level. Type 2 Diabetes can also be caused from a deficiency of insulin, this can be because the pancreas gets exhausted by trying to produce enough insulin to lower the blood glucose. For some people who have insulin resistance, gaining weight can make the resistance worse, therefore making them eventually develop Type 2 Diabetes, which is why the government have various campaigns on obesity and diabetes. A large number of people who are not overweight develop diabetes, because they have a worse than normal insulin resistance.

There are various different medications that Type 2 Diabetics can take. The most popular are Simvastatin, Metformin and Byetta. Simvastatin is a drug that can lower blood glucose, but can also help lower cholesterol. Metformin is a drug that slows absorption of glucose, and also the liver’s production of glucose, therefore helping to lower blood glucose levels. Byetta is based on the saliva of the Gila Monster lizard, which was found to contain blood glucose lowering properties. Byetta can also help with weight loss, as it makes you feel fuller sooner.

I recently wrote to my local Conservative MP Gareth Johnson to get him to help raise awareness of type 1 diabetes. My letter to Gareth Johnson is below:

Dear Gareth Johnson,

I am contacting you as someone who lives in your constituency who has type 1 diabetes. I support a medical research charity called Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) which raises money to fund research into type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is a separate and distinct condition from the more common and widely known type 2 diabetes. It is an autoimmune condition that is caused when the body mistakenly attacks the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas.

Estimates put the number of people in the UK who have type 1 as high as 390,000 and incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing by about four per cent each year, particularly in children under five. It is not known why this trend is occurring. At present, there is no definitive answer to what causes type 1 diabetes. Therefore, whilst improvements in public health could help reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes, the only way to reduce the incidence of type 1 diabetes is for the cure to be found, which ultimately requites greater  investment in medical research.

More funding for medical research into type 1 diabetes will lead to the development of better treatments for type 1 diabetes, resulting in fewer complications and hospitalisations, and eventually the cure. It will also result in cost efficiencies for the NHS budget. JDRF is a global leader and driver of this research but investment from Government is vital to drive forward developments.

I would be grateful if you would write to the Minister responsible for Innovation and Science on my behalf to ask him to ensure that the budget for medical research into type 1 diabetes is not cut and that greater investment should be considered.

I would also be grateful if you could stress the difference between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Rebecca Ireland

I received a response in four days, which I thought was quite a timely response. The response from Gareth Johnson is below:

Dear Ms Ireland,

Thank you for contacting me about type 1 diabetes.

I agree that raising awareness of the differences between type 1, or juvenile diabetes and the more widely know type 2 is very important. It usually first develops in children or young adults and I understand that, in the UK, about 1 in 300 people develops type 1 diabetes at some stage.

Progress has been made with the National Framework for Diabetes, but improvements must continue. The new government has developed several policies that I believe will help those with type 1 diabetes, such as focusing on personalised care that reflects individuals’ health and care needs, and a relentless focus on outcomes to drive up standards of care across the board.

I will certinaly bear in mind your concerns on this important topic in the future, and have passed them on to the Department of Health. I will provide you with a copy of the response that i receive.

Yours sincerely,

Gareth Johnson

I hope that you can also contact your local MP about your concerns for the lack of Type 1 awareness in the UK.

Being an iPhone fan & a type 1 diabetic I was quite excited when I came across this product. I have heard rumours in the past about Blood glucose iPhone accesories but have never seen them be released.

After looking at the Sanofi-Aventis iBGStar blood glucose meter for iPhone, I am really quite impressed. The blood glucose meter can connect directly to your iPhone permeneantly, or can be use seperately (as it has a battery as well). So just incase your iPhone battery dies, you will still be able to test your blood(phew!).

The app helps you keep track of blood glucose, carbohydrate intake and insulin dose. It also allows you to input your data with specific notes for personalised information.

The accompanying app is free according to Sanofi-Aventis, and it is rumoured that the device is to be priced at around $80.

I will definetly be interested in this iPhone accessory when it is released, but for now visit the dedicated website for more information.

http://ibgstar.com/web/ibgstar

I was dreading, but also looking forward to this programme, as I was intrigued as to how they were going to  portray Diabetics, but I also knew it might anger me. I didnt actually manage to watch it on the Monday night, but managed to catch up on wednesday night.

Well to be honest I have mixed feelings about that programme. I feel they did a good job of showing the effects of bad control, but then I feel they should have worded some parts better. The programme fitted in with the whole series, including stab victims and liver damage due to alcohol abuse. Although they did portray all diabetics to be like this, and I dont feel this will help the opinions of people who already know so little about diabetes. I have often been asked if I got diabetes from eating too many sweets as a child, or if I was an obese child. I try to keep calm when someone asks me this, but obvious I just explain that the reason I have diabetes is because I had a virus and my anti-bodies attacked my pancreas cells rather than the cold virus, so basically my body malfunctioned and now I have to deal with the consequences, boo hoo!

Whilst watching that programme I did find some of the young diabetics immensely irritating and frustrating, I just wish someone could change their attitude and educate them on how to deal with their diabetes, so it wont come up and bite them in the bum in the future, which we know it will if they don’t act soon.

I did think the message from that show was strong, with the falling off toes, amputated legs and abssesseson the pregnant lady, it certainly gave me a fright! I did however feel for the medical staff, I cant imagine how much of a frustrating job it must be knowing they are trying to help, but those diabetics simply don’t want help and miss their appointments. I must admit I liked the honest doctor, he really said what he thought, and was trying to be there for them, but they clearly didn’t take him serious, I cant imagine how tiresome that makes his job.

I do feel that the programme could of thrown in a few extra facts, like the differences between type 1′s and 2′s, as they only really mentioned that one girl was type 2, but never stated that with the others.

During that whole show the one thing that really angered me, was the mum of the 15/16 year old type 1 diabetic girl. She really didn’t care about her daughter, she had no idea about the condition, I found this most upsetting and her mother should be ashamed. No wonder the girl didn’t want to deal with her condition she had no support from her mum. I was diagnosed at 8 years old, and I know that if my mum wasn’t there for me and helping me I wouldn’t of been able to do it.

Another big concern for me was the 21 year old who was admitted to the hospital with DKA, and a blood sugar level of 50mmols! This utterley shocked me, I honestly didnt even know 50mml was possible, the most I have ever had is 28mmols and that was when I was diagnosed thirteen years ago! I just cant understand how someone can ignore something like that, he is the same age as me, yet I feel so much more grown up than he is about the condition. I tend to feel abit groggy at 14mmols, let alone 50mmols, I cant imagine how he feels. I assume if he is constantly high he doesn’t have no signs of hypos of hypers.

Even though some points annoyed me slightly, I am glad I watched it, as it has made me realise how different people deal with their diabetes. I have read a few different articles and opinions about this programme, and have listed them below for anyone else to read.

Here are some other valued opinions on the programme:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=10205

http://www.talkingbloodglucose.com/2010/08/educating-masses.html

The following charities also made statements on the programme:

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us/News_Landing_Page/TV-programme-unhelpful-in-dispelling-diabetes-myths/

http://www.jdrf.org.uk/news.asp?itemid=1582&itemTitle=Channel+4+programme+%27The+Hospital%27&section=23&sectionTitle=News

Hi all,

I thought I would chat about my Diabetes support group Circle D, run by my friend Shelley Bennett.

The mission and aim of Circle D is to support as many 18-30 year old’s with diabetes as possible. This can be through all sorts of different ways, such as Facebook, the forum, the website, the meetings or events. They welcome anyone, and you can get involved however much as you wish, as long as you feel supported and feel it is making a difference to you.

Circle D also want to raise awareness of Diabetes and the myths associated with it. Circle D often fundraises, raises awareness, holds events, supports others and generally does anything possible to make a difference to 18-30 year old’s living with Diabetes.

Out meet-ups take place in North Kent, they are fun casual events, where you can chat about diabetes, and get help from other members. Shelley also tweets, see the Circle D twitter page here.

Diabetes UK supports Circle D, see here.

There are also several other Diabetes Support groups around the UK, these are North London Young Diabetics, Circle D North Devon, Circle D North Yorkshire, Circle D Norwich, Circle D Southampton, BexleyYoung Diabetics, MYD – Midlands Young Diabetics, Diabetes Support Group – Scottish Borders, Diabetics Unanonymous – Lincoln, Diabetes & YOU – Cumbria, B3D Blackburn

Spread the message, are you 18-30 years old? Living with diabetes? Get in touch now and get some support, you are not alone!

Well saying I was dreading this run is an understatement!

It was hard, but I fought through it, with my Type 1 diabetic friend Shelley Bennett (She runs
Circle D).

The start was scary, standing in a big queue waiting to reach the start line, whilst also seeing everyone else pass you on the other side.

Overall it was an amazing experience, and it gave me a fantastic buzz, being cheered was amazing, and really gave me more enthusiasm to keep going.

I would like to thank everyone that sponsored me, my target was £500 and I raised an amazing £520 for Diabetes UK

Below are some pictures of me and Shelley before, during and after the run!

Also if you still want to sponsor me, please visit my JustGiving page.