Some more great diabotics posted to the forum! Katie's (above and below) is called 'Gertrude':
...and this is Diadoode from Rossi_Mac:
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
We know best – no need to test!
Internet diabetes forums frequently raise the issue of blood glucose testing for people with Type 2 diabetes, especially those not on medication but following a diet and exercise regime to keep their levels under control. The issue, more often than not, boils down to one thing – money. Test strips cost the NHS around £13 for 50 strips. Multiply that by the millions of people with diabetes and it amounts to a not inconsiderable sum. If you are on an insulin regime, particularly multiple daily injections (MDI) or insulin pump delivery, then there is normally no question – you must test your levels before decding how much insulin to inject. However, for those not on insulin, and maybe not on any form of medication for their diabetes (i.e. diet and exercise), the issue is not as clear cut.
Many doctors do not support regular blood testing for such people, arguing that it will not improve control and is therefore an unnecessary expense. Accordingly, they will not prescribe strips, often as a general policy which excludes all Type 2 diabetics, regardless of circumstances. In many cases, this may be true. If a person is allowed to test but then makes no adjustments to diet and activity levels in response to the readings then the test was virtually worthless, possibly even causing increased stress and anxiety if the result was high. On the other hand, however, if a person tests in order to discover how certain foods or food combinations affect their levels and then acts on this to make dietary adjustments, then the test is extremely valuable!
The alternative often provided to testing is a three or six monthly HbA1c blood test, but this cannot show how a particular meal proved particularly good or bad to the person – that information is impossible to determine. So the person is left knowing something has gone wrong but never knowing what. Improved control will not be achieved in this way, and the person may eventually be placed on increasing amounts of medication to control their levels, finally progressing to diabetic complications costing the health service thousands of pounds to treat.
It is arrogant and insulting for a doctor or nurse to deny a person the means to improve their health by suggesting that their treatment is a financial burden where corners can be cut, when that person is willing and capable of working hard to maintain a full and healthy life.
You what, my dear? You test yourself four times every day?!!!
We’ll put a stop to that right now, that’s really not our way!
I think you’ll find those strips you use cost us too much money –
The doctor saw the price one day and came over all funny!
You must agree with me my dear, it’s really common sense,
You’re not on drugs, so it is an unnecessary expense!
What is the point of testing? Perhaps you like the pain?
I tried it once, believe you me, I won’t try that again!
You’re not a health professional dear, so take a tip from me,
Let us decide what’s best for you, I’m sure one day you’ll see,
Although you may succumb one day to losing sight or limb,
We’ll save the NHS some cash – our budget will be trim!
Before you go, please don’t forget to eat with every meal
A lot of rice, or spuds, or bread – don’t worry how you feel!
We’ll test your blood two times a year, so there’s no need to fuss,
Where would you diabetics be if it wasn’t for people like us?!!!
Many doctors do not support regular blood testing for such people, arguing that it will not improve control and is therefore an unnecessary expense. Accordingly, they will not prescribe strips, often as a general policy which excludes all Type 2 diabetics, regardless of circumstances. In many cases, this may be true. If a person is allowed to test but then makes no adjustments to diet and activity levels in response to the readings then the test was virtually worthless, possibly even causing increased stress and anxiety if the result was high. On the other hand, however, if a person tests in order to discover how certain foods or food combinations affect their levels and then acts on this to make dietary adjustments, then the test is extremely valuable!
The alternative often provided to testing is a three or six monthly HbA1c blood test, but this cannot show how a particular meal proved particularly good or bad to the person – that information is impossible to determine. So the person is left knowing something has gone wrong but never knowing what. Improved control will not be achieved in this way, and the person may eventually be placed on increasing amounts of medication to control their levels, finally progressing to diabetic complications costing the health service thousands of pounds to treat.
It is arrogant and insulting for a doctor or nurse to deny a person the means to improve their health by suggesting that their treatment is a financial burden where corners can be cut, when that person is willing and capable of working hard to maintain a full and healthy life.
You what, my dear? You test yourself four times every day?!!!
We’ll put a stop to that right now, that’s really not our way!
I think you’ll find those strips you use cost us too much money –
The doctor saw the price one day and came over all funny!
You must agree with me my dear, it’s really common sense,
You’re not on drugs, so it is an unnecessary expense!
What is the point of testing? Perhaps you like the pain?
I tried it once, believe you me, I won’t try that again!
You’re not a health professional dear, so take a tip from me,
Let us decide what’s best for you, I’m sure one day you’ll see,
Although you may succumb one day to losing sight or limb,
We’ll save the NHS some cash – our budget will be trim!
Before you go, please don’t forget to eat with every meal
A lot of rice, or spuds, or bread – don’t worry how you feel!
We’ll test your blood two times a year, so there’s no need to fuss,
Where would you diabetics be if it wasn’t for people like us?!!!
Saturday, 3 October 2009
Diabotics!
There’s an enormous amount of detritus that accompanies diabetes care: needles, test strips, insulin cartridges etc., plus all those pills that the doctors assure us are necessary to stop our arteries clogging up and keep our blood pressure the right side of critical. As someone who used to possibly take 4 paracetamols a year prior to diagnosis, it’s still quite astonishing to me just how much stuff I now discard on a daily basis.
Someone on the forum brought my attention to Diabotics – it’s the art of sculpting objects using only the items left over from daily diabetes care. Sounded like a great idea to me, so I set about storing away all those odds and ends until I felt ready to attempt my master work, resulting in the stunning and awe-inspiring diabotic – Diababooshka! OK, maybe not up to Damien Hirst’s standards, but it was a lot of fun!
Someone on the forum brought my attention to Diabotics – it’s the art of sculpting objects using only the items left over from daily diabetes care. Sounded like a great idea to me, so I set about storing away all those odds and ends until I felt ready to attempt my master work, resulting in the stunning and awe-inspiring diabotic – Diababooshka! OK, maybe not up to Damien Hirst’s standards, but it was a lot of fun!
Thursday, 1 October 2009
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
I went for some blood tests yesterday as I have my six-monthly diabetes review next week. One of the things that has been slightly bothering me since all this started just over a year ago is that I’ve never been told the full details of my ‘lipid profile’. This shows the levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol, plus the triglyceride levels, whereas all I have received in the past is my ‘total’ cholesterol level. Ideally, a person with diabetes should try and maintain a total cholesterol level of 4 or less (for non-diabetics the level is below 5). Having high cholesterol is thought to put you at greater risk of arterial and heart disease. However, it is important to know how that total is made up as it comprises two components, one of which is beneficial to your health, one of which is not. It’s quite possible that you could have a low total, but too much of the ‘bad’ LDL.
The only reliable way to discover the split is to have blood taken after a 12 hour fast. Fasting will also allow accurate measurement of another potentially harmful substance called triglycerides. To this end, I marked my test report as ‘fasting’, and fasted accordingly, drinking only water from 9 pm until the blood was taken at 10 am the following day. Hopefully, I won’t get into trouble for this, but I felt it was important to know what the full details were so that I can determine if I need to do anything about my diet if the bad numbers are too high. I would also like to know if it is really necessary for me to be taking daily statins, drugs that help lower total cholesterol. If they’re having the effect of lowering my ‘good’ cholesterol, then they’re not actually helping me!
Cholesterol’s not as simple as at first you may believe,
‘Your total should be less than 4 – that’s what you should achieve!’
But what about the split of it, the so-called ‘good’ and ‘bad’?
If good’s too low and bad’s too high, then maybe you’ve been had!
There’s HDL that’s good for you, and helps to keep you well,
But LDL is bad for you as far as they can tell.
It helps fur up your arteries – that’s not to be desired,
For arteries in furry coats are not to be admired!
But how to find this magic split? A fasting test is needed…
No food nor drink must pass your lips, a rule which must be heeded.
Then LDL and HDL and bad triglyceride,
Will be exposed for all to see, with nowhere left to hide!
The only reliable way to discover the split is to have blood taken after a 12 hour fast. Fasting will also allow accurate measurement of another potentially harmful substance called triglycerides. To this end, I marked my test report as ‘fasting’, and fasted accordingly, drinking only water from 9 pm until the blood was taken at 10 am the following day. Hopefully, I won’t get into trouble for this, but I felt it was important to know what the full details were so that I can determine if I need to do anything about my diet if the bad numbers are too high. I would also like to know if it is really necessary for me to be taking daily statins, drugs that help lower total cholesterol. If they’re having the effect of lowering my ‘good’ cholesterol, then they’re not actually helping me!
Cholesterol’s not as simple as at first you may believe,
‘Your total should be less than 4 – that’s what you should achieve!’
But what about the split of it, the so-called ‘good’ and ‘bad’?
If good’s too low and bad’s too high, then maybe you’ve been had!
There’s HDL that’s good for you, and helps to keep you well,
But LDL is bad for you as far as they can tell.
It helps fur up your arteries – that’s not to be desired,
For arteries in furry coats are not to be admired!
But how to find this magic split? A fasting test is needed…
No food nor drink must pass your lips, a rule which must be heeded.
Then LDL and HDL and bad triglyceride,
Will be exposed for all to see, with nowhere left to hide!
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