diabetes help please!!

[bramblebooks]

I could just do with a bit of general 'just keep going love'. pleeeease!

ds2 (7) was dx'd diabetic about 3 months ago. His blood sugars are barmy at the moment and today went so high that the meter wouldn't read it.

I really am not sure what I'm doing wrong and his diabetic nurse is on his hols until next week - I'll contact him then and talk things through.

We've swapped from novamix during the hols to try to get us used to using novarapid with each meal and some snacks. He has a longer acting levemir injection each evening, which I've just increased as his waking readings have been 12 or so for the last couple of weeks.

The diabetic nurse suggested just 2 or 3 units of the rapid acting insulin with meals, and I try to add more to compensate for him being high - but I really can't seem to get a grip on getting his numbers lower. We're not carb counting and matching that to insulin yet, which might be a way forward. Any thoughts or useful websites?

Just exasperated and frustrated. Poor lad gets really shaky and hyper anxious with high blood sugars.

Off to start the bedtime routine, I realise that there may not be many of you out there who are dealing with diabetes, but will look in later this evening and hope for the best. thankyou. x

I Like Spidermama's link:
Professor Stephanie Amiel, a diabetes expert at King's College Hospital, said "Allowing King's and the other centres to continue to offer this life-changing treatment will have enormous benefit for those patients who are suitable for islet transplantation in its present form.

Prof is my consultant ,amd she is brill. And considered to be top, in the WORLD. Nice to see her name in print.

hi bramblebrooks - my 17 yr old DS was diagnsoed a year ago and he is on a basal bolus regime with levemir and novorapid. He takes his levemir at teatime - once a day. DS does not carb count either. Not sure if you have changed what you are doing but here is the written advice we have been given:

Long acting insulin - take this insulin first thing in the morning or in the evening - ensure you take it at the same point each day DO NOT ALTERNATE MORNING AND EVENING.

Rapid acting insulin - take this insulin with food eg breakfast, lunch, evening meal and supper if taken.

Adjusting your insulin:

Increase insulin when blood sugars are consistently high and decrease when blood sugars are low. Adjust insulin by 2 units every 2-3 days until blood sugars are stable.

If your blood sugar is consistently high/low overnight or before breakfast time adjust your long acting insulin.

If your blood sugar is consistently high/low at lunchtime adjust your rapid acting insulin at breakfast time.

If your blood sugar is high/low at evening meal adjust your rapid acting insulin at lunch time.

If your blood sugar is consistently high/low at bedtime adjust your rapid acting insulin at your evening meal,

NB. If you have an unexplained hypo adjust the next appropriate insulin by 2 units.

My DS is a stroppy teenager who doesn't test regularly enough so his control is still not great. He had a visit to the clinic last week so he is doing so much better. He got given a different monitor that can check for ketones in his blood which is more accurate than urine incase we need to check.

HTH

Mears :
"My DS is a stroppy teenager who doesn't test regularly enough so his control is still not great. "
Sounds like me

Thanks mears - the diabetes nurse is coming Friday for our regular update.

I have just registered to run a 10k fundraiser for diabetes uk. Arrrgh! It's not til June, I reckon if my ds2 can put up with the injections and testing, I can put up with the training.

Hello
I've been following this post with interest, being a type 1 myself (diagnosed age 6). I can only second all the sensible advice and links other posters have given, especially the mention of the DAFNE stuff which I was lucky enough to do a few years ago and which revolutionised my whole control of/attitude to my diabetes.

ANYWAY, what I wanted to say was though it's easy to get down, there is so much research and so many exciting developments in the treatment of T1. When I was diagnosed (24 yrs ago) the consultant told my mum he was confident there would be a cure in my lifetime. When I think about how much things have changed since then I don't think this is a false hope!

Good luck all and take care - sounds like you're doing grand xxx

Hi g angel,
I hope you're right, they certainly seem to be moving in the right direction with all the stem cell research thats going on at the moment.

Has diabetes stopped you doing anything over the years?

LR x

Hi LR, No I wouldn't say it has really tbh (though I'm not the adventurous type!) The only really dodgy period for me came in the late teenage/university days when I wasn't looking after myself at all, but that doesn't seem to have done me any harm in the long term. I can't recommend highly enough the DAFNE programme - it helps you understand WHY high readings/hypos etc are happening and gives you the tools to correct it on some sort of scientific basis! Helps fit good diabetes control into a "normal" life
Hope your dd is feeling well atm and getting on OK with the pump GA x