Vocabulary 101

[jennyz]

Hey everyone! I'm new and I've been reading lots of posts. I don't really have any friends that have diabetes and I only know of my own situation. I take humolog and lantus. I'm just wondering what some of the terms I've read here mean. I'm beginning to think my endo has kept me out of the loop! These are the tems I didn't understand:
basal rate/ test (isn't this your temperature?)
meal profile
IMOinsulin profiling
MDI (this is a pump, right?)
bolusing/prebolusing

Please help!! :confused:
Thanks!

[Kendall]

Welcome jennyz! Glad you faound Diabetes Forum (DF). There is quite a bit of vocabulary floating around. I don't know if anyone has compiled a list but I'll let you know the ones I know.

basal rate - the amount of insulin your body needs without food input or heavy exercise etc. If you fast and do normal activities, your basal insulin should keep your BG (blood glucose or BS blood sugar) pretty constant. Some people use Lantus, NPH, Levemir, detemir, basically medium to long acting insulins for basal insulin. Others use an insulin pump which puts out small doses on a programed rate throughout the day and night.

basal testing - testing to see if your basal insulin profile matches what your body actually needs. You can do this by fasting, doing regular activities, and testing frequently. There are lots of posts about this if you use the search feature (upper right corner).

meal profile - how the food you ingest affects your BG from the time you start eating and over the next several hours. Insulins and foods each have their own profile. The idea is to match your insulin timing (onset, peak, and duration) as closely as possible to the BG spike from food (its profile).

insulin profile - as above, how an insulin reacts over time...when it starts acting, when it peaks, and how long it lasts. Different insulins have different absorption rates/profiles. Novolog or Humilog are fast acting and are out of your system in 3- 4 hours whereas lantus starts acting in afew hours, has very little to no peak, and lasts about 24 hours for most. There are general rules for insulin profiles but each person is a little different.

IMO - in my opinion
or maybe you saw IOB - insulin on board - the insulin currently active in your system. If you took a shot of Novolog 1 hour ago, some of it is still working. If you don't take this into account when correcting you are likely to end up low.

MDI - multiple daily injections - upwards of 3-4 shots a day using different insulins to match basal and bolus needs.

bolusing - taking an amount of insulin (fast acting) via shot or pump to cover food eaten or to correct high BG. The stuff you need that isn't covered by your basal insulin.

prebolusing - taking a bolus of insulin several minutes (it varies, but usually 15-30 minutes) prior ot a meal so that insulin is active when carbohydrates begin to hit the system. Example: if my BG is in the target range before a meal I will give my bolus of Novolog and then wait to start eating until 15 minutes later. Novolog begins to work 10-15 minutes after injection. This allows time for it to start working before or as the carbs from my meal hit my blood stream. If my BG is higher than my target I wait aditional time for the insulin to work so that I am not high and then going higher from more food.

I hope that all made sense. If you have more questions, just let us know. How long have you had diabetes? Are you on the pump or MDI (since now you know what that is)? If MDI, what insulins do you use?

[mortis505]

Hi Jenny, and welcome to DF! This is a great place to get info and support.

Many of the terms used can be found here.(click me) (http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/diabetes/28438-acronyms.html)

[xMenace]

Welcome to the forum Jenny.

It's more likely your endo doesn't know most of these terms. Endos seem to become endos because they aren't smart enough to be real doctors:eek: Seriously, many of us just see them for prescriptions and bloodwork.

[jennyz]

Wow! Thank you so much. I definitely have to absorb all of that, but it all makes sense to me.

[davef]

Welcome to the forums Jenny, you have found a great place for information, help and support. Good to have you with us.

Visit and post often, ask lots of questions - that's how we all learn.

[gettingby]

http://bestsmileys.com/welcome/1.gif
Hi Jenny. We are glad to have you with us. Don't worry about not knowing most of the abbreviations. I didn't know most of them before I joined here.:)

[IrishJoe]

the abbrevations you will learn over time. its like anything really.. it all has its own language !!

[sprzepiora]

Well, to be up to date on all the terms used you MUST go to:
Six Until Me.: Diabetes Terms of Endearment (http://www.sixuntilme.blogspot.com/2006/03/diabetes-terms-of-endearment.html)

:D

[davef]

Well, to be up to date on all the terms used you MUST go to:
Six Until Me.: Diabetes Terms of Endearment (http://www.sixuntilme.blogspot.com/2006/03/diabetes-terms-of-endearment.html)

:D

Thanks, that was a good laugh, I identified with too many of them!

[sprzepiora]

Thanks, that was a good laugh, I identified with too many of them!

I found it yesterday, I like her blog. I can relate to a few too especially Interstate BG Checks and of course dotties, who doesn't have dotties :D

[jennyz]

Well, to be up to date on all the terms used you MUST go to:
Six Until Me.: Diabetes Terms of Endearment (http://www.sixuntilme.blogspot.com/2006/03/diabetes-terms-of-endearment.html)

:D

You just made my day! That was hysterical!! Thanks:)

[RobiJo]

Well, to be up to date on all the terms used you MUST go to:
Six Until Me.: Diabetes Terms of Endearment (http://www.sixuntilme.blogspot.com/2006/03/diabetes-terms-of-endearment.html)

:D

Daylight Savings Time – See also “Time to Change the Lancet”

Time to Change the Lancet – Defined as any time when you change the batteries in your smoke detector, reset your clocks, or when the lancet starts to rust

Awesome. :) Thanks for the smile.

Jenny welcome to DF!

[buddy7]

Jenny hope this will be of some help,
Good evening and welcome to the DF.



B/7 ESSEX UK.

[Gary_W]

Well, to be up to date on all the terms used you MUST go to:
Six Until Me.: Diabetes Terms of Endearment (http://www.sixuntilme.blogspot.com/2006/03/diabetes-terms-of-endearment.html)

:D

Thanks for these; some rung home a little too true.

I must say I don't miss the regular visits from the Sugar Reaper these days; man, that guy sucks :)

[sprzepiora]

Jennyz I hope I didn't hijack the thread to much and you got the answers you needed.

[jennyz]

Jennyz I hope I didn't hijack the thread to much and you got the answers you needed.

No worries..I've got a great start and if I have any other questions, I'll ask! Thanks again for the laughs.