Diabetes Reversal?? [Archive]

Gary_W

12-19-2008, 03:00 AM

Currently, there is no way of 'reversing' type 1 diabetes. There are various ways of managing it but all will involve injecting insulin. The things that differ in treatment of T1 are the method of administering it, diet, excercise etc. If there was a cure, there would be a lot more excitement than a rather obscure book.

All of these management things are best off learned from a more 'mainstream' book such as 'Using Insulin' by John Walsh or indeed by asking for advice here. Getting advice from a book which claims to effectively cure what is not currently curable is not going to end well. Save your money!

Gary

blade600

12-19-2008, 03:15 AM

steamfan261

12-19-2008, 04:34 AM

To put it indelicately, the book is a steaming heap of bovine excrement, and just another attempt to prey upon and profit from diabetics.

Subby

12-19-2008, 06:14 AM

Thanks Gary. I'm sure there are some topics here that tell you what to eat, I'll have a look... All these very doctors technical terms does not make much sence in my head lol. . I want to know what she should eat for breakfast, snack, lunch, supper ect. It's all good and well to say a low GI diet, but english please... Translation to what foods.

You'll find people will generally help around here. The more specific the question the easier it is for them to answer. Diabetes is a complex condition with many facets to managing it well.

So as for GI. It's useless to just apply something a bit complex like this without knowing how it works, you need to spend just a little time understanding it :) Foods that have been ranked with a low GI are carbohydrates that have proved through testing to take a while to move through the system, rather than carbs that act very quickly.

It similar to the "commonsense" approach that would have told us that a Mars Bar is good for quick energy (like we need if playing sport), and that wholemeal porridge might give us longer energy, might seem a while to release energy. The difference is, that GI rating is not based on common sense, but just through testing with people, and the results can seem counter-intuitive but are something better to go on.

Why is this especially good for diabetics? Insulin we inject has a definite "action curve" and is not usually as adept at coping with really fast carbs. Long and sustained foods mean we have a much better chance at successfully controlling our blood glucose with an injection when it comes to meals and snacks.

Read more here: The Glycemic Index (http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm)

Ok, there's a quick 101 on GI, even though you didn't ask for it. :)

As for food lists, here's a quick and dirty common food list:
Glycemic Values of Common American Foods (http://mendosa.com/common_foods.htm)

Here's a longer list of products (you might want to use search in your browser to find foods).
Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load (http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm)

As stated on the website, GI of 55 down is low. Glycemic Load we won't get into here :)

You might also find "low GI" options on packets in the supermarket, keep an eye out for them. Although remember that a food can be unhealthy, packed with artificial rubbish and so on, and still have a low GI rating. So consider the quality of the overall food.

Have fun!

Subby

12-19-2008, 06:40 AM

Forgot to mention: I have found that choosing some low GI foods over higher GI foods has been beneficial but is just another tool, not some be all and end all. I don't necessarily think that defining a diet by it's "GI" index is particularly useful. It may well be useful in making decisions about carbs, if choosing between one carb and another (for example two types of rice).

Your gf may also find that the apparent "GI" of a food doesn't seem to apply for her. The testing process is hardly black and white and whats more GI wasn't tested on diabetics, who may well have differences in the way insulin and carbs interact, to non-diabetics. So, expect anomalies from the "official" rating.

Also, low carb/ lower carb diets have been found to be very effective for many BG wise. Yep, it's a whole big complex world out here in keep-your-health land, I wish it was simpler myself.

xMenace

12-19-2008, 07:04 AM

That book is definately a SHOBE. Don't waste your money.

Thanks Gary. I'm sure there are some topics here that tell you what to eat, I'll have a look... All these very doctors technical terms does not make much sence in my head lol. . I want to know what she should eat for breakfast, snack, lunch, supper ect. It's all good and well to say a low GI diet, but english please... Translation to what foods.

She and you should eat food, not too much, and mostly plants. Watch my videos.

shiftzor

12-19-2008, 10:46 AM

Its stuff like this really sickens me, as they really just want to make money and in reality they don’t have any validity.

I think while GI is important its also important to try foods and test before the meal, 1 hour after the meal, then 2 and a half hours and finally 4 - 6 hours later. Logging these foods will really tell you which foods you can and can't eat easily. Be careful of high carb and high fat meals as the fat slows down carb intake.

We match carbohydrates to insulin using a insulin to carb ratio (http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes_control_tips/carb_factor.php). This ratio can be applied to any meal and helps us to maintain our blood glucose level (or sugar level). First thing to worry about is your basal insulin which is a 24 hour acting insulin, it maintains your girlfriends blood glucose level throughout the day. This should be tested by skipping breakfast and testing every hour, adjust the dose if she goes high or low and stop the test. Repeat until you make it past 1pm or so.

This may sound a lot of effort to you or your girlfriend in the short term but once you have mastered it and set all your doses correctly it all becomes easier. I wish you all the luck in the world good luck, keep asking questions. ;)

EeyoreButterfly

12-19-2008, 10:48 AM

I'm glad that you are wanting to learn more about your girlfriend's condition, but I would like to caution you:

Your girlfriend has probably been doing this for awhile and will know best what works for her body. I was already dating my boyfriend when I was diagnosed, and the best thing he has done is ask me questions and just generally be supportive.

I find that I do not like it when my family or friends try to police what I eat. I know that their hearts are in the right place, but it is very annoying. I am aware of what I can and cannot eat- moreso than they are. I don't like constantly being reminded about it. There are no "off limits" foods. Everybody's body is different and everybody follows a different regimen. For me, I have a set amount of carbs at each meal. So one food may be okay at one meal if I have no other carbs, but not okay at a different meal because it would put me over my limit.

Be supportive, but don't hover. Take your cue from her. You are in a new relationship, and you don't want to drive her away by being overbearing. At this point, learn as much as you can from her, or form places like this, but don't try to control what she does. I hope this helps.

Subby

12-19-2008, 08:28 PM

^^^ this is a good call. Living with diabetes is usually not easy, or shall I say often adds complication and frustration to normal everyday things. One thing many diabetics will have had over the years is well-meaning people (strangers or those close) having the "fix it" mentality and/or no clue about the real deal. This can range from taxi drivers telling you how easy your life is because you just take an injection and you're right, to you family snatching away a food at the table becuase they mistakenly think you can't have it. It just happens, this stuff, and it's aggravating.

I'm not saying you are doing this at all blade. What I'm saying is it's possible your GF has come across people doing that in her life. Butterfly's advice to go slow and be supportive rather than active and realise that blood glucose management tactics are axtremely personal things, there's a big chance you'll read stuff here/elsewhere and she may break the rules in front of you, and she may well be right to do so. Very tricky. Support rather than help is a great way to think of it.

With that in mind, it's a great thing to do some research on your gf's condition, parts of this is her life and if you tuck knowledge away it could be a great boon to you both and your relationship. One other fantastic way could be to do things which benefit all people, share and lead by example with generally healthy eating, daily exercise, being positive in the face of adversity. This will come down a lot to your character anyway :)

blade600

12-22-2008, 01:29 AM

Thank you every one!!! You're all gr8 people, thanks so much for your interest and input. I spent the weekend at her place and I'm following a good diet now which I never did... I'm 23 and never ate salad, hated it. I only ate carrot and fruit salad but this weekend we had so much healthy food... I'm doing my best and think I'm doing a good job to motivate her and try keeping her positive.... Not being bossy but rather as mentioned being supportive and showing lots of interest. . . She unfortunately got robbed 3 months ago and they stole all her dieting stuff she got from the dietitian as well. So things sure aren't easy at the moment. She is still on the crappy state insulin cause she has to be on the medical aid for a year before she can receive private doctors and insulin and as you all know is very expensive.... We made some sugar free cinnamon desert last night and looked through her diabetes cook books while we were waiting for it in the oven :)

The books divide all the general foods into the 3 GI indexes: low, intermediate and hi GI. It's not so simple to understand this whole difficult concept just like that, definitely takes time.. I suppose it gets easier as you familiarize yourself.

Shiftzor: "First thing to worry about is your basal insulin which is a 24 hour acting insulin, it maintains your girlfriends blood glucose level throughout the day." What is that?? Is it a different injection than the usual insulin she has to use 2X daily??

Thanks again for all your help, by the way what have you all got planned for Christmas?? Whatever you all do I hope you have a lovely time! :)

Gary_W

12-22-2008, 03:08 AM

Blade - these days, the majority of people with T1 diabetes manage it with something called MDI which stands for multiple daily injections. This is also sometimes called a 'basal/bolus regime'.

With MDI, you inject slow acting, 'basal' insulin once a day (some folks do it twice but let's not go there at present). This basal insulin then soaks up the glucose that your liver squirts out. That's the liver's job; it's like a car battery that is charged up with glucose to keep your body fed. It gradually releases it into your bloodstream and you then need slow-release basal insulin to be able to use this released glucose in your muscle cells.

When you eat, you need rapid acting insulin. This counteracts the rapid rise in blood glucose that food brings (depending on the food obviously).

Assuming you eat 3 times a day, you'll inject 3 lots of bolus insulin and one lot of basal. If you eat 6 times a day, you inject 6 lots of bolus.

Your GF seems to be on an older regime. She will either be on pre-mixed insulin (which has bolus and basal insulins in the same shot) or she will be mixing them herself in a syringe and then doing the injection.

No-one likes giving extra injections. It's just that, for the vast majority of people, it works a lot better. If she is doing 2 injections a day because all she can get is pre-mixed insulin then that's one thing. Others here may be able to help if specific pre-mix questions come up. I went onto MDI within a few weeks of starting T1 so am not best qualified to help. If she is doing 2 injections a day through choice, then she may find that education as to the world of MDI, carb counting, basal testing etc will change her life for the better. MDI with a correctly set basal rate plus an understanding of how to carb count will make a much greater difference to her overall health than ever GI cooking will IMO. Not saying GI cooking knowledge is a waste of time (it certainly isn't). Just that there are other things that will make a greater difference to her life.

Gary

blade600

12-22-2008, 05:25 AM

Erin

12-22-2008, 05:51 AM

I think you multiply by 18 to get from your system to "ours." There used to be a llink to a converter site somewhere on here.... I must point out that most of the world uses your system, it's just us crazy yanks who have to be difficult.

I think your girlfriend will find things much easier when she's got the private insurance and can access different medicines. IMO mixed insulin is a recipie for disaster. People can have good results on it, but it's soooooo much easier if you can get the newer stuff.

For now, ask her if she carries around a sugary food. Lows can be really tricky when you're new to this, and on the type of insulin she seems to be taking. And I'd advise her to test as often as possible. Thoes numbers really help figure things out.

Subby

12-22-2008, 05:54 AM

An older regime you say.... Hmmm wouldn't surprise me lol... This country of ours. Yes i think it is the pre-mix. She'll probably go to the basal and bolus injections once the medical aid allows her to use the private facility instead of the state medical. But I don't even think your BG count is is the same measurement as ours.. Like miles and kilometers, pounds and kilograms? Here your BG is supposed to be between 4 and 8..... And i see you guys are talking about 150-180 and so forth. Does any one know how to convert??? Anyways she takes the first injection before breakfast and the other just before supper..

It takes the whole day to wait in line to get her insulin, and this has to be done once every month. At least when you do it through the medical aid they deliver it to you. If you don't have a medical aid in this country it is really bad.... REALLY!

Hiya again Blade, Aus and UK use your units as well, called mmol/l. The US used mg/dl. If you look on the menu on the right hand side, at the top of this page, under "site navigation", is an item called "converters". Click on that, then click on the first one "Blood Glucose unit converter". That will bring up a converter in another window for you.

4 - 8 is a good range to be aiming for in the first place. Especially with just 2 injections/using a mix, you could hardly hope to be getting much tighter control. Avoiding sitting high like 10+ and especially 13+ and having lots of hypos (lows) is the first port of call.

Garry's post above was an excellent response to your/her situation. I hope she gets onto the medical aid soon. Going to MDI should improve her life. In the meantime not stressing over things (but obviously still taking things seriously) is the best thing. Take care mate... have a great christmas.

blade600

12-22-2008, 06:35 AM

Thanks people, it is metric times 18 to imperial if you can call it that... At the moment we're really struggling to keep it that constant :( In the evening just before supper when she tests it's sometimes way too high... It's scary! Sometimes it falls through the night and she wakes up, does the test and its like 2, so she drinks a bit of sugar water.... Small amount obviously, is it ok to drink sugar water or is there something better to use. I've heard you supposed to get some tablet thingys that if your BG is too low you should suck on one of them... I think that'll only come once the medical supplies it instead of the government. And then in the morning when we wake up and test it's at about 4... Logic tells me her basal in the pre-mix is too much then, but it could also be that she injected too much before supper right? How many times do you guys inject? Do you check your BG lots of times during the day and if its too high inject insulin?? She's going on what the government doctors told her and I don't trust them as far as I can see them!!! OMG I am so worried! I can't stop reading about diabetes everywhere on the internet..

Subby

12-22-2008, 06:50 AM

Blade, one thing I will say, you're definitely a switched on cookie. You're putting the picture together.

As you are suspecting the problem with a mix is that you can't seperate basal from bolus. And there is no guarantee that the pre-mix (possibly 70 bolus 30 basal) will equal her basal and bolus needs, with any given meal/basal period.

Come to a couple of thoughts on that in a second. First, don't worry about the glucose tabs, sugar water is fine to treat a hypo, in appropriate doses. Is there a way you can count the energy rating? Are you mixing it yourself... try and aim for 15g of carbs to treat a low, retest in 15 mins and if not above 4.5 mmol/l have another 15g. Here's a link to the energy for sugar:
CalorieKing.com.au - Food Data. Nutrition information about your favourite food. fat, fibre, protein and more (http://www.calorieking.com.au/foods/calories-in-sugars-white_f-Y2lkPTUwMTExJmJpZD0xJmZpZD0xNDg1JmVpZD00Njk4Njk3NS Zwb3M9MSZwYXI9JmtleT1zdWdhcg.html)
Going by this 3 heaped teaspoons of white sugar should be close enough to the 15g.

Why just 15g at a time? Because it's very very easy to overtreat and bounce back the other way in the next few hours. And treating a high may lead to another low... it's like a wave in the pond, bouncing back.

It could be that the basal is too much. Do you have oats or porridge? I recommend she try having a bowel of porridge with milk just before sleep. It may be true that eating before sleep may disturb your sleep but avoiding these lows is more important. A snack like this may well minimise the lows: the porridge is quite long acting/low GI and the milk slows it down further, sustaining the BG upwards for possibly 3 - 6 hours which may be enough. You can modify the snack to suit, obviously.

Otherwise, I think the best way to approach this for the time being is to try and eat the right amount of evening carbs so that the basal taken isn't so incorrect. What kind of things does she eat? It might mean less rice or pasta or bread, more meat and vegetables.

Once on MDI she will be able to make corrections (take another injection if too high). At the moment it's inadvisable because of the basal component complicating things. Although if REALLY high (say 18+) it's getting dangerous and the better choice may be to try and correct and deal with the basal consequences.

Working out the correct amount to dose for a correction is out of the scope of this discussion right now :( But it can be done, at some stage.

I typically check my BG 10+ times a day. I am lucky I have subsidized and can afford the strips. I hope she can do at least 4 or 6?

Wish I could give you a pat on the back... don't panic, I'm sure she and you will get through this. It's all a bit new to you too, try not to be traumatised by all the ramifications! One thing is never to compare against some "perfect" model, people struggle in all sorts of ways. Just looking for some progress is the best way. A few little techniques like we are discussing may well make it a lot better in the meantime.

Edited a few times to fill in missing thoughts...

Subby

12-22-2008, 07:03 AM

Ah, and the highs in the evening are almost certainly from lack of bolus for lunchtime (plus the basal may well be wearing off at that time). Obviously introducing another mixed injection will cause all sorts of overlap strife, I think the single best tactic is to make lunch very low carb/very low GI or even "no carb" if it suits her.

Subby

12-22-2008, 07:10 AM

And hopefully someone with experience with mix will chime in here too. There are a few people around who have been or are still on mix.

blade600

12-22-2008, 07:38 AM

Thanks Subby, I really appreciate it a lot!!

We can buy oats and we have some muesli... Unfortunately I have no idea yet as how to count the energy rating. Yes she does mix the sugar water herself, only one teaspoon to the glass of water... It was about 2 at 2 am and when we checked it at 6ish it was 4.

Now i gotta do some more research on the whole carbs thing... The only carbs I used to know was the ones I had on my CBR400 lol...

She usually has some muesli or a muffin and coffee for breakfast. Sometimes pro-vitas (don't know if you get that over your side) as a little snack in the morning at work and lunchtime she'll have a sandwich with ham and lettuce and cucumber or something similar. Supper is most of the time when I'm there chicken with all sorts of salad like noodle, beetroot and mixed salad like lettuce, tomatoes, some low fat fetta and onions...

Subby

12-22-2008, 08:10 AM

No problem blade, it's a pleasure.

Muesli may well do the trick. Muesli does vary a lot though, from low GI to high GI. Especially if it's got lots of dried fruit, it may well spike too much. You could try and look it up online if it's a brand.

One reason for suggesting porridge is it should be reasonably consistent across brands. It's actually not that low GI but I had good results from it myself. Also I found the porridge sat in my stomach very well, perhaps from being cooked. I'd suggest a slightly smaller than normal serving, aim for maybe 20g of carbs with 1/2 cup of milk, for starters.

The hypo fix you mention was really well done and well contained. As the result suggests, just a little more for the fix, may get things up more towards 5 or even 6 which is a safer place to be with her current regemin. 4 is cutting it too low. It's also better to recheck sooner if possible: if not at 15 min, then at 30 min.

Morning food may well be fine, especially as she gets a whack of short acting with her injection (it's timed before breakfast?). The pro-vitas sound good. As to if the breakfast is working, she should check at the 2 hour mark: if spiked up (say, 10 or 12) then either bring morning dose up a little (but watch for lows from the basal) or reduce carbs at breakfast.

The lunchtime sandwich may well be a problem... most breads are quite spiky and this is trying to stay even without a bolus. So small amounts of carbs, lower GI options, such as small amount of low GI rice, vegetables, curries without much sugar or potato added, proteins such as meat or fish... these are better options, she should skip the bread and see if her afternoon/evening BG's are better. She should really stay away from juices, sugary drinks too at this time.

As for supper, I'd suggest doing that carb research and concentrate on controlling the amount of carbs and trying to establish a match with the correct mix that also gives good overnight results. Phew, what a sentence. Hypothetical:

10 units of mix gives good basal results overnight (no lows, not too high in the morning)

10 units of mix will automatically suit a certain amount of carbs at dinner, it may be 30g, it may be 50g.

The GI is a factor to a degree but more important to focus on is the overall amount of carbohydrate. (Do watch for noodles, they can be very high GI sometimes, causing spikes)

....so the upshot is, experimenting with a controlled amount of carbs whether it be vegetables, bread, noodles, but the same amount of carbs every night... and finding a good match to a dose of mix that doesn't cause big lows overnight... it's not perfect but it's what I'd be doing. You can get at least general carb ratings from websites such as

CalorieKing.com.au (http://www.calorieking.com.au)
Calorielab (search for it)
...and others

Get a kitchen scale and start weighing to get the right amounts!

Good luck!

blade600

12-22-2008, 09:21 AM

"It's also better to recheck sooner if possible: if not at 15 min, then at 30 min." So how quickly does it actually show if it was sufficient?? Yes it's timed just before breakfast, when she wakes up. She weighs 50 Kg's so how will i know how much carbs she needs for each meal? Will CalorieKing.com.au tell me? Oops i just opened it and it does lol... My bad, gonna check it out now. :)

blade600

12-22-2008, 09:26 AM

Hmm, I'm not a member and don't live in Australia so that's not gonna work for me unfortunately.. I'll have to see if there's another one I can use.... :confused:

blade600

12-22-2008, 09:38 AM

Looks like that's the only one where you can put in your weight and height and stuff... That's a bummer, I don't even have dollars lol.

Subby

12-22-2008, 09:39 AM

As for calorieking.com.au .... just use the food database to discover carbs of foods eaten. Don't worry about the rest.

Ok for a hypo. Just say she wakes up and is 2.5.
Have sugar water fix. 10 - 15g sounds about right.

Take another test at 30 mins. If less than 4.5, have another sugar fix. If more than 4.5, relax, but best to be alert and check again in say on hour or so to make sure.

If less than 4.5 a second time, have another hypo fix. Take another test 30 min later. etc etc...

As for the carbs. Hold on a second, it's slightly different to the "non diabetic person" as per what calorie kings would tell you (if you could join it ;) ). I'll try and explain it simple as possible (it's can get so complex and individual, it's a minefield). You already understand the concept of basal and bolus. Basal covers internal and background needs of the body. For example, adrenalin, hormones released by the body through the day, etc etc. Carbs have no bearing on basal.

Carbs in a very precise manner, are directly related to bolus doses.

If you have no carbs you need no bolus. If you have some carbs, you need a certain dosage (bolus).

I didn't want to get quite into this but perhaps it's for the best. Many of us use a "carb counting" method and what is called an "Insulin to carb ratio". This means that for every unit of short-acting (bolus) insulin we take, we match it with x amount of carbs. Or, more correctly, vice versa, for every x grams of carbs, we match it with 1 unit of insulin.

For example, I have an I:C ratio of 1:6. This means that for every 6 grams of carbs (any source) I need one unit of insulin. I use this rule for every bit of carbs that cross my lips (other foods like protein are not part of the equation).

The carb counting/I:C ratio method works, and generally works very well.

How do we find our I:C ratio? Pretty much trial and error. You can get a basic idea by having two pieces of info: the total grams of carbs over a day and the total short acting (not mix or basal!) units taken in that day. If you divide the grams of carbs by the total short acting, it will give you a very rough idea of an appropriate I:C ratio.

The problem is that because your gf is on a mix, she can't do it this way. Because it would involve all sorts of strife with the basal component of each dose. So bearing in mind that basal control is so important, this is what I am suggesting:

Stick to a dosage that gives good basal coverage (this will be a specific or small range). Then experiment with specific grams of carbs (any carbs) until the meals work out well, as well.

It's going to be a pretty specific amount of carbs as per meal, (may be different between breakfast and dinner, too) and it may not be the recommended amount of carbs for your gf as a "non diabetic". But it's the best way I can think to really improve control now, with the limitations of having to use a mix. Again without bolus at lunch, minimising carbs in any way possible, picking something that will just sustain, is the way to go.

I'm sorry I cant explain things simpler or without getting into things that aren't practically useful for you at the moment.

blade600

12-22-2008, 10:01 AM

Ok I read that real slow and..... I definitely get the picture... Think I'm gonna have to read it again but thanks for your help. I still have a lot to learn but I think I'm making some good progress, thanks. I can't wait for her to get the real deal regarding insulin (basal & bolus) and professional advice from a good doctor.. Why does the medical aid have to be so full of s**t.... Wish we could go there already!!!!!!!!!!!

Subby

12-22-2008, 10:08 AM

Feel free to come at it again now or in the future, and ask questions until you get it to the degree you want to. Don't let feeling like you might have it all wrong stop you from laying it out. If anyone picks on you for that we'll run them off the board :)

One of the great things of a forum like this is that you can get feedback from a number of people. I've been yabbering on a lot here, but I'm going to bed now thankfully :) and if you keep asking questions someone else is bound to put it another way, or give you other ideas, which may again help your understanding.

Oh and I should say... although I get carried away with possibilities and hypotheticals, don't treat this as medical advice... any questions or doubts at all, recheck with other people, and with whatever doctor you can get access to. And whatever you do, if you decide to modify doses - do it very gradually.

blade600

12-22-2008, 10:23 AM

Thanks again Subby!

I hope you have a good nights sleep, you deserve it for all the gr8 advice you gave me..

There's just one thing that is really confusing me right now and that is "You can get a basic idea by having two pieces of info: the total grams of carbs over a day and the total short acting (not mix or basal!) units taken in that day. If you divide the grams of carbs by the total short acting, it will give you a very rough idea of an appropriate I:C ratio." what is the "short acting" if its not not the insulin?? The way i kinda understand it is that... no i read that part again and i don't understand it...

But what i thought was taking the carbs over a day and dividing it by the difference in too high to what it should be, but it's not maths class so that aint right I'm sure..

Subby

12-22-2008, 10:41 AM

Heh, I did check back one last time...

Let me try and rectify that.

Yes you are absolutely right "short acting" refers to an insulin.

Many diabetics use seperate insulins-
short (or rapid) acting = bolus insulin
long acting = basal insulin

Your gf uses a mix - it's both short and long acting, or bolus and basal insulin mixed in. So in one of her shots, she gets a certain amount of both. So it's not possible to so clearly talk of short or long.

So this exact way of working out an I:C ratio, is not directly possible for her, and it was definitely confusing for me to put that in!

Actually on second thoughts, if you find out what percentage of the mix is short acting, you might possibly use this method.

Here's a big hypothetical (the numbers are made up, you'd need to collect the info and substitute):

- 40 units of mix used in the day
- 200g carbs eaten in a day
- relatively matching overall.

- Let's say it's a 70/30 mix (70 percent shorts acting)
- So 70% of 40 units is 28 units
- 28 units of short acting is being used
- 200g carbs being eaten
200 divided by 28 is about 7

Suggesting an I:C ratio somewhere very very roughly in the area of 1:7, if she was using short acting and not a mix.

(again, this is a completely hypothetical number, just there to illustrate how such a number might be achieved!)

-Using a mix, the I:C can't be applied flexibly in the way it could with separate basal and bolus insulins, but it might help to determine how many carbs to be eating for those mix doses (remembering that the I:C applies to only 70%, or whatever percentage is short acting).

I hope that makes sense, the important part would be to double check what percentage of the mix is short acting. If it doesn't make sense, feel free to ignore it all and the original comment, it really is not critical.

The main thing is to start thinking in terms of consistent grams of carbs per meal and adjusting up or down to improve the results in a consistent way. That's pretty much the upshot.

Goodnight!

blade600

12-23-2008, 04:45 AM

Thanks, makes perfect sense now.... I'm even feeling exited that I'm getting to know the how, where and what story.. Now that I think I understand this part well enough (for now any ways) I can concentrate on the carbs section. :D

Going to visit her the day after Christmas, Friday... Christmas is a time to spend with family so I don't wanna just rock up there and besides I've got my family here too.. Can't wait to see her! A actually made some all-bran rusks just now, with half the sugar that it should have but still tastes good! Still have to leave it in the oven for 8 hours to dry, but I'm sure she'll like it..

So let me get started with the rest of my research!

Thanks again! You're a life saver :)

Subby

12-23-2008, 08:10 AM

Good one blade. Just remember... it's such a frustrating condition to combat at times... it often defies efforts and logic... various tactics and attempts may bear fruit in the short term, the long run or possibly may be a dead end road. A type 1 who isn't lucky (by luck I mean a number of things coming together) to have it all pretty much sorted, will need to be resilient, adaptive and positive as much as possible. I suspect your girlfriend has these attributes in spades, to get by on the outmoded regimen and lack of information as well as she does. But it will wear anyone down at times. With this in mind, patience, understanding and space are the three best attributes I can think of, for you as a close one, to bring to the situation.

It's nice to see how taken you are with this girl, I really wish you both the best for the coming year. :)

blade600

12-23-2008, 09:58 AM

Thank you, I'll keep in touch... Post back on what results we get..

We really love each other so much and yes being positive helps more than people realize... I told her to hold on, keep the faith and we'll get through it.. Stronger on the other side.

Thing aren't going too gr8 at home for her either, we just have to sort our finances out in the next couple of months and planing on hopefully moving in together about the middle of next year... I wonder why so many families are messed up??? It's weird.

I also get days that I feel depressed. I'm sure every one does, but you gotta be thankful for what you have and work towards a goal..

I really hope next year is going to be a gr8 year regarding work and home and health...

dbc

12-24-2008, 01:02 AM

It's scary! Sometimes it falls through the night and she wakes up, does the test and its like 2, so she drinks a bit of sugar water.... Small amount obviously, is it ok to drink sugar water or is there something better to use. I've heard you supposed to get some tablet thingys that if your BG is too low you should suck on one of them...

Hi Blade & welcome - nice to see other S. Africans here :)

Sounds like you're getting up to speed with this thing pretty rapidly, I only have one suggestion for now: For glucose tabs, use super Cs - they have about 3.5g carbs each, are easy to carry around ("never leave home without them") and are widely available. You take 3 or 4 when a hypo comes on (maybe more, depending how "deep" the hypo is) and check at 20-30 minutes. The thing is to try to avoid over-compensating for a hypo and ending up way to high - the whole episode can become a bit like a rollercoaster, bouncing between hyper and hypo for the rest of the day sometimes. (That tends to leave me feeling like a truck has gone over me. . . .)

Good luck, have a good Christmas

Dave