In case you haven't heard, Animas (Johnson & Johnson based company) and the JDRF are teaming up to bring new, exciting, innovative technology to the treatment of diabetes!
You can follow this link to read more about this new development:
www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=2458B97B-1279-CFD5-A70D0580F67A16A9
You may have heard medical professionals refer to the "artifical pancreas" before, and this is exactly what this project entails. It would be the closest attempt at automating the way we can control a diabetic's blood sugars. Even though it might take up to 4 years of testing before the first model is released, this is still very promising. Although the "first generation" model will not be fully automated as of yet it sets the precedence for the further developments of what will hopefully be full automation in the future. At first, until further advancements are made the device will still have to be instructed manually to deliver meal-time boluses. But with this new technology, real-time adjustments would be made with the amount of insulin to be released from a device much like an insulin pump based on the continuous monitoring of the blood sugar. Most importantly, it would stop releasing insulin when the sugar became too low and adjust when it became too high all on its own. This could really help us out with those pesky 2 am finger pricks and worrying about nighttime hypoglycemia (lows). Do you realize this could possibly free our children!? It could potentially release them from over 2,000 shots and over 3,000 finger pricks per year!
I know this is just the beginning, but it still makes me very excited! I hope years from now I will still be blogging, and my post can be titled "It's all behind us!" While I pray for a cure, I also pray for new innovations that can make it easier on my child. And, this is great news!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sugar Show!
What a neat name for a community event about juvenile diabetes, huh?
The 2010 Sugar Show will be held at Philips Arena on Sunday, February 28th at 12pm. Follow this link for more information: www.jdrfgeorgia.org/sugar-show.asp
This is a very exciting event not only for parents who are eager to learn new, updated valuable information about caring for their children (including new techologies!!), but it is so much fun for the children who attend. Why you ask? Because they will be entertained on the basketball court home to the Atlanta Hawks! Plus, at 6pm you will get to sit with your child and enjoy an Atlanta Hawks game!
The tickets are only $10 per person, so go online and purchase yours now!
I don't know about you, but I am so incredibly thankful for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and all they organize for us!
The 2010 Sugar Show will be held at Philips Arena on Sunday, February 28th at 12pm. Follow this link for more information: www.jdrfgeorgia.org/sugar-show.asp
This is a very exciting event not only for parents who are eager to learn new, updated valuable information about caring for their children (including new techologies!!), but it is so much fun for the children who attend. Why you ask? Because they will be entertained on the basketball court home to the Atlanta Hawks! Plus, at 6pm you will get to sit with your child and enjoy an Atlanta Hawks game!
The tickets are only $10 per person, so go online and purchase yours now!
I don't know about you, but I am so incredibly thankful for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and all they organize for us!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Taking Control
An simple step to help maintain good control of your blood sugar is often overlooked. But, it should be easy to remember because it even has the name "control" in it! Control solution! If you don't have some for your glucometer, go get some!
Control solution is how you are able to test your glucometer strips and/or your glucometer for accuracy. Yes, testing your sugar is important, but the results are only useful if they are accurate! The manufacturers of glucometers work very hard to ensure their meters and strips are reliable, however trust me problems can arise! My son has only been diagnosed for six months, and we have already had two vials of test strips that have needed to be replaced.
The control solution test is very easy to perform, and it is best to complete a control test when:
1. You open a new box of test strips and/or
2. You feel there might be a problem with your machine's readings
First, ask your Moye's pharmacist which control solution you need for your meter. (Each manufacturer makes its own.) Second, if you have prescription insurance, have your Moye's pharmacist call your child's diabetes doctor to get a prescription for the control solution just in case it might happen to be covered on your plan. (Contact your insurance plan directly if you are unsure.)
Once you have your control solution in hand you are ready. Treat the control solution just as you would blood from your child's finger. You will place it on the strip according to your meter's instruction booklet. (Read the booklet that came with your meter first as some meters have ways to tell the machine you are doing a control test so the result will not be included in your child's saved data.) Next, the result on the glucometer screen will be compared to the range printed on the test strip vial. (Note: some manufacturers have level 1 and level 2 solutions so two ranges might appear on the vial. Be sure to match the range up to which control solution you are using.)
If the result on the screen falls in range, you are good! If not, then you simply call the phone number for the manufacturer of your glucometer usually printed on the back of your glucometer or if not in your instruction booklet. They are super helpful and will help you figure out how to troubleshoot what is going on with your strips and meter. In our case, the manufacturer realized it was due to faulty strips and shipped us out replacements. Simple as that.
Pay close attention to instructions and additional information printed on your control solution's vial as well. Some have to be shaken well before use. And, others expire 3 months after opening for first use, etc.
I realize there is so much to remember when dealing with this disease! To me that is probably the hardest part. Playing mommy and nurse can be such a balancing act! The easiest way to remember this important step is to only open up a box of strips as you are about to use them. And think to yourself: "New box=control solution test." I also keep my control solution sitting out on the counter with our other supplies so I see it often which serves as a reminder.
Having said all of that, we can end with a very positive note! Imagine having a diabetic child BEFORE the technology of glucometers?! Now, THAT would be tough. I know moms who went through that. So, I guess even though there is quite alot to remember, we can still be very thankful!
Control solution is how you are able to test your glucometer strips and/or your glucometer for accuracy. Yes, testing your sugar is important, but the results are only useful if they are accurate! The manufacturers of glucometers work very hard to ensure their meters and strips are reliable, however trust me problems can arise! My son has only been diagnosed for six months, and we have already had two vials of test strips that have needed to be replaced.
The control solution test is very easy to perform, and it is best to complete a control test when:
1. You open a new box of test strips and/or
2. You feel there might be a problem with your machine's readings
First, ask your Moye's pharmacist which control solution you need for your meter. (Each manufacturer makes its own.) Second, if you have prescription insurance, have your Moye's pharmacist call your child's diabetes doctor to get a prescription for the control solution just in case it might happen to be covered on your plan. (Contact your insurance plan directly if you are unsure.)
Once you have your control solution in hand you are ready. Treat the control solution just as you would blood from your child's finger. You will place it on the strip according to your meter's instruction booklet. (Read the booklet that came with your meter first as some meters have ways to tell the machine you are doing a control test so the result will not be included in your child's saved data.) Next, the result on the glucometer screen will be compared to the range printed on the test strip vial. (Note: some manufacturers have level 1 and level 2 solutions so two ranges might appear on the vial. Be sure to match the range up to which control solution you are using.)
If the result on the screen falls in range, you are good! If not, then you simply call the phone number for the manufacturer of your glucometer usually printed on the back of your glucometer or if not in your instruction booklet. They are super helpful and will help you figure out how to troubleshoot what is going on with your strips and meter. In our case, the manufacturer realized it was due to faulty strips and shipped us out replacements. Simple as that.
Pay close attention to instructions and additional information printed on your control solution's vial as well. Some have to be shaken well before use. And, others expire 3 months after opening for first use, etc.
I realize there is so much to remember when dealing with this disease! To me that is probably the hardest part. Playing mommy and nurse can be such a balancing act! The easiest way to remember this important step is to only open up a box of strips as you are about to use them. And think to yourself: "New box=control solution test." I also keep my control solution sitting out on the counter with our other supplies so I see it often which serves as a reminder.
Having said all of that, we can end with a very positive note! Imagine having a diabetic child BEFORE the technology of glucometers?! Now, THAT would be tough. I know moms who went through that. So, I guess even though there is quite alot to remember, we can still be very thankful!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Welcome to our new blog!
Let me take a few moments and introduce myself. I am Dr. Felicia Mitchell, a pharmacist with Moye's. But, first and foremost like so many women today in the workforce, I am a mom! The job that never ends, but pays you back with warm hugs and sloppy kisses!
Being a pharmacist has helped me as a mother several times when I have dealt with medical illnesses in my children, but it especially came in handy this past July. My son J, then just four years old, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus. While we do have a family history of diabetes, the diagnosis still came as a huge shock to our family. It gave me somewhat of a peace of mind knowing already about how to give shots, how the insulin works, and how to use a blood sugar testing machine (glucometer.) But, there wasn't a class in pharmacy school that prepared me for the emotional roller coaster I was boarding. It has been (and in many ways still is) a very bumpy ride. It was hard to remove myself from the situation and actually use my knowledge. It was very soon after than I realized that us moms are way stronger than we think! (I also learned that our children are even stronger than us!!)
Some of you may follow this blog for general entertainment, but others of you might be the mom of a child who is diabetic (also known as a juvenile diabetic.) Either way, Moye's decided to start this blog as a support system for all the moms out there with diabetic children who need somewhere to turn to have someone to listen or understand about what they are going through and read valuable information. Another revelation I have realized since July is the abundant lack of education about diabetes in young children in our community. That is the second reason Moye's is beginning this blog. Teachers, youth pastors, grandparents and more can log on and read important information and ask questions as well.
So, welcome. And, stay tuned! New blog topics are coming soon including glucometer tips, insulin expiration dates, and tips for eating out!
Feel free to post under comments what topic you would like to see discussed in the upcoming months!
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