HYPERGLCEMIA

Hyperglycemia is when my blood sugar goes TOO HIGH!  It is dangerous for blood sugar to go up.  This can cause more physical problems for the future.  It is one of the major causes in Juvenile Diabetics.  I consider my blood sugar high when it is above 180.  High sugar levels are determined by you doctor.  Once it is above that reading, insulin must be used to bring the blood sugar level down.  Some symptoms are:  high blood glucose, high levels of sugar in the urine, frequent urination, and increased thirst.  Hypergycemia happens when the body has too little insulin or when the body can't use insulin properly. When my blood sugar is high, I do the following:  give my self insulin (how much denpends on how high the blood sugar reading is)or exercise.  When I have high blood sugar, I test my urine for ketones.  Ketones are produced when the body burns fat for energy.  Too much of this is not good and causes ketoacidosis which can cause life threatening problems.  Some symptoms are:  shortness of breath, breath that smells fruity, nausea and vomiting, and very dry mouth.


Future problems from ongoing hyperglycemia include:

• Eye problems
• Diabetic kidney disease
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Nueropathy (nerve damage)
• Slow-healing cuts and sores
• Decreased vision
• Nerve damage causing painful cold or insensitive feet loss of hair on the lower extremities
• Stomach and intestinal

SO, in order to stay as healthy as possible and have good control over your blood sugar readings, one must check blood sugar a good amount of times each day, exercise, and do the appropriate amount of insulin.  

Hypoglycemia

For this blog, I will talk in more depth about Hypoglycemia.  WHEN MY BLOOD SUGAR DROPS, it means that I am 'low'.  When I start feeling low, I immediately check my blood sugar.  If my blood sugar is lower than 70, then I am considered ‘low’.  If so, I have to intake ATLEAST fifteen carbohydrates in order for my sugar to go back up to a normal level.  After I intake the fifteen carbohydrates, my blood sugar SHOULD go back up within fifteen minutes.  So, it is best to wait fifteen minutes, and then retest my blood sugar.  If it seems to be going up, then I am okay.  If it is staying the same or dropping, then another fifteen carbohydrates should be intake.  The process must be repeated until the sugar reading is normal.  Usually, fifteen carbohydrates work the first time.  It is best to drink J U I C E when low.

It is very crucial to take care of blood sugar lows as soon as possible. If not taken care of as soon as possible, one can start vomiting, faint, have a seizure.  If a person has had JD for a long time, sometimes it is difficult to feel symptoms of low blood sugar, so it is best to test your blood sugar regularly throughout the day.  Symptoms of low blood sugar usually include: sweating, weakness, shakiness, and hunger. 

If worst comes to worst, and a person has a seizure or faints because of very low blood sugar, then the Glucagon needle is what should and must be used.  The Glucagon rescue consists of biosynthetic human glucagon, in a freeze dried form within a vial, a sturdy syringe, pre-filled with a sterile diluting solution, and a visible brightly-colored red or orange plastic storage box, which includes instructions.  I have never had to go to this extreme.  This is an extreme and should not have to be dealt with because a person's sugar should be kept good-but anything can happen.

JD (TYPE 1) IS NOT THE SAME AS TYPE 2

I am tired of people thinking that JD is caused by a person eating too much sugar.  NO, -WRONG.  Like I said in a previous post, JD begins in childhood and there is nothing to do to prevent it.  In this blog post, I will explain the DIFFERENCES between JD type 1 and type 2.


Symptoms for JD type 1 are excessive thirst, frequent urination, irritability, nausea and vomiting, hunger, weight loss, weakness and fatigue, and blurred vision, whereas type 2 symptoms include itchiness, tingling or numbness in the hands or feet, sores that heal slowly, recurring bladder infections, fatigue, and blurred vision.  


When having JD, there is no insulin reproduction from the pancreas whatsoever, while when a person has type 2, the pancreas still manufactures insulin, but  the body cannot metabolize glucose from the food eaten and turn it into energy.  Insulin must be taken when having JD (insulin does NOT CURE diabetes), but pills must be taken when having type 2.  


While JD typically occurs in children, type 2 typically occurs in adults.  JD is the inability to produce insulin, whereas type 2 occurs in people who are over the age of forty, are obese/overweight, and have a family history  of genetics that consist of diabetes.


Not many differences, but type 1 and type 2 are EXTREMELY different in reality.  


If anyone has any questions I can answer, please comment back and I will discuss the answers too the questions!!

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO TODAY, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH JUVENILE DIABETES!!! IT HAS BEEN A LONG AND HEALTHY JOURNEY!

Insulin Pumps: Your Best Bet!

A very simple and great way of staying healthy is a JD tool called an Insulin Pump.  I have a Medtronic MiniMed, but there are so many other companies that make insulin pumps, such as Roche-Disetronic, Animas, Johnson & Johnson, CozMore (Smith’s Medical), Medtronic MiniMed, Insulet Corporation, and Nipro Diabetes Systems.  Each has their differences so it is best to discuss with your doctor which one is the best for you.


What is an insulin pump?  An insulin pump is another way of giving your body insulin other than injecting yourself with a syringe every time you eat. It is literally PUMPS INSULIN into your body!

This picture is a photo of a Medtronic MiniMed insulin pump (which I have in pink). As you can see, the black beeper-like object is the pump, the white circle is attached to the skin (there is a tiny catheter that is in your skin), and the clear tube is what attaches both pieces.  The buttons are pressed to type in how much insulin you want to pump into yourself for each time you eat.  The insulin pump pumps insulin through the tube, through the infusion set, through the catheter, into your skin.  When the insulin enters the body, it is not felt or even noticed.  This is amazing tool for JDs because having to shoot yourself with a needle every time you eat is such a pain and inconvenience.  Instead of inserting yourself with a needle, you can just press some buttons and BOOM-the insulin travels from the insulin pump itself, through the tubes, through the catheter.  It is amazing, painless, and convenient.

COMPONENTS OF AN INSULIN PUMP:

• Insulin Pump (above)

Reservoir 

Insulin

Injector (injects set into the skin)

Alcohol pads/adhesive 

Infusion Set

Size of catheter

The pump has the reservoir inside, which has insulin inside, which is attached to the infusion set, which is attached to the skin.  Now, I will discuss the process of changing the insulin pump.  First off, it is important to change the insulin pump infusion set every two days.  Every two days is sufficient because it is so easy to get infections the longer a person waits to change the set.  Once I have all of the components, I do the following:

• Take the old infusion set out of skin, disconnect the infusion set from the reservoir, and rewind the pump so that a new amount of insulin an be stored in the pump for the next two days.  
• Once taken apart, take a new reservoir and draw insulin from the insulin bottle.  
• Connect the end of the infusion set to the infusion set.
• Put the infusion set into the pump.
• Make sure you get insulin out of the end of the other end of the catheter to make sure that insulin will properly be going into the skin.
• Load the injector with the end of the opposite side of the infusion set which will be inserted into the skin.
• Press the button and CLICK, the catheter and infusion set are in you before you know it!

That is it-easy and simple.  Sometimes it does hurt when you insert the catheter into your skin but it is just for a quick second.  It is much better then ten injections a day.  Below is the size of the needle versus a catheter.  It is not much a difference; when it comes to needles, any difference is great!

The doctor will assign you two different dosages of insulin:

• basal (an automatic insulin drip throughout the day)
• bolus (a manual insulin dosage for each time you eat)

Now you know what insulin pumps are and how they work.  Insulin pumps are better when trying to manage blood glucose levels to the best of your ability.