Sweet Bytes Newsletter January 2015

 

Welcome 2015

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you had some time for family, loved ones, peace and relaxation. Diabetes does not rest however and certainly gave me a whipping over the break….how did you go? I am writing a blog post about things that make you go hmmmm when you have diabetes – hit me with yours and I will include them!

Very excited to announce that my diabetes Apps are up on the Google play store and will be on Apple soon! One is Diabetes Minder which tracks BGL and stress and how they are connected as well as being able to add reminders for taking meds or blood tests etc the second is for women in pregnancy – Diabetes Pregnancy Pal x

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appexperts.diabets.minder

Helen E xxx

 

 

DIABETES CAN’T STOP ME

As a person living with type 1 diabetes since childhood and working in diabetes for many years, Helen Edwards wanted to offer families a resource which takes some of the stress and worry out of managing diabetes. Growing up with her own diabetes struggles, working as a social worker for 25 years and using play therapy in her practice; as well as having hundreds of conversations with families about their daily lives with diabetes, all led to the creation of Diabetes Dino®. We hope you and your child enjoy reading and playing with Diabetes Dino® and Dragon, and that they can help you to have a calmer, happier and healthier relationship with diabetes.

http://www.diabetescounselling.com.au/store/#!/Hard-Copy-Books-&-Toys/c/11295493/offset=0&sort=normal

 

OUR DIABETES COUNSELLING AND EDUCATION TEAM

Diabetes Counselling Online has a team of qualified health care professionals. This includes a psychologist, mental health social worker, counsellor, diabetes educators and a dietitian. Most of these people also live with diabetes themselves and/or have many years experience working in diabetes care. We therefore bring an understanding of life with diabetes to our work.

 

While our focus is on counselling and mental health, we also offer general advice regarding diabetes management.

Our team can not make changes to your individual diabetes management but we can work with you to develop plans for how you can address this with your usual health care team.
We offer short term e-counselling and e-consults primarily via email. We can also offer telephone and/or Skype sessions in some cases. At present this may be an addition to your e-counselling or education and can be negotiated with your counsellor or other team member, once you get started.

Often counselling and education occur at the same time as issues can be related to both mental health wellbeing and diabetes management. We will decide the best person to work with you based on your needs and the experience and skills across our team.

http://www.diabetescounselling.com.au/counselling-and-diabetes-education/

 

20 THINGS I HATE ABOUT DIABETES

Helen Edwards

Sometimes I get sick of telling people that their diabetes will be ok, and they will be ok, and everything will be ok. Not because I don’t believe that to be true, I do. I think everything WILL be ok. But damn it, diabetes is NOT always ok. I am exhausted at the moment- are you? It is that whole end of year, nearly at Christmas, we can see the finish line thing.

My 6 year old Maxwell got up today and fell asleep on the couch for a minute or two, and then jumped awake shouting, “I wasn’t asleep!”He gets that from his Dad.

And my 15 year old couldn’t manage day 4 of work experience. I know his problem.

The thing is, not only am I exhausted from working bloody hard and sleeping very little all year. I am exhausted from managing diabetes. Do you know what I mean? It has NOT been ok. I have had swings from highs to lows and sudden hypos that freaked me out and stubborn highs. My gut problems from gastroparesis continue to play with me. And some days lately I have felt like maybe it WON’T be ok…..

So here are 20 things I hate about diabetes (coz we all have to get this crap out sometimes – try it, it helps!) Feel free to share and comment if you feel the same or want to add to the list

1) It’s so damn unpredictable and never ending

2) Finding spots for finger pricks after 35 years and up to 20 tests a day is pretty hard – you should see my fingers, they are a mess…..

3) There are no perfectly 100 % accurate blood glucose monitors and do you KNOW how much difference a 1 or 2 mmol reading can make to some of us with type 1??

4) My skin is stuffed and finding sites for my pump continues to be a delight of each and every day

5) Hypos, especially sudden ones where I go under 3 mmol freak me out

6) Hypers, especially unexpected ones where I go over 16 mmol freak me out

7) People ask me all the time in airports to “take the pager off” as I go through the scanner

8) It is exhausting

9) The general public don’t get it. They think it is simple.

10) It has damaged areas of my body that I am terrified will just get worse…

11) Exercise is a debacle, you need a PhD and even then your theories will be challenged every time you go out for a run

12) There is no spontaneity

13) Leaving home to go out involves lugging a suitcase with you

14) Carbs Carbs Carbs you are such a challenge – can’t live with em, can’t live without em

15) I worry that my children will get diabetes

16) I worry about losing my blood machine or breaking my pump, or forgetting to put it on after a shower – being reliant on machines to keep you alive is stressful

17) It costs a LOT and we should have a concession card- all of our lives

18) It keeps me awake at night- sometimes sitting up to make sure my levels are not too high or too low before going to sleep

19) All the “I quit sugar” people give me the shits

20) It is for life. It isn’t going anywhere fast. The promised cures never come. This is IT.

Rant over.

Oh and you know it WILL be ok. It always is in the end. But sometimes you just gotta get this stuff out. If you are feeling like me- please comment and share. You will feel better trust me and at least we know we are all in it together next time you are sitting up at night, or screaming at your blood glucose machine.

Helen

xx

Helen Edwards has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1979. She is Mum to 3 sons, the founder of Diabetes Counselling Online, a diabetes educator, social worker and PhD Candidate studying diabetes distress in pregnancy for women with type 1 diabetes. She is also a successful Interiors Blogger and Stylist at www.recycledinteriors.org and runs creative workshops, an online store and studio in Adelaide – just for a life outside of diabetes.

 

Diabetes at Primary School

Helen Wilde, Senior Counsellor

Something to think about as Term 1 draws closer

Anne Marks, a PhD candidate from the University of Western Sydney is conducting an Australian study exploring parent’s, teacher’s and diabetes educator’s experiences of intensive insulin therapy for children in early primary school.

If you are a parent, teacher or diabetes educator caring for a child with type 1 diabetes who is;
* attending kindergarten, year 1 or 2
* using intensive insulin therapy (insulin pump or 4 daily injections) and receiving an insulin injection or pump bolus at school

contact Anne Marks [email protected] for further information.

The study involves an interview which can be conducted in person or via telephone.

Participants must live in Australia.

 

HYPOGLYCAEMIA AT SCHOOL

David Mapletoft

Children of all ages require a safe and effective plan for those times when not under their parents supervision

‘Hypo’ or a low blood glucose level is one of the fears for all people living with diabetes.

A low blood glucose level will often occur unexpectedly, sometimes without an obvious cause.

For the child with diabetes, a low blood glucose level may lead to loss of concentration and behaviour change – possibly disruptive behaviours.

Talk to your child’s school about diabetes to help your child attain an education without discrimination

Education and Care Services National Act and Regulations: Australia

“In January 2012 new national legislation (Education and Care Services National Act and Regulations) requires a type 1 diabetes policy for all services providing or intending to provide education and care on a regular basis to children under the age of 13 years. This includes outside school hours programs. More information on the medical conditions section of this legislation can be found on the Australian Children’s Education and Care Authority website http://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-regulations” from HERE (Diabetes Australia Victoria)

As a parent of a child living with diabetes it is in your best interest to communicate with the headmaster of your child’s school before or at enrolment

Duty of Care

Schools have a legal responsibility to provide:

a safe environment

adequate supervision

When the school knows that certain students have diabetes, staff (including relief staff) need to know enough about diabetes to ensure the safety of those students (especially in regard to hypoglycaemia and safety in sport). Parents/guardians have a responsibility to advise the school of their child’s medical condition and the particular requirements for the management of their child’s diabetes. For children with special requirements, a written individual management plan incorporating medical recommendations should be developed with the school in collaboration with the parents/guardians and doctor. This should be attached to the student’s records. from Diabetes Australia

Hypoglycaemia Symptoms

A very good multimedia presentation from the Royal Childrens Hospital, Melbourne, can be found HERE

Managing Hypo

Managing hypoglycaemia

Hypoglycaemia (“Hypo”) means a low level of glucose in the blood. This is a blood glucose value of less than 4.0 mmol/L.

Hypoglycaemia can be caused by:

Too much insulin

Vigorous exercise without extra carbohydrate

Missing or delayed meals

Not eating all serves of carbohydrate

Alcohol intake

If you would like to share, or debrief, about your experiences please visit our Forum orFacebook

Research

“The management of type 1 diabetes in Australian Primary Schools” by Diabetes Nurse Practitioner, Associate Lecturer UWS Anne Marks HERE

Children using insulin pump therapy were more likely (97%) to receive insulin at school than children using injections (55%)

Children in the study who were able to self-administer insulin were more likely to receive insulin (93%) at school than children who were unable to self-administer insulin (65%)

Parent Concerns:

62% reported that they had current concerns about diabetes management at school

Difficulty participating in school activities

Inclusion at meal times

Lack of independence

Missing school, classroom activities or time with peers

Safety

Lack of staff to assist with care

Impact on parental employment

Increased workload of teachers who are willing to assist with care

 

Other Resources

Helping the Student with Diabetes to Succeed

sample-emergency-care-plans-for-hypoglycemia-and-hyperglycemia-508

Kind Regards,

David, Diabetes Educator @ Diabetes Counselling Online

 

 

DIGITAL MEDICS

Paid advertisement

 

“Are you living with insulin dependent diabetes? Digital Medics introduces the new Smartplus digital insulin pen and mobile diabetes management app.

The Smartplus Insulin Pen is a new digital insulin delivery device, which was launched in Germany in 2012 and is sold in over 20 countries in Europe. The pen boasts not just 0.5U accuracy but increments of 0.1U.

To inject insulin – dial up the dose on the LCD display, press the ACT button and a precision motor delivers the insulin. The pen stores and displays around 2 months worth of injection doses, including the date and time of the injection.

The pen has a rechargeable battery, which has a lifespan of 300 recharge cycles (approx. 5 years).

The pen supports insulin cartridges from Eli Lilly and Sanofi-Aventis, which means that Humalog, Humulin, Apidra and Lantus insulin are supported. The pen is also compatible with ‘standard’ pen needles.

Furthermore you can download your insulin injections and glucose levels to your computer using our DiabeticPlus Software. The data is made available to your mobile devices such as the iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

The mobile apps feature a logbook, daily profile table, reports and charts for statistical and medical analysis.”

 

BREAKFAST WITH DIABETES

Sally Marchini

Many people have been asking me about their breakfast choices lately, so hopefully this blog will help to answer some of your own breakfast questions.

They usually want to know how to choose a good breakfast cereal, how much of it to have to keep them feeling satisfied til morning tea without disrupting their blood glucose results too much, what they can have instead of cereal that is quick and easy and still healthy and how to enjoy a breakfast out without tipping the scales too much.

Before starting though I’d like to remind you to not make any changes to your current diabetes routine without first checking with your own health care professionals. These are meant as general guidelines only.

Why do we need it?

As people with diabetes, breakfast is important to us for several reasons:

It helps to get our blood glucose levels off to a nice level start, especially when we include a moderate amount of low-GI carbs

It helps us to manage our appetite better as the day progresses, especially so we don’t end up very hungry and tempted to make poor choices

It fuels our brain so we can mentally function better and cope better with the curve-balls that diabetes can throw at us

It helps to reduce insulin resistance by providing us with the low-GI energy that our bodies need to function better

What should be in it?

A good starting place is a reminder that with each meal we should include low-GI carb sources, preferably 2 carbohydrate serves as a minimum, and a protein serve to ensure we have the slow release of glucose to keep our brain fuelled for peak performance and our tummies happy so we don’t crave poor food choices by morning tea. Extra fibre also doesn’t go astray.

How to choose a good breakfast cereal?

If you recall our earlier blog on label reading, when reading cereal packet labels we should be looking for whole grains,nuts and fruit with little or no added sugar or oil in the ingredients listing if possible. Ideally we’d like the fibre to be at around the 10-15g/100g level, but if it isn’t then extra can be added in the form of bran, psyllium or chia seeds to boost it.

Remember too that if you have nuts included in your cereal it may fall outside of the total fat value of 10g/100g, saturated fat 2g/100g targets that we aim for, but as long as there are no other fats listed then all the fat is from the nuts so it’s okay.

So if you’ve got the whole grains and the nuts and the dried fruit and the low-fat milk or plain yogurt for added protein and low-GI carb, you should find all the reasons listed above satisfied for the importance of your breakfast.

How much of it should I have?

Certainly an important consideration as too much could upset your glycemic control, rather than helping it, and could also contribute to unwanted weight gain.

Everyone is different and the answer will depend on your activity levels, on your hunger and of course on your diabetes management objectives.

This is where it’s important to check with your own d-team, preferably an Accredited Practising Dietitian, about how much is right for you.

What can I have instead of cereal?

So many clients I see tell me they don’t like cereal, and that’s fine. We all have different tastes. There are many other breakfast options that are suitable for people with diabetes.

Multigrain toast and muffins with an egg or baked beans for added protein and extra veggies to help you meet your 5 veggie serves are awesome. Avocado and fresh tomato on toast (no need for a spread) is also a great way to get started. And peanut butter works on toast to give you the extra protein serve to keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Fruit smoothies also work well for those of you who struggle to eat in the mornings.

Cooked breakfasts are also wonderful when you have a little more time, and including veggies in there is a great idea.

I actually really like the ideas included in this blog by one of our Diabetes Counselling Online Facebook group members, Dr Lyndal Parker Newlyn: The Beauty of Breakfast that also talks about why it’s so important to get into this healthy habit.

What about eating out for breakfast?

Eating out can work well if you remember the diabetes basics about low-fat, low sodium and whole grains.

Choose meals like a bircher museli with fresh fruit and plain yogurt, or spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes on multigrain toast, or served with baked beans for that low GI carb with protein included.

And enjoy a coffee made on low-fat milk for the good low-GI carb and protein hit.

Traditional breakfast ideas that should be reviewed for better diabetes management

The first thing that springs to mind is fruit juice. Traditionally many Australians enjoy a glass of juice with their breakfast. With diabetes it’s not an ideal option when you consider that we’re aiming for two pieces of fruit per day and a glass of juice provides the carb energy of closer to 4 pieces of fruit without the fibre.

Avoid crumpets – yes, even the wholemeal ones. Not only do they have a high glycemic index but they’re also high in sodium (sodium bicarbonate is used to make the holes) and most people like to have butter or margarine on them which adds unneeded extra fats.

Doubling up – Some of my clients tell me they have both cereal and toast, and unless you’re having a half serve of each, you probably don’t need to have both. This is where many of my clients see a rise in their BGL readings 2 hours after breakfast, when basically they’ve just had too much for their system to manage.

What do you eat for your diabetes breakfast?

Please share below what your favourite breakfast ideas are, in case they spark someone’s tastebuds into action. We have different tastes, so the more ideas we can share the better!

 

Hello, are you okay?

Viv McKenna

My neighbour was found dead in his bed today.

Peter was a grumpy old man who alienated most of the other residents of our small retirement village. Originally from England, he had one sister alive, with whom he’d had an argument three Christmases ago and they hadn’t spoken since. Apart from me, only two other people here would even speak him.

Peter had type 2 diabetes which he was proud to have well controlled by diet, exercise and metformin since he was diagnosed over 20 years ago.

I was talking to him last Thursday when he told me he had been having difficulty with his breathing and had been to the doctor. Peter was upset that he’d had to give up his morning walks which he previously took rain, hail or shine. His doctor had prescribed an inhaler which he was going to get the next day. I suggested he make sure to learn how to use it properly otherwise he wouldn’t get the benefit from it. That was our last conversation.

This afternoon, Frank knocked on my door to ask when I’d last seen Peter. He had been upstairs to visit him but found everything locked and the blinds still down. He’d knocked and called but there had been no answer. Frank said he had last seen Peter on Saturday and I agreed. We talked about the possibility of him having gone into the city in a taxi which would explain why his car was in the garage and Frank went off to phone the hospital to see if he had gone to the chest clinic there.

Not long after, the maintenance man and the housing manager from our complex were at Peter’s door trying to dismantle the lock and gain entrance. They ended up having to break the window to get in and found Peter in his bed.

So Peter died as he had lived – alone. If it hadn’t been for Frank, it could have been days before he was missed.

And it made me think. How many of us, especially those of us who are getting older, have multiple chronic illnesses and live alone, have made sure that our loved ones know where the spare key is. How often do we go without making contact with those closest to us – do we do so daily, every two or three days?

Unlike Peter, I’m one of the fortunate ones with family and friends who care about me and with whom I have regular contact. I worry that I am being a nuisance if I make contact too often, but now I think it is probably a good idea to talk about it with my children and work out a regular time frame they would feel comfortable with – it only needs to be a text or fb message.

It’s also important that your medications are recorded somewhere. I have one of the excellent St John’s Ambulance record booklets which you can stick on your fridge – they’re available from most chemist shops and some doctors’ surgeries for a gold coin donation. That way if the ambulance has to take you to hospital they can easily locate your medication record which will assist your emergency care team.

I feel sad for Peter – he was grumpy and difficult to get along with but he grew wonderful roses and enjoyed a chat out the back.

 

Member’s Story

Dave Barnes

From DCO’s Mens Facebook group site

Diabetes is sometimes like riding a bike in a headwind, you may have the best gear and a strong pair of legs to crunch the peddles but you just feel like you are working hard for every metre forward.
As a bloke I am am always conscious when and if the condition will take my ability away to work, to drive, to play physical sport, to enjoy sex, to not put the added burden of complications on my spouse and my family.
I grew up with a father who had it, he had all the mess that goes with it included heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and all resulting in a long slow death. It continues to haunt me and is a key reason I work so hard to stay active and fearless.

I am active but the fearless bit is a bit of a furphy.
Right now in my life I am starting to forget things. Every day things but I am forgetful and I am thinking is this because of diabetes? Some days my eyes hurt and get tired and I think is this the diabetic retinopathy playing with me? Some days I get agro at the smallest of things, some times I feel depressed and think, is this my diabetes and my blood sugars?
In reflecting on these some of them are diabetes and some of them are just, life. I think it is good to put some reflection into the every day grind. It’s wise to put some perspective of who I am and where I am at as a man and as a diabetic.
For the former, I think I’m doing ok; I have two beaut kids who are well, smart and active. I have a wife who is honest with me and does so much for us all. I have a job and I get to train for triathlon. As a guy I am OK. As a diabetic I have OK HB1C’s but my eyes are the first of my aging signs of diabetes. I need to “watch out for those.” I takes me a long time to do a wee which is to do with some diabetic thing which is another sign I am not 21 any more.
In a nut shell I’m doing OK but it is a battle that needs to be fought. Diabetes is not the type of illness like cancer that strikes like a blitzkrieg and kills like a thief in the night. It is like land erosion; don’t look after the land then the land starts cracking up and good earth turns to salt. In response, I have to see doctors, endo’s, pump people, eye people, feet people regularly to keep in check. My battle plan is that because If do These things I stay ahead of the game and don’t get played by the condition.
So fella’s enjoy your low carb beers and the nine to five and some sex with your lady and cricket with your mates. But remember to take care of yourself and to add some time for reflection so you can work out just what is important and what is not. In regards to diabetes, best thing as a bloke to know is to talk to your mates and if you can’t find any, come here to this site and have a chat or a rant. It’s OK, your wife can’t hear you!

 

For St. Valentine’s Day

Diabeadies® by Vivi are a range of bracelets, custom made by one of our founding members, Vivienne McKenna

The bracelet shown is a single strand stretch moonstone bracelet with hand-made gemstone & hand-made

Tibetan silver framed charm. We also have matching earrings.

All bracelets are CUSTOM MADE using only genuine gemstones and Tibetan or Sterling silver frames and mounts, with some rhinestone and Swarovski crystal highlights. Other gemstones available are Amethyst, Jade, Aquamarine, Sapphire, Garnet and Rose Quartz. Please allow 5 – 7 days for Viv to make them and then post them out. All post will be tracked.

http://www.diabetescounselling.com.au/store/#!/Diabeadies®/c/10606339/inview=product41125084&offset=0&sort=normal