Hi! My name’s Andrea! I’ve been a Type 1 Diabetic for over 20 years and have had my share of highs and lows (pun absolutely and utterly intended!)
Because Diabetes is such a profoundly personal disease, this channel is nothing more than my own experience of being a Diabetic and the reality of living with a chronic condition. I would never dream of telling a fellow Diabuddy how to manage their disease - but if we can all share tips and tricks I think that would be top notch- almost like a blood sugar of 5.5 mmol/L (100 ml/dl)! 🤣
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional of any kind - simply a girl with Type 1 Diabetes! Nothing that I post should be taken as medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your treatment plan and seek medical advice if you have any questions about your individual Diabetes management.
Пікірлер
Dear padreson5907, in my opinion you are defending private interests. I am Italian but I would never have had the money necessary to cure myself in the insane American "health system" based only on private insurance. With the "poor" Italian system (similar more or less to the rest of Europe) I saved my skin a couple of times. For free (or rather with contributions paid by the entire society, including me).
How do you do the food thing with an insulin pump?
In all honesty, diabetics ARE the strongest people EVER, why? Because we Have to be in order to get through all of these lows and highs, very consistently juggling them all constantly while being resilient enough to come back from each one, we really need to give ourselves due credit everybody, WE ARE SOME THE STRONGEST PEOPLE, IF WE ARE ABLE TO GET THROUGH ALL OF THESE HIGHS AND LOWS, AND LOWS AND HIGHS WE ARE RESILIENT ENOUGH TO GET THROUGH ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING!!!! HALLEUJAH!!!! GO TEAM!!!!🎉🎉🎉
I remember watching this video freshly diagnosed. Now, six years later, I understand everything you’re saying.
Jesus yes so very true ❤
Thank you for explaining both systems as well as you have! I have been considering the Omnipod (currently on Tslim) and your explanation of the algorithms and micro-bolusing has been very helpful for me in my decision. I have been living with T1D for nearly 35 years and have seen so many changes in the technology available, I know how important it is to stay up to date and really understand how each pump works and weigh the pros and cons for yourself.
Thank you for the video. My son was diagnosed with TD1 less than a month ago on his 13 bday. I cry every day while I see him being so strong going through this. I pray every day for all of you and thank you for the uplifting video. God bless! 🙏
Last O5 video was all about how the algorithm kept you high and that you had to find ways to let the O5 know you needed more insulin. You made your settings more aggressive, you corrected often and you even dripped some insulin when replacing your pod. And you were extremely happy with the results. Now, that seems to not have worked and you’re letting the algorithm do its thing again. What are we missing? Thank you.
❤❤❤
classist, so true
I just found you and I am feeling everything you mentioned. I am in the process of "switching to a pump" but I am still trying to decide "which pump" is for me. I want to thank you for being honest in your journey. It's hard and scary and overwhelming. Will keep watching and maybe there's more to help me make the decision easier. thanks again Ali
Same here!!! I am in almost one month in ominipod system, and same happened with me
I wish I had someone to care that much. People just say ..you do so well. But they don't want to know parts 1 2 3 of your shorts and the problems we have with our consultants as per your post a while ago. 😢❤
My endocrinologist told me the very same thing. Let the pump do its job and don’t be correcting it all the time. I was having the same problem highs then lows! It drives you crazy and it’s hard to wait for it to gradually come down. I pre-bolus more and wait longer to eat. That has helped me a lot.
I dealt with stubborn highs while being in a relationship where the person yelled at me whenever they felt like it. So yeah the stress will do it....made me so upset though becuae I strive to keep them from going high very consistently....I so much appreciate you sharing your lows on here, we need to see that...THANK YOU!!!!!
AMEN, TRUE, THANK YOU!!!!!!🎉🎉🎉
I was given the same "hands off, let the system work" for TSlim Control IQ. But I'm not convinced (yet, anyway) that it responds accurately and quickly enough for me. If the system can see how much IOB and it knows what my target number is, why/how in the world do I ever get to 236 or some such number? Why can't it see I'm climbing and I'm going to get myself into trouble and do something about it before I actually go too high? Speaking of "too high" maybe that describes my expectations as well. I came here today looking for an update on how you're liking the Omnipod 5 after using it for a while. I want to go tubeless, but I need to know a lot more before I take that leap. Thanks for the update!
My DIAVERSARY is tomorrow!
Andrea rhank you for your video s, I learn soo much, my mom was type 1 from 1980-2014, til she passed away, she's been gone for 10 years, I'm kinda sad because my family doesn't understand what A Diaversary is. In sad because nobody makes a big deal or compliment me on how I try soo hard to survive every day
I'm a little sad , because nobody but me is a Diabetic In my family, and nobody understands what it takes to sur😢 this disease every year, which is mY Diaversary , like, just cus it's not important or special to those who don't have the disease but it's a milestone for us each year, I'm gonna speak for most of us Diabuddies!, nobody but my medical team sees how much work I put into taking care of myself, not easy, I always say all my non- Diabetic family will survive what I endure everyday, they d be crying to get out of it!
deleted my post thanks for nothing tony type 1 Leicestershire ukyou must understand that when a type 1 diabetic writes to you and nothing comes back we feel crap dont tell us to post il deal withall this s t like ive done for the last 40 years love yer
Hi Andrea! I am not a fan of complicated cooking for diabetes, as I tend to get recipes that are easy. Because about lunchtime no choices always make my glucose go high. So i started making wraps in the air fryer, it’s so easy and so fun and it’s not bread and I usually have ham and salmon in mine. 😊
I’m on steroids for Addison’s and woke up a couple nights ago to 400 BG. 2x in 1 day, and I don’t eat much.
Remember to set max basal per hour high enough to not stop the system out.
can i ask why you use glucose tablets over something like lollies/candy?
How did you make the corrections? Using the pump or using an insulin pen? I take almost all of my corrections as intramuscular pen injections (they are corrections in the end, so the faster, the better). Maybe quick corrections like intramuscular injections interfere less with the algorithm. I never tried it though. I stopped with looping because I didn't like the low standards of the algorithm of the Ypsopump. Following an untethered approach now, basal insulin 50/50% from long acting insulin and pump.
Taking corrections with a syringe would lower your TDD and would eventually lead to the system giving less basal insulin than needed.
@@user-nr5he3ic9o if that's true, and I totally believe what you're saying is true, then that's quite unfortunate. Would be nice to somehow be able to tell the pump that you made a correction. No doubt they have their design reasons for not making it possible (although it wouldn't surprise me if it's the usual exaggerated "hypophobia" of the medical industry).
@@DutchCarnivore I agree it would be nice. I would like to use Afrezza but for the reason I mentioned I haven’t yet. It’s quite a different sort of algorithm but it does have some major advantages which is the reason I’ve stayed with it.
@@user-nr5he3ic9o maybe solutions for this can be found in the DIY looping community, it would no doubt require a lot of research, manual setup and trial and error ☹️
I am new to insulin and I am new to Omnipod (within a month I had both, I was so sick) and I was told to correct and correct just like you. I was so mad because my basal rate wasn’t giving me enough. It took me talking to a different diabetic educator in my Endo’s office. We made a few aggressive changes (I had only been on any insulin 3 week prior to going on the Omnipod and I had no clue about insulin or even what an insulin pump was) now I only bonus for meals. It’s been great the last 3 weeks. I love it now.
What is considered often out of that context? Everything around 1,5 h for correction I see as normal, independent if your Insulinsource is a pen or pump.
my endo told me to be more hands off as well but I am not happy being at an average of 150!
I am a BBW T1D for 33 yrs. I started using a pump in 2019. I have tonssss of scar tissue on my abdomen and where I don’t is where I put my cgm. The best place I found that works for me is my chest/upper breasts. I’m on the hunt to find another reachable spot with a fantastic absorption. I’m hesitant about my thighs and can’t reach my back so I’m at a loss lol
You are very amazing and making people feel less alone on their diabetes journey thank you Andrea ❤ you are not alone on the Diabetes journey ❤ and thank you for making me feel less alone on the Diabetes journey
Would you consider making a video comparing the experience of living with T1D in, say, five different countries where you might have followers from whom to gather information? (*since you have followers all over)
I really needed to hear this! First time pump user with the Omnipod and I'm a teacher so started it in June when school got out, so have lots of spare time to watch what it does all day. I've been stepping in a lot to do corrections....and I've really struggled with the mental health side of diabetes since starting so I'll take the advice to just let it do its thing. Thanks for the vid! 😄
It is good to know but I wonder how you have your pod set up to allow our to automatically correct? I know that the Pod doesn’t automatically correct, no automatic correction bolus. But it will increase basal to make some corrections. The issue I have is the Pod never maxes out the basal rate. The first two pods it might. But after learning my basal rate it doesn’t. If I don’t step in I run high for hours. What I have learned and like is if I get my carb count close enough the pod does perfect. If I mess up my carb count no amount of basal changes work. A early correction is needed.
then, after diagnosis, My endo said today, you are going to inject insulin. Zap. 30 minutes later, wham. I went really low. Today, I am 83 years old. I have managed my diabetes pretty well for thirty five years. I urge your viewers to judge for themselves. None of my Endos or Primary care docs have been or are diabetics. They means well but have no idea of our reality. 😍😍
Your story of your teens and youth parallels my experience, Except, I was only diagnosed as a diabetic when I was 49 in age. Previously, I needed to urinate often. Often felt lethargic.
I am glad that my Nurse Practitioner is a kind person
I’m glad for that too!!!! 🥹
I think you have a good point. I’ve recently been scaling back manual corrections. If I’m constantly giving corrections then I’m going to have to watch my CGM like a hawk for the 2 hours after and that becomes mentally exhausting. In reality my TIR and A1C is still well above range just not as tight as before. My biggest problem with OP5 right now is telling the difference between a bad site and a temporary high blood sugar.
My biggest frustration with the Tslim is relying on my dexcom to get that feedback of what my blood sugar is doing. Sometimes when I start a new sensor my readings are all over the place, and it really messes with my pump. But my endocrinologist said she doesn’t want me going on manual mode, and that can mess with the algorithm? I’m not sure about that but I try to just leave my pump alone as much as possible, and do extra finger pokes on days when I don’t trust my sensor
You must be using the G7. Having the same issue with erratic reading for the first day or so. I do calibrate it when it is 20% off either high or low.
I didn't know you were Canadian!!!
The worst thing to say to a diabetic is that ‘it’s no big deal to have that.’😳
Thank you for the reminder. Sometimes I find myself getting into that habit of correcting & sending myself on that low/high roller-coaster sometimes. Overall I think Omnipod 5 algorithm handles things well. Of course nothing will be perfect with T1D. I have 2 main gripes with Omnipod. 1) I desperately wish I could set my target glucose lower than 110. 2) I wish Omnipod were more aggressive at treating or avoiding highs. I intervene when I see the high coming or wake up to it because I can't stand waiting 3, 4, 5 hours for Omnipod to SLOWLY bring it down. It's super good at avoiding lows. In fact, almost all of my lows are self-induced. There are 2 times of every day that I run high for an hour or so, for no discernible reason. So I switch to manual mode & set a temp basal. Rather than risk the high & slow return to normal. One other thing I've noticed is if I just do a correction, it seems Omnipod adjusts basal because of that IOB. So when I correct now, it's often by saying I had "this many" carbs when I really didn't eat anything. Then Omnipod delivers insulin without interfering with its basal delivery. If that makes sense.
You don’t have to make up fake carbs from my understanding. The algorithm will deliver the same amount whether you put in the carbs or just manually bolus the amount you want to deliver.
Really thanks for sharing tips
What a great surprise to see a new video from you on my birthday!
You are correct. I have t- slim and at night I wake up frequently and would see a spike in bld sugar so would bolus small amounts. My endocrinologist told me same thing, just let system adjust blood sugars. I set my pump to sleep mode so would be more aggressive and just let it be. Worked beautifully.
That was my question about the t-slim as well. I'll give it a try. Thanks.
I am on omnipod 5 since few months already. I was running high on omnipod 5 too aswell. So here are some steps I've done to improve the algorithm: 1. Set Insulin Activity Duration to the lowest setting: 2 Hours 2. Set BG target range to the lowest setting: 110 mg/dl 3. I started using Basal Long-acting insulin in parallel with the Omnipod 5. My BG has significantly improved since then from 130mg/dL before to around 90-100mg/dL now. 4. I was considering deluding Omnipod 5 insulin with water to make omnipod 5 more aggressive with basal corrections. 5. I would avoid using Fiasp insulin with Omnipod 5 as some people reported fiasp not working properly with the pump. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- P.S.: From what I understand omnipod 5 learning is only gathering data about "Your Total Daily Insulin", so the advice to correct as much and as aggressive as possible should be viable. Maybe consider deluding omnipod 5 insulin with water once in a while to make algorithm more aggressive.
Switching Duration of Insulin Action to 2 hours will not affect the algorithm it will only change the recommended boluses you give yourself manually.
@@user-nr5he3ic9o Are you sure about it? I have an impression it indirectly affects the algorithm. Lower Duration of Insulin Action will decrease the amount of Active Insulin and lower Active Insulin will allow more aggressive basal corrections. So the chain goes like this: decreased Duration > decreased Active Insulin > aggressive basal corrections.
@@Timmy111888Yes I’m sure. If you still have your manual it’s the very last Note on page 252. DIA will only affect the smart bolus calculation that you manually give yourself. The extra basal you are taking will reduce your TTD . This will actually significantly reduce the amount auto mode basal corrections given to you. As for diluting insulin this would only change your TDD for a pod or so and it seems like a huge pain. You could reset the controller for a higher TDD with the same effect but again this only works for like 1 or 2 pods. Good for a temporary illness but not much else.
@@user-nr5he3ic9o - You are right, page 252 says active insulin is not used for auto basal calculation. - The extra basal is indeed reducing my pod's TTD, but that is what I want, as it allows me to be more cost effective with my pods and push them into the grace period of 8 hours without running too low on insulin. Also it reduces the risk of getting ketoacidosis if the pod doesn't work correctly (happened to me before). - Diluting Insulin is not an optimal solution at all and would only temporary effect the algorithm. I wish Insulet gave us more control over the algorithm, but it is not likely going to happen.
For our teenage I very much prefer the manual mode. In automatic he would get 40 percent less basal then he would need and constantly had to correct. I am not willing to let him stay at 150 hours on end. 😮
I had a similar issue. Sounds like the bolus values for carbs and correction might be to weak. If you don’t take enough bolus the pod won’t deliver enough basal. It likes the 50/50 or 60/40 split between bolus and basal.
Greetings, again from Ontario, Canada, Andrea! Thank you for the info! I'm considering moving to a pump, but am overwhelmed with all the info. I don't find daily dosing with pens to be a mayor inconvenience. Any advice? Awesome shirt, by the way!
You are so well informed so I cannot compare my adult son to you. I remember when you started that you were running 300's and got I think you said 30% less insulin by the Omnipod deciding what you needed. I could be remembering wrong. I know there is no way my son would run 300's and not correct because he would feel so lousy. So the question is would you correct still if that was the case as it was in the beginning for you? That is if I am even remembering this correctly. The alarms alone would be maddening.
This has been my experience as well. For those of us who have been used to managing our diabetes (and doing a great job, thank you very much 😉), it is super hard to back off and let an algorithm manage it for us. Obviously people with a working pancreas don’t give it much thought, but we’ve had to. Now that the pumps are getting better and better at anticipation (sure there is some argument to be had there), we have to learn how to let the system work. Some days I’m thrilled that the O5 manages things so well and then there are the days (weeks even…like this one) where I wonder if the system has gone to sleep and isn’t paying any attention at all. Thank you for the encouragement you give all of us to press on and keep learning how to stay healthy with T1D.