Jen's Diabetes Blog - Living with a Diabetic in the family
This is my own blog or record of how it feels to be the mother of an independent diabetic young woman who uses an insulin pump to control her diabetes.
Even though Alissa's now left home for University, I'm still involved in supporting her and helping gain control of her levels.
You can check up on my daughter Alissa's blog here - her experiences as a teenage diabetic make interesting reading!
You'll also find she has written a number of informative articles on this site too.
Although Alissa is now 20, I shall be writing about both past and present experiences in helping her manage her diabetes.
30th September 2007
Diabetes UK Magazine - Balance or No Balance ?
My daughter Alissa subscribes to this magazine and I felt that I had to write to them recently comment on the July-August
edition.
The story of Jennifer Fox, though encouraging as to what sums were raised for Diabetes UK, was just one of many stories of
hardship and difficulty faced by people living with diabetes. As a parent of a diabetic daughter who hopes one day to have her own
children, I found it a traumatic story to read.
I wrote to Martin Cullen, the editor, to suggest that it would make such a refreshing change to hear stories of success,
perhaps even introduce a "Young Achievers" award for teens and twenties who have made a real success of their lives in some
way.
For example, my daughter Alissa, now 20, was the first young person in Wiltshire to have an insulin pump and is a success in
her own right, now attending University as well as running her own successful internet business.
I for one would love to read more stories that inspire both her and me to achieve and persevere.
Whilst I don't negate the difficulties that diabetes can bring, the articles and stories that I find most helpful are those
which show what can be achieved despite having diabetes, as I'm sure would many of their younger readers.
This would also help to bring a real sense of "Balance" to the magazine - offering both support and encouragement to
individuals and families.
At present it offers information, recipes and health tips & facts, but is aimed mainly at older, type 2 diabetics.
A few simple changes and additions could encourage more Type 1 diabetics to enjoy reading what is essentially a well-presented and
well-priced magazine.
5th September 2007
Injected Insulin - Success or Failure for Diabetics?
I was disappointed to read that Pfizer are cutting production of their insulin inhaler. It seems that they'd anticipated a rush of
customers who would prefer inhaled insulin to injecting (and who can blame them for thinking that!?), but despite their advertising campaigns
there has been a disappointing uptake of this new product.
The product was expected to be popular as spraying insulin into your mouth would probably be preferable to injections, but regretably
coincided with a move by Novo Nordisk to reduce the size of their injection pens.
However, I can't help thinking that for people who've been injecting for years, the change to inhaled insulin and having to get used to new
levels of insulin and the consequent change in blood sugar levels, this change is just too big for many people.
Living in the UK, I don't know if cost could also be a factor also.
What I do know is that our experience shows that many medical professionals are hesitant (often rightly) about rushing headlong into trying
new "breakthroughs" until they are proven.
For example, it was several years ago that the technology was developed that could offer continuous monitoring of blood glucose levels, but it
is only relatively recently that this technology has been made readily available to patients.
2nd September 2007
What do you do about diabetic snacks ?
Apart from "hating" snacks or products that are sold as "diabetic" - what a way to rip off the unsuspecting public who want to buy their
diabetic friends something "healthy"!
We've also found that some of those cereal snack bars are packed with sugar and are pretty tasteless - hardly inspiring.
However, there are a few snacks that seem to be tasty and reasonably healthy - although they're hard to find, despite the masses of "snack
bars" and "cereal bars" that are available in stores these days.
Alissa's favorite is the Lyme Regis bars - they're made of natural fruit and have a low GI. She finds that she doesn't get a
headache after eating them as she does with some of the high sugar ones.
Of course, there are times when all you need is something unhealthy and packed with sugars, simply to get your blood sugars up if you've been
exercising or doing anything that would cause them to plummet.
We'd love to hear from other people as to what they buy and where - we've found that different stores sell varying products and that it's hard
to get a variety to ring the changes.
Email us and let us know!
Check out previous articles in Jen's Blog
- Jens Diabetes Blog - September 07
- Jens Diabetes Blog August 2007
Hot weather, insulin & diabetes - the magic of achieving good sugar levels in the summer heat
- Jens Diabetes Blog July 2007
Summer in Ireland, Travel & Diabetes
- Jens Diabetes Blog May 2007
May 2007 - Jen's diabetes blog about being the parent of a teenage diabetic
- Jens Diabetes Blog April 07
Jen's blog on popular diabetes blogs and healthy eating for diabetics
- Jens Diabetes Blog March 07
Jens diabetes blog - on self-testing, HbA1C and your blood glucose levels.
- Diabetes Blog Feb 07
Alissa's diabetes sick day regimen, her new pump, finding free supplies, pumping accessories, pump school online, eye complications and skin care
- Diabetic Blog Jan 07
Insulin pumps & Patrick the pump, signs and symptoms of diabetes, recipe ideas and the Balance magazine
- Diabetic Blog Dec 06
Jen's Diabetes blog - Christmas, Sugar levels (bad) and the GI diet
- Diabetes Blog Nov 06
Jen's Diabetes blog on how it feels to have diabetic daughter at University, coping on her own for the first time.
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