Tuesday Topic: Relying On, Well… The Relion

Relion

For at least the last decade, I can recall the same test strip options being available: Freestyle, Freestyle Lite, Accucheck, OneTouch, and Precision.

Do these brands come up with new, more precise technology? No doubt. They do. Are the most up-to-date options, with the most accuracy and painless application, ever covered by my insurance? Never. Take for example the IBGStar testing machine, Sanofi’s development for the iPhone. This is real cool but not cool enough to pay $1.50 per strip. (more…)



A Guide to Using Diabetes as a Pickup Line

Couple at Bar

Over this discourse, I am going to rationalize why it’s okay for folks with diabetes to use the disease to pick up a love interest. Some would label these tactics as exploitation—I see it as using your resources wisely. I’m completely cool with using up karma from previous suffering (Reference here, here, and here) At the end of the day, don’t we all just want to be interesting? Given that diabetics usually carry, at any given moment, syringes, a portable IV-like machine, sugar tabs, and sharp things, we are incredibly interesting! Plus, it allows us to be vulnerable right off the bat. Not many can achieve that. These methods, while rather crude, have been tried and tested in many situations during high school, college, and early adulthood. (more…)



Tuesday Topic: The Great Lancet Debate

Lancet Bowl

Diabetes folks are frequently asked, “Does that hurt?” after we prick our fingers. Well… yes and no. Once you’ve stuck yourself 87,000 times (a figure calculated by the high school Algebra class I taught in 2013-14), the pain of the stick can be coolly dismissed by a simple “I’m used to it”. When the pain exits the familiar experience and enters the realm of pain experienced when the nurses test my sugar, that’s when I usually switch lancets. (more…)



DDG Quickie: Pump Site Preference?

photo (2)

Lately I’ve been exploring more creative placement of the pump sites. I use Medtronic’s Paradigm insulin pump with the Sure-T (6mm) site.

For the first 4 years or so of pump life, I targeted the stomach as the primary target. As I began running and cycling, available area in the stomach thinned up a bit. During college, I used mainly my hips and upper butt. I noticed a bit of scar tissue when I started running more often and decided to explore. (more…)