September 25, 2009

Newbie Week at Diabtes Daily

Our friends over at Diabetes Daily are running series of post for the Newly Diagnosed.

In that spirit I offer up YDMV's collection of newbie posts.

Here are YDMV short bits and tips for newbies. Hopefully I can pass on some mildly useful advice with a bit of humor to help folks new to type 1 or at least give’m a small chuckle.

Listen up Newbie!
Newbie Advice: The Long Run
Newbie Advice I: Insulin Resistance
Newbie Advice II: Pain in the Alliteration
A Little Help From Your Friends
A Little (More) Help From Your Friends
Newbie Advice III – Why aren’t we in The Caymans?
Newbie Advice IV: Never Buy a Meter

September 24, 2009

Bayer Contour USB Availbility Update

Bayer says they expect it to be available in Novemeber. My guess is it takes that long to write all the lovely FDA stuff we throw out as soon as we open the box.

September 23, 2009

From The News Wire: Bayer Contour USB


(My review)

Bayer announced a new meter with a built in USB plug. It looks kinda cool. Groovy color screen. Smallish. I like the idea of getting rid of cables particularly the proprietary ones.

With this and the game based meter* Bayer seems to be kicking up some meter innovation. I like that Bayer and WaveSense with their iPhone app** are getting outside the typical meter box.

On a side note: Bayer if you are listening I would love to see you guys all back at FFL.

From their press release:

Bayer Diabetes Care today announced U.S. Food & Drug Administration clearance to market the CONTOUR® USB blood glucose meter. Bayer’s CONTOUR USB is the first and only blood glucose monitor that plugs directly into a computer providing users with instant access to information that can help optimize diabetes management. The CONTOUR USB meter is integrated with Glucofacts™ DELUXE software for easy retrieval of data as well as longer-term tracking and analysis of blood glucose test results.
more

There is a dedicated web page at: http://www.bayercontourusb.com/

Also Here at YDMV:
*bg on ds no bs
**wavesense iphone app first impressions

September 16, 2009

From the News Wire: Medtronic Meters & Pumps Rulling

Medtronic was trying to stop a former partner from making a meter that talks to their pump. Maybe this ruling will open the doors to other meters talking to pumps. Hello WaveSense you're up to bat dudes.

A federal jury in Los Angeles has dealt Medtronic a defeat in its efforts to prevent former partner Nova Biomedical from selling a line of blood glucose meters that are able to communicate wirelessly with Medtronic insulin pumps.

At trial, Medtronic alleged that Nova misappropriated its trade secrets and sought $30 million in damages and an injunction removing the meters from the market. But an eight-person jury unanimously rejected all of the claims Friday, after three weeks of trial. Bradford Badke, a New York-based partner at Ropes & Gray who was lead counsel for Nova, contends that the case came down to the testimony of expert witnesses.

"They said that the technology incorporated in Nova's meter was trade secret communication technology that only they had the right to use," says Badke. "The testimony of our experts demonstrated that the information Medtronic said was secret was not, because it was in a publicly available product and anyone could ascertain it from looking at the product."

More

Baby Sitting

Litterally.



This is a little dude we get to hang out with. He is more into Legos than Lantis. Good judgement.

-- Post From My iPhone

September 14, 2009

Hey Look

There is a crack in Delaney's pump case where the battery cap screws in. Maybe that is how water got in.


I picked up a replacement today and in addition to working and being waterproof it has a shiny color screen.

She named it Fredrick. So we have Alfred the CGM receiver, Fred the CGM trasmitter and Fredrick the pump rounding out the diabetes technology trillagy.

September 11, 2009

Paw Prints

I got home last night and there was grill with bacon grease on the range.

I think one of the dogs got on it.




-- Post From My iPhone

Of Mice and Men: Biotransformed Blueberry Juice Fights Fat and Diabetes

Juice extracted from North American lowbush blueberries, biotransformed with bacteria from the skin of the fruit, holds great promise as an anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent. In mice.

Biotransformed? Does that mean fermented with the wild yeast on the skins?

Pass the cinnamon.

I am not a Diabetes Expert Either

Allison, across the pond, has a rocking little bit today on the difference between washing machines and diabetes.

Like with Scott’s post earlier this week the value for me is in appreciation what I don’t know. Scott’s gem was we don’t have an ownership position in diabetes, we manage it. Allsion’s brilliance is, “I must conclude I am more mystified by my own diabetes than my washing machine, but I do feel I understand it enough to live well.”

She points out we are good at empathy.

Great stuff from a Borg.

Scott & Allison thanks for helping me appreciate that I am not an diabetes owner or expert.

Love Ya/Mean It.

September 9, 2009

Dexcom Slang

I think we are taking to this sensing gig OK.

Here an exchange between the Mrs and I.


Mrs, "Delaney needs to be checked in a half hour."

"Has Alfred woken up?"

"Yes"

"Has Alfred been fed?"

"Yes. She was 63 and had a juice."

"Ok."


Translated in to actual human speech that was:


"You need to stay up and check Delaney I am going to sleep."

"Has the CGM come out of the start up period yet?"

"Yes"

"Was it calibrated? With two blood tests?"

"Yes. Don't for get she was low, had a juice and needs a real check, I am going to sleep now. You are checking her."

"Oh right."

CGM Tip: Don't Loose Transmiter.

Tonight is new sensor night. Connor took off his CGM Borg connection and tossed it on the counter.

"Hey don't loose that the transmitter is still in there."

"Oh right." Oh right is a reflex action with a teen and does not signify comprehension, "I'm hungry"

"I'm making dinner. 15 minutes."

"Oh right - I'm hungry now."

"You still gonna want dinner."

"Yeah." Walking out with a bowl of food, "I'm gonna do homework."

Less than two minutes passes. He is back lookin' around the counters, "You seen my thing."

"Transmitter?"

"Yeah."

"You just had it."

"I lost it."

Fourteen minutes of looking, with repeated searches of a smelly trash can. I found it right next to the Lucky Charms.

I swear you can't make up this stuff.

September 4, 2009

CGM Training Star and Start

Ashley, the Dexcom nurse trainer, emailed and asked about our first night with CGM. How is that for customer service?

This is my reply to her. As you will see I was real happy with the way she managed training.

Ashley,

The Dexcoms are awsome!

Both kids were very into seeing numbers come up at the end of the startup period. By the end of four hour both had used trend information in consideration of their current BG state and chosen to confirm that with finger sticks.

Delaney and I had a conversation on the value of pre-bolusing based on the shape of a curve that resulted from her night time snack. We also talked about not chasing the curve and stacking insulin. Instead we looked at IOB and watched the insulin kick in in real time.

Connor had a hard workout at the gym and went a little low. It proved to be one of those stuborn ones. While Bg did come up a little faster on fingersticks he was keeping an eye on his prigress or more like his lack of progress with the Dexcom.

I was particularly happy with your training process. You were well organized and clear in your presentation. I felt you were particularly focused on the kids who would be wearing the units and seemed to pace your presentation of information on the rate that worked for them.

I am confident that Delaney was fully engaged but not overwhelmed. I think that she at twelve had the least apprehension of the insertion of anyone in the room. I think that is in part due to the practice on the box process you took her through. To a larger extent I think she was confident in herself because your actions showed her you were confident in her.

Thanks Again

Bennet


Full disclosure: I own shares in Dexcom. I expect will be writing a lot about our experiances with these things. I may need to come up with a disclosure in the side bar so a) I stay honest about it and b) I can stop tacking it on to posts and subjecting all of you to my crappy spelling any more than is nessisary.

September 2, 2009

YDMv: Dexcom Fewer Trees

Dexcom does a better job at packaging than Animas' Ping.

Here is the Dexcom starter set and a month of Seven sensors. I think you could get three or more of these start up kits in the Ping box.

Of course getting these into the Ping box is the goal but that is another story.



YDMv: Our Tech - The Next Generation

Managing variability has always been part of the mission plan. Short of using zillions more strips than we now do knowing when our diabetes varies wasn’t always possible so managing it was a distant possibility.

Enter the CGM.

Both the kids are excited about the prospect. Delaney last night felt low. She tested and was right in range. Still felt low and tested a little later and had dropped 40 points. She would be low soon. I could see the light bulb go on. “Dad the arrows will help me know this.”

Connor is starting to think he may have a drop sometime overnight. The sensor will help him see if there is in fact a trend. Finding V and helping the kids own the management of it is the mission.

Today we start inserting sensors in addition to infusion sets. They will be carrying a CGM receiver in addition to a meter and pump.

Let see that is:

Three LCD screens,
Two subcutaneous insertions,
And a poker on the finger tips.

Sounds like a Christmas Carol.


To downsize the V the kids are becoming the Borg.