Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tracy K on September 7, 2010 at 6:51pm

i don't know why it can't be someone here, but it wasn't actually the principal who said that, it was another staff, the same one who felt it was pretty sad that i was going to let my job stand in the way of my son's care (yes, actually said that- okay, well we can file for bankruptcy and lose our house and car so i can stay home and walk to the school a few times a day-45 mins each way in 40 below- because it is irresponsible of me to keep said job and trust the school with my child. yeah, right!). anyway, i will see what the principal says in the morning. His 16 yr old babysitter is in the flexible alternative high school program and I can always get her, but she would need to walk there and wouldn't be able to make it in incliment weather... the point is I shouldn't have to. hopefully this can get resolved in a reasonable amount of time. I am also going to apply for a position at the school, basically saying okay, you don't want to deal with insulin, then YOU employ me, cause it is not fair to my current organization. if my husband didn't need to have multiple jobs, I would quit mine, homeschool and look for something in the evenings. but actually, I couldn't even do that as my job has our benefit plan attached to it....

Permalink Reply by maureen on September 7, 2010 at 8:20pm

Oh Tracy, I feel for you...I can't believe a staff member would say that to you, is she the same one who's child is Type 1 as well. If so, then they have the luxury of being at the school with their child knowing that their child is getting the best care possible. And it is not right to assume that you can just quit your job, not many could. If you don't get a satisfactory answer tomorrow morning, I would definitely go higher, it doesn't hurt to ruffle some feathers. I sent my letter to some biggies on our local board and the worse they can say is no, so it doesn't hurt to ask. Does you school get funding for ed assistants for children with medical disabilities? Have they hired in the past? I hope that you can get it resolved before the end of the week. Fingers crossed for you. xoxoMaureen

Permalink Reply by Jeleis Nolan on September 8, 2010 at 1:45pm

Tracy- have you conetmplated using a different insulin? We use NPH and NR and the way it works out, Brendan never needs insulin in school unless maybe he is sick. I thought that would be fairly often but it doesn't look like it. I just saw that now you are getting a pump so maybe my suggestion is a little late. Just wanted to tell you that the NPH and NR is a harder system then lets say Levemir but it does ensure that as long as he eats proper amount you can do insulin at breakfast supper and bed and know he is that much more safe at school. Just a suggestion:)

Permalink Reply by John on September 8, 2010 at 1:54pm

We have been using Novorapid + Lantus for a couple of years, and have started trying out adding NPH in the morning and skipping lunch time rapid. Lantus still covers basal, and novorapid covers breakfast and dinner, use NPH in the morning if you know you can't be there to give the rapid at lunch time.

BTW I've seen recommendations to NOT mix NPH and rapid - apparently this gives a more predictable response than mixing.

Permalink Reply by Jeleis Nolan on September 8, 2010 at 4:26pm

well our endocrinologist taught us to mix it so that's what we do. I quit trying to read opinions on that unless it is a study performed or it has concrete evidence. Brendan has been doing good on it so I think we will stick to that. If the studies show not to mix it then I am sure our endo will change that, but for now we are going to just do one poke for both insulins at breakfast cause it is working for us:) Maybe that is different with an adult or under different circumstances I could see. Hope all is well with you John and don't mean to sound rude:)

Permalink Reply by Tracy K on September 8, 2010 at 8:15pm

it was kind of crazy today at the school being the first day, so i haven't been able to make much progress other than gettting another form to fill out..... we used to be on NPH, but the lantus works way better for Ezekiel. Besides that he has always been a lot more bothered by being limited in what or how much he can eat than by the shots. Currently his lunches vary any from 45 carbs to 160 carbs. Not only that but we have been approved to get a pump on a payment plan so we will be starting that hopefully soon (we are waiting for the new minimed veo which is scheduled to be available on the 20th of this month).
as for mixing... we started off mixing as we started with syringes. when we switched to the pens a few weeks later they told us that we would still need to use a syringe in the morning to mix to avoid the extra poke, but we let him decide and he would rather have 2 pen needle shots then 1 syringe. for us, going back to nph would be like going backwards. hopefully though it will all work out.

Permalink Reply by Emmy on September 8, 2010 at 9:34pm

Why not count the carbs for his lunch when you pack it, and then give him an insulin syringe in his lunch case that already has the correct dose of insulin in it? That way all he has to do is swipe with alcohol, let it dry and do his injection, put the syringe back in his lunch bag and eat his lunch.

It would take a minute or two in the morning, or the night before, but it's way simpler than having to get a teacher or someone else to check his insulin dose.

You can buy protective cases for syringes, which would make it safer to carry it in his lunch bag.
Something like this would be good, and its inexpensive, so you could buy 2 or 3 to have a spare
http://www.insulincase.com/Borinhalbich-Mini-Pocket-Syringe-Case-P4...

I left my insulin pen at home last time I went out because I didn't plan on eating out at all. We ended up having dinner at someone's house and I had no insulin with me. My husband went to a drugstore and bought a pack of 10 syringes and I had just bought my insulin refill and had it with me, so I was able to do my shot before supper. it worked out that time, but I decided that from now on I carry my pen or prefill a syringe, and pop it into my bag just in case I need it. No more going out without insulin, no matter what!

You can prefill your own syringes with no problem from a vial, but you can also prefill them from a pen too. Just insert the syringe into the pen instead screwing on a pentip, and do the injection right into the syringe. No need to buy a vial, no waste either.

I do this when my penfill needs to be changed and I don't want to stick myself twice - once to finish the penfil and the second time to do the rest of the shot once I change the penfill for a new one. Saves time and hurts less.

Syringes do come in handy!

Permalink Reply by Tracy K on September 9, 2010 at 8:04pm

Emmy, that would be a good suggestion, but my boy would flip out at the thought of using a syringe! (lol) He told us a few days after switching to the pen that he never wants to use one of those again. And for the first couple of months after switching to the pen he would start to flip out when his dad would get his own insulin ready afraid we might be trying to use a syringe on him!
We will be gettting a pump soon, just don't know how soon till we can go to Winnipeg for a week for training, but the minimed has a bolus wizard, so I am thinking that if I do pre add the carbs in his lunch that he just has to match the number on the pump with the number on the paper and surely someone can just say yes that is the same number or no it is not. the only bad thing doing it that way is he would have to decide how hungry he will be the night before then someone needs to make sure that he finishes his lunch. (and there is not a lot of staff in the lunchroom compared to the number of kids!).
Also it took a whole 2 days before complaining about only being able to have free snacks at snack time and how unfair it is that other kids can have juice and granola bars and it's 'all because of stupid diabetes' and that's why 'diabetes is so dumb' and for tomorrow I will find myself at the school 3 times:p

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on September 12, 2010 at 10:57am

Or, using the bolus wizard, he can eat one item out of the packed lunch at a time and only bolus as he chooses an item and eats it.

Permalink Reply by Tracy K on September 12, 2010 at 12:11pm

that's a good idea. but he is only turning 6 next week. How easy is the bolus wizard and would he be capable of doing it on his own (without supervision. I know he would pick it up to some extent, but it is the supervision part that is the issue for us right now).
For anyone using the MM pump, at what age were your children self sufficient with bolusing using the bolus wizard? (guess I should start a new discussion on that one:)

Permalink Reply by Emmy on September 16, 2010 at 8:42pm

There are a couple of different covers you can get for syringes, so they look more like pen needles. This might work for now.

http://www.totaldiabetessupply.com/insulin-syringes-and-pen-needles...

or one of these...

http://www.shopwiki.com/bd+automatic+injector+inject+ease

http://type1diabetes.about.com/od/parentingmarriagesiblings/a/fear_...

Permalink Reply by Tracy K on September 17, 2010 at 9:23am

thanks for the links, but we will now be for sure pumping October 5. so hopefully it won't take them forever to get someone to assist him with that. The minimed paradigm veo pump has a bolus wizard so it will be entering the carbs he is eating into the pump, which he should be able to do with supervision. it is just the adding of the prelabelled things in his lunch (someone would need to add for him) and making sure he is enter the right number (not 85 or 28 if it should be 58). It will be easier, but the school may be more afraid of it. I did let them know and they are just going to skip trying to get someone helping with his pens and go right toward pump assistance.

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