There are so many options anymore, after all it is 2016! There are APPs that help you count your carbs, log your sugars and help you track if you need better sugar control through the day or night!
Maxwell Software has an APP called 'Dailey Carb- nutrition counter and glucose tracker' it is very user friendly and it also tracks more than just your sugars, it tracks you water intake and weight for an all around healthier life.
It is so important to track your sugars and overall health with Type One, it can really affect your overall health and well being. You can use this data to take to your doctors visits and it will help them know how to better help you!
Virtual Support Groups You aren't alone! There are so many support groups you can access, from social media to organized societies, like JDRF.org. They have it all, from being able to email in specific questions and getting a response to public chat forums and social support groups you can join. They have groups for newly diagnosed, caregivers, teens with T1D, adults, women, men, recipe swaps, travel tips and tricks... just to name a few. They are an AMAZING resource that is available in an easy to use forum. Go take a look!
Educate yourself and others:
Type one diabetes particularly in the younger population can be very scary and hard to manage. Many children are diagnosis in the ER due to DKA. It is important to know the signs:
Symptoms may occur suddenly and can include:
- Extreme thirst
- Frequent urination
- Drowsiness or lethargy
- Increased appetite
- Sudden weight loss
- Sudden vision changes
- Sugar in the urine
- Fruity, sweet or wine-like odor on breath
- Heavy or labored breathing
- Stupor or unconsciousness
Why you Blood sugars matter:
As a caretaker or as a patient it is important to understand the potential risks so that you can be able to do everything in your power to control you A1C, your A1C is your blood sugar averages over 3 months, it is a great indicator of how you are managing your diabetes and minimizing your risks of complications. Diabetic pumps are a excellent tool in managing your diabetes. The FDA has newly approved a pump with Medtronic that works with your CGM (continuous glucose monitor) to self adjust your insulin levels. This is just one of the exciting advances in medicine towards improving diabetic management.
The insulin pump:
This is a picture of a pump. A medical device that delivers insulin through a small plastic catheter that goes in your skin, you just change the injection site every three days. This device allows for a continual dosing of insulin to go into your body to better mimic the pancreas. This device also is great for communicating with your doctor. You are able to download the information right from the pump at your doctors office or you can upload from the comfort of your home to a health portal for your Doctor to view your Glucose readings and make adjustments.
Your Doctor can have you upload your pump and meter through a health portal which will store your BG (blood glucose readings) and the bolus's (insulin per meal or snack) that you receive and communicate that into the portal so that your Doctor can securely access the information and adjust your insulin requirements based off of your blood glucose readings and the amount of insulin your body is receiving. This allows for real time management of your diabetes.
Selecting health websites and APPs:
When selecting an app or health website it is useful if it is referred to you by a trusted health professional but you can decide for yourself if the information would be useful to you and safe to trust by following some general guidelines. Ask yourself the following: Why did the person create the page, what is in it for them, are they trying to sell me something? Accuracy: Is the information based on sound medical research, can the information on the web page be verified by another source? Look to see if there is any clear bias, look how current the information is, these are good indicators of how reliable the information is on the websites or when using an app.
Accessing and maintaining personal health records and using patient portals:
As mentioned above using the patient portals can be very helpful when trying to get information to your doctor. It is particularly valuable when the information can be used to adjust your insulin levels so that you do not need to wait until the next visit to your doctor before making a beneficial change. When utilizing the medtronic pump and meter as shown above you simply plug your pump into your computers drive and log onto your account to upload your information.
Basic computer information:
The cloud is a useful tool to help store your information so that you and your doctor can access it, it is shared storage. Your memory on your computer can also impact how fast your computer can go and how fast it can process things, so to use the patient portal and the cloud effectively you need a computer that is up to date and has memory available. Web browsers like safari, google, internet explorer, etc. can help you find different web pages for more information on diabetes. Some great websites include: http://www.diabetes.org/ and http://www.jdrf.org/.
