DBlog Week: Nothing Permanent except Change

Thursday - Changes 

Today let's talk about changes, in one of two ways. Either tell us what you'd most like to see change about diabetes, in any way. This can be management tools, devices, medications, people's perceptions, your own feelings – anything at all that you feel could use changing. OR reflect back on some changes you or your loved one has seen or been through since being diagnosed with diabetes. Were they expected or did they surprise you?
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I just wrote about it in another post, but the way technology has changed the way we care for Elise is mind-bottling (Blades of Glory, anyone?).

We went from using NPH/diluted Humalog and checking her BG almost every two hours, to being able to micro-bolus with her pump and watching her BG from miles away using Nightscout. In only 7 years.

Totally mind bottling.

Of course there is always room for improvement.  We love our Omnipod, but the PDM is a little pre-historic.  If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we design the PDM to be a little more smart phone-ish in looks?

Speaking of smart phones and PDMs, one of the major downfall of the pod is that if you lose/leave behind/have a fatal PDM error, you are SOL.  Wouldn't be awesome if there was an app you could use in these instances?  Bolus Elise from my phone?  Yes please!

(Yes, I am aware I have a total delusional attitude about these things and have no idea about the inner workings, but dream with me here, mmmmm'kay?)

And further speaking of all things smart, I wish pumps in general were a little more brainy.  For example, we used to use the extended bolus every day for Elise at dinner.  It's just how her body works... we can never give all the insulin up front, no matter what she eats.

But we discovered that the extended bolus function doesn't work for us. Because she needs about 50% up front, a small amount during hours 1 and 2, and the remaining by hour 3.

What we end up doing is just manually bolusing her at certain times after dinner.  The result?  Exhausting.  Because if I get caught up in other stuff and forget, her BG skyrockets.

I'd love to see a pump where you can tailor the extended bolus to your needs.

I'd just like to add that we've messed with ratios and basals and that just makes it worse.  Elise has been this way forever when it comes to dinnertime.  The only thing that ever worked was diluted insulin.

Actually, just give me the Bionic Pancreas please.

To wrap it all up into a neat little package, I am amazed by how far we've come. And waiting with eager anticipation at just where we might go.