New “closed loop system” research project

I am starting in a new study and they need more Type 1′s, especially males, but not limited to us only.  You also need to be a pumper.  Read the first little bit of info below.

If you are interested just let me know and I can put you in touch with the right people.  This is being done at UVA, Charlottesville, VA so I would guess you need to be able to get there easily.

Thanks,

Ron

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Why is this research being done?

Scientists are working to develop a closed loop system to control blood sugar in people with diabetes mellitus.  The term closed-loop system refers to insulin dosage adjustments that are made automatically by a computer
based on blood sugar level readings. The closed loop system is made up of three devices, a continuous glucose monitor, a computer that uses a mathematical formula to calculate the dose of insulin, and an insulin pump.

This is a scientific research study that will look at how a “closed-loop” system and the drug Pramlintide may work together to improve blood sugar control in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Pramlintide is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is given as an injection (subcutaneous) that works with insulin to lower blood sugar.

In this study we will use FDA approved continuous glucose monitors (CGM’s) DexCom Seven Plus™ and insulin pumps (OmniPod Insulin Management System or OneTouch® Ping™ ). The computer software that manages the mathematical formula to determine the insulin dosage is considered experimental. We will ask…

Canines Improve the Lives of Diabetics

Talented dogs trained to recognize low blood sugar can help diabetics live a more fulfilling and healthy life.

By Elijah Wolfson

 

"If I’m asleep and my blood sugar drops, she’ll wake me up."

Kathy Allbright felt her life slowing down.

After years of long hikes by herself and exercising vigorously without any assistance, her type 1 diabetes was finally starting to limit her activities. It reached a point, Kathy says, that “it felt a little paralyzing.”

Kathy has a condition common among type 1 diabetics: hypoglycemic unawareness. That’s when a person can’t feel a rapid drop in blood sugar until it’s too late—until he or she is overcome by dizziness, stomach pains, confusion, or even a blackout or seizure.

Read more: http://www.healthline.com/health-feature/diabetes-service-dog#ixzz12uZxIgjv
Healthline.com – Connect to Better Health

Well, it’s official now

As of Wednesday I am finished with Phase 1 of the Artificial Pancreas research program at UVA.  However, I have volunteered/been asked to join Phase 2, which requires a lot of suffering on my part.  Only because I hate IVs and will have to live on one for two, separate 24 hour studies.  Especially when I found they go in my hands…almost fearful.  But I will face it for the “D” Team! 

They will use the IV to draw my blood every 30 minutes to 1 hour for the 24 hours. 

They will also artificially run my BG up and down to find out how to build algorithms to auto-adjust insulin delivery in varying situations.  With the final outcome being an Artificial Pancreas; hopefully, in the next five years.

As I get ready for Phase 2 I will update you here, maybe from UVA (assuming they have free Wi-Fi in the rooms).

ALSO, important to me I am now a full time user of the Omnipod insulin pump system.  I was amazed at the ability, great personality and efficiency shown to me by the Insulet rep, Kobie.  YAY for Kobie (along with her great Australian accent) she did a great job.  She has been recommended on other sites too:

Also, do you have a personal contact at Insulet? If I may make a recommendation, ask to speak with Kobie. That is, if you’re not designated someone based on geographic location. She was my contact and she was with me every single step of the way. She really cared about me and wanted to make sure I got on the "pod."

I have been on the Cozmore pump (no longer in business) and the Animas Ping (in business but I never got comfy with it) and the Omnipod is the best fit for me by most all measures.  Keep in mind that a pump is a very personal decision and just because I prefer one over another doesn’t mean that you should make a decision based on that.

Another Closed Loop/Artificial Pancreas update

Well, I had not realized it but found out at the end of last week was my last full week on the Omnipod and Dexcom 7.  This Wednesday, 10/06/10 I have to turn the PDM and Dexcom back in to UVA and Phase 1 of the Closed Loop research will be at an end.

However, and this is a biggie to me, after our research Focus Group meeting I get the PDM back and can go on the Omnipod fulltime.  Of course, that is if the Warlords, Blue Cross/Blue Shield will allow it.  But more on that as I learn.

As I have stated all along, the Dexcom is just OK but nothing special at least in my life.  You may get great benefit from it and that is great, but the ability to trend doesn’t give me that much that I already deal with by knowing how I feel.  But with the Omnipod….

I love that thing and want to go to it full time ASAP.  After 4-5 years on the Cozmore pump (my first which I liked) and several months on the Animas Ping the Omnipod has it all over both of them.  Better than both just because there is no tubing to mess with.  The Cozmore had more features but no tubing is the best for me and my lifestyle.  The Ping really was just OK but nothing to recommend it, nothing bad just nothing that made it a standout.

The Omnipod gave me much better control; fewer highs, probably a few more lows but many less rollercoaster rides.  And did I mention NO TUBING!

When I first started looking for a replacement to MDIs and my Cozmore pump I ignored the Omnipod as I thought it was big, bulky and the tubing didn’t bother me.  But I have changed all of that thinking now.

If you have any questions for me just shoot me an email from the site here –> http://scr.im/dblclx.

Next, Phase 2 of the Closed Loop system research, which I will also be a part of.  I will keep you posted once I find out exactly what Phase 2 entails.

Artificial Pancreas Info

An interesting article from Omnipod about the Artificial Pancreas I bumped into recently.

It is most likely more for the geeks of us out there, but still a great overview.

The title alone is a killer, “In Silico Evaluation Platform for Artificial Pancreatic
-Cell Development—A Dynamic Simulator for Closed-Loop
Control with Hardware-in-the-Loop“

Oops — my arm, the door frame and the Omnipod

OK, I had my first Omnipod accident last night since starting to wear one about a month or so ago.

I had just put a new pod on my right back-upper arm.  All was well.  The cannula was inserted well, I had taken a couple of units for some food and it was another successful insertion.  Life was good!

That was until I walked from the kitchen to our bedroom, then I thought I saw stars…not from any pain but the surprise when the pod got a good jolt from the door frame.  I guess I cut them pretty close normally but there is usually nothing to get in the way of my arm and the door frame – not so this time.

As I said before, there wasn’t much pain just surprise and the sudden thought of, “Oh crap, I just put it on and now I have to replace it and that isn’t cheap!”  (Of course, during this research phase I don’t pay for them anyway but the thought is always there.)

I examined it pretty well and could see that one side of the pod was loose from the gauze seating material.  However, the cannula and other parts seemed fine.

It was a little dangly so I figured I needed to fix it and wouldn’t replace it.  I got my wife to help, since I couldn’t see the back of my arm too well, and put a few drops of superglue between the loosened portions of the pod and gauze.  I held it in place for a few minutes and it is now (24 hours later) seated well and functioning properly.

I wasn’t smart enough to think of that fix on my own but had recently read it on another site. 

Now the question remains, “Well several layers of skin come off when I pull the pod off Tuesday night?”  And if so, will this tough old 55 year old man scream like a little girl.  Hmm, the site said that the glue should only stick to the pod and gauze so here’s hoping!!!

Artificial Update

I am about 1/3 of the way through the first phase of the artificial pancreas research (closed loop control system) and all is well. I was told that there is a possibility of me going on to Phases 2 & 3; however, that remains to be seen. Also, what they both entail also remains to be seen.

I like the Omnipod more and more each day. B-}

Unlike some people I have read about online I have had no issues up to this point. Using the Cozmore pump, which I really liked as my first pump, I had occlusions many times and failed built in glucometers with almost every battery change.

With the Animas Ping I have had many “not primed” readings for no apparent reasons along with sometimes having a burning sensation with higher doses of insulin.

The OP system has had no problems yet, but if it does I will let you know. Along with no issues and no burning (OP delivers insulin in a much slower manner) the screen of the PDM is much easier to read. I need reading glasses since my arms aren’t as long as they used to be, but other than that my vision is 20/20, per the eye specialist last fall.

And did I mention no tubing?! That is a biggie that I really didn’t believe was a big deal, but now I am considering a switch if possible with my wallet and the insurance establishment.

I’m am still not impressed with the Dexcom Seven Plus system, but that is just me since many people like it. I just do not like it not being accurate. And it may be but if you are have the “D” like me you have been told that blood from your finger is not the same from your elbow area (my only choice) since the blood takes a longer path to get to your arm. So maybe it is accurate since the blood used in the Dexcom is from deeper below the skin, but I want my glucometer and the Dexcom to be much closer. B-|

I will share more on why I never chose to even test the Omnipod in the beginning and especially not to wear one…I hope you will come back to read that in the future.

Insulin Pump Forum

Stumbled into a new site (for me anyway) called the, “Insulin Pump Forums“. I will be dropping in there from time-to-time to check things out. Pretty interesting stuff.

I just added them to my blog roll…which is building along with this site.

An Artificial Pancreas

About 3-4 weeks ago I joined a research program at UVA with regard to finding out more about us T1s for the future of “THE” artificial pancreas.  The program is titled, “Development of a Behavioral Observer for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus”.

Three weeks ago Molly E. started me out with an introduction to the Dexcom Seven Plus CGM.  This is my first time on a CGM so I don’t have much to compare it to.

Then, and now, I am not impressed with the D7.  Since the readings it gives are not very accurate.  It is to be used as a trend indicator.  Or as Dexcom says, it is a “device indicated for detecting trends and tracking patterns”.  I don’t really need that as (with T1 for the past 51 years) I still can tell when my BG is dropping and most of the time rising.  I thought it would be neat to see exactly where it was for therapeutic dosing but that is not to be the case.  When using it you must continue to check your BG before eating or taking a bolus.

At times it was 30-40 points off from my Free-Style or OneTouch meters.  So when I was at 90 mg/dl that could indicate from 50-140…not the greatest.

This week they started me on the OmniPod which so far I give a positive vote; however, I just started it last night and haven’t performed a “re-poding” yet.  But that doesn’t look to be a big deal.

Pre-research I was on the Cozmore pump for four years.  With its demise I started with the Animas Ping about 3 months ago.  Cozmore was the best so far as far as features go.  For comfort both are equal.

The OmniPod is much different in the mechanics but I will keep you posted if any of you are interested.  The obvious biggie is no tubing, the “not cool” part is when you run out of insulin you have to put on a new one whether or not you are at the end of your three day limit.

If no one reads this or comments I will quit since I am just writing this for the fun of sharing with the T1 community.

If you are in the area and wish to join the research group please go to the UVA site for contact info.

Ron

What is this site?

I was diagnosed as a “juvenile diabetic” in 1959 a couple of months after my fourth birthday (yes, I’m 55 now).  To me it was a pain when I found out I had to take shots the rest of my life.  Lot of running around and hiding from my parents at shot time, etc.

After a life of “D” adventures I have to report to you that, yes, it has made a difference in my life, but not a biggie.  I still have all of my original body parts, (for you noobies that means toes, legs, kidneys, etc. are all there and working well).

I know after surfing the diabetes net for a while that there are many of us out there that are doing well.

This site is for others that have been diagnosed  Type 1 Positive to show that others can be postivie too.

What makes one healthy and another not as well, who knows but let’s communicate with each other.

Just remember to be Type 1 POSITIVE here.  (OK, you Type 2s can have at it too).