Books One mans life saver is another mans doorstop !

For years I have heard ‘we are all different’ on diabetes forums. Usually it’s someone pushing a ludicrous diet or drug regime looking for an out from the debate, or very often a full scale verbal punch up. Up until recently I disagreed, but I have changed my mind, I was 100% wrong. Take books for an example. One man at diagnosis goes out and researches very thoroughly to learn about diabetes, let’s call him Steven. He  reads websites, forums and blogs. He sees names such as Bernstein, Taubes, Kendrick and many others cropping up time and time again. He buys the books, changes his diet, takes up running, and good grief ! his next HbA1c is in the fours !!!  Improved lipids, loses weight. All achieved on zero diabetes medication !

Let’s take another guy, let’s call him Nigel. He is a healthcare professional, his father was a healthcare professional. He believes healthcare professionals all know what they are talking about. Our Nige doesn’t read books, and books by Bernstein, Taubes, Kendrick are only written to cause controversy and make people money. Nige never read any of these writers works, but comments on them with his clone Sid Bonkers, who has also not read these books. Nige doesn’t need books to show him the way, or so he thinks. Now, if Nige had read Bernstein years before he posted this, and all those years he had been using insulin, he wouldn’t have  looked a complete bonehead. Just imagine, after years of being a HCP, and years of using insulin, he did not even know the basics on insulin use and storage.

Diabetes.co.uk October 2009Thread Re: storage and use of insulin.

gbtyke October 16th, 2009, 1:47 pm
Don't keep insulin pens etc. in the fridge because the low temperature slows the action of the insulin, keep them at ambient room temperature, not too hot, not too cold.

The pens Fergus refers to here are the refillable ones.

Prefilled pens should be stored in the Fridge - except for the one that you are currently using. That should be kept at room temperature. When it is running low take the next one out the day before you are going to use it.

Noblehead October 16th, 2009, 3:52 pm

Fergus,

That's interesting, I did not know that the pen currently used can be stored at room teperature. I also didn't know that low temperature slows the action of insulins. I have always kept my novorapid pen in the fridge, and only taking out when injecting. I think from now on I will keep it at room temperature.

Regards Nigel

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10991&p=103530&hilit=fridge+insulin+nigel#p103530

Over to you Nigel

Eddie