There are certain conditions, that have to be met, for the NHS to supply insulin pumps to diabetics in the UK on a free of charge basis. They cost thousands of £pounds and consumables are expensive. One of those conditions, is a diabetic who cannot control their diabetes with a multi daily injection regime. Obviously, if a diabetic can get good control on MDI, no diabetic needs an Insulin pump. It has been very noticeable over the years, on the diabetes.co.uk forum, the most vocal advocates for a high carb, high medication regime, have almost all been pump users. Phoenix the number one advocate of a high carb regime, is on around a 50 % carb diet. SarahQ aka CarbsRock another high carb user, BTW don't bother looking for SarahQ posts, she deleted over 3000 post in a 4 day binge of self deletion, she is still partial to deleting her own posts, as can be checked out. Sarah’s signature at the defunct Carbo forum was “a balanced diet is a cake in each hand. As SarahQ “I fill my face with carbs” was another often used statement. Jopar, a complete buffoon, carbs pusher and on a pump, need I say more regarding Jopar and her antics ? Brett, another guy who has stated I use around 300 grams of a carb a day, yes you guessed it, on a pump.
OK, you're getting the message, many of the pumpers defend carbs like they are the holy grail of food, and a grizzly death will be upon you, if you cut the carbs and up safe fats. So, the big question is, did these people fail with MDI because they refused to reduce the carbs, which we all know raises BG numbers the fastest and highest ? I reckon that is a fair point, and that being the case, why should people like me stump up NHS contributions, so carboholic diabetics, can stuff their faces with carbs and junk food. Over the years, I have seen high carb, high med pump users offer a myriad of reasons for why they need a pump, maybe a cut back on carbs would have done the trick, and saved the NHS a fortune. Another point I have noticed with many pump users, their BG control is very often lamentable, despite a pump.
The bottom line, how anyone controls their diabetes is cool with me, but the NHS stats prove, the majority of diabetics do not control their diabetes safely. What I find very unfair, is the fact many type two diabetics, can’t get a free test strip on the NHS, while a carboholic pumper is costing the NHS thousands of pounds a year, and many of these high maintenance pumpers, are kicking low carb to death at every opportunity. As I have often said “The Betus, it’s a funny old game”.
Eddie
15 comments:
Even if you use a pump, you still need to eat a low carb diet to control your BGs. The advantage of a pump is it can inject insulin in 0.1 increments so it is more accurate than injections. But no matter how the artificial insulin is injected, it will never work in the same way as a pancreas, because the insulin is injected into skin and muscle and not straight into the blood stream. So you can't just assume your BGs will be controlled better on a pump if you are going to continue to eat high carb foods and gluten which will attack your immune system. Until diabetics understand what damage a high carb and high insulin diet does to the body, our healthcare system will continue to struggle financially. The only way an insulin resistant diabetic can prevent it progressing to insulin deficient diabetes is to stop eating food which promotes glycation. In Australia, one needs private healthcare insurance to obtain a pump costing $10,000, but there is no provision under the public system. But when the government healthcare system and diabetes agencies promote a high carb diet as part of management of diabetes, they are partially to blame for their own financial mess.
Very unfair to say pump users are on a pump because they failed on mdi due to overeating carbs, and not able to control it on mdi. Can't speak for others but, myself couldn't get the background correct on mdi, would be right in the day, wrong at night, or the other way around, and in fact ate alot less carbs on mdi than I currently do. Why, because unlike on mdi I would struggle with anything from a simple walk to strenuous excercise, without hypoing,or eating extra carbs to avoid hypo and going too high. On mdi couldn't use a temp stop on the basal. The main one though was my morning readings being elevated and if I increased the basal I would regularly hypo from 2~3am. One of the reasons I suffered from sleep deprivation. Since I started pumping my.morning readings are now that of a non diabetic, sleep better, and as a result alot more energy to do more, which I can now do using temp basals. And.because I have a pump have never had better readings, all other blood work good, and no other complications.
Should all type 2s have the means of testing, of course they should said previously
Brett
I suppose you would say that all kids on pumps have them because their parents are too lazy to sort out their management and allow them to eat too many carbs?
Get a grip please. If you hadn't burned your boats then you would be a member on DCUK, sock puppets aside, and you could contribute your vile venom until you got banned again.
Huh? Don't understand what you are saying.
It is up to each of us how we control our diabetes. I stress the word control because is it not the case, indeed as studies have indicated, that many diabetics do not get control of this disease.
NHS funds are tight, the delivery of good advice is not always available.
I do control my diabetes by diet, I do control the amount of carbohydrates I eat, I do keep my yearly review numbers to numbers well below what the NICE guidelines say.
It is a contentious subject.
Roy
Eddie, can I respectfully ask how it is you have access to peoples daily diets amount of insulin used and reasons for being given a pump?
Making your personal attack posts does not do you any favours especially when it shows how little you know about insulin the way it works and type 1 diabetes.
The main reason for pumps is due to people not having a flat profile for basal insulin and what is the main claim to fame for basal insulin's yep you got it,they claim to be flat.
Refresh my memory Eddie. Isn't xyzzy's son, your good friend Pneu, using a pump?
Your understanding of Type2 diabetes is bad enough but you know very little about Type1.
Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are two different things. By reading this blog has helped me better understand and control my diabetes, and I thank the team.
Why can't people work together, as Roy said ' a contentious subject '
Nona
Hi Lisa nice comment.
"So you can't just assume your BGs will be controlled better on a pump if you are going to continue to eat high carb foods and gluten which will attack your immune system. Until diabetics understand what damage a high carb and high insulin diet does to the body, our healthcare system will continue to struggle financially."
So many insulin using diabetics think injected insulin is a get out of jail free card. It never was and never will be. High carb countered with high insulin is a one way ticket to the knackers yard. Very often accompanied with weight gain, and all the grief of a type two diabetic.
Eddie
Brett
"ince I started pumping my.morning readings are now that of a non diabetic, sleep better, and as a result alot more energy to do more, which I can now do using temp basals. And.because I have a pump have never had better readings, all other blood work good, and no other complications."
I read your posts, not all plain sailing is it mate. Why do you want to eat poor nutrient carbs and junk, when whole fresh foods would enable you to cut the carbs by around 80% and use far less insulin. You will also find less insulin and carbs lead to much more predictable BG numbers. Check out insulin and ageing.
Thanks for the comment and the very best of health and luck to you and yours.
Eddie
Anonymous said...
"I suppose you would say that all kids on pumps have them because their parents are too lazy to sort out their management and allow them to eat too many carbs?
Get a grip please. If you hadn't burned your boats then you would be a member on DCUK, sock puppets aside, and you could contribute your vile venom until you got banned again."
Did I mention kids in my post ? Having said that, the best controlled type one kids I know are low carbers on MDI. Read Lisa's blog to see what can be achieved.
Eddie
To the anons.
Jeez you lot certainly bit the high carb biscuit. Tell me why do 93% of type one diabetics never get close to a safe HbA1c ? Too many carbs and junk, that's why. Brainwashed by years out of date info, and literally risking life and limb, for those spuds and donuts.
All the best.
Eddie
You really need the stats for pump users before you can mock them.
As you are not a Type1, how can you possibly know how difficult control is for some.
There are a lot of assumptions in that post, which I disagree with. However, nutrition in this country is generally appalling, and there is no reason to believe that most type 1's consume the whole fresh foods that you advocate and I support. If most were supported to change what they eat, then yes, control for most type 1's would improve. Sadly, most type 1's are scared to challenge their professionals, with many continuing to listen to the nutrition advice provided as if it were gospel, particularly if they were unfortunate to be diagnosed as young children.
With that said, I'm a low carber, type 1 for 21 years, and struggled on MDI, having just been provided with a pump, which I'm incredibly grateful for. I have a current HBA1C of 6.4% but struggled with lows during the night and after exercise, and with high blood sugars in the morning caused by the dreaded dawn phenomenon. Waking up in the morning with my head feeling as if it has been repeatedly battered by a baseball bat in the middle of the night is not pleasant.
I was extremely aggressive in trying to manage the condition under MDI, but there is simply no way to account for the background insulin needs on that system. It is a rare and fortunate person that can. MDI lacks flexibility and it is life limiting. I love exercise but a lack of confidence in pushing myself because of the prospect of serious lows dents confidence big time. You make it appear as if it is just a question of control and self-discipline in managing the condition. I would refute that. Low carb is a vital part of the equation but it is only one part. The pump will help me to be better in all aspects of my life and achieve control that is simply not possible on MDI. That is not a failure. For others, who have formed their identity as adolescents growing up jabbing themselves in front of friends and being stigmatised as different for that, the chance to live a more normal life should not be underestimated. The pump gives the chance for young people, in particular, to do that.
With all that rambling said, keep up the good work. The blog is informative, controversial, and a good read.
Cheers.
See new thread.
Eddie
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