Best Insulin/Diabetes Nutritional Software

[ponyfool]

My best friend's 12 year old daughter just got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I don't know anything about diabetes other than it has something to do with sugar levels. My friend has asked me to research the best Palm based nutritional/carbohydrate tracking software so that he and his wife can better track required insulin levels.

Anyone out there have experience with any of these programs. If you aren't comfortable posting in this thread, shoot me a PM.

Thanks!

 

[gr8eyes]

I'm not sure I understand what you are asking but she will probably have the automated insulin implant. Its a device the person wears that automatically reads the blood sugar levels and injects the insulin to keep it regulated. I'll have to look up the exact name of the device as I can't recall off the top of my head.

Glenn

The device is called an Insulin Pump.

 

[dcarver]

PF, I used to program code for MinMed, they make insulin pumps. Their site is very useful, a good place to start.. MiniMed

 

[Wyosteve]

My 16 year old son has been diagnosed with diabetes since he was 11 or 12. At least in his case, they did not install the pump until they got a good handle on the characteristics of his condition and also because they like to wait until the child is a bit older and has mastered controlling the disease. He got his about 6 months ago. It is wonderful because you don't have to do meanly as many blood tests, and you can easily inject insuling as needed.

That being said, pump or no pump, she is going to have a long learning curve to really become knowledgeable about her disease and how to manage it. My son has really taken to it, he can tell you how many carbs are in anything you are eating. Luckily he has embraced the whole process of treatment (which is complicated and difficult to learn) and now you would hardly know he has a problem. He just goes about his business with little intervention needed.

If she has not already, she needs to consult with a diabetic counselor and more importantly, a diabetic nutritionist. Parents need to be there as well. When my son was in the hospital after being diagnosed, both of these specialists were in his room within two hours. The next morning he was giving himself shots.

The Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes is located at Children's Hospital here in Denver and is the preeminent resarch center on the disease. They offer many resources for children and parents. Maybe the best is the "Pink Book" which is a thick volume which offers information and advice for parents and children about living with the disease. I encourage them to talk to her doctor about using this resource.

Also, if they need further advice or information, they can PM me or my mail address is in my profile.

They and the child are in my prayers.

Steve

 

[ponyfool]

Sorry, I guess I need to clarify. She will not be getting a pump for at least a year because of the instability (at least from my understanding).

She is still in the hospital. All I am looking for right now is a software program on the Palm platform that allows her parents to input her food intake into the program, and it will calculate common food carbs, etc, that allow them to have a good estimate of insulin needed.

Like I said, I know nothing of this, he just mentioned that he wanted something that allowed him to track her intake with the Palm, and I want to get it for him....whatever that is.

 

[Ryan]

I have been a Type 1 diabetic for 32 years, on an insulin pump for the last five.

It is wonderful because you don't have to do meanly as many blood tests, and you can easily inject insuling as needed.

While an insulin pump makes control easier and more precise, it does not reduce the need to test blood glucose levels. Good control requires a lot of testing and adjustments, I test about ten times per day.

Pumps are not usually advised until the patient has had some time to acclimate to the condition, as in your daughter's case. No need to rush it, when she's ready she'll let you know. In the meantime, the more she tests, the more stable she will be.

I have not used the Minimed software, though my pump is a Minimed. The director of the diabetes center at the local hospital ran it for me. I believe it can take input from the pump and several brands of glucometer, and graph glucose and insulin levels over time. This will show patterns that can be addressed with pump adjustments, or carbohydrate intake, and can also reveal how activity affects glucose levels.

The devices that combine an insulin pump with feedback about blood glucose levels are still under development. There may be something on or near the market, but until major medical device companies like Minimed have a product out there, it is a safe bet that the device is not the optimal solution.

It is important that your daughter comes to realize that diabetes is not an obstacle to anything she may want to do. There have been quite a few professional athletes who are Type 1 diabetics.

It will take a bit more care than the average person, but good control is essential to a long, healthy, and happy life.

I am not much of a participant here, please contact me at [email protected] if I can be of any help.

Best regards,

John Ryan

 

[timk]

I've had diabetis mellitis(sp) for a long time. When diagnosed and started insulin, I had 2 glass syringes and 5 needles, all I had to sterilize and hone the needles. I currently take 5-6 shots/daily. Am pump eligable, but declined on advice off my endrocronoligist. The best thing to do for a diabetic is to regularly see the SPECIALISTS and do what they say. As for counting carbs, there's a little keychain thing made by Vitaminder that tells

how much carbs in a lot of things. All the warnings of bad control are to be heeded.