Babysitter Resource for T1D

A resource for parents of children with type 1 diabetes and their sitters

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I was approached by diabetes legend Hope Warshaw last year and asked if I could contribute a few tips to a babysitters resource that she was writing. I immediately agreed but then a lot of time passed and I thought perhaps the project went away. Just the opposite it turns out... she was just taking her time and building the most complete resource on the subject that I have ever seen.

I want to share it with you because it is so well done and absolutely invaluable. Bonus, it's free.

For parents, being away from a child with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is tough— so tough that most avoid it altogether. But spending time apart is important for the whole family. Parents need time to themselves and children need space to just be kids, while growing more independent with their diabetes tasks.

SmartSitters covers essential information about T1D to help families and sitters manage T1D together, wherever they are.

The downloadable guide is full of wonderful information, thoughts from people living with type 1 and even has fantastic artwork so it is pleasant to read and use. Check it out!

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Little Girls are like Snowflakes

Little girls are like snowflakes, no two are exactly the same...

Snow day! It is snowing here as I write this post which is strange because it was sixty-five degrees yesterday afternoon when Arden came home from school and asked me this question.

"Can I have a sleepover tonight if school gets cancelled tomorrow because of snow?".

I thought for a moment and decided that if Arden had friends overnight then they would stay up late and if they stayed up late... then they would sleep in. I immediately imagined a morning to myself, smiled and said "sure!". 

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The sleepover brought one surprise that I hadn't pre-planned for, I needed more food at dinner time then I had in the house and so we ordered out. When the pizza, fries and some other stuff arrived at the door we bolused, set an increased temp basal and Arden ate. About an hour later her BG began to slowly drift up. I had been noticing all day that her BG wasn't responding to boluses the way I expected and began considering if we needed a new pump site. An hour later after I wasn't getting the movement that I wanted (her BG was 160) Arden changed her pump. 

I was aggressive with the insulin after the site change because of the new infusion, pizza in her belly and the excitement of a sleepover. Still around midnight her BG was still stuck at 150. When I went into Arden's room the three girls were passed out on an inflatable mattress that they set up next to Arden's bed. So it was air mattress on the far side of the room, then Arden's bed, then me. I was farthest from the air mattress because of where Arden's Omnipod PDM was located. I clicked a few buttons sent a bolus to her pod (it has great range) and went back to bed.

Not ten minutes later I decided that I should have also used an increased temp basal rate and so I snuck back in to the room. It was dark but I could see that Arden had made her way from the air mattress and was now sleeping in her bed. I crouched down next to her and held the wireless PDM close to her abdomen where she had recently put her new pod. The PDM couldn't connect. I tried again, wouldn't connect. I jammed the PDM between Arden and the mattress... nothing. As I began to worry that the new pod might not be working correctly Arden jumped up in the darkness, I had scared her. This felt wrong as she has never responded in the middle of the night like that. As I was about to ask if she was okay a voice said, "Sorry you scared me... Mr. B... I'm not Arden".

So it turns out that Nadia, Arden's friend was the one who moved from the air mattress to Arden's bed and the reason I couldn't connect to Arden's pod? It was across the room and Nadia's body was absorbing the signal.

We don't get too many middle of the night insulin related laughs around here and I imagine that you don't either so I wanted to share. I have to remember to tell this story on the podcast sometime. I felt like an idiot. 

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Sponsored: Toby’s T1D Tale available on the App Store

Toby’s T1D Tale

Please be sure to check out the newest educational app for kids from Insulet. Available in the Apple App Store now, simply search for “Toby’s T1D Tale”. In Toby’s T1D Tale, Omnipod® mascot and Podder™Toby the Turtle™ provides diabetes education to children and caregivers through stories, tips and trivia.

• Follow Toby on his journey from diagnosis to management of his type 1 diabetes
• Show off your skills and what you’ve learned along the way in Toby trivia sections
• See how Toby and his family handle sick days and sleep overs
• Choose to have Toby’s story narrated to you or read it by yourself

Please note, the app is currently only available on iPad and in the US.

Check out Toby on the Apple App Store

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Insulet (OmniPod) is a sponsor of the Juicebox Podcast. Insulet pays for their ads on the JBP but did not pay specifically for this post. I'm including it here at no charge out of gratitude for their continued patronage of the podcast.

First Patients Enrolled in Clinical Trial for Omnipod Artificial Pancreas System

Look out future... Here come the Podders!

from Buisnesswire

BILLERICA, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Insulet Corporation (NASDAQ:PODD) (Insulet or the Company), the leader in tubeless insulin pump technology with its Omnipod® Insulin Management System (Omnipod System), today announced the first patient has completed the feasibility study of the Omnipod Horizon™ Automated Glucose Control System (Omnipod Horizon System). The full study will evaluate the use of a personal Model Predictive Control algorithm with the Omnipod platform in 20 adults with type 1 diabetes and is taking place in a clinical research center setting to gather data to be used to evolve the algorithm in subsequent studies leading to FDA submission.
“We are very excited to be participating in Insulet’s artificial pancreas clinical trials,” said Jordan Pinsker, M.D., senior research physician at William Sansum Diabetes Center. “Working with Professor Francis J. Doyle III and Dr. Eyal Dassau, Sansum played a major role in the development of the original UC Santa Barbara Artificial Pancreas algorithm that Insulet acquired. We look forward to contributing to the clinical and development pathway as Insulet takes this promising technology to a commercial product.”

The Omnipod Horizon System will combine best-in-class technologies into one integrated system consisting of an on-body Omnipod tubeless pump, the latest Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology, a modified version of Insulet’s handheld controller and state-of-the-art security system architecture. Insulet’s Omnipod Horizon System is unique in that the algorithm looks toward the future horizon of blood glucose levels, reacting quickly and efficiently to adjust insulin delivery to optimize outcomes for each user. The system will provide the same proven lifestyle benefits as the current Omnipod System, such as the discreet, reliable, tubeless form factor and up to three days of non-stop insulin delivery to make it easy to stay connected and avoid disruption of insulin delivery during routine activities like exercising and bathing.

“Our new Omnipod Horizon System is designed to deliver not only improved clinical outcomes, but the greatly desired improvement in quality of life for those living with insulin-dependent diabetes,” said Patrick Sullivan, President and Chief Executive Officer. “With the first clinical study of our innovative artificial pancreas underway, we have taken another important step in fulfilling our mission to improve the lives of people with diabetes.”

The entire article can be found here.

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OmniPod Gets A New Look!

We're still the same OmniPod® -  focused on making diabetes a smaller part of your life - but now we have a new logo that truly embodies the dedication we have to our Podder Community!

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Welcome to the Podder community

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INTRODUCING THE MYOMNIPOD® MOBILE APP!

Are you new to the Pod? The first release of the MyOmniPod® mobile app offers features for new users to quickly get up to speed on the art of Podding through training videos, daily tips and FAQs. Current PoddersTM will also love the reorder functionality and convenient access to Customer Care. Stay tuned—we have a lot more in store for 2016 and beyond! LEARN MORE

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OmniPod® is going social!  We've re-launched our social media pages.  We want to connect with you and help you stay in touch with the PodderTM Community. Visit us on Facebook (/omnipod) and Twitter (@myomnipod)!

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Get a free demo Pod to experience how liberating it can truly be.

If you’re considering insulin pump therapy, the best way to understand the comfort and convenience OmniPod® offers is to try it yourself. So get a free Demo Kit, which includes a sample, non-functioning Pod, and see what you think. There’s no obligation to buy.

• Wear a non-functioning Pod to see how it feels
• Find the area that works best for you 
• Get a sense for how OmniPod® works
• Request your FREE Demo Kit

SPONSORED POST: OmniPod is a frequent sponsor of the Juicebox Podcast