Simcoe County Insulin Pumpers' Minutes: September 8, 2003 This message is being distributed to all who left their email address on the sign-in sheet. A notice of the next meeting is below. We hope you will come again and in the meantime spread the word about the group and bring another pumper or interested person(s) with you. See our (your) website for Simcoe County Insulin Pumpers for meeting information etc.: http://homepage.mac.com/dp66/SCIP Updated with a list of Pharmacies stocking pump supplies! Also see the National Insulin Pumpers Canada site: http://www.insulin-pumpers.ca +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ideas, topics, issues for future meetings? email me: insulinpumper@sympatico.ca +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SIMCOE COUNTY INSULIN PUMPERS MEETING # 12 September 8, 2003 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm We had a total of 10 people attend. As always there were refreshments and snacks. Thanks once again to Zehr's for their kind use of their Community Room! Reminder: October's meeting is on Tuesday, October 21! Animas will be presenting their latest pump and much more! I think it's safe to say that we had a wonderful, informative and energy packed meeting! We had two new people attend who have a newly diagnosed son on the pump. Congrats to both of you for supporting your son so! Thanks so much for attending! Your input was valuable as is every pumper's. - Bill 76 is dead due to the election call however one party is "promising" to cover some pump and pump supply costs if elected.... - Important news from MiniMed and Disetronic on possible defects in their latest pumps was reviewed and discussed - Darrin presented information on the CDA's program to cover 65% of blood glucose test strips to a maximum of $500. per year. Any Ontario resident without other coverage who has a health card and who uses insulin is eligible. - Darrin reported on the following: - Insulin Pumpers Canada http://www.insulin-pumpers.ca continues to grow and is now a federally incorporated not for profit organization. The Nova Scotia Division is hosting another Pump Expo by popular demand from the public and medical professionals with 11 paid for booths rented to meter, pump and drug store firms. - Mike Moffat is starting a pump group in Hamilton this fall and has about 15 "members" to date. - Diane Therrien is starting a pump group (an affiliate of Insulin pumpers Canada) in Montreal and has 33 "members" so far. Their first meeting is in October. - a number of free pump supplies including many sets and 508 cartridges are still available for a good home! Discussions: Susan Gates is continuing her battle for better coverage for supplies and for the pump under ODP(?) She is going to court - a very important case for us all to watch - to try and prove the pump is necessary for her to be healthy. You may contact Susan at: 705-439-7625 if you wish to join in on this important battle! (Hint: If a judge can conclude that a pump is necessary for one person - we all have a chance to demand better government coverage of the pump and supplies)! Greg reported on his first three months on the pump. After over 30 years of Diabetes he has the best control ever! He also noted that the pump has significantly reversed his complications as confirmed by recent tests! Congrats, Greg! Karen reported that so many people do not consider looking into pump therapy until they reach a point in their life where the complications are making them aware that they must seek a better therapy than MDI! She cited statistics which state that using the pump or normal range bg's slow down or reverses the progression of complications as follows (Based on her cumulative knowledge and opinion): Retinopathy (eye disease) by up to 76% Neuropathy (nerve disease) by up to 60% Nephropathy (Kidney disease by up to 56% And controlling blood glucose may increase life expectancy by more than 5 years. The absorption of longer acting insulins can vary up to 52% of the daily injected insulin dose, which explains as much as 80% of day to day blood glucose concentration variations. Remember that the clients cannot adjust longer-acting insulin after injection to match ever changing background insulin requirements. Getting a pump buddy by way of meeting others in person, the Internet recourses such as IP.org and asking your CDE for others in your who use the pump. A 14 year old pumper gave a very positive review of Camp Huronda. It was then discussed about how important it is, especially for kids and teens, to be in personal contact with other similar aged diabetics. Type II's are using the pump more and more: "the pump delivers insulin which the body cannot supply; why would the pump not be suitable for Type II's"? The importance of having an endo with whom you can talk to like a friend and whom is informed and offers positive support is as important as having normal range blood glucoses! It even pays to drive a couple of hours to a good endo when you find one. Don't feel you have to limit yourself to the local area - not that there aren't some good endos in our area. Greg reported on a battery deal for AAAs. Apparently Home Depot supplies boxes of 16, very reliable and long lasting batteries for cheap! He also presented a new blood glucose meter, the Bayer Ascensia Breeze which is self loading and easy to use. A big step above the Dex and Dex II he said! Discussion continued about other meters including a demo and a very positive opinion, of the new One Touch UltraSmart! Thanks gang! Life Insurance coverage for people with Diabetes was discussed and is on the agenda for November. Warning! It appears that once a child is diagnosed with Diabetes; no other fact seems to matter to insurers; it is almost impossible to get life insurance coverage for children let alone adults! More discussion on this in November. Much more was discussed and enjoyed by all... Hope to see you all on Tuesday, October 21st! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ideas, topics, issues for future meetings? email me: insulinpumper@sympatico.ca +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Diabetes Advocacy: Paul Beckwith is very active in advocacy. Paul is trying to get the Provincial Government to cover diabetes management supplies including pumps. If so covered this will make life easier for many of us who do not have private healthcare insurance and save the government billions in healthcare costs for diabetes complications down the road In addition please get a copy of his Petition (from our website) and get it signed and returned to him! If you have a few spare hours this year; please contact Paul - he needs your help! Paul: p.c.beckwith@sympatico.ca +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanks once again to Zehr's for their kind use of their Community Room! Please feel free to volunteer your own special talent to this growing group! Drop me or Paul an email if you want to help, out for a few minutes a month! Please spread the word about your group! CONTACTS: Paul Beckwith: p.c.beckwith@sympatico.ca Darrin Parker: insulinpumper@sympatico.ca Website: http://homepage.mac.com/dp66/SCIP Note: Simcoe County Insulin Pump Group and it's organizers makes no warranty nor implied warranty for any of the contents and information understood from it's meetings, speakers nor for anything contained within it's correspondence nor opinions expressed herein nor otherwise and does not intend for any information provided by it's presenters or participants at it's meetings and within it's correspondence to supercede in any way any advice from health care professionals. Simcoe County Insulin Pump Group does not endorse any brand, model nor manufacturer of Diabetes Management equipment nor supplies.