Simcoe County Insulin Pumpers' Minutes:   December 14, 2002


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.


Meeting Location: Zehrs (Community room upstairs) 472 Bayfield Street North,
Barrie

Next Meeting:

January 13, 2003	7:00 pm Ð 9:30 pm

See our (your) website for Simcoe County Insulin Pumpers for meeting information
etc.:

http://homepage.mac.com/dp66/SCIP


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SIMCOE COUNTY INSULIN PUMPERS MEETING # 6 December 14, 2002,  9:00 am - 7:00pm

We had a great holiday get-together!  Many great snacks and coffee were had by
all!  Not to mention wonderful and informative conversation as follows in brief:

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Theresa (adult) and to Katlyn (teen) who have just started
the insulin pump in the past month!  These two decided to start the pump after
attending our meetings earlier in the year.  They both repaort that they have
better bg control and that they have a much improved quality of life!  Note that
Theresa also states that she feels better in general and that moods are much
better.  many of notice one major benefit of pump therapy is that mood swings
due to bg's are minimized!  Hooray and congrats to both of you!


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

Paul gave us the run down on the Nov. 30th CDA meeting regarding advocacy on
behalf of persons with diabetes.  If you want to help Paul and many others like
yourself, please print his petition on our web site, fill it and get it back to
Paul!  Alternatively if you have a few spare hours next year; please contact
Paul - he needs your help!

Paul:  p.c.beckwith@sympatico.ca


Filling Cartridges with Cold Insulin!

Insulin, like any liquid, will expand in volume when the temperature is
increased.  Thus if you were to fill a cartridge with cold insulin, once it
warms up to body temperature you cild get a "bolus" of a few units due to the
liquid's thermal expansion!  More on this next time!



Further Discussions:

- stress and depression regarding diabetes management.  specially when one is
already busy with "life".

- 357A versus 357 batteries for pumps.  Do not use the 357 A's as they do not
last.

- USA prices in US$ are the same for pumps and diabetes supplies as they are in
Canada in CDN$!  Why?

- Depression and long term diabetes.  It was noted that in addition to SAD and
the holiday season that many people with diabetes and especially kids do not
have the means to afford test strips or insulin etc. causing diabetic depression
to worsen at this time of year for many.

- thanks to Karen for bringing "guides" to treating high bg's and DKA  (will
post on web site).

- Dextrosol:  This has disappeared from store shelves in recent months.  Robin
reports that the reason is that the product is being distributed by a new
company and if you ask your pharmacy to contact the new supplier, the product
can once again be stocked:  New supplier is:  McKesson in Newmarket Ont.

- importance of carrying a wallet card (distributed at meeting) notifying ER
personnel that you use a pump and that it is NOT to be removed!  Most ER
personnel do not know what a pump is and will remove it if you re admitted to
ER.  Also Medic Alerts can be modified by local jewelers to be engraved with the
words:  "DO NOT REMOVE INSULIN PUMP".

Ideas, topics, issues fro the January meeting?  email us: 
insulinpumper@sympatico.ca




Thanks once again to Zehr's for their kind use of their Community Room and
snacks!


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!



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 superced in any way any advice from healthcare
professionals.  Simcoe County Insulin Pump Group does not endorse any brand,
model nor manufacturer of Diabetes Management equipment nor supplies.