As per usual, my return to
writing has been sparked by my latest appointment with the lovely Dr. Taenyun
Kim.
I have been a very bad
diabetic over the past few months… I have had a fairly active social life,
which is good for my mental health but not so conducive to good blood sugar
readings…
As most of you probably
know, I spent a month travelling around Cambodia and Laos – an amazing
experience but not without its challenges in terms of diabetes. There were a
number of periods where my readings ran high; I couldn’t figure out whether it
was my constantly changing daily routine or if the heat had spoiled my insulin.
The latter is one huge issue when travelling in hot countries. I have something
called a ‘Frio Pack’: a magical water-activated cool bag, but it’s only really
big enough for 2 or so pens. Therefore,
my insulin stores (I normally take far more than I need) can be exposed to the
heat more often than I would like.
Diabetes UK says:
“Storing insulin
All insulin needs to be kept at temperatures lower
than 25°C/77°F, ideally between 2 and 6°C/36 and 43°F. Normal room temperatures
are below 25°C but they can be warmer in the summer.
Therefore any insulin you are not currently using
should be stored in the fridge – throughout the year. Any insulin that has been
out of the fridge for 28 days or more should be discarded.
Tips for storing insulin
- Do keep
your stock of insulin in the fridge.
- Do keep
the insulin you are currently using in a cool, dry place (below 25°C).
- Do
discard any insulin that has been out of the fridge for 28 days or more.
- Do keep
at least one spare vial or cartridge of each type of insulin you take in
the fridge.
- Don't
place insulin in, or close to, the freezer compartment. Insulin should not
be used if it has been frozen.
- Don't
expose the vials or cartridges in the car during hot weather.
- Don't
use the insulin if it has expired (check the pack for the expiry date).”
However, the abstract of an
article called ‘Thermal Dissociation and Unfolding of Insulin’ by K. Huus et al
published in August 2005, says different types of insulin begin to unfold or
denature between 70 - 87° C. This would
suggest it’s unlikely that my insulin actually denatured, but, regardless, I
definitely saw changes in my levels.
Other than my
levels, which if I’m honest were fairly easy to ignore for the duration of my
stay, my travels were amazing… I returned back to Busan feeling a little more
myself and ready for the start of the new school year!
As usual, with
the start of a new year comes more busy-ness and more single-mindedness for
something other than my blood sugars. But, equally, four weeks in comes the
inevitable kick start I need: my appointment!
My blood
pressure was good: 113 over 77. This, according to bloodpressure.org.uk
is within the confines of a healthy blood pressure. This time, my HbA1c was
7.8%; not great but better than my last reading of 8.1%. Unfortunately, looking
at my blood sugar patterns over the last 3 months, I think this is more because
my highs have been balanced out by lows, not because most of my blood sugars
have been near to being in range.
The best bit of
the appointment was when Dr. Taenyun Kim actually brought up the insulin pump…
I think he has been won over, finally!
We had a long
conversation about pumps… There are 2 on offer in Korea that I could
potentially get. A Dana or a Medtronic. I haven’t hear of the Dana make before,
but Medtronic is a well known international brand; more expensive but I think
the one I will go for. First job on my to-do list: research.
Since my last
clinic I have been setting the ball rolling with my insurance. They seem
positive that the pump can be funded if certain criteria are fulfilled. Lisa
(the nurse in Philadelphia) has written my recommendation but it won’t be sent
until I am doing before-bed blood tests: something which has fallen well and
truly by the wayside over the last few months. Second job on my to-do list:
bedtime blood tests!
All in all, I am
feeling positive. Dr. Taenyun Kim has applied for my admission to the Haeundae
Paik Hospital on October 28th for 5 days. It needs to be verified by
the manager, and the priority is only medium so it’s not set in stone, but I
can’t help being just a little excited! I’m not getting my hopes up too high…
There is still the insurance hurdle to jump, but I would like to think I can
try and get it organized in time for October break…
