Just wanted to say thank you for your videos. I'm a newly diagnosed T1D (at age 38, with no family history!) and your videos have helped me a great deal. I appreciate your attitude and demeanor; you come across as calm, clear, practical, kind, and no BS. (I'm going to be self-insured in a few months - living in the USA - and I'm dreading what this will do to my monthly budget. Guess I need to move to Scotland!)
Thank you Melanie💙 I hope you’re doing well. I definitely have days where I’m sad, frustrated, angry and feel like giving up on T1D, but they are less frequent than when I was first diagnosed. I always try and celebrate the small wins. The cost of diabetes in the US and Canada is outrageous. I wish more countries had access to universal pharmacare. T1international is a great organization that advocates for insulin4all and they might even have a chapter in your state if you’re interested 💙 I’m a member of the Canadian chapter.
I was diagnosed May 2019 at the age of 47 with LADA. I can’t quite believe over 2 years down the line I’m still honeymooning. No long acting but Fiasp when required. Forgive me for asking a personal question but do you have autoimmune disease in your family? My mum has MS which is where I assume my autoimmune thing comes from?
@@LauraCravenOfficial This is going to sound really crass but I’d rather have T1 than have the secondary progressive MS diagnosis my mother has as she cannot treat it or do anything about it. We however do have the means to keep our condition under some kind of control and for that I am thankful.
Looks like you're doing great. I've just got diagnosed T1D in November. As a Postman that used to walk 8-10 miles a day. I'm finding 1.5-2 miles a challenge atm. any advice for a newbie? Love the idea of a pump. But i guess i'm a way off that?
I hope you’re doing okay. Exercise can definitely be challenging. When I was on pens, I would try and exercise soon after meal and only take 50% of my bolus for the meal. Now that I’m on a pump I have a bit more flexibility and I can decrease my basal rate an hour before I want to exercise and I still usually take less insulin the meal before I work out. Everyone is different and every exercise is different too. There is lots to learn and you can do it 💙
I also make sure I have lots of glucose tablets on me for lows and that I’m wearing my medical alert bracelet if I’m exercising alone outside or at the gym.
And I never knew about the cost of prescriptions being the responsibly of the patient in Canada! You're so articulate and great at explaining all the in's and out - thank you so so much for taking the time to share this! I'm also considering the Omnipod at the moment - so this was especially helpful to me! THANK YOU!! :)
Thank you Andrea 💙 We are still fighting for Canada Insulin4All 💪🏻 That’s so exciting that you are considering the Omnipod!! I’m glad you found this helpful 😊 Your UA-cam channel is so helpful too 💙
Lots of great information. I'm really enjoying watching your day in the life. At first I thought I would only test a few times but I'm reality its a lot more. I hope you are able to share more vlogs soon. Hope you are doing well. X
It depends on the case if you qualify for the Ontario disability support program. In some circumstances it does, but I’m not familiar with how to be assessed. People living with T1D should all qualify for the disability tax credit, but it can be difficult to get your doctor or endo to complete the paperwork.
Living in England and because of T1 diabetes my prescriptions are free so insulin and any other medications/test strips/glucometers I don’t pay for. However (this is not available on prescription as far as I know) I choose to pay £159 per month for Dexcom g6 as it gives me that extra knowledge and comfort regarding control of my blood glucose. I personally cannot afford to have extreme highs or lows (as an NHS professional)
@@LauraCravenOfficial I believe Dexcom states “Zero finger-pricking as one of its main selling points and I have to agree with that 4 months down the line. I’m confident to treat or not regarding my Dexcom readings whereas with Libre they state to always confirm with a finger prick before treating either way. I use Dexcom because of it’s accuracy and not so much the alarms (because I’m a bit anal regarding not going low during the night... I need my sleep!) but they are helpful.
I can only say one's citizenship and their country of residence policy is really what defines your cost as an T1 diabetic. Having stayed in the USA and now Australia, they really don't have a good policy towards their local diabetic care, or atleast that's what I feel as a non-citizen in both countries. I pay absolutely EVERYTHING including the mountain price of insulin pumps, strips, insulin and the consultation fee. My insurance also has a right to ignore all pre-existing conditions they see fit. Its very interesting to see and read about your story in Canada and Scotland. I'm glad you are having a good experience with managing your health, lifestyle and expenses as a T1 diabetic.
I’m sorry to hear you’ve had to pay for everything yourself. It is an astronomical price that diabetics are forced to pay and so many people are unable to afford or access the medications and devices they need to stay alive. I am a loud advocate for universal pharmacare. I was fortunate to have private insurance in Canada to help offset the costs. Scotland has been excellent at covering all diabetes expenses and I can’t imagine moving to another country now.
I have a question. In the scenario that your blood sugar gets really low (and you don't inject insulin and eat carbs), once you start experiencing the symptoms, can you stand up, close your eyes, and focus really hard? Does doing that make the symptoms go away?
You DO NOT inject insulin if your blood sugar is low. Insulin causes blood sugar to go down. You DO eat fast acting carbohydrates to bring your blood sugar up. But not too many carbohydrates because then you go high and then have to take insulin to bring your blood sugar down lower. Roller coaster. Up down up down up down up down up. Many diabetics do not experience symptoms. Meaning they are unaware their blood sugar is going low. They simply go brain dead more or less while their body is still able to move and thrash around and kick and punch. You can stand up, meaning when your blood sugar goes low, you do not just collapse into a pile on the floor. You just remain standing. Your brain is not functioning, it is gone, but your body is not asleep. Your brain cannot focus really hard. It does not work. The only thing to make the symptoms of low blood sugar go away is to get sugar, calories, carbohydrates inside you. And then wait a few minutes for them to be absorbed by the body.
I have to say I’m lucky that if I go high after a meal I can usually go for a brisk 15 minute walk to bring BG down as opposed to giving insulin corrections most of the time which I prefer and it’s very effective.
@@LauraCravenOfficial It’s amazing really and it totally cuts out the rollercoaster of treating with fast acting then having to watch for hypo’s then treat again to bring BG up. I personally treat my T1 very conservatively. I prefer not to mess with FA insulin if I don’t have to by eating lower carb and if I do spike... walking it off makes all the difference!
Thanks Laura. My wife was recently diagnosed T1D. Your channel has really helped us both. We look forward to moving to an Omnipod combined with the G6 she is using.
Hi, how do you keep your libra on so well I’m 12 I got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 2 years ago. My libra is always coming off, it can be such a pain. Also what do you try and keep your bloods at night?? ❤❤❤
I use skintac which is a medical adhesive to keep my Libre on 😊 I buy this from Amazon. To keep my blood sugar stable overnight I don’t eat past 8pm to avoid having insulin on board when I go to sleep and I did a lot of trial and error to make sure my basal rates were correct. Do you have a diabetes team that can help you with this?
Hi Laura. I hope you are doing good! I had one question.I use free style libre 2 as my CGM, but whenever i apply new sensor it gives wierd/incorrect reading for first 3-4days. After 3-4 days it starts to get back in normal range. Do you also face such problem with libre?
I find the first 1-2 days of my freestyle Libre can be inaccurate. I like to insert my sensor 24 hours before I activate it and that seems to help. My diabetes educator mentioned that inflammation at the site can impact the reading and inserting the Libre a day ahead of time may help with that.
Yes, you are right, Libra does not show very accurate indicators for the first 3-4 days and is not calibrated like for example Enlight 7008, but after this time Libra indicators become close to blood sugar values according to the glucose meter.
Just wanted to say thank you for your videos. I'm a newly diagnosed T1D (at age 38, with no family history!) and your videos have helped me a great deal. I appreciate your attitude and demeanor; you come across as calm, clear, practical, kind, and no BS. (I'm going to be self-insured in a few months - living in the USA - and I'm dreading what this will do to my monthly budget. Guess I need to move to Scotland!)
Thank you Melanie💙 I hope you’re doing well. I definitely have days where I’m sad, frustrated, angry and feel like giving up on T1D, but they are less frequent than when I was first diagnosed. I always try and celebrate the small wins. The cost of diabetes in the US and Canada is outrageous. I wish more countries had access to universal pharmacare. T1international is a great organization that advocates for insulin4all and they might even have a chapter in your state if you’re interested 💙 I’m a member of the Canadian chapter.
all have good bad days give up want to feel normal different alone hard 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
I was diagnosed May 2019 at the age of 47 with LADA. I can’t quite believe over 2 years down the line I’m still honeymooning. No long acting but Fiasp when required. Forgive me for asking a personal question but do you have autoimmune disease in your family? My mum has MS which is where I assume my autoimmune thing comes from?
Yes, my family has a history of autoimmune disease. My grandfather had MS and a few family members have arthritis.
@@LauraCravenOfficial This is going to sound really crass but I’d rather have T1 than have the secondary progressive MS diagnosis my mother has as she cannot treat it or do anything about it. We however do have the means to keep our condition under some kind of control and for that I am thankful.
You’d look so cool also with super short hair
Looks like you're doing great. I've just got diagnosed T1D in November. As a Postman that used to walk 8-10 miles a day. I'm finding 1.5-2 miles a challenge atm. any advice for a newbie? Love the idea of a pump. But i guess i'm a way off that?
I hope you’re doing okay. Exercise can definitely be challenging. When I was on pens, I would try and exercise soon after meal and only take 50% of my bolus for the meal. Now that I’m on a pump I have a bit more flexibility and I can decrease my basal rate an hour before I want to exercise and I still usually take less insulin the meal before I work out. Everyone is different and every exercise is different too. There is lots to learn and you can do it 💙
I also make sure I have lots of glucose tablets on me for lows and that I’m wearing my medical alert bracelet if I’m exercising alone outside or at the gym.
@@LauraCravenOfficial Thank you. Merry Christmas
Anyone else diagnosed T1 diabetic a week after chicken pox? I was age of 6
And I never knew about the cost of prescriptions being the responsibly of the patient in Canada! You're so articulate and great at explaining all the in's and out - thank you so so much for taking the time to share this! I'm also considering the Omnipod at the moment - so this was especially helpful to me! THANK YOU!! :)
Thank you Andrea 💙 We are still fighting for Canada Insulin4All 💪🏻 That’s so exciting that you are considering the Omnipod!! I’m glad you found this helpful 😊 Your UA-cam channel is so helpful too 💙
Great video, thank you for sharing. Hello from South Africa.
Thank you love you your videos keep up work Laura 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Lots of great information. I'm really enjoying watching your day in the life. At first I thought I would only test a few times but I'm reality its a lot more. I hope you are able to share more vlogs soon. Hope you are doing well. X
Does Type 1 Diagnosis qualify you for Ontario Disability Support Program.
It depends on the case if you qualify for the Ontario disability support program. In some circumstances it does, but I’m not familiar with how to be assessed. People living with T1D should all qualify for the disability tax credit, but it can be difficult to get your doctor or endo to complete the paperwork.
Living in England and because of T1 diabetes my prescriptions are free so insulin and any other medications/test strips/glucometers I don’t pay for. However (this is not available on prescription as far as I know) I choose to pay £159 per month for Dexcom g6 as it gives me that extra knowledge and comfort regarding control of my blood glucose. I personally cannot afford to have extreme highs or lows (as an NHS professional)
Dexcom sounds like it can be very handy to have those alarms. I think the Libre 2 has alarms, but I’m unsure how the accuracy compares to dexcom.
@@LauraCravenOfficial I believe Dexcom states “Zero finger-pricking as one of its main selling points and I have to agree with that 4 months down the line. I’m confident to treat or not regarding my Dexcom readings whereas with Libre they state to always confirm with a finger prick before treating either way. I use Dexcom because of it’s accuracy and not so much the alarms (because I’m a bit anal regarding not going low during the night... I need my sleep!) but they are helpful.
I can only say one's citizenship and their country of residence policy is really what defines your cost as an T1 diabetic. Having stayed in the USA and now Australia, they really don't have a good policy towards their local diabetic care, or atleast that's what I feel as a non-citizen in both countries.
I pay absolutely EVERYTHING including the mountain price of insulin pumps, strips, insulin and the consultation fee. My insurance also has a right to ignore all pre-existing conditions they see fit.
Its very interesting to see and read about your story in Canada and Scotland. I'm glad you are having a good experience with managing your health, lifestyle and expenses as a T1 diabetic.
I’m sorry to hear you’ve had to pay for everything yourself. It is an astronomical price that diabetics are forced to pay and so many people are unable to afford or access the medications and devices they need to stay alive. I am a loud advocate for universal pharmacare. I was fortunate to have private insurance in Canada to help offset the costs. Scotland has been excellent at covering all diabetes expenses and I can’t imagine moving to another country now.
I have a question. In the scenario that your blood sugar gets really low (and you don't inject insulin and eat carbs), once you start experiencing the symptoms, can you stand up, close your eyes, and focus really hard? Does doing that make the symptoms go away?
You DO NOT inject insulin if your blood sugar is low. Insulin causes blood sugar to go down. You DO eat fast acting carbohydrates to bring your blood sugar up. But not too many carbohydrates because then you go high and then have to take insulin to bring your blood sugar down lower. Roller coaster. Up down up down up down up down up. Many diabetics do not experience symptoms. Meaning they are unaware their blood sugar is going low. They simply go brain dead more or less while their body is still able to move and thrash around and kick and punch. You can stand up, meaning when your blood sugar goes low, you do not just collapse into a pile on the floor. You just remain standing. Your brain is not functioning, it is gone, but your body is not asleep. Your brain cannot focus really hard. It does not work. The only thing to make the symptoms of low blood sugar go away is to get sugar, calories, carbohydrates inside you. And then wait a few minutes for them to be absorbed by the body.
@@russellseaton2014 Thanks for the information
I have to say I’m lucky that if I go high after a meal I can usually go for a brisk 15 minute walk to bring BG down as opposed to giving insulin corrections most of the time which I prefer and it’s very effective.
That’s great you have something that works so well for you! I agree that a walk does wonders for bringing down high blood sugar.
@@LauraCravenOfficial It’s amazing really and it totally cuts out the rollercoaster of treating with fast acting then having to watch for hypo’s then treat again to bring BG up. I personally treat my T1 very conservatively. I prefer not to mess with FA insulin if I don’t have to by eating lower carb and if I do spike... walking it off makes all the difference!
Thanks Laura. My wife was recently diagnosed T1D. Your channel has really helped us both. We look forward to moving to an Omnipod combined with the G6 she is using.
Wishing you the best wish the Omnipod! I hope it takes some of weight of T1D off you and your wife’s shoulders 😊
Enjoyed the video and appreciate the time you took to make it. Educating people that don't know how T1D works is valued by me. Thanks.
Thank you very much 😊
Love your vids
5:37 amen 👍
High and low oscillations, a very bad feeling 😓
Wish we all can get great health and great straight lines
I wish for that too 😊
Really good information. Nice to see your sweet face.
Thank you JanJan ❤️😊
Nice a new vid to get more info thanks
Thank you Jack 😊
We are waiting for new videos! You have been a saviour!
Hi, how do you keep your libra on so well I’m 12 I got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 2 years ago. My libra is always coming off, it can be such a pain. Also what do you try and keep your bloods at night?? ❤❤❤
I use skintac which is a medical adhesive to keep my Libre on 😊 I buy this from Amazon. To keep my blood sugar stable overnight I don’t eat past 8pm to avoid having insulin on board when I go to sleep and I did a lot of trial and error to make sure my basal rates were correct. Do you have a diabetes team that can help you with this?
@@LauraCravenOfficial I do. But they didn’t suggest what you have they told be to eat some tots before bed, but that didn’t really help.
💙
💙💙
Thank you!!
Thank you for your questions! 😊
Hi Laura.
I hope you are doing good!
I had one question.I use free style libre 2 as my CGM, but whenever i apply new sensor it gives wierd/incorrect reading for first 3-4days.
After 3-4 days it starts to get back in normal range.
Do you also face such problem with libre?
I find the first 1-2 days of my freestyle Libre can be inaccurate. I like to insert my sensor 24 hours before I activate it and that seems to help. My diabetes educator mentioned that inflammation at the site can impact the reading and inserting the Libre a day ahead of time may help with that.
@@LauraCravenOfficial thanks for sharing the information Laura :)
This time i will try and follow the same approach.
Yes, you are right, Libra does not show very accurate indicators for the first 3-4 days and is not calibrated like for example Enlight 7008, but after this time Libra indicators become close to blood sugar values according to the glucose meter.