#blood glucose app

[medugo]

How to Record Your Blood Sugar Level?

With Medugo, you can record and view your blood sugar level easy and quickly. We show you step by step, how to record your sugar level reading in Medugo.

Medugo makes it easy to use the language of your choice. English, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Odia and Bengali. 

YOUR HEALTH VITALS ON THE GO 

Download the App Now: 

Play Store: https://shorturl.at/afgxP 

App Store: https://shorturl.at/foyX2 

Website: https://www.medugo.com/

[jcmarchi]

‘Smart Speaker’ Shows Potential for Better Self-Management of Type 2 Diabetes - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/smart-speaker-shows-potential-for-better-self-management-of-type-2-diabetes-technology-org/

‘Smart Speaker’ Shows Potential for Better Self-Management of Type 2 Diabetes - Technology Org

A new study led by Stanford Medicine indicates that an AI app can help Type 2 diabetic patients manage their blood glucose levels.

Type 2 diabetes patients have access to various digital health tools, including mobile apps for iPhones and remote patient monitoring devices, all of which help them manage their blood glycemic levels. They can test at home, usually with a glucometer, then communicate that data to their care team via an app or web portal by calling on the phone or waiting for an appointment. 

Stanford Medicine researchers found that a smart speaker helped Type 2 diabetes patients better control their blood sugar levels. Image credit: Bence Boros via Unsplash, free license

However, these monitoring tools assume a level of comfort with technology and sometimes math proficiency that many patients don’t have. And they all require something in short supply: clinicians.

Now, researchers from Stanford Medicine have created a voice-based artificial intelligence application that runs on a device already familiar to tens of millions of Americans: a “smart speaker,” commonly used to play music and check the weather. The app tells patients the correct insulin dose without requiring them to contact their doctor’s office or wait for an appointment.

“People simply don’t have that much access to care,” said Ashwin Nayak, MD, a clinical assistant professor of medicine. “We want to empower patients to do it themselves.” Nayak is first author of the paper based on the study, which was published in JAMA Network Open.

Participants in a randomized trial who used the system achieved optimal blood glucose levels far faster than the control group; they were also better about taking the prescribed amount of insulin at the time they were supposed to.

In addition, they reported lower levels of emotional distress related to their diabetes.

Most patients with Type 2 diabetes don’t benefit from the continuous glucose monitors or insulin pumps commonly used by patients with Type 1 diabetes. Insulin pumps supply a constant amount of insulin to address insulin deficiency, in which the cells that should be producing insulin fail to do so. Type 2 diabetics, in contrast, have insulin resistance, so their need for insulin tends to be less consistent.

Small study shows results

The study followed 32 individuals with Type 2 diabetes who were all taking insulin and struggling to achieve healthy blood glucose levels. Half of those received a speaker preloaded with the voice-based artificial intelligence software created by the research team. Each participant’s insulin protocol — including starting insulin dose, fasting blood glucose range goal and insulin dose instructions — was included in the software on their device.

Participants assigned to the AI group were instructed to check in each day using the phrase, “Check in with clinical trial,” which triggered a conversation in which the participant reported clinical data, such as recent insulin use and fasting blood glucose reading. At the end of the conversation, the software provided updated instructions by responding, for example, “OK, keep doing what you’re doing,” or “Up your dose” by a specified amount. The platform goes beyond remote monitoring by enabling remote patient intervention for the first time, the researchers said.

Participants randomized to the standard of care group also received a smart speaker, which was set up with daily reminders to complete their log but did not contain the app. Those patients monitored their blood glucose levels as they were accustomed to and reported the data to their providers online or by phone. If they required a change in dose, their medical provider contacted them.

Though the trial sample size was small, the impact was dramatic. Over the eight-week study period, 81% of patients in the group who used the app achieved glycemic control of their diabetes compared with 25% of patients who received traditional care. Patients in the trial managed by the AI had their insulin dose adjusted more frequently and needed far fewer doctor’s appointments to get their diabetes under control.

The voice-activated device has great potential to improve access, usability and convenience, especially for older patients with Type 2 diabetes, the researchers said.

“Patients don’t have tools to navigate the system and deal with the complexity of their treatments,” said Kevin Schulman, MD, professor of medicine and co-director of Stanford’s Clinical Excellence Research Center, who led the study. “If we want to meet people where they are we’re going to need to technology to help us. With this approach, AI and voice interface are coming together to try to solve a huge problem.”

The system used in the trial was programmed in English, but the system can easily be adjusted for speakers of other languages, researchers said. The app can also be programmed to monitor the patient’s response to other diabetes medications they’re taking, in addition to insulin. Researchers anticipate it could be used to monitor other chronic diseases as well.

Source: Stanford University

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[adviceformefromme]

FIVE THINGS I HAD TO CHANGE IN ORDER TO HEAL MY LIFE...

1] I had to delete social media. Exclusively Instagram. IG was consuming my life, the constant posting, the energy I was receiving was not in anyway positive. I knew my time was being wasted on the app and I couldn’t seem to help myself. It was an addiction. I first started deleting the app each day and reinstalling each time I wanted to check it. When got sick and had to have an emergency surgery last summer I knew in order to heal and stay mentally sane I HAD to delete the app. I have not gone back since. This singlehandedly removed so much toxicity out of my life. 

2] I quit watching the news / reading the news. Those nightmares, those fearful thoughts, all programmed into my subconscious day-by-day by the repeated messages of fear and worry. And while my heart breaks for what is going on in the world, it was bringing me down - without any purpose. So I removed myself. 

3] I got real serious about my connection with God. This transformed me. From someone who struggled with saying the word ‘God’ to Now knowing the love and guidance is something I receive daily, the transformation has been real. This looked like working with a spiritual coach, daily prayers, listening with intent during mediation to any messages. I started 1 hour mediations listening to God and although mostly silent the wisdom would pour in always from above. 

4] I changed my diet. I quit carbs. This single handedly changed my life. No more extreme hunger even though I just ate 2 hours ago, no more carb crashes. I removed all the carbs and started a protein and veg diet with some fruits. I invested in a juicer, I started studying nutrition. I also quit alcohol. Learning about balancing my hormones through removing glucose (carbs, starches, sugars) has impacted me in ways I never knew possible. 

5] I started running. As someone who works from home, it was very easy for me to be completely stagnant all day, and believe my dog walks were equivalent to exercise. In order to keep a healthy flow of blood, and maintain heart health, I needed to give my heart some work. This meant running. I started running down the road and back with many breaks in-between. I now run on the treadmill in the gym 3-4 times per week along with a little resistance training. When you start to show your body love, your confidence grows, you sleep better, your energy is replenished. It’s a win win. 

With every one of these five steps. It took a while. I didn’t just stop eating carbs. I quit and I went back and realised going back to the old way wasn’t working. My relationship with God took time, I would skip my meditations and then realise how much I benefited from them. I had to delete and re-install instagram multiple times a day. The point being, sometimes you got to slip-up. But make sure you’re falling forward. 

[kneecapsbelong2me]

Marvel Women x Diabetic!Reader HCs:

When your blood sugar is low

Characters: Kate Bishop, Natasha Romanoff, Maria Hill, Wanda Maximoff, Carol Danvers

A/N: this can be read as platonic or romantic! Also, world diabetes day was last week, but here we are.

Kate Bishop:

Before you met, the food scene at Kate’s apartment was dismal

The only things she ever really kept on hand were boxed Mac and cheese, microwave popcorn, and chocolate bars

Now, (in addition to real food and snacks you can eat more regularly) Kate’s apartment is filled with all of your favorite carb-filled, high glycemic index snacks and drinks

When you go low, she’s immediately offering you everything under the sun

If your favorites are from abroad, she WILL order them, shipping costs be damned

If you’re having a super mild hypo, she’ll pop downstairs and grab you a slice of pizza

Kate Bishop is a bit of a hoverer

Constantly checking in to make sure your sugar levels aren’t going down further

She HATES waiting 15 minutes to see if you’re back above 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L)

Lowkey more anxious about it than you sometimes

“Are you sure you’re not going to collapse?”

“Kate, I’m only at 68, and I had a snack. I’m fine.”

“That is not fine!”

Natasha Romanoff:

Natasha is super observant (obviously, she’s a spy)

Seems to know you’re going low before you do

Will tell you to check your blood sugar because she’s noticing you look a little shaky and out of it

Other times will rummage through your bag and hand you a pack of gummies just as you’re about to tell her you feel low

She keeps little hard candies/gels hidden in the most random places for you

Once you were out and she pulled a candy from a pocket in her shirt you didn’t realize was there

Will never force you to do anything, but will give you her hardest stare if you don’t immediately treat your low (especially if you wear a continuous glucose monitor [cgm])

“I don’t even feel shaky, and you know this thing sometimes shows false lows,”

“I can tell you’re about to go low. Here, drink this.”

“Where were you hiding a juice pouch?!”

“I have a lot of things hidden on my body,”

“IS THAT A GRENADE??”

Maria Hill:

When she found out you were diabetic, Maria did a whole bunch of research, including on the signs of hypoglycemia and how to treat it

She has your lows down to a science

If you have a cgm, she definitely has the app on her phone so it tells her when you’re going low

If the cgm says you’re low, but you don’t feel the symptoms, she makes you check with the finger stick

Has things portioned so each serving has exactly 15 grams of carbs

Makes sure you eat a more substantial snack with protein in it once you’re back in range

Keeps a journal of the dates/times you go low and how effectively different treatments work for you

“I think you should start having an afternoon snack. I’ve noticed you have the most hypoglycemic incidents an hour or two before dinner.”

“Hmm, okay. But only if you take a break and have a snack with me.”

“If that’s what it takes, deal.”

Wanda Maximoff:

Wanda is an even bigger worrier than Kate

She’s lost so many people in her life, and she’ll be damned if she lets you die from something she can directly stop

She keeps a closer eye on your blood sugar than you do

Like Maria, if you have a cgm she has the app to track

Wanda makes sure EVERY alarm is turned on and at the highest volume

When you go out, she carries more snacks than you do

If you have glucagon, Wanda keeps a dose with her, even if you also have one on you

The instant she knows you’re low there is a candy in your hand (before you can even access your own stash)

“If that doesn’t do it, I have three juice boxes, two packs of fruit gummies, and about two dozen hard candies in my bag,”

“Geez, Wanda. That sounds heavy. Which one of us is diabetic again?”

“I just want to make sure you’re okay!”

“Sorry, I know. Thank you for caring so much about me.”

“Of course.”

Carol Danvers: 

You go low while on Carol’s ship once, and she gives you juice from an alien planet and it’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever tasted

She finds out how much you like it and goes back to the planet just to buy it for you so she always has some on her ship

Forget a phone app, Carol has low glucose alerts hooked up to all of her tech no matter what technology you use

She somehow managed to get your finger stick connected to her suit and her ship

If she happens to be off-world and she gets an alert about you going low, she stops what she’s doing to text you

But if she’s “close,” no matter where she is on Earth (or near it) when you go low she will use her super speed to get to you, even if you assure her your fine

“Carol, you really didn’t have to leave your meeting with Fury for this. I have my own snacks.”

“I know, but I’m planetside and I have that juice you like.”

“Thanks for always taking care of me.”

“Of course, I’ll always be here when you need me.”

[littlemissomega]

How Low Can You Go ?

Diabetic!reader x Stucky

Summary: reader’s blood sugar drops in the middle of the night

Warnings: Dangerously low blood sugar, low blood sugar symptoms (head racing, shaky, brain fog), crying, blood, mention of glucose tablets (which is kinda a medication? It helps get your blood sugar up), orange juice, fluff, pet names (Ladybug, princess, sweetie, honey, etc)

Short and sweet enough to give your hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)

For reference, any blood sugar below 70-80- depending on your dr- is considered low

Masterlist

Why is my heart pounding? Y/N wonders groggily as her eyes flutter open. She can tell something is wrong. Her skin feels clammy and her whole body is shaking. Y/N slowly sits up, looking around confused. Her brain feels foggy and she can’t think straight. Tear well in her eyes from the frustration and she put her face in her hands.

“Are you okay, baby?” Bucky asks, voice thick with sleep.

Y/N bursts out in tears and he shoots up in bed.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” he asks, putting a hand on her cheek. Her skin is cold and sticky under his palm, “Steve, wake up,”

Y/N feels Steve sturs and sits up on her other side.

“Ladybug, what’s wrong?” Steve asks, rubbing her back.

“Don’t kn-know can’t think heart don’t know don’t fee-feel good,” Y/N sniffles.

“What’s your blood sugar?” Bucky asks, turning on the lamp.

Y/N squeezes her eyes shut, nuzzles her face into Steve’s chest in the bright light.

“Huh? Don’t know too dizzy,” she whimpers.

“It’s okay, princess, we’ll make it all better,” Steve soothes, wrapping his arm around her and Bucky grabs her phone off the nightstand.

  Bucky goes straight to her Dexcom app.

“Shit,” he mumbles, pushing the blankets off and jumping out of bed.

“What? What is it?” Steve asks, tightening his grip about Y/N

“40.1 (2.2mmol/L) with double arrows down,” Bucky calls as he runs down the hall to the kitchen.

Bucky’s hands tremble as he grabs two bottles of orange juice from the fridge, as well as Y/N’s glucose tablets.

“Let’s manually check, baby,” Steve suggests, gently turning her so her back is against his chest. He grabs her diabetes bag off the nightstand and gets the glucometer (what checks how much sugar is in your blood) out. He quickly puts a strip in before getting the lancet (finger pricker) out. He quickly cleans her shaking index finger with an alcohol swab before pricking this finger.

“Oww Stevie,” Y/N whines.

“I know baby, I’m sorry,” he soothes, wiping the blood up with the strip. Steve lifts her still bleeding finger to his lips and sucks on it gently. 3…2…1…

“39.3, Buck!” Steve calls, releasing her finger with a pop.

“That bad?” Y/N slurs.

“Don’t close your eyes, Ladybug, Bucky will be right back,” Steve tells Y/N, gently tapping her cheek as her eyes start to close.

“Don’t li-like it,” she responds. Steve wipes the tears from her cheeks.

“I know, baby. Here’s Bucky!” Steve points out as Bucky plops down on the bed.

“Here you go, Ladybug,” Bucky voices, opening the orange juice and lifting it to her lips.

Y/N struggles to part her dry lips, still feeling confused. The sugary, tart juice is a shock to her system and she almost chokes on it.

“There you go, baby, think up,” Steve whispers, placing a hand on the back of her head.

“Take this too,” Bucky adds, opening the glucose tablets and getting two out. He gently parts her lips with his thumb and places them on her tongue before lifting the juice back up. She swallows them without hesitating.

“You’re doing so good, honey,” Steve soothes, “Keep drinking it,”

Y/N obeys, swallowing until the last drop is gone.

“Do you think that’s enough?” Steve whispers.

“I think? I don’t wanna overtreat and it goes high. Let’s just wait 15 minutes and recheck,”

“Bucky?” 

“Yes, baby,” Bucky responds, putting a hand on his girlfriend’s leg.

“I’m sor…sorry I woke you up,” she stutters.

“It’s okay princess! I’m sorry you’re feeling icky. You’re gonna start feeling better soon, honey,” 

Bucky places a hand on Y/N’s cheek and she leans into it.

“I love you,” she mumbles.

“I love you too,” Bucky smiles.

“And I love you,” Y/N repeats, flopping her head back on Steve’s shoulder.

“And I love you too, Ladybug,” Steve chuckles, “You’re our best girl. Always,”

Masterlist

Taglist:

@liidiaaag

@flourishandblotts-inc

@aagn360

@smromanoff

@butyoudontlookdisabled

[seeingteacupsindragons]

So I’ve been thinking a lot about mental health and mental illness lately (thanks, new psychiatrist) as I process a new diagnosis and what it means and reframing my image of myself, so I want to talk about some stuff.

So if you know all this already, just. Bear with me, okay, I’m processing a lot right now.

A lot of people on here get annoyed at advice to, like, go for a walk or do yoga or see sunlight or clean things up or meditate or whatever. And I get it, because I also get annoyed at people thinking that will solve my problems. I have had a boss try to get me to do a damn meditation app as if that would solve the work impact my mental illness was having, and it infuriated me.

But, that’s not because it doesn’t solve a problem. It just doesn’t solve the problem I have.

Meditation apps and all that other stuff are basically the mental health equivalent of eating a salad and jogging once a week. Someone who doesn’t do those things, even if they’re not otherwise sick, are not going to be very healthy and are going to feel kind of gross. It’s baseline health care.

But eating a salad isn’t going to cut it if you have a broken leg. You actually need medical care.

(Please go to a doctor if you have a broken leg. Thank you)

Now, if you get the mental health equivalent of a cold—something stressful is going on at work or with your friends, or a lot of small emergencies are popping up at once—you can probably still get by without a doctor. Increase the vegetables, get some soup, rest and sleep a lot. Do some extra mindfulness exercises, take a new yoga class, get a little TLC, clean your room. It will help you feel a lot better, and then the “illness/blip” will pass and you’ll be back to baseline in relatively short order, without needing to see a doctor.

But what if you have mental health bronchitis, or a broken leg? I would compare these to maybe some post-partum mental health issues, or grieving a death of someone, or a divorce, or something like that. You may actually need to see a doctor, get some care, see a therapist and get counseling, maybe briefly stop by on some antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds to help you recover. And then you’ll probably be mostly okay, with maybe some lingering issues and a good strong memory of that time you were Not Okay.

But you weren’t going to get okay without something a lot more than vegetables and cardio.

And then there’s the Chronic Mental Health issues, like many mood disorders or personality disorders, or PTSD/CPTSD, panic disorders, phobias…the lingering things that need serious help and you are very likely in fact to never full recover from, or even partially in some cases. These are where you get type one diabetes or Celiac’s or an amputation, or multiple sclerosis, or any of that. Stuff where you desperately need regular, often daily, medical care and management to stay healthy and functional.

And these ones are going to change your life even with medical care. A diabetic might need a medical device attached to them at all times, they are likely to need to check their blood sugar regularly, they’ll need to think about what they eat and how it will effect them, they’ll need to carry glucose tabs. They might have a medical ID bracelet! And sometimes mistakes might still happen and things go very badly. An amputee might have a prosthetic or might not, but either way it won’t do everything a biological appendage will, and they’ll have to adjust their lives to how to move and pick things up or whatever in a very different way to someone who has that body part. And someone with Celiac’s is just not going to be able to eat gluten. Not matter what medicine they take. It’s not going to happen.

And that’s the thing: even when you’re getting regular medical care and treatment, and you have a plan worked out and you’re used to it, if you have a mood disorder or PTSD or schizophrenia or something…you may very well never quite have a life that looks like someone who only needs yoga and meditation classes. You may always need other accommodations and lifestyle adjustments to function and manage.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t be happy. It means things are going to be so different for you that the people who manage with salad and a treadmill are just not going to be able to offer any useful advice to you. Your needs are way too different.

And then there’s getting into a car crash or catching meningitis. Sometimes, shit is just going to happen to people, and they are going to need to be hospitalized and watched very carefully for a while. I would probably categorize a lot of mental breakdowns, like the kinds that are at the onset of many mood or panic disorders, some levels of psychosis, sometimes the death of someone very dear to you—in fact, many of the things that might be broken legs to some might turn out here. Maybe someone else broken their leg with a nice clean fracture, but yours was a complicated shatter of a joint that started healing wrong and also got infected.

And the hospitalization isn’t going to be the end of your care, either. You’ll stay in the hospital until they can get you stable, until you don’t need medical professionals a button press away, until you can be assumed to recover the rest of the way on your own.

But, for people who know people who have come home from the hospital after a surgery or serious illness…it’s far from the end of the road, or even return to a new baseline. You’re going to need a lot of help and rest and recovery even after hospital discharge. Someone will probably have to watch you, might need to help you take your meds, might need to bring you food and drinks, or cook, or do chores.

And people who care should, maybe, understand, and send, “Get well soon,” and “Thinking of you” and flowers, and organize meal trains and otherwise show up for someone who is seriously ill.

Of course, a lot of that would be weird in the Chronic Illness space. But there, I think the understand would be, “Yeah, you know your friend can’t have gluten,” and “Why would you suggest they go for a hike with you when they’re in a wheelchair, you dick?” and “I made you low-sugar treats! I worked super hard on the recipe!” so people around you know that you have different needs and you care enough to accommodate them and make sure they are still cared for…differently.

I don’t think I’m going to edit this before posting.

But I’m thinking about it a lot, and I think I’m going from a place where I though I had a broken leg to realizing the leg was never actually going to heal without a limp, to realizing, in fact, that the leg didn’t break the way I thought it did and I need some physical therapy and a new doctor to get it working and see what happens then.

Maybe this was helpful to someone besides me. But it felt good to get it all into words!

[chooseyourownhatchetfield]

-| Hatchetfield Adventure: The Hot Chocolate Kid

Read from the start. Read the last post. Read the next post.

You chose: Talk to the nerd.

The impatient man in front of you angrily throws his hands up, leaning to the side of the line to ensure the baristas can see him as he flips them off and frantically points to his watch. You stare with a sense of confusion and second-hand embarassment as he declares that he's 'in a hurry' and doesn't have time for the queue.. before leaving the cafe, to which nobody really cares. With a spot now open in the line you step ahead, finding yourself standing behind the nerd in the stereotyical geek attire.

He seems concerned, visibly sweating as he constantly looks between his phone and the counter. Occasionally you can catch him muttering about the wait, which is perfectly understandable.

You eventually decide there's nothing better to do than interact whilst you wait for the queue to die down, so you lean forward and tap the nerd on the shoulder. He promptly turns around, staring at you in confusion.

"Huh- hey, no cutting! Wait.. are you cutting? Because if you are I'll.. kick you!"

You back away slightly and put your hands in front of you, clearing things up as you clarify that you just want to know what's taking so long, and why he seems so stressed.

"What? Oh. There's some.. guy at the front of the line holding everybody up. He's been talking to the barista for 10 minutes, it feels like I've been waiting five fucking years!"

The nerd sighs, glancing at his phone again. Instinctively you also look, spotting an app open that seems to link to a glucose monitor on his upper arm.

"I just want a damn hot chocolate.. seriously! I have low blood sugar and- I'm not looking to crash again, my brother will kill me.."

You can't blame the teen for being impatient, you're just as annoyed.. maybe there's something you can do to help?

Reblog to spread news of the adventure!

[thediabetictribe1]

Extra Weight, Extra Risk

Being overweight raises your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. It can also increase the risk of high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol, and high blood glucose (sugar). If you are overweight, losing weight may help you prevent and manage these conditions. And you don't have to lose a lot to improve your health—even losing 10–15 pounds can make a big difference.

Getting Started with Weight LossWeight

loss can be hard because it involves changing the way you eat and your physical activity. Losing weight also takes time, which can be frustrating. The good news is that you can lose weight and keep it off, even if you've never done it before.

Cutting back on calories and fat.

Staying physically active most days of the week.Eating breakfast every day.

Weighing themselves at least once per week.

Watching less than 10 hours of TV per week

Small Steps

Most people find it easier to make healthy changes in a few small steps instead of all at once. Set realistic goals within a timeframe that works for you, and don’t let stalls or setbacks throw you off course.

Keep a record

Many people find that writing down everything they eat helps keep them on target. Give it a try—even for just a week—to see where you stand.

Keep a small notebook with you all day. Write down everything you eat and drink, including the serving size. There are also many free apps and websites that can help you do this online.

Make a note of what kind of physical activity you do and for how long. It may also help to write down other information, like when or where you exercised, who you exercised with, or how you felt before, during, or after exercise.

Check your weight at least once a week and write it down, or consider how your clothes are fitting as a measure of weight loss.

[platinummice]

Treating my blood glucose level like it’s a game my favorite app is the Dexcom app I love seeing what’s going on inside the me

[evolution-ofa-geek]

Haven't done one of these in a while... allow me to reintroduce myself.

I'm evo and I'm a type 2 diabetic... in April of 2021 i went to the hospital because my A1C was 15.3 and if i hadnt been admitted i would have been in a coma.(DKA). Over the years I've gotten control of my blood glucose, after 3 months I went from 15.3 to 6.5 and then from there to a 5.6 and then a 5.3. I kicked ass... but then last year I got a little sick from covid which I ended up eating shitty so I fucked up. 8.4 when I got back to the endocrinologist. This time around I thought I was doing a lot better but I wasn't... went a few weeks ago to check and I went down to 6.7 but that's still not good.

So lately I been struggling and I figure what better way to get back on track then to get back on here. My fit family. I was once told I was the king of support, I want to get back to that. I want to get back to what it used to be.

I re-downloaded zombies, run! I haven't used the app for 10 years so it was fun looking at all old stats on it. I'm pushing 40 now so everything is a pain these days. But I seen older people strive and work their asses off on here and I am becoming one of those people now.

So when I said last week I'm reactivating the fitblr community, I meant it. I want to see those hard working people that busts their asses off because I too am one of those and that's what motivates me.

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.

[dingo-saurus]

non-exhaustive list of things i need to do as a type-1 diabetic whenever i eat in order to keep my blood sugars in a healthy range (which i need to do consistently to stay alive and not need to amputate limbs or deal with organ failure later in life):

count the carbs and sugars for everything i am eating or drinking in that moment. this is obviously harder if the meal is homecooked as you need to not only work out the carbs for everything in the meal but also how much your portion would be. fortunately and unfortunately there are a number of apps that can help with this built primarily for dieting that you can take advantage of

am i taking metformin (med that reduces insulin resistance) or not? if so, normal dose. if not, slightly higher. usually only by 1 or 2 units but this varies

test my current blood glucose. even if i am wearing a glucose monitor i need to do this manually with a fingerprick test to confirm the monitor is correct (they often aren't). is it in range? normal dose. too high? a little more, depending on how much higher my blood glucose is and how much my body personally needs to correct sugars. which needs to be worked out with testing, and is subject to change. too low? have a few sips of sprite or some jelly beans while meal prepping. how much i need to bring it up into range is subject to change and something that experience with my body helps me with

okay so now we need to figure out how much insulin i need with the meal, taking all the above into account. there is a mathematical formula that helps to determine this based on your weight that i was taught by a medical professional and type 1 diabetes expert (yes the advice is different between type 1 and 2. you need someone who knows your specific type or you will get Bad Advice). this is not infallible, in fact it does not work for me at all (i sometimes need about twice the insulin i should need, due to my body's fluctuating insulin resistance). so i have had to deviate from it and work things out for myself, increasing the ratio of insulin-to-carbs until i was getting it correct. this can change based on basically Anything. have i been exerting myself today? are the specific carbs in the meal quick or slow to release? is there protein? am i sick? do i have a migraine/have recently had a migraine? did i sleep well? am i stressed about something? did i take a dose of basal insulin today (and how much)? experience will help me feel this out. i can still get it wrong even after 4 years, and need to correct it after the meal

okay, i've done the calculation and have my number. when do i give myself the insulin dose? well that depends. i need to time it so that the peak of the insulin's effectiveness hits when the meal is hitting my blood sugars. i have a couple of rapid-acting insulin brands that hit at different times, but the one i'm taking rn takes about 30 minutes. so either before or during the prep/cook time i need to duck out and do my dose, or i need to wait for a time after i take my dose to grab whatever i'm grabbing. i set an alarm for this

inject insulin (thankfully this was not difficult for me to get used to as it's MUCH easier these days than it was in the past)

eat

you are doing this 3 times a day, more if u want to snack. my body changes constantly, and requires frequent rethinking of all of the above (metformin is making this easier for me, thankfully. i had to troubleshoot and figure this out myself after 3 frustrating years)

as you can imagine, it generally means i do not eat out (most restaurants do not keep track of the carbs and sugars in their meals) and cannot eat homecooked meals unless the cook is willing to calculate exactly how many carbs and sugars are in the meal so i can figure out how much is in my serve

it takes a lot of energy, attentiveness, adaptability, determination, and perseverance to treat your diabetes effectively day-to-day and avoid damaging your body or putting your life at risk. thankfully i have the support to do that monetarily, medically, and socially. not everyone does

be kind to diabetics

[camp-counselor-life]

Accommodation Examples

Ok, this will be my last (for now) post in the ADA series. I meant to write it a while ago and life happened. Now, I talked previously about what accommodations are, but also that they aren't necessarily predefined. However, it can be hard to know what to ask for, and you often only get what you ask for. It can help to have a sit down with HR about what the company can offer, but here are a few options you can ask for:

Summer Camp

Instructions or processes in a specific format (written over spoken is common)

Job coaching in specific areas

Carrying medication (might need to be locked)

Sensory accommodations

Service animals (usually not ESAs though)

Quiet break areas

Access to electricity or cell phone (medical equipment, monitoring blood glucose)

Special diet foods or access to cook your own foods

Office Jobs

Flexible hours

Flexible deadlines

Instructions in a specific format

Accessibility software such as screen readers or time management apps

Different goals and benchmarks

Job coaching

Service animals

Different lighting

Wearing ear buds or headphones

School/University

Flexible deadlines

Flexible attendance

Sign language interpreter for classes, TA hours, etc

Braille text books

Software, similar to office jobs

Service animals and ESAs in student housing

Access to disability services counselors (if you have those)

Note taker

Ability to take notes in alternative formats (laptop over hand written, for example)

Extended time for taking tests, quiet spaces for tests, etc

There's tons of options for accommodations, some that I may not know about, or some that may be extremely specific to your disability. ADA is a collaborative process, something you do together with a counselor or HR.

[explode-this]

Reasons that I am currently in sensory hell

Lack of sleep making blood sugar wonky —> continuous glucose monitor that cannot be silenced screaming at me when blood sugar dips too low during the night —> can’t sleep for more than two or three hours at a time —> can’t take the meds prescribed for diabetes rn b/c the insurance company decided it didn’t want to cover the medicine my doctor prescribed and it is $1,200 a month —> still controlling diabetes with diet —> but cannot control diabetes with diet when I am fucking unconscious —> so now running on three hours of sleep and I am losing my fucking mind over sensory issues like pain, smell, and light —> and I hurt like everywhere for some reason, possibly because it’s cold and layering doesn’t help —> my joints are screaming at me for mercy but what the fuck do you want me to do about it, elbows/knuckles/knees/shins for some reason even though they are not joints? —> also I am very hungry all the time even though I’m eating a reasonable amount —> I am currently feeling like I do not want to exist and now I have to watch THAT too even though it’s nothing to do with my feelings and everything to do with my idiot body —> except that the idea of a life with no reprieve from pain and no prospects for pleasure opens up a door for my idiot feelings to compound that —> wish I could get some sleep but I know the glucose monitor app, which can override phone silencing, will not allow this to happen

[cmibloggers]

Tech-Driven Solutions: A Comprehensive Overview of the Digital Diabetes Management Market

In recent years, the healthcare industry has witnessed a transformative shift with the integration of technology into various aspects of patient care. One notable area that has seen significant advancement is the management of diabetes through digital solutions. The Digital Diabetes Management Market is at the forefront of this revolution, offering a wide array of tech-driven tools and services that aim to empower patients, improve outcomes, and streamline healthcare processes. Mobile Applications and Glucose Monitoring Mobile applications have become instrumental in the lives of individuals living with diabetes. These apps offer features such as glucose monitoring, medication tracking, and meal planning, allowing users to gain valuable insights into their condition. With the advent of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology, patients can now access real-time data on their blood sugar levels, enabling better control and management of their diabetes. Wearable Devices and Remote Patient Monitoring Wearable devices have emerged as a game-changer in diabetes management. From smartwatches to glucose monitors, these devices offer continuous tracking of vital health parameters, including heart rate, blood sugar levels, and physical activity. Physicians can remotely monitor their patients' health data, providing timely interventions and personalized care plans. Telemedicine and Virtual Care Digital diabetes management has transcended traditional clinic visits. Telemedicine and virtual care platforms enable patients to connect with healthcare providers through video consultations, eliminating the need for physical visits. This not only saves time and resources but also ensures better accessibility to specialized care, especially for those in remote areas. The global digital diabetes management market was valued at US$ 7.60 Bn in 2022 and is forecast to reach a value of US$ 38.55 Bn by 2030 at a CAGR of 22.5% between 2023 and 2030. Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analytics Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms and predictive analytics play a crucial role in digital diabetes management. By analyzing vast amounts of patient data, AI can identify patterns and trends that may be missed by human analysis. This allows for more accurate risk assessment and early detection of potential complications, leading to timely interventions and improved outcomes. Personalized Treatment Plans Digital diabetes management platforms are designed to offer personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient's unique needs. By integrating data from various sources, such as glucose levels, medication adherence, and lifestyle choices, these platforms can recommend customized interventions and lifestyle adjustments to achieve better diabetes control. The global traditional wound management market is estimated to be valued at US$ 2,080.8 million in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 3.4% during the forecast period (2023-2030). The Digital Diabetes Management Market represents a paradigm shift in diabetes care, leveraging the power of technology to enhance patient experiences and outcomes. From mobile applications and wearable devices to telemedicine and AI-driven analytics, these tech-driven solutions empower patients to take charge of their health and collaborate more effectively with healthcare providers. As the landscape of digital healthcare continues to evolve, we can expect even more innovative solutions to emerge, further revolutionizing diabetes management and transforming the lives of millions affected by this chronic condition. With ongoing research and technological advancements, the future holds great promise for improving the quality of care and ushering in a new era of patient-centric diabetes management.

[mariacallous]

Chrissy Kinsella was looking for a more personalized approach to her health. “You know, what is good for you as an individual may not necessarily be good for the next person,” she says. So she reached for a subscription to Zoe—a personalized nutrition service cofounded by Tim Spector, a celebrity scientist and a genetic epidemiologist at King’s College London. Kinsella paid the £299 ($365) for a testing kit and later received a bright yellow package in the mail: a bundle of vials, patches, and muffins.

By testing, scoring, and monitoring how you respond to different foods, Zoe says, it can help with a whole host of problems. Its personalized recommendations can help you “reach a healthy weight,” “feel less bloated,” and “avoid chronic health issues,” claims its website. The program can even help with menopause, Zoe says.

But doctors are more ambivalent. Sure, getting people to think critically about what they eat can be beneficial, but scoring and monitoring someone’s diet could lead to unnecessary health concerns or even disordered eating. British doctors say they have seen perfectly healthy patients with concerns about their blood sugar control prompted by readings in their Zoe app.

A Zoe starter pack includes a fecal sampling kit, a finger-prick blood test, and a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Participants are asked to take a blood sample before and after they eat a muffin precisely engineered by the startup to contain specific levels of fat, sugar, and proteins. Zoe then runs a blood-fat test to see how each person responds to fat in their diet (prolonged high levels of fat in the blood are a health risk). Combined with blood glucose data (from the CGM) and an analysis of the quality of their microbiome (via the fecal sample), these measurements are used to create personalized diet recommendations, where each item of food is scored on a scale up to 100.

A sugary food, for example, would have a low score for someone whose data shows their body doesn’t control blood sugar levels well; for someone with good sugar control, the same food would be scored a bit higher. Meals, too, are scored out of 100—based on the personalized scores of their ingredients, as well as how those ingredients interact.

Kinsella, who used the program for a year, says she values the insights it gave on what foods were more suited to her body—now she knows that she tolerates fat well, sugar not so much, and that dairy milk sits better with her than oat milk. Kinsella loved inspecting data about her body, but she admits she became obsessed with checking the app to see what her blood sugar was doing in response to what she ate, courtesy of the CGM. Small, coin-shaped, and usually affixed to the upper arm, CGMs have been a regular appendage of people with diabetes for years now, allowing them to track dips and hikes in blood sugar without needing to prick their finger every time. There’s been a growing trend of companies selling the monitors to people without diabetes for them to track how their body responds to certain foods. Levels and Veri, two other personalized nutrition plans, also use CGMs.

Getting a score of at least 75 every day is the ultimate aim of the Zoe program. This figure is calculated based on what you’ve eaten. But Kinsella found herself ruling out a lot of foods because they wouldn’t get her to that magic number, and she thinks the app encourages this kind of obsessive behavior. “You’re giving people an app that is kind of almost gamified, in that when you hit this magical 75, you get a big green circle. And everybody wants to get 10 big green circles in a row,” she says.

Shivani Misra, a consultant doctor specializing in diabetes in London, has seen an influx of patients at her non-NHS practice who have either purchased a CGM themselves or through the Zoe program, and who’ve become worried they are at risk for developing diabetes—due to seeing either continuously high blood sugar levels or sharp rises and falls.

When Misra formally tests them for diabetes, the results always come back normal. “We shouldn’t be using CGM to diagnose diabetes; it’s absolutely not validated for that,” she says. What concerns Misra is the people she’s seen who are restricting calorie intake and have become extremely anxious about eating carbohydrates. “I really worry about that group, because they’ve just become overwhelmed with the data that they’re seeing, which is completely normal.”

“It’s set up to derive those kinds of behaviors in exactly the people that would be susceptible to it, in my opinion,” she says. The patients who came to her were seeking professional guidance because they felt their anxiety about what the data was telling them had become problematic—in the case of one patient, they felt they couldn’t eat fruit anymore. “I personally think there is some corporate responsibility to make sure that there is adequate safety in place for people,” says Misra.

Federica Amati, a medical scientist and nutritionist and a science communications strategist at Zoe, says that the company has “lots of systems in place for customer service, and for our coaching team to be able to flag if they feel that somebody is not interacting with the app in a healthy way,” she says. “Of course, the fact that there’s a score associated with food is still problematic if you have disordered eating.”

On the potential for programs like Zoe to burden health systems with concerned users, Amati says that the company is putting a task force together to investigate how medical professionals are experiencing Zoe’s influence. “We feel very responsible about it,” she says.

Nicola Guess, a dietitian and researcher at the University of Oxford, says that she has also been approached by patients concerned about their health after seeing their blood glucose spike while wearing a CGM offered as part of a personalized nutrition plan. When she tested these patients to assess their blood glucose control, their results were completely normal. “It’s just making them quite weird about food, and it takes a lot of the enjoyment out of food for no reason whatsoever,” says Guess.

But, says Amati, Zoe didn’t create the worried well, noting that the problem has been an issue for the public health service for a very long time. “For sure, we’ve probably now created a new stream for the worried well to feed into, but I think that that’s a bigger problem than just Zoe.”

There is also a big question mark over how useful personalized nutrition really is. Zoe’s nutrition scores are predicated on the idea that each of us responds to the same food in a slightly different way—thanks, in part, to our microbiomes. But translating this into dietary advice is trickier and less well understood. A personalized diet might tell someone to cut out white bread and eat more leafy vegetables, for example, but is this really more effective than the same advice delivered by a family doctor or a public health advertisement?

“Zoe doesn’t eschew all the normal health advice,” Amati says. “We’re not like, ‘Oh, no, don’t eat more fruits and vegetables’—it sits within the recommendations that we know are very good for the majority.”

There is precious little clinical trial data on personalized nutrition apps, says Duane Mellor, a dietitian and researcher at Aston University in the UK. One study from Israel published in 2015 compared personalized diets generated by a machine-learning algorithm with diets selected by a clinical dietitian. The authors found that people in both groups had fewer glucose spikes after meals—indicating a healthier diet.

But whether personalized nutritional plans really make a difference is something Zoe is studying. Next month, Amati says the company will be releasing the results of a randomized controlled trial, called the Zoe Method Study. The trial involved one group of people receiving the full Zoe product and another group simply receiving standard nutritional advice, plus access to support services through an app. The study aims to test the efficacy of a program like Zoe in improving cardiometabolic risk markers in otherwise healthy people, through testing their resulting levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (a type of fat), as well as measuring other things like weight, blood pressure, glycemic control, and hunger levels.

All of this doesn’t come cheap, and Zoe users have to pay membership fees for continued access to their bespoke scores. Prices start at £59.99 ($73) for a single month and go down to £24.99 ($30) per month for a year-long plan. At those prices, Zoe is aimed squarely at wealthier consumers—a point not lost on columnist James Greig, who wrote about Zoe in the newsletter Vittles.“If our environment really is saturated with poisons, then bespoke services like Zoe are not a scalable solution but a form of private health care that will further entrench existing inequalities,” Greig wrote.

Amati acknowledges that Zoe’s program is expensive, but she says, “The product at the moment is the price it is because the testing we do is expensive.” She says the idea is that, as the techniques and technology become more common, the price will come down accordingly, and that Zoe has plans to work with the NHS and other providers to “become part of the health approach.” In the meantime, the company places focus on communicating health advice for free through forums like social media and podcasts.

Zoe is still proving popular, with over 130,000 people having tried the service so far. Part of the appeal of personalized nutrition is that it goes beyond weight loss to address other concerns people have about their health. Zoe markets its diet as a way to improve energy levels, gut health, and sleep. William Viney, a researcher who has worked on personalized medicine, points out that there are a huge number of people who have health issues that aren’t easily addressed by doctors and mainstream diets. “They know that they’re not like everyone else, and they need to get to the bottom of something,” says Viney. “There is an opportunity to bring information, and with it care, to whoever can pay the price for such a product.”

[sadisticmagpie]

I found the bitch that could be my enemy for the next 5 years

So as you may know, i have diabetes.

and with it comes my insulin pump, and my phone which basically became a medical equipment 'cause of a program that automatically regulates my hourly insulin intake, or whatever its called.

Because I have diabetes, i need to be aware of my blood sugar level, and make it right if its too low or high, and i can check it on my phone, through an app, or use my glucometer.

Now

Today, in the last 3 hours, i had fucking 300mg/dL, which let me tell you, is 3 times what its supposed to be.

And in that time period, i had school.

And so, i gave mahself some insulin to lower it.

And because of that, i needed to monitor my glucose level every 30 min, see if it worked and if its not going low too fast.

So, i had to look at my phone and check that app every 30min.

So i did, but the teacher saw it, and told me that if i don't put down my phone, i'll get in trouble.

Well, because i didnt want trouble when i'm exhausted because of lessons and my glucose, i obliged.

Now guess who still has 300 glucose level because they couldnt monitor it in peace and see that the insulin did nothing.

Now, i plan to talk to her tomorrow about all this, but i'm pretty sure it'll do nothing because i already told her, when she pointed out my phone, that it's for diabetes.

Hope it'll work, because as much as i love drama, I don't want to be the drama