A new tool to help diabetics (especially new ones/kids)

[SueM in MN]

There was a story in the Minneapolis newspaper (Star Tribune, May 12, 2004) about the difficulties a family had with learning everything they needed to know when their 7 year old DD was diagnosed with diabetes. Being graphic designers, they took what they learned about diabetes, worked with their DD's dietician and put everything into nicely designed tools that their daughter could use to manage her diet and insulin. They came up with something they call Type 1 tools and decided to sell them to the public.
It sounds like a really good teaching tool (I wish I had had things like that back when I was a Public Health Nurse).

 

[mamajoan]

Sue,
this site is WAY COOL!!! Very useful for the new diabetic... hec Type 2's could use the carb counting/learning stuff too.

It could also work for elderly patients. Sooo many docs tell their elderly brand new type 2's ...just don't eat sweets, you will be ok. Then the patient can't figure out what to do. If I happened to see them for PT, I always suggested they go back to their doc and ask for a Reg.Dietician consult or a Diabetic Educator consult.


I wish these innovators best wishes on their endeavors!

Thanks for the link, Sue!

 

[SueM in MN]

Yeah, I thought it was way cool.
I've been there with the Type 2 diabetics told to just avoid sweets too.

In the story, they explained how the girl pulled out the correct magnet cards for what they were having for supper (chicken, potatoes and green beans), moved them to the top of the refrigerator, totaled the carbs from the cards and then used a conversion chart that is part of the kit to figure her insulin dose for the meal. I could see lots of uses for the kit.

 

[gardendame]

Just an FYI, my DS and DD each received a pack of what was called "Carb Cards", free of charge, from our Diabetes Nurse Educator. These have been around for a couple of years. They are a deck of playing cards with pictures of different food items along with their carb count. Just ask you physician or nurse for them.
Playing with the cards has helped them plan their meals and calculate their own insulin doses. Did you know, most diabetic children are excellent math students? They use math every day of their lives, they just don't realize it.

 

[Selket]

Thanks for the link SueM - that does look like some great stuff there - I really like the log books and plan to get them at some point when I'm finished with the calendar I already bought!