Diabetes Dictionary
This will be a continually updated list of diabetes terms. Now you can impress your diabetic friends with your use of the lingo ;-)
a1c: (or HbA1c) Is a test that I have done every three months to give an indicator of how well I'm managing my diabetes and where my levels have been sitting. The optimal percentage is under 7%. Currently my a1c is 7.7 which is nothing to complain about!
a 3am: I find myself telling people "Oh, I'm tired because I had a 3am". This doesn't mean I woke up and stayed awake all night/morning or went to bed at 3. It means I had to be woken up to check my blood sugar at this godawful hour. I get to go back to sleep, but it's actually really tiring to wake up at this time because it's in the middle of a sleep cycle, making you tired for the entire day.
Basal: If I say I've had my basals changed or something to that extent, I'm referring to a pump setting. As someone who produces little to no insulin, I need to have a steady flow of it during the day. This is called a basal setting where the pump drips insulin in constantly during the day. In terms of injections, I used to have 1 injection at bed time that was called "long acting insulin". This was only taken once a day, was often of a higher dose and lasted all day.
Betes: Lazy way of saying diabetes
Bolus: A bolus is the opposite of a basal. When I have food containing carbohydrates, I need to have a burst of insulin to cover them. In non-diabetics, your pancreas does this automatically when you eat carbs, balancing the sugar in your blood. For me I need to type my blood sugar into my pump, ten the amount of carbs I'm eating and my clever little pump works out how much insulin I need. In terms of injections your bolus would be 3 injections during the day, breakfast, lunch and dinner (this sucked because you have to eat at the same time and roughly the same amount every single day).
Carb ratio: Carb ratio (short for insulin to carb ratio) is a setting in my pump that works out how much insulin I need when I eat carbs. For me, it is fairly small, approximately 1 unit of insulin covers 20 grams of carbs.
Correction: A correction is given via pump or insulin pens/syringes. It is used when your blood sugar is too high and needs to come down. The pump is useful in that it works out how much insulin to give you to bring your level back between 5 and 6 mmol/L. This is called the insulin sensitivity factor- mine averages on about 5. This means that 1 unit of insulin drops my level by 5mmol/L.
To the diabetics reading this, yes, I'm aware I'm on baby amounts of insulin.... I've no idea why.
Dawn phenomenon: This is a highly annoying release of hormones. When you wake in the morning, sometimes a certain hormone is released causing your blood sugar to shoot up. This makes for a wonderful way to start the day... not.
Endo: Short for endocrinologist. An endocrinologist (or diabetes doctor) is a specialist in hormonal disorders, usually diabetes but there are other areas such as thyroid malfunction. I see an endo every three months to go over my diabetes management and ask questions.
Finger pricker: Sometimes I call the whole unit a fingerpricker, but technically only the stick with the needle in it is the fingerpricker. It's the thing I click on my finger to make it bleed.
Finger wipes: Nifty little wipes to clean my finger before checking my level (seriously, I touched a mango once and had a little freakout because my machine said I was 22mmol/L.... washed my hands and I was 7mmol/L)
Glucagon: A really menacing orange syringe with a massive needle tip. it is used in severe low blood sugars to make the liver release all of its glucose stores. Only used in emergencies and injected into the thigh, I keep mine in the fridge (haven't needed it yet- touch wood!)
Honeymoon period: Something I seem to never leave. The honeymoon period is when shortly after diagnosis your pancreas still works and produces insulin, meaning you require less. It is usually short lived but for me I seem to be in and out of the honeymoon phase. I'm only on small amounts of insulin comparatively speaking. Sometimes my levels go up and I think "yay! out of this thing"... almost 4 years later and I'm still not right.
Hyper: Short for hyperglycaemia (also referred to as being high). When your level is over 7mmol/L. I don't take much notice unless it's upward of 13 really. Insulin, water and exercise bring this level down.
Hypo: Short for hypoglycaemia (also referred to as being low). When your level is below 4mmol/L. You need THINGS WITH SUGAR IN THEM. NOT INSULIN. repeat that- NOT.INSULIN. Television has lied too you, don't attempt to give a diabetic insulin, the needle you see given is called Glucagon.
Hypo food: Jellybeans and juices I carry around all the time to lift a low level. They each have 15 grams of crabs in them which is the recommended hypo treatment. This is difficult to adhere to when you want to eat an entire kitchen when you're low.
Lancet: Needle in the fingerpricker which you're supposed to change after each use. I don't. No one does (apologies if you do, I greatly admire your effort!). I change it when it starts to REALLY hurt because it's blunt...
Medtronic: Pump brand
Meter: Machine that shows your blood sugar number and comes with a fingerpricker.
Reservoir: Plastic cylinder thingy that you put in the pump to hold the insulin. This is changed every three days with the set.
Set: Sticky thing with a teflon cannula that I inject every three days. It drips in the insulin.
The Hospital: People get frightened when I say I'm going to the hospital. By this I don't mean the emergency department! I mean the diabetes outpatient clinic for my 3 monthly check... it's ok, I'm fine!
Tubing: The tube that insulin travels through connecting the pump to the set. Some pumps are wireless, mine is not. Tubing gets tangled on things like belts, seat belts, bus seats, door handles and other people.
Vial: Contains 3mL of insulin, used to refill the insulin reservoir.
a1c: (or HbA1c) Is a test that I have done every three months to give an indicator of how well I'm managing my diabetes and where my levels have been sitting. The optimal percentage is under 7%. Currently my a1c is 7.7 which is nothing to complain about!
a 3am: I find myself telling people "Oh, I'm tired because I had a 3am". This doesn't mean I woke up and stayed awake all night/morning or went to bed at 3. It means I had to be woken up to check my blood sugar at this godawful hour. I get to go back to sleep, but it's actually really tiring to wake up at this time because it's in the middle of a sleep cycle, making you tired for the entire day.
Basal: If I say I've had my basals changed or something to that extent, I'm referring to a pump setting. As someone who produces little to no insulin, I need to have a steady flow of it during the day. This is called a basal setting where the pump drips insulin in constantly during the day. In terms of injections, I used to have 1 injection at bed time that was called "long acting insulin". This was only taken once a day, was often of a higher dose and lasted all day.
Betes: Lazy way of saying diabetes
Bolus: A bolus is the opposite of a basal. When I have food containing carbohydrates, I need to have a burst of insulin to cover them. In non-diabetics, your pancreas does this automatically when you eat carbs, balancing the sugar in your blood. For me I need to type my blood sugar into my pump, ten the amount of carbs I'm eating and my clever little pump works out how much insulin I need. In terms of injections your bolus would be 3 injections during the day, breakfast, lunch and dinner (this sucked because you have to eat at the same time and roughly the same amount every single day).
Carb ratio: Carb ratio (short for insulin to carb ratio) is a setting in my pump that works out how much insulin I need when I eat carbs. For me, it is fairly small, approximately 1 unit of insulin covers 20 grams of carbs.
Correction: A correction is given via pump or insulin pens/syringes. It is used when your blood sugar is too high and needs to come down. The pump is useful in that it works out how much insulin to give you to bring your level back between 5 and 6 mmol/L. This is called the insulin sensitivity factor- mine averages on about 5. This means that 1 unit of insulin drops my level by 5mmol/L.
To the diabetics reading this, yes, I'm aware I'm on baby amounts of insulin.... I've no idea why.
Dawn phenomenon: This is a highly annoying release of hormones. When you wake in the morning, sometimes a certain hormone is released causing your blood sugar to shoot up. This makes for a wonderful way to start the day... not.
Endo: Short for endocrinologist. An endocrinologist (or diabetes doctor) is a specialist in hormonal disorders, usually diabetes but there are other areas such as thyroid malfunction. I see an endo every three months to go over my diabetes management and ask questions.
Finger pricker: Sometimes I call the whole unit a fingerpricker, but technically only the stick with the needle in it is the fingerpricker. It's the thing I click on my finger to make it bleed.
Finger wipes: Nifty little wipes to clean my finger before checking my level (seriously, I touched a mango once and had a little freakout because my machine said I was 22mmol/L.... washed my hands and I was 7mmol/L)
Glucagon: A really menacing orange syringe with a massive needle tip. it is used in severe low blood sugars to make the liver release all of its glucose stores. Only used in emergencies and injected into the thigh, I keep mine in the fridge (haven't needed it yet- touch wood!)
Honeymoon period: Something I seem to never leave. The honeymoon period is when shortly after diagnosis your pancreas still works and produces insulin, meaning you require less. It is usually short lived but for me I seem to be in and out of the honeymoon phase. I'm only on small amounts of insulin comparatively speaking. Sometimes my levels go up and I think "yay! out of this thing"... almost 4 years later and I'm still not right.
Hyper: Short for hyperglycaemia (also referred to as being high). When your level is over 7mmol/L. I don't take much notice unless it's upward of 13 really. Insulin, water and exercise bring this level down.
Hypo: Short for hypoglycaemia (also referred to as being low). When your level is below 4mmol/L. You need THINGS WITH SUGAR IN THEM. NOT INSULIN. repeat that- NOT.INSULIN. Television has lied too you, don't attempt to give a diabetic insulin, the needle you see given is called Glucagon.
Hypo food: Jellybeans and juices I carry around all the time to lift a low level. They each have 15 grams of crabs in them which is the recommended hypo treatment. This is difficult to adhere to when you want to eat an entire kitchen when you're low.
Lancet: Needle in the fingerpricker which you're supposed to change after each use. I don't. No one does (apologies if you do, I greatly admire your effort!). I change it when it starts to REALLY hurt because it's blunt...
Medtronic: Pump brand
Meter: Machine that shows your blood sugar number and comes with a fingerpricker.
Reservoir: Plastic cylinder thingy that you put in the pump to hold the insulin. This is changed every three days with the set.
Set: Sticky thing with a teflon cannula that I inject every three days. It drips in the insulin.
The Hospital: People get frightened when I say I'm going to the hospital. By this I don't mean the emergency department! I mean the diabetes outpatient clinic for my 3 monthly check... it's ok, I'm fine!
Tubing: The tube that insulin travels through connecting the pump to the set. Some pumps are wireless, mine is not. Tubing gets tangled on things like belts, seat belts, bus seats, door handles and other people.
Vial: Contains 3mL of insulin, used to refill the insulin reservoir.
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