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A DIY diabetes kit

bbc.com

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Re: A DIY diabetes kit

#3

Post by letitleak »

Tldr- a new soylent with nutrition levels similar to mc donalds.

Seriously though, this title (and the one the BBC is using) is gibberish compared to past articles on the same subject. Are you talking about a monitor, anartificial pancreas or a DIY project with serious side effects?

Re: A DIY diabetes kit

#5

Post by jawngee »

My son was just recently diagnosed type 1 about 4 months ago (exactly on his 1st birthday, shitty birthday).

Unfortunately, we live in Vietnam where access to even basics like pumps, let alone CGM, is non-existant, or incredibly hard. We had to fly to Singapore to get a pump, and then fly back every three months to get new supplies. CGM is a pipe dream.

One thing this article doesn't touch on, which is unfortunate, is how much of a nightmare modern medical systems make diabetes. In the US, insurers decide what pumps you get, what CGM device you might be able to get, even what insulin you are using. I see it everyday on the support groups I'm on. And the costs are astronomical. In Vietnam, we get our son's insulin for $12 a vial. The same vial in the US is about $400 or more (insured price). Test strips in the US can cost $1-2 per strip; we spend about 20-30 cents per.

I am very hopeful about the bionic pancreas though, a device that does what these DIY systems do; but also delivers glucagon as well as insulin. There are also some stem cell trials that are very interesting too. I'm hoping that by the time this kid hits college, his care is automated as possible, if not outright cured.

Re: A DIY diabetes kit

#6

Post by srameshc »

jawngee wrote: post #5

My son was just recently diagnosed type 1 about 4 months ago (exactly on his 1st birthday, shitty birthday). Unfortunately, we live in Vietnam where access to even basics like pumps, let alone CGM, is non-existant, or incredibly hard. We had to fly to Singapore to get a pump, and then fly back every three months to get new supplies. CGM is a pipe dream. One thing this article doesn't touch on, which is unfortunate, i…

I still don't understand why insulin is so regulated and expensive in US. I feel sorry for people with Type 1, Type 2 who many a times have to skip their insulin dose. I think it should be freely available over the counter and there should be some cheap availability for such a common drug.

Re: A DIY diabetes kit

#7

Post by maxerickson »

srameshc wrote: post #6
jawngee wrote: post #5

My son was just recently diagnosed type 1 about 4 months ago (exactly on his 1st birthday, shitty birthday). Unfortunately, we live in Vietnam where access to even basics like pumps, let alone CGM, is non-existant, or incredibly hard. We had to fly to Singapore to get a pump, and then fly back every three months to get new supplies. CGM is a pipe dream. One thing this article doesn't touch on, which is unfortunate, i…

I still don't understand why insulin is so regulated and expensive in US. I feel sorry for people with Type 1, Type 2 who many a times have to skip their insulin dose. I think it should be freely available over the counter and there should be some cheap availability for such a common drug.

Walmart sells older forms over the counter.

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/12/14/45904732...

Pricing info isn't super apparent, I guess it probably isn't a whole lot more than the $25 a vial suggested in various articles and comments about it.

Re: A DIY diabetes kit

#8

Post by jacalata »

jawngee wrote: post #5

My son was just recently diagnosed type 1 about 4 months ago (exactly on his 1st birthday, shitty birthday). Unfortunately, we live in Vietnam where access to even basics like pumps, let alone CGM, is non-existant, or incredibly hard. We had to fly to Singapore to get a pump, and then fly back every three months to get new supplies. CGM is a pipe dream. One thing this article doesn't touch on, which is unfortunate, i…

By "modern medical systems" do you mean "the insurance setup in the USA" or something else that exists in multiple countries?

Re: A DIY diabetes kit

#9

Post by jacalata »

srameshc wrote: post #6
jawngee wrote: post #5

My son was just recently diagnosed type 1 about 4 months ago (exactly on his 1st birthday, shitty birthday). Unfortunately, we live in Vietnam where access to even basics like pumps, let alone CGM, is non-existant, or incredibly hard. We had to fly to Singapore to get a pump, and then fly back every three months to get new supplies. CGM is a pipe dream. One thing this article doesn't touch on, which is unfortunate, i…

I still don't understand why insulin is so regulated and expensive in US. I feel sorry for people with Type 1, Type 2 who many a times have to skip their insulin dose. I think it should be freely available over the counter and there should be some cheap availability for such a common drug.

It seems relatively defendable - it is far, far more dangerous than many prescription only drugs (eg: birth control), and most people will not be able to work out how much they need without seeing a doctor first.
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