More about prick tests, needles and insulin - and hearts

Very mixed feelings today. Outside the snow is melting, and indoors the log fire is burning, but what's happening in our hearts? I make no apologies for this being yet another diabetes blog; it dominates our lives, and never goes away. A week ago we had Frank's quarterly check up, and a new testing and injections regime was introduced. Our first year working with Frank and his health support team went reasonable well, but over the last few months his readings have deteriorated, and we must intervene to head off chronic problems with his eyes, kidneys, circulatory system, brain and heart. Yes, it sounds dramatic, but this is what we face.

Last week's interventions, as we attempt to do the work of his pancreas, have been rather unsuccessful, giving worse results than we had before. Despite much more testing, more frequent injections and lots of fretting to try and make the diet/ exercise/ insulin balance somewhere near right, we have slipped back a bit. But we have excellent support and access to all the information you could ever want. Today the diabetes specialist nurse visited us, with the goodies needed to try an entirely different approach to insulin injection timing, and choosing different products to better match the release to the time when it's demanded by the body. And the diabetes experts advise that it's not just about insulin, diet and exercise; it's more about insulin, love and care.

Today's readings have been poor, and Frank's behaviour sometimes tricky (directly linked with his high blood sugar, ie it's not his fault!). Starting tomorrow, after testing he has a new 24-hour basal insulin as first course before breakfast, with a shot of quick-acting to work on his breakfast porage (I prefer the Scottish spelling!) and fruit. Then before lunch another test and a shot of fairly quick acting insulin, then testing before tea-time, where he may need another shot of quick-acting to deal with his supper (a balanced meal with all the food groups, which is a good excuse to eat a bit of beef). With this series of events we hope that his average blood sugar is within the range that those of us with a working pancreas would enjoy.

Despite these difficulties, we have good hearts for the big task in hand. There has been some discussion about whether the treatment of diabetes is an art or a science. My conclusion is it's a labour of love.