Ken Winters 47, Male Port Angeles, United States: Share

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Ken Winters's Groups

Type 1's from 70-79

50 members
Diabetics who run Marathons!

26 members

Diabetes Veterans

124 members
US - West Diabetes

114 members

Athletic Diabetics

232 members
Continuous Glucose Monitor Users

268 members

Geeks With Diabetes

162 members

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Ken Winters's discussions

Medical and Health

Diabetes Forecast Takes A Look Back And A Step Forward

Beware The Silent Assassin - Diabetes UK Launches Hard-Hitting Campaign

NIH Selects Case Western Reserve University To Participate In National Children's Study

Newly Identified Cells Make Fat

Grants To Expand Disease-Focused Stem Cell Research Received By Einstein And Montefiore

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Ken Winters's Page

Latest Activity

Ken Winters replied to the discussion Pump, CGM on a plane trip..? Sep 29

Ken Winters replied to the discussion Background insulin when exercising. Sep 28

Ken Winters replied to the discussion Running Packs Sep 25

Ken Winters replied to the discussion Type 1 diabetes and MS Sep 25

Ken Winters replied to the discussion Background insulin when exercising. Sep 24

Ken Winters replied to the discussion PROGRESS REPORT Sep 24

Ken Winters replied to the discussion Type 1 diabetes and MS Sep 24

Ken Winters replied to the discussion The only Type 1 without a pump? Sep 24

Profile Information

Do you have diabetes?: Yes

Type of diabetes: Type 1

Date diagnosed: May 31, 1976

Most recent A1C (BG Average) Value: 5.9

Type of treatment you use: Pump, Diet and Exercise

If you use a pump, what pump model do you use?: Minimed 522

Hometown (where you come from):: Port Angeles, WA

Where do you live? (City, Country): Port Angeles, WA

What is the address for your blog or other web site, if any?: http://none

How did you find out about us? What were you searching for?: Another member

Who referred you? (if anyone): Mollie

What do you do for a living?: Computer Scientist

T1 since 1976
Minimed 522 Feb-2007
Minilink CGMS Jun-2007

I'm a 46 yr-old married father of 5 (2 adopted) who spends most of every waking day in front of my computers (5 of them right now). It's my work, my news source, my entertainment, my research tool, and in many ways my social network. I do also love the outdoors (especially when it's sunny and not too hot) and am now into distance running (or as some might call it, distance plodding) and loving it.

I'm fortunate in that I don't have any Diabetic complications, even after 31 years. My Ophthalmologist is repeatedly amazed that there are no signs of retina damage. And my last blood lab work (after going on the pump) showed every measurement falling in the normal range, so I'm ecstatic about that.

Here's my most recent running challenge:

Ken Winters's Blog

How Valuable is Tudiabetes.com?

How can the value of a site like Tudiabetes.com be quantified? Is it's value based on the number of members or page hits? How about daily posts or advertising revenue? Cool features, maybe? No, I think the best way to quantify the value of Tudiabetes.com is through a personal story, one that probably reflects the experience of many people.

I lived in a small rural town when I was diagnosed T1 in 1976. I don't think the family GP had ever even seen a T1, but fortunately he recognized the… Continue

Posted on September 6th, 2007 at 11:13am — 3 Comments

Good Doctor or Bad Doctor?

What is the difference between a good Doctor and a bad Doctor? What should someone expect from their Doctor? What do I personally need to do to assure I get the best medical care possible?

Recently, I was thinking back to a Doctor I had about 20 years ago. The Endo I had previously seen as a youth was in a different city and difficult to see, so I started going to an Internist who happened to be a personal friend. This Doctor was one of the kindest men I knew and his bedside manner (e.g… Continue

Posted on August 13th, 2007 at 12:26pm — 5 Comments

First Pump A1C

I started my Minimed 522 pump on February 12, 2007. After 30 years, 8 months, and 12 days of daily injections (ignoring those 2 days I went without insulin during my honeymoon period) I was finally stepping up my glucose management a notch (at least I hoped so). Though I work in technology, I've always been slow at adopting new technologies for my personal life (got my first CD in the 90's and my first cell phone in 2004). But I knew I was ready for the pump.

Getting the pump was… Continue

Posted on August 5th, 2007 at 7:24pm — 4 Comments

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Comment Wall (32 comments)

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At 6:07pm on May 25th, 2008, Manny Hernandez said…: Hi Ken! I was wondering how you are doing? How's life and D for you.

At 4:23pm on March 4th, 2008, Tom Gohl said…: Ken-
Those suggestions make sense. The delayed effect is very real for sure. The longest activity I've done since starting the pump a year ago has been one 3 hour hilly road bike ride. During that, I dropped the basal 30% an hour into it, and left it that way for 2 hours afterward. That seemed to work out ok. Times when I've not dropped the basal, I've seen lows about 6 hours after getting off the bike.

At 2:21pm on March 4th, 2008, Tom Gohl said…: Hi Ken-
Thinking about taking a multi-day backpack trip this summer in the Colorado Rockies. Have not attempted such a thing since becoming Type-1 at age 37 ( or so ). Wonder if you have any suggestions on pump adjusting, basal tweaks, or what-not that would apply to multi-day, loaded hiking.
Cheers!
Tom

At 5:41am on November 1st, 2007, Amylia Grace said…: Sounds good! I could make it to Kaoshiung if your travels don't take you through Taipei. That'd be cool! :)

At 1:33am on October 24th, 2007, Toni Crebbin said…: My husband really wants to teach in China for a couple of years. Like you, I am very hesitant about the possibility of landing in a Chinese hospital! I have been there 3 times now, but a short visit is not the same.

At 9:39am on October 23rd, 2007, Toni Crebbin said…: Do you know Chris Little? She lives in Pt. Townsend and has 10 or 11 adopted kids. I think at least 2 are from Ethiopia. She helped us file our readoption papers. Did you travel to Ethiopia?

At 9:09pm on October 22nd, 2007, Toni Crebbin said…: Hey Ken, I thought I would say hello since you're basically just across the water from me. I also notice that we are both adoptive parents. I have 4 kids, with the last two being 3 year olds from China.

At 3:27pm on October 21st, 2007, Olaf R Saugen said…: Ken:
Thanks for inquiring! I must have been too busy reading about what kind of tapes diabetics on the Yahoo forum think they should be using today or tomorrow. I am doing swimmingly with my DxSeven -- getting an average of 13-15 days out of each sensor, I did find I should reset my low alert to 70 -- I had it at 60 and probably because it is not all that precise, when I was at 60 one morning I stumbled into a fairly serious hypoglycemic episode, broke two ribs (ouch!) and wound up in the hospital for a few days. But time is a wonderful medicine, and I am back home enjoying life to the fullest.'How are you doing these days?
-Olaf

At 1:22pm on October 18th, 2007, Don said…: I agree Ken, health has to take precedence over everything else. Were you insured back in '76? I've talked to T1s who've had it for a long time and they remember the days when a vial of insulin was $15 and so on. The costs are WAY more expensive now but the insulins and delivery methods are also much better. Through the '60s and '70s I don't think the medical field put a lot into diabetes research. Here's the insulins we have, take it in the morning and evening and see us every few months. Good luck. I think they just thought it was hopeless.

At 2:20pm on October 16th, 2007, Don said…: Key Ken, hope all is well. Let me throw something else at you which has been nagging at me. I am a musician but I have a day job and pretty much always have. But I have many friends who are musicians that haven't now or in many cases EVER worked a day job and get by teaching lessons and playing gigs. Many artists, musicians, creative people don't settle for working at the post office or the meat department or the real estate office. It stifles the creative mind and I know many of these people haven't (if ever) worked in so long they wouldn't know how to cope. Where I'm going with this is that most of them have no health insurance. Which is fine if you're healthy. I thought I was until June, then everything changed. Now I do have insurance now thank God but I no longer have the privilege of being very footloose and fancyfree and I've read some of the downfalls in having to stay in miserable jobs because you need the health coverage. Obviously people like ourselves after diagnosis become tainted goods and are uninsurable, the only plan I could get was like $400 a month and the deductibles were so high and covered virtually no supplies it would be impossible. I know a guy I used to work with who's type 1 and has a job with no medical now and reuses the syringes for like a month and hasn't seen a doctor in like 2 years. Scary stuff. Delete Comment