It’s amazing how my sleeping habits have changed as I get older. I can do well with less sleep, often times getting up merely an hour later than normal on weekends, and my sleep positions have changed too since I now have a double bed in my room and not a twin. I didn’t realize how much I needed two pillows until I went back to Oregon and had to sleep in a TWIN! The horror, right? I also now require a fan to sleep. For a few reasons, actually. First, my room is small, so it gets stuffy easily. Second, I have an upstairs neighbor who could be mistaken for Shoe’s little sister…
Diabetes
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Lemonade Life
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Sleeping Habits
19 Nov 2009 | 8:38 pm -
“Thanks” For “Giving” Me a Meme!
18 Nov 2009 | 8:12 amThere’s a Thanksgiving meme floating around these parts, so I figured I’d jump in and share my own! Gobble gobble! 1. What are the traditional favorites? Turkey, stuffing, candied yams and marshmallows (my favorite!), and pumpkin pie. 2. What new recipes will you try this year? I’m not trying any new recipes this year because I’m not cooking! But we’ll be visiting my boyfriend’s half-sister and her husband, so there may be new foods on the table yet. 3. What part of the meal do you never compromise? Pumpkin pie. Last year, at my cousin’s house, they… -
The 2nd Annual Diabetes Online Community Gift Exchange!
17 Nov 2009 | 8:02 amIt’s that time of the year, folks! The air is chilly, the trees are trimmed with sparkly lights, and Starbucks cups have gone from traditional white to festive red… The holidays are here! I don’t know about you, but I can hardly believe it’s almost December (2 more weeks) and that Thanksgiving is coming ’round the bend in just a week. I’m excited, of course, as I love the holidays and I think it’s a wonderful, happy time (when I’m not being trampled by tourists…). Last year, I gathered the troops for a holiday gift exchange hosted by… -
World Diabetes Day 2009
16 Nov 2009 | 9:50 amThis past Saturday, I hosted a World Diabetes Day party in midtown Manhattan for about 20 of my closest D-friends. There was a great mix of type 1s, type 2s and type 3s there and we enjoyed New York style pizza and a homemade cake from one of the members of the ACT1 Diabetes support group. Erik and I went down to the space near Penn Station around 11:00 to find Val already waiting for us! Val helped Erik and I move tables around to accommodate everyone, and while Erik went to purchase diet sodas (in 3 flavors!), Val blew up blue balloons while I taped streamers to the tables. It was very… -
On a Sunday Evening.
15 Nov 2009 | 7:45 pmI don’t seem to be terribly good at keeping up with the NaBloPoMo this time around. I completely missed it last Friday, and I barely managed to eek out a sentence the Friday before. All I can say is that I’m simply not used to blogging this much and I’m finding it difficult to say very much every day. A few items of note: World Diabetes Day was a smash success, but I’ll have more details on that tomorrow. I am officially visiting my fourth (out of five) new states planned for my 101 Things in 1,001 Days Challenge. This time: Nevada. I’ll be visiting Las Vegas for…
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Diabetes1 Articles
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Health Insurance Reform May Help Diabetes Treatment
12 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmOne in six people with diabetes have avoided or delayed necessary medical care because of high costs, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a report this week. -
International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Releases New Guidelines on Diabetes Management Worldwide
3 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmThe International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has recently announced the release of several new diabetes guidelines including those addressing pregnancy, self-monitoring blood glucose and oral health at its 20th World Diabetes Congress in Montreal. The work of the IDF Task Force on Clinical Guidelines, these new guidelines have been set forth in light of recent data showcasing the epidemic of diabetes worldwide. -
Qualitest Pharmaceuticals Issues a Voluntary Nationwide Recall of All Accusure Insulin Syringes
28 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pmHuntsville AL-Qualitest Pharmaceuticals today issued a voluntary nationwide recall of all Accusure® Insulin Syringes. -
New IDF Study Reveals Diabetics in Developing Countries Pay More for Diabetes Care and Have Poorer Health
21 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pmType 2 diabetes is often seen as a condition affecting older, unproductive adults in wealthy countries. However, the reality is that 70% of people with diabetes now live in low and middle-income countries and the economic impact of diabetes is much greater in poorer countries. Yet the majority of the spending, 90% of all medical expenditures for diabetes care, is made in the United States, Canada, the countries of Western Europe, and other wealthy countries. This is the conclusion of the most comprehensive investigation of the economic impact of diabetes ever to be conducted in low… -
Latest Diabetes Figures Paint Grim Global Picture
19 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pmInternational Diabetes Federation says epidemic out of control
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Diabetes in Control – News for Clinicians
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Test Your Knowledge Answer #495
12 Nov 2009 | 12:06 pm -
Test Your Knowledge #495
12 Nov 2009 | 12:05 pmA continuation of last week's case study John Eckersly is a 61 year-old man who is a new patient. He works as a researcher and his only complaint is that he has gained 20 lbs over the past 25 months. He is single and eats out for most of his evening meals. He is relatively sedentary at his job. He spends most evenings watching TV or surfing the Internet. He has 2 grown daughters who live nearby. -
Quote #495
12 Nov 2009 | 11:52 am"I didn't really say everything I said." ............Yogi Berra -
Letter from the Editor #495
12 Nov 2009 | 11:48 amThis week the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) came out with some new guidelines on the use of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) for non-insulin using patients. (See Item #2.) (http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8588&catid=1&Itemid=8) Their new guidelines talk about how SMBG should be considered at the time of diagnosis but only used when patients, their caregivers, and/or their healthcare providers have the knowledge and willingness to incorporate findings into the diabetes management plan. I took the time to read through the 44 page… -
Miscellaneous Frontpage #495
12 Nov 2009 | 11:43 amNew Product: See this week's Item #4. (http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8586&catid=1&Itemid=8) Tools for Your Practice: AADE7™ Self-Care Behaviors Handouts These handouts provide basic information about the seven different areas patients should focus on while managing their diabetes. Each one includes some facts, tips,...
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DiabetesMine: the all things diabetes blog
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Guest Post: Have a Little Respect
20 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amMy D-blogger friend and intermittent correspondent Allison Blass has been living with diabetes since she was 8 years old. It’s pretty much all she knows. She copes with it her way, and strives to let others do the same. That’s why, this week, she’s musing on the theme of respecting each others’ choices in this [...] -
Glucose Measurement In Your Ear. For Real.
19 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amA gentleman cornered me at the Diabetes Technology Society meeting earlier this month, and said he wanted to talk non-invasive glucose monitoring. How could I resist? He said his name was Avner Gal, from Israel. He pulled out a chunky little MP3-looking device, and plugged in a cord with a small clamp on the end. Then [...] -
Wayback Wednesday: What Makes You Think I’m Brave?
18 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amCourage and diabetes. This seemed an excellent topic to revisit on the second-to-last Wednesday of Diabetes Awareness Month. (Not to mention that I saw Wicked over the weekend with my oldest daughter ) Other than that I believe this post, from early 2007, needs no special intro: What Makes You Think I’m Brave? It’s happened many times [...] -
The Truth About Afresa Inhalable Insulin: A Chat with Al Mann
17 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amAl Mann, CEO of MannKind Corp., is something of a legend in his own time. He not only founded MiniMed, acquired by Medtronic, but also four other successful medical companies. He’s a billionaire, with his own Biomedical Engineering Institute at the University of Southern California (USC), so we can assume that he’s not just championing [...] -
World Diabetes Day 2009 + An Intro for the Newly Diagnosed
16 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amIt was a great day this Saturday. Many more people came out for the San Francisco World Diabetes Day event than last year. Probably because the Ferry Building is centrally located and a wonderful place to catch the attention of passers’-by. See how pretty: I’ve got more photos to share, but before I go on, an announcement: [...]
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Six Until Me.
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Death of a Computer.
20 Nov 2009 | 8:53 amI loved my HP laptop. Loved. Seventeen inches (size matters) of shiny screen with plenty of memory and all my photos and my videos and my writing on it ... it was the technological embodiment of my life as a blogger and I took it with me everywhere. Blood sugar logs throughout the course of my pre-pregnancy and now-pregnancy, drafts of articles I haven't finished yet, and a cache of photos spanning four or five years back.But last week, the whole thing went kaput on me. It started at the beginning of October, when the browser windows started to crash on me. Then… -
When in Doubt ...
19 Nov 2009 | 11:06 amWhen in doubt about what you really want to write, go with a bloopers video. If nothing else, it will become clear why these segments never made it into an actual vlog post. :) (But doesn't explain why I'm talking about books for no reason, what's with the cursing streak, why the cat is on the toilet, and why Abby is impersonating the MGM lion.) -
Unrealistic Expectations.
18 Nov 2009 | 7:44 amBSparl is getting bigger. (And so am I.)I spent a lot of time planning this pregnancy, starting from back in 2003 when I decided to go on an insulin pump. And even though preparation didn't begin in earnest until Chris and I were married, having a child has always been something I've wanted with my whole heart. So I read up on what to expect, and what to do to help improve my diabetes control, and what prenatal vitamins to take. What I didn't do much research on was the actual pregnancy itself.I didn't expect the low blood sugars that hit hard and fast in the first… -
Forecast: Chili.
17 Nov 2009 | 8:07 am(I am almost POSITIVE I've used that pun before, but blast - I'm going with it.)Seeing as how I'm going to be a mommy next year (holy crap), I'm in full-on nesting mode at the house. I make the bed every morning. I do laundry and have actually found myself attempting to whistle whilst doing said laundry. And I'm even making efforts at cooking food.For those of you who know me in person, I'm sure your eyes are the size of saucers. I KNOW, right? Cooking? Me? What the hell is going on??It's the BSparl. This teeny baby had hit my "domestic… -
Showering the Baby and World Diabetes Day.
16 Nov 2009 | 7:37 amThis past weekend played host to World Diabetes Day, and there were so many cool diabetes advocacy events that I can barely keep up. Here's a run-down of just some of the WDD events that took place across the blogosphere:George and Cherise (oh, excuse me - SugaSheen) made the greatest YouTube video of all time, combining two things I love: my fellow PWDs and a little Beyonce action. Check out "All the Diabetics!"Kelly, Manny, and Amy lit up the San Francisco Ferry Building in blue for WDD - Amy's post has some great photos of the event!If you visit the World…
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Top Headlines - Diabetes Health
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Press Release - Primary Care Doctors, Endocrinologists Feel Ill-Equipped to Provide Ideal, Multi-Disciplinary Team Care
20 Nov 2009 | 10:30 amPRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly one-third of doctors surveyed said they did not have enough time and did not receive sufficient reimbursement to provide comprehensive care to their patients with diabetes, according to the results of a study of endocrinologists and primary care doctors published in American Health & Drug Benefits. Read more... -
Press Release - In patients on statins, raising good cholesterol with niacin (Niaspan), but not reducing bad cholesterol with ezetimibe (Zetia), decreases plaque build-up
19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pmORLANDO, Fla. Nov. 16, 2009 - In combination with statins, adding a medication that raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was more effective in reversing artery wall plaque buildup and in reducing heart disease risk than adding a drug that lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, researchers reported today at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2009. Read more... -
The Affordable Health Care for America Act Passed
19 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amWhew! We received a landslide of comments recently when we published an article called Demand Health Care Reform Now! Some people complained that politics should stay out of our publication. Unfortunately, healthcare is a political issue, and we at Diabetes Health are interested in healthcare. We believe that healthcare should not be tied to employment and should be available to all, regardless of how healthy or wealthy they are. As always, though, we encourage dialog and welcome all points of view. Please keep telling us what you think. Read more... -
Parade Magazine's Ad Linking Gastric Banding to Type 2 Control: Opening a Campaign for a New Means of Treating Diabetes?
18 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pmAn ad in the November 15, 2009, edition of Parade magazine may be the opening salvo in a campaign to push adjustable gastric bands as a weight loss aid to help overweight type 2s dramatically improve their symptoms or even go into remission. Read more... -
Press Release - Powerful Imaging Technology Helps to Uncover Important Interaction Involved in Tolerance
17 Nov 2009 | 2:30 pmThe body's immune system is supposed to "tolerate" itself and distinguish "self" from "non-self." Autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes result from the breakdown of this system, causing immune cells to attack and destroy insulin-producing beta cells or "self." In the November issue of Nature Immunology, Brian Fife, PhD and collaborators including senior author Jeffrey Bluestone, PhD share how they have uncovered a basic process that helps control immune cell activation and tolerance. Read more...
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Diabetes News
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Brave teenager must spend every night in hospital
20 Nov 2009 | 9:41 amA teenager will have to sleep in hospital for the rest of her life because just one night out could kill her. -
Positive results from Echo Therapeutics' Symphony tCGM System study
20 Nov 2009 | 5:27 amEcho Therapeutics, Inc. , a company developing its needle-free Symphony tCGM System as a non-invasive, wireless, transdermal continuous glucose monitoring system and the Prelude SkinPrep System for transdermal drug delivery, today announced positive results of a clinical study of its Symphony tCGM System in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. -
The not-so-sweet truth about sugar
20 Nov 2009 | 1:00 amAmericans on average eat and drink about 22 teaspoons of sugar daily, which is almost three to four times more than the daily recommendations. -
Scripps research scientists find new link between...
19 Nov 2009 | 8:40 pmNovember 19, 2009 A-A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a direct link between insulin - a hormone long associated with metabolism and metabolic disorders such as diabetes - and core body temperature. -
Canada warns vets and pet owners about drug
19 Nov 2009 | 4:28 pmHome : Health : Canada warns vets and pet owners about drug Canada warns vets and pet owners about drug Date: Thursday Nov.
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ScienceDaily: Diabetes News
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Insulin linked to core body temperature
20 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amScientists have discovered a direct link between insulin -- a hormone long associated with metabolism and metabolic disorders such as diabetes -- and core body temperature. While much research has been conducted on insulin since its discovery in the 1920s, this is the first time the hormone has been connected to the fundamental process of temperature regulation. -
Good news on multiple sclerosis and pregnancy
18 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pmThere is good news for women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant. A new study shows that pregnant women with multiple sclerosis are only slightly more likely to have cesarean deliveries and babies with a poor prenatal growth rate than women who do not have MS. -
Is type 2 diabetes mellitus a risk factor for gallbladder, biliary and pancreatic cancer?
17 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmPresently, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with cardiovascular complications, and also with several cancers. A research group from USA has investigated the association of gallbladder, biliary and pancreatic cancer in hospitalized American veterans with and without type 2 DM. Among patients with type 2 DM, the risk of pancreatic cancer was threefold higher and that for gallbladder and extrahepatic biliary cancer was twofold higher compared to hospitalized patients without DM. -
Scientists find molecular trigger that helps prevent aging and disease
17 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmResearchers set out to address a question that has been challenging scientists for years: How does dietary restriction produce protective effects against aging and disease? And the reverse: how does overconsumption accelerate age-related disease? An answer lies in a worm study that examines how the two ends of the spectrum influence biochemical responses. -
Drug therapy more cost-effective than angioplasty for diabetic patients with heart disease, study suggests
16 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmMany patients with diabetes should forego angioplasties for heart disease and just take medicine instead, a new study suggests.
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msnbc.com: Diabetes
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Obesity rates highest in Southeast, Appalachia
19 Nov 2009 | 10:49 amThe first county-by-county survey of obesity reflects past studies that show the rate of obesity is highest in the Southeast and Appalachia. -
Tiny tattoos could help diabetics ditch needles
13 Nov 2009 | 5:09 amScientists are starting to test a kind tattoo-sensor that changes color with rising blood sugar levels. -
Diabetes can be delayed with diet, exercise
29 Oct 2009 | 10:01 amPeople on the brink of developing diabetes who get a lot of support and encouragement to diet and exercise can turn things around and avoid the disease, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. -
Diabetes drug helps obese adults loss weight
23 Oct 2009 | 12:57 pmNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese adults may shed more weight with the diabetes drug liraglutide than with the weight-loss drug orlistat (Xenical, Alli), suggests a study in The Lancet this week. -
Long-acting insulin boosts diabetes care
22 Oct 2009 | 10:40 amLong-acting insulin works better than other types of injections for people who need more than pills for their type 2 diabetes, researchers reported on Thursday.
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Diabetes Daily
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Newly Diagnosed Diabetes Grocery Shopping List
20 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amThe day after I got sent home from the ER after my diagnosis, I called my aunt Kerry who is a nurse and asked her what I could eat for breakfast. All I had at my college apartment was a box of Lucky Charms, whole grain bread, some fruit, peanut butter, and a bunch of other carb heavy foods. Nobody told me "no carbs", the doctor at the ER said to avoid sugar. So what did I eat? I ate a piece of dry toast. I was too scared to eat anything else, even though my aunt told me to eat a normal breakfast. It wasn't until I met with the nurse at the Barbara Davis Center… -
Lazy Day Friday: Just Because
20 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amToday is Friday! I am dubbing today Lazy Day Post Day. I wrote a post back in March titled "Just Because" I decided to bring it back because I'm being lazy...Just BecauseI'm writing this blog post "Just Because", simply because I can. So, I am going to start the sentence and you finish it...You can say whatever you want ( within reason). Just because you can:). You can be silly, serious or whatever.Just because _______________.I'm going to go first.Just because I'm a diabetic doesn't mean I can't eat sugar!I know the grammar isn't right but who cares? Your turn....Be… -
The Tallest Hurdle (At the Moment)
19 Nov 2009 | 5:43 pmI start the week strong and end it weak.All weekend long and for Monday (and sometimes Tuesday), I'm raring to go. Walking, elliptical, balance ball, yoga - I'm all for it. Motivation is high to get my butt in gear and burn off calories. By Wednesday, I start making excuses, which is easy with a full-time job and being a part-time writer. "It's been a long week", or "I'm too tired", or "I have to stay late at work". Even with #sweatbetes making its presence on Twitter, I just can't keep the streak going deep into the week. Has anyone else… -
Back to School?
19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amCooking is one of my favorite passions. I really enjoy putting ingredients together to get something wonderful. Well, wonderful most of the time. I'm still learning a lot! Lately I've been thinking a lot about taking a cooking class or two. Not culinary school. I don't have the time or energy to put into something like that. I'd love to, but not at this point in my life. What I'm looking at is something very casual. I would love so much to go to Italy or France and take a week long class. Stay in a villa, drink wine and cook- what… -
We exist too!
19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amI read a post written by Kelly titled "Dear Diabetes Orgs & Society as a Whole", I decided to blog about what it feels like being diagnosed with T-1/1.5 diabetes and not having a (offline) support system like the JDRF or ADA.True StoryWhen I was diagnosed with Type 1.5 diabetes I was 23 years old. I wasn't a child, teenager or T-2. I was a healthy 23 year old newlywed. I was a homeowner. I enjoyed waffles for breakfast and going to Sonic's to grab a Route 44 Cherry Slush. I was focused on work, married life, being an armywife and going back to…
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DIABETES NEWS - Google News
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CDC Issues County-Level Obesity, Diabetes Rate Survey - RedOrbit
Albany Times UnionCDC Issues County-Level Obesity, Diabetes Rate SurveyRedOrbitThe report found “distinct geographic patterns in diabetes and obesity prevalence” in the US, with high prevalence in West Virginia, the Appalachian Diabetes and obesity rates up, CDC reportsRecord-SearchlightMore Obesity, Diabetes in South, AppalachiaWebMDObesity, Diabetes Pre-Dominates In The South And AppalachiaVisit BulgariaPalm Beach Post -The Associated Press -United Press Internationalall 313 news articles » -
Health Tip: Managing Gestational Diabetes - U.S. News & World Report
St. Louis AmericanHealth Tip: Managing Gestational DiabetesU.S. News & World Report(HealthDay News) -- Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy, resulting in high blood sugar levels that can pose dangers for mom and baby. Type 1, the lifelong insulin-dependent diabetesSt. Louis AmericanWorld Diabetes Day event held on the BracCayman Net Newsall 6 news articles » -
University researchers study diabetes in flies - Diamondback Online
WSAV-TVUniversity researchers study diabetes in fliesDiamondback OnlineWhen it comes to diabetes, university scientists have found fruit flies and humans aren't that different. By removing several genes from the Nigeria: 'Diabetes is Life-Threatening But Manageable'AllAfrica.comChildren also susceptible to diabetesBarbados AdvocateADA: Diabetes Kills More People than Breast Cancer and AIDS CombinedWSAV-TVAbilene Recorder Chronicle -Monterey County Herald -Basil & Spiceall 28 news articles » -
San Francisco's city-run health care a model during national debate - WLOS
MiamiHerald.comSan Francisco's city-run health care a model during national debateWLOSIt assigns patients to a health clinic, provides preventive exams and long-term care for chronic conditions such as diabetes. About $20 million of the $126 San Francisco's health care a model during debateThe Associated PressHealth care test vote...Health San Francisco...Air strikes in Pakistan9&10 Newsall 240 news articles » -
Doctors Say Low Pay for Diabetes Care Shortchanges Patients - MedPage Today
Doctors Say Low Pay for Diabetes Care Shortchanges PatientsMedPage TodayIn a survey of 200 primary care physicians and 100 endocrinologists, 32% reported an inability to provide comprehensive diabetes care, Alyssa Pozniak, PhD, and more »
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The Butter Compartment
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Pastels, Markers & Crayons, Oh My!
20 Nov 2009 | 10:37 amAs you know, I’m at the art therapy conference in Dallas. Or if you didn’t know, you do now. I’m really trying to keep up with NaBloPoMo in addition to be fully present here and get myself ready for the board certification exam. I’ll be devastated if the NaBloPoMo Police come to arrest me for failing, so I wrote up a re-cap of what I did at the conference yesterday. Yesterday, I sat through the first part of a session on organizing public exhibitions of client/patient artwork. Since the artwork made in art therapy is subject to HIPAA regulations, and because the… -
My Little Dinosaur
19 Nov 2009 | 4:16 pmI’m in Dallas at the Art Therapy Conference, but before I left to come here, I made a vlog. As is characteristic of me, it’s long at almost 10 minutes, but I hope you like it. -
Gobble Meme Gobble
18 Nov 2009 | 7:50 amI got this meme from Karen. Jason and I actually don’t have any Thanksgiving plans this year. My parents invited us to Savannah to have Thanksgiving with them, but Jason has to work Friday, so that wasn’t all that feasible since our teleporter is broken. The last few years, we’ve spent most Thanksgivings with Jason’s mom, but she moved several states away over the summer so it’ll just be the two of us. I could make some kind of traditional-ish Thanksgiving meal, but I hate my tiny kitchen, and cooking in it, especially an involved meal like that, is a royal pain… -
D-Shirt
17 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pmBack during the summer at BlogHer, I saw someone who had a really cute t-shirt for their blog, and it made me want to make one for mine. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to see what I could do. I opened Photoshop and started to design something, but I didn’t want it to just say “The Butter Compartment” since people don’t get the refernce unless maybe they have diabetes. I turned to Twitter, and Scott Johnson started throwing ideas out like he’d been storing them for just such an occasion. “Where Do You Keep Your Insulin?” was my favorite, so I went… -
At Least There’s Always Next Year
16 Nov 2009 | 5:12 pmAs I told you, my World Diabetes Day festivities started a day early, last Friday at the Jefferson Diabetes Health Fair. The Jefferson fair was relatively small, with tables set up in the lobby of a medical office building. They offered blood sugar and blood pressure screenings, there was a representative from a company that sells “diabetic” socks and shoes, representatives from the Internal Medicine department, some health educators talking about nutrition, and even a psychologist from a local mental health agency sharing information about mental health and chronic illness. I didn’t…
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Diabetes News From Medical News Today
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Is Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus A Risk Factor For Gallbladder, Biliary And Pancreatic Cancer?
20 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amThere are minimal data assessing the relationship between diabetes and gallbladder, biliary and pancreatic cancer. Recent small studies have suggested an elevated risk of pancreatic cancer only in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). A research article published on November 14, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team, lead by Dr. -
Echo Therapeutics Announces Positive Results Of A Clinical Study Testing Symphony(TM) TCGM System In Patients With Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes
20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amEcho Therapeutics, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ECTE), a company developing its needle-free Symphony(TM) tCGM System as a non-invasive, wireless, transdermal continuous glucose monitoring (tCGM) system and the Prelude(TM) SkinPrep System for transdermal drug delivery, today announced positive results of a clinical study of its Symphony tCGM System in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. -
American Diabetes Association Launches New Diabetes.org, Building A Community Of Help, Hope And Support
20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amTo meet the changing needs of people affected by this growing epidemic, the American Diabetes Association has launched a completely redesigned http://www.diabetes.org in English and Spanish. Even though diabetes is a growing epidemic, a recent survey conducted by the Association showed that Americans received a failing grade in diabetes awareness. -
Islet Cell Transplantation In Scotland
20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amThe Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service has opened a new laboratory in Edinburgh to offer around 12 people a year islet cell transplant therapy. Islet cell transplant therapy is a pioneering treatment for diabetes that was part-funded by Diabetes UK in its research stages. About islets Islets are groups of cells in the pancreas that contain the insulin-producing beta cells. -
Two Thirds Of Brits Do Not Know The Difference Between Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes
19 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amNew research out today reveals that less than a third of UK residents (30 per cent) know of type 1 diabetes with a further 59 per cent confusing the autoimmune condition with type 2 diabetes - which can be related to obesity and lack of exercise. Men are the most uneducated about the condition, with only 28 per cent correctly identifying it compared with 32 per cent of women.
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Bitter-Sweet Diabetes Blog
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At what cost?
20 Nov 2009 | 12:04 pmThe other day I mentioned getting a "Sensor Error" during my ballroom lesson. I turned the sensor off but left it intact on my tummy. The next morning I restarted it. It was working great. At lunch, my sensor read 77 and my finger-stick read 76. It stayed right on track, never varying its reading more than 10 points from my blood sugar machine. So I was a bit irked yesterday when it started -
Bloopers!!!!
19 Nov 2009 | 12:53 pmI am totally stealing Kerri's idea of posting a blooper reel because I have no other blog content. Unfortunately, before I took my "Making Movies" course, I never saved any of my raw footage. I always shot in one take because I didn't know how to edit clips together. If I made a mistake, I stopped the camera, deleted the video and started again. So the only footage I have to work with is from -
Doing what we have to . . .
18 Nov 2009 | 1:26 pmAs I made my way around the D-OC today to see what people were blogging about, I came across Amy's WayBack Wednesday post and I thought it was funny. Not Funny Ha-Ha, but Funny-Odd. Why? Well, because last night I was in the exact situation she wrote about. Pete and I had our weekly ballroom lesson. As we floated around the dance floor (okay, more like stumbled) I heard the shrill beeps of -
Blue for World Diabetes Day . . .
17 Nov 2009 | 11:51 amSomething kind of odd happened on World Diabetes Day. I found myself feeling extremely alone, very isolated and quite depressed. Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled that so many great events were going on around the country. I was happy for all of my D-OC friends who were able to participate in them. I think The Big Blue Test was fabulous. Pete and I had planned to go to NYC for the pizza -
Meme Monday - Thanksgiving Meme
16 Nov 2009 | 6:33 amI saw this new Meme last night over at Lynne's blog. Is Thanksgiving really next week already? Well then, I guess I'd better get this Thanksgiving Meme done! I'll preface this by saying I have never cooked a Thanksgiving dinner. We always go to my parent's house for Thanksgiving. I don't know what I'm going to do when their house finally sells and they move to Tennessee. I just keep telling
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DIABETES - Google News
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CDC Issues County-Level Obesity, Diabetes Rate Survey - RedOrbit
Albany Times UnionCDC Issues County-Level Obesity, Diabetes Rate SurveyRedOrbitThe report found “distinct geographic patterns in diabetes and obesity prevalence” in the US, with high prevalence in West Virginia, the Appalachian Diabetes and obesity rates up, CDC reportsRecord-SearchlightMore Obesity, Diabetes in South, AppalachiaWebMDObesity, Diabetes Pre-Dominates In The South And AppalachiaVisit BulgariaPalm Beach Post -The Associated Press -United Press Internationalall 313 news articles » -
Health Tip: Managing Gestational Diabetes - U.S. News & World Report
St. Louis AmericanHealth Tip: Managing Gestational DiabetesU.S. News & World Report(HealthDay News) -- Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy, resulting in high blood sugar levels that can pose dangers for mom and baby. Type 1, the lifelong insulin-dependent diabetesSt. Louis AmericanWorld Diabetes Day event held on the BracCayman Net Newsall 6 news articles » -
University researchers study diabetes in flies - Diamondback Online
WSAV-TVUniversity researchers study diabetes in fliesDiamondback OnlineWhen it comes to diabetes, university scientists have found fruit flies and humans aren't that different. By removing several genes from the Nigeria: 'Diabetes is Life-Threatening But Manageable'AllAfrica.comChildren also susceptible to diabetesBarbados AdvocateADA: Diabetes Kills More People than Breast Cancer and AIDS CombinedWSAV-TVAbilene Recorder Chronicle -Monterey County Herald -Basil & Spiceall 28 news articles » -
San Francisco's city-run health care a model during national debate - WLOS
MiamiHerald.comSan Francisco's city-run health care a model during national debateWLOSIt assigns patients to a health clinic, provides preventive exams and long-term care for chronic conditions such as diabetes. About $20 million of the $126 San Francisco's health care a model during debateThe Associated PressHealth care test vote...Health San Francisco...Air strikes in Pakistan9&10 Newsall 240 news articles » -
Doctors Say Low Pay for Diabetes Care Shortchanges Patients - MedPage Today
Doctors Say Low Pay for Diabetes Care Shortchanges PatientsMedPage TodayIn a survey of 200 primary care physicians and 100 endocrinologists, 32% reported an inability to provide comprehensive diabetes care, Alyssa Pozniak, PhD, and more »
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About.com Diabetes
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The Signs of Diabetes... Do You Know What to Look For?
18 Nov 2009 | 2:55 pm24 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes, but it's estimated that an additional 5.7 million people have the disease and don't know it. How is that possible? Type 2 diabetes doesn't always have clear symptoms, and many times people aren't even aware that they have it. Sometimes the first time it's diagnosed is after a check-up or physical. Diabetes does have symptoms. Read here to find out what they are... Diabetes Early Warning Signs Photo courtesy of Digital Vision/Getty Images The Signs of Diabetes... Do You Know What to Look For? originally appeared on About.com Diabetes on… -
Tis the Season to Focus on Your Health
18 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pmDiabetes management is all about diet, exercise and medications. But is that all there is to life? Sometimes it can seem like it when you're trying to deal with type 2 diabetes, especially during the holidays. Managing your diabetes is important, and celebrating the holidays can present challenges in the form of party foods, excess calories, and sugary or alcoholic beverages. Does the season have to derail your healthy plans? Not if you put more focus on the other parts of the holiday, and focus less on food. Don't let holiday cookies and treats take over your life Use holiday gatherings to… -
Have a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving Holiday
11 Nov 2009 | 1:51 pmThe holidays are a great time to reconnect with family and friends, and food is an enormous part of the festivities, especially at Thanksgiving time. When you have type 2 diabetes, it can be hard to stick to an eating plan especially when everyone around you is enjoying all of the holiday food. Sometimes it takes a little planning to keep holiday meals in line with your healthy eating plan, but it can be done. Read here for some healthy ideas... Tips for Enjoying a Healthy Holiday Photo courtesy Flying Colours Ltd/Getty Images Have a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving Holiday originally appeared on… -
How Do You Cope With Type 2 Diabetes?
11 Nov 2009 | 1:20 pmWhen you've had type 2 diabetes for a while, you know what to do. But sometimes the stress of dealing with diabetes management everyday can cause a person to become "burned out". How can you avoid burn out? Here's what you need to know... Coping with Type 2 Diabetes It helps to have some coping mechanisms in place to help you over the rough spots. How do you cope with your diabetes over the long haul? Join the discussion at... Readers Respond: What Keeps You Motivated? Photo courtesy Bruce Laurance/Getty Images How Do You Cope With Type 2 Diabetes? originally appeared on About.com Diabetes on… -
Change Your Lifestyle and Delay or Even Prevent Diabetes
4 Nov 2009 | 1:36 pmThe Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is a large study spanning several years. The study looked at 3,234 people who were at a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and compared healthy lifestyle changes and weight loss, with taking diabetes medication, to see which preventative method was more effective at lowering the risk of being diagnosed with diabetes. Participants who lost a modest amount of weight and kept it off, while increasing their physical activity, lowered their chances of getting type 2 diabetes by 34%. Participants who took the diabetes drug, metformin, lowered their risk…
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Diabetes Journal current issue
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Common Genetic Variation Near Melatonin Receptor MTNR1B Contributes to Raised Plasma Glucose and Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Among Indian Asians and European Caucasians
29 Oct 2009 | 9:05 amOBJECTIVE Fasting plasma glucose and risk of type 2 diabetes are higher among Indian Asians than among European and North American Caucasians. Few studies have investigated genetic factors influencing glucose metabolism among Indian Asians. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We carried out genome-wide association studies for fasting glucose in 5,089 nondiabetic Indian Asians genotyped with the Illumina Hap610 BeadChip and 2,385 Indian Asians (698 with type 2 diabetes) genotyped with the Illumina 300 BeadChip. Results were compared with findings in 4,462 European Caucasians. RESULTS We identified… -
A1C Variability Predicts Incident Cardiovascular Events, Microalbuminuria, and Overt Diabetic Nephropathy in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes
29 Oct 2009 | 9:05 amOBJECTIVE Recent data from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) indicated that A1C variability is associated with the risk of diabetes microvascular complications. However, these results might have been influenced by the interventional study design. Therefore, we investigated the longitudinal associations between A1C variability and diabetes complications in patients with type 1 diabetes in the observational Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy (FinnDiane) Study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 2,107 patients in the FinnDiane Study had complete data on renal status and serial… -
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibition by dRK6 Causes Endothelial Apoptosis, Fibrosis, and Inflammation in the Heart via the Akt/eNOS Axis in db/db Mice
29 Oct 2009 | 9:05 amOBJECTIVE Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is associated with the stimulation of angiogenesis and collateral vessel synthase, is one of the crucial factors involved in cardiac remodeling in type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We investigated VEGF inhibition by dRK6 on the heart in an animal model of type 2 diabetes. Male db/db and db/m mice either were treated with dRK6 starting at 7 weeks of age for 12 weeks (db/db-dRK6 and db/m-dRK6) or were untreated. RESULTS Cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophy were noted by echocardiogram and molecular markers in the db/db-dRK6… -
Confirmation of Genetic Associations at ELMO1 in the GoKinD Collection Supports Its Role as a Susceptibility Gene in Diabetic Nephropathy
29 Oct 2009 | 9:05 amOBJECTIVE To examine the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the engulfment and cell motility 1 (ELMO1) gene, a locus previously shown to be associated with diabetic nephropathy in two ethnically distinct type 2 diabetic populations, and the risk of nephropathy in type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Genotypic data from a genome-wide association scan (GWAS) of the Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes (GoKinD) study collection were analyzed for associations across the ELMO1 locus. In total, genetic associations were assessed using 118 SNPs and 1,705 individuals of… -
Placental Structure in Type 1 Diabetes: Relation to Fetal Insulin, Leptin, and IGF-I
29 Oct 2009 | 9:05 amOBJECTIVE Alteration of placental structure may influence fetal overgrowth and complications of maternal diabetes. We examined the placenta in a cohort of offspring of mothers with type 1 diabetes (OT1DM) to assess structural changes and determine whether these were related to maternal A1C, fetal hematocrit, fetal hormonal, or metabolic axes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Placental samples were analyzed using stereological techniques to quantify volumes and surface areas of key placental components in 88 OT1DM and 39 control subjects, and results related to maternal A1C and umbilical cord…
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MyDiabetesCentral.com - Latest Diabetes News
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More diabetic kids, fewer school nurses can cause trouble
17 Nov 2009 | 8:39 amAn increase in the number of children being diagnosed with diabetes, and a decrease in the number of school nurses could be putting kids at risk, experts say. -
Nintendo Wii may provide actual exercise: study
16 Nov 2009 | 10:13 amA new study has found that interactive video games, such as the Nintendo Wii, may be helping get Americans in shape. -
Fight fair: Words may ease health impact of arguing
15 Nov 2009 | 5:39 pmCouples who use cognitive words during an argument may be helping their own and their partner's health, a new study has found. -
What to expect for Medicare Part D open enrollment
15 Nov 2009 | 4:46 pmAn analysis by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation has found that monthly premiums will rise an average 11 percent, though the premium changes vary widely by which plan seniors select. -
Yahoo, Google want more leeway for drug advertising
15 Nov 2009 | 4:24 pmDrugmakers say the current FDA guidelines requiring both benefits and risks of drugs on ads hampers advertising on the Internet given the space constraints for ads on Web pages.
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The B.A.D. Blog
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Moved!
15 Nov 2009 | 2:17 pmIf you are looking for the The B.A.D. Blog you can find it here. The B.A.D. Blog -
World Diabetes Day! - A Surprise or Two.
14 Nov 2009 | 6:15 amAs much as I hate that we have to have this day, I am thankful that we do. All of you who are raising awareness, educating others, and helping fight this disease get a huge thank you and ((hug)) from me. You are awesome!I cannot count the number of times I have mentioned the online community and how it has saved my life. All of your stories, support, struggles, and love has made me take better care of myself and learn so much. I cannot thank you all enough. So on to this big surprise I was teasing everyone about. The surprise is that I am moving. No, not to Minnesota, to my own site. I am… -
One More Day!
13 Nov 2009 | 9:42 amLast year I wrote a song for World Diabetes Day called "Not By Choice." It is available for purchase on iTunes or by using the link on the right side. My hope was to raise some awareness and some money for charity.This year, people everyone in the blogosphere have been busy doing all kinds of cool stuff for WDD. I love it. The more of us out there putting diabetes in the forefront and educating, the better.We can help destroy stereotypes, misconceptions, and myths. Just our voices can make people pay attention to the fastest growing disease in the world! You would think there would be… -
An Answer is Coming
12 Nov 2009 | 11:13 amI got a call yesterday from my neurologists office regarding the MRI I was waiting for approval on. So I have an appointment on Monday morning to have the MRI done and hopefully an answer to the strange way my head has been feeling. Remember the whole Spinal Tap, Can’t sit down to blog, Stand up Vlog week? In case you missed it, I have been experiences this strange head rushes. The best way to describe it is, imagine a power surge in your head. I get a rush, my vision dims like I am going to pass out, and then it’s gone. This has happened at different times and I cannot put my finger any… -
A Different Kind of Soldier
11 Nov 2009 | 9:16 amI have written in the past, on several occasions, about how upset and depressed I get on Veteran's day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day.Diabetes took away a dream of mine to be a soldier, serve my country, and fight for freedom.But as of late I have tried to find a way to be a soldier of a different kind. Serving the world instead of my country. Fighting for freedom from a binding disease. Battling the war against Diabetes.I am no doctor or medical professional in any way shape or form. Nor do I have any business entering a lab except to have blood drawn. Personally, I have no way to come…
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diabetestalkfest.com
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Girl Talk at Diabetes 2.0
16 Nov 2009 | 9:19 pmLast week I had the opportunity to be a part of the Diabetes 2.0 conference some re-caps are here. This was my first speaking engagement EVER! and when I was asked back in July, or maybe June I forget! My heart dropped a bit because I was never on a panel. They asked me to be on the Girl Talk Panel with Nicole Johnson, Miss America 1999 who is an international diabetes advocate and she travels around the world promoting awareness, prevention, and management of diabetes. Yanelis Martin, M.D who is a second year clinical fellow training in Endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the… -
5th Annual D-blog Day 2009: Inspiration
9 Nov 2009 | 3:41 pmHappy D-blog Day everyone!! There are people that we meet in our lives that have such a great affect on us. The people that give us drive to want to do something more everyday, to better ourselves as an individual. They are people that don’t even know that they are causing such a huge personal impact on you. People that you are glad to call your friends. Some of these people you may have met in person and some you have never met and talk to everyday. These particular people never want anything in return they just want to help. I have a couple of special people that I want to… -
D-blog Day November 9, 2009
6 Nov 2009 | 1:36 pmIt’s November and you know what that means? The air is crisp, the leaves are yellow and orange. And, It’s diabetes awareness month! It is our chance to shine as a community and for the past 4 years we have! We dubbed November 9 as our D-bloggin’ holiday! Which is dedicated to blogging about diabetes awareness and support. What do you do on d-blog day? Well, you can write on your blog if you haven’t in a while. Or, you can make a poem, introduce yourself if you have never blogged before, tell us about a new website that you found or get out of the d-closet and start a… -
30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know
16 Sep 2009 | 8:58 pm30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know 1. The illness I live with is: Type 1 Diabetes 2.I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2000 3.But I had symptoms since: 1996 4.The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: Learning to live with a chronic illness. 5.Most people assume: I can live a normal life with just eating right and taking medicine. 6.The hardest part about mornings are: Having a low blood sugar as soon as I wake up. 7.My favorite medical TV show is: Dr. 90210 8.A gadget I couldn’t live without is: My insulin pump. 9.The hardest part about nights are: The fear… -
DRI-Mastering your Diabetes, Day 3 cont.
11 Sep 2009 | 2:26 pmSorry it has been a while since my last Mastering your Diabetes post but, life got in the way. I also forgot to mention in the previous Day 3 blog post (and I can’t believe that I did that) that we also had a living with diabetes session where a social worker came in to talk to with us. The person who came to speak was a long time internet pal that I have been talking with online for the past 8 years. I had no idea she was going to be there until Kellie our CDE started talking about a lady named Ellen that would coming to speak to us who was a social worker. I put 2…
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Scott's Web Log
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Fantastic Voyage 2.0 at the DRI
18 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pmAbout 2 weeks ago, I was in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area to attend the Diabetes Research Institute's Diabetes 2.0 Conference. I have attended several of their New York conferences in the past, but I had never been to their home-base in Florida before (ironic, considering my brother and sister both live nearby). Anyway, I was given a rare opportunity, along with some of my D-Blogging peers including Gina Capone, Allison Blass, Kerri Sparling, Manny Hernandez, Ellen Ullman and Jeff Hitchcock to go on a guided tour through the DRI's research facilities. That was very cool, and enlightening to… -
Big U.S. Drugstore Chains Working to Shake Up Diabetes Management
16 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amWhile the benefits of intensive diabetes management are well-established, overall, the U.S. healthcare system receives failing scores relative to most other developed countries when it comes to diabetes care. (catch my post from last year here). It's not for a lack of spending; We spend more per capita than any other country on earth, yet U.S. patient outcomes for most chronic diseases (including diabetes) is worse than most other countries, and merely on-par with such developing countries as Brazil or Jordan, in spite of significantly outspending these countries. One reason is a lack of care… -
The Other 364 Days A Year
13 Nov 2009 | 10:45 amIn recognition of World Diabetes Day (WDD), which is on November 14th, I'm going to use this opportunity to (in my typical fashion) to call attention to what World Diabetes Day (and Diabetes Month) has become in the U.S. today (and quite possibly p!$$ a few people off in the process, but I'm used to it).It's become an excuse.An excuse for the media and the rest of the world to continue being blithely ignorant about diabetes for the other 364 days each year. Bennett Dunlap's recent post entitled "Dear Nate" unfortunately makes this abundantly clear (catch their lame response here). Bennett… -
Diabetes: You Keep Me Hangin' On
12 Nov 2009 | 5:25 amSo for those of you who follow me on Twitter, last week, Kelly (also here), George (also here) and a few others have been toying with the idea of a band called the "Insulin Whores".I joked that I had absolutely no musical talent, which is a lie, the reality is that that in high school, I played the lead role in my high school musical "Bye Bye Birdie", and yes, I was a choir boy for many of my earlier years, so I've always had a bad-ass affinity for music. Anyway, the Insulin Whores are a musical bunch and we're now toying with the idea of forming a band of some sort (whether it's a rock band,… -
Timewarp Tuesday: Pets and Diabetic Owners
10 Nov 2009 | 7:45 pmToday, I've decided to repost a previous posting I did entitled "Pets and Diabetic Owners" from April 16, 2007. This posting was prompted by a conversation I had with Kerri at the DRI Diabetes 2.0 Conference this weekend (this re-post is for you)!This weekend, while I was filing my taxes, I also re-discovered some pictures that were buried in an out-of-the-way directory location on my computer's hard drive. Since few of my readers have ever met my cat, Phyllis, I figured it was time to introduce her below:They say that many people start to look and behave like their pets while their pets…
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A Shot in the Dark
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World Diabetes Day 2009
14 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pmPeople are gathering, talking, celebrating...Blue is everywhere.Once again, I'd like to add my son's voice to the chorus as he shares some of his thoughts about managing Type 1 diabetes and how he educates/involves his friends.(We had a lot of fun doing this... our own mini WDD celebration.) *Note: The blog stays blue until the end of the month in honor of Diabetes Awareness Month, returning to -
D-Blog Day 2009
9 Nov 2009 | 12:34 pmNovember is Diabetes Awareness Month, and today is D-Blog Day -- conceived four years ago by Gina Capone at Diabetes Talkfest as a means of celebrating the power of this ever-growing online community to share, to educate, to support anyone willing to write their story, make a comment, or simply read a d-blog.My son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just over five years ago -- and honestly, I -
An Update from the Infirmary
21 Sep 2009 | 12:29 pmFirst-- Joseph is doing just fine.But I'll backtrack a moment because when I googled "H1N1" and "child with diabetes," I got nothing -- reassuring or otherwise. So here is our experience thus far:As I said in my last post, Joseph spiked a fever early Friday morning. Well, by early afternoon he was showing all the symptoms: cough, headache, fatigue... and his fever had climbed to 102 two hours -
Well, it's here
18 Sep 2009 | 6:37 am"Mama, why don't you write on your blog anymore?"I stop typing the press release I'm working on and look down at my girl's pale face, her dark brown and uncharacteristically watery eyes."Honey, I- well I've been busy with my job and you kids... and well... I don't know. Why do you ask?""Because I miss it.""You miss it," I say with a smile, "but Honey, you didn't really read it.""I did sometimes -
A Quick One Before We Leave Town
14 Aug 2009 | 8:45 amWe're in the homestretch of summer vacation and it's been crazy over here.Late last week, my external hard drive crashed... that would be the hard drive containing backups of our documents, photos and the only copies of my edited videos (files too big to store on our laptop).Thankfully, the Geek Squad was able to recover most of my files, however, a directory containing a large number of my
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One Type One
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Life, in Circles (bloodsugar, too)
18 Nov 2009 | 3:53 pmMy bloodsugar stayed stubbornly and dangerously high for hours yesterday, fluctuating between the "low" 300's and skyrocketing to 423 mg/dl without known prompting from food or body; an allegedly old vial of insulin & an influx of hormones prior to my period are, I believe, the main culprits. It drained me entirely, but my fellow Diabetes Daily writer and long-time blogger, Scott, coached me through by responding to my sad little messages cursing my fate as a type 1 diabetic with well-timed messages filled with encouragement and empathy. You gotta hand it to him: Mr. Johnson knows how the… -
An Invitation and a Request for World Diabetes Day
12 Nov 2009 | 11:51 amAn Invitation to My 2nd Annual WORLD DIABETES DAY Fundraiser, Fish Fry and ConcertAlright, I admit it: If you're anything like me, just living day-to-day with diabetes is draining enough, say nothing about doling out extra to the cause. However, once a year I do donate all I can to fight for a cure, and have been donating my time this year for this event. I'm asking you from the deepest place within my heart and the recesses of my trying-to-be-optimistic-mind, to please donate a few bucks to this worthwhile cause that my family and I have been working on with all our hearts for some… -
a new poem in lieu of a new post today
9 Nov 2009 | 7:23 pmHexagenia I didn’t know you were aquatic. I looked for you under stone and silt. I didn’t find you in the sediment, nor living in streams. There were rumors you could be found among the decay. I crept knee-deep in vegetation, all the while wondering if you were more prolific than once thought. I found out you were; laidupon the surface, hatchedon a crest of wave and sinking. A bottomed out nymph in search of fresh water. You couldn’t feel your body, already immersed and swimming home again. I felt it for you -
Why I'm Glad My Parents Don't Pray Much
5 Nov 2009 | 9:06 amYou might know the story: Two local Wisconsin parents prayed instead of seeking medical help for their frail and sickly daughter. She died of untreated type 1 diabetes and they have recently been charged with murder and sentenced to prison time. Apparently, family and friends had urged Dale and Leilani Neumann to get help for their daughter, Madeline, but it fell on deaf ears. Madeline's (undiagnosed) type 1 diabetes emerged at the same time in her life that mine did: age eleven. So her story hits close to home for this Wisconsin girl and type 1 diabetic. However, contrary to Madeline's… -
What I Know For Sure
3 Nov 2009 | 8:48 amI had recognized for a long time that I was responsible for my life, that every choice produced a consequence. But often the consequences seemed out of line with my expectations. That's because I was thinking one thing but intending another. I wasn't aware of the consequences of my deepest intentions. My intention of always trying to please other people, for example, produced an unwanted consequence: I often felt taken advantage of and used. So I decided to become aware if my every intention in order to create a different outcome. That meant doing only those things that came for the truth of…
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Scott's Diabetes Journal
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Making Sense of Diabetes Compilation Video
12 Nov 2009 | 3:55 pmThis video is awesome. Not only because Manny did such a great job editing it, but because our stories our powerful. Take a look - I think you'll enjoy it. -
Happy D-Blog Day!
9 Nov 2009 | 5:31 pmToday is a special day for me. Today is D-Blog day (the 5th annual! (special thanks to Gina Capone)! Today is a day where I am especially thankful for all of you in the DOC (Diabetes Online Community). The DOC has grown so fast that I can't even try to keep up anymore. There are SO MANY great bloggers, tweeters, writers, supporters, and well-wishers. It makes me so proud to see so many people doing great things out there.Even with so many people sharing their stories now, we are a tiny percentage of all the folks living each day with diabetes. You can be sure that all… -
Do You Know Diabetes?
7 Nov 2009 | 4:40 pmI keep thinking about the Heart of Diabetes initiative that the American Heart Association has been working on. The more I think about it, the more I believe in what they are doing. This is a large national nonprofit organization working very hard to help better overall heart health. You might think "why is that important here, at diabetesdaily.com?" - and it is a fair question! It is important because the statistics around diabetes and heart disease are scary. Yet many of us don't really think much about heart health. I know I don't give it as much thought… -
Burn-A-Thon? Gold's Gym & The ADA
3 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amI picked up a flyer about this at the local ADA Expo last weekend. I think it is a great thing that Gold's Gym and the ADA are doing, so I wanted to help spread the word a bit. On Saturday, November 7, 2009, Gold's Gym will be hosting a "Burn-A-Thon Challenge". Every Gold's Gym in the world (!) will be open to everyone, members and non-members, to allow people to come in and burn some calories. There is more detailed information available at the ADA's Burn-A-Thon page. The ADA & Gold's Gym have set the bar high, pledging to burn 180 million calories in 24 hours, to… -
Lunch With George
2 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amGeorge and I collaborated on a video for the Making Sense of Diabetes initiative happening at TuDiabetes. It was a LOT of fun, and I hope you get a kick out of it too.
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Everyone's Blog Posts - TuDiabetes - A Community for People Touched by Diabetes
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I Never Went to Camp
As a rebellious 12 year old, I never went to diabetes camp. I hated the idea...thought it was kind of dorky at the time. Whatever. I sometimes kick myself for not going now that I realize the importance of interaction with other T1's. I wonder if I would have had better control in high school, and a better attitude as a young adult. Again...whatever. Tonight I will try to redeem myself as I take a road trip to Arizona to support the fine folks from Triabetes and Insulindependence for the Ironman Race. I will be traveling with three other T1's from San Diego (Amy, Ashley, and Michelle...love… -
my simple win
I'm not letting diabetes slow me down I'm goeing back too school to become a pastor -
my simple win
I'm not letting diabetes slow me down I'm goeing back too school to become a pastor -
Would you believe it
9.01am Dear tud Rain stopped for a while bit of a storm during the night, dog barking in someone's garden cat sleeping on the radiator shelf, at least I can sit up this morning although the cold/flu is still firmly in my system there seems to be a bit of a lull in it's activity am I tempting fate for yesterday was not a good day sweated buckets tossed and turned all day in bed could not get comfortable at all. Now and then I would nod off and have 40 winks only waking up feeling much worse is it time the scientists found a cure for the common cold come to think of it is there more than one… -
World Diabetes Day TODAY in Ghana
Well things in Ghana work a little slow, so we are celebrating World Diabetes Day today. WHen you live here you get use to things being late. Here is a link to an article to give you an idea about diabetes in Africa. http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=557:world-diabetes-day-launched&catid=28:general-news&Itemid=162 Chuck Heidenreich Diabetic Missionary - 35 years, Animas
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Dorkabetic
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The Problem with Patch Pumps
10 Nov 2009 | 8:58 amThey're sleek, for a medical device. They're stylish, for a medical device. They bring the diabetics who take insulin freedom from injections and obtrusive pump tubing. You can check your blood glucose and wirelessly control your pump from one PDA-like doohickey. (Yes, that's a technical term there.)And they are, at this point, utterly pointless for me to consider. Patch pumps might be all the rage, thanks to famous customers like Nick Jonas, but this dorky diabetic is presently not a fan. Now, don't get me wrong. Everyone's insulin needs are different, and coming up with pumps that hold tiny… -
Happy D-Blog Day to the Diabetes Blog-o-verse!
9 Nov 2009 | 2:21 pmSo here it is, folks. It's D-Blog Day, that creatively invented holiday we diabetes bloggers celebrate with empowerment, bittersweetness, and fond memories of the first time we found, read, commented on and/or started a diabetes blog. I think so many of us came online searching for information or just someone who had a voice similar to ours, and instead we found a huge wealth of friendship, support, and stories that tell us we're not alone. We've all found that our daily struggles, while still somewhat unique, are not the misunderstood mysteries of days past. As diabetes bloggers and diabetes… -
Diabetes Social Networking for Dummies?
4 Nov 2009 | 8:42 amHello readers and friends!Just a quick post/call for help today. This year, on World Diabetes Day, I will be [wo]manning an information table at the Philadelphia WDD event, all about online support for people with diabetes. This means visitors will receive handouts and information on diabetes websites, blogs, resources, etc. Just because many of us know where all the good stuff is online doesn't mean it's easy to find for everybody. There are a lot of diabetes sites out there, some awesome, some less-than-stellar. I want to be able to direct people to the good ones!This is where you can help… -
One for the Ladies: Diabetes, Meet Auntie Flo.
3 Nov 2009 | 12:24 pm(Author's Note: All the fellas out there are encouraged to read this post, but I do not expect you to understand. Or by all means, turn away if you don't care. However, if you have a lady friend, spouse or female relative with diabetes, maybe you want to check this out, and the comments that are guaranteed to follow!)A monthly visitor. A little friend. Aunt Flo's in town. A gift from Mother Nature. The curse. The crimson tide. That time of the month. Menstruation. Your period.Whatever you want to call it, ladies, have you ever noticed it can be tricky business when it comes to The Big D? Some… -
On How *Not* to Be a Diabetes Halloweenie.
30 Oct 2009 | 6:15 amTomorrow is Halloween, and of course, I can't let this slip by without blogging. I'm sure the masses still think that Halloween (along with Easter) is a diabetic's biggest enemy. All that candy! All those sugary treats! What will our children do? Can they never enjoy Halloween again?How often can I say it? I really love Halloween. This year I won't be dressing up as anything, and I have no parties to attend. My mom is coming to visit, and I'm actually quite excited about that. Matt and I are considering taking her on a haunted hayride, possibly a ghost tour in Philadelphia.But really now,…
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Living with Diabetes and Lapband
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20 Nov 2009 | 7:24 am
20 Nov 2009 | 7:24 amGood practice last night! Macy did some really nice courses very well last night. Our only problem is back to the tunnel from the dog walk, partly because I'm not really sure what to call it and didn't call it soon enough. She did MUCH better our second time around. I'm definately moving faster. -
20 Nov 2009 | 6:48 am
20 Nov 2009 | 6:48 amSaw a post on Twitter that deeply disturbed me: Look who else has #diabetes It's official - we R everywhere! I've removed the link because there is no indication on the website that the individual has diabetes, Type 1 or otherwise. First, the tone is a bit congratulatory. I'm sorry, but a diagnosis of diabetes should never be treated as a celebration or a good thing. Also, I don't think someone should be outted, unless they announce it themselves, and again, I see no indication on the website. And if it is true, my condolences, you can make it but it isn't always easy. -
Agility - A good day!
15 Nov 2009 | 6:52 pmNo Qs, but Macy tried very hard today to stay with me, even though I'm still quite slow. I did have to work for almost every obstacle but she got through every one with the exception of the teeter. She's still very scared of them, especially at a trial and got all four feet on, took a few steps and bailed. Making progress is good! -
World Diabetes Awareness Day (Tomorrow)
13 Nov 2009 | 5:02 amAccording to an old teacher handbook, this is spirit day and we're supposed to wear spirit shirts. I always wear red on Friday's, but not this Friday. Besides the fact that I think the blue nails will clash, I'm wearing blue for diabetes awareness. Sadly no one has had the guts to ask why my nails are blue, but oh well, maybe they will ask about blue today, but I'm not sure any one really notices that I always wear red on Friday's. -
November Daily Posting
11 Nov 2009 | 6:37 pmGot a bit burned out posting on Monday and didn't get to it on Tuesday. SO, I moved one of my Monday posts to Tuesday, added a comment to another Monday post and posted it a few minutes ago. Basically, I'm exhausted and just hanging in.
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dLife blogs
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Thanks to My Caregiver
17 Nov 2009 | 2:14 pmIt's my time...to appreciate the past. Dear Mom, I've probably never thanked you out loud for the years of care that you've put into my life. And I should. Every day of my life. Because you have been the rock, the support, and the lifeline that I've need in the past 16+ years of living with diabetes. I've heard the way you tell my diagnosis story. I hear the fear in your voice, the emotion run through you. I know that those months were some of the hardest in your life. When you talk about watching me have seizures and bad night lows, I hear that same fear and emotion. I… -
In the Pancreas with a Lead Pipe
17 Nov 2009 | 11:49 amCan we be better caregivers? I guess. We can always be better. We were thrown into this diabetes life without much warning just like many of you. We were caregivers merely by having children, but care-giving on this level is a beast of another color. On this day, six years ago, Charlie was diagnosed with diabetes. He was still slurping from a bottle. What is it about the fall? So many people are diagnosed this time of year. The changing leaves. Halloween. Sunday football. Apple cider. Sweaters. Murder within the pancreas. All trademarks of autumn. I was giving Maeve a… -
Indecisive Management
16 Nov 2009 | 8:32 amI'm staring at my logbook right now. I have no idea what to do. My averages are still above 200, although my baseline numbers are generally running between 160 and 180. Yet I'm still seeing numbers like 302, 264, or 270 crop up. I raised my Lantus to 33 units last night and I woke up at 96 when I'd gone to bed at 224. I'm hopeful that 33 units might be the golden number with all this. If I could get my basal numbers to drop back into a normal range (I'm looking for under 150 at the moment), then my post-meal numbers wouldn't be spiking so high. Plus I could keep working on the… -
Profile of a Morning Walker
16 Nov 2009 | 5:18 amI chanted: Iwillgetupinthemorning. Iwillgetupinthemorning. Iwillgetupinthemorning. I got up on time. I did not go back to sleep. (Monday is easy, surprisingly.) I left on time. I did not freeze in the 45 degrees. I pushed. I coached. I encouraged. I praised. I wondered where the Drill Sergeant was. I looked for the coyote I've seen three times. I was surprised my muscles didn't ache. I praised. I encouraged. I walked for the first time in two weeks. I breathed the cold air in deeply. -
Being My Own Caregiver
14 Nov 2009 | 10:09 pmIt's my time...to remind myself that every caregiver needs a break. I've been my own diabetes caregiver since about the age of 13. I remember the day quite vividly that changed it all. TCH (my pediatric endos at the time) made the switch from "sugar abstinence" to "carb counting." Otherwise known as Intensive Insulin Management. I had to attend a class about carb counting, A1c goals, and overall "intensive management." My mom usually went to every diabetes-related doctor's visit or informational. But this time, the class was on a Saturday. Her job…
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Annetics
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Ironman Arizona...Here It Comes
17 Nov 2009 | 4:17 pmThis year has been one with many unexpected challenges, and I have never gone into a race with this much uncertainty. Because of a nagging IT band injury, I haven't been able to train as much as I would normally have done, especially with regards to running. As a result, I spent more time swimming; not only has this helped me to improve my stroke, but also I have come to enjoy swimming much more. Although my swim time probably won't be faster than last year, I am happy to be back to my pre-crash state (more or less). Because I have basically spent this whole year rehabbing, I do not want to… -
What Is Inspiration? My Triabuddy Elisa
11 Nov 2009 | 4:46 pmThe Triabuddies program of Triabetes has given me cause to reflect often over the past couple of years on what it means to be a positive influence. Each team captain is mentoring a young person with type 1 diabetes; this group of Triabuddies will go on a sailing trip together next week, and will meet us all race weekend in Tempe to share the Ironman experience. My joy in swimming, cycling and running is my primary motivation for doing the sport of triathlon. Secondly, I see the positive effect the training has not only on my health but also on my strength to carry on with my daily life. I… -
Blood Sugar Wrangling
28 Oct 2009 | 7:44 pmFor those who don't live with diabetes, here are some reminders:basal rate = background insulin, usually fast-acting, delivered 24/7 by an insulin pumpbolus = equivalent of an injection of insulin, usually rapid-actingCGM = continuous glucose monitor, which gives glucose readings every 1 to 5 minutesBG = blood glucose, measured by a BG meter; aka "blood sugar." Normal is 70 to ~120 depending on various conditions. BG is affected by insulin concentration, stress, exercise, food, illness,...insulin = hormone that facilitates movement of BG from blood to cells; fast-acting insulin starts working… -
Help Put Triabetes in Lights
20 Sep 2009 | 9:25 pmJust over a year ago, twelve teammates with type 1 diabetes woke up on a beautiful September morning to compete in Ironman Wisconsin. Our group had diverse backgrounds with respect to athletic experience and diabetes management, but were united in the goal to make it together to the race healthy and ready to give it our best.Not only did we race for each other and our own personal goals, but also we raced to show our Triabuddies (formerly called "IronKidz") and anyone else that diabetes does not need to keep them from dreaming big. The year of training and racing was captured on film by Ray… -
Race Report: Lotoja 2009
16 Sep 2009 | 1:14 pmEvent: Lotoja (206-mi race from Logan, Utah, to Jackson, Wyoming)Date: 9/12/2009Weather: cool, pleasant in the morning; a little warm/hot midday and cooling considerably by the finish; moderate winds during first 2/3 of the ride during open stretchesTeammates present: raced with 4 other friends on our team, the "Part-time Models": Jane Bergeson, Rita Ogden, Erika Feinauer, and Kristan Warnick. Jerseys were donated by Jane's sister from Contender Bicycles. SAG by Contender plus some team friends/family.Other teams present: various, mostly local teamsCategory raced: women cat 4 in a mixed race…
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Being 'M'
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WDD - In my little finger
13 Nov 2009 | 5:58 amWorld diabetes day... here in New Zealand we're already 3 hours in. What will it mean to me here? Not a lot, other than the little bit of noise I'll make about it I probably wont see or hear anything else here. I will see a lot of action on the net though (You guys rock!).Anyway, it's always my diabetes day. Diabetes is a part of me, in my head space, in the bruises on my injection sites, in my handbag, in my routine, even in my little finger. The hard part is sharing any of that with other people, and even harder is finding someone who understands or wants to understand.But I think WDD is a… -
Dear blogtastic blogerific blog-angels
12 Nov 2009 | 2:28 amHelp!I know I've been a blog snob - no posts for ages, almost a dead blog, blah blah.Thing is, I have something going that I just don't understand. Maybe you can help?I control my diabetes well, I have A1cs to be proud of - around the low 6s normally, without a single serious low or grossly crazy high, ever. (Serious = requiring hospital or anyone else's help). I mostly eat carefully but I allow myself whatever I want along with careful calculations and extra testing. This has always worked for me and led to pretty darned good control for someone with a crapped-out pancreas.However... my last… -
Feeling Judged
8 Apr 2009 | 10:14 pmI turned up at my Aunts place the other day just as friends of hers were leaving. They'd had cakes for afternoon tea and left a lot behind, which were offered to my son & me. I said no thanks, and my Aunt said "She can't, she's diabetic". (cringe).Everyone nods their heads in pity. Then she continues "But she eats sweet stuff anyway" in THAT tone of voice that says I'm doing something naughty. Everyone nods their heads and tut tuts and says things like "what a shame".I want to scream and tell them it's ok. I want to make them all sit down and take a lecture on what being diabetic really… -
Dreaming of a CGMS
15 Jan 2009 | 2:49 pmHere in little old New Zealand a diabetic with a CGMS is a very rare thing. The few that are in the country were very expensive (with no funding at all from anywhere). But here I am, as a New Zealander with her finger on the pulse of the rest of the diabetic world, hearing about the every day use of CGMS as if it's perfectly normal and not a rare foreign thing!I dream of having a CGMS. People around me want a new house, a Wii, a new car... and I really would be happy with a bloomin' CGMS!I do ok without one, I test a lot, jab a lot, try to keep things on the level, but wow, wouldn't a CGMS be… -
Yippee Skippeeeeee
16 Dec 2008 | 4:22 amI've...Lost...(my mind... and...)3 kilos!Ahhhhh it feels good to finally be on the right track :)It's amazing what a little concentration on the D control can do. Everything else falls into place. Well, almost everything else... but I feel healthier already. Here's to the next 3kg!
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Diabetes Technology Blog
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Happy 5th D-Blog Day
9 Nov 2009 | 3:28 pmGina Capone of DiabetesTalkFest started D-Blog day in November 2005 and this year, we can all celebrate the 5th anniversary.While World Diabetes Day is coming up quickly, today is a great opportunity to celebrate the richness of the online diabetes community (the DOC). When I started blogging about 3 years ago, people were blogging about diabetes and online communities did exist. Since then, the diabetes presence online has soared!Today, we're blessed by social communities like TuDiabetes, DiabetesDaily, JoyOfDiabetes, and others. According to the diabetes search engine, there are over 525… -
The Ultimate Diabetes Resource
8 Nov 2009 | 4:37 pmEarlier in the year at the Diabetes bloggers summit, my friend Gina gave me a preview of The Diabetes Resource. Even though this was waay back in July and long before the official launch, I was impressed by the design of the site itself and the sheer amount of really useful information that's in there.Gina, is responsible for the DiabetesTalkFest site and the CGM Anti-Denial Campaign site and has been online for many years. She really understands the kinds of diabetes information that people are looking for and she and her team have done an awesome job at providing a great resource that's… -
FDA warning - fatal errors with some glucose test strips
13 Aug 2009 | 2:10 pmI received a public health notification this afternoon from the FDA. You may get high blood glucose test results if you're using test strips based on GDH-PQQ and you're taking medication that contains non-glucose sugars. Note: this is not a recall, it's a warning.The partial list of medications includes:Extraneal (icodextrin) peritoneal dialysis solutionSome Immunoglobulins: Octagam 5%, Gamimune N 5% (no longer distributed in US), WinRho SDF Liquid, Vaccinia Immune Globulin Intravenous(Human), and HepaGamBOrencia (abatacept)Adept adhesion reduction solution (4% icodextrin)BEXXAR… -
Trying out lower carb living
7 Aug 2009 | 7:29 pmAt the recent diabetes care summit, I was fortunate to share a ride from the airport with a great diabetes blogger, David Mendosa. David has type 2 diabetes. and one of the things we talked about was low carb diets and the benefits of using them. I know I'm not alone in this, but I have a terrible time controlling my cravings for carbohydrates. David told me that it had taken him about 2 weeks to get over the desire for carbs. And he can talk about the benefits, including better blood sugar control and weight loss.Despite my Dexcom and insulin pump, I still have too many days where the curves… -
More on the Medingo Solo
3 Aug 2009 | 4:07 pmI blogged last week about the approval of the Medingo Solo insulin pump by the FDA. This week Medingo is showing it at the AADE conference and they've finally unveiled more details at the Medingo Solo website solo4you.com. While the technical specifications are not available, they do have this video that shows some of the features.The PDA part (Solo Remote) comes with different colored skins.There are four parts to the Solo pump itself: Solo Remote; Reservoir; Pump Base; and Cradle. The pump base is described as a '3-month insulin Pump Base that stores all your pump parameters'. Medingo says…
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The D-Log Cabin
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Naughty or Nice
20 Nov 2009 | 10:37 amFor today's post, I refer you over to this medical blog for a really funny(and true) guide to the personality of your physician. I'm not quite sure where Endocrinologists fit in on that chart(Sane:hardworking: nice/or mean, there should also be a dumb/smart option) but it's fun imagining where they'd be. Go check it out. -
Hero
19 Nov 2009 | 10:37 am(Not that a device can be one..but if it could,it would be) Awakening to the blacknessin that state of semi-awareness still figuring out what my body expects of meuntil my cgm vibrates & alarms,LOW.Automaticlly,I grab for my meter with one hand with the other,glucose tabs on the standbyand confirm it to be true,63mg/dl,double arrows down.Not a whisper of a symptom has presented itself.Until that minute,when it buzzed offforcing me to read & process,spelling it out for methat yes,I was low. I treat, and go up.Because of my cgm,I will live to fight another day.Tonight,the hundreds of times it… -
Lessons of the Lima Bean
18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am"Hey.""Hi,are you coming tomorrow night too?""Oh heck yes,it's like diabetes week-wouldn't miss it for the world!'Fellow CWD'r and I exchange greetings,shooting the breeze before the pump meeting.The Speaker is running late anyway,so no one is doing anything anyway.7:20 pm.I am by no means early,but I'm not late either..people come trinkling in behind me.The last person sits down beside me,& it immeadiently becomes apparent that they have ingested a foodstuff known for it's anti-attraction properties. We chat,and that suspician becomes confirmed.Garlic-she's digging it.2 cloves every day,for… -
An Evening with a Type 1 Endo
17 Nov 2009 | 8:34 amRecap from the D-meeting last night... -Learned that the Navigator has the largest insertion needle, at 21 gauge. However, the thing that actually stays in the skin and "senses" is only 5mm. I have never tried a Navigator(I probably would if the situation ever presented itself) so I really can't comment, but the Medtronic needle is 22 gauge and the Dexcom's is 26. The bigger the gauge, the smaller the needle.(and the Medtronic one hurts like the dickens) At this point, I'm very much partial to the Dexcom, for that & other reasons. - I knew this before, but it was reinforced strongly last… -
Notes from a Spinning Planet: D-Week
16 Nov 2009 | 6:10 amThis week, I plan to attend four diabetes events..one every evening. Rarely do they all line up in such a nice little schedule(something is always conflicting with something else) As well as school(I won't be getting a refund, so I'm just going to make the best of it and try to pull off the best grade possible) Just three weeks remaining, in the semester.(and two tests,yippee) As well as a million & one other things(getting picture take for Christmas cards, etc.) Next week we'll be be flying out to California,& if I thought it was hard posting every day while at home, it will be more so on…
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Dam Diabetes
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Happy D-blog day!
9 Nov 2009 | 3:09 pmHappy D-blog day everybody!I started blogging a couple of years ago. I had been reading a number of blogs, and decided to start up my own. Mostly it was to share information about Dixie. At least, that's what I thought.I do blog about Dixie. About how she alerts me when my blood sugar is out of range. How she alerts others when they are out of range. :-) And... I post pictures of her. After all, she is a very cute, black dog. Especially when she wears her fancy hot pink bowtie.I also blog about MY diabetes. My frustrations and anxiety. My accomplishments. And I can't help but smile when… -
Happy Halloween, Dixie style
30 Oct 2009 | 9:24 amHappy Halloween everyone! -
My invisible illness
19 Sep 2009 | 12:09 pm30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know 1. The illness I live with is: Type 1 diabetes 2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 1975 3. But I had symptoms since: I actually didn't have symptoms. I went in to the doctor for my first grade check up and they did a random whiz quiz. I had some sugar in my urine, so I was sent to Children's Hospital for a blood test. I didn't start taking insulin until about 2 months after my diagnosis. 4. The biggest adjustment I've had to make is: My entire life had been a series of adjustments. 5. Most people assume: that I am mostly healthy. Which… -
Gotcha!
7 Aug 2009 | 8:06 am(first pictures of Dixie on August, 7 2005)Today is Dixie’s “gotcha day.”What is a “gotcha day” you ask? I didn’t come up with it. I used to work with a little boy who was adopted. Every year, his parents would celebrate the day that they got him. Hence, the term “gotcha day.”Four years ago today I was in Jud, North Dakota. I had traveled there the previous day and had moved into the little house where I would live for three weeks while I trained. I remember the day I met Dixie. It was hot and humid. I woke early so that I could shower, have breakfast, and check internet… -
Pain
10 Jul 2009 | 1:19 pmPain. It’s been controlling my life for the last two months. I haven’t been able to do much of anything except work on finding comfortable positions and taking pain pills.Let me start by saying that I will admit to having a very low pain tolerance. I’m a whimp when it comes to things that hurt. Blood draws cause anxiety, paper cuts can require neosporin and bandaids, and pump site changes require some serious mind over matter.About two months ago I was exercising. I was lifting weights, and decided to “add in” some time on the elliptical trainer between sets. I didn’t have any…
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Diabetes Self-Care
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CDC Webcast: H1N1 and People with Diabetes
18 Nov 2009 | 8:10 amLate notice, but today, November 18, 2009 at 1:00 pm eastern the CDC will offer a webcast for people with diabetes about H1N1 Flu and the issues faced by folks with diabetes.In a nut shell, if you have diabetes, it is recommended you get an H1N1 vaccine. See the CDC-Diabetes site for details or the link to the Webcast -
Another diagnosis
15 Oct 2009 | 8:49 pmOn Facebook tonight I learned that a colleague's son was diagnosed with diabetes at two years old. He asked for warm wishes and helpful" We'll get through this" advice. He had 23 comments at last check.I sent him a message and said I am happy to help them anyway I can. My experience with diabetes for the past 26 years and three days (Oct.13, 1983) will be helpful. My experience with a daughter with T1 for five years and two months will be welcome, I'm sure.However, I my long message offered very little advice; that two of the three available doctors are best and that it really will be ok.What… -
Today is her Birthday--Party!
29 Aug 2009 | 7:50 amToday is my daughter's 9th birthday party. I have the biggest cake on order you can buy and 40 plus people and kids coming to celebrate. We also just recognized the 5th anniversary of her diagnosis. I remember her 4th birthday party, which was 20 days after her trip to the hospital. We served cupcakes, because I could figure out the carbs easier. Looking forward to celebrating with friends and family today. It's been a tense and stressful start of school. Diabetes, teachers, nurses, 504 adjustments, big highs, and big lows and no pattern for making adjustments. Looking forward to week two… -
Nervous
1 Aug 2009 | 10:08 pmI can't help myself. My daughter is spending the night at friends tonight, I got her last blood sugar reading at 9:15 pm and it was 137, but I can't help but be nervous when she isn't with me.Ugg. She is becoming so independent (4th grade this fall) and she is so capable of taking care of herself, but I am still nervous. I guess that comes with being a mom. To add diabetes to the layer of complexity between a mother and a daughter is a lot to ask of any human being. -
"Control" The Dreaded, Overarching Theme with Diabetes
10 Jul 2009 | 7:16 pmWow! Control is such a loaded word in diabetes care. 1con·trolPronunciation:\kən-trōl\Function:verbInflected Form(s):con·trolledcon·trol·ling15th centurytransitive verb1 a: archaic to check, test, or verify by evidence or experimentsb: to incorporate suitable controls in controlled experiment>2 a: to exercise restraining or directing influence over regulate b: to have power over rule C: to reduce the incidence or severity of especially to innocuous levels control an insect population>control a disease>In diabetes care, it isn't that simple. My daughter (8, almost 9) feels very in…
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Diabetes Self-Management
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Daily Aspirin: Do Risks Outweigh Benefits?
20 Nov 2009 | 11:47 amTaking a daily low-dose aspirin can help prevent heart attacks or clot-related strokes in people with heart disease or a prior heart attack or stroke, but a recent report suggests that the risks of a daily aspirin regimen might outweigh the benefits in those without a history of these conditions... -
Post-Biopsy Reflections: Patients Can't Be Passive
19 Nov 2009 | 9:55 amIn April I had a thyroid biopsy, and as you'll see if you go back and browse that entry, the results of the biopsy came back suboptimal. That simply means that the pathology lab was unable to determine whether or not the cells in the samples were cancerous. It was inconclusive... -
What I Did for World Diabetes Day
18 Nov 2009 | 12:50 pmThis past November 14, I had the pleasure of marking World Diabetes Day by attending the Divabetic Makeover Your Diabetes event held in New York City. And I do mean “pleasure”… -
Do Foods Have You in Their Power?
18 Nov 2009 | 12:01 pmMost of us try to eat healthfully. Worrying about food is kind of an American craze, but having diabetes can mean taking food obsession even farther. We have to eat the right things, or else! But some foods seem to have other plans for us. Some food is so attractive that many of us can't resist. Is that true for you? -
Genetic Protection
17 Nov 2009 | 5:26 pmA new law forbids some discrimination based on genetic information — but does it go far enough?
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Diabetesaliciousness™
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Quotes
20 Nov 2009 | 10:28 amToday is a light post. Work is crazy, especially since I'm trying to make some changes in that department. Changes in life, and life with diabetes can be hard.I'm a quote person- I like them, I remember them, and I repeat them often. Here are a some of my favorite quotes that help me in life and life with the Big D.What are some of your favorite quotes? "Life ain't a track meet-IT"S A MARATHON."Ice Cube"It's amazing what you can accomplish when you see someone else do the same thing." Diane Odell“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem,… -
The Community Workshop for Diabetes Was GREAT!
19 Nov 2009 | 9:20 amOn Tuesday night I had the opportunity to speak at Community Workshop for Diabetes in Linwood New Jersey in honor of National Diabetes Month. I spoke to 20 Type 1's and 2's and their counterparts and you know what? We all learned a lot!First off, I explained that I wasn’t a medical professional, but I was an expert at living life with diabetes. Most in the group were over 60 and they all had lots of questions. My first question after introducing myself was: What things have you heard about diabetes? One woman raised her hand and said: I heard eating too much sugar gives you diabetes. -
Wordless Wednesday -Roadside Craptacular
18 Nov 2009 | 10:48 amWordless Wednesday - Roadside Craptacular via my iPhone~ -
Dear Diabetes Orgs & Society As A Whole
17 Nov 2009 | 7:03 amYes indeed we grow up- CHEERS to that!Dear Diabetes Orgs & Society As A Whole: Well, its official (especially after my last few birthdays) I’ve been a grown up for quite some time and in some circles, I'm considered a bona fide lady - and I use that term with a wink and a smile.I am no longer considered a cute & fuzzy child with type 1 Diabetes. Here's the thing; while I still have a child like wonderment when it comes to cupcakes and manatees, and actually uttered the term “Ohhh, look at the Bunny!!” when I saw one running across the street the other night in an urban area,… -
WDD09, A Storm Called Ida, Community Outreach, & Guest Blogging~
16 Nov 2009 | 12:53 pmWorld Diabetes Day is “officially” over, but not for anyone with or affected by Diabetes.Diabetes is a never-ending fact of life in our world. Now, we have to continue to inform, educate, and continue the fight to find a cure! This World Diabetes Day was a bit complicated for me. I had planned to meet Hannah and LeeAnn on World Diabetes Day In Philadelphia. My job was to assist Hannah in manning her booth (which was all about YOU- The Diabetes On-line community) but the area I grew up in was recovering from a N’Easter called Ida, and her damage was massive – especially in the state…
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Dr Jekyll and Mrs Low
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Turning D-blog day into D-log day
9 Nov 2009 | 5:20 pmI did it. After several months, tonight I finally started the beta test of my logging software. This is the idea I pitched last spring for the DiabetesMine design contest, which I've been using to log my own readings since March. In June I bought a MacBook and now take that along to my endo's and look at the output together.It's been working pretty well for me, and my inherent laziness had kicked in, and I had really stalled on doing anything else with it. Until I was contacted by someone who found the ChaosTracker website, and asked if I still needed beta testers. And after weeks of email… -
Can somebody make this movie?
10 Oct 2009 | 7:51 amBack in college, I had a friend who was a pretty good juggler. Sometimes, he would start off with just 2 or 3 objects, and we'd toss more and more in, until eventually he'd have maybe 7 or 8 items going, and then they'd all fall down, except for a few he'd manage to catch before they hit the floor.If anyone out there has the coordination (it sure ain't me), could you do a "life with D" juggling video? Start with a meter and pump, then add in an apple or something ("eat healthy"), then a sneaker ("exercise"), then a juice box ("you're low"), bottle of ketone strips, wallet, alarm clock, CGMS,… -
If you build it... (nothing to do with D)
1 Oct 2009 | 4:53 amThis is where I send myself when I'm in desperate need of a "Mommy time-out".The Castle Room, with elliptical decorated for effect:Close up of the doors to The Crawlspace of Unfinished Projects (like half-finished afghans, needlepoint, curtains, and shirts. That visible "table" leg is from my great-grandmother's 1931 electric Singer sewing machine, which I still use)... THEY WILL COME:That's Tucker (big gray one) and Sarah (little brown one), in their favorite spot in the house. -
Comments from the castle
16 Sep 2009 | 3:48 pmI'm trying a vlog today from my "castle room", the room over the garage the kids and I turned into the perfect reading nook... -
Come again?
25 Aug 2009 | 2:19 pmWhat the weather forecaster says:"Increasing clouds tonight with scattered thunderstorms, some severe. Lows around 70."What a PWD hears:"Increasing clouds tonight with scattered thunderstorms. Some severe lows around 70." Severe lows? What do they mean, seventy's not bad at all... WTF?... oh
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Every Day Every Hour Every Minute
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A Diary Entry
15 Nov 2009 | 3:10 pmI started blogging 2 years and 7 months ago. There are many of you in the D-OC that have been blogging for much longer. There are many of you who have joined since I began blogging in April of 2007. This community is so very special in so many ways. You've provided support, understanding, someone to vent to, have lunch with, and to visit while I'm on vacation. :)I've met a few of you. But I feel like I know almost all of you. I consider you my friends.I've not been as faithful in my blogging of late, but facebook and twitter have kept me in touch with most of you on some level.I've missed… -
Waiting on Direction
28 Oct 2009 | 4:27 amLately, I've been dealing with a lot of different things. Diabetes is kicking my tail right now. Or maybe I'm letting it kick my tail. When I switched doctors to Vanderbilt Diabetes Center, my first A1c was 6.7. I knew that was higher than it had been running. And I didn't like it. It had slowly been creeping back up on me, due to a variety of reasons. My second appointment at Vanderbilt was last Wednesday. At that appointment, in less than the normal 3 month period, it had gone up again to 6.9. That is the highest A1c I've had since before going on CGMS. VERY close to being my highest since… -
Giddy
8 Oct 2009 | 8:17 pmOkay, I'm not really giddy. But it's the only word I could think of that was a synonym of Glee.Let me start out by saying that this is another non-diabetic related post. Then let me continue by saying that I am a total nut. Most of you have already figured that out, but for those of you who haven't, you have been warned.From some of my previous posts, you guys should know by now that I am a music nut and a theater nut.And Fox Network has totally created the perfect show for me. Several months ago, Fox aired a pilot episode of Glee. When they aired it, I watched and LOVED it. I also stated to… -
NDD-My Non-Diabetic Day Post
1 Oct 2009 | 7:00 amMusic is a huge part of my life. Am I talented? Nope. I sing in the shower, in my car, and in my head pretty much all the time. But I'm not talented. Only obsessed. :)Being from Tennessee, I have a great love for country music. But my love of music is not confined to one type of music. I often joke I have the most spastic playlist ever. I tend to go through phases.For a while, I was on an 80's rock band kick. I started buying greatest hits albums from the 80's and the late 70's.I've gone through a cabaret-type of phase, listening to Harry Connick, Jr, and Frank Sinatra, and anything by… -
Visiting the Past, Looking Toward the Future.
15 Aug 2009 | 5:33 amI always find it interesting to see how people in my past have changed. My mom talks about friends from her past. Sometimes she wonders what they are up to and how their lives have turned out. I don't have to worry about that. With the internet and sites like Facebook and MySpace, I have managed to stay in touch with a lot of my high school and college friends. In fact, once I broke down and got a Facebook page, I had a couple of people I hadn't heard from or seen in the 10 years since high school that found and friended me. Even cooler to find out that someone from your past is also a fellow…
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In Search Of Balance
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diabetes planner!
19 Nov 2009 | 9:42 pmHaving been frustrated by planners and diabetes record keeping tools in the past, I finally used Lulu.com to make my own planner! I’m so excited. I ordered it today and will post photos when it arrives…. finally, a place to write down everything! -
six years
15 Aug 2009 | 12:51 amIt’s been a long time since I’ve posted here. I’m busy these days. Our lives here in Bellingham are unfolding in wonderful ways. And honestly, diabetes has mostly been on the periphery lately. We’re enjoying the summer weather with its cool pacific breezes and tolerating the odd hot day. We’ve had visitors and we’re having more in September. I’ve been learning a new way of painting. Days pass, and I don’t think much about diabetes. I do what I have to do, and move on. But diabetes is still there. It’s there. No matter what. One day a few… -
8 Jan 2009 | 12:40 pm
8 Jan 2009 | 12:40 pmMeme time! From the lovely Julia. Things you’ve already done: bold Things you want to do: italicize Things you haven’t done and don’t want to – leave in plain font 1. Started your own blog. 2. Slept under the stars. 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland/world 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. 15. Adopted a child. 16. Had food poisoning. 17. -
happy 2009
4 Jan 2009 | 1:19 pm2009 is upon us. Daniel’s 32, and I’m 29. We’re beginning to look into adoption, we’re looking into possibly getting a house this year or next, we’re looking ahead to many changes. It’s exciting, and frightening, and feels just right. -
Happy Thanksgiving.
27 Nov 2008 | 9:58 pmToday at Thanksgiving dinner we read this meditation from Elizabeth M. Strong. We edited it slightly to fit our own circumstances. I’m reprinting it here because I feel it fits our diabetic community as well, and reflects a portion of the gratitude I feel for all of you. Let us rejoice for the families who have gathered this Thanksgiving to express their thanks and to celebrate the bounty of their lives. Let us join together in support of those whose families are far away, with distances in many forms. Let us hold one another in gentle reverence this holiday of Thanksgiving for we are…
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D•blog | Welcome to the Diabetes Stories website | riva greenberg
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The power of blood sugar penning
19 Nov 2009 | 4:49 amI'm a type 1 who rarely logs her blood sugar numbers. I test about six times a day ordinarily, more when I eat a meal out and don't really know how many carbs are in it, or take an unexpected walk and don't know where its left me, or do a presentation and know the pre-talk jitters are messing with me or my sugar's rising fast in the morning and I haven't even had breakfast yet... and on and on and on. You get the idea, I test frequently. But I never log my blood sugars. Sure, I hear you say, why bother they're in my meter. But I never look at them, never download them. And if you're saying… -
All aboard: Amtracking through Pennsylvania with diabetes
16 Nov 2009 | 5:54 amThese last two weeks I've been "Amtracking" up and down the East Coast: From New York to Cambridge, MA two weeks ago and last week to Harrisburg, PA and then back from Philadelphia to speak to patients and nurses. This work I do has to my surprise led to seeing a lot of the country. Not having ridden Amtrack for probably a decade it was a delightful surprise - almost stepping back into a more genteel era. The seats are wide, comfy and provide plenty of leg room, unlike those I've grown used to now in airplanes' economy class. The conductors are pleasant, "Hello, how are you… -
Saturday is World Diabetes Day
12 Nov 2009 | 6:47 amThis Saturday, November 14th, is World Diabetes Day (WDD). The day people around the world will mark in various ways to involve the local community, engage the media, and raise awareness of key diabetes issues among decision-makers and the public. In 2008 over 1.2 billion people were reached through campaign messages. One of the most stirring and public displays of WDD will be the 1107 monuments lit in blue around the world, from Sydney to San Francisco, from New York City's Empire State Building and United Nations building to the Obelisque in Paris. November 14th marks the birthday of Dr. -
7 diabetics sittin' 'round talkin'
9 Nov 2009 | 5:04 amYesterday I had the rare good fortune to do one of my favorite things. Shoot the breeze with other PWDs (people with diabetes if we're being politically correct). Miriam Tucker, medical journalist, was in town and invited a bunch of us to brunch. At the table were also Dan Hurley, whose new book, Diabetes Rising, is due out this January, Joy Pape, cde and author, Lee Ann Thill, blogger of The Butter Compartment - don't you just love it - and art therapist, and two of my fellow peer-mentors, Ruth Charne and Ann Gann. We assembled at 12:30 and didn't leave till 3 PM. That gives you an idea… -
The hours my head lives in diabetes-land
2 Nov 2009 | 5:45 amIf I think about it, most mornings when the weather isn't obvious, I stand at my living room window while my oatmeal is simmering on the stove, squinting through the trees outside to see if it's raining or not. When the TV news, on in the background, announces the weather, I pay attention. Well, sort of. It seems to go in one ear and out the other as I'm up and down, in and out of the kitchen stirring, testing my blood sugar, shooting up my long-acting and rapid-acting insulin, trying to think back if I already took one unit of my rapid-acting insulin to blunt the dawn phenomena (rapidly…
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Managing the Sweetness Within
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Writing, Workouts, and A Winning Idea
9 Nov 2009 | 12:19 pmI passed in my final book chapter to my editor yesterday. I still have revisions to do on all the chapters, but they're minor, and shouldn't take too long.But as a way to celebrate, I decided to take an hour or so and go running at a track near my house. Plus, it is gorgeous here today.What does this tell you? To celebrate that I've finished writing a chapter, something that kept my ass glued to -
These Things Expire??
26 Aug 2009 | 12:35 pmWith this book stuff, I don't have a lot of energy to blog much anymore. I blew past my original deadline nearly a month ago, and that's with writing book chapters nearly full time. My kid's been in daycare or camp all summer, and the whole time, I pretty much wrote. Then I'd pick him up, bring him home for dinner, hang out with him or go on after dinner walks to the library or around town, and -
Book and Pregnancy Notes
4 Aug 2009 | 7:51 amCheck out my guest post on DiabetesMine--all about diabetes and pregnancy. -
Still Cranky About Dexcom Sensors
24 Jul 2009 | 8:15 pmOn the pro side, I just used a Dexcom sensor for 14 days and my readings seemed accurate to me.On the con side, I really still dislike inserting these sensors.I'm out of town and brought two sensors with me. I followed directions and thought I was inserting the first one correctly, but when I took off the applicator, a huge needle was staring back at me. After I called customer service at 11 pm, -
That (*&^* Sensor...
11 Jul 2009 | 1:41 pmSo I went all rebel with the new Dexcom sensor and used it for nine days instead of the company-recommended seven days. In part this was because I'd heard the sensors last longer than the company says it will, and in part because I was freaked out about putting a new sensor again.Yesterday, my meter told me I was one reading while the Dexcom's reading was about seventy points lower. I figured it
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Glucoholic
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Propel Grape
18 Nov 2009 | 7:28 pmPeople have been asking us for months why we’ve not reviewed any of the Propel products. We’ve actually been drinking Propel longer than we’ve been doing these reviews. Unfortunately, the first few years in the Propel history were marked with lots of flavor changes. This happened so often that as soon as we settled on a favorite flavor it would disappear. Late last year we started hearing that 2009 would hold big changes for Propel, so we decided to hold off until those changes seemed stable. We’re finally to that point. We’ve been purchasing Propel Grape for… -
Old Orchard Healthy Balance Grape Juice
11 Nov 2009 | 7:17 pmFirst off we would like to send out a special Thank You to all of our nation’s Vets on this important holiday! The Glucoholic appreciates you all! A couple of months ago we reviewed Old Orchard Healthy Balance Apple Juice. We’ve noticed more and more of Old Orchard’s juices popping up on store shelves and have been eager to sample another flavor. We took the grape flavor for a spin and really enjoyed it. It wasn’t quite the grand slam that the apple flavor was, but it’s great. We found that it tasted more authentic than some of the other overly-sweetened brands. -
GoLightly Sugar Free Cinnamon Hard Candy
4 Nov 2009 | 6:33 pmHalloween is usually one of those tough days for The Glucoholic. Sweet, tasty, forbidden candy is everywhere. In an attempt to get our minds off of all the temptations we decided to partake in some of the great low carb menu items at the local Cracker Barrel. This turned out to be a great idea, especially since we found another great sugar free snack to review - GoLightly Sugar Free Cinnamon Candy. So come on up to the front door, ring the doorbell, say “trick or treat”, and be prepared for a great sugar free candy idea. These individually wrapped hard candies are very flavorful. -
Grape Powerade Zero
27 Oct 2009 | 5:52 pmOver a year ago we reviewed Strawberry Powerade Zero. We’ve been drinking it pretty regularly around here, but lately have been trying to get out of several ruts at the same time. What better opportunity could there be to try another great Powerade Zero flavor? Well that’s just what we did. Grape Powerade Zero did not disappoint! This beverage had the same smooth, thirst quenching qualities as its strawberry sister. The grape flavor was excellent and less syrupy than some of its competition. We put the taste right up there with Grape Propel, and this is a good thing, since one or… -
Archer Farms Diet Black Cherry Cream Soda
20 Oct 2009 | 6:58 pmOver a year ago we did a review of Archer Farms Diet Orange Cream Soda. We enjoyed that soda so much that we kept an eye out for more diet flavors from Archer Farms, and picked up a four-pack of the Diet Black Cherry Cream Soda flavor to review. After consuming half of a bottle we were horrified to notice that the back of the label reads BEST BY 23/AUG/2009. Awesome! It’s kind of difficult to fairly judge a product’s taste when all you can think about is that product tasting old, so we won’t try. A description of the product’s mature taste would be “not enough…
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Naturally Sweet
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Test Strip Sightings
18 Nov 2009 | 2:03 pmAll diabetics test their blood sugar levels, or ‘BS’, as I like to call it. I also like to call it ‘Mashugana’. My friend, Elisa, made that up for me and it makes me feel all sassy when I say it.I typically check my BS 10 times a day or more. I have to know what my BS is before I eat or drink anything other than water. This is the only way I know how to gauge how much insulin I need. So, I check before meal time. I check after meal time. I also check before I go to bed and when I wake up. I'll check it if I'm feeling a little 'off'. Stressed, really tired, thirsty, bitchy. Testing BS… -
D-Blog Day!
9 Nov 2009 | 12:59 pmToday is D-blog Day for the Diabetes on-line community. A community that I wish I had more time to commit to but still am thankful beyond words for. When I first was diagnosed with Type 1, I had never felt so alone. My friends didn’t understand, my classmates didn’t understand, my co-workers didn’t understand, my family didn’t understand and many still don’t. As a matter of fact, I used to keep my illness a secret because I felt so ashamed, so alienated and so different. I simply wanted people to see what they saw and never know that I was fighting to stay alive.Today, I am not… -
Hello, November.
4 Nov 2009 | 12:06 pmNovember is American Diabetes Month. The ADA is on a mission to ‘Stop Diabetes’. Yay! Their goal is to spread awareness and communicate the seriousness of this disease. The latest statistics are that close to 24 million people currently have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Another 57 million have pre-diabetes and are at risk for Type 2. AND 1 out of every 3 children will have diabetes if we do not act now to stop this disease. You can find this information and tons more on the American Diabetes Association website.I also have the JDRF Walk to Cure on November 14th at UNLV. This will be a great… -
Imperfection is Beauty.
27 Oct 2009 | 11:58 amDiabetes is a disease that puts you through the wringer 24/7. If you are a diabetic, you should be aware of the number of things that you may feel or see or experience. There is a crap load. I’m not kidding. Once you think your cup is full, the waiter comes around and refills your glass. What really sucks is if the glass is full of iced tea and the waiter screws up your tea/Splenda ratio. Grrr…anyway.It’s not only difficult being a diabetic, its difficult being the family, friends or lovers of one. Extremely difficult because there is no way for you to feel or understand what we are… -
Walk This Way
21 Oct 2009 | 9:51 amThe JDRF Walk to Cure is one month away! My team, ‘Insulin: Shaken, Not Stirred’, has already collected $4,350. We are only $650 away from hitting our goal. Let’s do this!!I also only have 11 team members! While those 11 people are fabulous, I am SURE I know more who would love to spend a Saturday morning walking in the fresh Vegas air and helping to support a special cause.The walk takes place on November 14th at 9:00am at the UNLV North Field. Like last year, I will be by the front registration waiting for the team.To donate or join, please click here: Walk to Cure Or you can click…
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25 Units To Go
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Happy(?) D-blog day!
9 Nov 2009 | 8:07 pmWord on the street is that today is d-blog day. So I guess that means I should write on this blog. Perhaps even about the ‘betes. I haven’t really had much time for blogging, what with the new job and related travel and such. I’d like to say it’s also because of the marathon training, but unfortunately I’ve been battling a hip/knee injury so it feels like forever since I’ve been on a “good” run. Come to think of it, the last good run I had was also the last time I blogged. Also part of the lack of blogging is that I’ve been a little… -
16 miles
23 Oct 2009 | 8:37 amThis morning, I ran longer than I ever have in my entire life. And I felt pretty darn good. On top of that, my blood sugars were awesome the whole time! I needed that, because neither the running or the blood sugars have been doing that well lately. Now, we’re heading up to Maryland for the weekend for a college friend’s wedding. I think Meredith may be driving this time…my legs have done enough today. Hope you guys have a great weekend! -
Weakened from the weekend
18 Oct 2009 | 5:04 pmLike any normal person, I usually can’t wait for the weekend. It’s normally a great time to recover from the work week and do things that I want to do on my own schedule. This weekend has been pretty freaking exhausting though. Just a rundown of what I’ve done in the past 3 days: Friday: Nothing big, just quit the only job I’ve had since I graduated college. It really didn’t “hit” me until Friday afternoon when I was packing up my desk and saying goodbye to all of my work friends. I know I’ll still get to see them, but the fact that they… -
Groundbreaking Research
6 Oct 2009 | 7:18 pmMy workout today got me thinking. Of course, before we get too far into this, I should explain…according to the training plan, today’s workout was supposed to be an easy 3 mile run. However, for the sake of our neighbors’ property values, it instead consisted of mowing .27 acres of grass and edging waaay too much sidewalk (one of the pitfalls of having a corner lot). Anyway, back to why I was thinking. As far as I can remember, every time I’ve mowed our lawn, my blood sugar has gone low. I’ve tried temporary basal rates, having a pre-mow snack, I’ve even… -
A change will do Harry good
1 Oct 2009 | 7:49 amI’ve been at my current job for over six years. During that time I’ve learned a lot and made a ton of great friends, and I like to think I’ve matured a little bit. However, I’m ready to move on and see where else my career can take me. I’ve been offered (and have decided to take) a job with one of my clients, and I will be leaving my current company in the next couple of weeks. I’m pretty excited about it. It sounds like there are lots of opportunities for me to grow with the company, as opposed to my current situation of just waiting for someone to retire…
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foodfoodbodybody
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Don’t Fear the Weigh-er
16 Nov 2009 | 2:22 pmI just got back from a 4-day retreat that featured some extremely delicious and “clean” food. I pretty much tried to keep it intuitive and mindful and all that but I DID indulge in some beautiful apple crisp (with whipped cream) one night, and some lovely sherry pound cake (with whipped cream) another night. Those people really do know how to make the most divine whipped cream. So I was a little worried. BUT I did get activity in every day – a couple long walks, and then my little trip home to test my blood and do that awesome 14 minute workout, and it was pretty good. So I… -
It’s a Big Blue World Diabetes Day!
14 Nov 2009 | 5:47 pmToday is World Diabetes Day! Last year on this day, I had no idea what this meant. I had no idea that I had pre-diabetes at the time, and I surely did. I knew nothing. This year is so different. Today I participated in The Big Blue Test, which consisted of diabetics the world over simultaneously testing their blood sugar at 2:00pm, then exercising for 14 minutes (because it’s November 14th!) and then re-testing. I happen to be out of town this weekend. I also happened to have left my blood testing meter at home (bad me). But this was really important to me so I slipped out of the… -
balance balance balance balance
7 Nov 2009 | 3:06 pmO.M.G. I am so so very excited about all the new WW stuff happening. Yesterday I was offered YET ANOTHER meeting!! (so next week I will be leading THREE) I have so much to do!! I have to take the online training course for At-Work meetings, run to Office Depot and get some things in which to Haul Stuff Around, and answer a ton of emails and make a bunch of phone calls and PREPARE for yet another meeting topic (yeah, this happens every week!) and make flip charts and and and!! PLUS I have to find time to eat, work out, be with my family, teach THREE online writing classes which are still… -
It’s Official!! I’m a WW Leader!
5 Nov 2009 | 8:38 pmWhewwwwww… what a DAY. Got up super early because I couldn’t sleep. I think I was rehearsing/muttering my meeting points all night in my sleep. Showered, got dressed. (same dress/sweater combo as training weekend) Drove to meeting, got there about an hour early. Clipped up my flip-chart pages and then stood around and twiddled thumbs. Went to the bathroom. Paced the meeting room to and fro, loitered at receptionist desk, etc etc etc. Finally the members began trickling in and the room filled up. A few of my friends came in and I was so happy to see them: two who are already WW… -
Clothes Shopping, Yay
4 Nov 2009 | 3:09 pmAs I have mentioned here many times before, I am not much of a clothes person. But I seem to be turning into one! I used to regard clothes shopping with about as much enthusiasm as going to the dentist, but that has changed. For one, I have to have nice-looking clothes especially as a WW leader. This stuff matters, and they tell you so. I just realized that I have a fairly decent assortment of new-sized summerish clothes, but I have pretty much ZERO new-sized fall or winter clothes. O boy! So yesterday I had a little window of time and I went down to the outdoor mall near here. They have…
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A Consequence of Hypoglycemia.
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On Personality and Preference
20 Nov 2009 | 6:30 amThis past week marks the unofficial end of the "fall season" of Video Game releases. Technically the season isn't over, there's still another Zelda game coming out before the end of the year if you care about those kind of games. Now that Left 4 Dead 2 and Assassin's Creed 2 are available, the next big topic of discussion is the almighty Game of the Year. Just ask twitter and you will get a wide variety of answers. As expected, we are all unique snowflakes and have tastes that do not fall into a particular mold. Following a bunch of lemmings would make for a very bland gaming community. I… -
Homework
19 Nov 2009 | 6:30 amAs you hopefully heard yesterday, Tabatha is almost as excited as I am for my future living arrangements. Whenever I find a place that a. I like and 2. can afford, there might be a new frequent topic to bring up on this blog. Since Diabetes was never the only topic of choice here, it shouldn't be that big of a deal for my readers. Of course the way things are going, I'll likely abandon this blog before anything tangible occurs on the homefront. Ok, I'm not quitting this thing any time soon and I never expected finding a place to live to be easy, but each place I look at that is worth any kind… -
Extreme Makeover
18 Nov 2009 | 6:30 amI bring this up on the podcast, but Tabatha has the gift of prose. Her writing is extremely evocative. I dare you to read this post and not feel the emotional strings being pulled with each sentence. In talking to her for the past couple of months, I knew that she had to be a guest on my podcast. -
Honestly
17 Nov 2009 | 6:30 amI'm still wavering on whether I should bother putting up my numbers from my last Lantus pen. I know it's not that big of a deal. I already have then written down so the issue of accountability isn't really a valid argument for or against. However I do like the idea of the kind of permanence the Internet offers. Putting them here has that extra umph to it. Maybe that's just me. But while I continue to wrestle with this rather mundane decision there is something else that has been bothering me lately. I have not been honest with you. -
Cop Out
16 Nov 2009 | 6:30 amToday would be one of those days I offer up a total cop-out post and kindly ask for forgiveness. It's not that I don't have the motivation to put up another blog post, I just don't have the motivation to try to collect my thoughts. I'll see what I can do, but I'm not making any promises.
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iPhone Diabetes Technology
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Glucose Buddy/Matt Tendler video shoot with the Diabetes Research Institute
20 Nov 2009 | 6:32 amAbout a month ago, the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) asked me to participate in a video they would include in one of their donor newsletters. I had written a heartfelt blog about my visit to the DRI in Miami, and was more than happy to participate. You can find the new video, which details my life with diabetes and Glucose Buddy, here. -
New Glucose Buddy 3.0 Separates from the Pack
17 Nov 2009 | 10:50 pmApple has approved us and we are live, baby!The goal of Glucose Buddy - Diabetes Helper 3.0 is to help you achieve realistic, personal goals through logging. The goal IS NOT to just make a prettier logging machine (even though we did that, too). Just the thought of "logging your numbers" is pretty darn overwhelming, right? With the new tools we've included in Glucose Buddy 3.0, we've supplied you with a few ways to get started. You see, we're people with diabetes too, and we feel that our main objective should not be to make simple graphic improvements to Glucose Buddy. We want to dig deeper. -
Android for People with Diabetes
11 Nov 2009 | 3:39 pmI must confess, I picked up a Droid the first day it hit Verizon stores on November 6th and I've never looked back since. Doing a search for "diabetes" in the Android Market yields more results than I originally anticipated.Here is the list:OnTrack (Free, 4.5 stars from 76 ratings, 1000-5000 downloads, )eDiabetes Pro Trial Version (Free, 2.5 Stars from 8 ratings, 1000 - 5000 downloads)eDiabetes Pro ($1.99, 5 Stars from 2 ratings, 50 - 100 downloads)DiabetesManager ($5.00, 4.5 stars from 4 ratings, 50-100 downloads)AgileDiabetes ($0.99, 5 stars from 2 ratings, -
New Sanofi-Aventis App
6 Nov 2009 | 6:11 amWe saw another powerful App come to the iPhone space the other day. This time it comes from Sanofi Aventis. The app is called GoMeals and it contains Calorie King, a very thorough and complete food database. It runs about about 20 - 30k a year to license so all users should definitely feel like they are getting their money's worth since this App is free. Pretty exciting.Description includes: "Powered by the CalorieKing nutritional database, Go Meals allows you to search thousands of foods and dishes from popular restaurants." So far this app has received excellent written reviews, which for a… -
Twitter's Demise
29 Oct 2009 | 9:28 pmIn May 2009, I posted a blog titled "Twitter This, Twitter That" talking about my forecast on Twitter. Today, I read an article in the New York Times that spoke volumes about Twitter's value. I honestly see no way Twitter is going to survive. Yes, there are a lot of people that will disagree with me, but nonetheless I don't think anyone can argue that the service is getting a bit...old. And I think more and more people and more and more businesses are starting to realize what a time waster it really is:Twitter this, Twitter that [May, 2009]It's pretty absurd for me to predict a long term…
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Ziggy's Blog
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TEEN TRENDS: 10 Signs of an Abusive Boyfriend
2 Nov 2009 | 8:14 am(This blog is written to inform parents and others of disturbing trends of teenagers.)(Because of school and midterms, I am honored to have a guest writer this week that many of you probably know. Elizabeth Donovan, M. A. of ParentingPink.com is the author of this great post that all parents who have a daughter, who is of dating age, should read and make note of these warning signs. It wouldn't hurt for the parents of sons to also read this article to see if he is displaying some of these signs towards his girlfriend. Remember to leave a comment letting Elizabeth know how much you enjoyed her… -
I'VE BEEN TAGGED!!
26 Oct 2009 | 1:21 pmI have been tagged by 3 Boys and Adoption. She awarded me with the Honest Scrap award given to others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you. What an honor. Stop on by her blog and leave a comment.This award comes with some rules:1) Thank the person who gave the award and list their blog and link it.2) Share "10 Honest Things" about yourself.3) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.4) Tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of… -
THE DEATH OF A CHILD
22 Oct 2009 | 5:48 pmAfter 7-year-old Somer Thompson disappeared on her way home from school, investigators followed nine garbage trucks from her neighborhood to a Georgia landfill nearly fifty miles away. They picked through the trash as each truck dumped its load. They sorted through more than 200,000 tons of garbage before their worst fears came true: Sticking out of the trash were a child's lifeless legs. (I believe this is every mother's worst nightmare.)I only have one question: How long are we going to stand by and let sex offenders continue to kill our children?Please pray for the healing of this family… -
MODERN DAY SLAVERY
26 Sep 2009 | 8:42 pmWhat would you say if I told you slavery is the second largest criminal industry in the world today? No, I'm not talking about slavery as it existed in the early 1900's. I'm talking about human trafficking. In the U.S., 200,000 to 350,000 children are at risk of being trafficked into the sex industry each year. This threatens all our children...yours and mine. Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry, grossing over $30 million dollars a year.Women and children are at the greatest risk of being trafficked for the purpose of prostitution, strip clubs, pornography, and live sex… -
TEEN TRENDS: TEENS & TANNING BEDS
14 Sep 2009 | 9:00 am(This blog is written to inform parents and others of disturbing trends of teenagers.) Who loves to have a great tan? Go ahead, raise your hand. And why not? Hollywood makes tanned skin appear attractive and healthy. But are the ways used to achieve that golden tan really healthy?Tanned skin is still sought after, especially by adolescent girls, and they continue to spend hours basking in the sun or laying in tanning beds, and this behavior is dangerous to their health.UVA & UVB RAYS: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?UVA RAYS - Long wave solar waves, 220-400 nanometers.UVA RAYS go through windows,…
