Diabetes Care

Diabetes Doubles, Cost Triples

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:46:00 +0000

Estimates show that in the next 25 years (by 2035) the number of people with diabetes will double and the cost of treating diabetes will triple.

This should clearly show that we have a problem. Action needs to be taken, and soon, to help relieve the care and the cost of Diabetes.

SOURCE: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/26/diabetes.projections/

Pink vs. Red

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:07:00 +0000

This past Tuesday was World AIDS Day. There were a few special events to celebrate the day:

Google, Twitter, and others went (RED)

People wore red

Alicia Keys performed a concert on YouTube

But for the most part it was just another day. Harold Pollack, of NPR, says: Are We Bored with AIDS?

Pollack suggests that we are distracted by Tiger Woods, Afghanistan, and other current events. He also cites another "boredom" of AIDS as:

I can understand why AIDS has become boring. We've lived with it for thirty years now. Once a mysterious new and fatal disease, HIV infection is now a treatable, chronic illness, in the wealthy nations at least.

Pollack believes that because we have found a way to treat HIV most people are not as concerned about AIDS as they once were. He finishes the article with a call to action to refocus our attention on AIDS:

Still, it's foolish and disrespectful to the dead to let the day pass unnoticed

I believe the "boredom" of AIDS is not from distractions of current events or the fact that it can be treated. There is still no cure for AIDS. Similarly there is no cure for breast cancer. Far fewer people die today from breast cancer (or AIDS) than 20, or even 10, years ago. Breast Cancer has seen similar improvements to AIDS and people are still supporting the breast cancer cause. Over 2 Million people have watched the video above (as of December 4th).

I think that the people responsible for marketing pink, and the pink ribbon have done an excellent job and truly brought focus and awareness to breast cancer. This could be done for AIDS, Diabetes, or any other disease - we just need someone to step up.

LINKS

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121047070

Insulin Coupons & Freebies

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:30:00 +0000

I use Apridra as my mealtime insulin. My endocrinologist printed a coupon for me to receive $20 off my Apidra prescription. I was amazed and thankful. A quick Google search returned coupons for many other insulin brands.

Apridra, $20 off - http://www.apidra.com/apidra_100_offer.aspx
Humalog, Free Pen - http://penvoucher.humalog.com/combined.cfm
Lantus, Free Travel Kit - http://www.lantus.com/connection/TravelKit.aspx
Novolog, $25 rebate - https://www.novolog.com/offer/flexpen/Default.aspx

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:30:00 +0000

I feel like the International Diabetes Federation is promoting their cause across the globe. They put World Diabetes Day in the face of millions in other countries. They even dressed the Manekken Pis in a WDD T-shirt.

How is the American Diabetes Association taking steps to have this type of awareness in the United States - where Diabetes is a very large problem. Organizations like dLife are taking strong stances in the country. These start-up organizations are having a stronger influence than the long-time stable organizations (that should be creating the influence).

Remember Why It's Called Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Today we are meant to give thanks for all that we are blessed with. Unfortunately today may be the most difficult day of the year for a diabetic to give thanks. This national holiday has come to mean something much different today than it did in 1621 (the first Thanksgiving). Today Thanksgiving is about food and football. The latter we all can enjoy but the food may get you down. After a large plate of potatoes, pies, and stuffing your blood sugar may be through the roof.

Today, enjoy the food, family, and friends but remember what the day is about - giving thanks.

Thanksgiving Tips or Slips?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Teresa Wilson wrote an article last month offering 10 Tips for Thanksgiving. Here are the tips:

Have Thanksgiving at your own home
Eat a good breakfast
Eat small meals and snacks on Thanksgiving Day
Check your blood sugar levels several times throughout Thanksgiving Day
Get some exercise
Prepare a few sugar-free desserts
Avoid alcohol
Avoid stress as much as possible
Prepare extra side dishes that are healthy
Eat slowly, eat your favorite foods only, eat small portions

I partially agree with some of the tips, but did not find a lot of value in this list. Furthermore I disliked a few part of the article:

"Diabetics need to have a constant blood sugar level because when there are spikes, it is a very unpleasant feeling and can lead to crying and anger."

I disagree with this statement but also find it partly offensive. Another quote I completely disagree with is:

"The truth is, a diabetic who is on insulin probably shouldn't drink at all."

This is not the truth. If you have control of your diabetes and control of your alcohol consumption then it is OK to drink. It is even beneficial to have one glass of wine per day!

The key to Thanksgiving and only tip you need is:

Do everything in moderation

5 Easy Ways to Lower BG

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:30:00 +0000

I am always looking for easy ways to lower my blood sugar without taking more medication. Here are five ways I have found to lower my blood glucose levels:

EXERCISE: exercising can greatly decrease blood glucose levels. Your body will use the glucose in your blood as energy and your muscles will absorb more glucose. Exercising also haas many other benefits.
DRINK WATER: when your blood sugar is high your kidneys take over and begin to process your blood to remove the excess glucose. Drinking water can help to speed up this process. Drinking lots of water will also help to dilute your blood.
RELAX: under stress human experience the "fight or flight" response. In preparation for the fight or flight your body undergoes a few changes - increased heart rate, dilation of blood vessels and pupils, and the "liberation of nutrients" (fat and glucose). The liberation of nutrients is to prepare your muscles for action. High stress environments may cause higher blood glucose levels.
SLEEP: research shows that sleep deprivation causes a lot of problems - higher blood sugar is one of the problems. Depending on your age you may need 8-12 hours of sleep (adults = 8, teens = 10, children = 11, infants = 12+)
DRINK WINE: one glass of white wine has <1g style="font-style: italic;">This is not a recommendation to binge drink. Wine has few carbohydrates and one occassional glass will not cause harm.
(BONUS) TAKE VITAMINS: you do not need to take special "diabetes vitamins". But regular vitamins can help improve health and lower blood sugar.

World Diabetes Day

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

How will you celebrate?

http://www.worlddiabetesday.org

Blue Circle

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:30:00 +0000

The diabetes blue circle, created by the International Diabetes Foundation for World Diabetes Day, is not widely recognized. The symbol has expanded within the diabetes community and in our own movement but it has not effectively reached the general public.

I think there are a few reasons behind this:

It has not been marketed
There is no spokesman
It is difficult to recreate

The IDF made two YouTube videos to promote the World Diabetes Day. Now, they have actually done more than this but not much to reach the general public. As an average person I should be exposed to the blue circle more often.

I see Mary Tyler Moore as the largest celebrity spokesperson for diabetes. Others include: BB King, Wilford Brimley, and Nick Jonas. But Moore only advocates for JDRF. The blue circle needs to move away from IDF and to the cause in general.

Ribbons are easy to create because anyone can buy a ribbon. Unfortunately blue circles are not easy to recreate. They become even harder when the IDF has a copyright on the image.

International Diabetes Symbol

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:30:00 +0000

IDF created the World Diabetes Day, celebrated on November 14. In the video above WDD poses a question about what symbolizes diabetes. Many people were not able to answer this question.

Other causes have their own symbols.

HIV/AIDS:
Breast Cancer:
Autism:
But why is the blue circle not recognized?

Does The Diabetes Diet Exist?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:00:00 +0000

The LA Times released an article today about The Diabetes Diet. The lead in the story is:

"The good news about a diabetes diet is that it isn't as bad as you might think. The bad news is. Hold it! There isn't any bad news! Even diabetics with a sweet tooth can have their cake and eat it too, so to speak."
-Andrea Markowitz, Ph.D.

Markowitz goes on to say that the key to diabetes is moderation.

Yes, I agree that diabetics need to monitor what they eat and create meal plans; but shouldn't everyone? It is healthy and beneficial for everyone to eat as if they had diabetes. The only difference is that people with diabetes actually have to face the consequences. The only reason we have a "diabetes diet" is because the "normal" American diet is so unhealthy. We should change this from the "diabetes diet" to the "I want to live long and healthily diet".

Half the Care - NY's Diabetes Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:30:00 +0000

There are 1.8 million New Yorkers with diabetes. This led New York State Health Diabetes Campaign to create their "Half the Care" Initiative. This initiative is based on the statistic that diabetes patients only receive 45% of the recommended clinical care.

Niel Calman, MD and Campaign Director, said, "Diabetes is a life-altering disease, and patients' first line of defense against its devastating complications is their doctors." The campaign focuses on NY's physicians and asks them to help provide better care as well as improving awareness for patients to seek more care. George Huntley, Chairmen of the Board for the American Diabetes Association, said, "Diabetes has become a national epidemic and only through a concentrated effortat every level will we be able to reverse it course."

The NY Campaign launched this new advertising initiative this weekend. The Campaign plans to provide training, technical assistance, and support to help physicians provide better care. Also, the campaign is paying the fee for providers to participate in national programs that recognize physicians as "diabetes providers of excellence".

For more information about Half the Care visit - http://www.fulldiabetescare.org/

National Diabetes Month

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:30:00 +0000

American Diabetes Month is only a week away. November 2009 will be the national awareness month for Diabetes in the United States. How will you celebrate the month and help the cause?

Ideas from American Diabetes Association:

Share. Inspire others to join the movement by sharing your personal story. Beginning November 2, visit stopdiabetes.com and join us on Facebook and Twitter to learn about all the exciting ways to be a part of the Stop Diabetes movement. Invite your family, friends, and co-workers to join this effort as well.
Act. Whether you want to walk, bike or simply tell a friend, there will be many ways to help us build momentum for the Stop Diabetes movement.
Learn. The American Diabetes Association has many resources throughout the country to help Stop Diabetes. If you, or a loved one, already have diabetes or are at risk for developing it, we can provide medical, lifestyle and motivational information to prevent this disease from taking control of your life and the lives of those around you.
Give. Sign up with your local American Diabetes Association office to help raise money for diabetes research, federal and state advocacy and public education.

The world diabetes day is also coming up on November 14, 2009!

Athletic Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Exercise can dramatically lower your blood sugar. For most of us this is great news - we need more exercise. However, when exercise becomes excessive it can be dangerous. Vigorous exercise can cause sudden drops in blood sugar when it is not maintained. Whenever I exercise I carry a piece of candy in my pocket and check my blood sugar before working out.

Recently there have been a few athletes who have proven that diabetes is no longer a hinderance for professional "exercisers".

Jay Cutler, Quarterback for the Chicago Bears, was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/quarterback-jay-cutler-opens-up-about-diabetes/?hp

Cyclists with Type 1 diabetes bike 3,000 miles across the country: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/health/30well.html?_r=2&ref=health

Let this be an inspiration and a motivation to us all.

Hypoglycemia

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Yesterday a coworker asked me about hypoglycemia. She was completely unaware of its symptoms and effects. She believes that her son is hypoglycemic. After he comes home from school he feels weak and tired. They finally tested his blood sugar this weekend - it was 52.

Anything below 70 mg/dl can be considered "hypoglycemic" or "low blood sugar".

Here are some symptoms of hypoglycemia:

Confusion
Blurred Vision
Heart Palpitations
Tremor
Anxiety
Sweating
Hunger
Loss of Consciousness (uncommon)
Seizures (uncommon)

Action Steps when experiencing hypoglycemia

Test Blood Sugar - If possible test your blood sugar to verify that it is low. If you are not able to test your blood sugar, you should treat as if it were hypoglycemia anyway.
Eat Sugar - Eat a glucose tablet, hard candy, juice, or any other carbohydrate that you can. Simple sugars (candy, juice) will react faster and make you feel better quicker than complex sugars (wheat, grains).
Monitor - Test your blood sugar until it reaches a stable level.

Consult your doctor or endocrinologist for questions/more information.

Mayo Clinic - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypoglycemia/DS00198
Web MD - http://diabetes.webmd.com/tc/hypoglycemia-low-blood-sugar-topic-overview
Google Health - https://www.google.com/health/ref/Hypoglycemia

Wilford Brimley

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0000

How did Wilford Brimley become the spokes person for "Diabeetus"? People have create Wilford Brimley dance mixes on youtube.

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILIvPzyK_8I

When Life Gets Tough

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Sometimes you may get down or frustrated from diabetes. This is a disease with no cure. But there are a few things to remember.

There is always someone else that has a tougher life than you
There is always someone else that has a better life than you

What you must realize is that you fit nicely between the two. Everyone has prides, pleasures, and good times, and everyone has frustrations, anger, and bad times.

Mackenzie Phillips recently announced that she had consensual sexual relations with her father. After the first time she said to her father, "we need to talk about how you raped me." He responded: "Raped you? Don't you mean made love?" Mackenzie has taken this as an opportunity to create awareness and said, "someone has to put a face on consensual and non-consensual incest".

This clearly was a difficult time for her - and she created an opportunity out of it.

My Top Ten

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Today I read Ron's post "Ten Things I Love About Diabetes". This has inspired me to create my own list.

10 Things I Love About Diabetes

I am healthier today than before
I exercise more today than before
I have found new foods, and new ways of preparing old foods that are "diabetes-friendly" and good
I can connect with other people who have diabetes differently
I have learned responsibility - only I am accountable for what I eat, and what I do
I am not afraid of needles - a flu shot is a piece of cake now
I already liked light beer
It makes me unique
It gives me something to write about
I have a cause - a passion

What would be on your list?

Donating Blood with Diabetes

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0000

I am type O-. This means my blood can go to anyone, but I can only receive O- blood. Type O donors are the best and most needed. It is estimated that over 80% of our population is eligible to give blood; and less than 5% give.

Each time I donate blood I ask the nurse if this will have any affect on my diabetes. A few weeks ago I donated for the first time since I started taking insulin. Here is how the conversation went down

Stephen: "How will this affect my blood sugar because I have diabetes?"
Nurse: "It won't"
Stephen: "Are you sure, becuase I always heard that it will lower your blood sugar"
Nurse: "Well yea it's gonna lower it, that's why we give you a cookie at the end. But if you have diabetes it's not going to make your blood sugar go up or anything."

There are two things I want to address here:

You are eligible to donate blood if you have your diabetes under control.
Awareness has hit rock bottom.

I explained to the nurse that my concern was my blood sugar dropping too low. People with diabetes need to watch out for low blood sugar levels just as much as high blood sugar levels. Unfortunately even the trained nurses in Raleigh are unaware of this.

More information: http://www.redcross.org/en/eligibility

Do You Speak Diabetes?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0000

I recently started a part time job. It is actually a unique situation where my company is allowing me to volunteer 20 hours per week until November 15. I am getting to know everyone else there and meeting lots of new people.

One of the girls I met is around my age, very friendly, and has a pump. I have a friends with diabetes - it is not something I try to avoid. But I have never actually met someone in a non-diabetes environment (i.e. doctor, etc) and talked about diabetes. I'm not really sure how to bring it up.

If it were me I would want you to get to the point and just ask me: "do you have diabetes".

But I feel like that is a stupid questions because she's wearing a pump - yes she has diabetes. So then do I say, "I know you have diabetes...so do I!" Furthermore, our social norms make me feel uncomfortable asking someone I don't know very well a very personal question about her health.

I think we could have a great connection through diabetes - but I'm not sure how to make that connection, or if I'm comfortable initiating it.

A1C & Video Games

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Yesterday I went to my endocrinologist for my 3 month check up. I have now been injecting insulin for 3 months. The last visit I had with my doctor my A1C was around 8.2 (very bad). This was what inspired the insulin injections.

As a child I grew up on NES, then SNES, then Nintendo 64, then PS2, now PS3 & Wii. One of my dark secrets is - I'm a gamer. Playing video games, especially as a child, creates this yearning to win. I will admit that I am competitive, but not as competitive as some. When it comes down to it I am more competitive with myself than others. If you give me a score (A1c) and a goal (>150mg/dl) I will meet it and try to beat it.

I'm not sure if this is just my nature, or if it stems from my gaming habits. But the first time someone told me my A1C was 5.4 - which was excellent, it made me want to keep that score. When it went to 8.2 it was like a GAME OVER for me. But I used an extra life and now I'm back! Yesterday I scored a 5.8 A1C. I thought I still had room to move and could up the insulin a little, but my doc suggested otherwise. He said it was a great level and upping the insulin would only risk bottoming out.

Whether you are a gamer or not, everyone has a competitive side. Challenge yourself - beat your score - and stay healthy. In real life there are no extra lives.

Change is Good

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Google is my hompage, that I frequently visit on a daily basis. I'm sure many people did not notice the change - it was subtle. But Google changed its look yesterday.

I logged on and immediately said: "something's different. What weird setting have I changed on my computer? Google search bar is bigger and the font is bigger!" At first I didn't like it. It was different, and not what I was used to. After some investigation I found Google's Blog Announcement that they 'S-U-P-E-R-Sized' the search.

I also found that Google is doing some new things to improve searching. I'm sure you're like me thinking, Google? Improve? They're already the best, how could it be any better? They are working on a new prject code named Caffeine - to indicate the speed. The new Google is meant to be better and faster. (You can TEST it here). After various tests I found that the new Google is faster on all accounts.

It's funny how we are so adverse to change. We tend to fight even the smallest things. We like routine, tradition, and consistency. Unfortunately, today's society is frequently changing. The methods for diabetes management and views on either side are always changing.

EXAMPLE 1: Sept 7, 2009 - Researchers find gene that causes resistance to insulin
EXAMPLE 2: Sept 9, 2009 - Merk Sharp & Dohme wins European approval for diabetes drug
EXAMPLE 3: Sept 8, 2009 - Newly published clinical study finds new commercial diet superior to standard protocol for diabetes weight loss and blood sugar control

In the past 3 days we have seen new diabetes research, new diabetes drugs, and new diabetes management plans. Our world is constantly changing. Expect new developments tomorrow!

To the 9's - 9/9/09

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0000

If you are reading this then the world did not end (as expected)...

Many doomsayers predicted the end of the world coming on 9/9/09. There were various predictions from uncontrollable swine flu (H1N1) outbreak to black holes formed by the CERN particle accelerator. In the UK 999 is the equivalent if 911 in the United States. 999 is 666 just up-side-down. There are thousands of ways to look at it and find something that is negative about the numbers 999.

But why can't we just think positively. According to numerologist the number 9 represents completion and finality. It is also the number of sympathy, love, selfless sacrifice, and morality. Scientist have studied and shown that the effects of positive thinking will improve your health and well-being. Even the Mayo Clinic thinks so.

Today try to think positively and spread joy to others, instead of fear.

Diabetes Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000

Monday was a national holiday - Labor Day - when most people do not have to go to work.

My girlfriend has a specific routine she goes through every night before bed: wash her face, brush her teeth, put on lotion, etc, etc. It usually takes her a good 4-5 minutes to get ready. She has created a rule for herself that on Saturday night she skips a few steps. Some Saturdays she may not brush her teeth - this is her night off, her break from the routine.

This past Monday I was reflecting on my daily routine. I was enjoying my day off from work and taking in the pure relaxation of the day. I realized how nice it felt not to have any responsibility - even if it is for one day.

Unfortunately we do not have the luxury of taking a day off from diabetes. This is a constant routine we must follow - checking blood sugar, counting carbs, exercising, checking blood sugar, etc. Although this is a responsibility and a routine; I would rather know and be in charge of my diabetes. It may be a chore, but it is one that I will always abide.

Lancing Device

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0000

My One Touch Ultra Lancing Device broke this week. This usually happens after 1-2 years of use. This time it broke completely and the cap would not stay on. I was forced to go buy a new lancing device.

I headed to CVS (where I have all my prescriptions) and browsed the diabetes aisle for a new lancing device. There were only two kinds for sale, and neither was the One Touch brand. The cheaper of the two was CVS coming in at $9.99.

To me this seemed very expensive for a piece of plastic and a spring...but I guess they have to make a living too.

I could not open the box before I made the purchase and had no idea what the thing would look like. Turns out it is considerably smaller than the One Touch brand, and does not prick as hard - which makes it difficult to draw blood.

I have an appointment with my endocrynologist in a few week and plan on asking him for a new device then. The one thing I have learned is never pay for meters or equipment related to testing (besides lancets and strips) because your endo will give you that for free. The companies make so much money on the test strips that they want you to use their brand, and will give you any equipment for free if it makes you use their brand.

Unfortunately my CVS purchas was a waste of $10, but I learned something new - don't buy the CVS brand when you can get it free somewhere else.