I tell you this social media thing has a way of MAKING THINGS HAPPEN. Mission: Wikipedia commences NOW... My mission, yes, I chose to accept it, is to help out some T1 friends in getting her website listed on Wikipedia. We're not entirely sure it'll work but hey--come up with a nifty catchphrase like Unity in the T1 Community and I'm ALL IN... So if you're up for some informational information (ha) check out this wonderfully new and exciting website called Type 1 Diabetes Awareness at: http://type1diabetesawareness.org/
There's a cute little logo and everything!!
Did I mention what they are doing for us T1's? Should I? Oh, indeed!!!
Type1DiabetesAwareness.org is a website that was started in November 2011 that aims to raise awareness for type 1 diabetes. The tag line is Bringing Unity to the Type 1 Community. The website is managed by an individual with a connection to type 1 diabetes. The website is not affiliated with any medical organization nor does it give medical advice. Although only 5-10% of all diabetics have type 1, that still makes up millions of people all over the world that have this autoimmune disease.
The website prides itself on having accurate information. It offers a forums section where several type 1 related topics are listed which is beneficial to those that live with this disease on a daily basis. It provides those an outlet to discuss very important topics.
Managing type 1 diabetes can costs hundreds of dollars each month without health insurance. Unfortunately, many people can not afford it and need help. The website also offers a programs/info section that directs those in need on where to find assistance with insulin, blood glucose meters and test strips, blood ketone meters, lancing devices, assistance for those on an insulin pump, and information about type 1 diabetes. There is also a pump comparison chart listed to help those trying to find the right insulin pump.
The purpose of this website is to bring people with type 1 diabetes together as well as their families and friends. It is a place to learn and share real life experiences with others that understand. The website also promotes awareness of type 1 diabetes.
CHECK 'EM OUT!! I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER...
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Amazing Wonders Aviation, VBS 2012!
I know it SEEMS early to be thinking VBS...but the VBS crew just returned from the Nashville kickoff for 2012!! I didn't get to attend but the excitement was infectious and I am already starting to figure out when rehearsals need to start, the Order of Worship for each night, puppet skits and GAMES!!! This is going to be --well--A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!
Monday, February 6, 2012
D-Mom is hosting a Giveaway!!
Just to let you know that D-Mom Blog is giving away a Sugar Medical Supply bag and until 2/28/12 you can receive 15% off when you use her code of DMOM15.
I'm trying to win one for my brother, since he's got so much more to carry around than I do...
I'm trying to win one for my brother, since he's got so much more to carry around than I do...
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Doabetes
Someone might think that I've made a typo. My phone seems to think this is how Diabetes is spelled. I have a "Swipe" keyboard function on my phone which means I can put my finger on the first letter of word and swipe to the next letters to spell them out rather than to touch every individual letter. Quite convenient--
--when it knows what I'm trying to say. Diabetes; not doabetes. Or is it?
I tend to think that phone knows what I'm doing. I'm Doing A'Betes! I'm doing this every day of my life. I'm living it. I'm managing it--whatever that means. But I AM doing it.
I think there are some major happenings on the bend for me and my fight in diabetes. I think that God has graced me with the gift of encouragement. I've seen so many hearts hardened by this disease--with good reason--but there are so many pluses that I believe are being swept by the wayside. When we push aside the blessings of our situation we fail to recognize God himself. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Cor. 2:9
I cannot pretend to know what God is doing in His work in me right now, but I do know this. He IS working and guiding and leading and I pray that I am following in the right way. In this, I know He will be honored.
--when it knows what I'm trying to say. Diabetes; not doabetes. Or is it?
I tend to think that phone knows what I'm doing. I'm Doing A'Betes! I'm doing this every day of my life. I'm living it. I'm managing it--whatever that means. But I AM doing it.
I think there are some major happenings on the bend for me and my fight in diabetes. I think that God has graced me with the gift of encouragement. I've seen so many hearts hardened by this disease--with good reason--but there are so many pluses that I believe are being swept by the wayside. When we push aside the blessings of our situation we fail to recognize God himself. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Cor. 2:9
I cannot pretend to know what God is doing in His work in me right now, but I do know this. He IS working and guiding and leading and I pray that I am following in the right way. In this, I know He will be honored.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Gimme Some Sugar!
Tell me this is not just the most unique, hilarious idea ever?! Stuffed guts.
Now, my guts have been stuffed a time or two in my day; typically my stomach. But through my love of all-things-Bakerella, she posted about her kidney transplant and subsequent gift from a little website called iheartguts.
She received a kidney; fitting.
I was looking (skeptically, I might add) for a pancreas...when BOOM there it is!!!! I must have one of these. Too bad it's not functional, it'd be a steal at $20!
Image used from their website at iheartguts.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Type 1 Control & Treatment; an oxymoron?
First-these are NOT my words. I ripped them from Scott's Web Log but I totally agree and find it important enough to share with the 2 subscribers and multiple "lurkers" I have. I will give Scott all the credit and if I can figure out how to link to his blog, I will. Should he ask me to remove my plagerizing post, I will do that as well. Thank you!
"Today is Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day [originally posted on April 14, 2008], and while there are likely to be dozens of blog postings on this subject today, I am never one to follow convention with more of the same, so I've chosen to acknowledge this day without being redundant.
What are the origins of this day? Well, because "diabetes" is a generic term that describes the symptoms of a disease, rather than the etiology (origin), diabetes blogger Kerri Morrone suggested that we use this day to clarify the distinction and make it clear that not all "cures for diabetes" or "new diabetes drugs" benefit the type 1 community.
Can't Type 1 Diabetes Be Controlled?
That really depends on how you define "control". Type 1 is an autoimmune disease which cannot be prevented with diet or exercise -- in fact, medicine does not know of ANY way to prevent type 1 diabetes from occurring yet (they are working on it, but none of the trials so far have yielded success). While these elements help in managing the disease, it is important to note that "managing" diabetes does not necessarily mean the disease is controlled. The definition of "control" is to exercise restraining or directing influence over, to have power over. Thus, the term "control" of type 1 diabetes is kind of a misnomer, as people with type 1 diabetes can only "control" just 3 variables (food consumption, activity, and insulin dosage) while there are literally dozens of variables out there, including the presence of various hormones in the bloodstream which we cannot even measure, let alone exercise control over. I would argue that "control" is a very poor word choice, and that "manage" is a more appropriate term.
No dount, some people may debate the semantics of the term "control", but it is important to realize that what is frequently called "control" is perhaps better described as a constant act of juggling -- an act which one can never, ever take a vacation from -- ever. Fellow type 1 diabetes blogger Scott K. Johnson quotes another person with type 1 diabetes: Marlene Less from 1983 in saying "diabetes is like being expected to play the piano with one hand while juggling items with another hand, all while balancing with deftness and dexterity on a tightrope."
Another diabetes blogger, Will "Printcrafter" (or Lee) puts it another way: "Living with diabetes is like living with a tiger. If you feed it, groom it, never turn your back on it; you can live with a tiger. If you neglect it; it'll pounce on you and rip you to shreds."
Aren't There New Treatments for Diabetes?
Again, here's where public ignorance is the rule, rather than the exception. Since the discovery of insulin in 1921, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved just one new treatment for type 1 diabetes, which is Symlin (pramlintide acetate), which is an analog of the naturally-occurring beta cell hormone amylin -- which was approved on March 16, 2005. That brings the grand total of current treatments for type 1 diabetes to two (actually, Symlin can only be used as an adjunct to insulin -- it cannot be used alone, so does that even count as a whole treatment?). Its kind of like adding a fourth ball (to the 3 I mentioned before) we are now asked to juggle!
As I noted in my most recent post, no study, not even the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, has ever been able to show that diabetes management can prevent complications. For example, we now have solid evidence that two so-called complications of type 1 diabetes: neuropathy and cardiovascular disease are believed to have an autoimmune basis, so while managing diabetes may help slow the acceleration of these terrible outcomes, it cannot necessarily prevent them from occurring.
This is not to say that the outlook isn't good for type 1 diabetes. In fact, in January 2008, Reuters reported that that the percentage of U.S. adults with diabetes who have their blood sugar levels under "control" (their word, not mine!), as indicated by glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) levels of less than 7%, increased between 1999 and 2004. This means that for those of us who manage our condition aggressively, the outlook is better today than it has been at any point in the history of this disease. Furthermore, research suggests that the incidence of kidney disease in patients with Type 1 diabetes has improved significantly.
But there's still plenty work to be done. As a 2007 article published in Diabetes Care notes, medical students' knowledge of diabetes is not up-to-date, and that a majority of medical students frequently recommended the sole use of a sliding scale for insulin in the management of diabetes (a treatment that some prominent experts in the field believe should be abandoned), and that the students were less likely to recognize hyperglycemia in patients who were not known to have diabetes.
In recognition of Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day, I would like to raise awareness of these very issues and call attention to medical students to brush up on the subject as well! And, as Bernard wrote, while you're at it, why not give a hug to anyone with type 1 diabetes today" End of Scott's Blog...
"Today is Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day [originally posted on April 14, 2008], and while there are likely to be dozens of blog postings on this subject today, I am never one to follow convention with more of the same, so I've chosen to acknowledge this day without being redundant.
What are the origins of this day? Well, because "diabetes" is a generic term that describes the symptoms of a disease, rather than the etiology (origin), diabetes blogger Kerri Morrone suggested that we use this day to clarify the distinction and make it clear that not all "cures for diabetes" or "new diabetes drugs" benefit the type 1 community.
Can't Type 1 Diabetes Be Controlled?
That really depends on how you define "control". Type 1 is an autoimmune disease which cannot be prevented with diet or exercise -- in fact, medicine does not know of ANY way to prevent type 1 diabetes from occurring yet (they are working on it, but none of the trials so far have yielded success). While these elements help in managing the disease, it is important to note that "managing" diabetes does not necessarily mean the disease is controlled. The definition of "control" is to exercise restraining or directing influence over, to have power over. Thus, the term "control" of type 1 diabetes is kind of a misnomer, as people with type 1 diabetes can only "control" just 3 variables (food consumption, activity, and insulin dosage) while there are literally dozens of variables out there, including the presence of various hormones in the bloodstream which we cannot even measure, let alone exercise control over. I would argue that "control" is a very poor word choice, and that "manage" is a more appropriate term.
No dount, some people may debate the semantics of the term "control", but it is important to realize that what is frequently called "control" is perhaps better described as a constant act of juggling -- an act which one can never, ever take a vacation from -- ever. Fellow type 1 diabetes blogger Scott K. Johnson quotes another person with type 1 diabetes: Marlene Less from 1983 in saying "diabetes is like being expected to play the piano with one hand while juggling items with another hand, all while balancing with deftness and dexterity on a tightrope."
Another diabetes blogger, Will "Printcrafter" (or Lee) puts it another way: "Living with diabetes is like living with a tiger. If you feed it, groom it, never turn your back on it; you can live with a tiger. If you neglect it; it'll pounce on you and rip you to shreds."
Aren't There New Treatments for Diabetes?
Again, here's where public ignorance is the rule, rather than the exception. Since the discovery of insulin in 1921, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved just one new treatment for type 1 diabetes, which is Symlin (pramlintide acetate), which is an analog of the naturally-occurring beta cell hormone amylin -- which was approved on March 16, 2005. That brings the grand total of current treatments for type 1 diabetes to two (actually, Symlin can only be used as an adjunct to insulin -- it cannot be used alone, so does that even count as a whole treatment?). Its kind of like adding a fourth ball (to the 3 I mentioned before) we are now asked to juggle!
As I noted in my most recent post, no study, not even the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, has ever been able to show that diabetes management can prevent complications. For example, we now have solid evidence that two so-called complications of type 1 diabetes: neuropathy and cardiovascular disease are believed to have an autoimmune basis, so while managing diabetes may help slow the acceleration of these terrible outcomes, it cannot necessarily prevent them from occurring.
This is not to say that the outlook isn't good for type 1 diabetes. In fact, in January 2008, Reuters reported that that the percentage of U.S. adults with diabetes who have their blood sugar levels under "control" (their word, not mine!), as indicated by glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) levels of less than 7%, increased between 1999 and 2004. This means that for those of us who manage our condition aggressively, the outlook is better today than it has been at any point in the history of this disease. Furthermore, research suggests that the incidence of kidney disease in patients with Type 1 diabetes has improved significantly.
But there's still plenty work to be done. As a 2007 article published in Diabetes Care notes, medical students' knowledge of diabetes is not up-to-date, and that a majority of medical students frequently recommended the sole use of a sliding scale for insulin in the management of diabetes (a treatment that some prominent experts in the field believe should be abandoned), and that the students were less likely to recognize hyperglycemia in patients who were not known to have diabetes.
In recognition of Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day, I would like to raise awareness of these very issues and call attention to medical students to brush up on the subject as well! And, as Bernard wrote, while you're at it, why not give a hug to anyone with type 1 diabetes today" End of Scott's Blog...
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
StepOut! Walk to FIGHT!
One day before my birthday, I will walk to fight.
It will be my first StepOut walk. I've done the Susan G. Komen thing (for my friend). I've done the Leukemia thing (for my dad). I've supported causes and diseases by buying jewelry, candles, shirts, bracelets. I've sang in numerous fundraising events for cancer patients.
But on October 8th. IT WILL BE ALL ABOUT ME. I'm a Red Strider! I am a Type 1 Diabetic. I raised $1,006 to support my walk, my son is walking with me and my friend is walking with me. I'm going to try not to cry. I don't cry because of the enormity of my disease. I cry for the support I will feel from the 1,000+ people who will be there. I don't want it to be overwhelming but it's so easy to feel removed from the situation when it's not happening to you. But it's happening to me. I am in the midst of it all.
Yet, I am blessed. Boy, am I blessed. I have a philosophy that whenever you think you have problems--go on any day of the week and sit at Children's Hospital.
This morning I am praying for a very special diabetic family who have seen their share of troubles in the past 2 years, but particularly in the last 2 months. They probably don't read my blog and that's ok but you are heavy on my heart today and I lift you up to the Lord, our God who reigns today, tomorrow and forever--THE God who knows our plans better than we know ourselves.
There are so many lives that I am aware of who need special prayer today. It's almost overwhelming. But I know my God and I know that there is nothing that is overwhelming for him. I'll just give it all to Him today...
It will be my first StepOut walk. I've done the Susan G. Komen thing (for my friend). I've done the Leukemia thing (for my dad). I've supported causes and diseases by buying jewelry, candles, shirts, bracelets. I've sang in numerous fundraising events for cancer patients.
But on October 8th. IT WILL BE ALL ABOUT ME. I'm a Red Strider! I am a Type 1 Diabetic. I raised $1,006 to support my walk, my son is walking with me and my friend is walking with me. I'm going to try not to cry. I don't cry because of the enormity of my disease. I cry for the support I will feel from the 1,000+ people who will be there. I don't want it to be overwhelming but it's so easy to feel removed from the situation when it's not happening to you. But it's happening to me. I am in the midst of it all.
Yet, I am blessed. Boy, am I blessed. I have a philosophy that whenever you think you have problems--go on any day of the week and sit at Children's Hospital.
This morning I am praying for a very special diabetic family who have seen their share of troubles in the past 2 years, but particularly in the last 2 months. They probably don't read my blog and that's ok but you are heavy on my heart today and I lift you up to the Lord, our God who reigns today, tomorrow and forever--THE God who knows our plans better than we know ourselves.
There are so many lives that I am aware of who need special prayer today. It's almost overwhelming. But I know my God and I know that there is nothing that is overwhelming for him. I'll just give it all to Him today...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)