JDRF T1D4ADAY
On Thursday, August 16, 2007 I posted for the first time on Arden's Day in a post titled, "Decided to Share". At the time I wasn't trying to 'launch a blog', I didn't really know what a blog was. Here's proof that I didn't know what I was doing, the image from the first post, the one shown above, it was named "1.jpg" - I was more then a novice. All I wanted was a way to explain what a day in Arden's life was like to the people in my immediate circle of family and friends. So I decided to post something each and every time that diabetes entered our day for one day.
I was so moved by what I was about to do that I, uninvited, emailed (Geez, I'm embarrassed to say this)... emailed everyone in my address book at each diabetes moment. I think that I did that for the first few of the morning and then invited people to follow along for the remainder of the day at a link. I did send a note first, though that doesn't make it much better, announcing my plan. Looking back, people must have thought that I was nuts, and mabe I was. It was a few days before Arden's first diaversary and I was probably extra emotional because I had some lofty and unrealistic expectations about what I imagined the first anniversary would bring. I expected clarity to arrive on that day, strangely I thought the keys to diabetes knowledge were about to be dropped at my door. Anyway, I just put it out there in a big bad way and people responded, and many told me how impactful the experiance was. After that I just kept going...
The JDRF has just announced a program called 'T14ADAY', that invites people to sign up for text messages that will arrive over a twenty-four hour period with the intention of showing someone the extent to which type I is involved in our days. I really think that this is a great idea! Here's more info directly from the JDRF:
Throughout November, we're asking people to better appreciate what people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience every day, every hour by taking part in a unique mobile-based challenge: T1D for a Day.
When you sign up for the T1D for a Day text challenge, you agree to receive as many as 24 text messages over a 24-hour period that simulate the constant blood sugar testing, insulin injections, and dietary decisions that confront people with T1D.
While no virtual campaign can recreate the many needles required or the physical and financial tolls of this serious disease, T1D for a Day seeks to deepen understanding of the many heroic steps our friends and loved ones with T1D take each day.
Please sign up for the T1D for a Day challenge now!
There is more information at the this link including how to get started online or with your cell phone. I'm spotlighting this effort from the JDRF becasue I know first-hand how much of an impact what I did all those years ago had on the people in my family and our friends. This is a great oppurtunity for the people in your life, the ones that may be struggling to understand type I, to get a closer look at why you look so tired.
You can find all of my DayOne posts from 2007 here or by clicking on the DayOne tag.
Big Blue Test
Join the movement!
Exercise is good for you. You know that. But did you know that the average Big Blue Tester has seen their blood glucose level drop 20% after 14-20 minutes of exercise?
And if that isn’t enough reason to get active, every time you enter a Big Blue Test you help us get one step closer to our goal of 20,000 entries. If we hit our goal, the program sponsor will donate $100,000 to organizations that provide life-saving supplies and services to people with diabetes in need.
Do the test as often as you can between today and the end of November 14th.
What are your thoughts on this diabetes news article?
My wife showed me this article from NBC news and it made me wonder how everyone felt about the manner in which type I diabetes is dealt with in the media. I hope you leave your thoughts on the writing, topic, how it makes you feel or anything else that strikes you about the article. I'm very interested in your take! - Scott
Surprising number of deaths linked to undiagnosed diabetes
By Linda Thrasybule
MyHealthNewsDailyPeople who don't know they have Type 1 diabetes may account for a surprising number of deaths from one complication of the condition, a new study says.
Nearly a third of people in Maryland who died over a six-year period from diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition of severe insulin deficiency, had no known history of diabetes, the study of autopsy results found.
While the researchers weren't able to definitively tell whether those who died had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, their high blood sugar levels suggest they probably had Type 1, said study researcher Dr. Zabiullah Ali, the assistant medical examiner for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Maryland.
The finding highlights the need for regular physicals that include checking blood sugar levels, especially if warning signs of diabetes are present, the researchers said.
The study was published in the September issue of the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.
What happens when the body runs out of sugar
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication of diabetes that occurs when body cells don't have enough glucose (sugar) to use for energy, so they switch to burning fat instead. (Body cells need insulin in order to take up sugar from the bloodstream; in people with Type 1 diabetes, little or no insulin is produced.)
High 'normal' blood sugar may still harm your brain
Breaking down fat for energy produces molecules called ketones, which are acids and can build up in the blood. If ketone levels climb too high, they can poison the body, causing chemical imbalances that can lead to coma, or death.
In the study, Ali and colleagues looked at 20,406 autopsies and found 107 people who had died from diabetic ketoacidosis, although only 92 had data available for further review.
Out of the 92 cases, they found that 60 people were previously diagnosed with diabetes, while 32 were not.
Nearly half of those who died with no history of diabetes were in their 40s. The researchers also found that 84 percent of these cases were men, and 53 percent were African-American.
Adults can be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes too
Type 1 diabetes was long referred to as "juvenile diabetes," because people tend to be diagnosed with the condition during childhood.
But now, "physicians are becoming more aware of the possibility of a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes in the adult population," said Dr. Mark S. Segal, a nephrologist at the University of Florida, who was not involved in the study.
"It's relatively new that we're seeing more adults are being diagnosed with Type 1," Segal said.
Ali emphasized that people should pay attention to any warning signs that point to diabetes, such as needing to urinate frequently, constant thirst, nausea and vomiting.
Type 2 diabetes linked to common virus
People newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes may go through a "honeymoon period," in which they may be able to function even though they aren't making insulin — but that period doesn't last long, he said.
"Once the period ends, they get into trouble fast," Ali said. Healthy people should have their blood sugar checked one or twice a year.
"But if you have symptoms, you should go to the doctor immediately," he said.
I'm off to Indy for the Roche #dsummit12
I'm pushing 'publish' on this post and then leaving for the airport to attend the fourth annual Roche Social Media Summit in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is my first Roche summit so I don't know for sure what to expect. If I had to guess, I imagine that not unlike the Lilly summit that I attended recently, I and some of my favorite DOC bloggers will be asking questions, making suggestions and advocating loudly for all people living with diabetes and their families. When I get back, you can be sure that I'll share my thoughts on the summit as soon as I am able.
If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions that you would like me to pass on to Roche or the other diabetes advocates present, please leave them in the comment section of this post and I'll be happy to bring them up.
Those of you on Twitter can follow any live summit tweeting that may come from me or the other attendees by tracking hashtag #rds12. If you aren't on Twitter, c'mon, get on Twitter. It's a fantastic social media hub that connects people just like you to others with similar interests, concerns and thoughts. I have found Twitter to be an indispensable tool in my journey with diabetes. The ability to connect, support and learn with other people that live the same life as I do continues to be a great source of strength and joy for me and I think you'd benefit from it as well. You can find me on Twitter @ArdensDay.
Okay enough of this, I have to get to the airport and fly to Indianapolis for a busy few days of diabetes advocacy! #excited #proud #humbled
disclaimer. Roche will be covering my travel, lodging and meal expenses related to the summit. Roche has not asked me to blog about the summit or in any way made me feel like I had to react positively to this trip or their statements and I don't expect that they will. Even if they did, Arden's Day and my thoughts have never and will never be for sale or trade.
News: MIT researchers develop a way to inject drugs at near speed of sound without needles
MIT scientists are developing a needle-less injection technology that could see doctors administering drugs using a tiny high-pressured jet in future. Researchers unveiled a device this week that eliminates the use of needles by delivering drugs into tissue using a high-pressured stream right into the skin.
The technology will benefit those who are afraid of needles or who have to frequently self-inject says Catherine Hogan, a research scientist at MIT. "We think this kind of technology … gets around some of the phobias that people may have about needles." Drugs can be fired out at almost the speed of sound at around 340 meters per second, with a wide variety of volumes and velocities supported. MIT's jet technology is of a similar diameter to a mosquito proboscis, which many humans do not feel entering their skin, so the injections will be painless.
Ways to create painless needles have been explored before by other scientists using patches or reshaping the traditional needle, but MIT feels its latest technology allows it to breach the skin at different velocities and with varying amounts of doses in a highly controlled way. MIT is also working on a similar version of the device to turn powdered form drugs into a "fluidized" form to be delivered into the skin like a liquid.