Investigate.Inform. Inspire
I’ve had type 1 diabetes for nearly 14 years. I have fallen off the wagon a few times, battled diabulimia, survived numerous insulin shock comas and ketoacidosis episodes, and struggled with acceptance: I have my scars. Despite these mistakes, I’ve picked myself up countless times and have prevailed. I’ve persevered with a disease that doesn’t take vacations for even a minute, and I’ve come out
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In 2009, when Bruce Share started drinking five glasses of iced tea before dinner and dropped 15 pounds from his already lean frame, he immediately knew that he had diabetes. In the preceding four years, he had learned a great deal about the disease as a member of the board of Defeat Diabetes. Now, he knew that it was his personal battle as well. A
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An interesting study out of Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston ties poor glycemic control–defined as an A1c of 8% or more–to longer hospital stays for non-cardiac surgery. There’s no surprise there, since previous studies have confirmed that people with poorly controlled blood sugars take longer to recover from surgery and are prone to more complications. But the study also shows that patients with diabetes
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An Israeli study confirms what nutritionists and dietitians have been advising for years: Starting the day with a big breakfast is good for you–and especially so for type 2s. Reporting at the recent annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Barcelona, Spain, Hadas Rabinovitz, MD, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Rehovot, Israel said that a protein- and fat-rich
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A Florida-based endocrinologist and his team have reported that an intensive 16-week wellness program aimed at type 2 patients yielded some dramatic results: Patients were able to decrease their insulin by 46 percent and their oral medication by 12 percent. They saw their 30-day prescription costs drop by an average of more than $140 per month, reduced their BMI by 3.07, and experienced a drop
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Some people are perfectly happy divulging their three-month blood sugar average, known as an A1C, but I’d rather walk barefoot across hot coals than share my A1C number. It’s funny, because I’m actually kind of proud of it these days. It’s by no means perfect and could definitely stand to be lower, but I’ve come a long way. There was a time in my life
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The challenges of pregnancy are daunting on their own, but when you’re diabetic, they can seem insurmountable. That’s one of the reasons Cheryl Alkon wrote a book on the subject. Having type 1 diabetes herself, Alkon knew firsthand the challenges of controlling her disease during pregnancy, and of raising the kids who followed. Alkon’s book, Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-Existing Diabetes, was published by Demos Health
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As I listen to the news of the recent Mega Millions jackpot of over $600 million, my dreams aren’t about fast cars, vast mansions, or plush vacations. My thoughts revolve around my diabetes. How awesome would it be to have the best care that money can buy? I’ve been that person, you know, the one who could not afford her supplies. The one who re-used
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If you are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and don’t take insulin, a new study says that you are likely to have better A1Cs if you have access to blood glucose testing supplies and use them. The finding comes from a large Cochrane review of previous studies that took place in many countries. The Cochrane review had been previously characterized as limited because it
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One quarter of patients with diabetic neuropathy undergo unnecessary, expensive tests, according to a study by Brian Callaghan, MD, of the University of Michigan Medical School. When Dr. Callaghan and his team looked at 1996-2007 Medicare claims of patients diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, they found that the most common test performed was an MRI of the brain or spine. There were far fewer instances of
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