Deceptive Whore

So smooth you make me feel when you flow through my blood. I love not having to worry with you in my life. No highs, no lows, just fine. Take you every day, and nothing is taken from me.

You are taken from me, gone. The Almighty has made its decision. No longer shall I be covered by you, because you are no longer covered. No reason, no justice, just pain and stress. Let this pain be alleviated, make it go away.

Enter the knight in shining armor. So well know, so approved by all, so covered by the Almighty. It smiles at you. Unknown what is behind that glistening metal, friend or foe.

You introduce with a shake of the hands, but the metallic armor crumbles within your grasp. Upon a closer look you realize there is no metal. Instead there is just foil, smooth and beautiful to the eye, but weak to the touch.

The fire inside of you burns out of control now. Anger, pain, stress, it all returns. As your knight crumbles, so do you. The Almighty has sent a weak ally, if that is what it is. You have paid your dues, and in return will receive pain and suffering for all of eternity, or until you receive a new health plan.

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BG Levels: Weekly Roundup

Sorry for not posting this yesterday, but I ran into a few problems. These readings are for last week only.

My glucose readings having been lowering with each week. This week I had too many lows. I feel that when I start monitoring my blood sugar, they tend to get too low (dangerously low). I will try to counteract this next week by taking less fast acting insulin before meals. I missed a few readings because I ran out of test strips (stupid me) with for my meter. Without further ado, here are my weekly readings:

Time	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
2/23/2009	63	83	40
2/24/2009	70	48	53
2/25/2009	59	150	275
2/26/2009	141	45	105
2/27/2009	70	78	82
2/28/2009	104	36	xxxx
2/29/2009	xxxx	107	97

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Managing A Child's Mind

I have never had a child to care for, so I can't give the perspective of the parent. I can only tell you what I felt when I was growing up. Maybe you will be able to use something from below to help your child through a difficult period in their life.

Being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of four was a shock to my parents. My mom and dad managed and taught me about the disease. They had the task of keeping up with improving technology, keeping an eye on my diet, emergency hospital visits, regular doctor visits and trying to keep me happy all at the same time. At such a young age, I wasn't willing to help them out with this whole process.

Several times a day, mom or dad would check my blood sugar and inject me with insulin. They had a strict eye on me. Big brother was watching every movement, every misstep..."are you okay?", "eat your mozzarella stick", "here are extra juices for your soccer game", "do you need something to eat?".

Diabetes turned into a routine, a routine controlled by my parents. I had no real responsibility, it was all done for me. As life continued I started to grow sick of having my parents bother me with this whole Diabetes thing, all I wanted was to be normal. By the time I reached my mid-teenage years, I didn't want to monitor my health, it had become a hassle. I feel that in some way it was a direct result of my parents smothering me with Diabetes knowledge, but now I know they were doing the best any parents could. I can only blame my young fragile mind.

My temper grew from all the glucose checking, shot taking, hearing about how if I didn't take care of myself, then horrible things would happen to me like amputation of my extremities. My mind developed a barrier that blocked reasoning when it came to managing my Diabetes. As a teenager in high school, I never practiced what was taught to me by my parents and the endocrinologists. For some odd reason, maybe because of the repetition, I never forgot what they taught, I just didn't practice it.

I can't tell if my learning was a success or not. I believe that my parents meant well and did everything in their power to raise me correctly. So far, my Diabetic life has seen its ups and downs, highs and lows. If I could have them redo some of my Diabetic learning, then I would suggest trying these tips:

1. Teach your son or daughter to feel comfortable with their diabetes around peers and strangers. This is most likely the hardest task of all. I do know that comfort comes from trust.

2. Don't allow their life to be centered around Diabetes, they need to be a kid too.

3. When one method of persuasion (with managing Diabetes) doesn't work, stop using it and come up with an alternative solution. For me, when my parents would keep nagging, it would just frustrate me more, and make me block everything out.

4. Scare tactics don't work.

5. Allow distance between you and your Diabetic child in regards to management, otherwise they might become smothered and agitated.

6. Food is always going to be an issue, especially when it comes to candy. Halloween was the worst. Maybe when something like this comes up, offer an exchange for the candy. If your child forfeits their candy, they get to stay up an hour later, or something like that.

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All About Insulin: By Naomi Cook

Naomi Cook earned her bachelors in Animal Science from Cornell University and received her masters from NYU in Science Education. Currently Naomi teaches AP Biology in Wetchester, NY. She includes concepts from both Type 1 + 2 Diabetes in her core curriculum.

If you are Diabetic or you know someone who has Diabetes, then you might know how important a role the hormone insulin is. Insulin's main purpose is to help regulate the glucose levels in the human body. Glucose levels rise in accordance to food intake, and can rise faster with the consumption of sugar or simple carbohyrdrates. Unfortunately for Type 1 Diabetics, the pancreas cells do not produce insulin, and therefore it must be injected.

Considering its importance, insulin is a relatively small and simple protein. Insulin is only made up of 51 amino acids. Genes, which are made up of your DNA and packaged in the chromosomes you inherit from your parents, contain the instructions to make proteins in your body. The gene that contains instructions for insulin protein is located on the eleventh chromosome of humans. This gene should actively produce insulin in the cells of the pancreas.

So where do we get insulin for injection? Up until 1982, insulin for Diabetics came from pigs and cows. Bovine and porcine pancreases were ground up and the insulin was purified and sold to Diabetics. This created inflammation at the site of injection, because the insulin was not compatible with the human’s immune system. In addition, inherent molecular differences between human and pig or cow insulin meant the response of the human were not as optimal as it could have been. Finally, retrieving insulin from slaughtered cows and pigs is just not the most efficient way of harvesting a protein for pharmaceutical purposes.

Since genes are made of DNA, the relatively recent advances in our knowledge of DNA have meant that we are able to produce insulin more easily. In 1982, we started using recombinant DNA technology to harvest insulin. Scientists identified and isolated the insulin producing gene on the eleventh chromosome of humans. Next, scientists turn to plasmids. Plasmids are small, circular pieces of DNA that can contain several genes and are naturally found in bacterial cells. Unlike us, bacterial cells can easily accept these plasmids, and once they have accepted the plasmid, the bacteria will produce the proteins that are coded for by the genes in the plasmid. Scientists use restriction enzymes to cut open the plasmid. Then, they can take the human insulin gene and literally paste it into the plasmid using ligase enzymes.

Through a process called transformation, bacteria can be induced to accept the plasmid into their cell. Once the plasmid is in the bacteria, that bacteria will begin producing human insulin. This insulin can then be purified and packaged for therapeutic purposes. What’s more, scientists have been able to create insulin analogs, which are slower acting and better able to regulate blood glucose levels throughout the day of the diabetic. The next time you take your insulin, say a little thank you to that bacteria (probably E. Coli) that is working so hard for you.

Considering how far we have come with producing effective insulin therapeutics cheaply and effectively over the past thirty years, let’s hope that funding for genetics research will continue and we will develop an effective treatment or cure for Diabetes.

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Nova Max Glucose Monitor Review

The Nova Max Glucose Monitor made by Nova Biomedical was the first on my list to review, primarily because it was the quickest one to get. I was able to acquire this free monitor by going to their website and filling out a quick survey which produced me a voucher. This voucher accompanied with a prescription from my doctor, let me walk into my nearest pharmacy and without any trouble, receive a free glucose monitor. So let's get on with the review...

Opening the box, I was supplied with several documents including a owners manual, log book and an easy first setup sheet (with visual aids). An over sized, black zippered holding bag contained the Nova Max glucose meter, ten test strips and a lancet pricker. They also provided me a round battery and 10 lancets to go with the pricker.

The Nova Max glucose monitor was bigger than I expected. Even though bigger than other meters made today, it wasn't too much of an eye sore. It could still fit in your jean pocket if need be. I was most disappointed in the bag that holds all the equipment. The compartments didn't hold everything properly, and even though it was over sized, it still didn't seem to fit everything. I wish they put a little more thought into the design.

At first thought, I guessed the battery was for backup purposes, I was wrong. It seems, as I was following the beautiful looking direction sheet, that the battery must be installed in the device prior to use, even though there is no mention of this in the directions. I was all ready to use the device but couldn't because I needed to install this stupid battery, couldn't they just put it in there to begin with?

The battery wasn't hard to install and only took about 30 seconds for me to accomplish. Please note that I am young and tech savvy, so this might be more difficult for someone else. After installing the battery, I pushed the memory button to configure the initial date and time. This setup was extremely easy and I don't believe many would have trouble with it. I was pleased with the size of the display and easy to read format.

This is the first monitor I have ever used that didn't require coding. I just popped in a test strip, pricked my finger (alternate site testing available), applied the drop of blood (small amount needed) and five seconds later I received an accurate result (compared to what I was feeling). The number was easy to read and I felt confident with the result.

Nova Max was designed with simplicity in mind. There is only the basic memory reading for each testing and it also gives your average BG for 1, 7, 14 and 30 days. There is no back light to read your results in the dark.

Pros:

- Easy to setup.
- Easy to use.
- Larger readout screen.
- Fast readings
- No coding.
- Alternate site testing (forearm)
- Accurate.
- Clear Directions except for battery install.
- Very good lancet pricker.

Cons:

- Too basic?
- No software included for recording/graphing results.
- Had to install battery on first use.
- Bigger than average.
- No back light.
- Horrible holding bag.

Ratings:

Price - 5/5 Stars (Free)
Ease of use - 4/5 Stars
Appearance - 3/5 Stars
Features - 1/5 Stars
Overall Rating - 3.5/5 Stars

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Famous People With Diabetes: Past and Present

We as Diabetics struggle everyday with this deadly disease and so do many of the people we look up to. If you are a parent, show this list to your son or daughter to motivate them to accomplish their dreams no matter what the obstacle. Here is a list of famous people with Diabetes. If you know of any others, feel free to share them.

LIVING

Halle Berry, Oscar-winning actress

Wilford Brimley, of television and films, “Cocoon” and “The Firm”

J. Anthony Brown, actor (“Drumline”), comedian

Delta Burke, of television’s “Designing Women”

Nell Carter, of the television show “Gimme a Break”

Dick Clark, television emcee, producer

Stephen Furst, actor on the television shows “St. Elsewhere” and “Babylon 5”

Victor Garber, actor (“Alias,” “Titanic,” “Sleepless in Seattle”)

Dorian Gregory, actor (“Charmed,” “The Other half”)

Nicole Johnson, Miss America 1999

Zippora Karz, former New York City Ballet soloist, ballet teacher


Larry King, talk show host

Jerry Lewis, comedian, telethon host

Jerry Mathers, actor of “Leave It To Beaver” fame

Mary Tyler Moore, actress and star of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”

Park Overall, actress (“Empty Nest”)

Della Reese, singer, actress (“Touched by an Angel”)

Sir Harry Secombe, Welsh singer, former president of the British Diabetic Association

Jean Smart, actress on “Designing Women”

Elaine Stritch, comedian

Elizabeth Taylor, actress (“National Velvet,” “Cleopatra,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”)

Aida Tuturro, actress (“The Sopranos”)

Hafez al-Assad, dictator of Syria

Menachem Begin, Israeli prime minister

Marion Barry, former mayor of Washington, D.C.

More...
Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet premier

Mike Huckabee, governor of Arkansas

Janet Jagan, president of Guyana

Bill Janklow, former governor and congressman, South Dakota

Wei Jengsheng, Chinese dissident

James Lloyd, congressman, California

Winnie Mandela, South African anti-apartheid leader

Buddy Roemer, governor, Louisiana

Damon Dash, entrepreneur

Ray Anderson, jazz trombonist

Carol Channing, Tony Award-winning singer/actress in “Hello Dolly”

Mark Collie, contemporary country star

David Crosby, member of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Phife Dawg, rapper, (“A Tribe Called Quest”)

Mick Fleetwood, singer in rock band Fleetwood Mac

Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul

Shirley Horn, Grammy-winning jazz singer

Marvin Isley, singer, The Isley Brothers

Waylon Jennings, country singer

Nick Jonas, lead singer, the Jonas Brothers

B.B. King, rhythm and blues star

Patti LaBelle, pop singer

Tommy Lee, of heavy metal band Motley Crue

Meat Loaf, singer

Bret Michaels, lead singer of the rock group Poison

The Pump Girls

Jessica Stone, actress and singer

Elliott Yamin, singer

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Broadway composer

Neil Young, rock singer and guitarist

Norman Whitfield, Grammy-winning R&B producer and songwriter

Cynthia Ice, developer of Lotus software

Lois Jovanovic-Peterson, scientist, endocrinologist, author of “Diabetic Women”

Wasim Akrim, Pakistani cricket bowler

Sarah Bina, champion clogger

Nick Boynton, hockey player

Ayden Byle, runner

Bobby Clarke, hockey player for the Philadelphia Flyers

Scott Coleman, first man with diabetes to swim the English Channel

Chris Dudley, New York Knicks basketball player

Rick Dudley, hockey

Scott Dunton, world-ranked competitive surfer

Mike Echols, NFL

Curt Frasier, hockey player for the Chicago Black Hawks

“Smokin’ Joe” Frazier, heavyweight boxing champ

Walt Frazier, NBA, New York Knicks

Kris Freeman, Olympic cross-country skier

Joe Gibbs, NFL coach

Bill Gullickson, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds

Gary Hall, Olympic gold medalist in swimming

Jonathon Hayes, tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs

Chuck Henderich, skier

Chris Jarvis, champion Canadian rower

Jason Johnson, pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles

Billie Jean King, tennis player

Ed Kranepool, baseball player with the New York Mets

Kelli Kuehne, LPGA golfer who wears a pump on the golf course

Jay Leeuwenburg, offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals

Michelle McGann, LPGA golfer

Calvin Muhammed, football player for the Washington Redskins

David Pembler, baseball player, Milwaukee Brewers

Sir Steven Redgrave, rower, winner of five consecutive Olympic gold medals

Ron Santo, third basemen for the Chicago Cubs

Art Shell, NFL player and coach

Kendall Simmons, NFL

Michael Sinclair, NFL defensive end

Hank Stram, NFL coach

Bradley Suttle, major League second baseman

Sherri Turner, LPGA golfer

Scott Verplank, PGA golfer

Jo Ann Washam, LPGA golfer

David “Boomer” Wells, major league pitcher

Wade Wilson, NFL quarterback

Richard Bartlett, film

June Bierman, author of books on diabetes

Fran Carpentier, editor of Parade magazine

Sylvia Chase, ABC News Reporter

Rodolfo Garcia, AP reporter

Linda Goodman, horoscope book author

Anne Rice, “Interview With a Vampire” author

DECEASED

Jack Benny, ’50s television host

James Cagney, producer, director and actor

Alvin Childress, actor (“Amos & Andy)

James Doohan, actor (Scotty on “Star Trek”)

Dale Evans, actress, singer and wife of Roy Rogers

Jackie Gleason, actor and comedian, star of “The Honeymooners”

Dana Hill, actress (“Shoot the Moon”)

Gordon Jump, actor on “WKRP in Cincinnati”

Mabel King, actress who played Mama on “What’s Happening”

Al Lewis, actor (“The Munsters”)

Marcello Mastroianni, actor who appeared in 142 films

Richard Mulligan, actor on the television show “Empty Nest”

Carroll O’Connor, actor (“All in the Family,” “In the Heat of the Night”)

Minnie Pearl, entertainer, actress on the variety show “Hee Haw”

Esther Rolle, actress on the TV Show “Good Times”

George C. Scott, Academy Award-winning actor

Kate Smith, singer who sang classic “God Bless America” rendition

Spencer Tracy, famous leading man of Hollywood movies

Mae West, actress (“She Done Him Wrong,” “My Little Chickadee”)

Jane Wyman, actress on “Falcon Crest”

Yuri Andropov, former premier of the Soviet Union

Samuel Block, civil rights activist

Ralph Bunche, Nobel Peace Prize winner, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations

Lucille B. Chapman, a five-time Menominee Indian tribal chairwoman

Paddy Devlin, co-founder of the Social Democrat and Labor Party in Northern Ireland

King Fahd, king of Saudi Arabia

James Farmer, civil rights pioneer

Anwar Sadat, Egyptian leader

James Conkling, founder of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

Bill and John Davidson, founders of Harley Davidson motorcycles

Tom Foster, former head of Foster Poultry Farms

W.L. Gherra, of Payless Drugs

Howard Hughes, industrialist, eccentric billionaire

Ray Kroc, entrepreneur who bought and built McDonald’s restaurants into the world’s largest fast food chain

Nat Adderley, jazz trumpeter

Hoyt Axton, folksy baritone, songwriter and actor

Syd Barrett, of the rock group Pink Floyd

Danny Joe Brown, singer (Molly Hatchet)

James Brown, The Godfather of Soul

Johnny Cash, legendary country singer, known as “the man in black”

Johnny Darrell, country music singer

Miles Davis, legendary jazz great

Mama Cass Elliott, singer, Mamas and the Papas

Freddy Fender, actor and country singer

Ella Fitzgerald, jazz vocalist

Jerry Garcia, lead singer of The Grateful Dead

Dizzy Gillespie, jazz trumpeter

Mahalia Jackson, singer

Rick James, singer (“Super Freak”)

Herbert Kahury (“Tiny Tim”), singer (of sorts)

Peggy Lee, ’50s songster

Curtis Mayfield, soul singer

Elvis Presley, The King

Luther Vandross, singer

Morris Braunstein, scientist

Thomas Edison, inventor

Albert Ellis, psychologist, rational emotive therapy

George Minot, first person with diabetes to receive Nobel Prize in medicine

Arthur Ashe, tennis legend

Walter Barnes, former Philadelphia Eagle turned actor

Ty Cobb, baseball player for the Detroit Tigers

Buster Douglas, boxer

Kenny Duckett, football player for the New Orleans Saints

Del Ennis, baseball player

Catfish Hunter, pitcher for the Oakland A’s and the New York Yankees

Ham Richardson, tennis pro

Jackie Robinson, baseball star who broke the color barrier in the Major Leagues

Sugar Ray Robinson, boxer

Jersey Joe Walcott, boxer

David “Boomer” Wells, major league pitcher

Wade Wilson, NFL quarterback

Ernest Hemingway, 20th-century novelist

Ken Kesey, novelist (“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”)

Walt Kelly, animator and cartoonist (“Pogo”)

Mario Puzo, author of “The Godfather”

Carl Rowan, syndicated editorial columnist

H.G. Wells, writer, “The Invisible Man”

Laura Ingalls Wilder, author


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BG Levels: Weekly Roundup

This weeks glucose readings were more positive overall. I have found that testing my sugars have made me more aware of what I have been eating and how they have affect my health. Mornings have still been hard for me but with the help of my girlfriend have been able to slowly lower my sugars. She has introduced more healthy snacks before bedtime that wont make my BG rise in the morning and I am thankful for it.

If you have any suggestions for nighttime snacks to keep your blood glucose down and satisfy that unbearable craving, please comment on what you recommend. Without further ado, here are my weekly readings:

Time	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
2/16/2009	85	195	80
2/17/2009	252	167	142
2/18/2009	203	55	49
2/19/2009	126	136	47
2/20/2009	342	262	58
2/21/2009	219	89	111
2/22/2009	74	156	N/A

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