October 2009 Archives

As you probably know November is Diabetes Month and November 14 is World Diabetes Day. In New York City the Empire State Building will be lit in blue, the official world diabetes day emblem color, as will many landmarks across the globe. And people will be taking to the streets spreading the word. Sounds great doesn’t it? Yet as much as I love that we now have our own month and day, I’m thinking wouldn’t it be nicer if we didn’t need one?

I’m not knocking the educational opportunities of Diabetes Day and month, but as a nation, particularly now struggling with how to revamp our health care system, wouldn’t it be better to put our energy into keeping people well rather than having them get sick in the first place? In ancient China village doctors were compensated not to cure the sick but to keep people well. Imagine doctors here getting paid for keeping people well and your health insurance going down if you kept yourself well. In China when people were sick doctors' pay was cut and if patients fell ill the doctor had to treat them for free. Kinda rattles your brain, but makes so much sense.

The first thing I envision if we had such a system is a lot more people running around, literally, and smiling more. The majority of seniors would be slimmer and wouldn’t get the illnesses we associate with aging; their bodies would never have deteriorated to that point.

Since doctors get paid to treat sick people our system provides little incentive to help people practice preventive care. Specialists make more money running often unnecessary tests and performing unnecessary surgeries. And while I wouldn’t say surgeons aren’t caring people, energy flows to what’s being rewarded. I also don’t label pharmaceutical companies as evil, but I do think you can earn a profit and do good work at the same time. Just recently the CEO of a big pharma announced they’re going to offer their drugs to third world countries at an affordable price. Hurray and Hallelujah! Maybe more pharma companies can apportion all that money used for research and development of new drugs toward creating the infrastructure that would help us prevent disease.

If we began from the premise to keep people well by exercising, eating properly, keeping our environment clean, minimizing stress to our body and psyche through cultivating different societal values, a lot less people would get diabetes.

But, alas, until that day, I, like you, will have to settle for Diabetes Day. So if you’re in New York or any place that’s recognizing Diabetes Day or month, go out, get informed and be counted. If you have diabetes let Diabetes Day be the one where you learn something new.

Riva Greenberg is the author of "50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life: And The 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It" and “The ABCs of Loving Yourself with Diabetes” available in English and Spanish. Riva also speaks to patients and medical professionals. To learn more about Riva’s work and read her blog, visit her web site at www.diabetesstories.com.

Do you ever feel alone with your diabetes?  I do.  Even being very active in the diabetes online community, I often feel very isolated in my everyday life.

It is hard living with diabetes, and because it is invisible, most of the people in my daily life will never see all of the struggles I deal with.

I try very hard to share as much of my life with diabetes as I can.  But it is very hard to translate these thoughts and emotions into words.  Much of what is in my head is so vague and hard to even identify.  Isolation and loneliness is a problem when living with diabetes.

We are seeing a lot of buzz in the mainstream media these days.  While it is unfortunate that diabetes has become something so big that we’re seeing words like “epidemic” being used, I think the press and exposure it draws can only help.

One of the big problems that we see in mainstream media is the inaccurate representation of diabetes that they broadcast.  False information is also a problem, and compounds the isolation and loneliness we deal with.

Find a way to use World Diabetes Day to fight the inaccuracy AND isolation.  Even if what you do is something small, like printing postcards or posters to display and pass out somewhere.  Or maybe you can do something bigger, like send an article to a local news organization (here are some tips on how to do that).

Whatever you choose to do, do something.  Anything.  It will help the cause, and will also help fight that isolation that we all live with. 

Scott K. Johnson writes about both his failures and successes with type 1 diabetes at Diabetes Daily and dLife. 

Maybe it's a small walk. Maybe you are organizing your neighborhood to light up all houses in blue. Maybe you are having a small rally or you are giving out information to people on the street.

Every bit counts! And we want to know about any events that you are planning to do for World Diabetes Day. That way people who visit this page can learn about things they can participate in to celebrate this important day.

Once you've left a comment with the details about your World Diabetes Day activity here, please make sure to post the event on the World Diabetes Day web site too. They are keeping track of all WDD events around the world.

Lighting your building in blue is a great PR move. Your commitment is picked up by this website, shown on the WorldDiabetesDay.org, and broadcast around the world.

So what does it take to make it happen? We asked someone who recently went through the process. Here's what she said:

If you decide to light your building blue for World Diabetes Day, be sure to work with a lighting professional to determine your specific needs. Each situation varies widely, but here are a few considerations:

• A white building will reflect light much better than a dark or colored building.
• Windows may impact how the light is reflected.
• A flat surface is the easiest to light. A surface that includes detail may create shadows.
• You'll need room to place a generator, which will be used to power the lights.
• The lights may need to be a certain distance away from the building, which means you need enough space in front of the building to allow for this.
• If the building is too close to public property (such as a public sidewalk), there may not be enough space.
• You'll need an area large enough for the lights to be set-up that can also be blocked off from foot traffic.
• The lights need to be positioned around any trees that may be located in front of the building.
• Make sure landscaping and lawn watering will not be taking place.
• You may need to have someone trained to turn everything on each night.
• The cost for lighting a building can average anywhere from $2,000 - $5,000.
  

If you get a building lit up in blue, tell us how you did it!

Click on the image to download the 8MB PDF file. Thanks to VSP Vision Care for the file!

This will be our third year running the Baja race as a drive-a-thon to raise money for the International Diabetes Federation’s education and awareness programs. Two members of Desert Dingo Racing have diabetes. Each of us has family members and other friends who are managing diabetes or who have died due to complications. We partnered with the IDF because our commitment to educating people about diabetes is very personal.

This year, we’re also sponsoring a World Diabetes Day PSA Campaign in cooperation with the IDF and 12seconds.tv, inviting people whose lives have been touched by diabetes to record their personal messages on 12seconds.tv.  We’ll select 52 submissions to post on our website for a year-long campaign of education and encouragement. A new video will be featured each week to promote a different perspective on diabetes.



People interested in participating in the PSA Campaign can sign up for a 12seconds account and post their message on the World Diabetes Day page at http://12seconds.tv/rooms/WorldDiabetesDay. Submissions close at midnight (GMT-08:00) on World Diabetes Day, November 14. The invitation to participate has been translated into 18 languages (so far) by people just like you who have diabetes or have a loved one who does.

This is not a contest. It’s a chorus. Please add your voice to this international effort to educate as many people as we can about diabetes.

If you happen to be attending the World Diabetes Congress being held in Montreal Oct. 18-22, come by and introduce yourself. We’ll be unveiling the first Super Hero with Diabetes, the Blue Circle. We’ll have coloring pages of the Blue Circle to distribute to families who stop by to see the car, as well as hero cards with information about World Diabetes Day and the warning signs of diabetes.

Desert Dingo Racing also participates in local outreach events such as school visits and community health fairs. Before last year’s Baja 1000, we took our car to Holly Oak Elementary School in San Jose, where we visited with Ms. Battistella’s students. After our talk, the students painted their palms in red, blue or gold paint and pressed them on the fenders.



These powerful images opened the door to many meaningful conversations with folks attending the race in Baja, where we earned the nickname “The Diabetes Team.”

The beginning –

I woke in my parent’s house screaming in pain. I was having the same excruciating leg cramps I’d been having for almost three months. Home, on a winter break from college, my parents and I bundled into the car for what we thought would be a routine doctor visit.  A few simple blood tests later I was told I had a blood sugar level of 750 and juvenile diabetes, now known as type 1 diabetes.

I was 18 then and I’m 55 now. 37 years later there is no cure, but the way I live with diabetes now is completely different than how I lived with it then.  My journey to here began with a rocky start – denial and very little information and education - but today I work helping others with diabetes. I give talks around the country to fellow patients and professionals, I have developed a means of living with diabetes using positive emotions, I blog on my web site, www.diabetesstories.com, and write articles for Diabetes Health, I have written two books, I coach patients and I have interviewed more than 130 people who have diabetes and learned from them.

Through the years I educated myself on the basics – food, diet, exercise, stress, medicine - and for the last several years I have turned my attention to the emotional side of living with diabetes and our vast ability to influence our health if we focus on what we want and find our inner strengths. Personally, diabetes is my teacher; it shows me how fortunate I am that what I have is manageable, it reminds me how much I have to appreciate in my life and it has led me to work I love.

The middle years –

I didn’t talk much about my diabetes to anyone. I didn’t know anyone else who had it and I didn’t want to be the center of attention. Basically, I didn’t think anyone would understand. I didn’t have the means to pay it much mind with no home meters at the time but I’m sure my mind didn’t want to pay it much mind. I got some complications from high blood sugars the first dozen years. But as more and more news came out about diabetes I got myself more and more educated and turned that into responsible action.

The present –

Through the years I learned the value of eating healthy, less sugar and fat and not finishing everything on my plate. I began working to and from work and even though I now work in my home, I take a long walk every morning. I test my blood sugar on average six times a day and I am grateful for the control it gives me. I talk to anyone who will listen to me about how to do better with their diabetes and I have had hundreds of such encounters wherein the people I’ve spoken with - the look in their eyes as the light bulb turns on and the handshake so tight because they are so thankful - give me back as much, or more, than I feel I have given.

I spent the first 25 years of my career as a marketing writer. In a way I’m still doing the same thing only now I’m marketing diabetes care and its rewards: Oh, so much more gratifying! Going to a diabetes educator for the first time after having diabetes for 32 years was what got me interested in educating others.

It’s been some journey and I never could have told you long ago that this is where I would end up. Many wise people have said, it’s only when you look backward that you can see where all the dots and detours have led you. And while that’s true, it doesn’t hurt to look forward toward something you really want. Preventing diabetes or getting healthy and staying healthy are perfect goals anytime and especially this month.

My ADVICE: Don’t ignore it if your doctor says you have “just a touch of sugar.” There is no such thing. You likely have pre-diabetes and left untreated chances are high it will become diabetes within five to ten years.

GET TESTED: If diabetes is in your family get an annual blood test and get fit now with a healthy eating plan and planned activity instead of getting fitfull later.

LET PEOPLE IN: Living successfully with diabetes takes support and encouragement. Help others to help you by telling them what you need and when you need it. My husband alerts me to diabetes news and listens when I need to vent, but the day he put a roll of SweeTarts in his pocket, just in case I might need them, I fell in love all over again.

FIND SOMETHING POSITIVE: If you look you will find something positive in your diabetes. Maybe it’s helped you lose some weight or see the doctor more frequently to take care of other health ills. Maybe it’s helped you realize that life is precious and we are lucky to be here.

Riva Greenberg is the author of "50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life: And The 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It" and “The ABCs of Loving Yourself with Diabetes” available in English and Spanish. Riva also speaks to patients and medical professionals. To learn more about Riva’s work and read her blog, visit her web site at www.diabetesstories.com.

The folks from VSP Vision Care just shared the great news with us:
"I'm very excited to share that I just received approval to have the VSP building lit in blue the entire week leading up to World Diabetes Day. The VSP building is not downtown and will not compete with the Capitol, but we're right off the freeway on I-50..."

The building's address is:
3333 Quality Dr.
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
(this is right by Sacramento, CA in case you are wondering)

This is a great example of how we can have a building lit up though it is not necessarily a public building. How about asking in your company to see if they would consider doing something like this... maybe even for World Diabetes Day alone?

Five years ago, after living with diabetes for 32 years I heard something that changed my life forever. I was sitting in a “Coping with Diabetes” workshop when the leader, noted diabetes educator and Bill Polonsky, asked the 100 or so of us there, “How many of you think diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, heart disease, kidney failure and amputation?” Hands flew up across the room, including mine. “You’re wrong,” he said. A stunned quiet spread just as quickly. “Poorly controlled diabetes is.”

In that instant three things happened:

1. Relief flooded my body. For three decades I had believed these would be my fate. My body almost went limp as though an enormous weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
2. I knew I had the power to affect my health. I knew what I did mattered and so I began immediately to eat a little healthier, walk a little more and experience the confidence that comes from knowing you’re in control. I have continued to do those things and my A1cs are consistently now in the 5s.
3. I realized how inaccurate information can harm us and keep us from responsibly taking care of ourselves. I decided I would write a book dispelling diabetes myths to give my fellow patients the power of knowing the truth.

My book, "50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life: And The 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It" came out this summer. It debunks 50 of the most prevalent and debilitating myths about diabetes and gives you the accurate information you need to take good care of yourself. Each myth and truth describes actionable steps and tips from leading diabetes experts across the spectrum of diabetes care, along with my own and fellow patients “lessons learned.” Test your knowledge below.

MYTH 1: Eating sweets causes diabetes
TRUTH: It doesn’t—at least not in the way you think. Type 2 diabetes is caused by a genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors, and Type 1 by an autoimmune reaction. However, in the case of type 2 diabetes, eating excessive amounts of sugar may influence whether or not the genes for diabetes get triggered.

MYTH 2: There is one specific diabetic diet to follow
TRUTH: There is no longer any such thing as a “diabetic diet.”

MYTH 3: Type 2 diabetes is not as serious as type 1.
TRUTH: Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are equally serious because they both can lead to the same devastating complications.

MYTH 4: If I have to go on insulin, it’s the beginning of the end.
TRUTH: Rather, it’s the beginning of achieving better blood sugar control.

MYTH 5: My doctor manages my diabetes, so I don’t have to concern myself.
TRUTH: Although your doctor is responsible for your overall care, the daily management of your diabetes is up to you.

If you already know quite a bit about diabetes you may still unknowingly believe a number of myths. For instance:

MYTH 6: Diabetes medications make you gain weight.
TRUTH: Some do, some don’t, and a newer class of drugs actually help you lose weight.

MYTH 7: I can’t ever take a break from dealing with my diabetes.
TRUTH: Not only can you take a break, it’s highly recommended.

MYTH 8: I should never use a syringe, pen needle, or lancet more than once.
TRUTH: You can reuse all of these as long as you follow certain guidelines.

MYTH 9: When I feel the symptoms of low blood sugar, I should keep eating sweets until I feel better.
TRUTH: You should eat fifteen grams of fast-acting carbohydrate and then check your blood sugar.

MYTH 10: I can’t have diabetes because I have no symptoms,
TRUTH: You can have diabetes without experiencing, or recognizing, its symptoms.

Diabetes month is about learning about diabetes, recognizing the symptoms and getting yourself onto a good treatment plan if you have diabetes. Knowledge is powerful medicine when it comes to diabetes. I know just how powerful; learning the truth helped me become much more responsible for my care and have the confidence that those complications Dr. Polonsky mentioned are not in my future. You deserve the same! Having the right information and doing your best better matters.

Video: Riva Dispels Common Diabetes Myths

Riva Greenberg is the author of "50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life: And The 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It" and “The ABCs of Loving Yourself with Diabetes” available in English and Spanish. Riva also speaks to patients and medical professionals. To learn more about Riva’s work and read her blog, visit her web site at www.diabetesstories.com.

Diabetes has affected me most of my adult life.  I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in my early twenties.  I went to many doctors concerned about my weight gain, infertility, and complaining about extreme fatigue.  No one mentioned diabetes or tested me for diabetes.  I was told I must be eating too much food (believe me, I was not.)

After seeing twenty different doctors I was finally diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome – a disorder that affects millions of women and puts them at high risk for type 2 diabetes.  But no one told me this, and, one year later I crossed the bridge forever and became a diabetic.

I did not know about diabetes and my doctors did not recognize I had pre-diabetes for many years. Had I been given better information I might not have diabetes today.  But I do.  A few random blood sugar tests could have told me I was at risk.  In fact, a $1.00 finger stick test in a doctor’s office might have saved me a lifetime of eye problems and neuropathy.

But diabetes did not stop there.

At age 4, my young daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  My other daughter had “mysterious” health problems practically since birth and was misdiagnosed for almost ten years by several doctors, until it became apparent she had Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) when she went into kidney failure when she was just 11 years old.  By the time she was diagnosed with this rare form of diabetes, it was too late to do much about it.

Now, both of my teenage boys have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes.  Fortunately, I have enough information now to know what we need to do to help them from getting diabetes.  But what if I was not aware by personal experience?  My 13-year-old is slim and seems healthy on the outside.  But his blood sugars tell a different story!

My other son was never tested by his doctor either because my insurance would not cover lab tests.  So I began checking his blood sugars at home.  He was 16 an active but gaining weight and his fasting blood sugars are over 115.  Because I was aware of diabetes, I knew enough to check his blood sugar and we now have a chance to stop him from getting the disease.

In case you are thinking we are a family with some really unlucky genes and not the “normal” family, think again.  We are a blended family built through adoption.  My genes were not passed to my children.  We represent a combination of four, entirely unrelated different gene pools. The odds of so many people in my own family being affected are not so unusual.   We simply reflect what is going on in the world-at-large.

The American Diabetes Association says chances are almost everyone in the United States knows someone with diabetes and that 5.1 million Americans have diabetes and do not know it.  Until they are diagnosed and treated, their bodies are being damaged every single day.  Their eyes, kidneys, nerves, and organs are slowly being destroyed and they do not even know it.

World Diabetes Day is an important way to get the word out to people before their disease progresses to the point where they are only diagnosed with diabetes because some terrible complication happens.  It is a world-wide wake-up call.

It is a day to remember loved ones already lost to diabetes but it is also a day where we can stop and reflect on how to save lives through better awareness.

Lalhe A Wolfe is Founder of iPump.org, a 501(c)3 non-profit that distributes pump supplies to those in need.

Saturday, November 14, 2009 @ 5:30 pm
State Capitol Building (Sacramento, CA)

On Saturday, November 14, wear blue and join us on the west steps of the State Capitol as we light the Capitol building in blue and form a human circle.

For more information, email sacramentowdd@diabetes.org or call 916.924.3232, x7402.

Next time you’re sitting a crowded movie theater, walking down a busy street, or at any public place in America, look around.  For every 13 people you see, at least one is likely to have diabetes.

According to the latest statistics, nearly 24 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, or 8% of the country’s population.

Of those, nearly a quarter—6 million—don’t know they have it and could be suffering unaware from complications. But that number is far better than in the past—10 years ago, half of all people with diabetes didn’t know they had it.

“Diabetes is increasingly recognized as a serious disease in the United States and throughout the world,” says Sue McLaughlin, BS, RD, CDE, President of Health Care and Education at the American Diabetes Association.

Among children and teens, about 1 in every 400 to 600 has type 1 diabetes. That means there are about 1 or 2 kids with diabetes in most large U.S. elementary and high schools. Children today are also being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but exact numbers aren’t available for them as yet.

Just looking at adults—let’s say in any large office complex—about 1 in 10 will have diabetes. The older the group, the higher the number: About 1 in 4 nursing home residents in America has diabetes.

And here’s how it breaks down by race: About 1 in every 10 blacks, 1 in 8 Hispanics, 1 in 13 Asians, and 1 in 15 whites has diabetes. But Native Americans are the hardest-hit of all. About 1 in every 6 has diabetes—nearly double that of the rest of the U.S. population.

The Pima Indians in Arizona have the highest rates of type 2 diabetes in the entire world—More than half have been diagnosed with it. And even more alarming: The rate of type 2 diabetes among Native American children and teens has doubled over the last two decades.

A century ago, diabetes—and all chronic diseases—were nearly non-existent among Native Americans. In 1955, diabetes was not even on the top 10 list as a cause of death for this group of Americans. By 2009, it had jumped to #4. This is mostly due to increases in fats and sugars in the diet combined with far less physical activity than in the past, according to Ms. McLaughlin.

“The dramatic changes that have occurred in the diet and exercise habits for Native Americans in the past 100 years as a result of movement onto the reservations are an unfortunate illustration of what has happened and can happen to everyone in this country,” she says.

Indeed. In addition to the total 24 million Americans who currently have diabetes, another 57 million have pre-diabetes. So, taken together, about 1 in 4 people you see walking down the street in America either has diabetes or is at risk for developing it.

Unless something is done to reverse the trend, researchers say, 1 in 3 children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes. For non-white children, diabetes will hit half

But Ms. McLaughlin believes the trend CAN be turned around. In fact, several large studies with people from all ethnic backgrounds in the U.S. and abroad have shown that type 2 diabetes can be prevented with lifestyle change, including eating more healthful foods and exercising more.

But for this to happen, she says, “Every American needs to embrace the fact that he or she and family members are at risk for diabetes. Once we recognize this, we can take the next step to be proactive about our own health and the health of our children, elders and communities as a whole.”

And while the statistics are scary, they do not have to become a self-fulfilling reality: “With increased awareness of an individual's risk for diabetes, education about how to prevent it, and implementation of healthy lifestyle habits, diabetes can be stopped!"

Miriam E. Tucker is a medical journalist who has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1973. Her website is www.miriametucker.com.  On Twitter, she’s @MiriamETucker.