MAJOR UPS TO OUR BOY D-WAG FOR THIS LINK

For some more "technical" information on the video below here's a link to the University of California at San Fransicso Medical page. Like we said, we'll be keeping our eyes on this. Definitely looks promising.

THANKS TO PENNY FOR THIS ONE!

Here's a great link sent in from one of our reader's:

New hope for a Type 1 diabetes cure
Nov. 17: Scientists have cured Type 1 diabetes in lab mice using drugs already on the market to treat cancer, a development that could have enormous implications for the more than one million diabetics in the U.S. NBC's Robert Bazell reports.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/27774926#27774926

Sounds like a good start to the DH team. We like the idea of scientists using drugs that are already approved. No need to wait of the FDA (usually a year or longer) to give the go ahead to get the drugs on the market. We'll keep our eyes and ears peeled on this one.

Thanks Penny!

HEALTH CARE COVEAGE & DIABETES

News on universal health care coverage at this link.

Everything is still up in the air on this one, but for us diabetics it could be some good news. Insurance companies are considering backing universal health care coverage - which means they would not deny coverage to anyone with a pre-existing condition (read diabetes, cancer, etc.).

I just recently received a notice from my new insurance company that I need to provide information on my previous coverage in order to receive my benefits package. Under the new proposal I wouldn't have to. The insurance company would have to help me out.

The stipulation to this is that every person in America would have to sign up for some health coverage. Read the article and let us know what you think.

JMA MONTHLY MOTIVATIONAL MOMENT (NOV. 2008)

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee's back!

And this time he's talking about Candy and Turkey Fests 2008. Following up with President Elect Obama's signature chant, JMA will prove that "Yes we can" control our diabetes despite these gorge fests that sandwich (no pun intended) the month of November.

As JMA would say. Get it done.

JMA'S MONTHLY MOTIVATIONAL MOMENT #1

Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the first in a series of installments to be appearing on our blog and youtube channel. Our homeboy, John Mark Adkison, is going to be presenting you with a monthly dose of motivation to keep you on the right track. This is a man who truly embraces his diabetes, and he's on course with everything we here at DH are all about. He IS the wise man at the summit of your trip. Prepare to have your socks blown off.

DH LIFE UPDATES

It's been a while since either Tyler or I have had a chance to breathe, but since I've finally been able to get that sweet oxygen in my lungs I figured it'd be a great time to catch up with everyone via the DH blog.

Tyler has been ultra busy (not to be confused with ultralente). He is the midst of prepping to shoot his senior thesis film for the Wesleyan film program. It's been a mad rush of finalizing a script and doing location scouts and finding the right talent to make the film work. I don't want to give too much away, but Tyler's aim of the film is to tie in diabetes to the theme. Not that I'm biased or anything, but it looks great so far, and with Tyler's vision on this project I have no doubt that it will be incredible. Rumor has it that hopefully Tyler will bring it to CDud's next summer.

As for me I get to sleep about 5 hours a day. I am now working (back at) Embry-Riddle University in beautiful and humid Daytona Beach. I am marketing their sports programs, and so far have had quite a bit of success. On top of that I am trying to finish my MA in Social Studies Ed - and with Tyler's inspiration have even taken a graduate level film class. So between homework and regular old work I barely get to close my eyes. We're trying to build a community of fan support like you see with the Cameron Crazies at Duke, and in so doing have created a blog and youtube page and plain old website for the folks at Embry-Riddle. Feel free to check them out. MASSIVE shout out to Chris Yost for signing up for the Flock despite being a continent away.

DH will be coming out with some new features soon. Everyone's favorite diabetic JMA (John Mark Adkison) will be a new feature on our YOUTUBE page bringing us: JMA's Motivations (title subject to change and probably will be) where he will get you fired up about bringing that a1c down to around 6.5 or better.

There has also been talk of a short film from DH (not Tyler's masterpiece but another one), and a new line of t-shirts hopefully sometime just after the new year.

We are working hard. Thanks for your continued support. And as always...

Peace, Love, Insulin

The DH Team.

CDUDS REMIX

So another year at the Chris Dudley Basketball Camp for Children with Diabetes has come and gone. It always takes so long to get here, and then with the snap of a finger it's gone again. But only 50 more weeks until the 2009 edition.

DH came with three new t-shirts (all of which are on our site). Chris even got in the mix and wore his shirts proudly all week. But for us, it was a lot more than getting out there and showing off a few new designs. Tyler and I have been going out to the small logging town of Vernonia (just outside of Portland, OR) for the last 11 years. Tyler said it best when he described our time at Dudley as: "our life with diabetes - we don't know diabetes without this camp." And it's the truth.



As we've grown older, it's great to go back and see our friends every year. Since we have a continent between us (gets tough on us east coasters), this is the one time of the year that we get to see everyone. And there were plenty of surprises all week long.

First off, there weather - never better. Sunny everyday, and the courts heated up to about 85 degrees with zero humidity by 11 am. For a guy living in muggy Florida right now, nothing has ever felt better. Tyler, for his part, got into the warm weather feel with a retro-fitted style - rocking the reissued Oakley Frogskins. I got my tank tops out and helped our boy Chris Yost with his dance version of The Shower while the Burns Family Band rocked the campers out.


What this camp does so well is bring a great sense of community to all its participants. The coaches get to disperse wisdom in all things hoops and the kids take it in. But what always surprises me, year after year, is how much the staff seems to take from the attitudes of the kids. By the end of the week, ten year olds are high fiving 17 year olds, who are high fiving 37 year olds. Everyone just gets along. They don't take the week, or each other, for granted. The kids get a different outlook on life with diabetes, and the coaches (if they ever get the chance to coach a kid who's diabetic) won't even blink an eye.



That's why diabeteshappens makes the trip west every summer. It feels like a modern edition of manifest destiny, coast to coast we're taking over. Diabetics getting together, learning from each other, and having the understanding that life with the 'betes is alright. We never would have been able to go there if it wasn't for this things called diabetes mellitus type 1. We're pretty thankful for having it. We would have missed out on a ton of great friendships otherwise.

Way Over Due

sorry it's been so long since we've been around. end of semesters and the finding of new jobs makes it somewhat difficult to keep up the blogging. diabeteshappens had the great pleasure of making a trip out to utah with diabetic hosses insulindependence at the end of may though. the trip was amazing, and we got to meet a whole new crew of diabetics from all over america. hopefully you've seen this pics posted on our sight.

but more importantly, and i have no idea why we haven't posted on any of this yet, was the release from rapper shawty lo's rep that the rapper has diabetes, not hiv. Apparently, speculation arose when lo lost weight and had a stomach ache. neither disease is anything to scoff at, but for shawty's sake were are glad that it's the 'betes. we at diabeteshappens would like to be the first to welcome shawty into the ranks with non-functioning pancreases.

he joins fellow hip hopper and former wu tang clan member ghostface killah as embassadors of the disease in the rap community, and can now, amazingly, be connected to the likes of the jonas brothers, bret michaels, elliot yamin and the pump girls.

diabetes really does bring people together.

Brandon Morrow

The other day I helped out with the Mariners Education Day, a day where we visit local elementary schools and pass on the message of staying in school, stay away from drugs, etc.  In my group was Brandon Morrow.  For those that don't know Brandon is a relief pitcher for the Seattle Mariners and is also diabetic.  He was diagnosed with diabetes in high school.  So he has had it for about 6 or 7 years.  He played his college ball for the University of California and was the Mariners first round draft pick in 2006.

 During our bus ride to the elementary school we chatted diabetes a little since it is something we both have in common.  Morrow uses the pump, something I do not know a ton about.  He actually got a new pump that monitors his blood sugar on a regular basis.  He was showing me how it worked and he showed me his blood sugars that were all around 100-140, obviously it is working.  Some of you are probably wondering, does he wear this pump when he actually pitches in a Major League Game.  The answer to that question is no.  He takes off his Pump during the sixth inning.  Brandon is having a successful year so far pitching in 11 games striking out 13 and maintaining a 2.08 ERA.  Glad to see another diabetic having success in professional sports.

Join the Club, Jay

Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler was just diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

http://cbs4denver.com/broncos/jay.cutler.diabetes.2.714009.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3378906

A few quick things:
1.) Is it wrong that I get excited every time a high-profile athlete or celebrity is diagnosed?
2.) Even though it sucks for Jay, this is definitely a good thing for the cause -the more people learning about our condition, the better
3.) Let's get this dude a tshirt ASAP....

www.diabeticrockstar.com

And to continue on with the health care discussion a few posts down, Tyler and I have come across a website: www.diabeticrockstar.com. They seem to have a great self awareness, and a great outlook on how to live and manage.

The creator Christopher Thomas and original diabetic rockstar, has also started a non profit called Fight It! (website should be up soon) which raises money for uninsured diabetics. A great cause. Please check it out.

Holler.

welcome to the family angelina

So it's been a while since this was announced, and I for one would like to apologize for not posting on this sooner. But in case you didn't know, Angelina Jolie, while carry Brad Pitt's child (yes, not adopting again) has gestational diabetes.

Unfortunately at first, according Mrs Branjelina her publicist she was "trying to keep in under wraps." Though she has been "seeing a nutritionist about it," making sure that she's eating right for the twins she's carrying.

For all your pregnant star news check here.

Going to have to come up with a Brangelina diabeteshappens shirt. Got any ideas, please share.

What's your deal, Halle?

i know Big Mike posted about this, but i finally figured out how to get videos on the blog.

we love you Halle, but you claim to have cured your diabetes? i was always confused about your condition, but i think you are more confused than me

us weekly celebrity

In coming up with diabeteshappens Tyler and I had grand dreams. Obviously if you are looking at this you've seen our newly updated website (in which we passionately try to get the tabloids to purchase a picture of me for a mere 50k. I look good, what can i say. Richie Sambora eat your heart out). Getting celebrities with diabetes to embrace and then endorse our product was a priority. I mean the whole idea of the company came off on the heels of our attendance to the Chris Dudley Basketball Camp for Youth with Diabetes. "Dr. Crash," an NBA vet of 16 years, certainly provides some celebrity pop to our product, but we would be lying if we didn't have our sights on the Bret Michaels's or the Halle Berry's of the world. Celebrity sells. We are in the business of selling. Come on US Weekly. Get in the mix.

Despite our best efforts of trying to entertain Bret we've somehow fallen short. I thought that none have rocked harder than Tyler did in his air guitar of Poison's Nothin' But A Good Time, and we sent Bret a copy of the DVD version of our mini film. We've heard nothing. Apparently he is too busy doing the unskinny bop with his floozies on VH1's Rock of Love. We even purchased one of Bret's diabetic t-shirts...something along the line of thousands of shows, 20 million sugar tests, 10 million insulin injections, one love sort of thing. I don't think he's selling them any more. Which is a major bummer because it was the last image i saw of Bret actually looking like Bret, and not Sebastian Bach. The trouble with Bret is that on his MTV Cribs episode - where he takes us on an inside look into his home - he has NPH in the fridge. Bret, NPH? Are you serious? Bringing the 80s back is ironically cool, but bringing the 90s back with their form of blood sugar regulation is a serious health risk. Though I do salute you on your efforts not to hide your disease Bret. You do a great job of speaking out against it. Just update your insulin cabinet.

And Halle. Oh Halle. You are quite the pretty lady, and congrats on the new born. But why are you saying that you've gone from Type 1 to Type 2 diabetes? If you are just controlling your sugars with diet and exercise I don't think you are eating enough. Get out of LA! Now!

I guess we just won't have any spokesperson - though you can certainly check out our new Chris Dudley t-shirt

health insurance

Recently got an email suggesting that we discuss health care and what happens when you get knocked off your parents plan. It went a little something like this:

"so you guys should do a post for those who are over 23 and don't have insurance from a job or parent and has diabetes what the hell you did to afford life still. As having just turned 23 and being turned down EVERYWHERE even by the stupid company that has covered me for the past 23 years (10 that have been diabetic). I know about the State of Oregon plan but it is less then average and still retardly expensive. Any hints or tips or general advice would be tight."

These are the sorts of problems that arise when a country's medical decisions are run for profit. Not that great things also don't come out of it - there is little question that America is a world leader in health care change, finding cures, treatment in ERs (even though it rarely feels like it), etc, but it is not beneficial at all for an insurance company to take on a diabetic, cancer patient, etc. This is why you get Michael Moore's "SICKO."

And to be honest with you, I don't have a whole lot of suggestions. I know it's a bad idea to be off of health insurance, especially because then your condition can be called previously existing. As long as you have a plan that protects you and covers the medication that you need, your next subscriber must pick up where the last one left off. However, if you, for any reason, lose your plan, the next provider does not have to pay for your costs because the condition was present before you came to them.

If you have a job, but are looking for a new one you should ask your HR people about COBRA. It's not cheap. At all. Basically you can keep the current health care plan that you have, but you must pay for all of it. Usually your employer picks up most of the tab, and you pay for the plan that you want (HMO, PPO, etc). It's a terrible option, but at least you can remain fully covered. So with that being said, I wonder if you can legitimately be turned down by your current/former provider. I would look into that.

And as this is an election year, and health care as been an increasingly important discussion point amongst the candidates, I think it's critical that we all know as much as we can about what their points of view are on the nature of how health care should be run.

OBAMA

CLINTON

MCCAIN

Here is also a website that lays them out side by side. Not sure if they have an affiliation, but just make sure you read through carefully and get yourself informed.

There has been a lot of discussion about this in our office - politics often times take over for basketball, especially after loses. My colleague Pete Schwethelm came up with, what I think is a great way to describe the way health care should operate in our country. He believes that the postal service has it right. There is a basic plan (USPS) that everyone can partake in. It may not be the best option, but everyone can use it. If you feel that you need something more, better, faster there are other options (Fed-Ex, UPS).

The same could work for a health care system that has a basic outline for everyone, and if you feel you need better coverage, well that cost comes out of your own pocket then. It certainly doesn't lessen the blow for people like us - we'll still be paying top dollar, but at the very least, there is something out there.

Let us know which of the candidate's plans you like the best, and as always, please back your response with some reasons.

SVU on the diabetes prowl again

Yet again, Law and Order SVU is using diabetes in there storyline. This time the perp had such bad sugar control that he lost 3 fingers. Just thought everyone should know.

Thinking of forming PETROD - People for the Ethical Representation of Diabetics. Has a nice ring.

By the way: one of the other assistant coaches and I are tyring to fundraise at Lafayette College. We are holding a 3 on 3 charity basketball tournament for the benefit of dystonia and diabetes. The website is www.hill2themill.com

Of Mice and Men?

Read the New York Times article here:
Stem Cell Therapy Controls Diabetes in Mice

All the more reason to vote for someone who supports stem cell research in November...

New Study

A new study reported by the New York Times today suggests that, in Type 2 diabetics, more rigidly controlled diabetes led to a high death rate. Out of two different groups, one that kept strict control of their diabetes – a hemoglobin A1C of 6.0 or below – had 54 more deaths than the group that had a much looser regime – a hemoglobin A1C of around 7.0. If you are not as surprised as I am at this finding, well then you just don’t check your blood sugars.

There are a couple of things that should be taken into account in the study. First, there is quite a bit a medication mixing going on. Many of the people in the study were on insulin as well as blood sugar controlling pills. A host of those same people were also taking cholesterol and heart medication. The researchers believed that there was no correlation between the combinations of medications. In risk of it being too soon I would like to disclaimer my next statement by saying it is only in a scientific reference, but I can’t believe that finding in the light of Heath Legder’s death.

The study did believe that the rate at which the blood sugars were lowered may have had an effect. The average age of the study was 62 and had been diabetic for 10 years. The report stated: “Years ago, researchers discovered that lowering blood sugar very quickly in diabetes could actually worsen blood vessel disease in the eyes, he said. But reducing levels more slowly protected those blood vessels.” This may certainly be true. I’m no doctor but someone who is elderly, and who’s body has been accustomed to running a certain way, may place extra stress on their organs with sudden changes.

It should be noted that most of the deaths were heart disease related.

One thing that is certain – at least according to the New York Times – “Clearly, people without diabetes are different from people who have diabetes and get their blood sugar low.” No kidding. Would never have guessed. Can you smell a Pulitzer?

What does this mean? Well for me, a Type 1 diabetic (a juvenile if you will), I’m still going to check and monitor my sugars closely. I don’t see any reason to change what I’ve been doing, certainly in light of the fact that I don’t want to get to the point where I might have to be on heart or kidney medication later on in life.

Again, non of these people were Type 1, and many of them had previous conditions that could have proved to be fatal – which more than likely were a direct link to their having diabetes (i.e. heart, kidney, and cholesterol problems). Don’t let the problems get to a point where there is already damage. An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.

And if you are of age, get out and vote so that medical professionals can do their job and help find a cure.

On a lighter note just watch this. It’s beyond explanation.

Film and Diabetes

Alright, so I'm sitting on my Wal-Mart futon (don't pretend like you guys don't know exactly what I'm talking about), and I'm watching Law and Order: SVU - the best kind of Law and Order. There is a lady on the show who is not only paralyzed from the waist down, but a diabetic. For some reason, even with full use of her arms, the lady is unable to give herself insulin shots. She is (apparently) unable to administer the shots herself, and relies totally upon her husband to give them to her. As it turns out her husband is being framed, someone is trying to get rid of him. If the husband goes down, then the paralyzed diabetic won't be able to take care of herself and she too will surely perish. I honestly don't understand it; a grown woman can't take care of her own diabetes? At least at the halfway point of the show that's how it's shaking down.

This sort of logic in film really pisses me off. It's as if no one in Hollywood has a clue about diabetes. Does no one in LA LA land have it? Doesn't Halle Berry? Kevin Klein's son? I mean most of the residents probably only eat about 50 grams of carbs a day, so iI can understand if Paris Hilton doesn't know too much about it...

But think about it. The first movie I can remember watching with erroneous diabetes facts after my diagnosis was Con Air. Yeah, you know it. Nick Cage. His hands are registered weapons. He kills someone while defending his wife but still goes to prison. He's about to be released from prison, but has to get aboard a plane with a whole bunch of nasty boys who are just being moved to the maximum security Louisiana prison. Among them is a diabetic, who's insulin breaks on the chaotic plane ride. Within 12 hrs, the diabetic is about to go comatose because his blood sugar is way too high - even though they've only had one on board meal.

And then there was Panic Room. You know this one, too. Jodi Foster. Gets a house with a panic room so that in case of an emergency her daughter would be safe. Bad guys come after the house....

Hold on, the lady on SVU now needs her insulin, just a shot, but she was about to pass out because she wasn't going to get her one shot. I mean...come on... That is really really really bad control....

OK, Jodi Foster and bad guys. Well, Jodi Foster's daughter has diabetes and when the bad guys come, they forget her insulin and glucagon shot. The daughter's BS level starts to drop and she is about to go into a seizure, but Jodi Foster talks, yes talks, her out of it. Now to be honest I'm not completely unsure of the fact that you can talk someone out of a low insulin reaction. But really. The girl was in it, man. She was seizing already.

But despite that, the diabetes portrayal wasn't the worst part of the film. No, that would have to go to Jared Leto's cornrows.

The way that diabetics are portrayed in movies and television is honestly, ridiculous.

Case in point, the lady on SVU just seized during trial. She was not sweating, she was not acting bizarre at all. There was no sign of her going too low. She was actually taking notes on the trial, and whamo...she's on the floor.

Let's get on the ball Hollywood. Come on Halle Berry, get the writer's (if they ever come back) to get it right.

And by the way, diabeteshappens. Writer's strikes shouldn't. Give them their money, and let's get Brothers and Sisters back on the boob tube.

PUMP IT UP

As a diabetic, I try to stay in tune with new developments that can help me operate as normally as possible. As such, the insulin pump has been a device that I’ve been told I have to try; it will change my life for the better. There are a couple of reasons why I haven’t switched over (yep, still a proud insulin pen user – Humalog and Lantus – you’re my dawgs).

First, I don’t like the idea of having a machine connected to my body. It makes my stomach turn a little bit. The wires from machine to body make the pump seem way closer to the Terminator than something to make me healthier. The other complaint is a bit more sartorial: I just don’t like the fact that most pumps look like a pager (plus wires) hanging on a belt clip. Sorry, I like to look good and dress well, and having a pager stuck on my belt line just isn’t helping me out.

Now there have been a lot of changes, and the FDA has even approved wireless insulin pumps which are way less T1000, but no where near 007 enough.

Not that some people haven’t done wonders: Jim Bukvald made a great effort, but I think there’s still some wire issues. And the Omnipod actually looks nice, and conveniently the pod itself is separate and can just slide into your pocket, in my opinion it’s the best thing out there right now in terms of functionality and style. But things could still be better.

What if Apple and their iPod geniuses tackled the insulin pump? I’m definitely not the first person to talk about this. In fact, Amy Tenderich has already posted an online plea to Steve Jobs asking that very question:

And she is not alone:

And there is a great market for this sort of thinking: 20 million Americans have diabetes (hey, it happens), and thousands of clinics and hospitals across the country help those 20 millions manage the condition. If Apple were to create a new pump, with software to go with their new MacBook Air to help individual users as well as hospitals and clinics follow, monitor, and chart sugar levels, insulin doses, and carb intake, all through the use of a simple USB plug, I believe that not only would the sale of the iPump be incredible, but Apple would also see general sales go up.

And what young diabetic wouldn’t be way more involved in their glucose numbers if while their information was downloading for the iPump, they could be downloading the new Akon song?