82 years with diabetes described in "Longevity" book
Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Lifestyle, Drugs, Books, Care
Around a year ago I posted the story of two elderly brothers, both of whom have had type 1 diabetes since childhood. It's amazing to read about these guys for two reasons: first, they've lived with diabetes for a reeeaally long time. Secondly, for most of that time, they did not have the medical knowledge or technology on which today's diabetics depend. (Okay, so when it comes to stuff like Avandia, you could argue that's a good thing!)Anyway, one of the brothers - Robert "Bob" Cleveland (87) - will be featured in a new book titled 50 Secrets of the Longest Living People with Diabetes by Sheri R. Colberg and Steven V. Edelman. The book is part of the Marlowe Diabetes Library series. It will be published in November and is available for pre-ordering on Amazon.
Linda von Wartburg, writing for Diabetes Health, has posted an excerpt about Cleveland taken from the book, for those who want an advance taste. According to that post, Bob Cleveland has lived with the disease for an amazing eighty-two years. This makes Cleveland second in line for the title of person in the US who's lived with diabetes the longest. He was five years old when diagnosed in 1925. Bob's brother, Gerald, has not had diabetes for quite so long, but he is the oldest living person with diabetes in the US. The brothers are pictured at right, with Bob on the left and Gerald on the right.
Reading Cleveland's account of his early years with diabetes, before insulin became available, is quite harrowing. He describes being on a "starvation diet," hospital stays, and memories of his mother desperately trying to pull him out of hypoglycemic episodes. Incredible reading.
Fatal insulin overdoses in Chicago: lawsuits to follow?
Filed under: Type 2, Drugs, Daily News, Care
Two elderly women died and one remains in a coma after the three apparently received massive insulin overdoses during stays at the University of Chicago Hospitals (UCH). One of the women who died, Ruthie Holloway (82), was diabetic. She was in the hospital in May due to a possible urinary tract infection. When she showed signs of low blood sugar, a test was conducted which showed extremely high insulin levels in her blood - hundreds of times higher than normal. By then it was too late: she quickly became catatonic, suffering brain damage, and she died at a nursing home in June. Particularly disturbing is the fact that there was no record of her being given insulin by a staff member.The incidents, which occurred between May and June of this year, are under investigation by the Chicago police and by officials at UCH. All three women were in the same hospital wing when the overdoses were given. The question is: were those overdoses the result of staff incompetence or where they given intentionally and, if so, why?
It now looks likely that UCH will have malpractice lawsuits coming its way from the womens' families. According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, attorneys acting on behalf of the families have requested copies of the womens' patient files. They have also requested copies of employee files.
Even though the person responsible has not yet been (publicly?) identified, UCH has made some major changes in its procedures regarding the storage and handling of insulin. In particular, each dose of the drug must go through a procedure of checking and witnessing, with a paper trail backing up all staff actions.
Visit the Trib's website or CBS2 Chicago online to read more about this sad case.
Living with heart disease: One woman's story
Filed under: Books, Women Heart Health
She was 39, athletic, a non-smoker and a healthy eater. Kathy Kastan thought she had taken all the right steps to prevent heart disease, and when she started to feel symptoms of a heart attack, she was shocked. She was diagnosed with a heart blockage and underwent lifesaving surgery but even after the surgery, she felt ill and anxious. She promised herself that if she ever got her health back, she would help others with her firsthand knowledge of heart disease. Well, She did get her health back and she's kept her promise. Kastan is now the president of the board of directors for WomenHealth: The National Coalition of Women with Heart Disease, and she's reached out to others in her situation by writing a book, called From the Heart: A Woman's Guide to Living Well with Heart Disease. To learn more about her story, check out this article.
None of us are immune to heart disease, and I'm glad Kastan is using her unfortunate experience to reach out to others who may living with this killer disease.
My Friend, Jeff - the Trucker
Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Research, Opinion, Services
About a year ago, I met a guy named Jeff Mather. Well, we never met, personally. But we spoke many times over the phone about diabetes and how it has affected our paths in life. Jeff had lost his job, the one he had for over 10 years. The job he wanted to have since he was a little kid. According to Federal Safety Guidelines, if a trucker takes insulin - they are no longer safe to drive across state lines.
Jeff wrote letters every day. He posted to online forums. He contacted politicians and pleaded to every diabetic organization in existence to get him back on the road. And sure enough - his perseverance paid off. He took his predicament all the way from Washington D.C to National Public Radio. The story on NPR included details on how Jeff was able to qualify to drive again.
While diabetes advocates are pleased that it's now easier for truckers to keep their jobs when they go on insulin, they're not entirely happy with the way that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCSA) will decide whether a trucker is safe to drive. In order for a trucker to be considered "safe" to drive, his HgA1c must be between 7 and 10. This means that in order to keep trucking - one must sustain a blood sugar between 140 mg/dL and 200 mg/dL. Yes, this is flawed. I was going to use another choice F phrase to describe it.
FMCSA expressed it wants to see a higher test result because they feel people with lower scores who are aggressively managing their diabetes with insulin, may be more likely to have periods of very low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, that could make them pass out or feel woozy. Diabetes expert Christopher Saudek, at Johns Hopkins Hospital, says the agency's reasoning is flawed. And he says it puts diabetics in a bind.
"Essentially what you're saying with this kind of a rule is that if you are controlling your diabetes at all well, if you get it to 6.8 or 6.5, then you're liable to lose your job," Saudek says. "So congratulations. Your A1c is in a good range, but you aren't going to be able to drive your truck anymore. That doesn't make any sense."
Jeff, I'm so proud of you for not giving-up. You're driving your truck and I'm sure you're doing it in good health. Enjoy all that you've worked so hard to regain. Best of luck to you!
Every toenail tells a story
Filed under: Research
Diabetes can do a lot of harm to your feet. The worst case scenario is severe nerve or tissue damage necessitating amputation. Early intervention is critical for avoiding this drastic measure, and researchers are looking at various ways in which this can be done. A brand new example of this kind of research comes courtesy of the foot docs at CLEAR - Scholl's Center for Lower Extremity Ambulatory Research at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, which is located in Chicago. CLEAR researchers found that nearly three out of four diabetics who are at high risk for amputation have diseased toenails. The finding was announced recently at a conference for the American Academy of Dermatology, being held in Washington, DC. Says co-author of the study, Stephanie Wu, the study helped confirm what many suspected but was previously unproven. "It appears," said Dr. Wu, "that if you have certain pre-existing risk factors for amputation coupled with a clinically diseased nail, chances are you have a significant fungal infection based on laboratory cultures." It is hoped that this knowledge can help prevent amputations by helping physicians identify those who are at risk more quickly than might have previously been the case.
Warning - the following story is Horrendous!
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Daily News, Events
Warning: the following blog deserves a strong caveat. I am utterly disgusted by the event leading to the story but nonetheless, I will convey the gist of it as tactfully as possible. A drunken diabetic who brutally raped a woman while in a hypoglycaemic state has been jailed indefinitely.
Steven Graham, a 20 year old from the UK, met his victim as she walked home one evening. Graham admitted to drinking 15 beers and skipping his evening injection. He reportedly suffers from a "Jekyll and Hyde" personality disorder. He had the audacity to pleas his behavior was due to the fact he was suffering a hypoglycaemic attack.
Prosecutors obtained a report which described hypoglycemia as causing mild mannered people to behave violent and abusive. They also may seem to have superhuman strength. Graham's attorney told the court: "Hypoglycaemia is one of those conditions capable of transforming honest and decent people into violent and aggressive people." Excuse me, but hypoglycemia can transform honest and decent people into disoriented honest and decent people. It does not transform them into superhuman strength rapists. Call me stupid -- but wouldn't those conditions to which he referred be psychological?
The Judge ruled the facts of this case clearly demonstrate Graham is capable of extreme violence and he is a danger to women. Justice is served.
Sally the fabulous hypo-detecting dog
Filed under: Type 1, Research, Support, Complications, Personalities
On the 18th of July I blogged about a study that aims to explain how dogs are able to detect approaching hypoglycemic episodes in diabetic humans. Well, reader Margaret from Cumbria, in the UK, posted a comment about her dog, Sally, who is one of these amazing hypo-detecting dogs. I asked Margaret to tell us more and she obliged. Here is Sally's story:Sally is a thirteen and a half-year-old Border Collie mix who lives with human "parents" Margaret and Alan, and canine buddy Poppy, who is a Cocker Spaniel. That's Sally (right) and Poppy (left) in the picture. Margaret and Alan adopted Sally from an animal shelter when she was just a tiny pup. Little did they know that Sally came complete with a special gift: she knows when Margaret, who has type 1 diabetes, is heading dangerously low.
"She has always been a sensitive dog," writes Margaret. "She gets very upset when there is thunder in the air. She shakes uncontrollably - even if we never even hear the thunder, but she knows it is about somewhere." As for detecting oncoming hypos, Margaret says: "my husband, perhaps more than me, notices her reaction. I can be just sitting staring into space, not doing anything, and Alan comes in, sees me and sees Sally acting strangely, by which I mean slinking around, really unhappy and just looking so miserable, trying to hide in a corner and she doesn't do that for any other reason, not even for the thunder."
I asked Margaret if Sally had received any training or if they rewarded or encouraged her reaction in any way. No, replied Margaret. "We certainly don't reward her for this. I really don't want her to be so unhappy about me! But, according to my husband, it is pretty obvious when he sees Sally behaving in this way - even though it is not obvious by my actions - that I am hypo, and this has been proved to be so." She adds, "Sally is very close to me. She is with me all the time and she has done this for as long as we can remember."
Margaret has had type 1 for thirty-five years. She was nearly twenty years-old when diagnosed. She also writes that one of her three sisters was diagnosed with type 1 at age seven, but is still going strong - fifty-seven years later.
Thanks, guys, for sharing your story!
Running over the same old ground: exercise and diabetes
Filed under: Type 2, Lifestyle, Exercise, Daily News
Oh yawn, I thought to myself this morning. Upon turning on National Public Radio, I immediately heard what seems to be yet another report on diabetics and exercise. According to the results of a new study, the majority of people with Type 2 diabetes or at risk for it fail to follow through on their doctors' advice to get moving and get some good old-fashioned exercise to ward off the disease - or at least slow its progress. The study comes courtesy of a team of researchers at the University of Colorado, Denver. It's a sizable study, involving over 22,000 patients. The results are being published in Diabetes Care (February 2007) and basically conclude that fewer than forty percent of those advised to get exercise actually do so. Moreover, those most at risk are in fact the least likely to heed exercise advice. Dr. Elaine Morrato, who led both this study and an earlier one on a similar topic, says "People should exercise more, that story is out. What we're saying is, 'Here's a high-risk population that can benefit from exercise, and they're even less likely to exercise.'" Now, I hate to be a grumpy naysayer, but (to use an exercise-related metaphor) isn't this just a case of running over the same old ground? Is this study really contributing anything new? According to the NPR report, Morrato goes on to say that the results are "very pessimistic," but that she does not know the answer to what is perhaps the real question: how to change peoples' behavior. We already know there is a T2 diabetes epidemic going on. We already know that obesity and inactivity are to blame. Instead of studying the issue over and over, from every conceivable angle, shouldn't researchers be focusing on how to stop this national health train wreck that we're seeing? Am I being unreasonable? You tell me.
Fabulous makeovers courtesy of DIVABETIC
Filed under: Type 2, Lifestyle
Big pharma giant Novo Nordisk wants to remind you of its involvement in a social outreach program for diabetics. Entitled "Divabetic - Makeover Your Diabetes," the program is being touted as a series of fun community outreach events designed to support, educate and motivate women with Type 2 diabetes and those who are at-risk for it. It's also open to those who do not have diabetes themselves, but who have been adversely affected through the diagnosis of a loved one. The "Divabetic" part of the title refers to the outreach organization DIVABETIC, which is collaborating with Novo Nordisk in this project.Divabetic offers women makeovers at the hands of a team of fashion and beauty gurus. It's all about having fun with fashion, beauty and the like. All that GIRL-STUFF. Hmm. Nice, but not really related to diabetes education, is it? Well, no. But the idea is to use that as a means to an end, say the organizers. You know, self-esteem and all that jazz. The idea is to get away from the very un-fun and un-sexy clinical learning environment, which tends to alienate those who are most in need of help.
The goal is to motivate attendees to get control of their diabetes by making lifestyle changes. You know what I mean - The Biggies: eat healthy, exercise, take your meds. Alan Moses, associate vice president of medical affairs for Novo, says the company acknowledges the role that overall lifestyle changes can play in turning around a diabetic's health status, but that they also have come to understand how hard it is for most people to make that change. That's where motivation comes into play...in the form of makeovers. Yes, says DIVABETIC founder Max Szadek. When women look great, they feel great, and you have to feel great about yourself before you can get motivated to take care of your health, he enthuses.
Divabetic events are free. They will be taking place around the country (big cities, only, folks), starting with New York at Gotham Hall on February 22. Want to read more? Read Novo's press release, visit the ChangingDiabetes website or call 1-800-634-8888. Or check out DIVABETIC's sassy and fun site.
Dad blames diabetes after semi-pro football player's death
Filed under: Type 1, Lifestyle, Daily News, Care, Complications
A few days ago, Bev posted a football-related blog. Now here's another. This one, though, is decidedly less uplifting. In fact, it's the kind of story you file under 'What Went Wrong?' Takirra La'Fee "TT" Koonce (28), a promising young semi-pro footballer for the New Bern Grizzlies of North Carolina, died suddenly on the playing field in the middle of a game. His death occurred on the Saturday before last (July 14). Teammates and a medic tried unsuccessfully to revive him until an ambulance arrived. It is not known whether or not a blood sugar test was administered to Koonce, who was diabetic, or whether he was given anything to correct hypoglycemia.Doctors say the cause of Koonce's death probably won't be revealed for four to six months due to a lab backlog. (Outrageous!) However, according to a report in local newspaper, the New Bern Sun Journal, Koonce's dad says his son's diabetes killed him. What's really unusual is that the dad, Cleveland Ballard, is holding the team's managers to blame for the tragedy. Ballard says his son was insulin dependent and was not managing his condition well. "He shouldn't have been running in the heat," said Ballard. "If they did a physical he would not have been there, they would not have let him play."
However, it looks like the Grizzlies are in the clear on this one: an official for the Minor League said Koonce had signed a waiver to play in lieu of taking a physical. Even so, it sure raises an interesting question: if an adult sportsman goes out on the field, does the team management share responsibility if anything happens? Should the managers insist on routine physicals?