We Need Your Vote!
dLife is thrilled to announce that we have been nominated for the “Best Health Website of 2008” People's Voice Webby Award! What's a Webby? Well, they are often referred to as the Oscars of the Internet, so we are honored by the recognition. Unlike the Oscars, however, this award is decided by popular vote from internet users just like you. Now we ask you, the dLife Community, to help us all win. Here's how to cast your vote:
- Visit http://pv.webbyawards.com
- Register to vote (we know it's a pain, but it only takes a minute)
- Once you receive your email registration confirmation, click through on the provided link
- Click on “Website vote now!”
- Go to Living and select Health
- Vote for dLife!
Voting ends April 30, so cast your vote today and ask everyone you know to vote! Thank you for being a part of the dLife Community!
Comments (9) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
New to Type 2
dLife member Ilamamama says: "I was just diagnosed with type 2 in mid-November. I am currently taking 1000 mg of metformin and Byetta, but my numbers are still high (140-180 range). I am scheduled to attend diabetes classes starting January 8 and I'm looking forward to that because I feel completely overwhelmed by the whole thing. I need to lose a lot of weight and also start exercising, but I have no energy or enthusiasm to do so. I'm getting tired of hearing "Can you eat that?" or "What about your sugar?" from people."
Any advice? Chime in at the dLife Community Forum!
RELATED: Beware the Food Police
Comments (1) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Caretakers Take Note
In honor of National Diabetes Month, Abbott Diabetes Care is running a special series of web-based chat sessions with parents of kids with diabetes in mind. Children With Diabetes founder Jeff Hitchcock and Caring for a Child with Diabetes author Brenda Novak are featured guests You can pre-register for these November events over at the Abbott website.
Comments (2) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Ron Santo Walk
Today was the annual Ron Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes in Chicago, and thousands turned out to support the fundraising effort. The walk, which is in its twenty-ninth year, was started by the former Chicago Cubs third baseman to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's search for a cure.
RELATED: Watch Ron Santo on dLifeTV
Comments (2) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Side-by-Side on Diabetes
The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) has entered the blogosphere with their new Side by Side blog.
Written by three seasoned diabetes educators, it's a good place for patients to pick up practical tips and keep up on standards of care.
RELATED: The 7 Self-Care Habits of Good Diabetes Care
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Congrats to Kendall Simmons!
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Steeler's starting right guard Kendall Simmons has been signed for another four years. Diagnosed in 2003 with type 2 diabetes, Simmons has been managing his diabetes successfully both on and off the field.
Our warmest congratulations to Kendall and his family - and good luck in the coming NFL season!
Related: Watch Kendall Simmons on dLifeTV!
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
dLifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Fame, fortune, and diabetes. It's not such an unlikely combination. In a world where image is everything, well-known entertainers are often hesitant to reveal their real lives with diabetes. But things have been changing in the world of movies, TV, and music. Celebrities are talking about their diabetes, screenwriters are working it into movie plots, and even the stunt animals are getting in on the action. Test your knowledge of celebrities and diabetes. We bet you'll learn a thing or two!
Related: dLife Fame Pages
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Noting Errors - Sneak Peak from Blogabetes!
Welcome to the start of a new work week and another preview from the Blogabetes bloggers. This week, blogger Nicole Purcell makes her Blogabetes debut:
Errors: When Things Take An “Accidental” Turn for the WorstAh! It’s a new day and my fasting blood sugar comes in at a sweet 103 mg/dl. “Not too shabby,” I think, maybe feeling a bit arrogant.
I go about the business of the day - exercise, hop in the shower, dry the hair, feed the cat - get in the car for work. Drive 30 of the 45 minutes it takes to get there.
And then I think - caught in a wave of abject panic, “Where is my pump?”
I do the pat down, you know the one. I pat with flat, frantic hands at my bra, my hip, my waistband. And I know then exactly where my pump is. On the shelf in the bathroom, pumping insulin into oblivion instead of into me.
“Man.” I think. I also think. Alright, maybe I say aloud - a number of colorful words not suitable for a family website.
And I head back toward home, calling the office to let them know that I’ve been delayed.
It is, I know, one of those errors I have the potential to make everyday. Thankfully, on most mornings, I am far more cautious about the mental checklist of a type 1, insulin pumping diabetic. Meter - check. Enough strips for the day - check. Glucose tabs for car - check. Syringe and Insulin, just in case - check. Insulin Pump - double check!!
But the fact of the matter is - with so many potential missteps in a day - I make my share. I think we all do.
Have you ever, for example, gotten so into a work project that you test in the morning, have some breakfast, and then realize that suddenly - it’s 3:30 pm? And you wonder how that happened - and you pull our your meter and realize that not testing for 6 hours hasn’t had the effect on blood sugar that your normal, 3-4 tests in that period does.
Or - have you ever been at dinner with friends, enjoying the company, having some wine, grazing in a not-so-everyday kind of way, and at the end of the evening you dread testing your blood sugar because you just KNOW you’ve forgotten to bolus, or miscalculated the many, many carbs you’ve consumed?
How about those lows that make you unfathomably hungry - or that seem resistant to every morsel you put in your mouth? Have you ever just given into one of those - eating 9,000 grams of carbs? OK - so maybe 9,000 grams is a slight exaggeration - but you get the point.
And the highs that seem more stubborn than a two-year old who wants a candy bar at the grocery store - what about those? Have you ever treated one of those repeatedly, ignoring any suggestions your pump might be giving you - disregarding every rule you have about being exact?
These are only a few of the everyday negative possibilities we face. Sure - some of them are within our control - if we think about it logically. But there are times when our brains are so addled with out of range blood sugars that logical thought is beyond our grasp. And there are times that it seems perfectly logical to eat 9,000 grams of carbs or to give 9,000 units of insulin.
I find that for me, it is this potential for everyday errors that really gets the best of me. I feel smallest - most frustrated - most angry about having diabetes - when something negative happens that I know I could have cut off at the pass - if I’d thought more clearly, if I had a better memory, if I had been more conscientious about testing, if I wasn’t so damned hungry or so damned angry about being high.
The best I can do - I guess - the best all of us can do - is to stay as aware as we can about what it takes to control this disease. And to not be so hard on ourselves when one of the million potential errors gets in our way.
Someone please remind me of this post the next time I forget to reconnect pump before I leave for work.
Check back Friday for more from the bloggers! And be on the lookout for the Blogabetes official launch in August!
Comments (3) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Coming Soon ... Blogabetes!
dLife is introducing Blogabetes - a new diabetes blog featuring some of your favorite voices from the diabetes blogosphere and introducing some new voices as well! Blogabetes will highlight "real life" with diabetes. These are people making sense of a "diabetes diet." These are people wearing insulin pumps. These are the parents of children with diabetes. These are people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes telling the true stories of what it's really like to live with diabetes.
Over the next few weeks, as we prepare to launch Blogabetes, we'll be giving dLife Today readers a sneak preview from featured Blogabetes writers. Check out today's post from Michelle Kowalski:
Finding My DemonIt happened when I was giving the baby a bath on Sunday evening. It was the first time in a week. It wasn’t really a light bulb moment, just something that felt familiar. That "Oh yeah, I remember."
My four-year-old wanted to watch me, to “help” with the baby’s bath. Everything she did made me want to scream—moving the step stool closer to the sink, talking jibber jabber to the baby, touching the water to make sure it wasn’t too hot or cold. She wasn’t being annoying, she wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary, she just wanted to be involved. And all I could do was tell her to Stop! Stop! Just Stop It! I was thinking Just Leave Me Alone…I Want To Do This Myself…Alone…Get Away From Me!
And then it hit me—literally like a ton of bricks. At the airport the day before, I bought a smallish bag of M&M’s. Just a handful in the airport and that was it for Saturday. But I had a heavy lunch of Wendy’s that day—and hadn’t taken any insulin to cover it—and then an equally heavy fast food dinner, again with no insulin. Why I didn’t cover with the insulin that I had in my bag I really don’t know. A post for another day, I guess.
So on Sunday, I was recovering from the carb-heavy Saturday and then topped it off with the rest of those M&M’s, which I ate mostly in secret. Not to mention an assortment of white flour carbs in the form of pre-made sandwiches and frozen pizza. (That’s what happens when you’ve been gone for a week. You eat what you can find until you go to the store.) All of which had been essentially cleansed from my system the previous week which I had spent with my family at my parents’ house out of town. I was a good person with diabetes that week. I checked my sugar often, I took insulin to cover too many carbs, I didn’t eat sweets. Well, I ate fewer sweets. Sunday evening, though, I was high. Plain and simple.
Looking back, I felt wonderful that entire week. I didn’t get unnecessarily annoyed. I didn’t snip. I always treated my children and my husband with respect. And it took me a bag of M&Ms and a couple trips to a fast food joint to remember that.
Check in on Mondays and Fridays through August for the latest from the Blogabetes writers!
RELATED: Daily Living at dLife.com
Comments (5) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
In Need of Training
The blogosphere is a-buzz about Roosevelt Sims, the 65-year old man who was thrown off of an Amtrak train outside of Williams, AZ for appearing drunk and disorderly when in fact he was recently diagnosed with diabetes and experiencing a low blood sugar.
Thankfully, Mr. Sims was found safe and sound, but hypoglycemia being mistaken for drunkeness is in the news all-too often lately. Ask Doug Burns. Do you think that employers are providing enough training to their staff? Where is the line drawn between what is "part of the job" and simply "being a compassionate human being?"
What do you think?
RELATED: Diabetes Advocacy
Comments (4) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Team Type WON!
Congratulations to Team Type 1! They are the winners of Race Across America's Corporate Challenge category, crossing the finish line several hours ahead of the closest team/riders.
According to their race blog:
"After grueling rides through 9% inclines in West Virginia and Maryland, TT1 sailed through Pennsylvania to become the 2007 Corporate RAAM champions beating their time from last year. There were a few penalties -- otherwise they would have REALLY beat their time.So many wonderful people helped us do this - the crew, people across America - from a laundermat in Springfield, Mo. who kept their doors open late for us to finish laundry - a restaurant in Union, West Virginia who gave us food and all you bloggers.
The story of eight young men and women with Type 1 diabetes racing 3060 miles across the U.S. touched everyone who heard about it. We will post more pictures and video later -- but now SLEEP."
Find out more at Race Across America.
Comments (1) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Go Team Type 1!
The eight members of Team Type 1 hit the road today for the start of their 3,000+ mile Race Across America (RAAM) journey. Last year, this group of elite cyclists, all living with type 1 diabetes, won their division and raised a significant donation for diabetes research. Find out more about their incredible journey on the Team Type 1 Race Blog.
Comments (1) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Doug Burns: The Kindness of Strangers
If you have diabetes and have an email account, chances are that someone in your network of friends and family has emailed you this story today. Doug Burns, reigning Mr. Universe (amateur division), was arrested and maced in a Redwood City, California movie theater after a low blood sugar episode Sunday evening. Security personnel and police report that Burns attacked an officer while in a state of confusion, while Burns (who has only scattered recollections of his hypoglycemic episode), says that witnesses have painted a different picture. The details are sure to emerge in the coming days.
Here are the facts that both parties seem to agree to: A security guard found Burns inside the theater with a ticket. He was unstable on his feet and unable to answer questions. Assuming he was intoxicated, the guard escorted him outside the theater, asked him to leave, and called police when Burns didn't.
It seems the situation could have easily been defused if security personnel, who deal with the public on a daily basis, were trained to recognize medical emergencies. Certainly someone suffering a heart attack or an asthmatic episode wouldn't have been escorted out of the building. Because the symptoms of a low can render some unable to communicate for themselves, it's even more imperative security personnel are trained to look for medical identification and ask if a person has diabetes.
Our Kerri Morrone perhaps says it best: "We are responsible for ourselves, but this is another example of how ignorance about diabetes can put lives in dangerous situations. Sometimes we need the kindness and help of strangers."
Comments (17) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Padres Pitcher Deals with Diabetes
Add San Diego Padre David "Boomer" Wells to the list of athletes living with diabetes. Wells was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes two weeks ago, and since that time has publicly commited himself to some major dietary changes: "No more starches and sugar. No more rice, pasta, potatoes and white bread. No more fast food."
Kudos to Wells for facing the challenge head on. However, he still has some spring training in front of him in the diabetes education arena. He was quoted in the Union-Tribune as saying that “This is a major lifestyle change. I don't want this going to type 1 diabetes." Type 2 diabetes does not "go to" type 1, of course. We assume Wells is concerned about the prospect of going on insulin to control his diabetes. While insulin can make professional sports a challenge, it is a treatment option that can actually be a huge benefit to people with type 2 diabetes who aren't maintaining good A1cs with diet, exercise, and/or oral meds alone. And many pro athletes with type 2 diabetes continue to excel in their sports after going on insulin.
Comments (1) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Fit For the Road
Truck driving is a tough occupation. Long days behind the wheel with little exercise, poor eating habits from miles of truck stop dining and fast food pit stops, and erratic schedules that limit access to regular health care all contribute to a growing obesity crisis in the industry.
Nancy Younger is one of five overweight truck drivers who are participating in The Fit for the Road program, a yearlong weight-loss and fitness program customized by a dietician and medical doctor and sponsored by Trucker's News Magazine. She was selected from a pool of over 350 applicants for her motivation and commitment level. Nancy also has type 2 diabetes, and is chronicling her weight loss journey across the highways of America in a Fit 4 the Road blog. She reports: "Now, my sugars are down to the low 100's and I have shed 15 pounds since December 1, 2006."
Keep on truckin', Nancy!
RELATED: Weight Management
Comments (2) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Be a Part of dLifeTV
dLifeTV is looking for people with diabetes to participate in a few “Roundtable Discussions” that will be taped for television. We’re looking for people over the age of 18 who are living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Age, gender, race, profession, and marital status do not matter although, ideally, we’re looking for a diverse group of people.
What does matter is that you’ve been living with diabetes for at least three years and are eager to share your stories about the ongoing struggle of living with diabetes. We want people who have discovered habits, routines, support systems, and other treatment tips that they would like to share with the nation’s diabetes community.
dLife is also searching for some “type 3” people—spouses, life partners, significant others, parents, or children of people who live with diabetes. In other words, people who do not have diabetes themselves but who play a significant role in keeping loved ones healthy.
East Coasters preferred, as participants will be required to spend a day in Westport, Connecticut during the last week of March 2007. Diabetes-friendly food will be provided.
Comments (13) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
dLife Talks to Nancy Pelosi About Stem Cell Debate
dLifeTV recently sat down for a one-on-one interview with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to discuss the controversial issue of embryonic stem cell research and what pending legislation means for people with diabetes and other chronic diseases everywhere. Don't miss this exclusive interview at dLife.com.
Comments (8) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
The Big Stories of 2006
With 2006 drawing quickly to a close and a year’s worth of diabetes news behind us, dLife asks, “What was the Biggest dStory of 2006?” Was it inhaled insulin? How about islet cell research? Or was it something from a local JDRF or ADA chapter? dLife’s own Viewpoints columnists, real people living with diabetes every day, share their opinions on what they thought was the Biggest dStory of 2006. See if you agree, and let's hear from you about your memorable moments of 2006.
Comments (1) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Ready, Set, Shop!
Pack up the turkey leftovers and put on your shopping shoes - today is Black Friday, traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Whether you're giving or getting, dLife has dozens of creative holiday gift ideas to nurture physical, mental, and spiritual diabetes health.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Giving Thanks
All of us here at dLife would like to wish our viewers, members, and site visitors a very happy Thanksgiving. We're thankful for everything you do to make dLife what it is today. Enjoy your day with family, friends, and loved ones.
RELATED: Thanksgiving Resources
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Very Superstitious?
Very superstitious? Do you consider it an omen if you get three bad test strips in a row, or do you have…::shudder::… a lucky lancet? If, as the song says, “you believe in things that you don’t understand” when it comes to your diabetes, we want to here about them this Friday the 13th. Comment below!
RELATED: Diabetes Myths, Misperceptions, and Big Fat Lies
Comments (14) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Lilly for Life
Eli Lilly has announced the 2006 recipients of the company's annual LillyforLife Achievement Awards, which "honor the inspiring achievements of people who make lasting personal or professional contributions to the diabetes community." You may recall that dLifeTV won in the journalism category last year. This year, dLife columnist and blogger Amy Tenderich won journalism accolades for her work at diabetesmine.com.
The official press release from Eli Lilly:
Lilly Announces LillyforLife™ Achievement Award Winners
Program Honors Outstanding Personal and Professional Achievements in Diabetes
INDIANAPOLIS – Building on its longtime leadership and commitment to improving diabetes care, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) today announced five winners of the 2006 LillyforLife™ Achievement Awards. The winners include a teenage singer and actress with diabetes; a recently retired rehabilitation counselor who, though blinded by the disease, assists others with disabilities; an internationally recognized pioneer of pediatric diabetology; a devoted mother of a woman with type 1 diabetes; and a journalist with diabetes who started a successful web log (blog).
The LillyforLife Achievement Awards honor the inspiring achievements of people who make lasting personal or professional contributions to the diabetes community. Nominees were judged by a panel of diabetes care advocates in five categories: Young Champion with diabetes (age 17 and under); Adult Achiever with diabetes (age 18 and over); Professional Hero (health professional, educator, advocate); Friendly Face (caregiver, spouse, partner, friend); and Journalism.
Each winner receives a $1,500 cash prize (or an equivalent donation made in their name to the charity of their choice; the prize for the professional category is automatically donated) and an etched trophy. The winners were recognized at an awards banquet on Sept. 6 in Indianapolis.
The 2006 LillyforLife Achievement Award recipients:
In addition, Lilly also presented two special awards at this year’s recognition banquet:
“The LillyforLife Achievement Awards demonstrate Lilly’s long-standing commitment to the improvement of diabetes care and education, and provide an opportunity to recognize the good work of people in individual communities,” said Ron Hoven, Insulins Brand Director, Eli Lilly and Company. “Diabetes can be a difficult disease to manage, but with proper blood sugar control, people with diabetes can succeed and live full, active lives. The stories of these winners should serve as inspiration to us all as we strive to improve the care of people with diabetes.”
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Looking For Help
From the dLife Forum:
- Jeepslayer says: "Hello everyone. I have been diagnosed with type 2 since...1998. I am currently on Lantus and Humalog. I also am being treated for high blood pressure and take cholestorol medicine. I am currently having difficulty with leg and foot swelling. Is anyone out there having those problems?? I know I have neoropathy in these areas, and sometimes it is so severe I miss work."
Have any tips or advice? Stop by the dLife forum and weigh in!
Comments (5) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Terms of Endearment
From acanthosis nigricans to wound care, diabetes has its own special lexicon. And like any language worth its salt, diabetes has also spawned many slang terms. dLife's Kerri Morrone talks about dotties and bouncing and nabs (oh my!).
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Diabetes Dad
Parents of children with diabetes have a particularly tough job of balancing their need to help their children with their desire to foster independence and self-reliance. Tom Karlya is dLife's newest voice from the diabetes community. He shares his views as a father as well as a diabetes advocate.
Comments (1) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
By Request
From dLife Community member JasonJayhawk, in response to the most recent episode of dLifeTV:
"My wife and I were rolling on the couch in laughter during the interview sequence with random people on the street. The man's response to the question about intimacy problems was something I would have expected to see on Dr. Drew's shows, but on dLife, it just had us laughing! I think that clip should make it to YOUTUBE!"
Well, your wish is our command, Jason. Check out the never-before-broadcast, uncut version of this segment here. And make sure you stick around for the guy at the end - he's priceless.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Jockeying for Control
Nikita Beriman is a rising star on the Australian horse racing circuit. As one of the country's leading apprentice jockeys, she has a total of 57 wins under her belt already this season. Nikita has dreamed of becoming a jockey since she was growing up as a young girl on a Victoria stud farm. Almost as long as she's lived with her type 1 diabetes.
But like many other 20-year-old girls, and almost every jockey, Nikita worries about her weight. Because excess weight can slow down a horse, racing commissions around the world have strict guidelines on what a jockey can weigh. Being even a half kilogram above the weight range can lead to fines and potentially suspension. Add diabetes to the mix and you see the overwhelming pressure this young female jockey faces.
On Sunday, Nikita was charged with her tenth weight offense in twelve months. She was 1.5 kg (or just over three pounds) above her registered weight. According to Australian news outlet The Age, Beriman "explained to stewards that her diet proved to be unreliable as her sugar levels appeared to rise, even though she had very little to eat. "I was 52½ on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and I've only had a sandwich before the races today, and I'm a kilo-and-a-half over that. It's so hard to regulate.""
Racing stewards were lenient with Beriman, bypassing a suspension with a $500 fine and a directive to work with a sports nutritionist. But she won't be allowed to return to racing until she has medical certification to prove her weight is back on track.
Not a New Problem
The pressure to drop pounds for racing has led to starvation diets, laxatives, sweat boxes, purging, and other dangerous practices by jockeys. Eating disorders are rampant. The subject of jockey weight has long been controversial in the racing world; the guidelines are controlled on a state-to-state basis and in recent years there has been legislation proposed to relax long-held standards. In 2005, the California Horse Racing Board approved a proposal to up the weight scales for jockeys and establish a minimum body fat content of 5% for men and 10% for women in an effort "to promote better health and to help prevent the cycle of self-abuse caused by jockeys engaging in unsafe weight-reduction practices." Traditionally, such efforts have met with resistance from horse and track owners, who see any move that may slow a racehorse as a potential financial hit to horseracing as a whole.
Interesting Horsey Fact Of The Day
George Woolf, the renown jockey who rode Seabiscuit to fame in the late 1930s, had type 1 diabetes - a fact he kept hidden from all but his closest friends in the competitive world of horse racing. Those that knew him reported Woolf would frequently and suddenly nod off to sleep, a sign of chronic high blood sugars. It's likely that Woolf was persistently running high -- insulin was new and dosing adjustments and testing were in their infancy at that time. But given what we know about the life of a jockey and Woolf's own public struggles with weight, it's also quite possible that he had discovered the weight loss potential of running chronically high blood sugars by cutting back on insulin - a phenomenon known as "diabulimia" today.
RELATED: Diabetes and Eating Disorders
Comments (1) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Listen Up
Give us fifteen minutes and we'll give you information, inspiration, and connection all wrapped up into one entertaining package. Download a dLife Podcast today and hear up close and personal interviews with leading diabetes experts, newsmakers, and celebrities. These 15-minute gems are updated regularly, and you can even subscribe to our podcast feed to get all the latest delivered directly to you.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Shark Tales
Gary Hall, Jr., and his sister Bebe put their swimming skills to the test last week when the two encountered a black tip reef shark while spearfishing in the Florida Keys. Nineteen stitches later, Bebe recounts the tale at Gary's Race Club site. The ten-time Olympic medalist will be featured on this week's episode of dLifeTV (Sunday, July 30, 7PM ET/4PM PT).
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Wish You Were Here
The Associated Press reports that Syd Barrett, co-founder and one-time front-man of seminal rock band Pink Floyd, has passed away at the age of 60, presumably due to diabetes-related complications. Plagued by mental illness most of his adult life, Barrett left the band in 1968 after exhibiting increasingly erratic behavior on tour. However, he continued to work sporadically on his own solo projects with various members of the band, and they remained emotionally close to Barrett. The 1975 Pink Floyd hit single, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," was written about Syd.
Not much is known about Barrett or his diabetes in later years. He has been out of the public eye for over three decades, giving his last interview from his Cambridge home in 1971. He will be missed.
MORE: From MTV News
RELATED: Musicians with Diabetes
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Diabetes MVP
Congratulations to Adam Morrison, the third overall first round NBA draft pick, who is headed to North Carolina as the newest member of the Charlotte Bobcats. For his open and honest approach to diabetes management, Adam has also earned a place on the dLife Annual Top 10 List - check out the video news release here.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Doggone Amazing
The Associated Press reports that an unassuming beagle named Belle has been honored for saving the life of her owner. Kevin Weaver, who has type 1 diabetes, collapsed and went into a seizure as a result of a low blood sugar. Belle retrieved Kevin's cell phone and dialed 9-1-1 with her teeth. Both beagle and human are now doing fine.
Trained service dogs that alert their owners to hypoglycemia are actually not that rare (although canine cell phone dialing is a singularly unique skill). In 2005, dLifeTV featured a segment on Heaven Scent Paws, a facility dedicated to training diabetes service dogs. While on the set, Delta, a German Shepherd, sensed a low blood sugar in her human companion and immediately alerted both parent and child while the cameras rolled. Truly amazing to watch.
Comments (1) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
And The Winners Are...
Who were the top ten movers and shakers in the diabetes community for 2005? dLife proudly announces The Annual dLife Top Ten. Over 20,000 voted. Find out who you selected.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Podcasting Live from Everest
dLife contributor Janis Roszler had the unique opportunity to talk to a victorious Will Cross last week after he summitted Mount Everest. Find out why the third time is the charm and hear Will talk about the challenges Everest posed to his diabetes in this exclusive podcast interview directly from base camp.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Will Cross Reaches the Top
Adventurer Will Cross has finally summitted Mount Everest, becoming the first person with diabetes to achieve this remarkable feat. From the newswire....
KATMANDU, Nepal, May 23, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- Will Cross today became the first American with diabetes to summit Mount Everest, the highest point on earth on which a human can walk without supplemental oxygen.(i) With this achievement, Cross, a 39-year-old father of six from Pittsburgh sponsored by NovoLog(R) (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection), became the first American -- and the first in the world with diabetes -- to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents and trek to the North and South Poles, a multi-year odyssey known as the NovoLog(R) Peaks and Poles Challenge. He reached the summit at approximately 5:10 a.m. local time.
Cross has type 1 diabetes. This is his third attempt to reach the top of Everest.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
You Had a Bad Day...
Farewell to Elliott Yarmin, our last Diabetes American Idol. Elliott was voted off Wednesday night as the field narrowed to just two finalists. Twenty-seven-year-old Elliott, who hails from Richmond, Virginia, follows Kevin Covais (voted off 3/22) as the second top 12 Idol finalist with type 1 diabetes. Kudos to Elliott for a job well done!
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Typecasting
In part two of their latest series on diabetes, The New York Times delves into differences -- and divides -- between the type 1 and type 2 diabetes communities. Not much new in that those with type 1 are still frustrated that their disease is often confused or lumped in with type 2 diabetes and that the public comprehends little about it, an understandable reaction.
The NYT also touches on a less-talked-about phenomenon that those with type 2 diabetes face, the public perception that "they inflict the problem on themselves." This stigma is one that has grown over the years in direct proportion to media attention on the American obesity crisis. One parent quoted in the piece laments that she would be thrilled if "all my kid had to do was eat healthy, lose weight and exercise....I don't want to seem resentful, but for us, there's no choice."
Yes, over 80% of the type 2 population is overweight. But what is often forgotten is that type 2 diabetes has a very strong genetic component to it - much stronger, in fact, then type 1. We know that weight distribution (i.e., apple shape) is a factor in type 2 diabetes, and is also genetically determined. While no one denies that regular exercise and a healthy diet can help delay or possibly even prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in those at risk, the idea of "diabetes by choice" is a myth. No one wants this disease. Let's use our common voices, time, and resources where everyone with (type 1 and type 2) diabetes does have a choice -- in making smart decisions about controlling diabetes and preventing complications.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Your Vote Counts
Have you cast your vote for the dLife Annual Top 10 yet? The awards recognize those individuals or organizations that inspire, motivate, and improve the lives of men, women, and children living with diabetes. The editorial board of dLife has nominated 24 visionaries who, throughout 2005, made a difference in the lives of people with diabetes. Vote for your Top 10 today!
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Of Mice and Men
Dr. Denise Faustman raised eyebrows in 2003 when she announced curing type 1 diabetes in mice by short-circuiting the autoimmune attack responsible for wiping out insulin-producing beta cells. And when major cure-focused non-profits eschewed her research in favor of funding more "promising" techniques like islet cell transplant, philanthropist Lee Iacocca stepped up to the plate and began a nationwide campaign to further Faustman's work.
But now the non-profits and the NIH may just sit up and take notice. In the current issue of Science, not just one but three separate studies confirm that Faustman's technique works - at least in mice. It's important to remember that it's a big leap from animal studies to human success, and the new research did not confirm that new beta cell growth came from spleen cells, as Faustman had previously hypothesized. Still, the new studies boost her case for a potential type 1 diabetes cure without the need for transplant.
Meanwhile, Faustman and colleague Dr. David Nathan continue their work at Massachusetts General Hospital, with a phase I human clinical trial planned for 2007. Now that the story is making headline news across the country, it will be interesting to see where the money goes in the ongoing search for a cure.
Comments (1) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Diabetes Idol
So what are the odds that not one, but two American Idol finalists would have type 1 diabetes? Richmond, Virginia's Elliot Yarmin wears an insulin pump, according to his official "Idol" bio page. And Kevin Covais (a.k.a. Chicken Little), cites diabetes as the toughest obstacle he's had to face in his young life. Both Elliot and Kevin made the cut last night as Idol whittled down its contestants to the final eleven.
RELATED: Celebrities with Diabetes
Comments (2) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Real People Real Stories
Do you ever wonder where we get the ideas and the people behind the stories you see on dLifeTV? A vast majority of our programming starts with an email or a phone call from people just like you.
dLife is starting production on our next season, and we're looking for people with diabetes and those that care for them to share their unique perspectives. Read our call for submissions and tell us your story today!
Comments (2) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Kris Freeman dLife Exclusive
dLife correspondent Janis Roszler recently had a chance to speak with U.S. Olympic cross-country skier Chris Freeman live in Torino. Hear the podcast and see streaming video of Chris now.
Comments (1) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Super Bowl Bound
Congrats to Pittsburgh Steeler Kendall Simmons, who helped the Steelers tie up the AFC championship, and then shared his dLife with you on an all-star athletes episode of dLifeTV Sunday night. We're rooting for you, Kendall!
RELATED: Listen to Kendall Simmons at dLife Backstage Podcasts
Comments (1) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Congratulations Nicole!!
dLife welcomes little Ava Baker to the family. From dLifeTV's Nicole Johnson Baker: "Ava was born on 1/7/06 at 6:29am after 30 hours of labor! She was 8 lb 4oz and 20.25 inches long! We are doing great - just got home and now are learning what to do with each other."
Comments (6) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Fear Nothing
Rocker Bret Michaels has announced that he'll be taking part in a diabetes awareness TV campaign in 2006. As part of that effort, he'll be selling a "Fear Nothing" t-shirt featuring his likeness and the number of injections he's taken since his diagnosis of type 1 diabetes at age 6. A portion of proceeds go to send kids to diabetes camp. The former Poison frontman can be seen in an upcoming episode of dLifeTV talking about his diagnosis and life on the road with diabetes.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Diabetes Anniversaries
How do you observe your "diabetes anniversary," or the day you were diagnosed, each year? dLife's Jim Turner shares his ritual with you.
Comments (2) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
dLife's Urban Angel
dLifeTV's Mother Love recently received the 2005 Urban Angel Award, awarded to those who "highlight excellence in community service and philanthropic leadership" by Urban Leadership International. Pictured is ULI Founder and President Kim Anthony and our very own Mother Love. Kudos ML!
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Now Showing
dLife Today is coming at you live from our Chelsea studio in New York City, where record executive and entrepreneur Damon (or Dame) Dash was on the set, recounting his diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and his management strategies (he's probably the only hip-hop impressario who has a member of his entourage devoted to carb counting).
dLifeTV host Nicole Johnson Baker also revealed some very exciting news to our studio audience...but we're not going to spoil it for you (you'll just have to watch when new episodes begin airing on September 19th).
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
The Power of Luther
Legendary R&B superstar Luther Vandross passed away Friday at the age of 54. Vandross, who had struggled with weight problems and diabetes for many years, suffered a stroke in 2003 that he never fully recovered from. The acclaimed songwriter and vocalist sold more than 20 million albums and won ten Grammys throughout his career.
Vandross had a strong history of diabetes in his family - the singer's father and several siblings have passed away from diabetes-related complications. His mother Mary Vandross has been a vocal proponent of diabetes awareness and screening. In 2003 she told the Associated Press that "As long as he kept his weight down and did the exercising, he did just fine...The moment he put the weight back on, that's when all the trouble began." Diabetes and weight management are a daily struggle for millions of Americans, and Luther's professional achievements in spite of his health issues were inspiring to many. The dLife Community sends its heartfelt condolences to the Vandross family.
More Luther Coverage:
New York Times - "Luther Vandross, R&B Crooner, Is Dead at 54"
CNN - Luther Vandross Obit
Reuters - "Soul Singer Luther Vandross Dead at 54"
BBC News - Submit Your Tributes to Luther
From dLife:
Preventing Complications
Type 2 Diabetes Prevention
Famous Musicians with Diabetes
Diabetes and Stroke
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
The Divabetic Sings
Patti Labelle, self-proclaimed "Divabetic," will be performing live this Friday at Bryant Park in New York City as a free concert event for Good Morning America. dLife and our good friends at Divabetic online urge you to join us and show your support for Patti and the diabetes community.
dLife and Divabetic supporters will meet at the right side of stage at 5:30 AM. Look for the bright pink Divabetic shirts. The show starts at 7AM, and dLife will have free t-shirts and buttons for the asking. Bring your own signs in support of Patti, dLife, and the diabetes cause!
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Soldier Story
Several members of the dLife team had the opportunity to meet Staff Sargeant Mark Thompson yesterday when he stopped by the dLife booth at the 65th Annual ADA Sessions. Thompson, who lives with type 1 diabetes and wears an insulin pump, did a tour of duty in Iraq recently - facing some tough obstacles to his diabetes care and still maintaining an A1c of 6.5 percent. He also holds the unique distinction of being the inspiration behind the Staff Sargeant Mark Thompson teddy bear, complete with insulin pump and desert fatigues.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
At the ADA
dLife is in San Diego today at the 65th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association. If you're at the show, stop by and see us. dLifeTV's Mother Love, Nicole Johnson Baker, and Jim Turner will be joining us at booth 825 throughout the day (starting at 12:00 PM PT). We're seeing a lot of familiar faces around the hall, including Amy Tenderich of Diabetes Mine and Scott King from Diabetes Health.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us
Air Show
Michael Hunter holds the distinction of being the first American with type 1 diabetes to receive a low-altitude aerobatic air show license from the Federal Aviation Administration. If you're in southern Wisconsin this weekend, catch Michael's air show. His organization, Flight for Diabetes, also gives motivational presentations for children with diabetes.
Comments (0) | Digg This! | Send to Newsvine | Add to del.icio.us