January 29, 2008

JDRF and University of Colorado Denver

JDRF to establish an autoimmunity center at University of Colorado Denver

AURORA, Colo. (Jan. 28, 2008) –Researchers at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes at the University of Colorado Denver have new resources in their fight against type 1 diabetes: The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has approved funding for the establishment of a JDRF Autoimmunity Center at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, only the seventh in the nation. The Autoimmunity Center will receive approximately $1 million a year over the next five years to further fund research leading to a cure for type 1 diabetes.


Full Press Release

From The News Wire: Why JDRF IDDP is a Great Idea

Regular YDMV readers know my interest in JDRF’s IDDP investments. There is an interesting article in Forbes that makes it clear why this is a great program. The article is on it face about the anti-CD3 antibody. It may delay the onset of type 1. Even if it isn’t mentioned by name it clear this is a story all about the investment everyone of us who walks for JDRF makes in the program. We can be proud.

It is a very good article on an interesting path of scientific study. One line from the article makes the need for JDRF’s participation so very clear, “But big drug companies were wary. They didn't see money in drugs that would be taken for only a few days…” A short time drug is tough to build a market for, in this case the delay of full onset, but in the bigger picture the same is true for a cure.

I want to be clear anti CD3 isn’t a cure or the promise of a magic bullet. I think that is still a good thing, incremental progress is still progress and magic bullets are more common in fairy tails than real life. A diversified approach to treatments and hopefully cures seems more likely to find success in a YDMV world.

A number of the companies mentioned in the articles are in IDDP agreements with JDRF including: Biogen, Osiris, Tolerx, MarcoGenics and Genentech.




January 27, 2008

I Still Don't Know...

...why people with diabetes tolerate Richard Kahn being at ADA.

If you don't know Dick here is a little rant about him from last November.

Well it gets worse, I mean another high payed guy shooting his mouth off isn't normally much of a problem if nobody pays attention to him. Unfortunately it seems that the insurance industry is now paying attention saying "... the specialty societies (ADA) have not yet determined the role in improving diabetes outcomes..." as a reason to turn down, FDA approved CGMs, prescribed by pediatric endocrinologists.

So ADA's determination trumps a child's specialist and FDA approval. Yippee Ki Yeah

January 23, 2008

News from Down Under: Surgery and Depression

Diabetes Study Favors Surgery

The New York Time, AP, LA Times, and according to Google 453 other news outlets, report news out of Melbourne, Australia:

Weight-loss surgery works much better than standard medical therapy as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes in obese people, the first study to compare the two approaches has found.


I read few of the 456 articles. They made the distinction between T2 and T1. Whisper down the lane being what it is, I expect type 1 families will be hearing that, in addition to cinnamon, we need to get our kids stomachs banded.

Yet another reason to find another name than diabetes, for type 1.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/health/research/23diabetes.html?hp


T1 Blues

If that doesn't get you down this may, far fewer stories were published about a study out of Fremantle Australia calling for more psychological support for young adults with Type 1 diabetes as new research shows that a third report symptoms of depression.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/94699.php


Lots diabetes news that T1 families will end up being defensive about and a little bit about something we need to really be attentive to.

January 22, 2008

Dr Freud - Endocrinologist and Teen Motivator

Getting type 1 teens to take care of their diabetes is a challenge. That teens see themselves as immortal isn't much of a new flash. They rebel against their parents. That they rebel against their diabetes care can be a side effect of that natural process of separation.

My friend Barry over at the Children With Diabetes forums wrote humorously about a technique he used. He brilliantly create something useful from all the "little blue pill" commercials on TV. There are long term consequences of diabetes that strike immediate fear into the hearts of even the immortal teen gods of Olympus, like needing ED pills. So Barry brought that up. Everyone has seen the commercials, teens included. He theroy was teen may not be afraid of death but needing ED pills! That is a consequence to avoid.

This is the kind of conversation about diabetes that makes forums like Children With Diabetes' so valuable and at the same time entertaining. Why not surf over and join in?

Jim Vail of the pump maker Animas Corporation gave a talk with a similarly inspiration to the teen boys at the Children With Diabetes - Friends For Live convention last July. It took a day or two to get out of my son why he had a sudden appreciation of blood swings as being as important as A1C.

It was Jim's genius and it was hysterical.

Even kids who are proud of good averages (a1c) often miss the point that wide variations in blood sugar, even with a good A1C, can have negative long term effects. Hell just saying something as dull as "negative long term effect" is enough to make their eyes glaze over. So Jim doesn't say that. He asks what is an average human being? Well since half of the human race is male and half female Jim suggests "that average is an even mix 50/50 mix of gender specific parts, one of these, one of those.... say one breast one testicle."

Simply "average" suddenly seemed significantly less important to my teen who now was preaching the idea that minimizing variance was key. Jim got through where we had failed.
Jim and his compatriots from Animas are a big part of why this convention is so successful. I recommend the convention to all T1 parents.

So here's to Barry and Jim - guys who can still think like teens, brilliantly harnessing the the raging hormones in the quest form better blood sugar control.

Longer Honeymoon

Off the newswires, Diamyd phase II test show it helps maintain beta cell production longer.

Diamyd Medical: Diamyd Announces Completion of Type 1 Diabetes Vaccine Trial with Long Term Efficacy Demonstrated at 30 Months

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080120005105&newsLang=en

January 21, 2008

A Little (More) Help From Your Friends

We’re Disney World freaks.

One trip about a year after Connor’s diagnosis, Mrs. YDMV organized a private desert party to watch the Epcot fireworks. A bunch of our Disney internet geek friend joined in. A good time was had by all with private unrestricted, no skin to skin contact with the masses, sitting at tables with linens, view of the show.

We got to met face to face our pal with the shooters for the first time. He was wearing a pump and kindly took Connor under his wing and showed him the ins and outs of pumping. It being an ice cream party and Connor being in the 5th grade at the time, the pump seemed like magic.

Load on the toppings.
Dial in the bolus.
Eat as much as you want.

Connor was sold.

So began our process of transitioning to a pump. Learning to pump is hard work. Our deal with Connor was he had to pass Children’s Hospital’s pump written test himself. The test is designed for care givers and we figured he was gonna be his care giver most of the time. They will not write the prescription without someone passing the test. I did the driving and took the test too for good measure but we handed in his for grading.

Connor was motivated to eat free of injected insulin schedules. A big part of that motivation came from talking with a diabetic mentor, someone who showed the way. Someone, other than Mom or Dad, who encouraged, counseled and shared enthusiasm for him to take care of himself.

We are very grateful for that. Our way of saying thanks now is to try to pay it down the line and help others. That why we are on web board, that’s why we blog.


With friends like us – our way of saying thanks that night was to join a lout party in the hotel suite directly below our friend the pump teacher and squirter maker’s. We help keep his family awake. Not that we are all bad. We did take it in off the balcony and quieted down a little when he came out on his porch and complained.

I'm no fool - Realistically in the used syringe arms escalation wars, how far is it to develop poisoned darts from squirters? – all you need are some tail fins and a little balancing!

January 17, 2008

A Little Help From Your Friends

Just after our first diagnosis we got a great email from friend we didn't know was type 1. We were in that wildly fluctuating state of shock, denial, confusion and determination that all parents new to Type 1 experience. This friend knew that we needed some reassurance and chose humor as the way to do that. He used a brilliant strategy of injecting laughs into a time when we had precious few of them. I have shamelessly try to follow his lead since.

This is roughly the story he told.

Like any type 1 kid he did fair number shots. Being a typical boy he was curious and playful with the things in his environment.

Much to his delight he found that if he used toe nail clipper to cut the needle off the syringe it made a particularly effective covert tool to squirt water on classmates.

Now I think I made it clear by the use of the pronoun ‘he’ that this individual is male. So it should come as no shock to anybody with experience at being male that this is just one of those things that we males are genetically incapable of not taking to ludicrous extremes.

Being a male in good standing and with the particular lack of forethought that adolescences ads to the mix he achieved the kind of extremes that guys love to talk about over beers for years to come.

With a little R&T tinkering he found that if he used the toe nail clippers as small pliers he could bend a small angle on the needle to allow for even more concealed around the corner squirting.

These concealed weapons achieved great success. In an entrepreneurial society, like ours, such success is rewarded in the marketplace.

Consider the business model, the cost of good sold is negligible with insurance covering the purchase of syringes. The supply is plentiful with multiple daily injections. Only minor skilled labor was required in the transformation the medical device into the covert squirted. It is practically pure profit. Who can blame the young man for capitalizing on such an opportunity?

Initial sales were outstanding even at the low, low price of twenty five cents a squirter. Sadly anti free market regulators took notice when modified used syringes started showing up all over the school.

His unique access to the building blocks of the product brought administrative queries his way. At this point our success story comes to a crashing end. The budding business is shut down by do gooder regulators in the form of the school principal who for some odd reason objected to syringes all over his school. Our budding young businessman was sentenced to served time in detention.

There are a few morals to our story. First, obvious to all us right wing reactionaries, is that big government interference ruins the business economy. Next probably is that sharps really do need to be carefully handled. Most important for me however is that we need to laugh at diabetes like everything else.

When you're down, it is great to have a friend remind you that serious and solemn are different things.

Novo Halts Inhaled Insulin, Citing Lack of Benefit

Jan. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Novo Nordisk A/S discontinued its experimental AERx inhaler and took a charge of 1.3 billion Danish kroner ($260 million) in 2007, saying the product offered little clinical benefit.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=azV7Nv7fLQNg&refer=home

January 16, 2008

Off the New Wires

Here's a few news releases I thought were interesting:

'I'm a Happier Person Than I Was Before'
Actress Elizabeth Perkins of Showtime's 'Weeds' Shares Her Story of Diagnosis, Treatment, and Coping With Type 1 Diabetes in Hollywood

See:
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/im-a-happier-person-than-i-was-before-actress-elizabeth,256759.shtml

I think everyone with a T1 family member understands, “I felt completely overwhelmed that first year…” I also think this is brilliant and I need to learn a similar lesson about rest, “"I really learned to listen to my body and to know what I needed. And there are times I need to rest, and before I never allowed myself to do that."


Babies needed for diabetes study
Children's Hospital of Orange County is seeking infants and pregnant women to participate in a diabetes study.

To be eligible, the baby must have a parent or sibling with Type 1 diabetes.

CHOC is one of nine hospitals in the country participating in the study to examine whether omega-3 fatty acid naturally found in some foods can prevent Type 1 diabetes. The screening involves a blood test.

Pregnant women in their third trimester and infants up to five months old are needed. For more information, call 714-532-8613.

http://www.ocregister.com/life/diabetes-women-pregnant-1959955-type-infants

January 14, 2008

Your Google May Vary

One of the fun things about having a web site is seeing where the traffic comes from. I see a few regulars here, I get used to seeing your ISP showing up (you know who you are and I know your at work). I kinda wonder who you regulars are what is it that keeps you coming back, but your here and that's cool. I write to see what will come out, I usually don't know what to expect when I start. I figure you feel the same way. I find it amusing and flattering that you enjoy it enough to come back.

The most fun is seeing the Google searches that end up here. I thought some of you regulars might enjoy some Google searches that have landed folks here ay YDMV in the last few days, so here we go the searches are bold, my two cents follows:

diabetes newbie
Hi, Welcome! Being a newbie to diabetes is tough. I hope you get that you should laugh and I hope the site helps you do that. I know it hard to laugh as a newbie. No you're not going to end up as goofy as I am, I was silly before my kids were diagnosed.

I'm a type 1 diabetic have a hypo every week
Congratulations. A few lows a week means you are aggressively trying to be in range. As long as you can feel the lows, and you are not going real low, you are just fine. If you don't see any lows in a week my bet is your average is too high. That said - YDMV.
Talk to your doctor for real medical advice. Don't trust your health to web pages, particularly mine. I'm a nut case.


Sea World San Antonio employees write a blog
Oh crap, Sea World is tracking me down! I hope it isn't about the letter I sent to Mr. Bud.

Hey Brensdad - love ya man, and your dad too. Here's to both of you and to your health! Cheers.
(I'm toasting with a nice Victory Hop Devil)

Diabetes and the Arabic culture
Dude you are way lost. I barely understand American Culture.

I have a lot of respect for everyone who is working to manage diabetes. I was particularly impressed with the folks who came over from UAE to attend Children With Diabetes, Friends For Life. They came to Florida, out of their care for diabetes management, where they ran smack into a bunch of goofy Americans like me. Talk about a shock.

I found they were wonderful, dedicated, caring people. I hope they found the same about us. Maybe it isn't such a culture shock after all.

What was that song I heard in Orlando? Oh yeah "Its a Small World After All. It a Small World After All It a Small Small World...." (Try getting that song out of your head for the next few days! LOL)

kissing + diabetics
Now it is getting interesting!

This leads to my all time favorite, very specific and not from the same IP address or even same hemisphere as that last one but maybe we need to get you kids together:

if you kiss a guy that has diabetes can you get diabetes
No

Have fun.
(Let's just keep it at kissing for now shall we?)

Update: So much for kissing, check out DiabetesMine.

January 10, 2008

Newbie Advice II: Pain in the Alliteration

All those years ago when we had our first diagnosis I remember thinking, (well OK I said it right out loud) “Did they intentionally make these words up to be confusing?”

The answer is YES. (Well it is my answer anyway.)

So my newbie friends, I thought a little vocabulary rant would help. There a books full of confusing diabetes terms. I’ll just mock, errr... elaborate on a few:
Hypoglycemic and Hyperglycemic. I don’t know about the rest of the world but speaking from my personal experience I was way too much in a daze of sleep deprivation, caffeine and commuting back and forth to Children’s Hospital to have brain capacity or attention span to make out anything other than Hypblurglycimic when ever I heard or read theses words. They were indistinguishable and interchangeable as far as I could tell. Both meant bad. I could get high and low but not from these words.

Yeah I get the whole Hypo = Low. I also get sleep deprived and over caffeinated = hyped up. Using what little functional brain power I had to parse out the o or er mid word was asking too much. It took 10 to 15 months to have those words mean anything to me without a dictionary.

In point of fact I didn’t master them until I needed to be able to reliably confuse people who were being a pain in the butt by spitting them out real fast. I knew just exactly how mind warping that could be.
Speaking of mind warp, I think the folks who named insulin must have been up watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show and sampling the pharmaceutical company’s rejects all night. Humalog, Humulin, Novalog it’s inhumane. Seriously, there you are trying like hell to sort this stuff out and not make a mistake. Not only because you are holding a needle to your kid with their life on the line but you don’t want to sound like a moron while you’re at it. 

No such luck the good folks at Big Pharmamarketing bought into the whole Transylvania Transsexual alliteration too much. Who cares if patients can figure out which is which, they are laughing their butt off.

Just in case you crack the insulin code they use the same tactic on what the insulins are used for; Bolus / Basal. I kept wondering why I needed a bowl of basal, was pesto meant to be a big part of the new healthy eating program? Nope Basal and Bolus are just part of the babble. Like the hypo / er, I didn’t master them until I found they were effective offensive verbal weapons when use rapidly against the food police and other such pains in the derrière.

So yes they intentionally make these words up to be confusing, learn them use them, they will empower you. They are the first lines of defense in the war against the food police and practitioners of 504 obfuscation.


Click here for the YDMV Newbie Post Index.

DexCom(TM) Announces Joint Development Agreement with Animas

So Here is the answer to my question about where is Animas

Partnership Will Focus on Developing a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System
to Work with Animas(R) Insulin Pumps

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DexCom, Inc. (NASDAQ: DXCM - News), a leading provider of
continuous glucose monitoring systems for people with diabetes, today announced
that it has entered into a joint development agreement with Animas Corporation
to integrate DexCom’s continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology into
Animas® insulin pumps.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080110/20080110005232.html?.v=1

January 9, 2008

30 Degrees is Heating Up

Unomedical is coming to market with an all in one 30 degree set and inserter. For folks trying to get a set into a skinny as a rail kids this may help. The set and inseter come in a single unit like Unomedical 90 degree Inset set.

We are big fans of the Inset all in one sets. Our kids are so skinny there isn't a lot of real estate to shoot a set into that has enough fat. (They didn't inherit this condition from me, I have acres of prime plumpage.) The angle may provide more set location opportunities for them or maybe a set will last a little longer.

For more information see the manufacturer's web site.

January 8, 2008

SYMLIN Pens Available & Other News

Prom the press release wire:

SymlinPen Offers Convenient SYMLIN Administration for Enhanced Glucose Control
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(Nasdaq: AMLN) announced today the availability of the SymlinPen(TM) 120 and the SymlinPen(TM) 60 pen-injector devices for administering SYMLIN(R)(pramlintide acetate) injection. These new pre-filled pen-injector devices feature simple, fixed dosing to improve mealtime glucose control.

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS115027+07-Jan-2008+PRN20080107


A patent for low dose Glucogon

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- DiObex, Inc., a privately
heldbiotechnology company developing treatments for metabolic diseases, announcedtoday that it has secured a critical patent from the U.S. Patent and TrademarkOffice for the use of very low dose glucagon, or DIO-901, in the prevention ofinsulin-induced hypoglycemia in diabetes patients. The patent grants DiObexexclusive rights to methods of reducing the risk of hypoglycemia in diabetespatients being treated with insulin by administering very low doses ofglucagon. "This patent protection strengthens our commitment to delivering the firstproduct to the market for the prevention of insulin-induced hypoglycemia indiabetes," CEO David Cory said. "DIO-901 is the only therapeutic indevelopment to prevent insulin-induced hypoglycemia, which is known to limitoptimal glycemic control and cause recurring medical
complications in mostpeople with type 1 diabetes, in many with type 2 diabetes, and is sometimesfatal."

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS124022+08-Jan-2008+PRN20080108

So haven't people been using low doses of glucogon all along? How do you get a patent for what people are alredy doing. I wonder if this has implications for a closed loop artificial pancreaus. I would think that providing glucogon could be part of the program.

Does anyone know more about this?

January 7, 2008

It’s (almost) a Free Market – So Step Up

Omni Pod’s announcement today with DexCom put some of the bigger players in the looking like slugs category.

Fist Abbott who bought out the Navigator seems stuck in the FDA mud. There has been all kinds of buzz about the Navigator and it being the inevitable winner in the CGM market place. Tomorrow is the New Hampshire primary and I have to think Abbott is looking a lot like Hillary. Crowned the winner by the pundits but not showing up in the polls. I don’t know what the deal with Abbott is but Omni Pod is looking real smart hedging their bets.

“The agreement is non-exclusive and does not impact any of Insulet's existing third party development agreements.” In other words Omni Pod is still going to keep the door open if Abbott ever get off their butts. In the mean time they are working with Dex.

In a free market those of us shopping for a pump would be able to match it with the CGM that suits our needs and visa versa. - not having the choice dictated by big medical companies keeping things in their house (MiniMed.) Kudos to Omni Pod for getting that.

This leaves Animas the wall flower in the pump CGM dance. Hey Animas, I love you guys. Your service is great. Your support a holistic approach to type 1 wins you some additional loyalty.

But the CGM/Pump combination is a ship that is leaving port. A lot of us were hoping that J&J would bring some capital to help promote innovation. It doesn’t seem to be the case. Best thing to come from the J&J take over was a bounce in the share price.

The 2020 is incrementally an improvement. Pink is a winner with my 10 year old. I think more in the features department would be better. The new software is not winning any rave reviews on line. It isn’t web enabled. It isn’t up to a CGM. Diabetes has more statistics than Major League Baseball. J&J seems to have left Animas in the farm team. Color is good, features are better.

So here we have two big company heavy hitters, Abbott and J&J, folks with Yankee resources who seem to be all about their AA team in Toledo. Dudes act like Big Leaguers - step up. You need to be on the field to win.


(Full Financial Disclosure: I have a few shares of DexCom – it was the only pure CGM play I could find. I had shares of Animas before J&J bought them out. I thought I had some Abbott too but I looked at my IRA statement and I don’t have any of them or J&J. I would be real psyched if I could move the market but let’s get real - I’m no Oracle of Omaha)

Omni Pod & DexCom Announce Agreement

Hot off the news wire Omni Pod and DexCom toys are going to be talking. Hello Abbott? you are loosing ground:

Insulet Corporation (Nasdaq: PODD - News), the leader in wearable insulin pump technology with its OmniPod® Insulin Management System, and DexCom, Inc. (Nasdaq: DXCM - News), a leading provider of continuous glucose monitoring systems for people with diabetes, announced today they have signed a development agreement to integrate DexCom's continuous glucose monitoring technology into the wireless, handheld OmniPod System Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM). In addition to programming the patient's insulin delivery, the PDM with integrated DexCom technology will receive and display continuous glucose readings from DexCom's wearable sensor transmitter...

...The agreement is non-exclusive and does not impact any of Insulet's existing third party development agreements.
More at:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080107/nym062.html?.v=96

January 5, 2008

Newbie Advice

This is the first in what I intend to be a few short bits on tips for newbies. Hopefully I can pass on some mildly useful advice with a bit of humor to help folks new to type 1 or at least give’m a small chuckle. Comments and corrections are appreciated.



Listen up Newbie!
Newbie Advice: The Long Run
Newbie Advice I: Insulin Resistance
Newbie Advice II: Pain in the Alliteration
A Little Help From Your Friends
A Little (More) Help From Your Friends
Newbie Advice III – Why aren’t we in The Caymans?
Newbie Advice IV: Never Buy a Meter
Fatherhood and Trenches
Snickering All the Way
I know one of your fears.
Who Best to Say You Will Be Okay.





Newbie Advice I: Insulin Resistance

If you are new to type 1 I hope you like mind games. Diabetes is all about the mind games.

Welcome to the club! While you master the secret handshake, I’ll spill the beans on one of type 1’s little mind games. It has a lot of mind games so it is not like I am depriving you of a surprise by letting one out of the hat, you will get plenty of them.

I call this one “Maybe the Doctor was Wrong.” The professionals call it insulin resistance. (The professionals call a lot of stuff by funny names but that's another post.)

When that first diagnosis happens, you start taking insulin with a needle. Relatively large amounts. I’ll explain relative to what, here in a few seconds, that’s the whole trick. For now you don’t know jack and don’t know a trick is at hand. If you are like I was mostly you’re working past your needle phobia (I HATE needles,.)

You are doing what the doctor says. Doing what the doctor says is a good plan, I recommend it. You are doing it and in a few days, maybe a week, you start running low. A lot.

You get a little panicky because at Children’s Hospital they beat into you that lows are dangerous. This is all so new.., and you’re worried you doing it wrong... and you tried to do everything right... and your trying to chart trends... and your sister’s cousin’s friend says you can cure diabetes with cinnamon... and you didn’t really believe it but you put a little in the apple sauce... and NOW YOU HAVE LOWS!

WTF!

So you cut back on the insulin. You have talked to the doctors office about this and you’re using less now than before.

You’re still run low. You cut back more.

Next thing you know you are hardly using any insulin compared to what you started with. (See that is the relative I was talking about, well that and your sister’s cousin’s friend) You think, “Maybe it isn’t diabetes. Maybe it is some funny cold like thing that looks like diabetes but goes away in a week or two! Maybe there is something to the cinnamon in the apple sauce. Maybe the Doctor was Wrong!”

Sorry. No such luck. It is Diabetes.

Welcome to the club. Diabetes loves mind games, this is one of its games. Your sister’s cousin’s friend hasn’t got a clue but diabetes is having a huge laugh tricking you into thinking they may.

Here is the deal. Initially people are resistant to injected insulin. They just don’t use it well. Also the poor beleaguered pancreases is still putting out a little insulin of its own and with injected insulin, that the body is becoming less resistant to, the need for injected insulin has declined, to almost nothing. In some cases, just the long term stuff.

It doesn’t last all that long – just long enough for the mind games to really work you over. In time you start seeing the numbers go up and you slowly work more insulin into the program. The net effect may be little more than to help make you crazy.

I didn’t learn this game; really believe it was a mind game, until after the second kid’s diagnosis.

You are brilliant if you come away with from it with the idea that what worked yesterday may not work today - Your Diabetes May Vary.

More YDMV Newbie Tips: http://www.ydmv.net/2008/01/newbie-advice.html

January 4, 2008

Miscellaneous Chemistry News

Biodel issued a press release stating the have completed enrollment of two phase III trials of their new fast acting insulin. They also announced plans to build and operate a manufacturing facility.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080103/nyth117.html?.v=101

As I understand it they are making a faster acting insulin. Faster would bolus better and shorten insulin on board times. It sounded interesting enough that when they issued an IPO I bought a few shares not so sure I would be the first person to sign their kids up to use it but time will tell.


Diabetes Health ran an article on c-peptides. Now I am the first to admit I don't know much other than c-peptides are used in diabetes diagnosis to distinguish between T1 and T2. This article is a nice little primer on c-peptides.

The article suggest thinking has been they don't do much. My thought is regardless of your thought on evolution or creation why would either have something being produced that doesn't do anything? More likely we just don't know what it does yet.
http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2008/01/03/5612.html

January 3, 2008

Hey! Technology Works!

Who would have thought it?

Listening to insurance companies and my favorite whipping boy you get the idea that CMGs are not helping anyone. I guess their message didn't make it to Billings. Ken Dow there things CGM has added years to his life.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/01/03/news/local/21-diabetes.txt

Just under the mast head there is a menu to rate the story. Lets see if we can get this story a bunch of top scores.

January 2, 2008

An Unsung Hero

I get irritated by poor reporting on diabetes. - the cinnamon is a cure and you what you ate caused type 1 stuff. I need to recognize brilliant writing when it come along too, not just get irritated

Here are some highlights of a praise worth piece in the Huntsville Times.

"Joseph was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 13. He had no family history of the disease and was an active and healthy child who would give up sweets for home-cooked vegetables.

"One of the most frustrating things for Joseph is most people's misunderstanding of the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Many people do not realize the two are totally different. Type 1 diabetes means your pancreas no longer produces any insulin. You are completely dependent on getting insulin through shots or with a pump.

"After one of the first (football) games of this season, The Times called Joseph an "unsung hero," referring to his efforts in the previous game.

"Little did the writer know just what an unsung hero he actually is."


Carter Hamric, Madison Academy Senior, is a brilliant writer see the full article at: http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/119909612773820.xml&coll=1

4am Matters

Connor has been going to bed and getting up with fairly consistent numbers. You would think that is a good thing.

Mrs YDMV was up testing Delaney and decided to check Connor too. Nice low 120s at bed time and waking up. Mid 200s at 4:00.

Doh!

4 am matters.

This wasn't a swimming night. On swimming nights he is low to fine at 4:00. Assuming this proves to be a trend, I guess we are going to have to have a swimming night and non swimming night basal profile.

YDMV even when your asleep.

January 1, 2008

What’s YDMV in Arabic?

I was scrolling through the last few referrals to YDMV and there was this translation link. I got to wondering if my goofy ramblings make any sense in Arabic?

I had the pleasure of meting a few folks from UAE at CWD’s conference last summer. One lady was the mom of a son who was diagnosed very young and was now doing fine in his 20s. She was justifiably proud. Another was a young woman who spoke eloquently about the importance of parental trust. It was apparent that the care diabetes part translates just fine and that some of the issues, like parents worrying about type 1 teens, are the same regardless of the side of the globe we are born on.

Still, I wonder how well my goofy Your Diabetes May Vary ramblings translate. Most of the time I don’t know what I am writing about until it comes out in type. I frequently abuse the norms of the King’s English in favor of down home colloquialisms. So it isn’t much of a stretch to say I don’t know what I am talking about, at least when I start typing.

I gotta wonder how I sound to a different culture. I guess that culture may be one of the things that varies, I trust that care for the kids doesn’t.