Diabetic. Insulin Dependent. Type I or Type II. Brittle. MODY. People (or Person) With Diabetes or PWD in this abbreviation crazed era.

I don't like being labeled when that only describes part of who I am. One thing that annoys me about these labels assigned to my pancreatically challenged life is that they are too clinical and don't describe the daily battles I fight. Ever notice how at any fundraising event for cancer that survivors are trotted out and celebrated? Their courage is…

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Those of us who use the Minimed Revel Insulin Pump or their Continuous Glucose Monitor may have heard that they have an improved pump and CGM in the pipeline. Called the VEO and…

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When it comes to living with Type I Diabetes I'm impatient and frustrated. Since my first insulin shot in 1994 I've looked every day for the announcement for a cure. Sheila Thorne lived with it for over 80 years - receiving her first shot from the discoverer of insulin.

Before Dr. Frederick Banting made his Nobel Prize winning discovery a diagnosis of diabetes meant death - either from starvation or hyperglycemia. Luckily for Sheila Thorn, she was taken to see the pioneering doctor…

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Engineers at Brown University have been working on a device using nanotechnology that could be used to measure blood glucose concentrations in human saliva. According to the article, glucose concentrations in saliva are about 100 times lower than in blood.…

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Amputation. Scared yet? It was probably one of the first words you heard when you were told you had diabetes.

Since day one in my life with Diabetes it has been drilled into my head to "check your feet daily." Never, ever go barefoot. Not once - and I haven't except for the bathtub since January 10, 1994. With the risk that we have for poor circulation and nerve damage we might not notice, coupled with an impaired ability to heal normally, it is good advice. Something as simple as a…

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For those who misunderstood my mini-rant about carb labels on packaged food, here is the short version.

Why in the Sam Hill can't the labels use serving sizes equal to or easily divisible by what is in the container? For simpletons like me, a container would have data for 1 serving, or 2 servings, etc.

...and pull your hair out. There is an old adage in the Army that a Soldier is not happy if he is not complaining about something. That could also apply to people with Diabetes when it comes to figuring out carb counting. Don't get me wrong, but the nutritional labels on food are the best thing since low carb pasta. Just one thing about them really annoys me and that is the "serving size" used to compute the nutritional data.



Yesterday I decided to have a can of soup for lunch. I was… Continue

I know that an awful lot of people with diabetes are either too young to have the experience, or are smart enough to have an occasional adult beverage responsibly. Those who have gone the other way once or twice know the feeling. Headache, dehydration, weakness, slight dizziness, nausea, etc. It is called a hangover.



Yesterday afternoon I had a hypo with symptoms on the more severe end of the scale. Super sweating, weakness, panic, disorientation, profound hunger, etc. Even though I… Continue

I have Type I. I have been in contact with another Type I (in Kansas City) who also uses the VA. I found out he has a CGMS provided to him free of cost - including all supplies - by the VA. I asked my VA endocrinologist in Durham, NC about getting one from them. "No dice" she said. The VA does not cover it. When I told her about the vet in KC, she seemed surprised. A week later, I talked to a senior staffer about this, and she shared a secret. Different VA networks cover diabetes supplies… Continue

Shopping for candy isn't something I normally do - except for buying chocolate for my bride. But every year on our anniversary (Oct 30) I usually pick up a bag or two for the trick or treaters. I don't give much thought to the irony of a Diabetic poring over all the possibilities in the candy aisle. It is one of those chores that just have to be done. I try to focus on the spirit of giving, the fun I had on Halloween and great memories of growing up. But this year I wasn't feeling all that hot,… Continue

I saw a picture here of what looked like a glucose meter with a USB jack poking out the side. So I opened it up, and sure enough a glucose manufacturer has had one out since September! Where was I? So anyway, I took a look at it on www.engadget.com. As is often the case with web surfing, I clicked on "diabetes" there and saw loads of other really cool toys for the sugar enhanced. It is at… Continue

There I was - tanking like mad last night. It seemed that each glucose tab was sending my BG lower instead of the other direction. First 60, then 47 - then 39. I was starting to lose it, and when my wife took another reading and it was 27, she asked if I wanted to go to the hospital. I replied "call the meat wagon." They arrived within minutes, hooked me up to an IV as we bumped on down the road. They wheeled me through the ER doors - crowded with the 10:00pm flu and sniffles crowd. So far… Continue

There I was, surrounded by the enemy, knee deep in bandoliers, grenade pins everywhere, and then things got ugly.



Oops - that is how good war stories start. Actually, this post is about a different battle: fighting the Veterans Administration to have my disability rating increased since my initial award of 20% for diabetes back in '94.



About two years ago I reopened my claim to obtain consideration for the worsening of my diabetes and to include complications that have… Continue

I was an active duty soldier when I was diagnosed with Type I in 1994. Seven months later I was given a disability discharge and filed a claim with the VA. In just 3 months they decided my claim and awarded me a 40% rating (20% for diabetes). Since then, I've developed several typical complications, including neuropathy (both peripheral and autonomic), cardiovascular disease (with a heart attack at age 43 in 2006), gastroparesis and other things. As a result, I reopened my claim, asking that… Continue