Type One Diabetes And The Comments That Followed

Type One Diabetes and the Comments that Followed

Type One Diabetes and the Comments that Followed
A year ago today, I went to the hospital after two weeks of sleepless nights, one month of not being able to think, and two months of exhaustion and muscle cramps. On top of those things, I could actually feel my blood pressure exploding, I could barely see and I was drinking water like it was going out of style. I knew I was a diabetic.
I have one of those odd memories. I can recall a lot of details from my childhood, I can watch a movie and quote it two years later. Its all useless information, I never quite used this gift to my advantage. But if you want to know how Zach and Lisa started dating on Saved by the Bell, I could tell ya. If you want to know where the term Saved by the Bell comes from, I could also tell ya.
I remember learning about diabetes in sixth grade by Miss Martenson. I was calmed by the fact that I was probably too old to get it. Go figure. But thanks to my recall, when I was feeling sick last year, I knew what those symptoms meant, I just thought it was Type 2.
I prayed to God on the way to the hospital, please, I dont want to be embarrassed by a Type 2 diagnosis. Somehow, Type 1 wasnt crossing my mind. I rationalized a million other things it could be but while I was on the cold, paper-lined, vinyl bed, listening to my Type 2 diagnosis, I just couldnt accept it.
I told the the Nurse Practitioner that doesnt seem right because. She looked at me inquisitively. Did I say something wrong? I thought again to myself. And she slowly replied, Ill be back. I waited in 20 minutes of silence. I was terrif Continue reading

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Conjoint Associations of Gestational Diabetes and Hypertension With Diabetes, Hypertension, and Cardiovascular Disease in Parents: A Retrospective Cohort Study

The conjoint association of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and gestational hypertension (GH) with cardiometabolic disease has not been well studied. We evaluated a combined GDM/GH risk indicator in both mothers and fathers because of shared spousal behaviors and environments. In the present population-based retrospective cohort study, GH was identified in matched pairs of mothers with GDM or without GDM (matched on age group, health region, and year of delivery) who had singleton live births in Quebec, Canada (19902007). A total of 64,232 couples were categorized based on GDM/GH status (neither, either, or both). Associations with diabetes, hypertension, and a composite of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard models (from 12 weeks postpartum to March 2012). Compared with having neither GDM nor GH, having either was associated with incident diabetes (hazard ratio (HR) = 14.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 12.9, 16.6), hypertension (HR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.8, 2.0), and CVD/mortality (HR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2, 1.7). We found associations of greater magnitude among participants who had both (for diabetes, HR = 36.9, 95% CI: 26.0, 52.3; for hypertension, HR = 5.7, 95% CI: 4.9, 6.7; and for CVD/mortality, HR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.6, 3.5). Associations with diabetes were also observed in fathers (for either, HR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.3; for both, HR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.4, 2.3). In conclusion, we found associations of a combined GDM/GH indicator with cardiometabolic disease in mothers and with diabetes in fathers, with stronger associations Continue reading

How to Navigate Insurance Changes With Diabetes | Everyday Health

RELATED: 9 Types of Medication That Help Control Type 2 Diabetes
But you dont need to simply accept whatever comes your way. You can take steps to advocate for yourself if your health insurance provider makes changes that dont allow you to treat diabetes the way you prefer or are able to manage financially, experts say. And being an educated patient one who clearly understands how diabetes works, what can be done to manage the condition, and how to harness that insight into better control of your blood sugar is crucial.
Educate Yourself to Become the CEO of Your Healthcare
Norton, who has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1993, says DiabetesSisters is releasing several initiatives that aim to educate their audience. One, a presentation on how to be the CEO of Your Own Healthcare, talks about thinking of yourself as the top person in charge of your health, while assembling a board of directors made up of diabetes care team members , friends, family, pharmacists, and your insurance plan and finances.
As the CEO of your healthcare, you need to be assertive as needed, get thorough answers to your questions, be knowledgeable about your insurance [or] pharmacy plan, and keep track of important data, such as test results, frequency of visits to healthcare providers, and so on, Norton explains.
Become knowledgeable about how your insurance plan works, what it covers and what it does not.
Read the material that explains exactly how the plan operates, what your out-of-pocket costs are for premiums andcopays, and whether you are restricted to in-networkhealthcare providers or Continue reading

#AADE17: An Uncertain Future for Diabetes Education

What will diabetes education look like in 5-10 years? Or moving into 2030 for that matter?
One thing that became clear at the recent annual meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) in Indianapolis is that there's some serious concern about this profession, which has been at a crossroads for at least a decade now, and we've wondered in the past if the organization was "lost at sea" in adapting to current trends.
To keep up with the changing times, some wonder now if we've reached a point where CDEs (Certified Diabetes Educators) might need to drop that official title in favor of something with more of a coaching bent, like "diabetes care coordinators," facilitators, managers, or possibly even "Diabetes Champions" (!)
Whatever the term, a big theme at the AADE conference was the fact that these healthcare team members have some of the highest potential to help PWDs (people with diabetes) by recognizing what's working and what isn't, and identifying other health or social issues that may be lurking beneath the surface. Yet CDEs are struggling to redefine their roles in a changing healthcare landscape, and are battling economic realities that prevent many patients from accessing them, or even knowing about the services they provide.
Ten years ago, the big crisis in diabetes education that people were talking about most was the shrinking pool of people going into the profession. But today's crossroads are more about the onslaught of new technology, and uncertainties around insurance coverage and overall access to these professionals who can really help PW Continue reading

A Tale of a Diabetes Pizza Study

Dario doesnt just log and track glucose levels, it charts carb intake, insulin doses, exercise, moods, and more and gives you insights to help understand what may be effecting your blood glucose. The user-centric design of the Dario app allows logbooks, timelines, and charts to be easily shared with loved ones and healthcare providers.
Download the Dario App today and scroll down for more information on how to get started.
For questions regarding the set up and use of your Dario Blood Glucose Monitoring System, orders, or other technical support issues, please contact our Customer Service Center at 1-800-895-5921, Monday Friday, 9AM 5PM Eastern.
For general inquiries about the Dario Blood Glucose Monitoring System, please fill out the form below and a representative will reach out to you.
This form is not for technical support or medical advice. For technical support issues, please call our toll free number 1-800-895-5921 for assistance. If there is an urgent medical issue, please contact your physician.
When pizza meets diabetes in a medical research.
You may have a certain image that comes to mind when you think of a clinical trial. But did you know that a study can involve eating pizza?
There are certain foods that I have to eat with aspray and pray mentality where I can only hope for the best. All too often though, the best is rarely realized. When I was approached by the Joslin Institute for Transformational Technology Program, which is new group headed by Dr. Howard Wolpert in Boston, and they asked me to be a subject in a pizza study, I signed up right awa Continue reading