Good news on my front — I got my A1C down from 7.0 to 6.3 in four months. You know, I really do wonder about these tests. Sure the A1C is suppose to show a 3 month average of sugar levels, but which three months? Okay, okay the last three months. So, I have my next appointment in four months, which means I can be a bad diabetic for the next 30 days before having to knuckle down again? Hmmm
Onto the news items …
Are diabetics disabled? Amy T ventures into this discussion.
The Capability Of Measuring Minute Amounts Of Insulin Aids Diabetes Treatment
A new method that uses nanotechnology to rapidly measure minute amounts of insulin is a major step toward developing the ability to assess the health of the body’s insulin-producing cells in real time.
Among other potential applications, this method could be used to improve the efficacy of a new procedure for treating Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes that has demonstrated the ability to free diabetics from insulin injections for several years. It works by transplanting insulin-producing cells into the pancreas of diabetics to replace the cells that the disease has disabled or destroyed.
Metabolic Syndrome Triggered by Overeating, Not Obesity
Overeating, not the obesity it causes, is the actual cause of metabolic syndrome, suggests a study with mice by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
“Most people today think that obesity itself causes metabolic syndrome,” senior author Dr. Roger Unger, professor of internal medicine, said in a prepared statement. “We’re ingrained to think obesity is the cause of all health problems, when, in fact, it is the spillover of fat into organs other than fat cells that damages these organs, such as the heart and the liver. Depositing fatty molecules in fat cells where they belong actually delays that harmful spillover.”
When I read the title to the below article, I yelled “Horse Hockey” in my head … but unfortunately, once the knee jerk reaction was over — I have to admit its true. Dealing with diabetes is a 24/7 issue in your life. You can shove it to the background throughout the day, but its still there buzzing in your ear like a gnat.
Self-monitoring diabetes that may increase anxiety and depression
Evidence suggests that some patients find self monitoring “uncomfortable, intrusive and unpleasant”. And the researchers suggest that the negative feelings reported in the study might be due to the enforced discipline of regular monitoring without any obvious benefit, rather than due to “feelings of powerlessness in the face of high blood glucose readings.”
Its true — it is depressing when you continue to monitor your blood sugar levels and eat nothing but green beans and salad day in and day out, on top of 1 hour of exercise that is uncomfortable, but you do it because you were told it was the “only” way, and then you continue to test in the high 200s. Depression my ass, I was ready to pack it in and asked God several times to just take me home. But eventually I was able to turn my feelings around, adjusting my medication so “I” was in control and things are a lot less depressing.
Still Diabetes Sucks The Big One.
Tags: Diabetes in the News, Type 1, Type2
