DFAN/ONESTEP DIABETES NEWSLETTER
April 2000 Edition

As always, we need your articles, poems, stories and other
diabetes related work. Your pieces can be as small as 5 words
or as long as you'd like..<g> We really need your submissions
to keep the newsletter interesting. Don't every think your story
is too boring…..people would like to read about you. The pieces
can be about anything diabetes related (diagnosis, coping, eating,
family issues, etc….) Send your pieces, comments or questions
to:

dmmteam@... -or- belve@...


SEEING CLEARLY

I had a diabetic eye exam done. They
took photographs of the inside of my eye. I suppose,
it is to enable subsequent doctors to compare what they
see with what was on the photograph. The camera used
instant film, so there was really no waiting. I was told to
"Watch the red light," and when you do, you get the
photo taken with a flash - it is pretty dark inside the eye.
The doctor put drops in my eyes to dilate the pupils so
the doctor could look inside. They let me wear sun specs. It helps
to cut the glare when they are finished.

I also had my feet tested. The technician was a joker - he told me he
would
tickle the bottom of my feet, and started right off scratching a little
on the top of my foot - just to see what sort of liar I was! He warned
me he was a technician only, doing the test, and if I had questions,
then get them ready for the doctor, who would be looking at the test
results and answering my questions. He told me my feet were ok when we
finished (big grin from him). I suppose I am super sensitive to
electricity - it was a thin wire with electricity and he could dial
the electricity amount. Mini cattle prodder!


_____DIABETES ANGEL NETWORK____

FREE LIFESCAN METERS

Visit the Diabetes Angel Network site to get the
link to receive a free Lifescan blood glucose monitor..
A health professional who attended a diabetes
education training seminar received free coupons
for the meter and she is graciously offered to give
them to people who want them. Once you get
to the website click on the red and yellow

Here's the link:

http://pages.prodigy.net/dfan/angel/



_____POLL _____

Here’s last month’s poll question:

"Diabetes education is something we all need once a diagnosis
is made. Right now, we get our diabetes education from our
doctors, Certified Diabetes Educators, nurses and many other
health professionals. Do you think there is room for layman
educators? Do you feel a person who is not in the health
industry can be licensed to teach about diabetes management?

Here are some of our replies!


RESPONSE #1:

"In a word, yes. Of course that would put them in the health industry,
wouldn't it?"

RESPONSE #2:

:Yes, I think there is room for this! I have learned so much from this
Diabetes site and from Belver. Most of the input is from people who are
not in the health industry or certified. Knowledge is for everyone."


RESPONSE #3:

"I think a person who has had diabetes for a while and
has managed it as well as possible would be a good
diabetes educator and motivator."


RESPONSE #4:

When it comes down to it, anyone with an interest can be
trained to be a diabetic educator. However, they will only
believe what they learn from a book and try to apply their
theory to diabetics as a whole. Diabetes is a very individualized
disease. What works for one person may not work for another.
Doctors, nurses, dietitians, and educators know their job
and most do it well. However, the only people that can
understand a diabetic is a fellow diabetic."

POLL RESPONSE #5:

From: timiller@... (Tim Miller)

Response:

"I definitely feel that a layperson should be able to teach.
Especially someone with Diabetes themselves. I have
several experiences myself and if I had been taught
about the mistakes and trials I have been through,
maybe I would be even better at my diabetes management
than I am today. I had to take several classes recently
because something changed in my metabolism and after
24 years with Type 1 and never having low blood sugars
where I had to be helped out by someone else, I had 3
major ones in a months time. Thank God my wife was
there to force the sugar tablets in me. So I took the
classes and learned a few things, but found comments
from other students in the class also helped, taught and
encouraged me to take even better care of myself. I am
now on different insulin and doing fine."

Response #6:

Definitely. The person can give helps in coping,
putting medical terms, conditions in layman's terms,
or simply re-explaining what is being presented. When
I went to the Certified Diabetes Educator I was
bombarded with new ideas, terms, etc. In the best of
both worlds, the person would have diabetes himself/herself.
And of course, have the CDEs blessing to be a
presenter. Might make people more comfortable with
the experience. Say you have a adult who reads on
grade school level, I don't know how many
would attend, even if it is mandatory.


Response #7:

yes we should have a person to help us . I have one that
taught me about my sugar and any time I need help she is
their for me .



_____THIS MONTH'S POLL QUESTION_____

Sometimes having experience with diabetes gives us
much more wisdom than we think we have. If you
met a newly diagnosed child with diabetes what advice
would you give them? Keep in mind that you're speaking
to a child and they might not understand big words..<g>

Send your responses to:

dmmteam@... =or- dfanrequest@...


BLAST FROM THE PAST

I Will Never Give Up!
By Janice Hendrix

I have always viewed my 33 years with diabetes as
a challenge. I have always strived to have a fighting
spirit even though my family history with diabetes
was very poor.

It became more of a challenge 4 years ago when I
began to develop complications from having
diabetes so long. First there was peripheral neuropathy,
retinopathy, gastroparesis, hypertension, kidney
disease and peripheral vascular disease. I said that
I would not give up. The will to live was very strong.
I didn’t think I had anything else to face till July 1995.
I had been hearing a noise in my head in the sound
of my heart beat. An angiogram was done at my
suggestion. I found out I had very severe cerebrovascular
disease. One carotid artery was 100% blocked
and there were other problems. I was told that I
would have a massive stroke.

In September a doctor from South Carolina said
that he could do something. He did another angiogram
and said that it was probably a blood clot. They still
couldn’t do anything. I still wouldn’t give up. I began
calling specialists all of the United States. They
came back saying that it was plague on the arteries.
The right carotid artery couldn’t be touched because
of where it was at in the brain. I started having mini
strokes on a regular basis. I kept on being told that
my life was at stake but nothing could be done.
In November I happened to sit down to listen
to the national news on television. They had a
story on Stanford University and the experimental
work they were doing on the arteries deeper in
the brain. It was an answer to a prayer!

I called Stanford University the next day and got to the
right department. I sent the X-rays to them the
next day. On Tuesday of the following week a
doctor called and said that they could do something.
On December 14th a balloon angioplasty was performed
on the right carotid artery. It was successful!
The point of this story is to fight diabetes and its
complications. Keep strong the will to live. In my
case I will never give up!

Glossary For This Article:

Peripheral Neuropathy - nerve damage that usually affects
the feet and legs

Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) - disease in the large
blood vessels of the arms, legs and feet

Retinopathy - disease of the eye specifically concerning the
retina

Gastroparesis - diabetic complication that affects the
stomach

Cerebrovascular Disease - damage to the blood vessels in the
brain that can result in a stroke

Angiogram - a study of the blood vessels where a dye is
injected


Send all questions/comments/ideas about this newsletter to:

dmmteam@... -or- belve@...

Diabetes is a serious disease. This e-mail should not
Take the place of competent medical care.


DFAN WEBSITES

MyJournal! - http://members.aol.com/belve/myjournal

Diabetes Prayer Chain! http://members.aol.com/dfanonestep/prayer

DFAN Diabetes Webpage
http://pages.prodigy.net/dfan/dfansite

Christian Diabetes Living
http://home.att.net/~belve/

DFAN Diabetes Weightloss Site
http://members.aol.com/belve/dfan

Christian Diabetes N' Weight Loss Site
http://members.aol.com/dfanonestep

Diabetes Angel Website
http://pages.prodigy.net/dfan/angel

Warm Fuzzies (Teddy Bears For Diabetic Kids)
http://members.aol.com/belve/fuzzy/

We have some DFAN e-mail discussion lists
you can join!

Christian Diabetes (dfan-Christian)
Diabetes & Weightloss (dfan-weightloss)

You can join these lists by sending a request
to dmmteam@...




Belver
Visit The DFAN Diabetes Webpage: http://pages.prodigy.net/dfan/dfansite
Visit Christian DiabetesLiving: http://home.att.net/~belve
Free Lifescan Meters: http://pages.prodigy.net/dfan/angel

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