DFAN DIABETES NEWSLETTER
JULY 2000 EDITION


Summer is in mid-swing now (here in the U.S.) and
I hope all of you are getting outside and enjoying
the weather. Be careful about the heat. Carry your
water and try to stay indoors during peak sun hours.

Here at DFAN we’re in a transition period. Trying
to get all of our website, files, courses and other help
coordinated and running smoothly is taking a little
time, but once it’s completed it will be worth all
the time and effort it took.

Last month’s free blood glucose testing offer was
a major success. If we come across any other offers
like this we’ll let you know.

As always, we need your articles, stories, poems,
anecdotes and anything else you want to send us
for publication.<g> The only requirement is that
it be diabetes related. It can be as short as five
words and as long as a book! Send it in!

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


_____SMALL CHANGES MATTER_____

It's funny how just a few changes can really make such
a difference. I have discovered a way to really help
myself stay on my meal plan recently and it is helping
me so much. It's really simple but has helped my blood
sugar levels. I have been getting up a little earlier and
have been preparing everything for dinner which I can
ahead of time. Example: cut up salad, brown meat, cut
up vegetables, fix meatloaf, boil eggs, fix jello, etc., etc.,
etc. The reason this helps is that I have much more energy
in the morning than I have at dinnertime. If I wait until
dinnertime to decide what to fix, I am so tired and hungry
that I tend just to grab anything to eat and I don't stay on
my diet very well.



_____POLL QUESTION OF THE MONTH_____

This month’s poll question is:

Scenario:

“You wake up in the morning. You’re not vomiting.
You don’t have a fever, but you feel ill. Why? Your
blood glucose levels are very high and you feel like a
sluggish snail. Do you think it’s a good idea to call in
sick? Or do you think you should just go to work do
the best you can?”

Send your response to: dmmteam@... -or-
dfanrequest@...


_____NEED STRIPS AND METERS_____

The Diabetes Angel Network is DFAN’s attempt at
helping diabetics in need. Right now, we’re in need
of unused blood glucose testing meters, strips or lancing
devices. If you have any extras that are just gathering
dust, why not send them to us? We’ll make sure they
get into the hands of people who can use them. Right
now we need the following blood glucose testing strips:

Accucheck (Comfort Curve and Advantage)
One Touch
Dex
Fast Take

We can’t use strips that have expired, so please check the
expiration date before you send them.

As for meters and lancing devices, we can use ANY
meters that are in working order (new or used). If
they are used and you have the instruction booklet
please send it.

We can’t accept insulin, syringes or any other supplies.

If you have anything you’d like to donate please send it to:
Diabetes Angel Network, c/o Belver Ladson, P.O. Box 570324
Bronx, New York 10457

To visit the Diabetes Angel Network site go to:

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


_____ONE BITE TOO MANY_____

When I was at the lake over Memorial Day weekend, a
fire-ant bit me on my big toe. That night it was so painful
I couldn't sleep so I got up and put ice on it for at least
twenty minutes, then went back to bed. The next morning
I went ahead and went walking and swimming. I did the
same activities that night.

Monday morning, we came home and by that time my toe
was really in a mess. I had a appointment at my doctor's for
my usually three month blood test on Tuesday morning, and
when his nurse saw my toe, she had me see the doctor. The
doctor said it was infected, gave me antibiotics and told me
to soak it twice a day.

Last Tuesday I saw the doctor again, toe still looks bad, but I
thought it had improved! He put me on more antibiotics, and
had me get an x-ray. The ex-ray shows the bone clear, but they
wanted me then to get a bone-scan. I refused since the x-ray
shows the bone being clear. The toe still isn't completely well,
I will see the doctor again this next Wednesday. The doctor had
his nurse call me and made an appointment so I would be sure
and come in, and told me not to take the trip to Colorado yet
that my husband and I wanted to take.

That is my story! Oh, yes, the doctor thinks it wasn't a fire-ant,
but a spider that bit me.


_____POLL RESPONSES_____

Last month’s poll question asked:

“If you met a newly diagnosed child with diabetes what
advice would you give them?”

Response:

“My response to this question would be to tell them to not
give up. There is so much to tell them, but, basically, I
would tell them not to give up.”



_____MUTED WORLD, BRILLIANT ENDING_____

Living life in a muted, blurry haze wasn’t much fun.
My eyesight had been getting worse and worse over
the years but I adapted. I’d look at television and
pretend I didn’t notice that I couldn’t make out most
of the details on the screen. When it was time to read
something I’d pretend like I knew what it said. I even
figured out ways to cross the street by following the
crowd so no one would know I couldn’t see the cars
clearly. I had become my own best friend…a friend
that could keep me from facing the fact that something
was wrong with my eyesight.

The doctors told me that something was wrong with my
eyes about three years ago. I knew something was going
wrong before it got confirmed, but I dealt with it. As the years
went on I pretended that nothing was wrong as much as
possible. It got to the point where I couldn’t read my
books which really was a blow to me. Most of the
work I do involves reading my books and typing. I was
able to adjust my computer monitor so I could see the letters.
Dark background with light letters. That did the trick.

I started seeing a new eye doctor in the fall of 1999.
He was very nice and seemed to want to help me. He
told me that he thought cataract surgery would give me
great results. I believed him, but my fear of the surgery
was too overpowering. We would set up dates for the
surgery but things would happen to postpone it. I was
glad it was being postponed so often. I didn’t want to
do it. In the spring of 2000 we finally set a date for the
surgery and I had made up my mind that I was going to
do it. Fear or no fear. I couldn’t live the way I had
been living when there was something available that
would fix it.

As the date of the surgery got closer I knew I had to get
myself together so I starting thinking about the fact that once
it was over I would be able to see better. I had to take my scary,
negative thoughts and turn them into thoughts of gratitude. I
had to be grateful that the doctors could help me see better.
After all, there are people in this world who have no hope at all.
I had to be grateful that the surgery would only last sixty to
ninety minutes. I had to have a “gratitude party” and think
good about it all.

The nurse took my blood pressure, tested my blood sugar
and checked some other things. My blood pressure was
so high that I thought they’d postpone the surgery. The
nurse took my blood pressure again and it had gone down.
She knew I was nervous so she told me the high readings
were due to the anxiety. After giving me some drops to
dilate my eye the anesthesiologist came out to talk to me.
I knew the surgery time was getting closer.

They wheeled me into the operating room….I was praying
the whole way. The word “nervous” can’t describe what
I felt. I was nervous, afraid, anxious and anything else
you can think of. The nurses introduced themselves to
me and then I was given a sedative. After about a minute
or two I was asleep. I woke up to find the doctors putting
a cloth over my face so he could work on my right eye.
The cloth had to cover the left side my face as well as
everything on the right side except for my eye. I’m
claustrophobic and even though I had the sedative I told
them to stop. They tried to put it on again and I told them
to stop. The nurse suggested that she leave the side of the
cloth open a bit so I could see out. That worked. Next
thing I knew is that I was asleep again.

I kept waking up and hearing the doctors talking. I
couldn’t feel any pain, and my anxiety was gone. I
went back to sleep and woke up a few times. I honestly
thought I was only on the operating table about ten (10)
minutes and the doctor told me they were done. I
remember seeing out of the eye they were working on
for a second before they covered it with some gauze
and an eye protector. I saw the most beautiful color
blue. This was notable to me because I haven’t been
able to see true color for years. Then I was wheeled
out of the operating room and into the room where the
nurses would take care of me.

I was given some crackers and juice and was told to
leave. I couldn’t believe it. I was operated on about
7 a.m. and at 9:10 I was ready to leave! I still didn’t
feel any pain, and I was ecstatic! I had gone through
my fear, had the surgery and came out a conqueror!

The next day the gauze and eye protector were removed.
When it was taken off I could see better immediately!
I saw the white lights. They were so clear and bright.
Before the surgery lights looked yellowish. I was so
amazed at how bright and colorful everything was.

On the ride home I was at the point of crying. The day
before I couldn’t see much of anything clearly and now
I could see the people walking, the cars, the license plates
and I could read the store signs as we drove by.

I really wanted to tell this story for the people who need
cataract surgery and are afraid to do it. I had no pain
at all during the surgery. I have very little pain now
and my eyesight is 300 percent better than it was. I still
might need eyeglasses but that’s fine. At least now things
are sharper and the colors are brilliant again. The cataract
on my right eye has to be removed but I’m at peace about it.
No more nervousness. I know how easy the surgery is now.

So if you need this surgery please have it. If you have any
questions about it please feel free to write me. I’ll be glad
to share my experience with you and answer any question
that you have.

To contact the author send your e-mail to:
dfanrequest@...


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
Angel Network $1 FundRaiser - http://pages.prodigy.net/dfan/angel

________________________________________________________________
YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!
Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!
Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.