DFAN DIABETES NEWSLETTER
AUGUST 2000 EDITION

We’re in the midst of summer here in the U.S and fall
is so close now. The cool summer nights really make
me think about the time when the leaves will be falling
and we’ll be able to wear sweaters again!

Hopefully, you are enjoying your summer and taking
advantage of outdoor activities.

We need your diabetes related articles, stories, poems,
anecdotes and jokes! Please send them in no matter how
long or short they are. Please take note of the announcement
for the Diabetes Angel Network in this issue.

Send all questions, comments and ideas to:

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


____________ARTICLE__________

CONFESSIONS OF A DIABETIC

I must confess that I’m not as “together” as people
think I am. Sure, I put on a good show. I know the
facts. I know what I should be doing, but during the
night when no one is awake, I sometimes cry myself
to sleep. I always ask myself why am I crying.?
After all, the past is the past and I can’t change it
right? It’s just all the things that I miss so much.
I never knew how much they meant to me. To just
go for a walk without having to think about diabetes.

My confession is something I needed to do for myself.
My smooth, brightly colored outer layer might give
people the wrong impression. They might think that
diabetes doesn’t do anything to me, and that’s just
not true. I just try to put the best foot forward. I
could be sitting in my chair or curled up in my bed
afraid to live my life…..but I decided against that.
Even if things get bad I don’t want to give up. I
won’t allow myself to do that. When I think about
the children that have this disease it makes me realize
how much I have to try….they try…so I know I can
try.


__________POLL QUESTION__________

This month’s poll question is something that could
possibly happen and in the United States we’re in the
midst of campaigning for an election so I expect some
“hearty” responses..<g>

This month’s poll question is:

“Would the fact that a candidate for President is
diabetic have any influence on whether or not you would
vote for him/her? Why or why not?”

Send your responses to:

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



__________NEED STRIPS & METERS__________

The requests coming in to the Diabetes Angel Network
have increased in the past months while donations of
strips and meters has gone down immensely. If you
have any of the following strips (that haven’t expired
and/or meters (new or used/in working condition)
please send them in to us.

STRIPS WE NEED

Lifescan (One Touch, FastTake)
Dex
Accucheck
Precision QID

Meters – any new or used (in good working condition)

Check your shelves and drawers! If your have items
collecting dust please send them in!

The address is: Diabetes Angel Network, c/o Ladson,
P.O. Box 570324, Bronx New York 10457



__________WEBSITES WORTH VISITING__________

FREEWARE DIABETES SIMULATIONS * *
aida_simulator-subscribe@...

If you are interested in glucose-insulin / diabetes simulations –
an updated version of the freeware AIDA diabetes software
simulator is shortly to be released on the Internet (to be
available from http://www.2aida.org).

If you wish to be automatically informed when this new
version has completed beta-testing – a dedicated AIDA
simulator registration / announcement list is available
specifically for this purpose. This list is open to everyone,
and it is completely free to join. However the list is
‘closed’ in the sense that only the AIDA developer’s can
post to it. Therefore traffic on the list is low / non-existent –
and only consists of official announcements about the AIDA
simulator.

To automatically be informed about updates to the AIDA
diabetes simulator software range all you need to do is
send a blank email note to:
aida_simulator-subscribe@...

Then you can be among the first to try out the updated
glucose-insulin /diabetes simulations – once they have
been fully tested!

Both AIDA v4.3 and ‘AIDA on-line’ (a Web-based Windows
version available at: http://www.shodor.org/aida) are being
made available via the Internet as non-commercial contributions
to continuing diabetes education. They are both completely
free to use.

For your information new features in AIDA v4.3 include:
HbA1c estimates provided for the blood glucose simulations,
and an import / export facility to allow case scenarios to be
swapped between AIDA users; plus a whole load of technical
upgrades to make installation / usage easier. E.g. a new,
dedicated 32-bit Windows installation procedure and various
problems /‘bugs' fixed to make the new version even more
robust than AIDA v4.0


__________POLL RESPONSES__________

In last month’s newsletter we asked this question:

"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?"


Response #1:

I'm Type I on the pump using Humalog exclusively.
This happens, every once in a while. I calculate the
amount of bolus required to bring my BG into
target range, and reduce it by 25% and instruct the
pump to deliver it. I wait 15 minutes for the Humalog
to begin acting and go for a run. After about 45
minutes of exercise I test again. Usually the BG is
closing in on the target range. If not, and it hasn't
reduced significantly, I check to see if there is an infusion
set problem. If there is, I correct it and try to figure
out where to go from there, if not, I try to contact my
diabetologist. I haven't found that staying home from
work makes a positive contribution to my wellness,
nor does it lead to getting my work done.


Response #2:

You should go to work. Take your medicine and
move around as much as possible. You need the
exercise to help bring down the blood sugar. If
you're sick enough to call in sick, you need to
contact your doctor.


Response #3:

I believe such a situation can crop up with an impending
Ketone coma (or less serious, but still involving a high
ketone release in the body). Over here we are instructed
in such a situation to get fast to ER in a hospital...


Response #4:

My answer - get it together and go to work


Response #5:

Go on to work. If you stay home you probably will
eat more and make your blood glucose level go up
higher, whereas if you go to work you probably
will feel better being with people and not think
of yourself as much. You probably will not eat
anything and your blood glucose level will go
down.

Response #6:

I feel is you can go to work it is best because
movement is better, and will help lower the blood
sugar (as opposed to laying in bed), it will distract
you from how bad you feel. You can always go
home if you just can't make it.


Response #7:

I myself would call in sick. My employer knows
of my Diabetes. They also know that if my blood sugars
aren't in a good range that my vision goes on the blink.
Therefore, if my sugars aren't where they should be I'd
call in. My life and taking the chance of crashing on the
way to work means more to me then my job.


Response #7:

I think that I should probably stay home. Feeling that
way may cause accidents of I might black out or something
else, so it would be better to rest for awhile, and monitor
my condition.


Response #8:

I would probably call in, I am not currently working, but
I used to work for a domestic violence shelter for women
and children, and for their safety if nothing else, I needed
to be at my best. Since I am no longer working away from
home, I just feel like crawling back into bed. Sometimes, I
have to push myself and go on, thinking, I have a chance to
bring the sugar down.


Send all questions/comments/ideas to:

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

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
Got any strips or meters you don't need? -
http://pages.prodigy.net/dfan/angel

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