Diabetic Friends Action Network (DFAN) Online Diabetes Newsletter - March 1996 This document (c) Copyright 1996, all rights reserved. Redistribution of this document is hereby freely granted so long as the document is redistributed in its entirety (here interpreted as all text which was not automatically generated by software as part of the distribution process); in particular, with attributions and this copyright notice. Just a short note to all of you. Our weight loss club is growing every day so if you need to shed some pounds to help control your diabetes join our club! We can also send you a sample club e- mail so you can decided whether or not it's for you. Just send an e-mail to: belve@aol.com As always, we need your articles. We need your stories. We need your anecdotes. It doesn't matter if the story is happy, sad, angry, jealous, or whatever other feeling it shows. Please send it in. There are three new files available to anyone who would like to read them. The list is: File A: How To Cope/Deal With A Diabetic In Your Life Who Isn't Taking Care Of Themselves (for family & friends of a person with diabetes) File B: Facing Your Diabetes (for diabetics) File C: Needle Injection Anxiety - Some Solutions (if you're having problems adjusting to giving yourself injections) If you'd like to read any of these text files state which files you want (A, B, C, or ALL) and send your request to: xjmv62@prodigy.com -or- belve@aol.com _______________ARTICLE_______________ ALWAYS A SOLUTION My brother is diabetic also and has been blind for about 10 years. His 3 year adopted son saw football on tv one night and at bedtime he asked his father, "Can I play football when I get older". Yes, said my brother. "Will you play with me", he asks. "I can't" said my brother, "my eyes are broken?. "Can't God fix your eyes", the son asks. He can says my brother but I don't think he will. The son then says, "Can't he use a battery". No, my brother says. "How about three batteries"?. No. The next night, the little boy was whimpering about his father's inability to play football. "Can't God use a screwdriver to fix your eyes". "No, I'm sorry" he is told. The next night the boy says "Daddy, Jesus will fix your eyes". My brother just hugged him. My comments "Who knows, maybe He will! I told my brother his son sounds like he should be related to me, I never give up, I am always looking for solutions to a problem just like he is learning to do. _______________ARTICLE_______________ DM & The Family - 911 Training Diabetes is a family affair. If you're the adult in the family it touches the lives of your children as much as it touches your life. If you experience a hypoglycemic (insulin reaction) your child might be forced to perform tasks that could lead to your life being saved so it's important /they know exactly what to do, and what to say in case of an emergency. Make sure your child knows how to pronounce "diabetes". It might seem like something simple but young children might not be able to remember the correct pronunciation of this work in a stressful situation. So practice saying the word with them. Be sure your children know their correct address. The emergency personnel need to reach you in the least amount of time possible so make sure your child knows if he lives on a "street" or "avenue". Make sure they know their apartment number. You might even want to teach your child the word "insulin". If they can't remember the word "diabetes" or "diabetic", they can tell the operator "(Mommy or Daddy) took too much insulin." Have practice drills with your child. Make sure they know how to dial 911. This is another thing that might seem simple to us but can be a major task for a four year old who's upset. You can pretend to be the 911 operator and ask your son/daughter questions. Have these practice drills at regular intervals. This subject strikes close to home. I was teaching my brother and sister (seven years old at the time) how to tell a 911 operator I was having a hypoglycemic reaction. My little brother did fine up until the time he had to say what was wrong with me. He said, "My sister needs help. She has diarrhea". I laughed about it at the time but that just made me know that more training was needed. _______________ARTICLE_______________ Last month's poll question asked what you thought about diabetics being required to get proof that their diabetes is in control before they're allowed to drive. Here are some of the responses we received. Response #1: I feel that it is unrealistic to think that insulin dependent diabetics "in tight control" will not experience hypoglycemia from time to time. So, what are we going to do...refuse to allow some (or all) diabetics to drive? I believe that being prepared for potential hypoglycemic reactions is the way to go. Most have "warnings" when their glucose is dropping. Hopefully, they can pull over to the side and "take care of business" before anything adverse happens. Response #2: I don't think a diabetic should have to get anyone's "permission" to drive as long as they do not have any other complication that would prevent any individual from being allowed to drive, such as legal blindness. In my state, a person who has had a heart attack and undergone surgery, from angioplasty to quadruple bypass, is only restricted from driving for 1 to 2 months. After that time period there is no restriction or requirements for a doctor's approval of any nature. Why should a diabetic be treated like some immature child? I think a better alternative is for a state to allow a doctor to file a notice that an individual is a driving risk due to a health risk, such as uncontrolled diabetes, severe heart damage, blood clots in the leg or other situation that could cause imminent and sudden danger during driving. Response #3: I personally think the laws are not only unfair but are stupid. In our little town of Beaverton, Oregon just within a few months of last year there were three auto accidents caused by diabetics whose blood glucose readings had gone too low. They were either on pumps or were trying for really tight control and when their blood sugar had dropped below a safe level they became disoriented. One case was very personal to me. An elderly lady wound up in a deep ditch in front of my daughter's house. As she swerved back and forth across the street she barely missed my grandchild and his dog before she wound up in the ditch. April recognized immediately the signs of a person who might be in diabetic distress and asked the lady right away if she was a diabetic. She said yes. After drinking the juice my daughter got from the house, the woman became more aware and intelligible enough to be able to give my daughter her son's phone number and all was well. When the woman's son arrived he told my daughter that his mom had been under the care of a doctor who was trying for tighter control. The bottom line is this. While some of us may be able to handle really tight control, is it always safe and should we be forced to be treated like second class citizens because of our disease? Rules and restrictions forcing us to rely on our doctor instead of our own common sense for our ability to drive are wrong. It is merely one more way for the government to interfere with the running of our private lives and in my opinion puts a label on us that says we are incompetent. Now that we have diabetes we are "different" and no longer "normal" and therefore should be treated as if we were children or senile. _______________ARTICLE_______________ LEARNING ABOUT DIABETES - BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS If you want to learn more about diabetes reading will bring you an abundance of knowledge. Choosing the right books to read can be like finding a needle in a haystack. If you were just diagnosed and choose a book that's too technical you won't understand it and put it down quickly. On the other hand, if you've had diabetes for a long time and want a book that gives you a more technical aspect of diabetes reading a "beginners" book won't give you what you want. Here are two books that you may want to pick up at your local library or bookstore: Title: Diabetes - Caring For Your Emotions As Well As Your Health Authors: Jerry Edelwich & Archie Brodsky ISBN#: 0-201-10608-6 Price: $12.95 This book is great for any person with diabetes. It deals specifically with the emotional aspects from diabetes and covers everything from the impact of diagnosis, making rational decisions, to the effect diabetes has on family life. This book is 276 pages long, and is a great resource for anyone wanting to know about the human side of diabetes. We need straight medical advice but we also need good advice about the emotional aspect of diabetes too. Title: Diabetes - The Facts That Let Your Regain Control Of Your Life Authors: Charles Kilo, MD Joseph R. Williamson, MD ISBN#: 0-471-85801-3 Length: 196 pages Price: $10.95 This book is a great resource for not only newly diagnosed diabetics but for anyone who would like a "refresher course" on diabetes. This book speaks about diet and exercise, obesity, medication, stress, the complications of diabetes, as well as giving a basic knowledge of what diabetes is and how it effects our bodies. It also has a section on meal planning for those of us who need help. _______________POLL QUESTION _______________ Do you feel that diabetes should be kept as a personal issue, only to be discussed with close family and friends? Keeping diabetes as a close secret is one way some people deal with having this disease in their life. Do you think discussing diabetes only with family and friends makes it easier to cope with diabetes? _______________ARE YOU MARRIED?_______________ Are you married and you or you partner have diabetes? We're working on an article about marriage and diabetes for an upcoming issue and we need people to answer a short questionnaire. You won't have to reveal any secrets and if we use your thoughts we can keep it anonymous. If you would like to help us with an article we're working on please send an e-mail to: belve@aol.com _______________ARTICLE_______________ Sample Mealplans (Calories) If you need to set up a mealplan and are confused here are some samples to help you out: A 1200 calorie diet is most often used for quick weight loss. A 1200 calorie diet is very restrictive and might be put into a meal plan as follows: 1200 Calorie Diet Breakfast - 240 calories Lunch - 420 calories Dinner - 420 calories Snack - 240 calories A 1500 calorie diet is also restrictive and might be used for quick weight loss. 1500 Calorie Diet Breakfast - 300 calories Lunch - 525 calories Dinner - 525 calories Snack - 150 calories An 1800 calorie diet is most often used for weight maintenance after you reach your goal weight. 1800 Calorie Diet Breakfast - 360 calories Lunch - 630 calories Dinner - 630 calories Snack - 180 calories A 2100 calorie diet is also used for weight maintenance depending on your activity level. 2100 Calorie Diet Breakfast - 420 calories Lunch - 735 calories Dinner - 735 calories Snack - 210 calories People who are moderately active might use a 2400 calorie diet for weight maintenance. 2400 Calorie Diet Breakfast - 480 calories Snack - 240 calories (midmorning) Lunch - 720 calories Dinner - 720 calories Snack - 240 calories (evening) People who are extremely active might use a 2700 calorie diet for weight maintenance. 2700 Calorie Diet Breakfast - 540 calories Snack - 270 calories (midmorning) Lunch - 675 calories Snack - 270 calories (mid-afternoon) Dinner - 675 calories Snack - 270 calories (evening) _______________ANNOUNCEMENT_______________ The Meter Bank is still helping people. To date 54 meters have been sent to people with diabetes, free of charge. To help with the current project the Meter Bank desperately needs the fulfillment coupons for the Lifescan Free Profile Meter Offer. They also need Lifepoints from Lifescan Blood Glucose Testing Strips. If you can help the Meter Bank by sending Lifescan fulfillment coupons, Lifepoints, information about new or used meters you can donate, stamps or envelopes please let us know about it. There is also a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) file about the Meter Bank. If you'd like to read it send your request to: xjmv62@prodigy.com -or- belve@aol.com Remember, this is a way to help other diabetics with things you might normally throw in the trash (except for new meters, of course) If you'd like write the person who runs the Meter Bank (Richard Thornton) send your e-mail to: batman@phoenix.net -or- arthur@tenet.edu _______________ARTICLE (Fiction)_______________ Secret Lives A long winding road led to the brightly painted mansion at the end of the road. A large tree limb blocked the road so if anyone wanted to get to the house they had to get our of their vehicle. How convenient. The whole town of Wondervale knew of the old Montique Mansion. "It's a legend in it's own time," was the line most heard by visitors to this town on the edge of Texas. The Montique Mansion had become a moneymaker for the town since the Mini-Mystery Series got such acclaim. Tom and his wife, Jennifer, decided to visit Wondervale on their vacation. They had heard of the Montique Mansion since it was the setting for many of the "Mini-Mystery Series" stories, written by Veronica Lassiter. Tom planned this trip for two years and he was looking forward to visiting the mysterious house that captured his fascination. As Tom's car found it's way up the road his wife couldn't help noticing that there was no vegetation anywhere on the road leading to the mansion. Not even a cactus. The only thing to be seen for miles and miles was blowing dust, "this place looks like an old movie set, but I know we're nowhere near MGM Studios!," Jennifer thought to herself.