Fact vs. Myth

It can be frustrating to continually correct some myths that are commonly associated with Type 1 diabetes. So for the record here are some common misconceptions.

Myth: Taking insulin cures diabetes.

Fact: Insulin keeps people with Type 1 diabetes alive, but does not cure the disease. While there is hope on the horizon, there is still no cure.

Myth: Diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar or by being fat.

Fact: Obesity has been identified as one of the "triggers" for type 2 diabetes but has no relation to the cause of Type 1 diabetes. While scientists do not yet know the exact cause or causes of Type 1 they believe that both genetic and environmental factors are involved. Eating too much sugar is not, and has never been, a factor.

Myth: People with diabetes should never eat sweets.

Fact: Sometimes sweets are a must for Type 1 diabetics especially if there blood sugar level drops too low. Soda, juice or a candy bar are a fast and sure way to raise their blood sugar and prevent the onset of hypoclycemia.

Myth: People with diabetes shouldn't participate in athletics.

Fact: I'll list three. Olympic Gold Medalist Gary Hall, NFL player Mike Echols, and hockey great Bobby Clarke.

Myth: Only kids get Type 1 diabetes.

Fact: Type 1 diabetes, also known as "Juvenile" diabetes, is usually first diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults. However, people may develop Type 1 at any age.

Myth: You can "outgrow" Type 1 diabetes.

Fact: Type 1 diabetes is a life long disease.

Myth: If you are following your Physician's orders, ie: monitoring your blood sugar levels, eating correctly, exercising, maintaining your correct insulin dosages, you should have tight control over your blood sugar levels.

Fact: Even with tight control many factors including stress, hormone changes, periods of growth and illness can easily cause blood sugars to swing out of control. Teenagers in particular are more susceptible as their bodies go through many changes during adolescence.

New Research Project

JDRF has announced that it is partnering with Plureon Corporation, a biotechnology company based in Winston-Salem, N.C. that focuses on developing therapeutic applications of stem cells.

JDRF is providing $500,000 over two years of research funding aimed at developing an insulin-producing beta cell therapy product.

The results from this study may provide a new way to restore function of insulin-producing cells.

The project plans to use Plureon's technology platform to isolate adult stem cells from a Type 1 diabetes patient and re-program them to generate fully functional pancreatic beta-cells. The objective is to return the re-programmed insulin-producing cells back into the patient without the need for immunosuppressive agents, i.e., the patients own transplanted cells will be capable of glucose-dependent insulin secretion and the restoration of normal blood sugar levels.

Looks like something to keep an eye on.

Here We Go 'Round And 'Round...Up And Down...

That's the song I woke up singing. It's been running through my head all morning and it's making me crazy. It all stems from Jake's blood sugar readings yesterday.

Stabilizing blood sugars is hard enough for a Type 1 Diabetic but when you throw in hormones, adrenaline and testosterone in a 14 year old, some days it makes for a crazy ride.

When he came home from school he called me to tell me his blood sugar had dropped 3 times. After reviewing what he had to eat (same as always), bolus (none because he was low), physical activity (none), we figured it was just "One Of Those Days"... you know when nothing about Diabetes seems to make any sense...there's no logic, no rhyme or reason, no explainations.

After having him check his blood sugar (113) and making sure he had a snack I felt reassured that he would be okay until I came home from work. An hour and a half later he told me he was feeling low. We did his blood sugar and it was 37. He's only been this low a few times and it's frightening for all of us. We plied him with juice and Reeses and kept a close eye on him for the rest of the night.

I hope we don't have to get back on the Merry Go 'Round for awhile. Too many rides in a row make me dizzy.