Insulin puffers story

Griff Griffith · Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

What a hornets' nest I stirred up! Didn't mean to get the T1's and T2's at
each others throats and arguing about who has got it worst. My comment was
aimed at the uneducated who talk about 'mild' diabetes as if it doesn't need
the same level of care - although the care may be different. I wish I had
£1 for everyone I've met who's told me "My doctor says I have the mild type
of diabetes, so it doesn't affect me too much" - one such lady recently,
after telling me this, proceeded to have a couple of sandwiches, two pieces
of iced (frosted) cake and a couple of biscuits (cookies) for tea. I
offered to test her BG for her later that evening - it was almost of the
scale. She doesn't test herself - her GP has told her that she doesn't need
to! She has, though, cut out sugar in her coffee and tea at his suggestion.
She was surprised to learn that her failing eyesight, problems with her
feet, getting up three or four times each night to visit the bathroom, etc,
etc, might be something to do with her diabetes "as I only have the mild
type, not like yours". As long as there are journalists too lazy to
understand their subject before bursting into print (not just about diabetes
but about most topics!!), then I will continue to argue my case.
Journalists talk about their calling as a 'profession' - it's about time
some of them started acting like as if they were professionals.

[Glad to have got that rant of my chest - over to you]

--
Griff Griffith
T2 since December 1990
Basal/bolus insulin & Metformin since May 2003
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

"Griff Griffith" wrote in message@212.67.96.135...
> Any news story that refers to Type II diabetes as "a milder form" deserves
> to be immediately sent to the trash can. "Mild" diabetes is like "mild"
> pregnancy. If a journalist can't get that right, then how can you trust
> any of the rest of the piece?
>
> --
> Griff Griffith
> T2 since December 1990
> Basal/bolus insulin & Metformin since May 2003
> =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
>
> "Wilson da Silva" wrote in message
> @posting.google.com...
> > Thought the following might be of interest ...
> >
> > Insulin puffers as effective as injections
> >
> > Trials with experimental insulin inhalers show they are as effective
> > as injections - and that diabetics much prefer them, an analysis of
> > existing studies has found.
> >
> > http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s909977.htm
>
>

Archived from group: misc>health>diabetes

oldal4865 · Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

cookoonest wrote in message ...
>If this is all true why is there such a stigma (by society) regarding Type
1
>and not type 2?
>
>I have been classified as Type 2 by my doctor but she says I should really
>be a type 1. I have strongly resisted this because of the legal and
>financial ramifications.
>
>Why all this game playing? Why penalize one who is type 1 when there is so
>much confusion as to what is a type 1 or type 2.
>
>Maybe I should just put down that I have leprosy and get it all over.
>

Type 1 diabetics are "thought" to suffer from all sorts of frightening
stuff such as fainting while driving, needing enormous amounts of sick
days, requiring special consideration in the work place and occasionally
flying into beserk-type rages.

Type 2 diabetics are "thought" to have a few problems with desserts, but
can take a pill and "fix it all up"

Therefore, your doc is doing you a favor by keeping T1 out of your medical
records.

Gallows Humor: My doc treated me for a year and a half without
"labeling" me as diabetic. I walked in with an HbA1c of 12, reporting
sugar in my urine and 200+ bG, but he avoided "diagnosing" me as one of
"those diabetics" until he had to write prescriptions.

He still has me down as T2 on his charts, and on the lab test forms. It's a
defensible statement since he hasn't spent my money to "prove" that I am T1
and not T2.

You work the system as best you can.

Regards
Old Al

Beav · Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 16

"Nico Kadel-Garcia" wrote in message$Qs2.734@nwrdny03.gnilink.net...
> Griff Griffith wrote:
>
> > Any news story that refers to Type II diabetes as "a milder form"
deserves
> > to be immediately sent to the trash can. "Mild" diabetes is like "mild"
> > pregnancy. If a journalist can't get that right, then how can you
trust
> > any of the rest of the piece?
>
> Griff? I hate to tell you this, but it is in fact milder. It's the
> difference between nearsighted and flat-out blind. Us Type 1's don't
> have *any* insulin to work with, at least after the honeymoon phase.

Granted we don't have any of our OWN insulin Nico, but the stuff we inject
does a pretty good job of controlling our BG's even when we're a bit lazy
with our diet. I CERTAINLY wouldn't want to swap places with a T2 "mild"
diabetic, because even if they have LOTS of their own insulin, it doesn't
work too good, so diet is more "compulsory" than for us.

They may not suffer from the huge spikes that we do, but maybe they do (I
don't know) but insulin injected to lower their highs isn't going to work as
quickly as it does with an insulin sensitive T1 like I am.

I despise the label "mild" as much as I despise the label "severe" because
neither of them are factual. We hear (or read)reporters say "mild" when they
refer to T2's and "severe" when referring to a diabetic who has to inject
more than once per day, but as MOST of us (T1's AND T2's) inject many more
times than that, where's the seperation line?

It's all old bollocks if you ask me.

Beav

Beav · Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 16

"cookoonest" wrote in message$5e.460873@twister.socal.rr.com...
> Have you filled out an application for Life Insurance lately?
>
> If you have, you will know that there is great concern when you state you
> have Type1 (insulin dependent) diabetes. There is no concern, and not even
> any question, regarding type 2 diabetes.
>
> Stating you have type 1 is reason for underwriters to reject your
> application for a policy or at least require you to pay a much higher
> premium or reduce the face value of the policy.
>
> Its a fact that insurance underwriters DO "confuse stigma with risk
> statistics".
>
> Thats a REALITY.

Yep, I'm with you on this too Mack. I can't GET life insurance since I've
been diabetic (T1) without (a) paying through the snotbox and (b) having
MUCH less of a payout and of course, if I die from ANYTHING related to
diabetes, my missus get's nothing. Then we have to ask "What could I die
from that CAN'T be linked to my diabetes"? and the answer is simple. Bugger
all, so a life insurance policy is a total waste of money if you're a T1.
(I still hate the "mild" and "severe" lables though)

Beav

cindimobxnc · Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 5

On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 02:06:19 GMT, "William C Biggs, MD"
wrote:

>Bill,
>
>The puffers are relatively big.

Are the big compared to a Serevent Diskus inhaler, or an albuterol
inhaler? (both of which I use for asthma)

Cindi

Ted Rosenberg · Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 11

The ones I have seen are a little larger than an albuteral WITH THE
LARGE SPACER!

Much bifgger then the little serevent, or the albuteral without a spacer

cindimobxnc@earthlink.net wrote:

> On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 02:06:19 GMT, "William C Biggs, MD"
> wrote:
>
>
>>Bill,
>>
>>The puffers are relatively big.
>
>
>
> Are the big compared to a Serevent Diskus inhaler, or an albuterol
> inhaler? (both of which I use for asthma)
>
> Cindi