Utah Legislative Milestones

Utah Legislative Milestones

Health Insurance

• Diabetes Cost Reduction Act (DCRA)—SB 108 (2000)
• ADA sponsored legislation that requires health insurance policies and plans issued within Utah to cover diabetes supplies and equipment, outpatient education and medical nutrition therapy.

School Care Issues

• Glucagon and Self‐Management in Public Schools—SB 8(2006)
• ADA sponsored legislation that allows school personnel to volunteer to be trained to administer glucagon to students with parental consent and also allows students to test their blood glucose and selfmanage their diabetes in classrooms and anywhere on school campuses or during school sponsored activities.
• School Nurse Delegation ‐ Utah Administrative Code § R156‐31b‐701
• A nurse may, in accordance with a student care plan, train unlicensed school staff to administer glucagon; glucagon training must be updated at least once a year.
• School Nurse Delegation ‐ Utah Administrative Code 156‐31b‐701a
• A nurse may train unlicensed school staff to provide diabetes care, including insulin administration.

References

American Diabetes Association. (2011). Utah legislative milestones. Retrieved December 3, 2011 from http://www.diabetes.org/advocate/take-action/states/Utah-Final.pdf

Resources

Websites
American Diabetes Association
Stop Diabetes Movement
DiabetesPro
Diabetes Stops Here Blog

Professional Journals
Diabetes®
Diabetes Care®
Clinical Diabetes®
Diabetes Spectrum®

Please cosponsor the Gestational Diabetes Act

Ask Members of Congress to Cosponsor the Gestational Diabetes Act!

The rate of gestational diabetes is growing – approximately 18 percent of all pregnancies are now affected by this dangerous disease. Gestational diabetes carries serious health consequences for the mother and her child and places both at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Currently, there is minimal public health research being conducted on gestational diabetes and its adverse health outcomes. But the Gestational Diabetes (GEDI) Act of 2011, introduced by Representatives Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), would expand and enhance data collection and public health research on gestational diabetes and support prevention programs so fewer moms and babies will be at risk.

Ask your Members of Congress to support better health for moms and babies by cosponsoring the GEDI Act today!

Please cosponsor the Gestational Diabetes Act 

Dear:

Jim Matheson (US Rep for Utah District 2)
Mike Lee (US Senator for Utah)
Orrin Hatch (US Senator for Utah)
Barack Obama (President)

As your constituent, I stand with the American Diabetes Association in asking you to cosponsor the Gestational Diabetes (GEDI) Act of 2011 (HR 2194/S 1221). This important legislation expands and enhances surveillance data and public health research on gestational diabetes and paves the way for a brighter future for both moms and their babies.

The rate of gestational diabetes in the United States is growing - approximately 18 percent of all pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes carries dangerous health consequences for both mother and her child, including increased risk of preterm delivery, caesarian section and preeclampsia, a life-threatening disorder. It also dramatically raises the chances mother and baby face a future with type 2 diabetes and its complications, including blindness, kidney failure, and amputation.

The GEDI Act provides for better data collection and expands the resources available to fight this dangerous disease. Currently, there is minimal public health research being conducted on gestational diabetes and its adverse health outcomes. Expanding public health research to prevent and treat gestational diabetes and enhancing surveillance are key to a future when fewer moms and babies will be harmed by gestational diabetes.

Please become a cosponsor on the GEDI Act of 2011 today and support better health for moms and babies. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Sarah Carter
Salt Lake City, Utah

Great... :\

An article posted by the ADA on Diabetes Stops Here website (http://diabetesstopshere.org/2011/10/13/diabetes-gender-differences/)

What’s a girl to do? Looking at diabetes’ gender differences

Posted on October 13, 2011 by ADA

It goes without saying there are countless differences between men and women. And, while some of these are downright obvious and in many cases, quite humorous (hello, Venus & Mars debate), others are far more serious. This is the case with diabetes.

A recent piece from Diabetes Forecast revealed, from a health standpoint, women with diabetes have it worse than men with the disease. Studies show they are at higher risk for developing heart disease, kidney disease and depression than men who have diabetes, despite the fact women typically have longer life expectancies.

Researchers haven’t pinpointed the exact reason for the diabetes gender difference, but suspect it’s due to a combination of factors. For example, clinicians are unsure why heart disease risk goes up in women with diabetes but they do know heart attacks are worse because women experience different symptoms and may not recognize it as quickly. Another theory behind the gap relates to medical care. There is evidence women with diabetes may get less effective care than men, so medical conditions beyond diabetes may go unrecognized.

For any woman with diabetes reading this, we’re sure this is overwhelming and perhaps a little scary… but it doesn’t mean your health is out of your control. What it does mean is you need to pay extra close attention and ensure you’re getting the medical care you deserve. And, as always, don’t underestimate the power of good lifestyle choices, like eating well and exercising regularly. Remember, a few small changes now can lead to big payoff in the long run.

References

American Diabetes Association. (2011, October 13). What’s a girl to do? Looking at diabetes’ gender differences. Retrieved October 15, 2011 from http://diabetesstopshere.org/2011/10/13/diabetes-gender-differences/

At-Home A1C Test - LIED!!

I took an at-home, do-it-yourself, A1C test in September and the result was 9.5%. That is 0.3 points lower than my initial A1C (at time of T1DM diagnosis) of 9.8%, and 2.0 points higher than the 7.5% A1C taken in April when I went on the pump. I freaked out cause I have a wellwoman exam scheduled in early November and my doctor is going to find out how horrible my diabetes management has been over the last three months - which I, by the way, didn't think I was doing so bad at. The pump is supposed to help you decrease your A1C, not increase it!

Well, my insulin prescription expired in September and my endocrinologist would not renew my insulin for me without a follow up doctors appointment since it's been more than three months since my last appointment. Oh no! He's gonna see my high A1C!

Here are the official results from my A1C test drawn last week:

7.2% baby!! That's right - the at-home A1C test LIED!!!!

And I am so glad it did. 7.2% is looking mighty good right now and I am so happy my hard work has paid off. Yay!!

Step Out Walk Against Diabetes

Yesterday, 9/23/2011, was my diabetes one year anniversary. I cannot believe it has been one whole year already. 

Today was the Step Out walk against diabetes, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. My little team, the Do-Drops, included myself, my mummsie, and her best friend, Monica. We raised $400 toward a cure for diabetes!

Go Team Do-Drops!!

Please cosponsor the FIT Kids Act

Ask your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the FIT Kids Act of 2011!

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, and one important way to change the trend of childhood obesity is through strong physical education programs in schools. Under this legislation, schools will be required to: 

• report on the quality and quantity of the physical education they provide and ensure that students and parents receive information from schools to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle
• promote children’s healthy lifestyles by supporting the professional development of physical education teachers, health teachers and administrators

Ask your Members of Congress to make physical education a priority in our schools by co-sponsoring the FIT Kids Act of 2011!


Please cosponsor the FIT Kids Act

Dear:
Jim Matheson (US Rep for Utah District 2)
Mike Lee (US Senator for Utah)
Orrin Hatch (US Senator for Utah)
Barack Obama (President)

As a constituent who is very concerned about the impact of diabetes on our citizens, I stand with the American Diabetes Association in urging you to support physical education in our schools by becoming a co-sponsor of the Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act of 2011 HR 1057 and S 576.

If we don't take action, one in three of our children faces a future with diabetes.

Under this legislation, schools will be required to report on the quality and quantity of the physical education they provide and ensure that students and parents receive information from schools to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, this legislation will promote children's healthy lifestyles by supporting the professional development of physical education teachers, health teachers and administrators.

Physical activity, along with healthy eating habits, plays an important role in the prevention of obesity, type 2 diabetes and many other chronic diseases. We must ensure our schools are a place where kids can learn how to live healthy lives.

Please become a co-sponsor on the FIT Kids Act of 2011 and help our children move toward the healthy future they deserve. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Sarah Carter
Salt Lake City, Utah

Root Canal = High Glucose Readings???

Lately, my numbers have been unexplainably high in the mornings and I believe it is due to an infected tooth I have.

This particular tooth had a cavity in it which was discovered in November 2010. I went back to the dentist to have the cavity filled in January 2011. That afternoon, I was chewing on a piece a gum and felt a pang go through my tooth. I thought I had loosened or removed the filling with the gum. The filling was still there but from that moment on my tooth was very sensitive. Any hot or cold foods or liquids that touched the tooth would send a shock wave of pain through my lower jaw. It would take a few minutes for the pain to subside. I thought maybe the tooth was just sensitive, which I know happens after a filling has been inserted, but the sensitivity would not go away. Then, a few times during the night, I would wake up to a throbbing pain in my jaw that hurt so intensely that I would just hold my jaw and pray that it would go away as soon as possible. One night I laid in bed holding my jaw for ten minutes until the pain finally went away and I could go back to sleep. This weekend I had had enough and made an appointment to see the dentist yesterday morning. I told him about my concerns (pretty much all of the above) and he did some tests. He blew air on the tooth, hammered the tooth, and applied a super cold swab to the tooth. The diagnosis… an infection that has reached the nerve. The solution… a root canal. Yucky.

Fortunately, I believe the infected tooth is the culprit to my high nightly numbers. I’ve been going to bed in the low to mid 100’s, but waking in the low to mid 300’s! Your body gives off sugars when it’s fighting illnesses or infections, and I believe when I go to bed, my body goes into fight mode to fight the tooth infection, thus raising my glucose levels.

I am extremely nervous for the procedure (which is in one hour, eek!) but excited to see if this is what is causing my high glucose numbers, and to get them back into range.

My New CGM!



My Dexcom CGM



Three months worth of CGM supplies



Yay!! My CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) arrived and has completed my external pancreas! The CGM is a small sensor that sits in the interstitial fluid under my skin for seven days and sends glucose readings through a transmitter to a receiver every five minutes. This allows me to see blood glucose patterns and trends, so I can correct my blood sugars accordingly. It’s not a device that gives accurate blood glucose readings, but rather a device that shows me the direction I am heading, whether it’s steady, up or down, or rapidly going up or down. I think my CGM is almost cooler than my pump.

When I went to the Diabetes Expo back in February, I spoke with a Dexcom rep about the lag in readings and some other concerns I had about the device. She was very forward and honest with me, stating that the CGM does lag by five minutes and that finger sticks from a blood glucose meter are required to calibrate the CGM, but that both CGMs and blood glucose meters are imperfect devices. She reminded me that a blood glucose reading from a finger stick is usually off +/- 20 mg/dL, making both the CGM and blood glucose meters imperfect devices that work together to give me a clearer picture of what is going on. I am reminded again that I have to be the person to look at both the readings and trends, and make an educated decision on what my next move is going to be.

All in all, I am really enjoying my CGM. Just by observing my trends with this device, I am already planning on performing some testing periods (involving some fasting) to change my basal ratios, especially my night ratios. I would not have had this information to make this decision if I did not have my CGM… so awesome!

My New Pump!!

A1C Update

4/1/2011: A1C = 7.5%

♪ How low can you go? How low can you go? ♫

Wordless Wednesday

A1C Update

1/6/2011: A1C = 7.9%


By the way, the numbers below were not sufficient enough for my doctor... bummer! In order to get on the pump, he put me on strict carbohydrate counting and an intensive insulin therapy. Geezo peezo!

Glucose Intolerance

MD visit 9/23/2010


Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Antibodies
>250.00 (Elevated)
**These are the auto-antibodies responsible for destroying my beta cells in my pancreas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamic_acid_decarboxylase

Islet Cell Antibodies, IGG
<1:4 (Normal)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islet_cell

C-Peptide, Serum, ng/mL
0.4 (Low – normal range: 0.5-3.0)
**Once this number reaches 0.0, my beta cells in my pancreas will all be destroyed and my body will no longer produce any insulin at all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-peptide

Insulin, uIU/mL
9.9 (Normal - normal range: 6.0-27.0)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin

Glucose, mg/dL
334.0 (Elevated - normal range: 65-99)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucose

Hemoglobin A1C, %
9.8 (Elevated - normal range: 4.0-6.0)
235 mg/dL
**A1C is an average glucose over the last three months. I was diagnosed in late September which means I was diabetic in late June. I will never know what pathogen I picked up, or when I picked it up, that initiated my immune system to produce overactive GAD antibodies that began destroying my beta cells. June 2010 is the earliest sign of diabetes for me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemoglobin_A1C

Autoantibody: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoantibody
Beta Cell: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_cell
Pancreas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreas
Type 1 Diabetes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_1_diabetes

Featuring... Thanksgiving Turkey Hand!!

TuDiabetes featured another drawing, my Thanksgiving Turkey Hand!



Puzzle Pieces

Today I was very frustrated with my numbers… they were high. I didn’t think I ate enough carbs to make me so high and I couldn’t figure out why my numbers were not dropping. I even took a 25 minute walk 15 minutes after eating.

My coworker, who also has diabetes, reminded me that there are MANY factors that raise and lower glucose readings. He showed me that I ate a meal that had protein in it and the protein causes the carbs to digest at a much slower rate than eating carbs without protein, therefore my numbers will stay higher for longer. He also showed me that yes I walked, but I walked outside, in the snow. When the temperature is colder the body digests slower. He also showed me that when I exercise in an extreme manner, my body will release glycogen in order to fuel the muscles for the exercise thus raising my blood sugars.

He listed many more reasons why my sugars would be high, which all reminded me that I’m a walking test tube. I’m my own chemistry lab and I’m the only person who can track the numbers, find correlations, and apply them in my own life. He said doctors only know one piece of the puzzle, nurses only know one piece, nutritionists only know one piece, diabetic educators only know one piece, and it is up to me to connect them all to see the whole picture.

He also reminded me that 90% of the population has Type 2 diabetes from being overweight and sedentary, where a 30 minute walk 30 minutes after eating does a world of wonders for their sugar levels. I am an active, fit youngster and most studies/findings/advice about diabetes does not apply to me. I need to find how diabetes works in MY body by paying lots of attention to me and piecing together my own picture/puzzle. This will most likely take many years before I begin to see patterns in certain scenarios, like seasons, illnesses, menstrual cycles, holidays, etc.

By the end of the talk with my coworker, I felt much better. I’m not as paranoid and worried as I was this morning and the wheels in my head are turning with ideas and excitement.

Happy Thanksgiving

Featuring... Blue Diabetes Ring!

My Blue Diabetes Ring drawing was featured on TuDiabetes - COOL!!



Sugar-Free

Before I became diabetic, I avoided the term SUGAR-FREE at all costs. The words sugar-free meant instead of using good ol’ sugar, we’ve used artificial, man-made chemicals that cause cancer with extreme use. Over the last few weeks I’ve tried some sugar-free candies, fudge bars, and sodas and am torn between eating my sugar-free goodies and not wanting to ingest the artificial sweeteners.

For example, the ingredients listed on my Werther’s Original Sugar-Free Caramel Mint Hard Candies are:

Isomalt

Butter

Cream

Artificial Flavoring

Salt

Emulsifier Soy Lecithin

Anatase

Sweetener Acesulfame-K

Isomalt, Anatase, and Acesulfame-K???

There is also a warning, “Excess consumption may have a laxative effect” – What?!?

I’m going to have to Google these artificial sweeteners to a) learn about each of them and b) determine which are safe and which are not.

I have a feeling I’m going to be doing A LOT of diabetes related research.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Today is a very special day for me ~ today is my birthday. Today I am 29 years old and I am excited to be alive!

Growing up, my mom was told that her mom, grandma, and great grandma all died at age 33. My mom was terrified that she too would die during her 33rd year of life and on her 34th birthday probably breathed her first real breath in one year’s time. She had made it! My mom survived the curse and I know now, more than ever, how she felt and her relief, now that I too, have survived the curse.

After some investigating, we learned that only one of the three women had died at age 33, the other two died in their late twenties. It doesn’t, however, change the fact that illnesses happen and take lives. My grandma (Mary) died at age 33 in a car accident (my mom was four years old). My great grandma Zelpha (Mary’s mom), died at age 28 of pneumococcal meningitis. This started as an ear ache, which turned into pneumonia, which turned into meningitis - all lasting a little over one month before it took her life. My great-great grandma Zora (Zelpha’s mom), died at age 27 of pneumonia. She became ill on a Monday in January 1917 and died the following Friday. If it were not for the discovery of insulin in 1922, merely 88 years ago, I would be listed alongside my grandmas… I would’ve been dead at age 28 from diabetes mellitus.

According to Wikipedia, the term diabetes was coined by Aretaeus of Cappadocia (1st century AD) who attempted to treat diabetes but could not give a good prognosis; Aretaeus commented that "life (with diabetes) is short, disgusting and painful."

I am thankful that I did not have to suffer and die from diabetes in a “short, disgusting, and painful” manner. People diagnosed with diabetes, prior to 1922, died shortly after diagnosis. I am blown away every time I think about this. I have a chronic terminal disease. Diabetes will eventually get me (if nothing else does before then). I vow to do everything in my power to keep it at arm’s length, but I cannot escape the fact that I will most likely die from complications of diabetes. How about we celebrate sixty more birthdays before we let that happen?  ;)

Today is a very special day for me ~ today is my birthday. Today I am 29 years old and I am excited to be alive!! P.S. Today was a GREAT day!