I know we all have our different ways that we connected with Elliott....well the first way that I connected with him was when I found out he was diabetic.

I have had diabetes for 12 years...and have had an insulin pump for five of those 12 years. I just thought this could be a place for other diabetics or people who have family members or know someone close with diabetes to come. We can share stories, give support, or just talk. I know it always helps me out to know I am not the only one going through stuff.

So feel free to jump in...I hope this is not lame.

I've been diabetic for 30 years. Am self employed so insurance is a major deal. Don't have pump, talking to my docs about it, but my deductible is huge...so who knows. Actually first preference would be for the new monitoring meters that work like a pump (wearable...24 hr readings). That would be a major deal to me...to always know where my bs was without have to work my fingers over all the time. We are talking about maybe getting one of those for me first, and then make the pump the kind that works with the 24 hr glucose meters. But, it won't be til probably Nov, early Dec when I met my deductible. Given the cost of these things, I can't do it without my insurance. After all, should get something for the $745 mo. I pay them!

And was an E fan before I knew he was diabetic.

i myself am not diabetic.....but all of my grandparents are (or close to it), one of my best friends and her mom are, and a family friend is. So i have alot of people that are close to me that do have diabetes.

Yeah I was too....but when I found out...that's when the "obsession" began. :)

Good luck with figuring out the insulin pump issue. I've recently been hearing about the glucose meter you mentioned. Hopefully I can get one of those with in the next year or so. That would be great not having to poke my fingers a million times to get a bs.

Dawn...so you have one of the pumps with the tube connection, right?
I've looked at the new "tubeless" ones with the remote. Too cool.
They are a little bigger, but I like that idea.
Funny to get excited about diabetic hardware, huh! so much new stuff in testing right now. Very exciting.

I don't have diabetes and don't know any "humans" that do. Howver, I cared for my cat who had diabetes for 4 years. In doing that I learned a lot about diabetes. The treatment for animals is the same as it is for people. I even tested his blood glucose about 3 times a day. After he (Magic) died my other cat (Tiki) was dx'd and I treated her for 3 years.

Neither of them died from diabetes. They both died from old age. Magic was 19 and Tiki was 17

[QUOTE][QUOTE]Dawn...so you have one of the pumps with the tube connection, right?
I've looked at the new "tubeless" ones with the remote. Too cool.
They are a little bigger, but I like that idea.
Funny to get excited about diabetic hardware, huh! so much new stuff in testing right now. Very exciting. [/QUOTE]

How does that even work? Tubeless just sounds impossible. I get So excited about new products coming out to the point that it borders being a complete nerd about it. But hey, anything that can make my life easier.

And 2lapdogs: I'm sorry about your cats. I just recently found out that animals were able to get diabetes. Crazy.

It has the unit that delivers the insulin itself, has it's own needle that punches into the skin....and a remote control see: http://www.myomnipod.com/products/
has glucose meter in it also (still need to beat up those fingers though!)

There is a product just coming off testing in 5 markets now that is a continuous monitoring device http://www.minimed.com/products/insulinpum...time/index.html


And this is one that has to be downloaded at your doctors office. My doctor has one that I think he will be having me use sometime over the next month just to see what is going on at night, etc. http://www.minimed.com/products/cgms/

Now all they need (besides a cure) is a tubeless one that pumps and measure real time 24 hours all in one unit.

Too many things, too many lumps and bumps <g>

a few years ago my vet thought one of my cats might be diabetic. It was really interesting since I have it. He said it is difficult to really control in animals because of differences in activity level day to day, etc.
Thankfully, he wasn't. I could see us both lining up for our daily shots!

I had a friend in college with Type I diabetes. She has to wear an insulin pump all the time, like Elliott. I think she was diagnosed when she was 7 or something. She didn't mind talking about it and I learned a lot about it from her. I didn't realize how serious it is! When I heard that E has diabetes, I immediately thought about my friend. It takes a lot of discipline to effectively manage the disease, but my friend (like E) never complains.

Go Elliott!

Diabetes runs in my family.
I should probably go get tested for it but I'm a big chicken.. seriously.. I'm terrified.

Everyone that I know of that has had it (on my dad's side)....

Grandma & Grandpa- Grandmother died well before my grandfather did. I can't remember why she died though. Grandpa had cancer and pretty much wasted away.

Uncle D- Also dead. From what I understand he died in his sleep. Came as a shock to everyone. He lost both feet b/c of diabetes.

My Brother- He found out he had it after he started losing weight for no reason. His body was pretty much just starving itself no matter what he ate. He went from 250+lbs to 140lbs on a 6"1 frame in months. Was literally skin and bones. He also started suffering from neuropathy in his chest area. Was in constant pain for the longest time until he was finally able to get that under control as well.
He is doing better now though.
Gaining weight back, minimal pain.. etc.

I'm sure others have diabetes on my dad's side, but since I don't care to contact any of the rest of them... I don't know.

Very seriously..no reason to be terrified. While no cure, the tools have improved so much in the last 10 years...and are continuing to improve. Yes, there are possible long term complications, but good control goes a long way to helping that.

It's something no one prefers to have, but it's something you learn to live with.
I don't have a pump because of cost/insurance reasons (a whole nuther #$%@ topic) so I do the shots. Becomes like brushing your teeth. Just something you do. The testing is a bigger pain in the neck to me.

The weight loss is classic w/type 1 diabetes. You'll find a lot of type 1's are thin.
Before I started on insulin my weight dropped to under 90 lbs and I ate like an absolute horse. Couldn't keep weight on. Geesh, if I had felt good it would have been great :P

It's not a bad idea for you to keep an eye on it since it is in your family. It was throughout my family also, mom's side of the family...every other generation female, and horror stories went along with it. But things have changed.

The "rules" you used to have to follow and the insulins were difficult, at best. But the newer insulins are so much better, and the docs have learned so much more about it that the "living guidelines" are much much better. and the pumps have changed everything.

Is it easy? No. But, speaking as one who has had it for a long time, it is much better than it used to be.

my grandfather had diabetes. my aunt has diabetes now.

I don't know anyone personally, but was very proud of my teenage son who filled in for me last weekend at the Walk to find a cure.