Juvenile (Type 1) Diabetes Fundraiser

[Yasmine Galenorn]

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation supports the research and treatement of Type 1 diabetes. http://www.jdf.org/

An author I am acquainted with is chairing a major fundraiser/on-line auction for this foundation and I will be donating a Tea & Mystery Basket to the cause, containing a signed copy of the first three Chintz 'n China books, a box of my favorite tea, and a pretty tea mug (plus a few other assorted goodies). There are many wonderful donated goods to bid on and I encourage you to look through them here: http://auction.brendanovak.com/

The auction runs for the entire month of May, 2005 and is now open!

Why Am I Involved?
Because diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases today. Because it's a devastating disease. And because it touches my family personally. My husband has Type 1 diabetes, so I know on a very detailed level what strains this disorder puts on the body. While some cases of Type 2 diabetes can be controlled via diet and exercise, juvenile--or Type 1--diabetes is a different matter.

I watch Samwise try to calculate his insulin needs three-four times a day, every single day of his life, and there's no clear formula--everything alters your need for insulin, from working out to not eating enough to eating too much to not enough sleep...so there's a constant balancing act going on trying to reproduce what the body should be doing naturally.

About Type 1 Diabetes
Juvenile diabetes, also known as Type 1 diabetes, is an especially rough condition to cope with. There's no real knowledge of how it begins, though it's thought a virus may be the culprit. Those who have it--including my husband--must rely on several shots of insulin throughout the day to stay alive. Typically, type 1 is developed before the age of 20, although some people (like Samwise) come to it late--he developed it when he was 27. In some cases, babies are born with it.

What is Insulin?
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Insulin is responsible for regulating the blood glucose levels. When insulin levels are reduced, the body cannot utilize nutrients from food and an undiagnosed Type 1 diabetic will starve to death if left untreated. The lack of insulin causes the blood sugar to soar out of control and prevents the body from absorbing nutrients out of the food, which is why people who contract diabetes show drastic weight loss when they haven't been dieting.

In addition, the inability of the body to produce insulin can cause blindness, neuropathy, gangrene, and a host of horrible problems.

Can Type 1 Diabetes Be Reversed or Cured?
Type 1 diabetes, unlike some cases Type 2 diabetes, cannot be reversed or cured at this time. This is a serious condition that debilitates so many people, and we need to find out why it happens, and how to prevent it, and with a little luck--how to cure it, or at least make it more liveable.

Potentials For Better Lives
There are research trials going on right now that could make life so much more bearable. They're testing the injection of insulin cells into the pancreas. Once every six months or so, the diabetic would get a shot...while the cells would slowly die off (because Type 1 is an autoimmune reaction of the body and often leads--as in my husband's case--to autoimmune disorders like the thyroid quitting, and in some people, the adrenal glands shutting down), they would do so over a period of about six months, meaning the diabetic would no longer need daily shots, but only a shot every six months or so. That would be such a blessing.

Stem cell research is very close to several major breakthroughs that would--if not outright cure--make life much more bearable for those who have type 1 diabetes.

Together, we can find a cure. Be part of the solution. Make a difference.

Yasmine Galenorn :colorful:

[demitri]

this si a good cause. I have a 9 year old neice with diabetes

[Faery-Wings]

Yazza, can anyone donate something to be auctioned? Type I is near to me too- my hubby and his mom both have it, which makes my kids high risk. It can be heartbreaking and frustrating watching the ones we love struggle to keep blood sugar levels somewhat even. And I know you understand the moods swings they go through. Yikes. Hubby has been on a pump for 7 years and it helps, but lately his sugars are becoming more out of control.

My products are all handmade by me, so I am not sure if that is the kind of donations they are looking for. But I would love to put a basket together of some stuff if you think it would be ok.
I have donated baskets to La Leche and for Tricky Trays.

[Yasmine Galenorn]

Yazza, can anyone donate something to be auctioned? Type I is near to me too- my hubby and his mom both have it, which makes my kids high risk. It can be heartbreaking and frustrating watching the ones we love struggle to keep blood sugar levels somewhat even. And I know you understand the moods swings they go through. Yikes. Hubby has been on a pump for 7 years and it helps, but lately his sugars are becoming more out of control.

My products are all handmade by me, so I am not sure if that is the kind of donations they are looking for. But I would love to put a basket together of some stuff if you think it would be ok.
I have donated baskets to La Leche and for Tricky Trays.

Well, she has a note at the bottom of her page saying if you want to donate items, contact her--so it can't hurt to ask--I'm not really sure of what she's looking for outside of stuff coming from writers, but since the note is there, I'm pretty sure she's heard from some of her readers too.

And spreading the word is important so we find people to take part in it. Why don't you drop her a note, tell her what you make, that diabetes impacts your family, and you want to help out?

Yeah, it is a rough disease, and it's rough on all around. I don't know how many times I've caught Samwise before he's gone into a low blood sugar seizure, and there have been too many times I didn't catch him sliding fast enough, and woke up to pulling him out of one.

Yasmine :colorful:

[Yasmine Galenorn]

this si a good cause. I have a 9 year old neice with diabetes

There are so many people with both Type 1 and Type 2. And millions who are undiagnosed at this time. It's a harsh condition on the body. Type 2 can generally be prevented or treated with diligence...Type 1 is mainly at the mercy of outside intervention and then constant discipline and timing of meds.

Yasmine

[ChrissyK]

This a a great thread :) I am Type 1 Diabetic, I'm insulin dependent. Diabetes is such a life changing disease. I am pretty well adapted to it after years of living with it. When young children have diabetes it just seems unfair. There are so many restrictions on your everyday life when insulin dependant that it's hard not to be frustrated.

[melantha rose]

Many years ago, when I was 10 yrs old & in the 5th grade, one of my classmates died from type 1 diabetes (today known as IDDM-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus). It is a very serious disease that can also lead to death, if not properly cared for. Thankfully, we do know more about it than we did 25 years ago, when this little girl died, and less people die from it now. But, it does take a very serious attitude and tremendous effort from the person affected, their family, and the doctor to maintain it. Today, I am a nurse and work in a nursing home, but thanks to diabetes and all its dreadful health problems & diseases this leads to (like renal failure & dialysis, amputations from unhealed sores, blindness, etc.), we now have people of all ages living with us. Our youngest is 21 years old!! (oldest is 105, she's a sweetie & she's still kickin' up her heels) I have seen diabetes take a perfectly happy person down to depths of depression that made the person not care if they live or die--which makes the diabetes worse! Half of my patients are diabetic, some now with amputated limbs and some now on dialysis, which also drains the person of energy and will. These people living in this facility are my 'family' and I love them as such, and it hurts so bad to see them suffering. One lady in particular: as soon as she returns from being "plugged in" to a dialysis machine for 5 hours (which drains all your blood out of your body, cleans it, and returns it to you without all the toxins your kidneys were unable to filter out, cause they don't work anymore), I have to stick her finger and hurt her again, just so I can see how much insulin she is gonna need to stay alive; then I have to hurt her again, by giving her the shot!!(but she's used to it & says it doesn't hurt anymore-this is even worse to me) This kills me! I want to cry for her. She is the most depressed person I have ever known. She is only 44 yrs old. and because of her condition, she lives with us now. 3 yrs ago, she was a normal person, living at home. Now she is disabled and needs insulin 4 times a day & dialysis 3 times a week -- or she will die. Diabetes is an extremely unfair disease.

[Yasmine Galenorn]

This a a great thread :) I am Type 1 Diabetic, I'm insulin dependent. Diabetes is such a life changing disease. I am pretty well adapted to it after years of living with it. When young children have diabetes it just seems unfair. There are so many restrictions on your everyday life when insulin dependant that it's hard not to be frustrated.

It really does change everything you do--because you have to be so much more aware. *Hugs* and maybe, in the next ten years, things will shift and turn around if we can get the research going again.

:hugz:
Take care, my friend,
Yasmine :colorful:

[Yasmine Galenorn]

...Today, I am a nurse and work in a nursing home, but thanks to diabetes and all its dreadful health problems & diseases this leads to (like renal failure & dialysis, amputations from unhealed sores, blindness, etc.), we now have people of all ages living with us. Our youngest is 21 years old!! (oldest is 105, she's a sweetie & she's still kickin' up her heels) I have seen diabetes take a perfectly happy person down to depths of depression that made the person not care if they live or die--which makes the diabetes worse!...

Blessings to you for what you do--my sister's been a nurse for over 30+ years, she works in a nursing home too and so I know quite a bit about what nurses see every day.

Diabetes is such a hard disease because it's a real juggling act...we know all too well. I'm just grateful my husband cares enough to try so hard, and that I have the patience and strength to help him cope with the frustrations.

Yasmine :colorful:

[melantha rose]

I am glad, too. You are a source of strength he can draw from, but you already know that. I love to see families who care enough about their loved ones to take an active role in their care--whether in a nursing home or in their own home. So many do not. You are a blessing and I wish you both the very best. My heart goes out to you for what yall are going thru. It is also great that you have your sister to turn to in times of need. I know she can relate to what you are facing. Many blessings!!

[Yasmine Galenorn]

Here's a picture of the basket of goodies I'm donating to the auction. More info as to what's in it on my site: http://www.galenorn.com
Click on picture on front page, it will take you to a list.

Yasmine :colorful:

[SeaMyst]

My hubby is a Type 2 diabetic. He controls his diabetes through medication and diet. My daughter was diagnosed Type 1, juvenile on-set, when she was six. She's now 15 and on an insulin pump.

For those not familiar, Type 1 folks have to rely on shots to put insulin into their systems to regulate blood sugar. For children, this is especially hard as their activity levels change not just from day to day, but from one minute to the next. Trying to calculate a shot and judge what a child might eat (or not!) or do over the course of the next four hours is very difficult. An insulin pump can remove much of that difficulty. In fact, more and more adults are getting them as well.

The pump allows for a continuous drip of insulin through a cannula inserted just under the skin. This is changed every third day or so. (You do it yourself; it's simple and doesn't hurt.) Because you have the cannula, you don't have to do shots. Let me say that again. No more shots. The drip rate can be changed based on normal activity or sudden activity. Food can now be eaten any time - no strict regime to follow - and a simple calculation for the amount of food allows the person to add a dose of insulin to their drip - so to speak. No eating, no extra. Simple. More activity, less insulin. Less activity, more insulin. Suddenly, life's a breeze again.

This wonderful device can be programmed like a computer (which it in fact is) so that it behaves just as your pancreas would have were it functioning properly. Plus, it is about the size of a pager and fits in your pocket.

My daughter has been on the pump now for about five to six years. Her blood sugar levels are now easy to maintain, calculations are easy, there aren't any surprises, and she is no longer excluded from any activity or food that her peers enjoy. If you have Type 1 diabetes, please, please, please ask your health professional about the pump. Or go to www.minimed.com for more information. I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone. And did I mention that most insurances cover it? Wohooo!

[Yasmine Galenorn]

My hubby is a Type 2 diabetic. He controls his diabetes through medication and diet. My daughter was diagnosed Type 1, juvenile on-set, when she was six. She's now 15 and on an insulin pump.

Thank you so much for providing this information! It will be such a wonderful day when we can control this disease without the debilitating affects it has on people.

The auction is gaining speed in terms of donations--and it starts on May 1st. A lot of wonderful stuff there--and if you are an aspiring writer--a lot of wonderful opportunities you can bid on and help charity in the process.

Yasmine :colorful:

[Yasmine Galenorn]

The auction (http://auction.brendanovak.com/) is now open!

Yasmine :colorful:

[xxNeferitixx]

Its good to know that there is someone out there trying to help JDF find a cure. I have had type 1 diabetes since 2000. I was almost 17 years old when I got it. It will be 5 years in October since my diagnosis. I'm now on the insulin pump because shots and diet would not control it.

Thank you for all your work in helping with this. I'm 21 years old, but I sometimes wonder if they will find a cure in my lifetime or not.

Neferiti

[Yasmine Galenorn]

Its good to know that there is someone out there trying to help JDF find a cure. I have had type 1 diabetes since 2000. I was almost 17 years old when I got it. It will be 5 years in October since my diagnosis. I'm now on the insulin pump because shots and diet would not control it.

Thank you for all your work in helping with this. I'm 21 years old, but I sometimes wonder if they will find a cure in my lifetime or not.

Neferiti
They are so much closer than they were...if we can just get approval for stem cell research again, that will make gigantic strides toward it. They're in the beta testing stage, I believe, of--not a cure--but a procedure that would reduce your need for shots to once every six months or so. Samwise is really looking toward that. He developed Type 1 when he was 27, and it's been 12 years now, so we're seeing some affects from it...he now controls it pretty good, but his sugar dips so easily and I don't know how many times I've had to pull him out of seizures.

I hope for your sake, for his, and for everybody who suffers this, that we are able to find a cure soon...it's such a pervasive--and invasive--condition.

Here are a couple of hopeful articles:

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-research/ADA-Research-Foundation/islet-cell-replacement-research-profiles.jsp

http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=916


Hugs, and I hope the best for you :hugz:

Yasmine :colorful:

[xilfa]

I have brittle type one diabetes... when they finally realized what was wrong with me my blood glucose was over 700 and I was still walking around apparently just fatigued and too thin.

now I've had to add celiacs disease, cronic pain syndrome, cronic insomnia, fibroidmialsia, IBS, exteem food allergys, and mental illness to my list of ailments.

my diabetes is uncontrolled... as my blood sugar jumps all over. this is an important issue.

[Yasmine Galenorn]

I have brittle type one diabetes... when they finally realized what was wrong with me my blood glucose was over 700 and I was still walking around apparently just fatigued and too thin.

now I've had to add celiacs disease, cronic pain syndrome, cronic insomnia, fibroidmialsia, IBS, exteem food allergys, and mental illness to my list of ailments.

my diabetes is uncontrolled... as my blood sugar jumps all over. this is an important issue.

I understand the food allergies and celiac problem--both are rampant in my family and I have extreme number of allergies and food sensitivities myself...I have to watch everything that goes in my mouth. So does one of my sisters and a couple of my nieces.

Hugs to you, and I hope that a cure (or at least something to help control it better) is found soon for diabetes. I watch my husband cope with it every day (he's a Type 1 too, and has a lot of low swings), and it's something that has become a major part of our lives over the years.

Yasmine :colorful:

[Yasmine Galenorn]

I want to thank everybody who bid in the auction--today's the closing day, and it looks like the tally raised over $20,000 for the research fund...thanks to everybody who participated and sent their good thoughts!

Yasmine Galenorn :colorful: