AM score

My score of 105 at 3:28 am suggests my medications are working well.

test of blogging

Tests of blogging from the new address...

stress

For years after I was diagnosed, I was under a lot of stress at work; then *something made the boss back off shortly after I turned 60 and I am grateful for that. I didn't realize that the better control I started getting over my A1C and blood sugars was stress related.

 

I now routinely have much lower morning sugars and routinely come in just above the "normal" score at night. There have been a number of times I have under 125 in the evening and even lower evening scores than my morning scores.

 

It is nice..

 

 

Could someone have whispered "No Fear Act" to him?

Fwd: [New post] Diabetes Etiquette for PARENTS of teens

You're probably tired of getting these notes from me but I thought this will be germane in a short while (at our ages, a decade just doesn't seem that long anymore...)  I wish y'all well and Rylyn would probably become Miss America and an MD if she really wanted them.

 

Mike

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michael Bell <mikebell@netins.net>
Date: Sun, Sep 15, 2013 at 6:06 PM
Subject: Fwd: [New post] Diabetes Etiquette for PARENTS of teens
To: mike.bell@noaa.gov

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	[New post] Diabetes Etiquette for PARENTS of teens
Date:	Sat, 14 Sep 2013 20:53:20 +0000
From:	BPAN <donotreply@wordpress.com>
To:	mikebell@netins.net

Dr. S. Harris posted: " Stop trying to scare me with diabetes statistics.You've told me a million times that many years of high blood sugars can hurt me. I understand you are scared and want the best for me, but bugging me about complications just makes me want to tune you out" New post on BPAN Diabetes Etiquette for PARENTS of teens by Dr. S. Harris Stop trying to scare me with diabetes statistics.You've told me a million times that many years of high blood sugars can hurt me. I understand you are scared and want the best for me, but bugging me about complications just makes me want to tune you out. If I need motivation, it has to be something important to me right now, not way down the road. When my blood sugars are high, don't assume l've done something stupid (although I may have). It may be hard to believe, but sometimes it really isn't my fault. Blood sugars can get wacky even when you do everything right. Instead of grilling me about why they are high (which may have no answer), or what I might've done wrong, let's figure out what to do now. Please acknowledge when l'm doing something right not just when l've messed up. You may not notice it, but taking care of diabetes is a lot of hard work And it is not fun! I may not be perfect, but there are a lot of things I am doing right every day just to stay alive. A pat on the back for a job well done would be. Don't always be in my face about diabetes, but don't leave me completely alone with it either. I know this is a tough balance. I don't want to be constantly hassled about what I should be doing I need to handle diabetes more on my own. Still, though ! hate to admit it, I am glad to know you've "got my back". Let's figure out where you can trust me to do things on my own and where I could still use your involvement. Make the effort to understand diabetes from my point of view. If you don't have diabetes, you can't possibly know what I am going through. The reality is that diabetes is unfair, inconvenient, a lot of work, and it sucks. No need to cheer me up, or to tell me that it could all be worse. You don't have to fix it; instead, just listen when I need to vent or complain. Don't tell everyone about my diabetes, especially not during the first minute you meet them. Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is?  I know you mean well, but my goal is to fit in, not stick out. Everybody does not have to know. Give me a chance to let me tell people about diabetes when I am ready to do so. Recognize that I am never going to be perfect with my diabetes cam, no matter how much you want this. I know it can make you nervous when you see a high blood sugar reading or notice that I haven't made the best food choice, but let`s get real. No one can manage diabetes perfectly. I`II do my best (and yes, maybe I need to do even better), but I also need to have a life. Don't limit my activities based on diabetes. If you do, people may see me as fragile, sick, or think something is wrong with me. I can do anything those without diabetes can do, though it may require some creative problem solving. Sports, sleepovers, traveling, and parties are all things that can be done safely. Support me in figuring out a way to make it all possible Don't be the food police. Yes, I make choices that you don't like (and sometimes aren`t so smart). But trying to control what I eat isn't going to help; instead I`II just do my best to avoid you when I eat. Remember that good diabetes control is doable even if you don't eat healthy stuff all the time. Being a parent to a teen with diabetes can be a tough, frustrating job. You must walk a difficult path between taking good care of your teen while also encouraging independence. You need to care, but not care too much. We hope this card will give you and your teen some new ideas about how to survive diabetes together. No need to follow all of these etiquette points, and give yourself a pat on the back if you are doing any of them! Let this be the start of a conversation, a new beginning for you and your teen.   Dr. S. Harris | September 14, 2013 at 8:53 pm | URL: http://wp.me/p3N4dq-83 Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://bloodpressureanswered.com/diabetes-etiquette-for-parents-of-teens/

SHARPs

SHARPS Containment

latest scores

My morning scores have been a bit higher than of late and I hope this isn't hosing my A1C

3/19/2013	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
11/20/2012	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
9/20/2012	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
5/30/2012	07:45 AM - 01:30 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Double Red Cell
1/25/2012	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Double Red Cell
7/27/2011	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
5/18/2011	01:00 PM - 04:45 PM	Dodge City Public Library	1001 North 2nd Ave Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
1/25/2011	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Double Red Cell
9/28/2010	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Double Red Cell
7/27/2010	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
3/16/2010	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801
11/19/2009	07:45 AM - 01:30 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
7/22/2009	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
5/26/2009	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
3/23/2009	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
1/20/2009	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
11/24/2008	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
9/23/2008	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
7/29/2008	07:45 AM - 01:30 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
5/28/2008	07:45 AM - 01:30 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
3/31/2008	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
1/30/2008	07:45 AM - 01:30 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
12/3/2007	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
5/16/2007	-		,
2/13/2007	-		,	Blood
12/13/2006	-		,	Blood
9/19/2006	-		,	Blood
7/24/2006	-		,	Blood
5/23/2006	-		,	Blood
1/17/2006	-		,	Blood
11/14/2005	-		,	Blood
6/30/2005	-		,	Blood
5/3/2005	-		,	Blood
12/15/2004	-		,	Blood
9/22/2004	-		,	Blood
5/17/2004	-		,
3/15/2004	-		,	Blood
11/3/2003	-		,	Blood
8/18/2003	-		,	Blood
6/16/2003	-		,	Blood
3/4/2003	-		,	Blood
10/3/2002	-		,	Blood
8/5/2002	-		,	Blood
6/3/2002	-		,	Blood
11/2/2001	-		,	Blood
3/19/2001	-		,	Blood
10/16/2000	-		,	Blood
8/7/2000	-		,	Blood
2/22/2000	-		,	Blood

August medical joys...

Kathie,

 

We've got the physicals coming up and I've got a dental appointment and a Red Cross blood drive. I'll have to check with Dr. Copeland to see when my next dilated eye exam is going to be...(Oh, joy).

 

Mike

My DDC blood drive history...

3/19/2013	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
11/20/2012	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
9/20/2012	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
5/30/2012	07:45 AM - 01:30 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Double Red Cell
1/25/2012	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Double Red Cell
7/27/2011	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
5/18/2011	01:00 PM - 04:45 PM	Dodge City Public Library	1001 North 2nd Ave Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
1/25/2011	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Double Red Cell
9/28/2010	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Double Red Cell
7/27/2010	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
3/16/2010	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801
11/19/2009	07:45 AM - 01:30 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
7/22/2009	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
5/26/2009	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
3/23/2009	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
1/20/2009	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
11/24/2008	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
9/23/2008	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
7/29/2008	07:45 AM - 01:30 PM	Senior Center	2408 Central Ave. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
5/28/2008	07:45 AM - 01:30 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
3/31/2008	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
1/30/2008	07:45 AM - 01:30 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
12/3/2007	12:00 PM - 06:00 PM	Knights of Columbus	800 W Frontview St. Dodge City, KS67801	Blood
5/16/2007	-		,
2/13/2007	-		,	Blood
12/13/2006	-		,	Blood
9/19/2006	-		,	Blood
7/24/2006	-		,	Blood
5/23/2006	-		,	Blood
1/17/2006	-		,	Blood
11/14/2005	-		,	Blood
6/30/2005	-		,	Blood
5/3/2005	-		,	Blood
12/15/2004	-		,	Blood
9/22/2004	-		,	Blood
5/17/2004	-		,
3/15/2004	-		,	Blood
11/3/2003	-		,	Blood
8/18/2003	-		,	Blood
6/16/2003	-		,	Blood
3/4/2003	-		,	Blood
10/3/2002	-		,	Blood
8/5/2002	-		,	Blood
6/3/2002	-		,	Blood
11/2/2001	-		,	Blood
3/19/2001	-		,	Blood
10/16/2000	-		,	Blood
8/7/2000	-		,	Blood
2/22/2000	-		,	Blood

my meds effective 28 April 2013

Vitamin C - 1000 mg

Vitamin E - 200 IU

Beta Carotene 25,000 IU

Postassium 99 mg

Garlic 4000 mg (2000 mg twice a day)

Vitamin B complex

B1 - 50 mg
B2 - 12.5 mg
B3 - 50 mg
B6 -12.5 mg
Folic Acid - 50 mcg
B12 - 12.5 mcg
Biotin - 25 mcg
Pantogthenic Acid - 50 mg
Calcium - 118 mg

Glucosamine - 3000 mg (1500 mg twice a day)

Condroitin - 2400 mg (1200 mg twice a day)
________________________________________
Current prescriptions effective 5 May 2011

Glyburide 5mg take in morning

HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE 25mg (water pill) morning increased blood sugar

Januvia 100mg (diabetes) evening

METFORMIN HCL 1000mg (diabetes) 2/day

OMEPRAZOLE 20mg (stomach) ½ hour before breakfast

ProAir HFA (albuterol sulfate) (inhaller) as needed

SIMVASTATIN 20mg (anti-cholesterol) before bed time

________________________________________

I have given this drug list to Dr. Robert W. Hostetler, M.D.
620.227.1371
800.279.0429
fax: 620.227.1208

My drugs as of 28 April 2013

Vitamin C - 1000 mg

Vitamin E - 200 IU
 
Beta Carotene 25,000 IU
 
Postassium 99 mg
 
Garlic 4000 mg (2000 mg twice a day)
 
Vitamin B complex
 
     B1 - 50 mg
     B2 - 12.5 mg
     B3 - 50 mg
     B6 -12.5 mg
     Folic Acid - 50 mcg
     B12 - 12.5 mcg
     Biotin - 25 mcg
     Pantogthenic Acid - 50 mg
     Calcium - 118 mg
 
Glucosamine - 3000 mg (1500 mg twice a day)
 
Condroitin - 2400 mg (1200 mg twice a day)
________________________________________
Current prescriptions effective 5 May 2011

Glyburide 5mg take in morning

HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE 25mg (water pill) morning  increased blood sugar

Januvia 100mg (diabetes) evening

METFORMIN HCL 1000mg (diabetes) 2/day

OMEPRAZOLE 20mg (stomach) ½ hour before breakfast

ProAir HFA (albuterol sulfate) (inhaller)  as needed

SIMVASTATIN 20mg (anti-cholesterol) before bed time

________________________________________

I have given this drug list to Dr. Robert W. Hostetler, M.D.
     620.227.1371
     800.279.0429
fax: 620.227.1208

¿Moderation?

There are way too many folks who believe this!

some comments on juvenile onset type 1

My wife and I went to the Lone Star in Garden City, Kansas, with another couple (Sheryl and Larry).

My wife and I took our evening pills and I remarked "I have to check my blood when we get home."
Sheryl asked: "Are you a diabetic?"
"Yes".
"So is Larry."

I had no idea that he was diabetic. Larry and I both said we were type 2 and we discussed the pills we are on, We are both on metformin and glyburide and one or two other drugs as well.

Sheryl said they had a 38 year old son, who is a type 1 from the age of seven. He had "tried to be good" for many years but had "fallen off the [diabetic] wagon". Finally got a nice job, in his field (high class piano player for ballet), with medical and dental insurance. Then, he got talked into moving in with a friend in a different city. He gave up this good job and health insurance. He got a not so nice job with piss poor medical insurance and then his friend lost his job and could not pay his share of the rent. So, the son lost his apartment and had to move back in with Mom and Dad.

He ate the wrong meal choices, drank sugar drinks, smoked and drank too much. He went into a bar one night and only remembers entering the bar. He woke up in the center of a busy street with "paramedics working over him". He was extremely lucky that he was not run over. He spent three days in hospital being treated for hypoglycemia and this cost him like $8,000.

He recently got a good job with medical, dental and glasses insurance. When we heard this, Kathie and I both said "tell him to keep the job!" Sheryl said "we did". Unfortunately, this company decided they could cut costs by leaving Blue Cross for another insurance "provider". His costs have gone up and his coverage is worst. Still, he has medical coverage...

This sounds like my youngest brother Charlie's story. Charlie got fired from a good job and could not get another good job after that. He kept taking jobs with either piss poor medical insurance or no medical insurance. He went via ambulance to the emergency room and then checked himself into the diabetic ward. Of the three "visits" I know of, he owed $96,000 to one Portland, Oregon, hospital. (This hospital wrote off the debt as noncollectable. I had not expected such compassion or good sense from a hospital!) He ate a lot of pizza, drank Coca Cola or Budweiser and my wife once found a used insulin syringe in a pan of brownies. (A photo of this would have been an excellent example of irony.,)

Charlie finally got accepted by medicare and was accepted for Social Security payment for those who can not work.

Sheryl said she had given up on her son and did not want to know what he was doing, My Mother got the same type of despair about her youngest child and did not want to her about his health.

My brother, Charles Andrew Bell died of congestive heart failure at age 44 years, 1 month, 8 days on 10 December 2009. I still haven't gotten over his death...

screening bus

The Dodge City Lions are holding a District Convention Friday and Saturday at the new special events center. We are bringing in the state screening bus and will provide the following free screening on Saturday for:

 "Vision: basic visual acuity and field of vision
  Hearing: audiometer
  Blood sugar
  Blood pressure"

 

I think you will be impressed with this screening bus and will find the test results helpful.

 

http://www.bcbsks.com/AboutUs/Foundation/lions_mobile_screening_unit.htm

 

 

MB

injecting insulin in the head (toilet)

I saw a sad sight when I was leaving the Men's Room at the local IHOP this morning: a Father and Son were standing in front of the sinks. The Father was holding a insulin pen and was about to inject the boy. He said something that finished with "let the insulin work properly". The boy was in his early teens and much calmer than his Father. I watched the Father give his son insulin in the right bicep and I can understand why they did this in the "privacy" of the Men's Room.An injection at a table would have drawn unwanted attention and might upset other diners; as it was, it got my attention as I was leaving. (I still wonder what the boy could have done that would prevent the insulin from "doing it's work properly"?)

 

I fear he also makes the boy check his blood sugar in the Men's Room, which is too dirty a place for something as potentially dangerous as blood testing. The boy should be allowed to test at the dining table (screw the other customers if they are offended) or find some private table. Regardless, he should not blood test in a toilet room.  In fact, his parents should have quietly rigged the insulin pen and let the boy give himself a shot in the belly at the dining room table. He should not care if the other customers are offended!  (Perhaps the boy simply could not inject himself and needed the help? There were times when my Father and my youngest brother could not bring themselves to inject with the huge needles common in the 1980s and 1990s.)

 

I will admit it took me a long time to get used to openly checking my blood sugar at work and I am still successful in fending off the insulin needle! To be candid, I don't know if I would be any more sanguine about openly injecting insulin.  

 

It helps that I have a co-worker who openly test her blood and injects at the kitchen table at lunch. I know other diabetics who inject at the table and this simply is not a big deal. I am willing to put off finding out for myself!

As I have commented in one of the American Diabetic Association talk pages, diabetics are simply too secretive about their condition.

family cemetary stones

 

Two different photos of the cemetary markers; the copyright belongs to my brother Jim.

Just to remind myself:

 

 

 What's Cookin' with Diabetes
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 3231 N 14th Avenue, Dodge City, KS
October 22, 2012 from 6-8 pm

Presented by: Ethel Schneweis, Ford County Extension Agent and Kathy Smith, ARNP, CDE

 

What's Cookin' with Diabetes is a free, two-hour seminar prepared by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and K-State Research and Extension. For more details, click on the Diabetes 2012 (flyer) or Diabetes 2012 2 (registration). For more information, call 620-227-4542 or register online at www.bcbsks.com. Registration deadline: October 15.

Diabetes means pain, fear and death to me.

This may sound morbid but it is grounded in fact. Regarding the pictures^©, the first grave marker is for my youngest brother, the second grave marker for my parents.

My youngest brother, Charles Andrew Bell, was a juvenile onset (around age 14) type one. He fought the disease for years but I think he got tired. He lost a good job with good benefits and after that, either did not

have medical insurance or grossly inadequate medical insurance.  Due to inadequate health insurance, he would go to the emergency room when he got sick and then would go to hospital when he was very sick. He also smoked and “partied” too much. He died of congestive heart failure at age 44.  I think that being able to routinely see an MD could have extended his life.

My Father, Jack Warren Bell, was diagnosed as type 1 when he was in his late 50s. (I was in the Navy and not in close contact with my family.) My Father was retired USAF and, in theory, had excellent health

insurance (CHAMPIS). However, my Mother told me there were problems with the Portland Oregon hospitals accepting CHAMPUS patients. My Father smoked unfiltered Chesterfield cigarettes for 35 years (his count). He flew an SA-16 in the mid-1950s and flew into and out of lagoons in the vicinity of nuclear tests; this exposure to radio-isotopes lead to future health problems (his thyroid). He had triple bypass surgery and they took a vein from his left leg when he was 49. When he was diagnosed, he lost weight, worked out, and tried to eat right.  Later, when his diabetes began to overwhelm him, he lost his left leg to unstoppable infections. He died of congestive heart failure at age 68.

I am a type 2, with reasonably good medical insurance and have an MD and VA Doc I trust.  I am doing what I can to stave off the complications of diabetes and hope to outlive my Father. I have never smoked, consumed illegal drugs and got my “hard drinking” phase out of the way when I was junior enlisted (Navy) in the early 1970s.

Diabetes is a way of life.

It is also a vicious opponent with a multitude of tricks and fighting it can be most discouraging. Yet, I still feel hope.

^© Picture copyright belongs to my brother Jim.

extra

diabetic footcare advise

http://www.bettermedicine.com/topic/diabetes/diabetic-foot-problems?did=t1_rss4&hpt=hp_bn16

 

The above reference has some excellent advise for diabetics. I'll have to pass it along...

"A Day in the Life of Diabetes"

The ADA is asking folks to upload photos to facebook about  "A Day in the Life of Diabetes". I assume this means uploading to the ADA facebook page and have written "askADA" about this.

My Father was an adult type 1 and my brother Charlie was a jouvenile onset (age 14). Diabetes has meant early deaths in my family (at the risk of being  morbid). My Father 2 November 1925 - 3 February 1994 and brother Charlie 2 November 1965 - 10 December 2009. Both died too damn soon! 

medications as of 21 September 2012

This is  my latest collection of drugs. The main change was replacing Proventuil with Asmanex Twisthaler.

Asmanex Twisthaler 220 mcg per activation (2 puffs at night)
Furosemide 40 mg morning
glyb uride 5mg  morning
Januvia 100mg evening
etformin HCL 1000mg 2/day
Omeprazole 20 mg ec cap
Prfoventil emergency use only
Simvastatin 40 mg (1/2 tab evenings)

Byetta injection

This young woman is giving herself a byetta shot.  I kept the photo since she is just so cute!

upcoming blood drive

I am scheduled for a double red blood donation on Thursday, 20 September. Since this donation type uses a large needle for a lengthy period, I won't be able to do heavy lifting that evening. I will need help with the upper air.

 

MB

health status

This has been my week for medical attention.

I had my dilated eye exam Monday of this week and it came out very nicely. Dr. Copeland didn't mention cataracts so I'm happy about that. He did tell me last year that I had the fringes of cataracts. 

He told me my A1C had gone from 6.2 to 6.9. Since I really haven't been eating more, I conclude that not walking the treadmill has harmed me. I basically quit when the asthma began kicking my ass. I am now on a twice daily med, which has apparently put the asthma at bay. I thought about walking this morning but the new and much stronger water pills have me peeing a lot. So, I chickened out. I plan on walking the treadmill tomorrow and once again, plan on starting back on weight lifting this coming Moanday.

We'll see...

annual dilated eye exam

I just had my annual dilated eye exam and everything was fine. Dr. Copeland told me that had I not told him I was diabetic, he would not have been able to tell from my eyes. I was quite happy about this!

Dr. Copeland uses a lot less eye dilation drug than Dr. Tarwater did and has neater ;eye exam toys.

I will be able to drive home by myself next year.

wishful thinking

It would be very nice if my co-pays were to go down, my medical device costs (i.e. lancets, test stripes and eventually syringes) were to go down, my medical costs were to go down, my medical bills in general go down and the quality of medical treatment were to go up. I like to think "Obamacare" is the start in that direction. Unfortunately, it looks like the Republicans will win in November er and they will both kill off "Obamacare" and not replace it with anything.

Look for the misery index to go up and the death rate to go up.

type 2 down, asthma up

I am in the strange position of seeing my type 2 diabetes settle down at the same time the asthma is truly kicking my ass!  I went to the family MD and he put me on some drugs in case I had a lung infection and a morning pill to open up my lungs.


He noticed that I have not had a chest X-ray in ten years. Actually, the last one of June 2004, so it's about 8 years. I am going to drop him a note and ask if I can get a chest X-ray.  The way the asthma is whacking me is something that needs looking into deeper and that sounds like X-ray to me.

a note to "my" House Member...

10 July 2012

Tim Huelskamp

Dear Mr. Huelskamp,

According to news reports, members of the House are planning on voting on a bill to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The PPACA was created to solve serious problems. You have had two years to come up with a replacement bill that solves the same problems of:

·       Insuring folks with “pre-existing conditions”

·       Not cancelling health insurance when someone develops a serious illness

·       Keeping co-pays truly affordable

·       Keeping medicine costs and medical device (i.e. diabetic test stripes) costs down

·       Keeping unwed children on their parent’s health insurance till they are 26

·       Eliminating the Medicare “donut hole”

If you vote to destroy “Obamacare,”  please tell me what you propose to replace “Obamacare”with. Kindly refrain from saying “common sense” or “Kansas common sense” approach as neither means anything to me.  The phrase “incremental chance” is equally disingenuous. My math background tells me that an “incremental change” can be zero, positive, negative and extremely small.

What is a person to do if they develop a serious illness and cannot afford health insurance?

Going to the Emergency Room is not a free replacement for regular MD visits. An emergency room MD is focused on solving the problem you present. When I went to the Emergency Room with a broken ankle in 2007, the MD simply dealt with the ankle and did not inquire into my other medical problems. The mentality of an Emergency Room MD is:

“See the problem, solve the problem.”

I have a friend who has two grandchildren who are juvenile onset type 1 diabetics. What are they supposed to do for health insurance when they turn 26?

I know of a man with serious type 2 diabetes, who works 38 hours per week and does get not employer supplied health care insurance. He cannot afford health insurance. He has gone to the Emergency Room several times and is now deeply in debt.  What is he supposed to do?

There are many people like these folks, who have other serious problems and either no medical insurance or grossly inadequate health insurance. They are our fellow Kansans.

What do you propose to do to help them?

Respectfully,

Support Group meeting today

There is a Diabetic Support Group meeting today.  Given our county has a 9.3% diabetic population and  33,000 (roughly) folks in the county, we should have 3,069 members in the Support Group. I am hoping that one very ill individual will be able to make it to the meeting today.

I have officially been a type 2 for 8 years, 2 months and 9 days…

The group meeting was implicitly cancelled when the facilitator did not show up.  I was told, by the other attending group member,  that the group did not meet in June. (I was out of town.)

Romney opposes Romneycare er Obamacare

"Romney immediately vowed to make repeal of the law a major part of his campaign, calling it too expensive, too much government, and too much of a burden for job creators."

Supreme Court upholds Obama health care mandate

 Richard Wolf and David Jackson, USA TODAY

This is the Romney who created "Romneycare"?

Sadly, it is. I wonder if former Governor Romney is just jealous that President Obama got "Obamacare" passed when it is so similar to "Romneycare".   This is enough to make me wonder if former Governor Mitt Romney is just flip-flopping to get elected President. After all, former Speaker of the House called  former Governor Mitt Romney "a liar".


Someone once said that you should smile politely and be hopeful if a politician promises you nice things.


You  should believe absolutely when a Politician promises awful things.  People did not think he meant it in Mein Kampf but he did! 










http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mein_Kampf

Three consequences to the 9 black robes on "Affordable Health Care" Insurance

Here are what I see as the three consequences to the Supreme Court's upcoming decision on "Obamacare".

1. They kill it off; my quick thoughts on that.

2. They kill off the Republician created "Health Care Mandate". This reduces the money pool for paying medical bills and results in jacked up premiums. As those refusing to buy health insurance become ill and start buying insurance, they will bring their new conditions in with them. In the Republician sponsored universe, such new conditions would result in the FNGs not getting insurance.

3. The Supremes let "Affordable Health Care" continue as it is.  The Republicians will fight to kill it off and will use "lets kill 'Obamacare'" as the center piece of their Presidental erection election campaign.

If the Nine uphold this bill, I will send every one of them who supported it a Thank You card! Hell, I might even send flowers!

The Supreme Court made the Right Decision!

I was quite surprised that Chief Justice Roberts voted the correct way and wrote the Majority  Opinion!

Consequences of killing "Obamacare"

If the Supreme Court decides to kill off "Affordable Health Care", they will return millions of United States tax payers to their previous status of uninsured, sick and heading for early deaths. I think that every death from today on should cause the following questions to be asked:

1. Did the deceased have health insurance or health care with decent limits?
2. If the answer to question one is no, could the death have be prevented with routine Family Doctor visits?

If the answer to question 2 is "yes", then each of the Supreme Court members who voted this bill down and each Congress critter who refuses to reinstate the important parts of the "Affordable Health Care" bill are quilty of yet another needless death!

Each of these bastards should be occaionally notified of their current death count. On the first anniversary of the death of "Obamacare", each of these guilty bastards should be publically credited with their death count.  It would require the cooperation of the medicdal establishment but it can be done! 

It must be done!

Never mind!

The Supreme Court made the Right Decision!

I was quite surprised that Chief Justice Roberts voted the correct way and wrote the Majority Opinion!

Several hours to Supreme Court on "Obamacare"

It is now several hours before the Supreme Court plays God again and tells us their decision on "Obamacare".  I'd bet on a 5-4 to kill it and tell most of us "we can go fuck ourselves". I wonder if any of the "Supremes" are diabetic or have kids or grandkids who are?

Fucking diabetes runs in my family^*.

My youner brother, also a type 2, has a slender son (a marathon runner), who has a slender, healthy and very active 3 year old daughter. I told his son, "CJ", that there is nothing good or desirable about diabetes. He said, "we are watching [her] very carefully." My nephew was clearly worried about his daughter. After all, his grandfather on one side died of a heart attack caused by his adult onset "type 1", his Uncle Charlie also died of a heart attack caused by his  jouvenile onset type 1, his Father and his Uncle Mike (moi) are type 2s.

My nephew "CJ" has very nice medical insurance and can easily cover his family. You can't tell what will come later when a Republician eventually becomes President. I simply do not trust those fuckers! (I campaigned for Berry Goldwater, was a member of the "Young Republicans" in college (central Mississippi), and voted for Nixon in 1972, a decision I have never regreted.)

I wonder if the Republicians realize the average diabetes rate is around 9% in many places. I live in a county with 33,000 people, so that means there are

• 2970 diabetics in this part of Kansas
• 5% or 148.5 are type 1 and
• 2821.5 are type 2

in the county I live in. (I suppose the new 0.5 diabetics could be combined into one "type 2"?)   This is a really large number of people to have to consider what President Obama has tried to do for them and what presumptive Republician Candidate former Governor Mitt Romney would do to all of us!  I don't expect Romney to keep his Mitt's off "Obamacare" if it survives and if fG Romney becomes President. Maybe we'll get "Romney Care"?
Well, it is now 9:42 am CDT and time to go water my garden and otherwise get ready to go to work this afternoon. I can gin up letters to "my" Congress criters later. They are all Conservative Republicians who put the finiancial well being of the top 5% ahead of "white trash" like me. (I must be white trash as I am in the top 50% and will never be in the top 25%...)

I wonder how Tim, Jerry and Pat would react to "Obamacare" if they or their loved ones were to lose their health care? Well, they can tap dance on this issue when they send their weekly newsletter emails out.  Maybe I'll go off the wagon, have a gin-n-tonic and read them?








* I was not an English major; my BS required calculas and physics, so I don't buy the idea that single sentence paragraphs are a no-no.