ASK THE DOCTOR
ASK THE DOCTOR
by Wesley W. Wilson, MD
NOTE: If you have any questions for "Ask the
Doctor," please send them to the VOICE editorial office. The only questions Dr.
Wilson will be able to answer are the ones used in this column.
Wesley Wilson, MD is an Internal Medicine
practitioner at the Western Montana Clinic in Missoula, Montana. Dr. Wilson was diagnosed
with type 1 diabetes in 1956, during his second year of medical school.
Q. I am 70 years old, female, slightly
Quitting Smoking
QUITTING SMOKING
For years now, there has been a regular barrage
of documents, studies, and publications telling you not to smoke, especially if you have
diabetes. You know you should stop—but do you know why?
One of the complications of diabetes, especially
type 2, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, is circulatory damage: stiffening, constricting,
and blockage of small blood vessels. This can lead to all manner of problems, in the feet,
NEW WOUND CARE PRODUCT
NEW WOUND CARE PRODUCT
Long-term diabetes can lead to foot
ulcers—stubborn, hard-to-heal wounds and open sores on the feet. Without proper
treatment, these lesions can require amputation—and diabetes is the leading cause of
non-traumatic amputations in the United States today.
There have been only a handful of alternatives to
amputation in such a case. Now there is one more. Advanced Tissue Sciences, and Smith
The Clay Never Hardens
THE CLAY NEVER HARDENS
by Nancy Scott
"Who'd have thought I'd be learning a new
language at age 58," Billie says. We are in a van full of blind people going to tour
a local art center called the Banana Factory. Billie is talking about learning Braille.
"I took both Braille classes that the Blind
Association offered. I read very slowly and I suppose I need a lot more practice."
Billie's comments interest me. Knowing Braille
The Search for Anonymity
THE SEARCH FOR ANONYMITY
by Marc Maurer
Dr. Maurer, President of the National Federation
of the Blind, gave the following keynote address at our NFB annual convention banquet,
Dallas, Texas, July 9 1998.
Ideas expressing new understanding of reality
inevitably, if they are to be accepted, undergo a process of internalization. To
paraphrase the naturalist Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz, every great truth goes through
three stages. First it is claimed that the idea conflicts with recognized truth, and is
In Memory of a Leader
IN MEMORY OF A LEADER
by Ed Bryant
On October 12, 1998, we lost a friend. That
evening, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, President Emeritus of the National Federation of the Blind,
died, victim of lung and bone cancer. But his death, however tragic, is not the issue. We
shall miss him—but today I want to reflect on the life of this great man.
There are many ways to lead. Dr. Jernigan was a
leader in the truest sense of the word, for he inspired love—from those who knew him,
Insulin, the Bogeyman
INSULIN, THE BOGEYMAN
by Peter J. Nebergall,
PhD
This week, I've heard the same thing from a
number of diabetics, and I am horrified. I really thought we knew better. What did they
say?
With different words, it was all the same thing:
How much they wanted to get off insulin. They were determined! Never mind the damage to my
control, just get me off those needles! They saw insulin, not hyperglycemia, as the
enemy—the bogeyman.
Why is this? why are some folks willing to gamble
New Noninvasive Meter
NEW NONINVASIVE METER
Technical Chemicals & Products, Inc. (TCPI),
a Florida-based maker of diagnostic testing and health screening products, has begun final
clinical trials of its new "TD Glucose" noninvasive glucose monitor. External
studies and preliminary clinicals "have shown efficacy and substantial correlation
(98%+) of the TD Glucose System with current finger-stick glucose tests," say company
documents.
1999 National Convention
1999 National Convention
It will soon be time for the 1999 convention of
the National Federation of the Blind, to be held, for the first time, at the Atlanta
Marriott Marquis, 265 Peachtree Center Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. The Marquis is a
beautiful hotel, in a convenient, central location.
Although Marriott has a national reservation
number: 1-800-228-9290, do NOT use it. To receive our special rates, all hotel
reservations must be made with the Marriott Marquis directly. Please telephone them at:
Dialysis at National Convention
DIALYSIS AT NATIONAL CONVENTION
During this year's annual convention of the
National Federation of the Blind in Atlanta, Georgia (Wednesday, June 30, through Tuesday,
July 6), dialysis will be available. Individuals requiring dialysis must have a transient
patient packet and physician's statement filled out prior to treatment. Conventioneers
must have their unit contact the desired location in the Atlanta area for instructions,
well in advance. NOTE: