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THE IMPORTANCE OF TREATING

DIABETIC FEET

by Kenneth B. Rehm, DPM

From the Editor: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control

tells us diabetes is the biggest producer of non-traumatic amputations in the

United States. Most of these will be amputations of severely infected, non-healing,

gangrenous feet and lower legs (86,000 in 1996, says CDC). Once things are that

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

by Kenneth B. Rehm, DPM

March 15, 2001

Greetings from Kenya, and congratulations for a most enlightening

and informative magazine.

Here at PCEA Kikuyu Hospital, we have a growing diabetes clinic.

It was started in 1993 by a dedicated certified diabetes educator, Ms. Jean

V. Suren who comes from your country. The clinic aims at providing up-to-date

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MY KIDNEY TRANSPLANT

by Karen Mayry

From The Editor: Karen Mayry is a long-term diabetic who knows the

importance of good diabetes control. Karen was the original president of our

Diabetes Action Network at its inception in 1985. She also serves as president

of the National Federation of the Blind of South Dakota..

Karen discusses her kidney transplant, an important issue

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NEW KIDNEY GUIDELINES

Adapted from material provided by the National Kidney Foundation

(NKF). For further information, see the NKF website: www.kidney.org

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a much bigger problem than previously believed.

It is now known to affect 20 million Americans (NKF statistics), one in nine

U.S. adults. Many of these people have no idea they are affected, so they are

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THINKING AND LIVING PRO-ACTIVELY

WITH DIABETES

by William F. Schley

Living with diabetes is no longer the struggle it once was. Living well with

diabetes, even with diabetic complications, is now possible through advances

in medicine and technology, but your mental and emotional condition will also

affect your diabetic health. It is possible to live a fulfilling life, to define

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LOW INCOME DRUG BENEFIT

While politicians debate the issue of Medicare prescription

drug benefits, some of the pharmaceutical manufacturers are acting on their

own. If you are eligible for Medicare, have a gross annual income of less than

$18,000 ($24,000 for a couple filing jointly), and have no other prescription

coverage, you should be eligible for the new Pfizer Share Card.

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EDUCATE YOURSELF

by Peter J. Nebergall, Ph.D.

Some years ago, an eminent neurologist warned me: "You can't

believe everything a doctor tells you. You need to separate the valid medical

advice from the medical nonsense."

I was irate. "But he's the doctor! He's the expert. How

am I, the patient, qualified to sit in judgement of his professional advice?"

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ASK THE DOCTOR

by Roger Barth, MD

NOTE: If you have any questions for "Ask the Doctor," please

send them to the VOICE editorial office. The only questions we will be able

to answer are the ones used in this column.

Dr. Roger Barth received his MD degree from the University

of Washington, completed his ophthalmology training at Washington Medical Center

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MEDICARE NOW COVERS GLAUCOMA-DETECTION EYE EXAM

Medicare now covers an annual dilated eye examination for all people considered

"at high risk for glaucoma." This coverage began January 1, 2002.

Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, affects about three million Americans—half

of whom don't know they have the condition.

The new benefit defines "High-Risk" Medicare beneficiaries

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TOMMY FORD - A PATIENT TO REMEMBER AND AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL

by Steven T. Boyd, Pharm.D.

As a health care professional who works one-on-one with patients, I know it

may take several encounters to remember a patient on a personal level. Patients

have unique aspects and genuine characteristics that make them special and contribute

to a doctor's long-term memory. But every once in a while a patient arrives