Inclusion of materials in this publication is for information only; it does
not imply endorsement of any product by the Diabetes Action Network of the NFB.
To Our Readers
To hold down costs, both the Voice and many of our divisional mailings are sent via "bulk mail." When we have your current address, this works very well; but when we don't, the Post Office throws the Voice away, or returns it to us with a hefty "postage due" attached. They do NOT automatically forward bulk mail!
If you move, please let us know promptly. If the Voice doesn't follow you
to your new address, we may not have your new address. Don't miss a single issue.
Diabetes Supplies
American Diabetic Supply, Inc., will ship your diabetes supplies to your door. They handle all insurance claims and provide free delivery. Folks with Medicare and/or private insurance (no HMOs) may receive supplies at no further cost. For information, contact: American Diabetic Supply, Inc., 400 S. Atlantic Ave., Suite 108, Ormond Beach, FL 32176; telephone: 1-800-453-9033, ext. 200; website:www.americandiabeticsupply.com
Easy Diabetic Cookbook
If you want to prepare healthy diabetic meals, but find most cookbooks just too complicated, you need Linda Coffee and Emily Cale's new and improved Diabetic 4 Ingredient Cookbook. There are almost twice as many recipes as before, 350, in all food categories, with complete nutritional and exchange information, each one using four ingredients. The book costs $19.95 (+$3.50 shipping), from: Coffee and Cale, PO Box 2121, Kerrville, TX 78029; telephone: 1-800-757-0838; www.fouringredientcookbook.com
Newsline for the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind's Newsline is an electronic publication of major daily newspapers, specifically tailored for blind and visually-impaired readers. Newsline electronically "reads" all of each day's edition, which is immediately made available via modem to the local distribution centers. Users listen to the articles they choose, read to them in a synthesized voice. The reader is free to jump between articles, sections, and publications, and to pick the speed of reading to suit their needs. There is no subscription fee, and Newsline is not the Internet, so no computer is necessary to use it, just a touch-tone telephone. Service is available to any person at least legally blind. There is no charge.
For further information, contact: Newsline Network, National Federation of
the Blind, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230; telephone: 1-888-882-1629.
Test At Home
FlexSite Diagnostics makes home testing possible. Imagine being able to get regular A1c tests, kidney microalbumin tests, and cholesterol tests, without having to get yourself to the doctor. You can even get a veterinary A1c for your diabetic dog.
For more information about their A1c At Home and other tests, telephone FlexSite Diagnostics at: 1-877-212-8378; or visit their website: www.alwaysincontrol.com
Participants Needed
"Feet First" is the name of a new study headquartered at the University of Missouri -- Columbia. If you have diabetes (type 1 or type 2), are 50 years old or older, and have any numbness in your feet, you may be eligible to participate. If you're in the middle Missouri area, or have the means to regularly travel there (Columbia, Missouri, is its only outlet), this is one to check out. The study is already underway; but the team will continue adding new participants throughout 2005, until they fill their quota. Remember: It is through studies like these that we get our new and improved medications. YOU are needed!
Contact: Feet First Study, Dept. of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211; telephone: 888-434-0017 or (573) 882-4993; fax: (573) 882-9096; e-mail: [email protected]
The Growth of Diabetes
The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists reports there are 1.2 million new cases of diabetes diagnosed in the USA each year. That equals a new diagnosis about every 25 seconds. We all need to work to get those numbers down.
New Hypoglycemia Alarm
Diabetes brings with it the risk of hypoglycemia, low blood sugar. Some of
us need some help. What many of us need is an alarm, a device to warn us we're
going low, when we cannot tell for ourselves. There is now such a device --
FDA approved.
Diabetes Sentry Products, from Bellingham, Washington, offers the Sleep Sentry,
a wrist watch-sized device that sounds an audible warning whenever the wearer's
blood sugar drops too low. Not a blood glucose monitor, this noninvasive device
meters changes in body temperature and sweat consistent with hypoglycemia, and
sounds a warning in time for you to take action. Completely noninvasive and
continuous, the Sleep Sentry costs $399, shipping included, and may be ordered
from: Diabetes Sentry Products Inc., 1200 Dupont St., Suite #1D, Bellingham,
WA 98225; telephone: 1-866-270-5675; website: www.diabetessentry.com
Diabetes Education By Phone
Sometimes you can't find a diabetes educator. Maybe you live a long way away from the city, or maybe you're just not mobile enough to regularly get out to a clinic or office. Now there's an alternative to doing without these important services.
Integrated Diabetes Services offers Remote Services, the opportunity to work, by phone, fax, or e-mail, with a certified diabetes educator, in exactly the same manner as you would face to face. They can help you self-assess your diabetes control, refine your self-care goals, improve your self-management education, design customized record-keeping, and answer your questions. They offer individual follow-up sessions, three-month retainer, or 12-month retainer, and, they even have a program for new insulin-pump users. And you can do all this from wherever you are. Now there's no excuse to put off contacting a diabetes educator. Contact: Integrated Diabetes Services, 333 E. Lancaster Avenue, Wynnewood West Shopping Center, Suite 204, Wynnewood, PA 19016; telephone: 1-877-735-3648; fax: (610) 642-8046; e-mail: [email protected]; website: www.integrateddiabetes.com
It's Confidential!
The names, addresses, and phone numbers of subscribers to Voice of the Diabetic, and members of the Diabetes Action Network of the National Federation of the Blind are confidential--we don't give your name out. Many organizations make money selling lists of their customers/subscribers to others--which is where all those catalogs you never asked for come from. We have never engaged in this practice, and never will. We can keep a secret.
Virtual Insulin Pump
Smith's Medical, maker of the Deltec Cozmo insulin pump, offers a new teaching
tool: an interactive demonstration pump simulator, located on the web at: www.CozMore.com.
You can "test drive" the pump, check out its programming options,
and come to a better understanding of whether or not an insulin pump is right
for you.
Diabetic Supplies On Line
Pharmacist Bryan Luna, Rph, offers diabetes supplies, including glucose monitors,
online at www.diabeticsupplies.com . This convenient website is simply laid
out, and can be accessed in large print, too. For those without the internet,
telephone: 1-877-787-7543. They will file your Medicare, Medicaid, and private
insurance forms. Free product catalog; 30-day money-back guarantee.
Necrobiosis Lipoidica Diabeticorum
Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum (NLD), also known as diabetic dermopathy, is a condition in which reddish spots appear on the skin, generally in the front of the lower legs, though they have been known in the back of the legs, the feet, the thighs, the hands and elsewhere. Little is known about the cause of NLD, but some non-diabetics also develop the condition, and these folks generally come from families and groups with strong genetic predisposition toward diabetes.
The scaly, reddish-yellow patches of NLD have no known relationship to one's diabetes control or complications. They are not signs of gangrene, nor indications of incipient neuropathy. In fact, they don't appear to signal anything at all. If your doctor tells you that's what you have (and you should get his/her opinion), put a skin-moisturizing ointment (lanolin, vaseline, etc.) on them and don't lose sleep over them.
Our E-mail Diabetes List
Our Diabetes Action Network now offers its own 'listserv,' [email protected]. Although its primary focus is on blindness and diabetes, any and all discussions concerning diabetes are welcome. We welcome topics like: Diet, devices, healthcare, diabetes control, or how to improve the Voice of the Diabetic. Remember, please do not give any direct medical advice, unless you are a medical professional. Membership is free, and open to all.
There are two ways to sign up. You can go to the following website: www.nfbnet.org/mailman.listinfo/diabetes-talk or you can sign up by e-mail, by sending a message to: [email protected] and putting "subscribe" in the subject line.
Medicare Coverage for Insulin Pumps
Medicare has covered insulin pumps since 1999, for diabetics who have a specific amount of C-peptide present in their blood. However, the test to determine whether or not a type 1 diabetic met the criteria was not covered. Effective March 2005, coverage has been changed; Medicare will now pay for the beta cell autoantibody test necessary to identify those who could most benefit from an insulin pump. Some type 2 diabetics also use an insulin pump, and the new rules expand and standardize criteria for them, especially those with kidney disease. For more information, contact the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (formerly HCFA) or your local Social Security office.
New Diabetes Resource List
The Diabetes Action Network of the National Federation of the Blind offers, free of charge, the 2004-2005 edition of Diabetes Resources: Equipment, Services and Information, our comprehensive list of resources for diabetics. Diabetes Resources is our compilation of companies and individuals offering products and/or information to help diabetics, especially those who are blind or are losing vision, self-manage their diabetes. The list contains many subject categories, including: Insulin Measurement Devices, Insulin Syringe Magnifiers, Insulin Injection Systems, Diabetic Foot Care, Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems, Insulin Pumps, Products for the Blind, Food and Diet, Literature and Information, Distributors of Diabetes Equipment and Supplies, and Medication Assistance.
Blind diabetics can and do accurately draw up insulin, monitor blood glucose, and perform the other tasks of independent self-management. By using alternative techniques and products, they can continue being independent, and control their diabetes as efficiently as do their sighted peers. Limitations are usually self-imposed -- often all that is needed to overcome negative thinking is simply to know where to go for information.
Diabetes Resources: Equipment, Services, and Information (2004-2005 Edition) is available in Braille, large print, and 2-track (music-speed) audiocassette. The audiotape version is also available in Spanish. There is no cost, in any format. You can access it on the NFB website: www.nfb.org/diabres
Please order from: National Federation of the Blind, Materials Center, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230; telephone: (410) 659-9314. Note: the NFB Materials Center is open weekdays 8 am to 5:00 pm Eastern time.
Window-Eyes Lease-Purchase
Technology can do great things. With screen-reading software, like GW-Micro's Window-Eyes, a blind person can have full access to the working environment of a current PC computer loaded with Microsoft Windows. This is a great thing, for pleasure and for employment.
But technology's marvels do not come cheap, and not everyone has the financial
resources to obtain the latest programs when they're needed, which is, of course,
"right now!"
GW Micro announces a lease-to-own program. Instead of paying a big chunk up front, the user pays $50, gets a one-month "demo," and then renews each month for $100, until the program is paid off ($950 or $1150, depending on version chosen). Full tech support is available, and the versions come with at least one free upgrade. Once the program is paid for, it's yours.
For information, contact: GW Micro; telephone (260) 489-3671; website: www.gwmicro.com/lto
Full Service Diabetes Supplier
Access Diabetic Supply promises free delivery, no paperwork, and free in-home training in the use of blood glucose testing devices. Your private insurance is welcome, and they accept Medicare, too. They offer free blood glucose monitors to folks who sign up. Check them out on line: www.diabeticsupply.com or call: 1-800-819-8738.
New Diabetic Exchange List
The "exchange system" has been around for years. A generation of diabetics, blind and sighted, grew up using the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) Exchange List for Meal Planning. The National Federation of the Blind offered the ADA Exchange List in accessible format, Braille and 4-track audiocassette.
The ADA Exchange List has been revised and enlarged. The current (2003) version now deals with carbohydrate counting, with fast foods, and with substitutions. The meal planning lists have been reworked, and there are new categories.
For a copy of the Exchange List for Meal Planning, 2003, in standard print, contact the ADA: telephone: 1-800-232-3472; website: www.diabetes.org/health/nutrition/exchangelist.jsp. For a copy in alternative format (Braille, $10 or 4-track audiocassette, $2), contact the National Federation of the Blind, Materials Center, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore MD 21230; telephone: (410) 659-9314; website www.nfb.org
Healthy Cookbooks
JoAnna Lund writes healthy cookbooks. They are simple, "common folks" recipes, and all contain both complete nutrient counts and diabetic exchanges. There are three titles: Fast, Cheap, and Easy; Grandma Jo's Soup Kettle; and Fresh From the Hearth. Price is $10 each, or $25 for all three. There is no shipping charge. Contact: Healthy Exchanges, PO Box 80, DeWitt, IA 52742; telephone: 1-800-766-8961; website: www.healthyexchanges.com
New Hypothesis About Diabetes Origin
An article in the New York Times, May 17, 2005, relates the idea that diabetes might have its roots in the last Ice Age. There were five great Ice Ages during the Pleistocene, the last epoch, and, during the last one, genetically modern humans were present in Northern Europe. Could the sudden extreme cold be a factor in the development of type 1 diabetes?
Maybe. Certain diseases are the result of genetic adaptations against other diseases; the best example being sickle-cell anemia, a double dose of a trait which in single-dose confers immunity against malaria. Was type 1 a similar response to the cold environment? And how would one test this hypothesis?
The researchers point out that type 1 is most prevalent among caucasians of Northern European ancestry. They point out one needs only live long enough to reproduce -- but some of their ideas, while interesting, take us nowhere. More research might someday yield a genetic "marker" for type 1 diabetes -- but until we have that marker, attempting to retrodict causality is a parlor exercise.
Diabetic Foot Products
The following products were specifically designed by Dr. Kenneth B. Rehm, DPM, to help treat diabetic conditions of the human foot.
* DiabetiCream; $30 (plus S&H) for a 4-oz. tube. Apply to clean, dry feet, to help alleviate dryness and cracking. Use with massage will help circulation.
* ToeSoak; $20 each (plus S&H). Foot shampoo.
* ToesEase; (foot and toenail cleaner) $20 (plus S&H) for an 8-oz. supply.
All these products are available from: The Diabetic Foot and Wound Treatment Center, 1529 Grand Avenue, Suite C, San Marcos, CA 92069; telephone: (760) 744-5226; website: www.thediabeticfoot.com
Voice Formats
Voice of the Diabetic is offered in two formats: standard print, and 15/16 ips audiocassette, "talking book" speed. Anyone who is currently receiving the Voice in print and having difficulty reading it, may receive it on cassette at no charge. Voice tapes REQUIRE the special tape player available free to the legally blind from Regional Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, which can be obtained by telephoning the National Library Service at: 1-800-424-8567. Note: Attempting to play Voice tapes (or any other tapes recorded for the Blind in NLS format) on a conventional music-speed tape player will fail, yielding only incomprehensible "chipmunk sounds."
Periodically we receive requests for the Voice in Braille or large print. It is not available in either of those formats at this time.
All a subscriber needs to do, to switch from standard print to tape, or to receive both formats, free of charge, is contact us at the Voice of the Diabetic Editorial Office.
In The Next Issue
Next issue, Voice, Volume 20, No. 4, October 2005 edition, along
with our usual columns and features, recipes, news releases, and medical/dietary
advice, we will feature an interview with a lady who has had type 1 diabetes
for 82 years. Be sure to check out this incredible story.
Articles Needed
If you have diabetes, are a family member or friend of a diabetic, or a health professional with an interest in diabetes, we invite you to submit an article for publication in the Voice of the Diabetic.
Our philosophy regarding diabetes is positive. Do you have an inspiring, enlightening story? We, the Diabetes Action Network of the National Federation of the Blind, seek to show people they are not alone, and do have options, regardless of diabetic complications. If you have experienced ramifications, others, who may be facing the same side-effects, could benefit from what you have to say.
Perhaps you have not experienced complications--your unique insight, coping strategies, and lifestyle can still inspire others. Are you a relative, a friend, or a health professional? More than 345,214 Voice readers could benefit from your story.
For information and article submission guidelines, contact: Voice of the
Diabetic, 1412 I-70 Drive SW, Suite C, Columbia, MO 65203; telephone: (573)
875-8911.
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SUBSCRIPTION/DONATION FORM
Voice of the Diabetic, your free diabetes magazine, is published four times a year by the Diabetes Action Network of the National Federation of the Blind. If you want to start receiving it, please fill in the blanks below, and return it to us, by mail or fax. Also, you may contact us directly, and tell us, by e-mail ([email protected]), by phone: (573) 875-8911, or by fax: (573) 875-8902. Again, there is no charge.
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RETURN THIS DOCUMENT TO: Voice of the Diabetic, 1412 I-70 Drive SW, Suite C, Columbia, MO 65203; e-mail: [email protected]; website: www.nfb.org/voice.htm