The Corner Booth

As predicted, the whole Pump Hacking issue in the news has led to some of those unintended consequences we in the diabetes community feared. Word came recently that two influential and high-ranking Congress members have taken an interest in this "pump hacking" issue and requested that the Government Accountability Office conduct a review of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) actions in regard to wireless medical devices. Both Democratic Reps. Anna G. Eshoo from California and Edward Markey from Massachusetts pushed this after reading about this "pump hacking" issue in the media . So unfortunately, now comes the necessary response to not only these particular elected individuals but also to others who have a Congressional-voice and may be brought into all of this. I am sending the below letter to my own House and Senate leaders from Indiana, those who are on this committee, and to the FDA that is concerned with these issues. I encourage others to ...

Somehow, there's a tell-tale sign that a suddenly-influential Low is creeping into my world while I'm at work: “ I miss my dog.” And that seemingly-innocent thought leads to all kinds of hypo-craziness, apparently. That realization came earlier this week, actually on the EXACT SAME DAY that similar circumstances played out two years earlier. On a Thursday afternoon in mid-August, at 3:30 p.m. Then: Aug. 18, 2009. Now: Aug. 20, 2011. My parents happened to be visiting from out of town then, too. Uncanny coincidences can’t even describe the eeriness of this latest example of Lows in the Workplace, that mirrored those that played out in 2009. These hypos can come out of nowhere and punch you in the gut. Or, as Kim from Texting My Pancreas says , it’s like you are being hit with a “huge Incredible Hulk fist made of concrete and carbonite.” And so it was. Just as before, I found myself at my desk thinking about my black lab, Riley. Missing her. Wanting to see her, jump arou...

We were watching the disaster-themed movie marathon on Sci Fi recently, and a crazy D-scenario came to mind: What if THAT particular apocalyptic situation played out and those of us People With Diabetes had to maneuver our own survival? Hmm. This particular flick was a 2009 TV-movie Polar Storm , with the plot basically being that a comet collides with Earth and knocks the planet of its axis, throwing off its magnetic field and causing some crazy EMP bursts that randomly appear and short any electronic device going at the time. So, any cars or cell phones - and anyone touching those at the time of the burst - would pretty much be out of luck. ( Disclaimer: the fact that I was actually watching this movie should in no way signal my endorsement for others to watch it, or hint that my thumbs are in any way pointing upwards when describing the quality of this screen-writing... It was just a way to pass some time without having to exercise the mind. Seriously. ) Anyhow. As some of ...

Today, I'm honored to open up The D-Corner Booth to a good friend here in Indiana who's a true inspiration. This guest post comes from Michael K. Schwab, a 51-year old Type 1 diagnosed almost four decades ago who I had the pleasure of meeting at an Adult D-Meetup in Indianapolis earlier this year. We got to talking about careers, music, and exercise and he agreed to guest-blog for me about his own adventures from career choices, exercise fun, and musical talent. Let's just say: You've all heard The Monster Mash ... well, here's a guy who's going to make The Beta Cell Bash the newest thing for the D-World (something that very well may make him eligible for a future Blunt Lancet Tour or upcoming D-Prom-A-Palooza some day!) You can find Mike over on Facebook , and as well as at The Indiana Cure Chasers since he's the coach of the JDRF Ride Team Indiana. So, with that - take it away, Mike! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -...

Badge created by Meredith from With a Side of Insulin One of my fellow Diabetes Advocates Cara recently came up with a great idea to reach more people outside of the diabetes online universe and bring them into this community. Her "Your Voice Project" is a wonderfully-clever spin on guest-blogging and something we can all embrace to expand the DOC's reach and bring more people into this outstanding community of support. So, I asked Cara if I could point some of my upcoming guest-posters from my own D-Community offline and she agreed that'd be cool.   So, here's the first: Jenna Holt, a 24-year old Type 1 diagnosed about seven years ago and the newest leader of the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana that runs the Camp Until A Cure . You can find her on Facebook , and with that I'll let Jenna take it away: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I was diagnosed late in the game, at age 17. People liked to comment on whether it was easier being older and able to...

We remember, and in your memory we focus on the future... Those in the Diabetes Community who we've lost too early. Most recently . And over time . Then, there are those shining beacons that we've lost from outside the D-World, whose lives and spirits touch us all.  Eleanor Josaitis, co-founder of Focus: HOPE in Detroit, who was a beacon of hope for that community and died Aug. 9. Even in loss, we go on. "I pray for the wisdom to listen, and the courage to act." - Eleanor Josaitis, of Focus: HOPE in Detroit.

Finally, the FDA is exploring a diabetes innovation that is long overdue: Low Glucose Suspend. Basically, the CGM-component allowing an insulin pump to detect what your blood sugar is at and shut off it reaches a certain threshold that's too Low for comfort. This allows someone who may very well be sleeping overnight to not drop any lower with continued insulin before being able to treat, wake up, or at least become aware that something isn't right. Worldwide, this is already available and the U.S. is simply behind - mostly because of the FDA's reluctance to approve this and ask the important questions to assess why this option is so necessary. But now, that's happening. The FDA has released some draft guidelines that are up for public comment, and want to hear what everyone thinks about the proposal. Bennet over at YDMV has a great write-up about this, and he is just one of the many Diabetes Advocates who's hoping the broader Diabetes Community will get word...

So, there was this hacker’s conference in Las Vegas recently. That was where Jay Radcliffe, a security researcher and fellow Type 1 diabetic, gave a presentation about his findings that someone could remotely hack into insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors to manipulate data and even control the devices. Some specialty publications picked up the story, as did the Associated Press and then basically the same story ran in a number of newspapers nationwide, including U.S.A Today . Eventually TV media-players like Fox and CBS picked it up with their own variations, too. Headlines and stories reiterated the basic point of what Jay said at the conference: ' Hackers can do this to kill people using these devices, and we should all be concerned ." This issue came up earlier in the year with an MSNBC article on hackable medical devices , and this is the latest highlighting a topic that may very well be possible and a concern for those of us using these devices. That...

Yes, I CAN eat ice cream. Loved this hot fudge sundae, with a cherry on top... (SWAG = 50g -> I'll leave your mind working on how that D-Math worked out...) Take THAT, Wendell! And THIS... See that window to the right there? I believe that's the office of a certain publisher... So, Take THAT Southside Times... Even on your own FRONT STEPS, I have no problem eating ice cream. And so can the rest of the Diabetes Community . Not matter what you say or write, those of us Living With Diabetes are more than capable of eating ice cream even as we do what we do in managing our D-Lives and overall health effectively. DON'T tell us otherwise, or pretend to know what's best for OUR worlds. This is what I think of your writing... Thanks for playing.

A news story came out recently in the Washington Post, discussing the federal government's proposed sweeping revisions to the rules governing scientific research on human subjects. Apparently, this is the first change in two decades to the "Common Rule" that governs nearly all human-clinical research financed by taxpayers and it protects those in the trenches doing this work while also streamlining the oversight and paperwork required of scientists. Here's a news release on that from the HHS on this rule revision. That release says this: The current regulations governing human subject research were developed years ago when research was predominantly conducted at universities, colleges, and medical institutions, and each study generally took place at only a single site. Expansion of human subject research into many new scientific disciplines and venues and an increase in multi-site studies have highlighted ambiguities in the current rules and have led to questi...

Ever feel like something’s crawling on you? That's how I have been feeling lately. And it drives me nuts. My mind is trying to convince me that there are ants crawling on my feet, lower legs, and even upper legs and arms. Late last week, the Diabetes Online Community got a glimpse of my craziness when I randomly tweeted: GET OFF ME!!!! (Me at desk, yelling at imaginary ants crawling on my arm...) Yes, that's what it felt like. However, there haven't actually been ants crawling on me... Instead, this has been a mirage created in my mind by the return of mild neuropathy. An unwelcome acquaintance who's crashed my D-Life party in the past, and sadly appears to be back knocking at the door in the form of those annoying imaginary ants. You may recall the story of my Burning Toe and how I've handled the on-fire feeling in the past. Lately, it's not reached the level of shooting pain or burning. Rather, the neuropathy's been presenting itself through a ting...