The Corner Booth

We were very sad to hear the recent news that our friend, R. Keith Campbell, has passed away. A longtime type 1 himself for roughly 68 years (!) following his diagnosis in 8th grade, Keith became an icon in the D-Community over the years, shaping much of the diabetes education landscape as we know it today. He's known as one of the original "founding fathers" of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) in 1973, and he worked in pharmacy care at Washington State University before retiring four years ago. Just recently in October 2017, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his hard work and innovations over the course of his career. We originally published the following feature on Keith back on Nov. 1, 2013, and are revisiting it as a tribute today: Remembering Diabetes Education Icon R. Keith Campbell Diabetes education means A LOT to those of us living with this disease every day. But it wasn't always available -- or even a twink...

Today is World Diabetes Day, created to stand out as a beacon calling attention to diabetes across the globe. As we wrote at the start of November, we believe that these efforts, especially National Diabetes Awareness Month, are needed now more than ever -- given all the misinformation circling among the general public and the huge uncertainty surrounding health policy these days. Of course, all of it comes on the day marking the birthday of insulin co-discoverer Dr. Frederick Banting, who would be 126 years old if here were still alive today. World Diabetes Day has been around since 1991, thanks to the International Diabetes Federation, but this World Diabetes Day 2017 happens to be particularly noteworthy, as it also marks the 10-year anniversary since the United Nations recognized it with an official resolution -- helping to raise the public profile on this awareness day. Here are some Banting-specific items we are aware of for this WDD 2017. If you know of anything not mentioned, p...

 Ah, pizza... the complex carby food that so many of us in the Diabetes Community hate to love, and vice versa. The blood sugar effect is almost always an adventure, one that can be hit or miss depending on how well-versed we are in that ever-so-tricky Pizza Bolus. But with lower-carb options becoming more mainstream, it's almost like we're witnessing the birth of a new era of Pizza and Diabetes... Enter cauliflower pizza, which started out with Pinterest creations and has exploded in just the past couple years throughout the food industry -- especially in 2017 with new brands being launched and some big-name retail and online stores getting in on the action. My wife and I have been experimenting in the kitchen quite a bit more with lower-carb food choices, making several cauliflower pizza meals lately that swap out the traditionally high-carb, starchy flour crusts for those made with this versatile white veggie. It's ranged from our own homemade crusts cre...

Hello again, Diabetes Awareness Month. Yup, November marks another national awareness month -- aimed at those in America who are pancreatically-challenged or rapidly heading in that direction. And on Nov. 14, we'll once again mark international World Diabetes Day honoring the birthday of insulin co-discoverer Dr. Frederick Banting, who was born on this day in 1891. As always during this time of year, we've been inundated with marketing pitches from organizations big and small. And as always around this time of year, many in our community ponder the perennial question: Does it all matter? Really? Admittedly, it's not outside the realm of reasonableness to question the effectiveness of NDAM (shorthand for National Diabetes Awareness Month). But our country is in a different place in 2017 compared to past years, is it not? It's a good time to set skepticism aside to argue that November's designation as Diabetes Awareness Month truly does matte...

After nearly two decades, the Johnson & Johnson-owned Animas brand of insulin pumps is shutting down. In the early morning hours on Thursday (Oct. 5), J&J issued a press release that finalized nine months of speculation on the future of its diabetes insulin pump division. Effective immediately, no more Animas pumps will be sold in the USA or Canada, and it's TBD what will happen to the brand internationally. Pharma giant J&J has been "strategically evaluating" its three diabetes divisions since January, deciding whether to prop them up financially, sell them off, or shut them down. While many have speculated that an end was near for Animas and possibly even J&J's OneTouch and Lifescan meter brands, nothing has been official until now. The meter brands remain under evaluation, but its pump business is done and J&J has signed an agreement with competitor and market leader Medtronic to take over servicing existing Animas customers. ...

Naturally, patient advocates come in all shapes and sizes -- and with all manner of fascinating personal interests. Today we're happy to host longtime type 1 Scott Mullins in North Carolina, who fancies himself a pirate and jack of all trades.   Diagnosed as a baby back in November 1983, the now 35-year-old married father of three and coffee fanatic tells a great tale of his medical woes that includes a sponge pancreas, Dr. Langerhans (who discovered the cells that secrete insulin), video game production, and even a multi-tentacled healthcare monster that's after our wallets. So grab your cup of java or whatever you may prefer, and sink into Scott's quirky POV here at the 'Mine today. A Tale of Coffee, Odd Jobs and Chasing Insulin - by Scott Mullins Clearly I enjoy a good pirate theme. But let's start with the obvious: Why is my online name Caffeinated Diabetic? Well, a phrase of mine is that I survive on insulin and coffee. At this point I'...

  When Christine Fallabel in Colorado noticed the long list of ingredients for "all-natural turkey" at a national sub sandwich shop, her first impulse was a reactive " yuck ." Soon after, she began plant-based eating. That was at age 14, two years after her diagnosis with type 1 diabetes in 2000. Ever since, Christine's been eating "clean" and hasn't looked back -- especially when it comes to life with diabetes and balancing the never-ending glucose roller coaster. Meanwhile in Oklahoma, longtime type 1 Ryan Fightmaster began eating a plant-based diet a few years ago, mostly out of curiosity after hearing about general health benefits. What he found was that eating this way knocked his insulin needs down by roughly a third and led to better BG levels, so he's kept a up a "whole food" diet with fewer carbs. Say hello to a trend that many in the Diabetes Community seem to be turning to: plant-based eating for better hea...