Saturday, October 27, 2007

Desert Dingo Racing conquer the desert and diabetes!


"We're racing in a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle," said Desert Dingo Racing co-owner Mike Aquino. "We'll average about 25 miles an hour if we're lucky."

Aquino, who has Type 2 diabetes, said the team drew its inspiration from the 2005 documentary "Dust to Glory" which chronicled the trophy trucks, dune buggies, motorcycles, pro race teams - and the stock VWs - as they raced the length of the Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

This year's event is expected to include teams from more than a dozen countries and more than 300,000 spectators will line the course. Race Week runs from November 10-16 and coincides with World Diabetes Day on November 14.

For more information on the team, visit http://www.desertdingo.com
Also visit the International Diabetes Federation for more and to donate.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Health Awareness Day

Sue Frye of the Diabetes Action Group is hosting a health awareness day...
Sue sent in the following information. Your support for this event will be appreciated:

On Sunday 28th October we will be having a Health AWARENESS DAY in celebration of World Diabetes Day. We are very fortunate, through the generosity of a Sponsor to have the use of King’s Park Athletics Stadium, NMR Avenue, DURBAN, from 10h00 to 16h00.
We will have HEALTHY food, HEALTHY bodies and anything pertaining to a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE available. This will include items for sale, including fresh fruit & vegetables, diabetic jams, muesli, dried fruit & nuts, recipe books and many more. There will be other items on display – and for sale- plants, how to grow your own veges, outdoor living equipment, gymnastic and gym displays – speak to a Personal Trainer or a Biokinetist and even pamper yourself with a massage, laser treatment, aromatherapy, reflexology, podiatry, healthy Spar baths, foot mats, exercise equipment and much more. Healthy ideas for lunch boxes – both for the office and school. Retail therapy for all! Healthy food and drink will also be on sale for breakfast, lunch and tea!
For all of you with diabetes, we will have all the latest equipment on display – come and feel, touch, experiment with all the new glucometers, strips and anything relating to your diabetes. Blood glucose, BP. BMI testing will be available. The experts will be available to answer all your questions – the A-Z of diabetes. For the children with Diabetes we will be selling books by Kids & Care. Kids & Care will also be launching a movie on World Diabetes Day on “The life of the rural child with Diabetes”. Some of the cast will be there – come and meet them!!
Diabetes Action Group contact details:
Tel & Fax: 031 205 9886
031 205 9680
Cell: Sue: 084 228 0993
Bill: 082 087 7638

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Diabetics Business Network

I created a group on www.tudiabetes.com called Diabetics Business Network. The aim is to share business ideas, information and contacts. I think that this can become an international network of business minded people who can help each other achieve financial success. By the way, have you considered that the care and treatment of diabetes is a multi billion dollar industry and as diabetics we are a captive market. We have no choice but to spend money on all the things we need to stay alive and healthy. If you have any ideas or business contacts you wish to share, let us know.

What is HBA1c?

To acheive the best control one has to test the blood glucose levels almost daily. For insulin dependent diabetics testing is done 3 or 4 times a day...sometimes more tests per day are needed. However, these blood tests (finger pricks) do not tell the full story. They are like taking a photograph and only provide information for that moment. Our blood glucose varies all the time and is influenced by our diet, activity levels and even our emotions. Three years ago my HBA1c was measure at 15. A year ago it was 11. And my most recent test measured 9.4
The goal is to bring it to 6. I am told that if this can be achieved then the onset of diabetic complications can be delayed even further.
Below are two links with more detailed information on the HBA1c test:

"In the blood stream are the red blood cells, which are made of a molecule, haemoglobin. Glucose sticks to the haemoglobin to make a 'glycosylated haemoglobin' molecule, called haemoglobin A1C or HbA1C. The more glucose in the blood, the more haemoglobin A1C or HbA1C will be present in the blood.

Red cells live for 8 -12 weeks before they are replaced. By measuring the HbA1C it can tell you how high your blood glucose has been on average over the last 8-12 weeks. A normal non-diabetic HbA1C is 3.5-5.5%. In diabetes about 6.5% is good.
The HbA1C test is currently one of the best ways to..."
Read more at this link

"In the normal 120-day life span of the red blood cell, glucose molecules join hemoglobin, forming glycated hemoglobin. In individuals with poorly controlled diabetes, increases in the quantities of these glycated hemoglobins are noted."
Read more...Wikipedia

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Insulin Pump Therapy

I found out only about a month ago that the pump was available in South Africa. I have had Type 1 for over 22 years and I wish I had known about the pump sooner. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to get one just yet. My medical aid wont cover the cost of the pump or the monthly consumables. Very few South Africans can afford the pump because it is so expensive. From all that I have read I believe that my HBA1c will definitely improve once I am on the pump. Does anybody have any ideas on how we can get the pumps inexpensively? There are two companies that offer the pump in SA, Medtronics and Roche.
Are there any other companies out there to enter the SA market and maybe push prices down?

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Unite for Diabetes Campaign

Every ten seconds a person dies of diabetes related causes. Within the same ten seconds two people will develop the disease. Each year this adds up to three million deaths and more than six million new cases of diabetes. The International Diabetes Federation is uniting the world to stop this silent killer. The ambition is clear. To ask the United Nations to pass a resolution on diabetes before the 14th of November. World Diabetes Awareness Day.
Watch the video below to learn more...




Read the Resolution here
The official website for the campaign is here.