Author Archives: StephenS

Hello… I’m Stephen. I live in Baltimore, Maryland, USA with The Great Spousal Unit, Maureen. I’ve been living with Type 1 Diabetes since January 1991. I’ve been a pump user since April 2010, and I’m currently wearing the Animas Vibe pump. Also wearing the Dexcom G5 continuous glucose monitor.

I found the Diabetes Online Community in the summer/fall of 2011, and that discovery has changed my life. I started this blog in April 2012, and since then, my diabetes advocacy has continued to grow. Among other achievements, I’ve attended and spoken up at FDA workshops and participated in clinical trials.

I’ve been thrilled to serve as a facilitator for the Diabetes UnConference. And I’ve been honored to volunteer for Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition. You should Google both of those.

I’m currently serving as a member of the State of Maryland’s Advisory Council on Health and Wellness, where I am co-chair of the Diabetes committee. In addition, I’m part of the 2018 Reader Panel at Diabetes Forecast magazine.

I’m always searching for the perfect balance between the highs and lows of my blood glucose level and my life… always searching for the Happy Medium.

Anything you’d like to share? Please let me know… I’d love to hear from you.

Reservoir Recall, and the FDA Gets Tough.

July 24, 2013 – 9:17 am

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This is an FYI post, in case you haven’t heard about it yet. If you’re a Medtronic pumper, you will hear about it because Medtronic is sending a letter and FAQ sheet to all their pump users.

Medtronic Diabetes is voluntarily recalling specific lots of reservoirs for Paradigm insulin pumps. Apparently, the affected reservoirs are at increased risk for leaking. The photo above is part of the FAQ sheet I received that lists the lot numbers that are being recalled.

Now, I know it’s easy to bash a company for making something that is eventually found to be faulty. But I will also give you some facts, according to the recall notice sent to me:

– First of all, this is a voluntary recall. No one made Medtronic recall these reservoirs. I don’t know if there was any kind of communication between them and the FDA, for example, that led to the voluntary recall before a mandatory one. But still, a voluntary recall always happens faster than a mandatory one.

– Medtronic conducted an investigation of the cause of this issue, and found that the reservoirs in question were all manufactured on a specific manufacturing tool that developed “abnormal wear”. They have corrected the issue and put additional testing and inspection in place.

– Med-T has a number to call if you have the recalled reservoirs and need new ones right away: 1-866-450-0890. They will ship the new ones free of charge to you.

Medtronic acknowledges a few cases of diabetic ketoacidosis requiring hospitalization that may have been caused by the faulty reservoirs. I don’t want to belittle these cases, or the patients and their loved ones involved. I also think it would have been nice if I’d have received an e-mail, or a tweet from @MDT_Diabetes. Other than that, what I am saying is that if a product I’m using does need to be recalled, I want the recall to be done like this.
 
 
Also, the FDA has cracked down on companies selling products that claim to help mitigate, treat, or cure diabetes, but as we know, they don’t. This includes “natural” treatments that have undeclared ingredients; dietary supplements that claim to treat, cure, or prevent diabetes; homeopathic over-the-counter meds that claim to help with peripheral neuropathy; and prescription drugs sold by pharmacies without a prescription.

Take a look at these products, and where they’re from. It proves that there are scam artists just about anywhere you go. These products are being pulled from the market by the FDA:

– Diexi by Amrutam Life Care Pvt. Ltd., Surat India.

– Anastasia Diapedic Foot & Leg Treatment by Anastasia Marie Laboratories Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla.

– Exermet GM, Galvus, Nuzide, Triexer and unapproved versions of Januvia, all from
bestcheapmedsonline.com.

– Diaberex by Enhance Nutraceutical.

– Zostrix Diabetic Foot Pain Relief Cream, Zostrix Diabetic Joint & Arthritis Pain Relief Cream and Diabeti-Derm Antifungal Cream, all from Health Care Products, Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co., Amityville, N.Y.

– Sugar Balancer by Health King Enterprises & Balanceuticals Group Inc., Chicago.

– Insupro Forte by INS Bioscience Berhad, HLS International Sdn. Bhd., Easy Pha-max, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

– Diabetic Neuropathy Foot Cream, Diabetic Foot Cream, and Diabetic Hand & Body Cream by The Magni Group, doing business as MagniLife, McKinney, Texas.

– Eradicator by Naturecast Products, Coral Springs, Fla.

– Diabetes Daily Care by Nature’s Health Supply Inc., College Park, Md.

– Glucocil by Neuliven Health, San Diego,Calif.

– Neuragen PN and Neuragen Cream by Origin BioMed Inc., Halifax, Novia Scotia, Canada.

– Nepretin by Nutrient Synergy, Longmont, Colo.

– ProBeta by PharmaTerra Inc., Bellevue, Wash.

For more information, and to stay up-to-date or report on Diabetes drugs or devices, visit FDA MedWatch at www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm
 
 
Happy Wednesday… Stay safe!
 
 
 

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#DBlogCheck – My writing. And more importantly, yours.

July 22, 2013 – 9:55 am

Hello… I’m Stephen, and I’m a blogger.

You know, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever written that. It may sound weird, but I don’t really think of myself as a blogger who writes. I think of myself as a writer who blogs.

The thing is, I love to write. I enjoy turning a phrase.

I’ve also found a bit of a calling, at least for now, writing about my diabetes. That’s how I qualify that too. I think of writing about my diabetes, even when I’m not. Because if it affects someone living with diabetes, it affects me.

Where am I going with this, exactly?

Chris Snider of A Consequence of Hypoglycemia and the Just Talking Podcast started this idea with a post last Monday that suggested a check-in day. A day for all of us in this glorious Diabetes Online Community (and if you don’t think you are, you’re included too) to make an effort to make a comment on every blog that you read today. If you can’t think of anything to write, that’s okay… Just write the word Check in the comment box. Many of us are turning off the features of our blog software that block anonymous commenters, so anyone can check in, even if it’s just to say “I’m here”. Also, don’t forget to tweet and retweet the goings-on by using the hashtag #dblogcheck. As Chris says, “It’s not about page views, it’s about building a stronger community through interaction”.

Which leads me to the subject matter of this particular post…

Maybe I’m not reading things correctly… That’s possible… But lately, I’m worried that there may be individuals out there who are feeling overwhelmed by all of the bloggers out there, or the more popular bloggers, who might get more page views or get written about a lot. Or maybe you’re a person who has thought about telling your story online, but you’re thinking “Hey, I’ll never be as popular as (fill in the blank)… Why bother?”.

I need to tell you something very important: If you’re only reaching one person, that one person is the most important person in the world. Even the most influential social media darlings can’t possibly reach everyone. But what if you reached that one person that needed to hear your virtual voice on that one day when it mattered most? Would you sign up to pick someone up from the depths of despair? Would you sign up to be the person who shared critical information with someone that wouldn’t know about it unless you wrote about it?

If you make a difference in someone’s life by writing, by tweeting, by instagraming, then you are a hero. That is a fact. Even if the only difference you make is in your own life.

Trust me… this Diabetes Online Community is big enough for everyone. It’s a place where the most supports the least, whether that’s with much-needed supplies, a word of encouragement when you’re feeling down, or with the knowledge that your voice is important– even necessary.

If you don’t know how to get started, e-mail me at the link provided at the upper-left corner of your screen. I will be happy to help you get going.

Your story is the most important one in the world to the person moved by it. Don’t let down the one person who needs to hear you.
 
 
 

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A Rare Non-D Post… Tour of the Neighbors.

July 19, 2013 – 9:33 am

Hopefully, I haven’t violated some intellectual property rights in naming that title.

Back in June, my friend and neighbor Brian Reynolds asked me to be part of a short film for the Baltimore version of the 48 Hour Film Project. It was the kind of thing where you hated going through the process, but at the end, all you can remember are the good and fun things.

For the 48 Hour Film Project, film makers are given a few guidelines and required elements, and 48 hours to write, shoot, edit, and basically produce a film.

This year, the required elements for each film were:

Character: Abe or Abby Tuesday, Tour Guide

Prop: A Cupcake (hey– it’s D-related after all!)

Line: “I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine.”

All of these things have to be in the film somewhere. In this film, it’s hard to miss them.

The film also features our home (which is not at 90 Honey Pot Circle… don’t look for it on Google Maps), and it features The Live-In Niece as newlywed and new homeowner Janet Fredericks. I’m Tourist #6 (“Is she pregnant or not?”, “Try Oysters” and “We’re not gonna eat here?”).

Once the films were complete, a screening was held at a local movie house downtown, where groups of the films were shown one after another. It was a hoot being in the room with such creative souls and listening to all of the fun stories about the different shoots. And the belly laughs of all of the participants when they saw the finished product of their hard work on the big screen. My reaction: Man, I look a lot like my father now.

Now that I’ve given nearly the whole thing away, here it is… Tour of the Neighbors, a film by Brian Reynolds. Enjoy!

 
 
Happy Friday!
 
 
 

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More on #StripSafely.

July 17, 2013 – 10:19 am

StripSafely

No doubt you’ve already heard of the Strip Safely campaign. But maybe you’re still asking, “Stephen, what’s it all about? What can I do about it?”. Here’s the lowdown:

At a public meeting back in May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) acknowledged that there are glucose meters and test strips out there that are no longer as accurate as they were when they were approved by the FDA in the first place. That’s a big deal, no?

What if I also told you that even though the FDA acknowledges this issue, they have no program to perform post-market testing or remove inaccurate test strips from the market? Bigger deal, yes?

Our very lives depend on the accuracy of the numbers that appear on our meter’s display. If we see too low a number… we dose too little insulin and wind up with high glucose, high A1c results, and higher risks for complications later. If we see too high a number… we could dose too much insulin and wind up with severe hypoglycemia, or even death. No pressure, FDA.

So Bennett Dunlap and a few others started the Strip Safely initiative, to shine a light on this issue and encourage everyone affected by it to agitate. Call or write your congressional representatives, senators, and even the FDA. Voice your concern. Help lead the charge for better outcomes through more accurate test strips.

Want to do your part? I thought you would. Visit the Strip Safely site at www.stripsafely.com. There you’ll find a number of great templates you can use to send your own letter or e-mail. There are also links to help you find your elected officials in Washington. You can stay up to date on this issue with the latest updates, and even take the Strip Safely quiz to test your knowledge of test strip accuracy. Or take the quiz and then read about what’s happening… your choice.

For the record, here is a sample of the letters I sent by e-mail to U.S. Representative Dutch Ruppersberger, and U.S. Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin of Maryland:

Dear _______,

I’m a constituent who has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for the past 22 years. Because my pancreas doesn’t produce insulin on its own, I receive insulin through my insulin pump 24 hours per day.

How much insulin is administered is based on a number of factors. Most notably, my blood glucose. As you may know, people with diabetes check their glucose levels several times per day as a baseline for determining how much insulin to administer as a result of diet, exercise, stress, and a number of other factors.

I’ve recently learned that the Food and Drug Administration, at a public meeting, acknowledged that some glucose meters and test strips are not as accurate today as they were when they were approved for use in the first place. Furthermore, they have no method to deal with removal or review of potentially inaccurate products from the marketplace once they’re found to be inaccurate.

The issue is simple: If the readings on our meters are inaccurately low, we might wind up not taking enough insulin, which could result in dangerously high blood sugars. If our readings are inaccurately high, we might take too much insulin, which could result in hypoglycemia, insulin shock, and even death.

So we know that not all meters meet the +/- 20% standard set by the FDA in real world conditions. Some manufacturers are now delivering products into the market that put us at increased risk. The lack of an ongoing periodic post market audit of real world strip performance helps these manufacturers risk lives.

What I’m asking you and your fellow representatives/senators to do is to look into implementing a post market program of ongoing random sampling of glucose meters and test strips to insure that all brands consistently deliver the accuracy in the real world that they were approved to do.

Without question, meter and test strip accuracy means the world to myself and my loved ones. We want to know that the number on our glucose monitors is correct.
Because our lives depend on it. Won’t you help? Thanks so much for your consideration of this very important topic.
 
 
This is important. I’m going to say it again: Lives are at stake. I encourage you to get involved and help to save lives today.
 
 
 

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Cross it off of the list – Pikesville 5K.

July 15, 2013 – 9:16 am

Sunday was something like the 8th or 9th year in a row that I’ve participated in our local neighborhood 5K run.

This year was different from all of the other years. Because this year, I got to run with family:

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Rather than do this thing all by myself, The Live-In Niece ran the entire race with me. She was a division 1 soccer player in college, and that wasn’t too long ago, so she’s pretty fit. But she had never run in an event like this before.

So we stayed together, communicated when necessary, and covered the course in just under 31 minutes. Kinda slow by my standards. But it just felt so good running next to Rachel and feeling that bond as we covered the same ground, sharing the same experiences, crossing the finish line at the same time. Something about that makes the victories much more rewarding. Sound like any experiences you know of?

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The BGs behaved too… 186 mg/dL at the start (small breakfast but no bolus), and 123 mg/dL after.

In short: Best. Run. Ever.
 
 
 

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