Intense therapy might make things worse....huh?

Recent article from the L.A. times is worth reading. I think every story has to be looked at from many angles....read it and make up your own mind....

Aggressive measures to treat diabetics make many of them worse, studies show
Rigorous treatment to bring down blood pressure and cholesterol is not beneficial and increases side effects, researchers say.
March 15, 2010|By Thomas H. Maugh II

It seemed like a good idea. Diabetics are at an unusually high risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke, so sharply reducing their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar should be highly beneficial. But a decade of studies of thousands of patients show that is not the case.

Two new reports from a major nationwide trial called ACCORD released Sunday show that lowering either blood pressure or cholesterol below current guidelines does not provide additional benefit and, in fact, increases the risk of side effects. A third arm of the study, released two years ago, shows that excessively lowering blood sugar levels actually increases the risk of heart disease.
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The results are disappointing, researchers say, because they suggest that clinicians may have reached the limit of what they can do for diabetic patients without developing new therapeutic approaches.

But the good news is, the findings "reduce the cost and potential side effects of drug therapy" and mean that patients will not have to work as hard at reducing blood sugars, lipids and blood pressure, said Dr. Denise Simons-Morton of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which funded the trial.

"The take-home message is that the standard care approaches are pretty good. If we try to go beyond them, it doesn't provide additional benefit," she said.

Diabetes has become a tremendous problem in the United States, with at least 21 million people afflicted with Type 2 diabetes -- in which cells do not respond properly to insulin produced by the pancreas -- and millions more at risk because of obesity. Most diabetics also have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, factors that raise their risk of heart attack and stroke to the same level as that of people who already have suffered a heart attack.

Many doctors have reasoned that aggressively lowering blood pressure and lipids below nationally recommended levels might decrease the risk of heart disease, and ACCORD, or Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes, was created to study the possibility.

In one arm of the study, Dr. William C. Cushman of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn., and his colleagues at 77 medical centers enrolled 4,733 Type 2 diabetics with high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease or a high risk of developing it. They were randomly assigned to treatment regimens to lower their systolic blood pressure -- the top number in a blood pressure measurement -- below 140 mm Hg, the standard treatment goal for diabetics, or below 120 mm Hg, the target goal.
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Swine Flu Vaccine...H1N1..

To vaccinate or not....Well, I chose to....
I always get the flu shot every year as some of my most horrific illnesses have been bouts with the flu. As a diabetic, it is very difficult to get the flu and not get wiped out. Usually, I will be down and out for a few days and my bloodsugars will vary widely. A few years back, I chose to forgo the flu shot....needless to say, I won't do that again. I was sicker than a dog and was completely out of control of my diabetes.
For me.....Vaccinate!!!!!

Books on Diabetes

There are quite a few diabetes books out there and folks are always asking which ones to read. Of course, after you read The Joy of Diabetes book, (LOL) there are some other great books on diabetes out there.
Many folks like :

Amazon.com: Think Like a Pancreas: A Practical Guide to Managing ...

Amazon.com: Think Like a Pancreas: A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes with Insulin (9781569244364): MS Gary Scheiner MS, Ph.D. Barry Goldstein MDMD: ...
www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Pancreas.../dp/1569244367

I have also heard that many folks like....

Amazon.com: The Diabetes Diet: Dr. Bernstein's Low-Carbohydrate ...

Amazon.com: The Diabetes Diet: Dr. Bernstein's Low-Carbohydrate Solution (

9780316737845): Richard K. Bernstein: Books.
www.amazon.com/Diabetes-Diet-Bernsteins.../0316737844

These seem to be liked by most folks..of course there are lots, but regardless what you choose, keep reading and learning.
Knowledge is power....especially with diabetes...

Keep going.....Keep reading books on diabetes...
Bob Hawkinson author....The Joy of Diabetes

What are you doing for World Diabetes Day...?

World Health Organization...W.H.O. World Diabetes Day

14 November 2009

World Diabetes Day raises global awareness of diabetes - its escalating rates around the world and how to prevent the illness in most cases. Started by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and WHO, the Day is celebrated on 14 November to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.

WHO estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes, according to 2005 figures. This number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.

.......from W.H.O.

The Diabetes Explosion......

As more and more folks are diagnosed, I have noticed a few things.

1. There are a lot of people now on the Internet who are diabetic and creating sites.
2. Smart people are being diagnosed and you are seeing a lot of diabetic commerce going on on the web.
3. There seems to be a top 20 or 30 diabetic folks who seem to dominate a lot of the net.
4. It takes a lot of net time if you want to be one of the top 20 or 30 on the net...lol
5. There has been a lot of knowledge sharing and I am seeing that a lot of the sites are seeing the same conversations that may have taken place a year ago.
6. The diabetes industry is definitely growing, consolidating, and maturing.
7. I have no idea what is going to happen to the industry if the government gains control of health care but I am sure that it will change dramatically.
8. The internet has been a very positive change for folks who live with diabetes including knowledge sharing, mental support, and friendships.

I look forward to the upcoming years to see how diabetes and the net evolve together....

Diabetes Books

As a Diabetic author who wrote The Joy of Diabetes, I have been overwhelmed by a few things.

1. People have been very positive, supportive, and receptive to my diabetes book.
2. Businesses, Suppliers, and People, are genuinely kind when they hear what I have written a
book on diabetes, and do their best to go out of their way to help any way that they can.
3. Diabetics across the world need help dealing with this disease and are typically in various
states or levels of diabetes management. I have been very honored and blessed to have folks
at varying levels of their diabetic walk offer their help, kind words, and support.
4. This has not been a money making venture yet. I guess that because so many folks need help,
I have been a soft heart and often give away things and time to folks who are truly hurting. It
has been my goal to reach out and change folks mindset and their thoughts regarding
living with diabetes.
5. Depression and sadness abound in the world of diabetes. I was not aware before I wrote The
Joy of Diabetes how many, many, many, diabetics were in such mental duress due to this
chronic disease. Diabetes is truly a disease of the mind as much or more as it is a disease of the
physical body.
6. The ups and downs of Living with Diabetes take a toll physically and mentally on the body
and soul....and often the pocket book too. This is an expensive disease that extracts it's costs
from the heart, the wallet, the psyche, and the body.
7. My observations are that Diabetics who stay in the zone of control can live a very, very, long
and happy life, and their mindset is key to their success. Those who accept diabetes have
peace with the disease, and take charge of their spiritual and physical situation, seem to enjoy
life and health at a high level.
8. It has been much harder than I thought to get the word out about The Joy of Diabetes book.
9. This whole thing has taken much more time, money, and effort than I ever imagined it
would.
10. I didn't realize how much I would have to learn about people, the disease, the internet,
diabetes forums, diabetes websites, Amazon, printing, publishing, marketing, and what it
takes to be a diabetic author, a speaker on diabetes, and social networking. Wow, I am getting
tired just looking back on what I have learned and been exposed to over the last year....but
Wow, what an experience!
11. It has been a very educational, exciting, and demanding ride, and I am glad to have had the
opportunity to do it. I wrote this book for diabetics and their loved ones, but I have also
gotten so
much out of the process too. By helping others, I too have been helped more than I would
have ever dreamed. I learned that I love to write.... (didn't see that coming in school).
12. I have learned to accept help from others in the diabetic community. I have learned that I
am frail, and I learned that I am strong. I have always been one
who stood on my own, did what it took, and would never ask for help. Okay, I've gotten over
that. :) At this point, I am willing and asking....any help you can provide to help me get the
word out is much appreciated. If you know anyone who would benefit from The Joy of
Diabetes book, or anyone who can help me in my goal to help others "Take this disease by the
horns and wrestle it to the ground, feel free to send them my way. I truly
appreciate all the new friends I have made all over the diabetes world and look forward to
what the future of diabetes holds.
I also learned that I like the word Cheers....Oh yeah, and that little smiley face thing that I
probably use too much.. :)

Cheers........Bob

Today's the Day......

So,,,,,another day in paradise as we enjoy the gift of another day....What will you do with it?
Will you use it up completely and live fully and out loud. ....Will you push forward on all those things that have been piling up on you? Will you write the book that you know is in you but you just can't seem to put to paper? Well........how bout today? Tomorrow may or may not come, but you do have the "right now"........use it!

Go kiss your loved ones.....

Carpe Diem!.....Sieze the Day!!!

Keep going.........................Peace, Bob

What in the world..........

One of those mornings..... I woke up low, ate a banana bolused for the carbs went to work,had a small muffin bolused, for the next two hours my bloodsugar climbed to 250 as I bolused at least 3 times to overcome it. Sometimes I just shake my head and realize that to my body, today may not be like yesterday and the day before. Even though it seems like it....oh well, finally down to where I should be now as I stay on guard for lows.....

Keep going......Peace, Bob

Florida Times Union newspaper in Jacksonville Florida

Bob Hawkinson Author battles diabetes with a smile



By CHARLIE PATTON, The Times-Union
When Bob Hawkinson was 1 year old, he was diagnosed with diabetes.

The first clue, the Fleming Island resident said, was when he went into a coma caused by low blood sugar.
It was the first of "four or five times I've almost died."
Hawkinson, 45, understands the consequences of his disease, known as type 1 and formerly known as juvenile diabetes.
Living with the disease requires a lifetime of monitoring his blood sugar and regularly injecting himself with the insulin his body doesn't produce. If his blood sugar goes too low, he's in danger of going into a coma and dying. If it goes too high too often, the potential consequences include blindness, amputation and heart disease.
Sounds pretty grim.
But Hawkinson refuses to see it that way.
Which is why he has written and published a book titled The Joy of Diabetes.
As the name indicates, Hawkinson takes a lighthearted approach to a serious subject while conveying the message that "it is important to come to peace with this disease."
"It is," he said. "It just is."
But coming to peace, Hawkinson emphasizes, doesn't mean passively accepting the worst.
"My message?" he said. "Take charge. This is not a passive disease."
Hawkinson decided to create his own publishing imprint, Lifesaver Press, and market the book through his Web site, www.joyofdiabetes.com.
On Diabetes Mine, a blog described as "all things diabetic," a reviewer called Hawkinson "a sraight-talkin' narrator who has walked in our shoes, and offers some very pragmatic diabetes management advice."
Hawkinson grew up in Jacksonville, where he is partner with his brother in TLC Total Lawn Care and The Fresh Mulch Co. They started the business in 1983 with $2,000 they borrowed from their parents. Today they have more than 60 employees, he said.
Hawkinson and his wife, Melissa, to whom he refers as his "hero wife," have four children and a foster daughter. Melissa Hawkinson made national news, including an appearance on Good Morning America, in 2005 after she stopped her car and dove into Doctors Lake so she could pull a 5-year-old boy from an automobile driven into the water by the boy's suicidal father.
Bob Hawkinson likes keeping active. He's involved in martial arts and cycling. He has coached his children in soccer, flag football and basketball, about 30 teams in all, he said. He has been working on his comedy skills with an Orange Park improv group called Out on a Limbprov.
One thing diabetes taught him long ago, he said: "If there's something you want to do, hurry up and do it."