GENIE OUT OF THE BOTTLE

This is a comment that I had posted to a Site discussing the problems that ensue when people interfere with Nature, specifically Insulin:

The missing C-peptide that is now a part of genetically altered insulin does indeed, blunt the feelings such as tachycardia associated with on-coming Hypoglycemia.
This causes problems in two ways:
1. The longevity of Diabetes will by itself cause Hypoglycemia Unawareness.
2. The taking out of C-peptide in genetically altered insulin will also be responsible for the "blunting effect" so that the person is unable to remedy the situation in time.
When you have these things occurring together as well as the possible addition of a Beta-Blocker than the potential for a very dangerous situation exists. It leaves the person only being able to tell if their blood sugars are low by means of a meter reading. The reality is, that not everyone can afford the Continuous Glucose Monitor or be forced to wear one.
Logically, it would be much simpler and wiser to make C-peptide available as a separate vial that could be injected along w/insulin.
Realistically, there is too much time and money already invested in the manufacturing process of insulin and that it was the only way to have it available in third world countries that are lacking enough animals and money to supply insulin or/and do not have the resources available to extract porcine/bovine insulin.
The Genie(C-peptide) cannot be put back in the bottle, but it can be put into a separate vial and made available since it offers much more to a person with Diabetes than a heightened awareness of impending Hypoglycemia. These are neuro, nephro, micro/macro vascular and cardio protective features so as to minimize or protect against the ravages of Complications associated with Long-term Diabetes despite good "numbers".
As WE all know, Diabetes does not go away and as such, WE have to do everything possible to make living with it, in our best interest. We have to be able to control it rather than the other way around.

CURRENT LIST OF PET FOOD RECALLS

Here is a current list of pet food recalls( as of 4/26/07) resulting from tainted and contaminated products that were supplied via China and that has been responsible for many Deaths in both Cats and Dogs. The contamination has now spread to Hogs who had been given the tainted/recalled food and was mixed in their Feed. So, it is now in the HUMAN Food Supply as well.

FDA Home Page | Search FDA Site | FDA A-Z Index

Search for Pet Food Recalls
Updated April 26, 2007
Pet Food Recall: Main Page

Note:This compiled list represents several related pet food recalls. If and when new information is received, this list will be updated. While we have taken care to make sure the information is accurate, if we learn that any information is not accurate we will revise the list as soon as possible.

Cat Food Recalls
Americas Choice, Preferred Pet
Authority
Best Choice
Blue Buffalo Co (RICE GLUTEN)
Companion
Compliments
Demoulas/Market Basket
Eukanuba Cat Cuts and Flaked
Eukanuba Morsels in Gravy
Fine Feline Cat
Food Lion
Foodtown
Giant Companion
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hill's Prescription Diet
Hy-Vee
Iams Cat Slices and Flakes
Iams Select Bites
J.E. Mondou
Laura Lynn
Li'l Red
Loving Meals
Medi-Cal
Meijer's Main Choice
Natural Balance (RICE GLUTEN)
Nutriplan
Nutro Max Gourmet Classics
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro Products
Paws
Pet Pride
Pounce
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority US
Publix
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet (RICE GLUTEN)
Save-A-Lot Special Blend
Schnucks
Science Diet Feline Cuts Adult
Science Diet Feline Cuts Kitten
Science Diet Feline Cuts Mature Adult 7+
Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Can
Sophistacat
Special Kitty Canada
Special Kitty US
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Stop & Shop Companion
Stop & Shop/Giant Companion
Wegmans
Weis Total Pet
Western Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet

Dog Food Recalls
ALPO
Americas Choice, Preferred Pet
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Bruiser
Cadillac
Champion Breed Lg Biscuit
Champion Breed Peanut Butter Biscuits
Companion
Companion's Best Multi-Flavor Biscuit
Companion/Giant Companion
Companion/Giant Companion/Tops Companion
Companion/Tops Companion
Demoulas Market Basket
Dollar General
Eukanuba Can Dog Chunks in Gravy
Eukanuba Pouch Dog Bites in Gravy
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Giant Companion/Tops Companion
Gravy Train
Grreat Choice
Hannaford
Happy Tails
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams Can Chunky Formula
Iams Can Small Bites Formula
Iams Dog Select Bites
Jerky Treats Beef Flavored Dog Snacks
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Meijer's Main Choice
Mighty Dog
Mixables
Natural Balance (RICE GLUTEN)
Natural Life
Natural Way
Nutriplan
Nutro
Nutro - Ultra
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nuture
Ol' Roy
Ol' Roy 4-Flavor Lg Biscuits
Ol' Roy Canada
Ol' Roy Peanut Butter Biscuits
Ol' Roy Puppy
Ol'Roy US
Paws
Perfect Pals Large Biscuits
Pet Essentials
Pet Life
Pet Pride / Good n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority Canada
Priority US
Publix
Roche Brothers
Royal Canin (RICE GLUTEN)
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet (RICE GLUTEN)
Save-A-Lot Choice Morsels
Schnuck's
Shep Dog
SmartPac (RICE GLUTEN)
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Brothers
Stater Brothers Large Biscuits
Stop & Shop Companion
Stop & Shop Companion/Giant Companion
Tops Companion
Weis Total Pet
Western Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet


View All Recalled Pet Food Products
Download Pet Food Recalls List (Updated: 2007-04-26, MS Excel, 842KB)
(Excel documents can be read with a free copy of the Microsoft Excel viewer) and in PDF format (3.7MB)

TAINTED/CONTAMINATED PET FOOD SOURCES FROM CHINA

Many of you should have heard or know by now that there has been a major recall by the FDA on many pet foods because of a highly contaminated substance found in them (Melamine) which is a plastic, that when tested before packaging will give a high protein count so that amount can be used on the label. This melamine is responsible for Kidney Failure and the deaths of many cats and dogs. The FDA has found that this has been purposely done and is not an "Accident".
Here is an important Site to get more information from:
www.menufoods.com
Menu Foods is a major Pet Food Supplier who has gotten the Wheat Products that go into pet foood from China, They in turn, have used this "Poison" to contaminate our Pet Foods. It is a vicous cycle.
Recall Information
1-866-895-2708

As a result of adulterated wheat gluten there have been several additional pet food and pet treat product recalls that are not part of the Menu Foods recall. For information on these additional pet food recalls please go to www.fda.gov.
As of right now 04/23/07@ 5:00PM Monday:

Tainted Pet Food has finally hit the human food supply by way of hogs who ate pet food laced with melamine, a rodenticide banned in the US but in use in China.
California officials quarantined 1,500 animals at the American Hog Farm and are tracking who purchased nearly 100 hogs from the farm this month, when the animals' feed included pet food that had been tainted with melamine.
In addition, 26 hogs were sold and slaughtered at an unnamed processing plant in northern California . Federal authorities quarantined those unprocessed carcasses at that plant, but state officials expect to identify more California processing plants that purchased the hogs.

"The pet food recall is turning into a real crisis," DeLauro said . "FDA initially assured us that the concerns about the pet food supply was a separate issue and that the human food supply would not be threatened. However, recent reports noting that the melamine has been found in hog urine which, if verified, has the potential of contaminating human food."
More information is to be found and credited to:
www.consumerist.com/consumer/pet-food

The pet food entered the food supply through a deal between Natural Balance's manufacturer and a nearby hog farm.
"The arrangement was for the farm to pick up 25,000 pounds of salvage food from the pet food manufacturer every 10 days or so. The farm mixed that with other salvage resources" to make the pig feed, said Steve Lyle , a California Department of Food and Agriculture spokesman.

Just in passing, don't forget that Animals gave up their Lives so that YOU are able to use Insulin.

WHAT IS C-PEPTIDE?

Clinical studies show that C-peptide administration in type 1 diabetes patients, who lack the peptide, results in amelioration of diabetes-induced renal and nerve dysfunction.
Patients with type 1 diabetes, who continue to maintain a small endogenous beta cell activity, are less prone to develop long-term complications and have fewer episodes of hypoglycemia than those who become totally C-peptide deficient.
This particular Peptide is a part of Insulin make-up as is Amylin. Having only two parts of this composition made available in exogenous form (Insulin by way of Humalog and Novolog and Amylin by way of Symlin), we are most in need of the third which is C-Peptide.
In an article reported in Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 278: E759-E768, 2000;0193-1849/00, Vol. 278, Issue 5, E759-E768, May 2000
Role of C-peptide in human physiology

John Wahren1, Karin Ekberg1, Jan Johansson2, Mikael Henriksson2, Aladdin Pramanik2, Bo-Lennart Johansson1, Rudolf Rigler2, and Hans Jörnvall2
1 Department of Surgical Sciences, Section of Clinical Physiology, Karolinska Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm; and 2 Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden

It states that The C-peptide of proinsulin is important for the biosynthesis of insulin......"Data also indicate that C-peptide administration is accompanied by augmented blood flow in skeletal muscle and skin, diminished glomerular hyperfiltration, reduced urinary albumin excretion, and improved nerve function, all in patients with type 1 diabetes who lack C-peptide, but not in healthy subjects. The possibility exists that C-peptide replacement, together with insulin administration, may prevent the development or retard the progression of long-term complications in type 1 diabetes. Recently, new data have been presented demonstrating specific binding of C-peptide to cell surfaces in a manner that suggests the presence of G protein-coupled membrane receptors. C-peptide may thereby stimulate specific intracellular processes, influencing renal and nerve function in C-peptide-deficient type 1 diabetes patients".
"There is now evidence to indicate that replacement of C-peptide in type 1 diabetes is accompanied by improved renal function, as evidenced by correction of glomerular hyperfiltration (27, 31, 50) and diminished urinary albumin excretion (25, 27), and amelioration of nerve dysfunction (25, 26). C-peptide replacement together with insulin administration, a therapy possibly closer to nature's own way, may thus be beneficial in type 1 diabetes patients".
As all of us know(or will know) T1DM related complications are horrible and severe affecting major body organs as well as the Retina. Since C-peptide has been already shown that there is a binding to cellular receptor sites required of ATP activity(Energy) and since with the destruction of those cells that produce Insulin, there comes a destruction in the availability of Amylin and C-Peptide. The logical course would then be to provide:
1. Insulin
2. Amylin
3. C-Peptide
The first two(Insulin and Symlin are already available)
My question is why has C-peptide not been made available considering the damage that takes place to our bodies 24/7 as a result of having Diabetes. Yes, high blood sugars can cause many of these problems, but the Longevity of the Disease and its Nature is a contributing factor as well.
The research on C-Peptide is vast going back to the 1980's at least.

One of the best papers to talk about the Vital Need for the Restoration of C-Peptide in T1DM has been written and presented by Zachary T. Bloomgarden, MD, a well-known Diabetologist/Researcher here in NYC.
The article can be found in Diabetes Care 27:1506-1514, 2004 called Diabetes Complications. "C-peptide is stored with insulin in ß-cell granules, and the two are secreted in equimolecular amounts. Pancreatic or islet cell transplantation with restoration of
endogenous C-peptide leads to amelioration and, in some experimental settings, to reversal of neuropathy and nephropathy".
In addition, C-Peptide has been found to prevent/delay Retinopathy which along with Renal, Coronary, Vascular, Autonomic/Peripheral Neuropathies are very common in T1DM, more as a result of the Nature of the Disease, but of-course can be exacerbated by Hyperglycemia.

Make your feelings known to those organizations that supposedly advocate on our behalf and not theirs(although that is questionable) such as :
JDRF
American Diabetes Association
Discuss this information with your Physician and other Health-care providers. Because they wear white lab coats, does not necessarily mean that they are "up-to-date" and aware of all beneficial things related to Diabetes.
It is YOUR body.........do everything possible to give it Life.

POLYURIA AT MIDNIGHT

I could not understand it or relate my T1DM to it in any way.
For the past three nights, I had been getting up from sleep to void about 3-4X during the night.
Having Diabetes is one of those Diseases where there are so many variables and factors that tweak and influence the body 24/7.
Beginning my Sherlock Holmes investigation led me to conclude that since I had moved my exercises to the later part of the evening, that that might be the variable causing these nightly interruptions from sleep.
Even-though my bs before sleep were within normal values, I decided on the third night to do a 3:00AM reading. It was 54mg/dl. The culprit was discovered that was causing my polyuria. The late evening basal and the exercise were enough to cause the Hypoglycemia with the only symptoms being Polyuria.
We are so use to having that symptom associated with Hyperglycemia, that it is too often overlooked as being in the same category as Diaphoresis(excessive sweating) which is associated with Hypoglycemia. After-all, the loss of fluids can be accomplished through many channels besides typical sweating. These include Lung Perspiration and Polyuria.
Thank you Dr. Watson

SUBWAY MUSINGS Ⅰ

What better way when you are on a subway to get from point A to point B, then by thoughts. There are of-course other options such as, reading, sitting and starring in vacuous space, breathing in the laden germs left over from someone's cough or sneeze thrown into the closed air for all to share, listening to an iPod. The listening to an iPod which seems to be the preferable way to look these days on the subway, will eventually fall and disappear from sight as did what they replaced which carried the same passion, popularity and hipness......Sonny's Walkman.
My thoughts brought me to the feeling that there should be the availability of Insulin made FREE to all who cannot manufacture it within their bodies. That of-course would be applied to T1DM. Insulin is similar to water, without it, there would be no Life available. Too much of it, and the same Life would cease to exist. Yes, the same applies to Water. There have been a number of Deaths due to the over-consumption of Water, which caused Sodium levels to be displaced.
The Free Availability of Insulin would be made available to ALL who needed it in-order to Survive/Live regardless of Economic Standings. There would be the elimination of Red Tape and Bureaucracy which stands in the way for making things "Happen" in a timely way, so that anyone whose Life depended on Insulin(T1DM), would have it. BTW, this Red Tape and Bureaucracy is/was responsible for the horrendous problems that were uncovered at V.A. Hospitals throughout the U.S.A. in general and Walter Reade specifically.

GIVE ME A SIDE ORDER OF GLUCAGON TO GO w/THE PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH

The morning sun enters the bedroom and plants a kiss upon my awakening body and the budding foliage within the room that awaits Spring Birth.

My exercise is done with precise movements along the bare-wood floor.

Breakfast is consumed with hot fragrant coffee that moistens my tongue and mingles with the hastily chewed potatoes and eggs.

I dress quickly to arrive for my expected appointment that never takes place. Partial snips of Matter within Time and Space greet me as if I am watching a Movie Trailer. I force myself to turn away from the strange visions before me and do a quick diagnostic which yields 37mg/dl.
Rushing to what I perceive as my Kitchen, there sits as if perched upon a twig and awaiting instructions is a can of Honey.
My palette only allows 1T as I search for other Rescuers.

An orange case flashes before me that encloses a powdery mixture with a solvent filled syringe waiting to create the Suspension that will give Life. The Glucagon is injected and the peanut butter sandwich is eaten.

LIFE ON YOUR TERMS

All of us who have a Chronic Illness or/and have experienced Near Death Phenomenon, experience a profound change in our Relationship with Life.
I have...............
Here then is a Reaffirmation for our Existence:

A CASE OF MAGAZINES

My doorbell rings with the man in Brown(UPS) holding a heavy case of "DiabetesHealth" magazine for me to sign off on. I always receive one issue/month, so this was strange that the Publisher decided to send me a case. He probably wants an increase in exposure to the magazine, so more people will subscribe to it.
So I think to myself, "What am I going to do with a whole case of this stuff". Since NYC is big and filled with many people who have the classical soma-type of Metabolic Disease, aka Insulin Resistant Disease, aka Type 2 Diabetes, that then would be the way for me to get rid of the stuff.
I am on the subways a lot and it is fairly easy to "spot" those that either have Insulin Resistant Disease or the potential/eventuality for it.
Starting off with a case of 50 magazines, I am now down to 8 copies.
My presentation, "do you or anyone in your family or friends have Diabetes"?

VALENTINE'S DAY

All of us(Men) know what this feeling is like. It is as if an Antigen has seized our bodies the way it has once before "infected us with its wrath", causing T1DM to come into existence. This time however the fever is created within the stirrings of our heart and is relentless. There is no let up, but a persistent pursuit of only that which can satisfy our longing. This is for all of us who know and who have experienced this "Thing" called Love.

DO YOU HAVE THIS ILLNESS?

CHECK-OUT AT TRADER JOE'S

Opening and ingesting small available packets of sugar found in my jacket pocket
as the Trader Joe's store clerk rings up my organic loaf bread with jars of organic creamy peanut butter......
My eyes remain open, but I continue to lose moments of consciousness while I
stand at the counter.
Groceries are bagged and given as I then tumble out the store and looked upon as "having too much to drink".
Nearest store approaches as an Angel in Rescue.
Dunkin Donuts appears as I enter the source that will be my Rescuer from the doom of impending unconsciousness.
A pornographic display of sugar coated sweetness greets me that will be the Redeemer to my20mg/dl.
I quickly order two Boston Cream Doughnuts w/Chocolate Glaze that appear in front of me like a woman's sensual breasts.
As I quickly devour them and drink down the bad tasting coffee to hasten the "fix", I slowly begin to feel my presence return back into the Time/Space Reality of Existence.

A NEW WAY TO TAKE INSULIN

One Step Closer.....Scientists/Researchers from Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University have developed a better way to administer Insulin other than injection and inhalation(not good for people w/Respiratory Problems). This would be an "Oral" administration of Insulin, similar to the taking of any pill/capsule. The problem w/oral administration of Insulin until now, is that the stomach breaks down proteins and since Insulin is a Protein, it would have been broken down before it reached the blood stream. Thus making it in-effective for oral use.
However Dr. Hsing-Wen Sung and his colleagues tricked the stomach into accepting the Insulin molecule by coating it w/Chitosan(nano particles created from the shells of shrimp, lobster, and crabs.
In testing on male rats w/Diabetes the results showed a release of the insulin into the blood stream and a lowering of blood glucose.
The next step of course would be animal and then human testing if results are favorable.
Thank you Dr. Hsing-Wen Sung and colleagues.

DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?

In frustration with the people that work in Health Care dealing with Diabetes, I told the fairly young Certified Diabetes Educator,"you really don't know how difficult and how much time is devoted to keeping myself in a balance where everything is optimized. I have been doing this since I was 6". I then proceeded to show her as she walked with me in the street and I spread my arms horizontally to shoulder length traversing along a narrow curve in order to emphasize the difficulty in keeping a balance without falling off. My outstretched arms would go side to side as I struggled to keep the balance. She then remarked, "I have been doing that since I was 13".
It was at that point that I heard the sound of persistent meowing in the background to find myself laying on my bed as the morning sunlight entered the room and my cats tugging at me to wake up.
My blood-sugars were 50mg/dl.

(SOME) ENDOCRINOLOGISTS WHO TREAT TYPE 1 DIABETES

NEW TOOLS FOR DIABETES

It is expected in 2007 that this Diagnostic Tool(NMB- 200) for Diabetes will be able to measure Glucose in "Real Time" as well as O2 levels in the blood, red blood cells and iron in addition to the Heart Rate.... What I like best about this product, is that it is "non-invasive" and is worn like a wrist watch. No idea as to its price. Wow, who needs a doctor and lousy insurance forms with gossipy/up-tight/unprofessional office staff? Unfortunately, this probably will not be available for about one year. A reward for those who have patience. Read more:

Non-invasive Glucometry from Orsense Wins Award
Filed under: Diagnostics , Geriatrics , Medicine , Pediatrics

OrSense Ltd., of Nes Ziona, Israel, is another recipient of the technology innovation award from Frost & Sullivan for its non-invasive glucose monitoring system NBM-200. The system, based on proprietary "occlusion spectroscopy" technology, allows continuous measurement of blood glucose, hemoglobin, hematocrit, oximetry, and heart rates. Results from a clinical trial, reported in September, have shown that the system "accurately measures levels of glucose in a home-like setting."

OrSense's patented technology, known as Occlusion Spectroscopy, uses a non-invasive optical measurement platform combined with a ring-shaped cuff. The pressure applied by the cuff temporarily occludes the blood flow in the finger, creating new blood dynamics which generate a strong optical signal, yielding a high signal-to-noise ratio that is wholly blood specific. Analysis of the signal provides the sensitivity necessary to measure blood glucose, hemoglobin, and other analyte concentrations.

TAG LIST

The Music that I listen to this time of year is pretty much the same what I will listen to any other day of the year.Here is a list of the "5", which I have listened to for the past week.
1. Silent Night/The Temptations
2. The Way You Look Tonight/The Jaguars
3. Visions Of Johanna/Bob Dylan
4. The Bells Of St. Mary's/Bing Crosby
5. Pop Star/The Pretenders
Thanks for your Tag Andrea@ My Blog?? :D/www.acthoughts.blogspot.com
I in turn, will Tag the following as to their Music Preferences for this Christmas/Holiday Season:
1. Kathy@ PurpleHaze/kathy4762.blogspot.com
2. Scott@ Scott's Web Log/sstrumello.blogspot.com
3. Megan@ This is My Life/www.thisismylife3.blogspot.com
4. Anne@ annetics/annetics.blogspot.com
5. Lyrehca@ Managing The Sweetness Within/thesweetnesswithin.blogspot.com

THE BURDEN OF DIABETES

Sometimes on a Long Cold Night, the Burden of Diabetes Becomes Heavy.

TODAY'S MENU

This evening for dinner, I prepared and had a poached chicken in a pool of noodles simmering in a turkey broth with fresh mixed vegetables.
Dessert is a yellow cake with a rich chocolate sauce that is now cooling in the refrigerator.
Ahhh................Life with Diabetes. What more can you ask for?

ANIMALS WITH DIABETES

Since all of us go through the emotional and physical upheavals daily in dealing/living with Diabetes,
do any of you have pets that have this illness as well?
If so, are you treating your dog or cat with a basal injection of insulin (Lantus or Detemir) 1X Daily?
How do you go about testing your pet's glucose level and is it done more than 1-2X Daily?
Are you then covering any Hyperglycemia with short acting insulin and if so, what are the acceptable Glucose range in
Animals?
These are some questions that I have been thinking about since dogs and cats do develop Diabetes.