POETRY

I did have a friend named Chrissie,
Who one day became somewhat Prissy.
She flew in a Rage
at the sight of a Page.
and remained in a deep drawn Tizzy.
Reminded of Pravda and Izvestia,
I began to seek what was best for her.
So, like a good Sage,
I had it Encaged
and gone was the current Outrage.

SUBWAY SIGHTINGS

THE NIT PICKER

Taking the subway back home after a Doctor's visit, I approach the only empty seat on the platform
bench as I await my train.
Next to me is seated a man in his early twenties with pomade greased shiny hair wearing a dark suit and polished shoes with a faux leather case on his lap.(probably coming back from a job interview)
Since looking at people can be an enjoyable past-time for lack of reading material, I notice that this "well-dressed man" begins
to pick the nits off his face............Disgusting!! I think and quickly remove myself to a standing position away from the bench as my train finally arrives.
These lessons bring to mind how "Appearances" really do not reflect the True Character of the person.
They are merely pretenses and costumes of the Self.
It is like, and I am sure many of us can relate to this.........seeing a Physician for the very first time in a starchy extra white lab coat who later turns out to be so incompetent and ignorant in treating the Body that one wonders how they ever "got this far as to be able to enter the world of Medicine."
The same Costumes can exist in Relationships, Marriages, Employment and more.
All you have to do, is "scratch" the surface just enough to expose the Self behind the Facade.

A DEDICATION

This is dedicated to those of us who had T1DM visited upon us as children and who still were able to feel the Magic within our world.......
Listen to the words with your Heart and watch the video with your Soul

BOB DYLAN'S WORDS OF WISDOM

It seems that the message has been widely spread throughout the Diabetes Community.
YOU are not your Disease!! Yes, you may have Diabetes but you are not Diabetes or Diabetic for that matter!!

DR. BERNSTEIN ANSWERS MY QUESTION

The question I posed to Dr. Bernstein for his Live Broadcast on 09/19/2007

http://ds1.downloadtech.net/cn1086/audio/2070306569679-001.mp3

was answered regarding C-peptide.
The question I posed was, "From your knowledge, Do you know if there have been any studies that have shown that C-peptide is of beneficial value besides that of a bio-marker for insulin availability?
Dr. Bernstein responded by saying that, "C-peptide is a by-product in the manufacture of insulin and indeed there have been studies on animals.
But since C-peptide is not available for human use, and no one is interested in making it, it is just an academic point.
But there are some benefits to it."

What we in the Diabetes Community need, is not only to make the Healthcare Profession MORE aware of C-peptide and how, yes how it can be beneficial to the prevention AND treatment of Complications resulting from T1DM. There are animal studies that have proven this and the Bibliography goes back at least 30 years regarding the beneficial effects of the use of C-peptide in T1DM.
It (C-peptide) can be made available just as Symlin is now available for Diabetes Management.
And, oh by the way, YOU can still develop Complications (micro/macro vasculature) resulting from T1DM in spite of having "good" blood sugar numbers. It is the Nature of The Beast or to say it another way, it is a part of the Disease.

REMEMBERANCE

God Bless All the First Responders/ Rescue Workers/Firemen/NYPD/Medical Personnel and Volunteers from NYC and elsewhere who helped to heal the Many on that day of 9/11/01 and the ones following.
......and God Bless the Friends that I have lost.
What we need Now are less tears and more closed fists to destroy Radical Islam as well as a change in the policy of the INS who were responsible (partially) in allowing these Terriorists to enter our country.

LUCIANO PAVAROTTI

G-D Bless You Luciano Pavarotti.
Your Voice allowed the Angels to come out and fill the Hearts to all of those who heard you sing.
They (Angels) then carried us to a place where no pain, no illness, no hurt, and no sadness was to be found.

INSULIN QUESTION ?

If anyone in the Diabetes Community can contribute your Knowledge, it will be very much appreciated by me.

Having been using Lantus as my Basal Insulin(bid) for a long long time, I recently decided to try Levemir.
I find that my bid doses with Levemir have increased substantially by about 13 additional units to create the same blood sugar numbers I had when using Lantus.
All the Variables such as Exercise, Stress, Food Intake/Amount, Sleep have remained constant throughout.
Has anyone else experienced this change where additional Basal Insulin amounts was required when using Levemir.
Thanks in advance.

HOME INVASION

We should all mourn and grieve for the Family Members of William Petit, MD an Endocrinologist(Speciality in Diabetes) in Cheshire, CT.

On Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2 Parolees(Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes broke into the home of Dr. Petit and beat him with a baseball bat, then went upstairs where they tied and raped his two daughters and strangled Dr. Petit's wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit. The Bastards/Vermin then set fire to the home causing the deaths of Dr. Petit's Daughters from the smoke inhalation.

These Bastards/Vermin were then caught by the police as they tried to flee in Dr. Petit's automobile.
I know that these horrible deaths and agony could have been prevented if the women of the home were taught the use of firearms for self-protection/self-defense.
Secondly, the judge who granted parole to these Bastards/Vermin should be held as an Accessory to the crime.
The Death penalty for these Bastards/Vermin should be immediately Delivered(like today)!!

ADDENDUM TO: EAT PUMPKIN NOW!!

Web MD has reported that the Pumpkin used in question was not our orange American pumpkin, but was an Asian pumpkin, which looks a little different Here is what was said:

"First, the scientists bought whole, mature Asian pumpkins — popularly called shark fin melon or Siam pumpkin — at a Shanghai market. Those pumpkins don't look like the orange pumpkins common in the United States. Instead, they've got a green and white rind."

You probably can find this in your local Chinatown produce market.

EAT PUMPKIN NOW!!

It has been reported in "Society of Chemical Industry," that Compounds found in pumpkin could potentially replace or at least reduce the amount of daily insulin injections in T1DM.
It goes on to say that the extracts found in Pumpkin which is a part of the squash Family of vegetables, "promote regeneration of damaged pancreatic cells in diabetic rats, boosting levels of insulin-producing beta cells and insulin in the blood, reports Lisa Richards in Chemistry & Industry, the magazine of the SCI."
The protective effect of pumpkin is thought to be due to both antioxidants and D-chiro-inositol, a molecule that mediates insulin activity.
The study was led by Dr. Tao Xia of the East China Normal University.

I would think that these healthy anti-oxidants would also be found in other squash plants as well. Zucchini is in season now and is very delicious.
Stop by your Farmer's Market for a large bag of fresh vegetables, one of the best Medicines for T1DM in addition to Insulin and Exercise.

HYPOGLYCEMIA IN T1DM AND ITS AFTERMATH

HAIRCUTTER/BARBER NEEDED

I seek a Haircutter/Barber that knows how to give "great" haircuts (short) for Diabetes Hair.
Since I have T1DM, my Hair is a part of this Illness as well.
Just as it is difficult to find an intelligent, non-arrogant Endocrinologist, the same would apply to Haircutters who are skilled and creative at their craft.

In exchange, I would bake some delicious pastry/dessert(I have baked professionally) or teach you Self-Defense/Martial Arts.

This would be in the New York City area.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT

I went over to my hospital today to pick up a copy of lab results of blood that were drawn a couple of days ago.
Because I am pro-active medically and do not relinquish my Autonomy to the people in White(Medical Profession), I always will get my "labs" (which you have a Legal right to acquire) so I can know what is going on within my own Body.
There were two events that appeared somewhat strange to me.
The first was a woman in the "Waiting Area" reading a magazine with the main article of interest called, "How To Avoid Serious Hospital Errors."
Somewhat ironic I thought, since this was in a Hospital that was known for "sweeping their mistakes under the rug" in-order to avoid bad publicity and law suites.
The second was a Resident approaching the "Waiting Area" and calling out to a patient that he was to see, "Mrs. S. come on back."
The Resident looked impatient waiting for his patient to "come on back" and neglected to see, that Mrs. S. had difficulty walking and was relying on 2 canes.
I felt that this Doctor was more appropriately doing an impersonation of Bob Barker on the "Price Is Right" with his famous, "come on down" remarks to the contestants and maybe should have chosen a TV Game Show rather than Medicine as a career.

MORE POISON FROM CHINA

To add insult to injury......... After the contamination caused by melamine toxicity that was added to not only pet food, but to Animal Feed(poultry, hogs, beef) as well, China has created a "new poison" for consumption, TOOTHPASTE!!
The mouth having a huge capillary blood supply system is able to absorb toxins even from toothpaste. It is not just "rinsed away." The toothpaste from China has DEG(Diethylene glycol) added to the glycerine. DEG has a long history of being a Toxin, but is still used with other chemical agents to produce a desired result, whether in the production of dyes, coolants, glue, brake fluids and much more. In this case, TOOTHPASTE.
The ingestion (accidental or purposely) will have an affinity to the Liver and Kidneys, which for those of us with Diabetes pose a great risk.
Here is an "up-to-date report by the FDA and the recommendation to destroy/throw out/discard any TOOTHPASTE from China.
Another example of no "Safety Concerns" from the Chinese Government regarding their products.

FDA Advises Consumers to Avoid Toothpaste From China Containing Harmful Chemical
FDA Detains One Contaminated Shipment, Issues Import Alert

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today warned consumers to avoid using tubes of toothpaste labeled as made in China, and issued an import alert to prevent toothpaste containing the poisonous chemical diethylene glycol (DEG) from entering the United States.

DEG is used in antifreeze and as a solvent.

Consumers should examine toothpaste products for labeling that says the product is made in China. Out of an abundance of caution, FDA suggests that consumers throw away toothpaste with that labeling. FDA is concerned that these products may contain "diethylene glycol," also known as "diglycol" or "diglycol stearate."

FDA is not aware of any U.S. reports of poisonings from toothpaste containing DEG. However, the agency is concerned about potential risks from chronic exposure to DEG and exposure to DEG in certain populations, such as children and individuals with kidney or liver disease. DEG in toothpaste has a low but meaningful risk of toxicity and injury to these populations. Toothpaste is not intended to be swallowed, but FDA is concerned about unintentional swallowing or ingestion of toothpaste containing DEG.

FDA has identified the following brands of toothpaste from China that contain DEG and are included in the import alert: Cooldent Fluoride; Cooldent Spearmint; Cooldent ICE; Dr. Cool, Everfresh Toothpaste; Superdent Toothpaste; Clean Rite Toothpaste; Oralmax Extreme; Oral Bright Fresh Spearmint Flavor; Bright Max Peppermint Flavor; ShiR Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste; DentaPro; DentaKleen; and DentaKleen Junior. Manufacturers of these products are: Goldcredit International Enterprises Limited; Goldcredit International Trading Company Limited; and Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemicals Company Limited. The products typically are sold at low-cost, “bargain” retail outlets.

Based on reports of contaminated toothpaste from China found in several countries, including Panama, FDA increased its scrutiny and began sampling toothpaste and other dental products manufactured in China that were imported into the United States.

FDA inspectors identified and detained one shipment of toothpaste at the U.S. border, containing about 3 percent DEG by weight. In addition, FDA inspectors found and tested toothpaste products from China located at a distribution center and a retail store. The highest level found was between 3-4 percent by weight. The product at the retail store was not labeled as containing DEG but was found to contain the substance.

DEG poisoning is an important public safety issue. The agency is aware of reports of patient deaths and injuries in other countries over the past several years from ingesting DEG-contaminated pharmaceutical preparations, such as cough syrups and acetaminophen syrup. FDA recently issued a guidance document to urge U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers to be vigilant in assuring that glycerin, a sweetener commonly used worldwide in liquid over-the-counter and prescription drug products, is not contaminated with DEG.

FDA continues to investigate this problem. If FDA identifies other brands of toothpaste products containing DEG, FDA will take appropriate actions, including adding products and their manufacturers to the import alert to prevent them from entering the United States.

Consumers can report adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of these products to FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program:
www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
(800) 332-1088

BUYER BEWARE!!

As many of you already know, there has been a huge problem with the contamination of Pet Food traced back to China with the using of melamine( a chemical used in plastics) causing additional weight and nitrogen yield to the foods to create the impression that there is a high protein content, when there is not. This corruption in China by a number of companies and individuals was used to "make more money" from Pet Food Distributors because those in China did not have to supply the "real" protein, which of course would cost those in China more to produce. So, once again, Greed is the problem.
This problem has been responsible for the deaths of many many pets here in the USA that owners depend on for use as Guide and Rescue Dogs as well as members of their family including cats.
Now the problem has gotten into the Food Chain both here in the USA and in China, that has long had a problem with unsafe food and death associated with these products. Anyone who tells you that there is either no harm to humans or very little harm(some government agencies have said this) should be forced to eat these "suspected" foods from China. There have been many deaths of babies in China because of the sale of "fake baby formulas." The Food-Safety record in China is non-existent. Here in the USA we have Food Safety, but not enough inspectors to insure that what we eat is really safe to consume.
Here is a recent article by Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press Writer who has reported the current state of this problem:

"The Chinese government agency responsible for food safety has ordered stepped up checks on plant proteins such as wheat gluten or rice protein, the ingredients found contaminated. It has also banned the export or domestic sale of melamine, which is sometimes added to animal feeds to fool testers by making them appear to have higher nitrogen levels and therefore more nutritious.

China earlier this week announced the detention of managers at the two firms involved, apparently on suspicion of mislabeling the exports to avoid inspections.
Such contaminated products have frequently led to illness because of overuse of pesticides and chemical fertilizer, or by the injection of liquids into meat to boost weight and sale prices.
Mississippi and Alabama recently banned catfish from China after tests found ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin, antibiotics forbidden from use in the United States. Louisiana officials said Monday they would begin testing Chinese seafood for the antibiotics.

Excessive antibiotic or pesticide residues have caused bans in Europe and Japan on Chinese shrimp, honey and other products. Hong Kong blocked imports of turbot last year after inspectors found traces of malachite green, a possibly cancer-causing chemical used to treat fungal infections, in some fish.

Within China, babies have died after being fed fake baby formula, eggs have been impregnated with dangerous dyes to make their yolks redder and raise their sale price, and children have been injected with worthless rabies vaccine that is nothing but saltwater."

GREEN TEA,TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?

For those of you who believe in good nutrition and nutraceuticles(me) for optimal health, I recently came across an article from (Chemical Research in Toxicology, vol 20, p 583) which I would like to share with you knowing that it might apply to many. This information also appeared in Science Daily.

Green tea is good for you, but only if drunk in moderation. While the polyphenols in green tea are credited with preventing heart disease and cancer, it seems they can cause liver and kidney damage if consumed in very large quantities, a review of studies into the toxicity of polyphenols has shown.
"People shouldn't be too alarmed by this, but those taking supplements may experience problems," says lead author Chung Yang of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
He stresses that up to 10 small cups of green tea a day is fine. Problems are likely in people who take supplements, which can contain up to 50 times as much polyphenol as a single cup of tea.
Yang's review cites experiments in which rodents and dogs died from liver poisoning when given very large doses of polyphenols. He also reports cases of people with liver toxicity after overdosing on green-tea-based supplements. Their symptoms disappeared when they stopped taking the pills, only to return when they started taking them again.

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.