I’m a little late addressing this one. And a lot disappointed! I always had such a positive impression of Novo Nordisk as this sort of squeaky-clean new generation Scandinavian insulin powerhouse. But it seems they’ve got their mitts dirty playing in the Pharma Big Leagues: they apparently paid off at least one Rite Aid pharmacist to push their insulin products on patients and doctors, in some cases without even notifying the patient of the prescription change.

Hard to believe that exactly one year ago today my very first post went up. At the time I felt I was groping forward into the cavernous unknown. Who would find me on the Web? Who would care to come back and read more musings on “everything diabetes”? Thanks, guys…

Forgive me in advance, for I have no intention of making light of anyone’s struggles. It’s just that I’ve been perusing recent posts by D-bloggers about hitting the “Tipping Point” at which they can no longer stand it all, and making resolutions to shake things up in 100 days. And it hit me that it’s been about that long since I started my seemingly innocent quest to fix up my living room. Which is part of the reason I’ve been so distracted… no, THE reason, the FREAKIN’ reason.

As an addendum to my post on the latest ADA conference, I’d like to add that I learned some new terms. Or clarified their meaning for myself, at last:

Happy Sweethearts’ Day to you all. I received the “Valentine” below from my favorite Diabetic Funny Lady, and just had to share.

Happy Heart

and

Chocolate Day!

From the

Glucose
Goddess!

Yet another academic diabetes event, the ADA’s annual “PostGraduate Sessions” was on this weekend in San Francisco. So I just had to go. Besides promising to cover selected material for the Diabetes Monitor, my own curiosity about this disease and the research around it wouldn’t let me skip such an opportunity to eavesdrop on the brains behind the treatment right here in my own home town. Compared to the big annual ADA Conference, this one’s a micro-event, with just a few doctors presenting simultaneously (vs. dozens), and a front hall reception area featuring just three or four tables hosted by pharma companies.

There are certain aspects of diabetes care that I’ve just plain stonewalled. Foot care is No. 1 on that list. What could it matter to a girl who spent her formative years running around barefoot on the sizzling asphalt of LA that some people with diabetes get foot problems? Me, who’s “complications clock” just started running less than 3 yrs. ago?

Ooh, I’ve been tagged again in yet another “random facts about bloggers” game. This one calls for specific personal tidbits in groups of four — which hopefully will not provoke the dreaded Web surfer foursome of yawn-stretch-blink-clickaway

Top stories today, in my world:

1) “Stell Cell Breakthrough Helps 85% of Type 2 Diabetes Patients.” In a very exciting initial study in Argentina, implanted stem cells did just what researchers hoped they would do: they appeared to regenerate the destroyed Islet Beta Cells in the pateints’ pancreas. The patients were able to get off their various diabetes drugs, and the procedure went off without a single complication.

Apropos to Diabetes Health Magazine’s latest feature on “Where Have All the Insulins Gone?” I had no idea that the evolving insulin market might have been bad for some patients — much less the celebrated changeover to synthetic human insulin. Meet Jim Daly from Massachusetts, who shared his brutally honest story with me this week (reprinted uncensored, except for inserted links, with permission):