I have been schooled in hypoglycemia, in more ways than one.

TYPE 2) First off, you were all right, of course: hypoglycemia is apparently often an early sign of Type 2 diabetes.

Excerpts from Connie Bennett’s new carb-bashing book, Sugar Shock!, cleared this right up:

Down on Big Pharma?  You are not alone.  Whether or not you actually believe that these companies are suppressing a cure for diabetes in order to stay in business, you probably have some (well-founded) suspicions about ethics in medical practice.

Gary Scheiner is an outspoken CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator).  That’s probably because he’s lived with Type 1 diabetes himself for over 20 years.  Best known for his insulin-pumping guidebook, Think Like a Pancreas, he’s become something of a guru on the best techniques for achieving optimal diabetes control.

I have what I’d call a vaguely informed idea of the nitty-gritty of nutrition, i.e. how the body converts carbs into energy, uses protein to build and repair tissue, and flushes out fiber.  You know, all that stuff…  But over time, my vague knowledge seems to get more and more vague if I don’t brush up a bit.

Let me start by saying that yesterday was just the Best Blogging Day Ever!  I should have de-lurked you all ages ago.  Thank you for all your wonderful comments!!

Weeeelll, hello.  Somehow I managed to miss national de-lurking week last week (must’ve had my head up my… blog).  So now, a belated invitation for all of you who come here to look but not touch, to please reach out and touch that keyboard! 

Editor’s Note: Oooh, this post is so TIMELY, in light of the fact that the LA Times ran a front-of-the-business-section story on widespread doubts about inhaled insulin this weekend.  Our gal feels differently. Read on.

When people find out they have diabetes, they sometimes do crazy things.  As we’ve discussed recently, lots of people go into denial mode and do nothing, which is what turns this disease into a death sentence over time, sadly.  Then there are the few who stand up and fight right away.

When I read the other day that Eli Lilly was halting construction of a new insulin plant in Virginia, I didn’t make that much of it.  Another day, another dollar-based business decision, right?  But it seems there are some strong currents running through the insulin market that will have tangible consequences for us folks who live on insulin, indeed.

The other bit I wanted to share from my day at the Behavioral Diabetes Institute was our discussion of what gets in the way, i.e. why do many patients so consistently neglect their diabetes?  That is, the first hour of my time at the BDI was spent in a “provider” session sharing concerns with a group of people including CDEs, psychologists, nutritionists, and reps from BDI sponsor Roche Diagnostics.