Juvenation

Study Helps Explain Activity of Anti-CD3 in Treating or Preventing Type 1 Diabetes

Joana Casas — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:39:00 GMT

JDRF-funded scientists at Yale University recently found a mechanism of action by which teplizumab, an anti-CD3 antibody may be working as an immune therapy for T1D.

Currently, once T1D starts to develop, there’s no intervention developed to stop it. The immune system slowly and inevitably kills the pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. As a result, people with T1D have to test their blood sugar and give themselves insulin (with injections or an insulin pump) multiple times every day in order to stay alive. What’s more, reversing T1D remains an elusive and complicated challenge, requiring restoration of the insulin-producing cells that were destroyed, as well as solutions to turn off the misguided immune system attack on insulin-producing cells.

Teplizumab, the drug used in the study, is thought to work by shutting off a part of the immune system most responsible for attacking these insulin-producing cells and generating long-term immunoregulation to control this misguided autoimmune response. While previous trials tested whether teplizumab might preserve insulin production in people recently diagnosed with T1D, researchers are now also studying whether the drug might preemptively prevent or delay the development of T1D in at-risk individuals. One such study is being conducted by the National Institutes of Health’s Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet.

The latest findings about teplizumab are reported in the current issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine. In the study, which was funded by JDRF, NIH, Yale University, and the Health Service Executive of Ireland, researchers led by Dr. Kevan Herold, M.D., professor of immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine used a mouse model with a functional human immune system, and focused on the effect of the drug on T cells, a critical immune system component involved in the development of T1D. The team found that the drug induced certain T cells to migrate from the circulatory and lymph systems to the small intestine, where they produced the immunoregulatory protein interleukin-10 (IL-10). IL-10 is an important regulator of the immune system that has a role in preventing or controlling autoimmune diseases. These T cells were also converted into regulatory T-cells, known to be helpful in restoring and maintaining normal immune system balance.

While researchers have yet to fully understand teplizumab’s potential role in treatment or prevention of T1D, this study underscores the importance of understanding the mechanism of action of therapies in translational research – the ability to effectively convert lab findings into useful therapies in clinical studies. The work provided important clues about how the investigational drug works in human cells and demonstrated that humanized mice can be successfully used to identify how drugs such as this one work in people.

By better understanding a therapy’s exact mechanism of action, it allows researchers to improve the design of future trials, including developing biomarkers to determine dosing and assess efficacy. In this case, the Yale study unlocks doors for more studies to explore the extent to which therapies that target the immune system may prevent the onset of T1D.

Slipping on ice!

PaytonKroymann — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:13:29 GMT

This was a couple weeks ago but I had to tell everyone. On Saturday a week ago I was going out of a volleyball tournement court and I slipped on a patch of ice! It doesn't seem as bad as you think but it really brusied my tailbone. I went to the doctor a couple days later. They took a x-ray and it came back as not broken or fractured but really brusied. I had to not go to gym for 2 weeks and I have to wear sweatpants or yoga pants or even pajamas to school. The first day everybody was questioning me wearing pajamas and I didn't tell everyone but I did tell some of my friends. It's not that I was embarresed... It's that I just didn't want to tell everybody becuase I was tired of people asking and asking! It still hurts till this day. I wore pajamas today too. Everbody got used to it and now people are wearing pajamas to make me feel better. I said they didn't need to but they did anyway :)

Don't ever slip on ice!

10,000 hits on Everydayhighsandlows.com! Thanks guys!

everydayhighsandlows — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:02:06 GMT

Thanks everyone for helping to view and spread the word about my blog about raising twins (one with diabetes and one without). A special thanks to those of of who copied my link to your twitter accounts and Facebook pages! I really appreciate it. The guys and I celebrated by getting a banana split at Dairy Queen. What was I thinking? Find out here at www.everydayhighsandlows.com.

C's Life With D: Taking A Stand

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:07:00 GMT

It's time for all of us to stand up together. Our voices need to be heard and we need to be saying "Weight does not determine health." Weight discrimination should not exist; fat acceptance needs to begin. I took a stand. See how you can too. Read it at C's Life: http://cslifewithd.blogspot.com/2012/02/taking-stand-part-4.html...(read more)

This is us...and our most recent obstacle.

Christina — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:39:01 GMT

Back in the day I used to keep a journal. Then I got married and had one baby, then two, then three and journal writing went out the window of course. One day recently while browsing on Facebook I came upon another mom's blog that one of my friends "shared" on her wall. It was then that I realized, blogging is the new way to keep a journal! Why have I not realized this before? I guess I was too busy to even think about it. Last weekend we went to our first JDRF family retreat in Greensboro NC and it was there that I learned about the juvenation network. So here I am and this is my first blog ever. I really dont expect anyone will even read it but hey might as well give it a shot.

Like I said, we recently attended our first JDRF event and at that event something happened that Im still reeling from so I'd like to tell you about it. My son Ray who is 7 was diagnosed back in May of 2011 so we are about 8 months in. In the midst of the 8 months since diagnosis my daughter turned 2 years old and I gave birth to my son Ian three months ago so needless to say its been a whirlwind. Regardless I thought I was doing a pretty good job. Until last week. So there we were in our hotel room at the JDRF family retreat getting ready to go to sleep. Lights are off and Ray and I are chatting about idle things and next thing I know he says something I'll never forget as long as I live. He said "Mom your always talking baby talk to Ian (new brother, 3months old), and chasing Mia (very difficult female 2 year old) around to keep her out of trouble and all you ever say to me is 'check your sugar Ray, did you give your shot Ray?" I was silent, I had no reply. I had nothing to say because I knew that he was one hundred percent right. How on earth did I let this happen? Sometime in the past 8 months, I forgot about Ray, the 7 year old little boy who was my first baby. Ray, the awesome skateboarder and professional lego architect, and Ray the self sufficient independent little boy that I can count on do always do the right thing. I was now treating him like Ray, the diabetic. This was less than a week ago so I cant tell you that I have completely recitfied the situation but it has become my number one goal to never ever make him feel again like he is "just the diabetic" in the family. He is only 7 so I HAVE to manage his diabetic care but somehow I have to find a way to make that management secondary to all else in normal life. So that is my newest dilema in the world of T1D...maybe Im not the only one?

sooo weird

Chris — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:53:35 GMT

This has got to be the weirdest week ever, and its only half over. So Jesse came home early on Monday and hasn't gone to school since. He's got a cough and runny nose, and is tired all day, once or twice he's had some ketones. The funny thing is this is the most consistant he's been in the 2 + years he's had diabetes. Any given day before this week his range would be from 6-11 mmol at breakfast, about the same at lunch, at dinner however he's usually 17-25, we cannot understand why he's always so high at dinner, we've adjusted his dose multiple times, adjusted the carb count but still so high at dinner. At bed he's usually bang on 4-9. This week however I think the highest he's been is 10, this whole week, its been great. Mind you he's not eating much and he's getting his carbs through juice but he just won't eat anything. We're hoping this cold passes soon, and when it does if we can keep his levels like this week, it'd be great..

How Many Meetings Did We Schedule in January?

Amanda Stratton — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:37:40 GMT

As I mentioned earlier this month, Promise Campaign coordinators have been working with renewed energy in the first month of 2012. I am proud to say that thanks to the hard work of JDRF advocates across the country, we scheduled or held 48 meetings in January, bringing our total to 308! That is 3 more than we scheduled in the same period during the 2009-10 Campaign.

If we continue to match this monthly total for the remaining months of the campaign, we will not only reach our goal of 432 meetings by May 1, but we will surpass it by far. One challenge we face in February is that it is a shorter month, leaving us with less time to schedule meetings. Let's try to make February count by matching or beating January's total! The Presidents' Day recess, which is the best opportunity for getting these meetings scheduled, is just a few weeks away. Members of Congress will be home for an entire week during that time, so we need to make sure we use it to our best abilities!

We need you to help us get to 48 this month! If you have not already, help us keep the momentum going for the remainder of the year by signing up to attend a Promise meeting. You even have the option to note your interest in coordinating a meeting with one or more of your legislators! You can also email me at advocacy@jdrf.org if you wish to coordinate or have any questions.

today

Kyrstyn — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:52:32 GMT

trying to meet as many people as i can(aka send as many friend requests as possible) u can never have too many friends=)

I sprung a leak!

Dana — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:02:25 GMT

whiniest.blogspot.com/.../sometimes-life-is-gross.html

Forget Me Not

Type 1 Advocate Gramma — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:03:00 GMT

Forget Me Not!

Two years ago this February I was asked to be our local chapter’s Advocacy Team Leader. At the time, I had no idea what that entailed, but I knew it was an honor to be asked and I made a promise to do whatever I could to help find a cure for my grandson..so the answer was a no-brainer “Yes”!

It was the middle of JDRF’s Promise to Remember Me Campaign and part of my responsibility was to schedule the “Promise” meetings with our congressmen. I was able to schedule and meet with 2 of our congressmen. I was so nervous, but both of those meetings were also attended by a few long time JDRF advocates who helped relieve my apprehension a little. We shared our stories of living with diabetes, asked them to approve the upcoming Special Diabetes Program, thanked them and the meeting was “in the books”.

A month later I went to Washington DC as Orange County’s representative for JDRF’s Government Day! One of the first people I met was a young mom from Central California. She told me about the great “Promise” meeting she had with her Congressman and she told me something else that really stuck with me. During that meeting, her young son gave his congressman a package of Tic Tac’s and explained to him that those are what he has to eat when his blood sugar is low and he gets shaky! It was a visual reminder for the congressman to remember him! Thank you Promise Co-Chair Laurie DeSchryver for sharing that story with me!!

For this Promise Campaign I realized we also needed to help all of those voting on our behalf to REMEMBER US after our meetings as well! My grandson Robby, and the reason for my passion, is now away at college. Knowing that he would not be able to attend our Promise Meeting with his Congressman, I wanted to make sure that Congressman Campbell remembered him when he went back to DC and cast his votes so…

Flat Robby and his mom went to the Promise Meeting!

We have taken Flat Robby to 3 Promise meetings now and he has been a big hit at each one! (Oh, and thanks again Laurie for bringing your Flat Grandma to Government Day last year, another inspiration)!

However, all of the Members of Congress need to REMEMBER ALL OF OUR LOVED ONES living with diabetes and so with a little help from our

Silly Hats & Caps Advocacy Group,

we came up with several “leave behind” ideas that we now use and I have been asked to share them with you!!

We made bouquets of fabric flowers

Each flower has the face of one of their constituents who is living with type 1 diabetes on one side

And simply ask them to remember on the back!

Promise to
Remember Me!
Caroline

We use a sneaker as the vase, to remind them of JDRF’s Walk to Cure Diabetes!

When we go to the meeting we have one of the children carry the bouquet and start the meeting by giving it to their Congressman. It helps get the conversation started!

I always ask the children attending the meeting if they would like share how they manage their diabetes with the Congressman (show off their pump, test their blood sugar, etc). That too seems to really grab the Member's attention and is a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to teach someone else more about diabetes!

Once the kids have broken the ice for the rest of us….the adults share their stories of how diabetes has affected their lives…as a person with type 1, as a parent, as a grandparent etc. At one of our meetings, one of the mom’s emptied her purse on the table to show ALL OF THE SUPPLIES she had to carry 24/7 to manage her daughter’s diabetes and have on hand “just in case”!

We always check ahead of time to see if the Member is on the Diabetes Caucus, or if they signed the FDA letter, or if they voted for the SDP, etc. and thank them for doing so. If we have an “ask” we explain what we are asking of them and we leave a packet of informational material that JDRF has made available. In that packet I always include a page that my grandson wrote the year after he was diagnosed.

Facts about Diabetes

In one day, I test my blood sugar 12 times
In one month, I will test 372 times
In one year, I will test 4,464 times
In my lifetime, I will test at least 424,080 times
I inject insulin into me 5 times a day
In one month, I will inject insulin 150 times
In one year, I will inject insulin 1,825 times
In my lifetime I will inject insulin 173,375 times
As many as 3 million Americans may have Type 1 Diabetes
Each year over 13,000 children are diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. That’s 35 children each and every day!
Diabetes remains a leading cause of heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and amputations.
Please Help JDRF
Find a CURE

My daughter-in-law came up with another awesome “leave behind” that we initially used for our walk team, but are now using with Promise and other activities as well.

We take lifesaver candies, attach a picture of someone in our chapter living with T1d and simply say...
”Be a lifesaver and help find a cure”

These “Promise” meetings are so important to help put a face to Type 1 Diabetes. If we can influence even one Congressman’s feelings toward diabetes, it could mean the difference in the approval of funding of millions of dollars towards research for our cure. The meetings last no more than 15 to 20 minutes and if we can leave something with them that will continue to remind them what we’ve taught them in that short time....we truly are making a difference!

Life

VolsLadybug — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:11:45 GMT

Its been a while since ive gotten on here. Ive had alot on my mind. Seems like everytime i turn around something goes wrong. My mom has been having some health problems they seemed to get better for a bit and are now back to worrying me. On top of that my boyfriend is now experiencing some health issues that his drs arent sure whats goin on there and he lives out of state. Its increadibly difficult to be soo worried about the ppl you love and have no way of helping either one except to be emotioal support. All i want right now is to be by my boyfriends side. Ive spent some night crying caused im always worried about both him and my mom. Its causing insomnia now. I fight my emotions when im at work and its slow. Those are the times when my mind wants to think about them both. Itd be tramatizing for something to happen to either of them.

New study may help determine risk of kidney disease for people with diabetes

Gary — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:16:04 GMT

Nearly 20 years ago, the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) proved that keeping tight control over blood sugar levels can help prevent or delay the onset of complications for people with diabetes. Since then, researchers have continued to study complications with the goal of discovering how to predict, prevent, and reverse them on an individual level.

The results of two studies reported in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology may for the first time allow doctors to accurately determine an individual’s risk for developing diabetic kidney disease, and ultimately kidney failure. In the studies, researchers identified two proteins, TNFR1 and TNFR2, whose presence was strongly associated with the development of severe kidney complications in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The studies both followed people with diabetes over a number of years and found that those with higher concentrations of these two proteins were at the greatest risk for kidney disease, regardless of any other factors. They also found that the presence of the proteins could predict the progression of kidney disease, as people with higher concentrations experienced a more rapid decline in kidney function. JDRF provided part of the funding for the studies.

The findings from this research could benefit people with diabetes both in the near future and in the long term. The most immediate impact may be the development of new diagnostic tests that measure TNFR1 and TNFR2 and can predict who is at the highest risk of developing diabetic kidney disease. No such tests are currently available. In the long term, the findings contribute to our knowledge of how diabetic kidney disease develops and can inform efforts to prevent or reverse it.

JDRF continues to fund this and other research with the goal of preventing and reversing the complications of diabetes.

Family: Supportive, Yet Annoying.

Steph — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:55:47 GMT

hey guys, this is my first blog so I really don't know how this works so bare with me! :) I just wanted to write about how my family can be super supportive and super annoying at the same time!

okay, so starting out with my mom. she is probably the most supportive of my family because I talk to her most about my problems. but she is constantly making stupid comments that frustrate me because I know that she knows what she's talking about and she still tries to make me laugh with dumb comments and it makes me even angrier. like sometimes, well all the time, if we're at a family party or something and the dessert comes out, she'll say "Steph, you're blood sugar is going up just looking at that!" and I try to drop hints by saying things like "ha ha.." sarcastically and she just keeps going on and on. and the constant nagging of "what was your sugar?" and "did you test?" and "did you bolus yet?" and she will even text me like three times if I'm out somewhere. well instead of continuing with my badmouthing of her, I'll just continue..

so my dad is really not that bad but he kind of helps my mom along with the nagging and also about writing down what I eat, when I test, what my blood sugar was, and how much insulin I got. but all in all, he really helps me with everything I go through and I'm so grateful for that.

well my sister is 6 years older than me so she's usually out and about with friends. but she's always there when I need her. although we fight, we help each other along. she helps me get through having diabetes and i help her through whatever it is that she needs.

well, I guess I don't have that much to add so I'll save this and post it! I know we all know what each other is going through so I hope you understand me! <3

Just wanted to say Hi.

els97 — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:23:19 GMT

Hiya! I'm Ellie, I was diagnosed in June 2009, just before my 12th birthday. I am 14 years old now and I'm in Year 10 at school. I live in London.

Today, i've had quite poor control actually, well, not all that bad. Blood sugars were low when I woke up, 11.7mmols at lunch, 6.4mmols after lunch, then, they sky rocketed up to 21.5mmols a few hours after! I managed to get them down to 8.5mmols by dinner though; sometimes my sugars decide to go all over the place for no obvious reason. It is very annoying. I don't really like diabetes, and wish that I could just have a normal life with out all the diabetes stuff, like testing and bolusing, and appointments etc. but, I know that it is part of my life now and I accept that, but sometimes it gets me down. But I won't let it control me, ever. I have control of it. So, today wasnt the best day, but, i'll have better days and worse days. It's always up and down with diabetes. I'll probably make this blogging a regular thing, I like it. Well, bye(:

Celebrate 300 with Today's Promise Digest

Amanda Stratton — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:47:01 GMT

Reaching 300 Promise Campaign meetings is something to celebrate! What better way to do so than reading about how some of these meetings have turned out? Check out our latest list of recently posted meetings below.

Want to be a part of your own Promise meeting? Sign up to attend one in your area on the Promise website. Don't forget, you can win a trip to Washington, D.C. by participating!

JDRF advocates and Representative Paul Ryan (WI-1)

Tummy Pains

Chris — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:28:58 GMT

Well not sure what the heck we're going to do. The last 3 or 4 days we've got multiple calls from Jesse's school, he's in the office complaining of tummy aches. Thankfully the school is a 3 minute walk away, so Allison will walk over and test his levels, he's been a little low once, but usually a little high but nothing to be concerned with. So this happens about 10 or so, just after lunch we get another call. Jesse says his tummy hurts back goes Allison, he's fine, and twice now hes even called about 2, at this point we get him on the phone and tell him home time is an hour away we'll see you then, OK mom, bye...He's only 6 and can't test himself yet and nobody at the school really wants to test him either. Its really getting bothersome. His levels are generally fine, but you don't want to take that chance, he really likes school so I don't think its an opt out to get out of class, We're just grateful the school is just across the street or we'd be at a loss as to what to do...So you just have to wonder does it hurt, or is he just playing us?

Tell Us About Your Promise Experience & Win!

Amanda Stratton — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:49:00 GMT

As I have mentioned before, the best part of the Promise Campaign is the stories from the meetings. Now we want to hear about your Promise experience! Telling your story allows you to become our most important ambassador. It’s the best way we can think of to keep the Promise fun going after the meeting ends.

I wanted to take a minute to remind you that we created the Promise Story Contest for this year's Campaign just for this reason. By simply sharing your story, you could even win a trip to JDRF's Government Day 2013 event in Washington, D.C.!

Participating is easy! Check out this video explaining the three simple steps you must take to enter the contest:

(Please visit the site to view this video)

How can you get in on the fun? Get started TODAY by signing up to attend a Promise Campaign meeting!

To learn more about the Promise Story Contest and the full contest rules, head over to the contest page on the Promise website.

A new post about pizza!

everydayhighsandlows — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:44:01 GMT

Come check out my new post at Www.everydayhighsandlows.com Pizza carb suck!

a poem for Jesse

Chris — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:45:17 GMT

I posted this a few years back, thought I'd repost it. Jesse's been asking me lately when is his diabetes going to go away?. All I can tell him is doctors are doing their very best...Breaks my heart..

i know one day they'll find a cure

I really know and thats for sure

Theres highs and lows and ups and downs

And finger pokes all year round

I feel dizzy I have to pee

Why oh why is this happening to me

The constant needles, is this a dream

Theres just some days I'd like to scream

By day and by night is always a fight

making sure I'm feeling alright

At the end of the day I will raise my chin

To you diabetes I will win....

Promise Hits 300!

Amanda Stratton — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:04:18 GMT

When I posted the meeting digest last week, the Promise Campaign had 297 meetings scheduled or held with Members of Congress. I mentioned that I was anxiously awaiting when we would reach 300. Luckily, I did not have to wait long: Promise meeting #300 was scheduled this past weekend!

The Campaign's 300th meeting has been scheduled with Representative Peter King of New York's 3rd congressional district. Congratulations to Advocacy Team Chair Frank Leotta and the other volunteers at the Long Island Chapter for scheduling the meeting to get us to this milestone!

Reaching 300 is especially exciting for all of us here at JDRF Advocacy because during the 2009-10 Promise Campaign, we hit 300 meetings in the month of March. This puts us ahead of the pace from the last campaign! Reaching this milestone also means that we just need 132 more meetings to reach our overall Promise goal.

We could not have reached this amazing milestone without the tireless efforts of our Campaign Coordinators and advocates like you. Thank you to all of our advocates and coordinators for their hard work. However, we can't let up yet! We still need those remaining 132 to get us to our goal. Want to know how you can help? Sign up to attend or coordinate your own Promise meeting, or email us at advocacy@jdrf.org and let us know you want to help. We will set you up with all of the information and support you need to make a difference for those living with type 1 diabetes.

JDRF-Funded Project Identifies Cell that Triggers T1D

Liz Cuebas — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:45:47 GMT

JDRF-funded researchers at the La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology in San Diego have become the first researchers to successfully determine which kind of T-cells are responsible for the autoimmune attack on the insulin-producing beta cells in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). (T-cells are white blood cells that take a central role in the body’s immune system.) The study appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Utilizing the resources of JDRF’s Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD), Matthias Von Herrath, M.D., and his research team examined pancreatic tissue from organ donors who had T1D. Dr. Von Herrath’s group of scientists discovered the presence of a specific type of T-cell, CD-8, which reacts to beta cells in pancreatic islets. They also determined which areas of the islets were most vulnerable during the autoimmune attack. Dr. Ken Coppieters, one of the study’s co-authors, explains: “Knowing which pieces of the molecules the T cells react against is a crucial prerequisite to design therapies that attempt to restore balance within the immune system.”

nPOD is an innovative JDRF-funded project that is based at the University of Florida, Gainesville that provides donated organs from people with T1D to leading diabetes scientists all over the world for use in their research studies. It provides researchers with a unique opportunity to literally see and better understand the initial steps of T1D and its physiological impact on the pancreas and immune system. According to Dr. Von Herrath, the chance to study human pancreatic tissue was crucial to the study’s success: "The use of this tissue from the nPOD consortium was critical to our ability to prove which T cells are most important in destroying beta cells in humans, which leads to type 1 diabetes, and where these cells are located in the pancreas."

JDRF is equally excited that nPOD provided significant support for Dr. Von Herrath’s research team. JDRF’s Director of the Immune Therapies program, Teodora Staeva, Ph.D., says, “We are certainly pleased that nPOD enabled this study through the supply of human tissue. It is a perfect example of the kind of cutting-edge research that JDRF is proud to support to catalyze major research advances in type 1 diabetes.”

JDRF is hopeful that this discovery will help scientists develop methods of stopping or reversing the autoimmune process, which will be a key component of delivering a T1D cure. Additionally, we look forward to continuing opportunities for nPOD to serve as a resource to T1D research teams around the world.

C's Life With D: Desperate Measures

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:37:16 GMT

Desperate times call for desperate measures. It's time for me to get back on the bandwagon and act like I'm ready to take care of myself. Find more at C's Life: http://cslifewithd.blogspot.com/2012/01/desperate-measures.html...(read more)

More mind clearing!!!!

Keith221 — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:08:21 GMT

Walking, I done a lot of it in the past 3 weeks in the hospital!!!! Still kind of strange sitting clearing my mind! Waiting for my 1st sleep out of a hospital, my first of the New Year 20012!!!!

I like walking!!! after my 1st surgery, the removal a small bowel blockage!!! I lost 12 inches of small bowel and reconnected!!!! I came out of surgery and within an hour I got up and walked! Everybody in the hospital (VA Loma Linda) was impressed!! It did feel good! A couple of days and lots of walking!!! I got to start clear liquids. Cold water tasted so good! On the way to getting out of there! Just not to keen on hospitals!! LOL after all it was this very same hospital where I was 1st dx'ed type 1 Diabetic!!! in ICU!!

after a couple clear liquid diet meals if you can call them that! LOL A bowel movement, On to more solid liquids and more walking!!!! One more step to getting out after my 1st surgery! I now have a scar going from the center of my rib cage straight down to the top of my belly button!!! With all these staples, looks like a railroad track!!! LOL I have a picture I may just post it!!!

Took a walk came back for my 1st Solid food in a week!!!! Yea me!!! or so thought at that moment!!!

Life for me takes a turn!! And not a good one!! I eat a little solid food, tasted OK. Got that down, then did my 1st oral pain meds, before this I had been using a pain pump. I could with just the push of a button get sweet pain med!!! Having your belly cut open hurts, I know!!! LOL

Then a whole 30 minutes later. PAIN!!!! the worse I have as a 55 year old man ever had!!!! A 10 LOL My 1st thought Oh God Please NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! this can't be good and it wasn't!!! Calling the nurse!!! there she is, what's wrong Mr. Johnson ? I tell her I am in so much pain!!!!! Please help me!!!!! tell her it's a 10!!! OK I'll be right back!!! That oh so special nurse left. She returns with a needle of morphine. Mr. Johnson I called the Dr. and told them they need to get here right now this man never has complained about something is very wrong!!!! She gives me the pain med in my Iv, seconds sweet relief!!! That pain is going away!!! The nurse then tells me I am going to x-ray. Zoom x-rays done that how it seemed to me. The nurse asks me How do feel after the x-rays??? I still hurt pretty good, but it is beter than a few minutes ago!!!! Another shoot of morphine, I throw up a couple times, there goes my 1st solid food!!!! I don't feel so well and I know this is not good at all!!!! I close my eyes.

Mr Johnson!!! opening my eyes I see the Dr. who had done my surgery. We looked at the x-rays and found fluid .( Note also just before this they told me I had a high white blood cell count!!! and were giving me antibiotics. Then they explained they were going to have to go back inside me!!!! Oh Great!!! I get to be opened a 2nd time a week after the 1st time. How lucky can you get! LOL All I could think was I bet this is really going to hurt!!!!!!! OK Let's do it!!!! They put on another bed thing for surgery and start to take me to the OR. In there I am told, open up. maybe stoma implant (not sure of spelling) RV hook up for people LOL, blood transfusion, etc... I sign papers!!!! OUT!!!

Next thing I know Is I am waking up!!! Mr Johnson, Mr Johnson do you know where you are at??? Yes, I am at a VA hospital. Very good !!! Mr Jonhson I need to understand what I am about to say , can you do that!!!! Yes I say a little fuzzy. Good OK, you had to have a 1 liter blood clot removed, do you understand???? Yes. removed a blood clot!!!! Very good Mr Johnson!!!! you also had to have 2 liters of blood, Do you understand??? Yes I do!! very good Mr Johnson, we are taking you to ICU right now, do you understand??? Yes ICU. I did understand because my next thought was, Great my 2 only over nights in a hospital this hospital have ended up in ICU How lucky am I???? LOL

Now I am being put in place in ICU!!! I have all kinds of stuff coming in and going out of me, tubes, wires and I think at this time I have poked by almost every needle they had!!!! LOL I've a screen with all kinds of graphs going!!! o2, heart rate, blood pressure, EKG, etc..... and lots of beeping!!!! Whoa so much!!! Then they ask "how do I feel??" I feel like someone who's been opened twice is what I said and I hurt pretty good just like I have been cut twice!! LOL yes I really laughed!!! Good Mr Johnson we'll take care of that!!!! for you you're doing really good!!!! The Dr''s will here in just a second!!! I feel pain relief so good!! I close my eyes for just a second, then Mr. Johnson! I open my eyes and there are the Dr's. They again go over what has happened to me!!! This is what I remember! Opened up, found 1 liter blood clot and removed, got 2 liters of blood, couldn't find any leak, lot's of scar tissue and I am in ICU!!!! More pain stuff, sweet relief!!!! I fall asleep!!!

This mind clearing is helping me get this stuff out of my head.kind of random. Just want to remember. Because I am still just a little over 36 hours after getting out of the hospital! Think I might be able to sleep some now!!!!

My Experiences so Far

Jonathon — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:49:11 GMT

My name is Jonathon Gray and Ive only had type 1 diabetes for about two months, and even in this short time, its been a roller coaster! My carb ratios been in 5 different spots, and each time I get a new number, I have really good bloodsugars and then, I shoot high so we have to change it again. I feel like someones pianno. their pushing all my buttons to see what comes out! I really am having some trouble with my shots and finger pokes, so if anyone has any good ideas or anyhting that I can do to to make it easier than please share it with me. Im sure that all of you out there who have diabetes, Im sure youve gone through the same thing so bear with me. Im looking forward to hearing from you guys sometime soon.

Jonathon

32 hours

Keith221 — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:47:46 GMT

A little over 32 hours since I was released from the hospital. My 1st 32 hours of the New Year not at a hospital!!!!! Yea!!

Still need to sleep I think? I've spent theses 32 hours eating and eating!!! Then again I did go 3 weeks with no solid food!!! And doing just normal.stuff (pooping and peeing!)

Tried laying down it was very comfortable! Nothing hurts just feels a little funny. LOL So out of my head comes thoughts to remember!!!!

Personal Hero's, I have one!!! A very special one!!! Bummed because of all that has happened, I can't remember her name, but I remember her face!!!!!!!!!!! This nurse was my nurse when I went in for my 2nd surgery, she called the Dr. at my 1st pain I had after eating my 1st solid food in a week, taking oral pain meds and then getting hit with Pain 10 and throwing up twice!!!!!! a whole 30 mins or so after!!!!! Her actions, I am sure helped so much with me being here now to write this!!!!! I will learn her name!!!!!! Can never forget the face of My Personal Hero!!! God Bless her, Please!!!!!! Had to write this!!! so I can remember. I am going to try for sleep, if not just rest!!!