Still campaigning

[hanadr]

I think I've written that I am a retired science teacher. I still do an occasional day of work "on supply", to top up the piggy bank. Yesterday was one of those days. I spent it with a group of year 5 children in a lovely primary school. It was fun. Still, since they didn't call me until after 8 am, I wasn't there in time to do the morning register. I had a great morning, including playground duty. Happens every time. My blue painted toenails ( this is me!what else??) aparently marked me out as "Cool". After lunch, I picked up the register to find a slip in it about a child in the class, who is diabetic and describing her care. Her parents do her injections before and after school. She's been diabetic since age 4. I did the register, settled the class for silent reading and went and chatted to Ellen explaining that I'm like her. Her best friend sitting beside her said" See!I said so, I saw the bracelet" I asked Ellen about her numbers and they all sounded very high to me. That morning's had been 16. Everything written in the register was about avoiding hypos. It seemed to me that someone's gone too far the other way, but on a morning's acquaintanceship I felt it wasn't my place to upset anyone. I asked her if her Mummy would be offended if I gave her the title of a helpful book. she said not, so I gave her the title of Bernstein.
In the same day, there was a visit to the school and a talk by a chidren's author. I ended up chatting to her in the staffroom over lunch and she commented on my simple, low-carb egg salad. ( No mayo) I explained my eating plan and reason for it and how well it works. she then told me about a friend of hers who is diabetic, hugely overweight and BG out of control. I told the author that her friend might do well to discuss Byetta with her doctor. Otherwise she'll probabaly end up on insulin snd then there's no way back and the weight probably never will come off.
So 2 little touches towards lower carbs in one day

 

[DiabeticGeek]

Good for you, Hanna.

It staggers me that so many people seem to know quite so little about this disease, even when this knowledge can save your life. The general level of education and support provided by both the NHS and Diabetes UK is really shockingly inadequate. I am lucky, not only do I have some background in this area, but I am an academic. My instinct when faced with any problem is always to head off to the library and start reading. I was diagnosed barely a couple of months ago and since then I have read four books (a fifth is on order), probably about 40 papers and countless web sites. However, most people don't have the background the temperament or even the facilities to do this - and unless they get lucky and meet someone like you, they way to often seem to be left stranded by the system.

Ah well, sorry to rant - but it does make me furious. I am preaching to the converted here, of course, because anyone reading this forum is already well on the way to finding the knowledge that they need to sort themselves out. What concerns me is the millions of diabetics we are told about - the vast majority of whom don't read this forum.

Tim.

 

[hanadr]

Dear diabeticgeek.
I too am an academic, by instinct, but got sidelined into teaching. Best of all I love researching and would still like to get that Ph.D, which I know is in me. At the moment, I'm getting a lot of satisfaction from my battles with my PCT (If you haven't read my post on that, I'm now winning)
Among those books, have you got Gary Taubes' "The diet Deception"? It's just brilliant; a model of scholarly work too.
What books have you found good?

 

[ally5555]

The problem is that alot of people do not want to research or learn - its a fact of life and happens with other problems. Also not everyone has a computer!

It never ceases to amaze me that people wont attend appointments - ahhh !!!! Last week we had 2 new patients DNA for me and the dn - reason why - none . We even tried to run the education sessions for people working - response one turned up.

Not everyone wants as much info!

 

[sixfoot]

Ally most peeps want to learn at some point, its whether they know the significance of what they are learning that makes the difference.

Dave P

 

[DiabeticGeek]

What books have you found good?

The books that I have read so far are:

• Charles Fox & Anne Kilvert (2007) Type 2 Diabetes: Answers at your fingertips. (6th edition). Class Publishing.
• Gretchen Becker (2001) Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year. Robinson.
• Richard Bernstein (2007) Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. (2nd edition). Little, Brown & Company.
• Richard Holt & Neil Hanley (2007) Essential Endocrinology and Diabetes. (5th edition). Blackwell Publishing.

The one that is currently winging its way from the US is:

• Jenny Ruhl (2008). Blood Sugar 101: What They Don't Tell You About Diabetes. Technion Books

The Fox & Kilvert was the first one that I picked up in my local Waterstones. Because it is a Diabetes UK sponsored book, I assumed at the time that this would be the gold standard for quality. I was wrong. It isn't an entirely bad book - I learned a fair bit, most of which was right and some of which was useful. However, it does follow the standard NHS/Diabetes UK party line on everything (e.g. low fat, high carb diet). It is also quite hard to read - being written in a disjointed FAQ-style format.

The Becker book is extremely good - with lots of helpful practical advice. I particularly liked the fact that rather than recommending any single diet she discussed the pros and cons of various approaches. I also found her advice on testing strategies very useful.

I bought the Bernstein after hearing about it on this forum, as it is the bible of many people here. It certainly is a great book - very readable and informative.

The Holt & Hanley is a standard medical text book. It explains the molecular biology and physiology of diabetes very well, and is a really useful reference. It isn't intended for patients, and doesn't have much by way of practical advice but it certainly helps to have it to hand when reading research papers. Also, if you ever wondered why so many doctors hand out their high-carb dietary advice - it is because they get it from books like this.

Among those books, have you got Gary Taubes' "The diet Deception"? It's just brilliant; a model of scholarly work too.

No, I haven't come across that one - but it sounds interesting I shall look into it.

Best of all I love researching and would still like to get that Ph.D, which I know is in me.

If you want to do it then go for it! I have known a number of "mature" students who have turned retirement or redundancy in to an opportunity to go back to education and do a Masters degree or PhD.

Tim.

 

[hanadr]

Dear Tim. I have read the Bernstein, I brought a copy back from the Us a few years ago. It was cheaper there and I can convert the units and the recipes.
I have read stuff by Gretchen Becker on line and know her to be a friend of David Mendosa. like you I don't find stuff sponsored by Diabetes Uk to be very useful. Taubes is still the most interesting. It was Mendosa who put me on to him. In fact Mendosa's website is a fountain of information and he's great about answering questions.