ARTICLES

Insulin Injection Sites - 11/7/2005

INSULIN
TYPE	ONSET	PEAK	DURATION
H: Fast, clear	5-10 min	first 2 hrs	3-4 hrs
R: Short, clear	1/2-1 hr	2-4 hrs	4-6 hrs
N: Long, cloudy	2-4 hrs	6-12 hrs	18-24 hrs

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Diabetes Guidelines - Paediatrics - 11/8/2005

Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents
Canadian Diabetes Association
Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee

INTRODUCTION
Diabetes mellitus is the most common endocrine disease and one of the most common chronic conditions in children and adolescents.This section addresses those areas of diabetes management  that are specific to children. Unless otherwise specified, the term ‘child’ is used for individuals 0 to 18 years of age, and the term ‘adolescent’ for those 13 to 18 years of age.

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Types of Insulin - 11/8/2005

Manufactured insulin comes in several types. Each type works at a different pace and most people have to use more than one kind to mimic what their bodies used to do all by themselves.

Different types of insulin are like different types of Olympic runners. Some types of insulin are like sprinters. They start quickly, get to their top speed and finish fast. Other types of insulin are like marathon runners. They start slower and they keep going slow and steady for a long time. Then there are the ones in between-not as fast as a sprint and not as slow as a marathon. No one type of insulin is better than another. All types are important to keep your child's diabetes in control.

Rapid-acting insulin, often called lispro or Humalog, is the fastest insulin of all. Once injected, it starts to work within 15 minutes. It works hardest (or "peaks") at about an hour or so after injection. It's usually used up in four or five hours. This kind of insulin is designed so it can be injected right before meals. It starts to work about the time your child starts to eat. By the time her meal is digested and sugar is beginning to move into the bloodstream, rapid-acting insulin is working the hardest at moving that sugar into the cells.

Short-acting insulin, or "regular" insulin, is also used around mealtime. It takes longer to work than rapid-acting insulin does. So your child takes short-acting insulin about 30 to 45 minutes before she plans to eat and it peaks at about two or three hours. It can keep working for as long as six hours. Rapid-acting and short-acting insulin are both "clear" insulins.

Intermediate-acting insulin, or NPH and Lente,  is insulin mixed with a substance that makes the body absorb the insulin more slowly. That's why this type of insulin looks cloudy and has to be mixed before it's injected. It takes longer to start to work, and it stays in your child's body for a longer time. NPH usually begins to work about two to four hours after injection. It peaks four to 10 hours after injection, and it keeps working for 10 to 16 hours. Lente lasts even longer. It peaks at four to 12 hours after injection and stays in the body from 12 to 18 hours. Intermediate-acting insulin works all day if it is taken in the morning. A shot of intermediate-acting insulin in the evening keeps insulin in your child's body during the night.

Long-acting insulin, also called Ultralente, starts to work in six to 10 hours and can stay in the body for 20 hours or more. It has a peak, but its top speed looks a lot like its normal speed. Long-acting insulin is usually taken in the morning or before bed, like intermediate-acting insulin.

The Founder of our Foundation - 12/1/2005


Our Son ... always up to no good!

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Ontario Children Get Funding for Insulin Pumps! - 3/28/2006

Diabetes Research Breakthrough Expected to End Insulin Injections - 4/5/2006

OTTAWA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Bioengineers at the University of Calgary in Canada have successfully grown insulin producing cells in a lab, marking a major breakthrough in diabetes research.

Scientists hope to eventually transplant lab-grown, insulin producing cells directly into the bodies of patients with Type 1 diabetes and free them from injections, Canadian Television reported on Thursday.

Type 1 diabetes makes the body unable to produce enough insulin, requiring those suffering from the disease to inject themselves with the hormone.

In theory, the transplant would eliminate the need for daily insulin injections by patients who suffer from the disease.

"This transplant procedure, developed in Edmonton, is the best thing to come in 20 years to treat type one diabetes," said Dr. Leo Behie, the professor of chemical engineering in charge of the research project.

Although there are still many steps to be taken including clinical trials, the tests that Behie and his team have done in his lab so far are very encouraging.

In many cases people are now off insulin and they have good sugar controls in their blood with no constrains in terms of eating. "That is a big deal," said Behie.

The research stems from a project by New York-based Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF).

Donna Lillie, of the Canadian Diabetes Association, said the research presented a real possibility for people with Type 1 diabetes to get rid of their multiple daily injections.

"Dr. Behie's all-Canadian team has brought us one more step toward potentially securing a large supply of insulin-producing pancreatic cells for transplantation into individuals with Type 1 diabetes," Lillie said.

University of Alberta scientists transplanted cells into Type 1 diabetes sufferers in 2000, freeing some from injections over the last five years.

But the approach they used required pancreas cells from as many as three donor cadavers which created a supply headache. Even with the supply, only 10 percent were able to stop taking insulin injections.

Behie said his plan to produce cloned cells on a large scale in computer-controlled bioreactors would "get rid of this supply bottleneck."

He said his goal was to provide Type 1 diabetes sufferers with a reliable supply of cells that eventually could be given through booster shots.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS
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Stem Cells that produce INSULIN! - 10/26/2006
23-OCT-2006

Stem Cells May Make Insulin Cells

SAN DIEGO, Oct 23, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. scientists say human embryonic stem cells can be converted into cells that produce all five hormones made by the pancreas, including insulin.

Research conducted by Edward Baetge and colleagues at Novocell Inc. in San Diego suggests the possibility of turning human embryonic stem cells into pancreatic cells that can be used for diabetes therapy.

Human embryonic stem cells have the potential to become virtually any cell type in the body. Thus, they are a promising source of cells to repair damaged organs, such as the pancreas, heart and liver.

Baetge and colleagues show the efficient generation of insulin-producing cells from human embryonic stem cells depends on guiding the cells through stages similar to those of pancreatic development. The researchers said the cells they created contained high levels of insulin and were also capable of secreting insulin -- but only minimally in response to sugar, which is a crucial function of adult beta-cells.

The scientists speculate that, with additional research, the cells have the potential to be matured into insulin-producing cells that could be suitable for transplantation into patients.

The study is reported online in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Diabetes on Vacation - 1/10/2007

Well, it was the first vacation well away from home, in another Country actually!

A little scary at first, however we not only managed but were very successful at preventing the highs and lows!

Grenada!!! - 1/17/2008

 
What a trip!

Great sugars, de-stressed and we did it!!  Diabetes and all without a single issue (though we almost forgot all of the strips, we found them).  Moral of the story, always pack for two and place each in a carry on and then check in.

Those Summer Time Lows... - 7/8/2008

TOPICS:

Hypoglycemia
Treating a low
Favorite fast-acting sugars
Lows in your sleep
In an emergency

Lows in your sleep
Lows in your sleep can happen, especially after a lot of exercise during the day. Lows at night can be dangerous because you're not awake to treat yourself.

Here are some signs that you might be having low blood glucose levels in the middle of the night:
You wake up with sweaty pajamas and sheets
You wake up with a headache
You're having nightmares
You don't feel rested, you're still tired
If you think you're having lows at night, set your alarm for 2 or 3 a.m. Wake up and check your blood glucose. If it's low, have a snack and tell your parents and other members of your D-team about your nighttime lows. They may want you to decrease your insulin immediately or may ask you to check your blood glucose levels for the next couple of nights.

Y-Guy: Why am I having lows at night?
Answer: Great question! Put on your investigator's cap and think about what might be causing your lows at night. What's changed in your daily routine? But don't worry if you can't figure it out. What's most important is figuring out how to keep your blood glucose up at night.

In general, it's wise to check your blood glucose in the middle of the night on occasion, especially if you were more active during the day before.

If lows at night keep happening, talk with your D-team to work out an insulin, exercise and/or eating schedule that might work better for you.


In an emergency
In case of an emergency, your doctor will prescribe glucagon. Keep it with you at all times.

Glucagon works the opposite of insulin. It's injected, but it raises your blood glucose level instead of lowering it.

If your blood glucose goes so low that you pass out, you won't be able to inject yourself with glucagon. So your family and friends that you're around the most need to know how to inject glucagon for you. Teach them the dose of glucagon you'll need during a severe low and go over the procedure with them so they'll know what to do in case of an emergency.

Many people throw up after a glucagon shot – but a little mess to clean up is better than you ending up in the hospital!

Here's what others should do for you if you pass out (go unconscious):

Inject glucagon or administer glucose gel
Call 911
Do not inject insulin
Do not feed you food or drink
Do not put their hands in your mouth (EWW!)
Remember that glucagon expires after about a year from the time you get the kit so be sure to check the dates and ask your doctor for a new kit before it expires. Try to keep two glucagon kits at home at all times. If you use one, you will still have one available in case you need it again before you can get to the pharmacy.

Also, if you have a severe low (seizure) needing glucagon, be sure to let your D-team know so they can help you adjust your treatment. They may also be able to help you figure out why you had the low and prevent another severe low.

Zachary's Drawing... - 1/15/2009
  Here is the Dragon!
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The New Committments! - 12/17/2008
Mom and Dad....
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The New Commitments 2 - 12/17/2008

Grenada 2010 - 1/13/2010

Great trip, great sugars, what can we say!  Growing too fast!!!

James & Heather

Diabetes in Schools! - 1/28/2010

READ all about it!

www.diabetesinschools.ca