DiabeTeens Expert Svati shares DiabeTeens management news and commentary at DiabeTeens.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669 http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669 http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/46994/race-breakdown Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:43:00 -0000 Svati So, today I ran in one of my last high school cross country races. You would think that I have perfected the art of managing blood sugars for this event by now, but no such luck. However, there are a few things I do as "standard preparation" for each race.   My pre-race routine is different from my pre-practice routine because I check my blood sugar way more often and eat more carbs right before I run. Usually, for a regular... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/46994/race-breakdown http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/40125/runner-diabetic Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:16:00 -0000 Svati I've said it before, and I will say it again: distance running and diabetes mix about as well as oil and water. Sometimes, despite all the benefits of running, I feel that I would have better control of my diabetes and thus be healthier if I was sedentary.   Lately my blood sugars have been a bit wacky and have been spiking higher after meals than they used to. My bg climbs about 150 points for an hour after eating, and then starts... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/40125/runner-diabetic http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/39248/empower-educate Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:50:00 -0000 Svati Diabetes is tough to deal with, but sooner or later we all find ways to handle the disease and live life as fully as possible. It becomes easier to give injections, you get pretty good at estimating the carbs of restaurant food, and you have a standard dose of insulin to take when you need to lower your blood sugar by exactly "x" points. Basically, you learn to adapt.   There are plenty of diabetics out there, though, who have... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/39248/empower-educate http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/36698/marketplace Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:28:00 -0000 Svati I recently got a sneak peek at the latest technology in diabetes care at a convention in Washington, DC. The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) held its annual conference from August 6 - 9, and it attracted every major healthcare company to come and showcase the latest products and materials for diabetes. The pump companies - Animas, Minimed, SmithsMedical, and more - and the makers of glucose meters -like lifescan... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/36698/marketplace http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/35047/day-nih Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:40:00 -0000 Svati So... Here is a description of one of two days I spent at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland as part of a research study. The purpose of the study was to look at how artificial sweeteners affect the absorption of glucose in humans. The study is ongoing and is using volunteers that have Type 1, Type 2, or no Diabetes. Every participant goes through the testing twice, one day without the artificial sweetener (I just drank mineral... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/35047/day-nih http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/33644/drink-drink Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:42:00 -0000 Svati Ok, so in my last post I mentioned that Dr. Kristina Rother of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was conducting a clinical research trial to investigate the effects of artificial sweeteners in diet soda.   I volunteered for this study because the researchers were looking for participants ages 12-25, with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, as well as non-diabetics. I am getting paid for visiting the NIH twice - the first day was on... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/33644/drink-drink http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/33641/playing-guinea Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:51:00 -0000 Svati These days, people with medical/health problems are in high demand for a special job: Clinical Research Trial Participants. There are tons of scientific studies going on in order to test new drugs or treatments, and to find out more about specific illnesses.   As Diabetics, we can get in on this hot market!   Being a part of a research experiment can be very rewarding because you know that you are helping advance scientific... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/33641/playing-guinea http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/33248/vacation Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:07:00 -0000 Svati After almost one month apart, my pump and I are getting back together. I needed some space, so we took a "break" - my cutesy name for the split was a "pump holiday." (Read about Svati's pump holiday here!) Well, even the best vacations must come to an end, and what is fun at first becomes boring and not so great after a while.   I am super glad that I took the time to experiment with a different way of managing my diabetes; it was... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/33248/vacation http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/30850/post-surgery Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:00:00 -0000 Svati I seem to have survived the procedure that is increasingly becoming a rite of passage for teenagers these days...removal of wisdom teeth. Yup, it's done, and now I have an uncanny resemblance to a chipmunk. I feel sort of guilty for laughing at my friend this winter when she went through the same thing, although I truly think that her cheeks were much puffier than mine are! Anyway, I have been holding ice on my face for the past 24 hours and... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/30850/post-surgery http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/30155/holiday-back Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:56:00 -0000 Svati Ok, so here's part II of my report on being pump-free! (Read Svati's first post if you missed it!)   Things are still working well. Probably the biggest impact the new regimen has had is the almost total absence of hypoglycemia. The levemir keeps my blood sugars so steady and all it takes is one shot every twelve hours, the same dose every time, with no adjusting or guessing: the perfect basal rate. While it keeps my sugars hovering above... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/22669/30155/holiday-back