Diabetes Expert Kim Benjet shares Diabetes management news and commentary at MyDiabetesCentral.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/diabetes/c/117 http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117 http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/27253/diabetes-challenge Wed, 07 May 2008 12:59:00 -0400 Kim Benjet Teens and Insulin Pumps – Isn’t the challenge really diabetes?   I’m struggling with the media hype coming out of the American Academy of Pediatrics Journal‘s recently published article about the dangers of insulin pumps usage in adolescents.   According to FDA records there were 1594 injuries to teens related to pump usage during a ten year period and thirteen teens died using insulin pumps in that... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/27253/diabetes-challenge http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/26310/diabetes-developing Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400 Kim Benjet Children with diabetes in developing countries face profound challenges in managing their diabetes.  Now the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has a new forum to tell this story.  A documentary, “The Life for a Child”, follows three families and their diabetic children through their daily routine complete with insulin injections, blood sugar testing, and long trips to the doctor.  The... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/26310/diabetes-developing http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/23556/young-major-player Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:00:00 -0400 Kim Benjet With the start of the major league baseball season, I’m thinking about the Washington National’s first baseman Dmitri Young. He was the National’s only 2007 All Star and the National League’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2007. This year during spring training he struggled to hold on to his position against Nick Johnson who is back this season after a broken leg in the Fall of 2006. Despite a decent spring... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/23556/young-major-player http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/21442/alert-cozmo-pump Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:36:00 -0400 Kim Benjet Smith Medical announced a voluntary recall of some Deltec Cozmo pumps on Monday, March 10. Apparently a mechanical malfunction could result in the extra delivery of insulin – a pretty scary thought.  It’s hard enough to manage diabetes without having to factor in machine error alongside human error. But not to worry, this is a very limited recall. Specifics are on line here. The recall is for about 1,000 pumps... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/21442/alert-cozmo-pump http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/20941/jdrf-fraud-missing Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:14:00 -0500 Kim Benjet I was aghast yesterday when I received an e-mail from my JDRF Chapter Executive Director about an alleged fraud that had occurred at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's National Office. The incident was reported in yesterday's NY Times. According to the NY Times, a National Director and National Manager are being investigated for defrauding JDRF through a scheme of false receipts.  I'm glad that the JDRF internal... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/20941/jdrf-fraud-missing http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/20155/helene-alley Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:40:00 -0500 Kim Benjet The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation announced the largest bequest in the foundation's history this week.  Mrs. Helene Whitlock Alley left the JDRF a remarkable $7.3 million. What came from tragedy could have an extraordinary effect on diabetes research in the coming years.  Both the JDRF website and today's Washington Post recount the story of the extremely generous donation by 88-year-old Mrs. Alley. Mrs. Alley and... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/20155/helene-alley http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/19777/walk Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:02:00 -0500 Kim Benjet On Sunday I attended an awards ceremony for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation‘s (JDRF) Walk to Cure Diabetes in Philadelphia.  I was reminded why our family participates in the Walks. It was moving to see pride on the children’s faces as they received their golden sneakers and team awards, and equally moving to see tears in other parents’ eyes as speakers talked about diabetes.  We walk to remember we are... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/19777/walk http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/18596/caregiving-year Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:00:00 -0500 Kim Benjet My New Year's Diabetic Parenting Resolutions:  To say "what was your blood sugar" one less time every day. (I'm a mom I can't just stop saying it!)To have REALLY good and tasty snacks on hand to treat low blood sugar.To NEVER buy that disgusting "sugar free" chocolate that gives everyone in our family stomach aches.To plant two "new" foods in our vegetable garden and get my family eating them... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/18596/caregiving-year http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/17834/wouldnt-good Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:29:00 -0500 Kim Benjet I have yet to meet a mother of a child with diabetes who would not trade places with her child. Most mothers would say they would rather have the disease than have their child live with it every day.  Of course I would rather have the disease than have my son live with finger sticks, pump site changes and the ups and downs of high and low blood sugars -- let alone the threat of complications! Heck I'd offer my pancreas to my son... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/17834/wouldnt-good http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/17350/diabetes Wed, 05 Dec 2007 02:49:00 -0500 Kim Benjet In our family we like to confront diabetes with an element of nonchalance. Not about treatment, which we're fastidious about, but in attitude. We don't want our son to take on a tragic view of living with a chronic disease. A positive attitude is half the battle.  But sometimes I think we might make it look too easy for family and friends. They see snippets of our life with diabetes -- the blood sugar tests, the bolus with the... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/117/17350/diabetes