LEWISTOWN - Area residents joined together Wednesday for a common cause: Either they or someone close to them is living with diabetes.
To help reach the community at large, Lewistown Hospital's Diabetes Resource Center hosted Diabetes Day, which featured various speakers and presentations on taking control of the disease, insulin pumps, resources available and how to educate loved ones.
Taking control
Reggie Bishop, a member of A1C Champions, a group of people with diabetes that travel across the country, gave a presentation on how people can take control of their diabetes, and how to determine why that's important in life.
Bishop said there are about 100 A1C members that are living with diabetes and have it managed.
"We're living proof that you can have your diabetes under control," he said.
A diabetic's A1C test determines their average blood glucose control for the past two to three months, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Bishop said the recommended range for a diabetic's A1C level should be at 7 percent or below.
A reduction by one percent reduces the risk of diabetes-related complications by 37 percent, he said.
Bishop said he was diagnosed with type I diabetes when he was 8 years old. During his childhood, he got a lot of attention because people generally were uneducated about children with diabetes.
At summer camp one year, he learned to give himself his own insulin injections, he said.
"(It was) something that I had accomplished within," he said.
Bishop said when first diagnosed with diabetes, it can be a confusing time for many people, as well as stir up other feelings, such as anger and denial.
"We all go through a lot of emotions," he said.
Bishop said people with diabetes often are told what they have to do to manage their disease. Some of those items include taking medicine, losing weight, balancing foods, giving insulin injections, exercising and visiting a health care provider regularly.
He said the greatest reason he wants to manage his diabetes and be healthy is so he can care for his family, and also remain active in his community.
"That's the main reason why I want to keep my health," he said.
It's important for diabetics to find a healthy balance with their foods, he said, such as knowing the proper amount of carbohydrates to eat and how to adjust insulin injections.
"We have to know what works for us," he said. "Diabetes affects your entire body."
He added that when people have healthy responses, they can reach their goals and have better control of their diabetes and their bodies.
Making healthy decisions, Bishop said, is a choice. A lot of people with diabetes may dwell on difficult decisions. This is a negative approach, he said.
Diabetics should learn to choose to make healthy choices, instead of feeling like they have to, Bishop said.
Bishop said he has been living with diabetes for 38 years, but has only had control over it for eight years.
"It took time to find what works for me," he said.
A good habit to get into, Bishop said, is journaling. Some life choices to keep track of are the foods eaten, exercise, stress, relaxation, how blood sugar is affected and mood changes, he said.
Bishop said it's also important to have an accountability partner. This person should be trustworthy and someone that helps review progress, he said.
Choosing good habits, Bishop said, isn't just for people with diabetes, "it's a healthy lifestyle for all."
Outreach programs for children with diabetes
Kelly Jackson, special events coordinator at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, gave information on the outreach programs available in the area for children with diabetes.
Jackson said the organization's main mission is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through research.
The company funds a major portion of type I diabetes research, she said.
Almost 14 million people in the United States are touched by type I diabetes in some way, and almost 3 million might have type I diabetes, Jackson said.
One type of outreach program JDRF supports is the Bag of Hope. It is offered at all JDRF chapters and contains a bear, a free blood glucose meter, calorie and carbohydrate counters, a video and books, Jackson said.
It typically is given to children that are newly diagnosed with diabetes, she said.
The bag is provided to various health clinics, she said.
"We're trying to expand up this way, too," Jackson said, adding that about 100 bags are distributed a year.
Another program is the School Advisory Toolkit that was introduced last year, Jackson said. It was written by a father of a child with type I diabetes, who also is a teacher.
"This has been a great resource for us and there's been wonderful feedback on it," she said.
In the future, Jackson said, JDRF hopes to expand toolkits to other areas diabetes education might lack, such as in teenagers and pregnant women.
Other outreach programs include mentoring programs, an online support team and pen pals that can be contacted through JDRF's Web site, Jackson said.
Additionally, the organization's local chapter, located in Lemoyne, holds three fundraising events a year, as well as an annual gala, scheduled for May 1, and a walk in State College, scheduled for May 22, Jackson said.
Kids walks also are held, Jackson said, at various schools and day care centers. A few walks were held last spring, she said, and each raised a couple thousand dollars. Ten percent of the money raised during the walks goes back to the schools, Jackson said.
Diabetes etiquette
Pat Wolf and Julie Fisher, certified diabetes educators at Lewistown Hospital, presented tips on how people without diabetes can better understand those that do have the disease, and how they can be supportive.
Wolf and Fisher said it can be difficult for people living with diabetes. Those that do not have it don't always understand how difficult it can be.
Wolf said the purpose of their presentation is to help clarify to those without diabetes what it's like for people living with diabetes and what they can do to help.
The first tip is not to offer unsolicited advice about eating or other aspects of diabetes, Wolf said.
"You may mean well ... but giving advice about someone's personal habits, especially when not requested, isn't very nice," she said.
Fisher said another tip is to realize and appreciate that diabetes is hard work.
"Diabetes management is a full-time job," Fisher said.
Those with diabetes have to think about their medications, what and how much to eat, their stress levels, exercise and monitoring their blood sugar, she said.
"It's something that you do every day," Fisher said.
Another piece of advice is to join in making healthy lifestyle changes, Fisher said, such as putting an exercise plan into action.
"It can really create either a positive environment or a negative environment based on (your) loved ones and how they're managing you," Fisher said.
Another tip is to be supportive of efforts for self care, Wolf said, explaining that sometimes it's hard for people with diabetes when they are pressured into eating something they don't want to or shouldn't.
"Sometimes you really have to stand up for yourself," she said.
It also is advised to offer love and encouragement, Wolf said. Knowing that people care can be very motivating.
"(Diabetes is) with you for the rest of your life," she said. "It's good to have friends who are knowledgeable."
Other tips included: Don't tell horror stories of other people with diabetes; don't look horrified when those with diabetes check their blood sugar levels or give themselves insulin injections; do ask how to be helpful; don't offer thoughtless reassurances; and don't peek at or comment on blood glucose numbers without asking first.
Insulin pump basics
Mike Cavalier, of Animas Corporation, a company that provides insulin pumps, presented information on the basics of insulin pump therapy and details about the device.
Cavalier said insulin pumps used to be the size of backpacks, and now they are smaller than cell phones.
Insulin pumps carry 200 to 300 units of insulin, which lasts two to three days, he said.
Insulin pumps manage the amount of insulin that is sent into the body during Bolus, or meal time, and Basal, background, Cavalier said, explaining that background includes times of the day where meals aren't eaten.
The rate of background insulin can be changed, Cavalier said, "to mimic what your body needs."
He added, "It's all about getting better control."
Insulin pumps also track insulin on board, Cavalier said, which is insulin that may have been designated a few hours ago, but was forgotten about. The pump indicates how many units of insulin have been selected, and helps avoid too much insulin going into the body, he said.
The purpose of the pump, Cavalier said, is to get rid of the blood glucose highs and lows, by determining what each person's body needs.
Some challenges associated with the insulin pump, Cavalier said, is the cost of the pump and supplies; troubleshooting associated with technical issues and skin/site issues; and weight gain, sometimes a result of people feeling more flexible to eat whatever they want, Cavalier said.
Better control he said, equals better outcomes.
The pump is battery-operated and generally lasts five to seven weeks if using lithium batteries, Cavalier said.
Some components for pump success, Cavalier said, are: intellectual ability to operate the pump; effective coping mechanisms; family, social and caregiver support; realistic goals; financial resources to cover the costs; and the willingness to test blood glucose levels.
Some benefits to using the pump are: fewer hypoglycemic, or low blood sugar levels; lifestyle flexibility; and improved blood glucose response to exercise and hormonal fluctuations, Cavalier said.
He said the infusion site for the pump should be changed every two to three days; if a site is in place longer than that, there is potential for poor insulin absorption.
Pumps may be clipped onto a waistband or belt, placed in a special case holder, or tucked into or pinned to undergarments, Cavalier said.
Diabetes Day also included presentations on insulin management and controlling blood sugar through weight loss. For more information, call Lewistown Hospital at 248-5411.
