I’m jumping in here, and surely don’t know what’s going on, but I feel
obliged to point out that diabetes has been recognized in language back
to Ancient Sumer, then Egypt, Greece, possibly India too..  they died of
"the sugar", to use a European term..

More to come, if you let me..  history is a vital source of
understanding and inspirer of invention..

Regards.. Bill

Can anyone tell me how to get an FAQ on Diabetes?  If anyone has it,
I would be grateful if you would mail it to me.  

Thanks
Michelle Gentile
UNCA
email: mdgent…@unca.edu

I am a coward when it comes to needles.  For a few years I have used an airgun
made by Vitajet.  I have become dissatisfied with it and wondered if any of you
have comments on any other similar products.  Places to purchase them would
also be appreciated.  It appears that the Washington DC metro area may not have
a good diabetic supply store.  Thanks in advance.  
Al Johnson

Chris writes:
>> I once used a Companion meteer from Exactech when I was away from
>> home…but I found it consistently lower than my OT II
>> readings…sometimes as much as 90 mg lower…so I just use the OT II now….

>> Chris
>> schmi…@gold.tc.umn.edu

I consistently use both the Exactech and OTII and discovered that you *must*
use a large drop of blood on the Exactech strip or you will see a difference
between the meters as noted above.  Making sure that a large drop of blood is
used I almost always see the Exactech lower than the OTII by about 10-20 Mg.
This is no problem since I just always mentally correct the Exactech by adding
in the 10 or so Mg but that figure is so small that it rarely makes a difference.

While on the subject of Exactech meters I will provide the following message as
a "public" service.  I have purchased on two separate trips to the drug store
Exactech test strips that when opened had N/A printed on the control solution
ranges normally found on the accompanying instruction sheet.  When I called the
800 number for Medisense and asked them "what gives?" they immediately offered
to replace all my strips no questions asked.  When I probed into "why" I was
told that this lot of strips was intended for sale outside of the U.S. and is
not supposed to be sold under any circumstances here in the U.S. of A.  Hmmmm…
I thought that seemed very strange but since I was getting (and did receive in
the next days mail) new strips I just accepted the fact as it was told to me.
"Why" people outside the U.S do not use control solutions is beyond me.  When I
received my next lot of "illegal contraband" strips and had them similarly
replaced by Medisense I went to the pharmacist and complained about his selling
me "illegal" stuff.  He called Medisense, reacting with scepticism, and got a
more involved story about how black marketeers stole this stuff from some third
world nation and resold it in the U.S. (at a big discount presumably).  I personally
find this explanation a little bit "fishy" but I am pleased with how efficiently
Medisense has stood behind their product and quickly replaced the "suspect" test
strips.  Kudos to them for that part of the transaction…

…bob klein…

AT&T Bell Laboratories
Denver, CO

r…@longs.att.com

——————————————————————————-
I try very hard to mean exactly what I say.  Sometimes I say things and they
just come out all wrong and you may try to "interpret" my posts incorrectly
in which case you are at fault.  If I say something and it just happens to
come out all right you may still be at fault if you disagree with me.
Remember: if you throw straw into a flame a bigger fire may result, unless of
course you happen to be on the moon where there is not enough oxygen to
support any form of combustion, in which case only a sense of humor may result.

here is an excerpt from private correspondence i have exchanged with the
original poster. i have edited out the personal content. i am a very quiet
person myself and often feel uncomfortable responding to the group at large
on certain issues. i either remain silent or use e-mail.

the following will eventually become part of a periodic information posting on
special diets. ( pip-speak-and-eat-easy is the working title of my draft.) i am
currently trying to obtain permission from manufacurers of special diets for
permission to make full product descriptions including carbohydrate and fat and
protein sources available on-line. i am also talking with research and clinical
nutritionists about reviewing my draft before it is made public. i feel the
need ethically to make certain that the information presented is high-quality
and in a form which will provide value to those dealing with major nutritional
challenges. it will be a while before the draft is posted for comments. in the
meantime the following might be of interest to some people:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Bowe’s and Church’s

  Food Values of Portions Commonly Used

       revised by
          Jean A.T.Pennington,PhD., R.D. and
          Helen Nichols Church,B.S.
was originally written in 1937 by
          Anna dePlanter Bowes and
          Charles Frederick Church, M.D.

the edition i am citing is number 14 and is a perennial library
paperback issued by
          Harper and Row, Publishers, c. 1984.

( it is nicknamed Bowes and Church’s even though bowes is no longer
listed as an author on the cover or binding.)

beginning on page 135 is a four page table labeled

       SPECIAL DIETARY FORMULAS, COMMERCIAL & HOSPITAL

this table lists all sorts of products, most manufactured by
       Mead Johnson.
other manufacturers listed include
       Am McGaw
       Henkel
       Doyle
       Ross
       Norwich-Eaton.

also on page 198 is a one page table of

        INFANT FORMULAS—SOURCES OF PROTEIN, FAT& CARBOHYDRATE

mead johnson makes a number of products for infants as does ross. some
of these formulae may be suitable for people who are lactose-intolerant
or vegan or allergic to cow’s milk.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

another possible source of information on special diets might be obtained
by joining the transplant mailing list. those who read that have often dealt
with severely impaired family members, some of which have diabetes and other
other health problems. the june 22 issue of the faq written by my husband
contains information on how to subscribe to that list. it is one of the dearest
and sweetest places in cyber-space.

                      melynda claire reid

melynda reid   who wears hats but does not type caps
  eel:   mely…@titipu.resun.com  or  nosc.mil!titipu.resun.com!melynda
  snail: p o box 378 greensboro, florida 32330

Here’s my dilema:

I was diagnosed as Type II at the end of December 1993.  After getting the ****
scared out of me, I lost 65 pounds and have returned to a "fit and healthy"
lifestyle.  I ride my mountain bike about 150 miles a week, work out at the gym,
blah, blah, blah… I maintain "control" with diet and exersize.  I am 37 years old,
5’8", 180 pounds, under 10 percent body fat (just measured), with bgs ranging
from 67 to 115 mg/dl.

My problem?  Low blood pressure and pulse.  I wake up with a pulse rate of 37 to
40 beats per minute, sit at my desk in the 40s, walk around in the 50s, exersize well
within the aerobic limits for my age.  My blood pressure (taken in both arms at rest)
has ranged from 103/43 to 115/55.  Even after excersizing, I am lucky to reach 115/75.
My biggest concern has been standing up quickly from a crouching or sitting position.
I come very close to unconsciousness

        I posted under "Blood Sugar" earlier and I was wondering
about my low readings….Well, I think I have figured it out…..
        I dont think I was using enough blood on my glucofilm
strips and I also screwed up on the program numbers, not looking
to match them, dumb ha?
        Anyway, my readings now are still a bit low, but I think this
is due to exhausting physical work and erratic eating habits. I am
still learning about type II and my DR. is talking to me more since
I am making my appointments now. I find it very difficult to change
my life style.
        Thank you all for your responses earlier and good health.
—
        *************************************************
                    Christopher C. O’Neill
                   an…@freenet.buffalo.edu
        =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Hi
        I’m a member of another mailing list (for fibromyalgia) and recently I
mentioned to someone that I saw an article in the local newspaper saying that
there was a recent change in the advise given to people with diabetes.  It
said that blood sugar levels were much less affected by the type of
carbohydrate eaten than was previously thought, and that the amount of
carbohydrates per serving was the main factor.  I no longer have the article,
and other members of the mailing list are arguing with me about it.  Does
anyone have some information that I can forward to these people explaining
exactly what the studies showed?  Thanks.

Mark

Mark London
M…@PFC.MIT.EDU

James <james1…@delphi.com> writes:
> changed from rabid believer to profound skeptic

               [ Obligatory PC comment:      ]
               [       Rabies is a disease.  ]
               [       People are not rabid. ]
               [       People have rabies.   ]

People do not change from strong believers to skeptics. They flip from strong
believers to strong disbelievers. The difference is great and nearly
irreconcilable. A skeptic is one who examines both beliefs and disbeliefs
carefully before embracing them.

>  Let us let the FDA decide, I am willing to.

I am glad you now say so. But I count at least seven messages in the mailing
list between 8-13 June in which you used the terms "fleeced", "con", "scam",
"lied", or "suckered" without qualification in describing the events. You
made these statements on a public mailing list, not in private email. Your
statement here is the first indication I’ve seen that you’ve changed your
mind. I’d be far more convinced that you mean the above statement if I saw an
explicit repudiation of your earlier claims.

All of these claims were particularly odd in light of the fact that not a
single person either

  1) claims to have lost money, or
  2) claims to have any money at risk, or
  3) claims to have been asked for money.

The entire set of allegations has been based on speculation about the
believed perpetrater’s personality and a powerful belief in a highly
inflated value of a potential mailing list.

> It was I who proposed a mailing list scam!  These are, sadly,
> *extremely* common in the networks and bring thousands of dollars to
> those who build up a list of names as large as Mr Snitkof has by
> now.

Would you care to cite a reference? This reeks of urban legend to me. Mailing
lists typically sell for 3-5 cents per name. Very well targeted lists of very
well-heeled potential customers may sell for a dollar a name or more. This
would be a well targeted list but not of people ready to toss about large
chunks of change at the drop of a hat, thus a medium-value list.

And if the information gathered were in fact used for a mailing list, who has
lost? Not anyone on the list. The list would only have significant value if
used for exactly the kind of information that those who gave their addresses
expressed an interest in — new bG meter technology. Much larger lists for
less focussed groups could be obtained at less cost. Such a mailing list
would be as much a service to the recipients as to the mailers. I’d be happy
to put my name on such a list (and get off a couple of dozen of the true junk
lists I’m on).

> Proof-in-the-pudding must come from Mr Snitkof himself, and just
> hasn’t been there.

And proof of the scam that you have claimed must come from you. You have made
claims of fleece, con, scam and sucker. You have not repudiated your claims,
and yet you have found no one who has lost anything. The burden is on you.

> Why would Mr Snitkof go to all this trouble and then not ask for money?

I find it a sad day when someone is accused of a scam because they fail to
ask for money!

–
Edward Reid    e…@titipu.resun.com (normal)
PO Box 378     Edward_R…@acm.org (forwarding)
Greensboro FL  re…@freenet.fsu.edu (seldom checked)

Several years ago, I was given a glucose tolerance test, and was told
I was "near the edge" and should "watch it". Recently I used some urine
glucose test strips put out by biotel, and the results were clearly
negative. Approximately how much peace of mind should one draw from these
strips?
-Dave