WiD? Wednesday: Sale, Sell, Cell!

Well it's one more day until Thanksgiving, but more importantly, it's only two days until Black Friday! Retail stores throughout the country rejoice. Shoppers hoping to save a buck scramble to spend their money. Tensions flare in long lines and traffic jams.

Me? I'll probably enjoy sleeping in for once. Though the sales at these stores are tempting, it's not as tempting as a couple more hours of sleep!

1. Speaking of sales, Scott Strumello shared about patientprivacyrights.org which is working to "highlight that your prescription drug buying history -- including name, address, date of birth and drug regimen is FOR SALE."


2. George at the B.A.D. blog shares about his experience with Weight-Watchers and Diabetes. "I can still eat whatever I want. I have to make sure I know the carb count and the points value." Along with his weight, Ninjabetic also watches his carbs, his blood glucose level, his insulin intake and... YOU.
   


3. Now I know this might be old news, but I just stumbled upon this video about Raw for 30 days the other day. In the trailer they "show" how a handful of people "cure" their diabetes through a change in strict diet for 30 days. Hurray! (NOT) So as great as that sounds, they did not seem to take the time to really differentiate between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. It also adds to the stereotype that Diabetes = Obesity. After watching the trailer I felt angered. (uh-oh) I know they're just trying to promote healthy diets, but by making diabetes into something so general, it really makes it unfair for those who live with it each day. (especially type 1s)
   


4. While we're on the topic of misunderstanding, here's a great article written by Julie K. Silver, M.D. of Harvard Medical School that I found on Gather. She addresses the many misconceptions of linking sugar intake with causing diabetes: "Assuming an elevated blood sugar level is the cause of diabetes is like assuming that coughing is the cause of pneumonia."


5. For those of you who actually care about understanding how diabetes directly and indirectly affects our daily activities, Denise writes about what happens physiologically during exercise: "because blood flow increases during physical exertion, absorption of insulin from injection sites may be accelerated, especially if it’s injected near the muscles being used. Certain medications for type 2 diabetes, especially sulfonylureas, can also cause blood sugar levels to drop too low during exercise."


6. Though exercise and diet may help people with type 2 manage their diabetes, type 1s are still searching for a cure. Recently, NPR reported that "Two teams of scientists have independently discovered a way to turn ordinary human skin cells into stem cells with the same characteristics as those derived from human embryos." (thanks to Manny for the tip)
   

I'll be spending my Thanksgiving here in Boston, away from my family (who are all in sunny southern California). However, the friends that are still around here in Boston will keep me busy during this short break. I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!