Sully's Diabetes Question of the Day: 3/31/2010

Received by our friend Marla:
What are the early warning signs of diabetes?

• Frequent trips to the bathroom:Urination becomes more frequent when there is too much glucose in the blood. If insulin is nonexistent or ineffective, the kidneys can't filter glucose back to the blood. They become overwhelmed and try to draw extra water out of the blood to dilute the glucose. This keeps your bladder full and it keeps you running to the bathroom.Unquenchable
• Thirst:If it feels like you can't get enough water and you're drinking much more than usual, it could be a sign of diabetes, especially if it seems to go hand in hand with frequent urination. If your body is pulling extra water out of your blood and you're running to the bathroom more, you will become dehydrated and feel the need to drink more to replace the water that you are losing.
• Losing Weight Without Trying:This symptom is more noticeable with Type 1 diabetes. In Type 1, the pancreas stops making insulin, possibly due to a viral attack on pancreas cells or because an autoimmune response makes the body attack the insulin producing cells. The body desperately looks for an energy source because the cells aren't getting glucose. It starts to break down muscle tissue and fat for energy. Type 2 happens gradually with increasing insulin resistance so weight loss is not as noticeable.
• Weakness and Fatigue:It's that bad boy glucose again. Glucose from the food we eat travels into the bloodstream where insulin is supposed to help it transition into the cells of our body. The cells use it to produce the energy we need to live. When the insulin isn't there or if the cells don't react to it anymore, then the glucose stays outside the cells in the bloodstream. The cells become energy starved and you feel tired and run down.
• Tingling or Numbness in Your Hands, Legs or Feet:This symptom is called neuropathy. It occurs gradually over time as consistently high glucose in the blood damages the nervous system, particularly in the extremities. Type 2 diabetes is a gradual onset, and people are often not aware that they have it. Therefore, blood sugar might have been high for more than a few years before a diagnosis is made. Nerve damage can creep up without our knowledge. Neuropathy can very often improve when tighter blood glucose control is achieved.
• Other Signs and Symptoms That Can Occur:Blurred vision, skin that is dry or itchy, frequent infections or cuts and bruises that take a long time to heal are also signs that something is amiss. Again, when these signs are associated with diabetes, they are the result of high glucose levels in the body. If you notice any of the above signs, schedule an appointment with your doctor. He or she will be able to tell you if you have reason to be concerned about a diagnosis of diabetes.

Don't forget to support our friends at http://www.firstgiving.com/tylerchilcote

References used ~ http://diabetes.about.com

Introducing our Diabetes Dog Sully

Over the next month I am going to share a lot of information about diabetes. I would like to introduce our friend Sully who is here to help us with that mission.

As some of you know I have three children, two of them (age 10 and 3) have been diagnosed with the diabetes label. All three however are affected by this disease. Diabetes doesn't just affect the individual living with the disease but the entire family when you are diagnosed as a child.

So WHAT is diabetes??

Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a general term for a variety of different metabolic disorders that affect the ability of the body to process and use sugar properly. Medically, this is referred to as an inability of the body to metabolize glucose effectively. This results in an abnormally high level of glucose in the blood, called hyperglycemia.

There are three most common forms of diabetes. I am going to be focusing on Type 1 Diabetes since that is what our family is mainly familar with.

• Type 1: It occurs when the human body's autoimmune system does not produce enough insulin to combat the foreign bodies entering the bloodstream. It is caused by genetic and environmental factors. Formerly known as juvenile diabetes, this type often begins to make its appearance in pre-adolescence or adolescent growth. It is an insulin dependent autoimmune disease in which the body destroys its own beta cells. It accounts for 10% of all diabetes types.
• Type 2: Also called adult onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes and is less serious of the two. It starts occurring when most of the muscles and other organs of the body stop utilizing insulin to breakdown sugar. It is caused by obesity and environmental factors.
• Gestational Diabetes: This occurs during a woman’s pregnancy, the mother has difficulty digesting carbohydrates. Though its a temporary condition which mostly disappears after the pregnancy, the fetus has high chances of having Type 1 diabetes later on. It affects 2 to 3 % of the diabetic population. But, the kids born to diabetic parents have 20 to 25 % chances of having diabetes later-on in life.

So why am I going to do this...My son Tyler has taken on a BIG job to help with an event our family is now involved with called the Families in The Forest Walk FUNdraiser. His mission is to not only make awareness of what diabetes really is but to also help keep an amazing organization around for another 50 years. So stayed tuned to find out more about diabetes and the Diabetic Youth Foundation.

http://www.firstgiving.com/tylerchilcote

Information found on www.diabitieslife.com and "A First Book For Understanding Diabetes" by Eli Lilly and Company

Dog of the Month: February 2010 Daphne

This month's dog is named Daphne. We are not sure of her breed, and we have to guess at her age, but she is spotted and lovable the most perfect dog in the world! Do you have a rescued pup like Daphne?
Our family has always enjoyed taking trips to our local SPCA or shelter when the time comes to add a new member to our family. I still remember the first dog my husband and I got together. His name was Clyde and boy was he a unique pup. We saw him when he was still on observation and my husband insisted we were the first ones at the shelter the day he was available for adoption. He was basset hound/sharpee mix and was honestly an awesome dog! People say he was blessed that we found him, but honestly I think we were blessed more by him.
There are thousands of animals waiting to find a home to go to. Next time you are ready to add an addtion to your family I highly recommend you check out your local animal shelter.

Daphne the Adopted Dog Magnets from Zazzle.com

Six Month Celebration!

Become the 350th fan on facebook Peticular Fashions and your little companion will win a prize. This month is our sixth month doing business and we just want to say thank you for the support!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Maltese Magnet by PeticularFashions
Create a refrigerator magnet at Zazzle

">Female Maltese

January 2010 Dog of the Month

Maltese by PeticularFashions
Design personalized stamps on zazzle

'>Maltese Stamp from Zazzle.com

Maltese ~ They come from the island of Malta, located in the Mediterranean Sea. They are the most ancient of toy breeds, having been a great favorite lapdog of women in Greece & Rome. Aristotle wrote about the Maltese in 350 B.C. Maltese were once much larger and they were used as rodent hunting dogs in the woods and marsh lands. The glamorous Maltese is an adored pet and sought-after show dog. Preferably the dogs should weigh between four and six pounds. Their coat is all white, long, straight and silky. If not trimmed their hair will drag on the ground while they walk. The Maltese is smart, affectionate and much like a Toy Spaniel. Maltese pets have a lovely stable, out going and sound temperament. Their training must not be harsh in nature and they should be trained with gentle, love consistency, reward and patience. They will not do well in hot climates or damp conditions. Maltese are bold and quick to sound the alarm in case of suspicious noises. These will do well with other animals and love to play outdoors and sometimes can be picky eaters.

Zazzle Christmas 5th Day: $5 Off T-Shirt

Good Morning! (or afternoon for some)

Today's zazzle's sale is $5 off a t-shirt

Tiny by PeticularFashions
Browse more Chihuahua T-Shirts

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Rules:
$5 discount applies to one or more Zazzle apparel items. Enter promo code 12DEALSSHIRT at checkout to receive the discount. Offer is valid from December 7, 2009 through December 7, 2009 at 11:59pm PT. This promotional offer may not combine with any other Zazzle promotional or volume discount offers. If a volume discount applies to your order, you will receive either the discount set forth in this offer or the standard volume discount, whichever is greater. Offer valid on Zazzle.com only.