The healing continues. From laughter, that is.

As we wait with great hope for a cure for diabetes, we do so with a smile thanks to humor to be found on the new website LOL Diabetes (www.loldiabetes.com). I've posted before about this site, which itself is part of the popular diabetes website Six Until Me (www.sixuntilme.com). Nevertheless, things have become waaaaaay to funny over there for me to not highlight some of my favorites.

These would be my Top 5:

5 - The Insulin Monkey. This picture features a stuffed animal, a monkey to be exact, with dozens of syringes sticking out of it, much like a pin cushion. The words "You're Doing it Wrong" that are printed on the picture sum it up perfectly.

4 - iPump. A play on the now famous iPod silhouette ads, this mock version of this campaign features people wearing insulin pumps in place of iPods.

3 - Thumbtacks. A photo of a child's Spider Man poster fastened to the wall with -- Thumb Tacks? No, no, no. Look again...those are lancets! As someone aptly commented on the entry, what a great use for all those extras!

2 - Wanted! In this Old West style Wanted poster, there's a bounty for bringing in Twinkie the Kid. Turns out "The Kid" is wanted for Shootin' Up High Blood Sugars.

1 - The Enemy. By far my favorite, Short, simple, and hilarious. The photo features no other than Willy Wonka himself, with the words "The Enemy" written below. Very true. And very funny.

There are a whole bunch more that could have made a Top 10 list (namely: Soundtrack to a Low, Is This the Remix?, My Pump Makes Me Look Like a Cross-Dresser, Ah! Needle Landslide, and What's Better Than a Cookie).

Be sure to check out LOL Diabetes. Think you have something funny to add? I say go for it!!

Why is diabetes an imperfect science? The last 22 years of my life with diabetes have disproved as much (or more) than it has confirmed in conventional diabetes wisdom. The facts were in the studies - but researchers didn't know what to do with them, at the time. Here's where the mysteries will unfold..

The last year blogging with The Diabetes Blog has been an in your face demonstration of the imperfect science of diabetes. Many undisclosed details of studies from days gone by have proven to be a reason why diabetes has been an imperfect science. Since when has science been imperfect? When you don't complete your homework. Don't get wrong - science has done the homework, but you - the diabetic - have not been privy to every fact found in these studies. Nowadays, there's no excuse. The dog doesn't eat my homework.

It's time these facts made it to the light of day. I am taking my investigative curiosity and hanging a shingle over LoveDiabetes.com - because that's who I am: Allison Love Beatty! Let's buddy-up with the researchers and their homework. It's about time we solved the universal mysteries of diabetes. The facts are available. With combined knowledge, existential and pathological, we can make more of these studies from yesteryear and the days to come.

Someday soon we will see the trend of diabetes reverse - less diagnosis, less complications, and reduced costs. I've got Internet access, unlimited long-distance, and plenty of time. The fun is just getting started! This is my invitation to you - what's your diabetes mystery? Leave me a comment on LoveDiabetes.com so I know what's on your mind. Together we will prove there is no such a thing as an imperfect science.

Love always,
Allie B

In two weeks, Bernard Farrell will be riding in the Bike the Miles annual fundraiser to support Dr. Faustman's research to cure Type 1 diabetes. His participation is especially intrinsic because it is one day away from his 35th anniversary of becoming a Type 1 diabetic.

Bernard plans to raise $10,000 for Dr. Faustman's research. Last year he raised $7,500. The entire event raised a whopping $301,000! All of this funding is going toward the human trials to cure Type 1 diabetes. After discovering that the insulin-producing islet cells of the pancreas are capable of regeneration, Dr. Faustman now needs to test her treatment, already known to be safe in humans, to see if the effects are as positive as they were in the animal model.

It goes without say that this is terribly important for Bernard as much as it is for every man, woman and child touched by Type 1 diabetes. Bike the Miles is an annual event that was started by Susan Root and Jacqueline Fusco in 2004. Both, Susan and Jacqueline, have children who are Type 1 diabetics. Please visit Bernard's site to support his ride and the drive to cure Type 1 diabetes!

For a few months now, I've been offering fitness tips in what I'm calling the Exercise of the Week (very creative, I know) on TheCardioBlog. But, what occurred to me today is that you folks reading TheDiabetesBlog may be just as interested in learning some of these tips. Sure, I suppose you could very easily drop on by TheCardioBlog and read them over there, but that would be too easy. And, if your serious about losing weight and getting into better shape, let me be the first to tell you that nothing ever comes easy!!. So, on a going forward basis, I think I will also start posting these tips here on TheDiabetesBlog. With that, I offer the first installment of the Exercise of the Week.

Some of the best fat-burning and muscle-building exercises are those that combine several movements into one. The squat-press is probably one of the well known of said movements. And while you may very well want to add that exercise to your routine, I'm instead going to focus on a different multi-muscle movement: A Side Lunge with Upright Row. Although it doesn't have a fancy combo name like squat-press, the results can be just as impressive.

To perform this exercise, start by holding a dumbell in each hand with your palms facing in. Next, take a big step to the right side with your right foot. As you do, bend your right knee approximately 90 degrees and keep it in line with your toes. As you do this, try to keep your left leg as straight as you can. Now, this is where it really gets good and difficult -- as you lower your body to the side by bending your knee, lift your elbows until the dumbells are just below your chin. As you then press off from your foot and return your leg to the original position, slowly lower the dumbells. Continue by next going to the left leg, then back to the right, and so on and so forth. For a very good demonstration, click Here.

Compound movements of this kind are a great way to ignite your metabolism and jump-start your muscles. I'll be sure to show you a few more like it in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, feel the burn, baby!!

Note: The content presented in this post is for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor or fitness professional before starting a physical fitness program.

Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of speaking with David Kliff, of Diabetic Investor. When diabetes came knocking on David's door - he took the higher road, literally, and many would agree he has made the most of it.

David created Diabetic Investor to share his opinion as a leading authority on the business of diabetes from the unique perspective of a diabetic. Along the way he has gained interest in leading-edge technologies and breakthrough medicines to enhance the treatment of diabetes. His research and his craft for controlling his diabetes has significantly impacted his health for the best - and it keeps getting better.

David is now a marathon runner. His training efforts have resulted in a resounding 45 pound weight loss, cutting his insulin dose substantially, and improving his overall health. He launched a blog to promote his participation in the New York City Marathon this November. Checkout Dave's Run for Diabetes, and show your support for his efforts to go the distance for diabetes - all 26.2 miles!

Ever wonder how Eli Lilly was able to get away with the Zyprexa scandal? A former member of the Lilly neuroscience team put it simply: statistics are like prisoners -- torture them long enough and they'll tell you what you want to hear. This YouTube video gives 6 jaw-dropping minutes of priceless pharmaceutical rep training on how to overcome sales resistance.

Quite remarkable is the coaching Lilly provided their pharmaceutical reps in dismissing the feedback they were receiving from doctors. Lilly told reps to ask doctors (in no uncertain terms) do you want a thin psychotic patient or a healthy fat patient? I think the operative word here is healthy. Does Lilly believe that excessive weight gain, insatiable hunger and Type 2 diabetes are healthy?

In Type 2 diabetes - the blood sugar rises, and spills into the urine, because the body resists insulin and resists its transfer of glucose out of the blood and into the cells of the body. The most important organ in the body – the brain – is protected by this insulin resistance. This is a protective reaction to prevent too sudden a fall in blood glucose, which can cause the brain to swell up with water! If too much glucose suddenly leaves the bloodstream the other sugars in the brain (sorbitol and fructose which are relatively unaffected by insulin) cause water to flow into the brain to correct the osmotic imbalance -- so the brain runs the risk of sustaining injury = too much sugar + too much insulin causes too much water.

Those of us who know what it's like to correct a high sugar with insulin know what it's like to feel bloated as our sugar comes down too quickly. The body is designed to protect its brain by only slowly reducing glucose in the blood and for any excess glucose to be flushed out in the urine. This is a temporary fix for a temporary carbohydrate overload. My billion dollar question is this: Have Lilly pharmaceutical reps been trained to dismiss the side effects of GM insulin (genetically modified to overcome insulin resistance) since it was first introduced in 1983? I'm curious how Lilly justifies diabetic complications.

For those of you who do not know her yet - consider today your lucky day!! She is Amy Tenderich and her site, Diabetes Mine, is a force to be reckoned with in the diabetes online community. What do I mean? When Amy speaks - anybody who's anybody in the diabetes online community listens.

A few months ago she posted an open letter to Steve Jobs, which was wildly discussed in the blogosphere and media. She invited gadget designers to rise to the challenge of creating sleeker, cooler, consumer-oriented medical devices for people with diabetes. Not only did she get the diabetes blogosphere stirring - but the minds of entrepreneurs storming, as well.

Amy motivated a San Francisco-based company to react in a universal remote control sort of way. Adaptive Path has designed The Charmr, a prototype of a continuous glucose monitor combined with an insulin pump, universally controlled by a device that looks to be no bigger than a USB stick! I strongly encourage everybody to checkout Amy's blog with all the details (including reader feedback) and the YouTube video on the Charmr. Bravo Amy!!

Things can get a bit stuffy sometimes in the medical world. This is probably for good reason, because in many cases the topic of conversation is someone's health. To help create a less "buttoned-up" medical environment, many people have taken up writing their own personal blogs. Such sites offer a look at what it's really like to live with a particular condition, rather than pouring through page after page of text or internet site that focuses almost entirely on the science behind it all. This, of course, is not to say that there isn't great value in the latter -- especially since that's primarily the type of blog we run here at TheDiabetesBlog. But, let's face it, sometimes you just need to take a step back from it all and laugh.

To that end, you may want to check out a new site called LOL Diabetes (www.loldiabetes.com). The site itself is an offshoot of the popular diabetes blog Six Until Me (www.sixuntilme.com). Following the design of the odd, but hugely popular, humor website that features cats and other small animals doing funny things, LOL Diabetes (LOL stands for Laugh(ing) Out Loud, by the way. Just in case you were new to...well, civilization) features photos, videos and stories that are two things: 1) Related in some way to diabetes, and 2) Funny!!

After viewing the site, don't be surprised if you feel compelled to submit a funny diabetes tidbit of your own. I'm even sort of tempted myself. If you choose to follow suit, you can go ahead and send your own humorous photo, video, or whatever to loldiabetes@yahoo.com Feel free to say that I referred you...it may get your stuff up on the site quicker ;)

Last November, I forgot to take my Swiss Army Champ Knife out of my purse before going to JFK Airport. So, for being stupid, it cost me a kick-ass pocket knife I'd had since 6th grade. Live and learn. But this is pretty interesting - turns out a fellow blogger over at Gadling had an airport security faux pas, as well. Dare I suggest another forgetful diabetic was the culprit permitting the breach of security?

Jamie Rhein's husband was chosen for a routine safety inspection before the family boarded the Skybus. His carry-on was inspected. The goods included: liquid hand-cleaner, a pair of scissors and a mini-wine tasting kit. The kit, unopened at the time - was opened and the corkscrew was confiscated by security. There was a knife attached. The pair of full-metal scissors was allowed. The liquid gel wasn't given back. Red alert danger - I know how tricky soap can be. Watch out!

The irony of Jamie's experience is that halfway through the flight she found an unused hypodermic needle and syringe still in the packaging and two empty medicine vials under her 5 year-old son's seat. One of the crew said there had been a diabetic on board the previous flight. Good cleanup crews are hard to find. That's fine, but with all that security, it was an awakening to be on the lookout for a used needle when searching for her son's spilled crayons. Guess there's no avoiding being on incessant heightened alert. Speaking of -- I asked JFK security to donate my Swiss Army knife, after they told me I had to surrender it. Yeah right. I'm sure the dude who patted me down took it home. Keep it sharp, buddy!

A little over 2 weeks ago I posted something about diabulemia on site where diabetics exchange their feelings, frustrations, and experiences with the disease. Two Type 1 diabetic women took the time to write me a very thoughtful hate mail. Hate is a strong word but these are some strong accusations. For starters, they said, "There ain't no such word as diabulemia. It's called diabetic stupidity." That is cut directly from the email, and as you can see - it was written with an arrogant disregard for the 450,000 people suffering from this serious condition.

I understand strong words come from passion. An email with the subject title "There's type 1, and then there are fools with type 1" could only have been composed with hateful passion. Within the passionate lines of this email were statements like "Insulin shock therapy was used in mental institutions (where you belong)." Not exactly nice words to come from a teacher - but again, the words were incensed with passion. Good, bad or ugly - feedback is terribly important to me because it conveys what matters to you. Knowing is half the battle.

By logging my experiences with diabetes on the web, these hate mailers refer to me as "You fool" for exercising my Freedom of Speech (First Amendment). To this I add -- thank goodness for the Freedom of Information Act. If I'm a Fool for sharing my experience with overcoming diabulemia and trying to lend consoling advice to others struggling with it - I'm a damn proud Fool! Hate on, haters!

The CafePharma message boards are for pharmaceutical sales professionals and those interested in the pharmaceutical industry. A former Lilly sales rep started a thread about Eli Lilly and the lies they've told over the years. Pro Lilly responses flooded in, as did the anti-Lilly responses. Yesterday, however, two comments seemed to hit the message board with a vengeance.

Comments #23 and #24 epitomize the anatomy of a good old fashioned debate. Comment #23 is an Eli Lilly sales rep who claims to have helped with the successful launch of rDNA insulin, and the conversion of patients on pig and cow insulin to Humulin. He remarked from the perspective of a salesman that it was a successful venture resulting in unilateral domination. In response to his yesteryear achievement - commenter #24 raised some wonderful counter-points for modern day consideration. The following paragraph summarizes the results 25 years after the market saturation of Humulin and genetically modified human insulin.

The adverse events include: (1) Complications of diabetes are increasing. (2) Dead-in-bed syndrome is up over 300%. (3) Traffic accidents caused by people using rDNA insulins are increasing (especially in Type 2). (4) rDNA insulins are producing immunogenic responses in the same manner and numbers in the diabetic population as did pig and cow insulins. (5) No long-term studies have ever been conducted to define the dangers of the synthetic insulin hormones relative to cancer and other diseases.

Of course my favorite point is the fact that recent studies have shown that the culprit in many Type 1 diabetics may actually be the human insulin antibody produced by the diabetic. This may be self-serving beyond Type 1 diabetics needing insulin - it's giving Type 2s the very same problem.

Eureka! I have just stumbled across the best explanation of Type 2 diabetes that I have ever read. The author is fitness enthusiast Mark Sisson and the entire text can be accessed at his website, Mark's Daily Apple. This is where Mark posts his blogs on health and fitness-related topics, and it also links into his online store, which sells nutritional supplements.

Mark does a great job of explaining what he calls the "Completely Unnecessary Disease Epidemic" - how Type 2 diabetes works and why the US Food and Drug Administration could be doing much more to help people avoid or minimize the disease's impact. We are overloading ourselves with carbohydrates and those carbs are poisoning us. Why? Because they are converted into sugars that our bodies just can't handle. In a detailed, yet easy-to-read and light-hearted way, Mark explains exactly how this occurs and his advice is simple: ignore the government's stodgy old food pyramid and cut those carbs. (Yes, I know, they've updated the food pyramid, but not enough to really address the problem, as far as I'm concerned.)

Mark, in fact, personally favors the "Stone Age" diet that did good things in a recent study involving overweight Type 2 diabetics. Click here to read more about that. He has even designed his own "Carb Pyramid," which you can view by clicking here. Mark happily describes his own food routine, and this is where he and I part ways because he says "I'm not really a pasta or pizza guy" and "I'm not much of a snacker." Must be nice...

After you've read his blog, Mark says, "Print this explanation out, stick it on your fridge, email it to your aunt. And put down the pasta." Oh, Mark, now you're just breaking my heart!

Blogs are everywhere these days. Hell, there seem to be about a hundred that run along the right side of this page; with topics ranging from Cinema to Wireless Technology. Oh yeah, and don't forget about us here at the Life Science blogs, covering news and info dealing with cancer, cardiovascular health, and diabetes. But, these are OUR stories. Well, maybe not directly -- but we are the people that are passing along the information here on these blogs. What about YOUR story? Well, now there's a chance for you to talk about your experience with diabetes, and the forum to do so is based off of a very well known and respected diabetes blog called Six Until Me (www.sixuntilme.com).

Separate from the main page blog, the new Your Story page allows readers to email their contributions and have them published on the site, thereby fostering an even greater sense of community and support among readers. And "stories" appears to be a pretty loose term, as it is made clear on the site that you can contribute anything diabetes related that you feel the world would benefit from knowing. Pictures, videos, poems, antecdotes, and of course, actual stories can be emailed to: story@sixuntilme.com

I encourage you to vist Six Until Me and spend some time navagating the site. Unlike much of what I write on TheDiabetesBlog, the content on Six Until Me is less diabetes medical/research-based and more centered on daily living with diabetes. The highs, the lows (both figuratively and literally), the good, the bad, and even the ugly -- it's all covered by the site's author with humor and elequence. Now, with the addition of the Your Story section of Six Until Me, your own stories, musings, rants, and tales of personal triumph can also be told.

Once again Diabetes Talkfest is making the experience of diabetes rewarding. This time, voice your funny in iambic pentameter and you can win an iPod Shuffle. In other words -- the funniest diabetic poem wins a REALLY COOL PRIZE!!!

Your poem can be long or short, rhyme or not. If you submit a poem longer than 60,000 characters it will have to be done in multiple posts, as the message board will not accept posts that long. It is up to you -- the member -- to decide the winner (to be decided through an anonymous vote).

Entries will be accepted during the month of May, 2007. Voting will begin June 1st, 2007 and end June 18, 2007.

Please refrain from using profanity or obscene language. Please don't insult anybody. Diabetes Talkfest is a family site. Any entry that is determined to be obscene or off-topic will be deleted. Please do not submit anything you did not create on your own. We can't accept copied or copyrighted work.

All participants must be registered to enter the contest. Thanks to Gina and Jon for keeping the spirit of community alive in the diabetes online community!

In my adventures as a medical editor, I have recently been working with researchers who are investigating the use of the Internet as a health tool. Not only are patients increasingly turning to the Internet to research health questions, but researchers are also introducing the concept of using the tool as a management device. In a recent study, socio-economically disadvantaged teens were given computers and access to a database that offered reminders for care, information, and discussion boards.

The teenagers used the online resources, particularly the discussion boards. The community offered was particularly important to teens. After about six months of using the Internet resource and information, their Internet use started to taper off, because they found that they could manage their health without the support that the online community offered. However, researchers believe this will continue to be a great tool, because people are diagnosed with diabetes all the time. The tool is not useful only for adolescents either: It can be used by people of all ages.

In the interest of full-disclosure, my resource for this post was my father's health management blog. My father is a clinical psychologist who has been helping patients manage their health for his entire career.