Diabetic Friends Action Network (DFAN)
Online Diabetes Newsletter - November 1995
(Delphi Custom Forum 255)

This document (c) Copyright 1995, all rights reserved.
Redistribution of this document is hereby freely granted so
long as the document is redistributed in its entirety (here
interpreted as all text which was not automatically
generated by software as part of the distribution  process);
in particular, with attributions and this copyright notice.
_________________________________

This issue of the DFAN Diabetes Online Newsletter is a bit
shorter than the normal issues you've received over the past
months.  We only received one article from a reader but we
wanted to get this issue out to you. This issue also
contains an announcement about a special day we picked to
honor the people in our lives who make diabetes easier to
live with.

There are many people with diabetes who must live and deal
with this disease alone, but there are also others who have
family and friends who support and help them.  We have
picked November 28th to be DFAN Friends N' Family Day, the
day that we recognize all those loved ones and friends who
make diabetes easier for diabetics to live with.

It might be your wife who exercises with you to make sure
you stay motivated.  Maybe it's your child who greets you
everyday when you get home with a smile and a hug.  Or it
might be a friend who helped you figure out how to use your
glucose testing meter.  It doesn't matter who the person is.
November 28th is the official DFAN Diabetes Friends & Family
Day!  Take that family member(s) or friend(s) out to lunch,
buy or make them a card or you can just give them a hug and
let them know how much you appreciate them.

We are still looking for articles for next month's
newsletter and if you submit an article now you'll be
entered in our writing contest.  So please help make our
December issue a good one by submitting your story to us
today.  Your story doesn't have to look "professional" and
don't worry about spelling or grammar.  We'll fix all that
before we put your article in the newsletter.

________________ARTICLE_____________________
New Lifestyle
By Fred

My decision to lose weight was a long time in coming.  I had
looked at all the new and "fad" diets that spring up now and
again and even tried some of them.  It did not take me long
to realize that they were not for me as I could not regulate
my life to a piece of paper with food listed on it.

This was bothering me for quite a while and I had been
a/ctively trying to decide on what to do.  Well for me,
those momentous life changing decisions just do come when I
try to push or force the answer.  So I just quit trying to
figure it out (at least consciously).  As usual I had it
working down inside and after some time it came to me that
what I needed was not a new diet.  What I needed was a new
life-style.  So I set about developing one.  In fact it is
still under development and probably will always be.  One of
the things that came to me along with the first was that I
needed to be flexible.

At 61, one tends to become "locked in" on a lot of things.

I am presently causing great concern to my kids and
grand-kids that now fear for my sanity.  It is the old
"Grampa ain't what he always was" syndrome, and some of them
do not know how to handle the changes.  <grinning)

What I did was examine the way I was living.  My wife died
back in Feb of 1994 and since then I had been merely
existing.  My meals were taken from a where I was and what I
was doing attitude.  I was a junk food junkie.

I talked about my feelings with a very dear friend during
the middle of July of this year and she gave me some
pointers on how she looked at eating.  It made sense to me
so I began to look at the food on the shelves in the grocery
store where I shopped.  I began by buying the "Healthy
Choice" brand of foods for my breakfast and supper meals.

And along with that I quit buying the "fast food" junk such
as burgers and fries.

What my meals now consist of is as follows:

Breakfast:  Bowl of Healthy Choice multi-grain cereal with
"Guilt-free" non-fat milk, and black coffee.

Lunch:  A to-go Garden Salad from Wendy's (or the like) with
one prepackaged amount of Blue Cheese Dressing, and a Diet
Pepsi.  (I do not like Coke)

Snack when I get home from work:  Usually two hard boiled
eggs and/or an apple.

Supper:  One of the frozen Healthy Choice prepackaged meals
that just has to popped into the microwave for a few
minutes.  And usually, for desert I have some low-fat ice
cream.

Recently though, I have begun to expand my choices for
supper.  I now buy fish (cod) and skinless chicken breasts,
crab-meat, or turkey.  I also get some vegetables such as
okra, lima beans, asparagus, broccoli, peas, stir fry
vegetables, and prepackaged salads.  I am cooking those
things in between the frozen stuff as I feel like it.

And of course I have a ribeye steak and baked potato every
once in a while too.  <grin)

As you can see my "diet" is very flexible and not
regimented.  I hate regimentation.

There are times that I do not adhere to the elimination of
foods that I feel are detrimental to my health.  For
example, this Friday I have a dinner date with some friends
and depending on what strikes me on the menu, I may just eat
something like a Kentucky Hot Brown, which is turkey, ham,
bacon, toast, tomato, SMOTHERED in a very thick rich cheese
sauce.  (Here's to flexibility!)

Oh yes!  Here is another thing I have done.  I have given up
hard whiskey entirely.  That is probably the biggest
difference my kids see in me.  They are used to "dad"
sipping away at his "toddies" all weekend long and on
holidays.  But no more and they find that strange.  I do
have a beer now and then and kinda over-imbibe on my spring
and fall fishing trips with the guys.  But for the most part
I leave alcohol alone.

My exercise is kinda limited to my stationary bike.  I
"ride" it in the mornings before work and afternoons right
after work for 15 minutes now.  When I started it I had all
I could do to stay on it for 5 mins.  It took me about 3
weeks to get to 10 mins and then about 3 more to get to 15.=20
It has a little read-out thing that tells me the distance I
ride, the calories I burn, the time I am on it, and the
speed I am peddling.

At first I was peddling at about 8.5 to 9 mph, that
increased slowly until now I am comfortably up to a little
over 11 mph.  For the 15 mins I am on it, I now travel 2.7
miles and burn a little over 110 calories.

When I began I had enough padding on my butt so that the
seat was not uncomfortable.  Now however I find the seat
getting harder and harder on my butt.  <grin  I wear a pair
of sweat pants for "riding" and in talking to one of the
secretaries at work I think I may get a pair of regular bile
riding pants to reduce the problems I am now finding with
the seat.  She tells me that she uses them and she rides
hers for an HOUR every day.  I am not looking forward to an
hour on that thing.  <LOL>

I use a stopwatch to check my heart rate while I ma on the
thing.  For now it is about 3 times per session.  I find the
rate runs mostly around 126 to 130 or so after I have been
riding for 5 minutes or so and holds fairly steady.  Every
once in a while I just go nuts and pedal like a fool and
crank the speed up to 12 or so miles per hour, but I do not
hold it there for long.  It does not seem to adversely
affect my heart rate though.

I hope the above has been helpful to you.  If you have any
questions I have not addressed, let me know and I will try
to answer them for you.

I probably ought to tell you that the *real* incentive for
me doing all this is because I am in love and want to be
healthy and live a long time, and grow very old with the
woman I hope to marry in the not too distant future.  I met
her online on Delphi Internet Services so she may come in
here sometime and see this.  In case she does I want her to
know this:  I love my darling!

___________ARTICLE_______________

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

"Laura always gets what she wants!", was the cry heard
throughout the Jansen household.  These were the words
spoken at least ten times a day by Carin, Laura's older
sister.  Laura was seven years old and Carin was nine.  They
were only two years apart but they weren't too close.  Laura
had been diagnosed with diabetes six months ago and things
had changed a lot.  Laura had to have her blood glucose
tested five times a day.  She also had to eat a special diet
so that had to be planned.  There were a lot of supplies to
buy and keep track of and sometimes there wasn't enough
money left to buy Carin some of the toys she wanted.  Carin
was only nine years old so she really couldn't understand
that diabetes is a 24-hour a day disease that her parents
had to keep track of so she had a lot of hostility in her.

*How would you try to deal with this situation?  What would
you say to Carin?  What would you say to Laura?  Would you
even bring it up with either child or just ignore the
situation?


_____________ARTICLE_____________

EXERCISING WITH NEUROPATHY

Neuropathy is a complication that affects many diabetics.

But having neuropathy doesn't mean you have to stop
exercising.

If you have neuropathy you many notice certain symptoms.One
symptom of neuropathy is if you have tingling or pain in
your toes or fingers, which may feel like being accidentally
shocked.  If it progresses you might lose your sense of pain
and touch.

This sometimes goes away but it can lead to total numbness
in the feet.  You may also have sharp knife-like pains, or
pain-like sensations.

It's a natural reaction for people to stop exercising when
they get neuropathy.  When you hurt you stop exercising, but
since it's not the exercising that's causing the pain
stopping the activity won't help.  Once you stop exercising
you lose muscle strength and flexibility.  Exercising won't
reverse your neuropathy but it will keep your muscles in
good working order, help improve your circulation, control
your weight, and increase your body's sensitivity to
insulin.

The first thing you need to do is keep or get back your
flexibility.  If you never stretch your arm up to the
ceiling the muscles and tendons in your arm will start to
shorten.  When you finally try to reach up to get something
from a high shelf your arm will feel stiff.  That's due to
lack of exercise.

To get your flexibility back you need to do range-of-motion
exercises.  You should do these exercises for 15 minutes a
day to keep flexible and also do them as a warm-up before
you do more strenuous exercise.

When you do range-of-motion exercises you slowly and gently
take your wrists, elbows, shoulders, ankles, knees, hips,
and trunk through their paces.  You move your body part
forward, back, up, down, and around as far as it can go
without causing you pain.  You could do shrugging with your
shoulders or do windmills with your arms.  If you have a
loss of sensation due to neuropathy you an overstretch and
not know it so you have to learn how to do these flexibility
exercises from your health-care team.

You can also do range-of-motion exercises while you're
sitting or holding on to a chair.  You can do full range
stretching movements while holding onto an outstretched
towel or cane.

Before you start any exercise program check with your doctor
some blood pressure medications can impair your tolerance to
exercise.

You will have to learn how exercise will affect your blood
sugars and how you will have to respond to the changes.

The key to a successful exercise program is to choose an
activity you enjoy so you will do it on a regular basis.=20
Also decide what your goal is: weight loss, more flexibility
or conditioning.

The best type of exercise for your heart is aerobic exercise
that gets your legs and arms moving, your heart pumping and
your lung working.  If you've lost sensation in your feet
your balance may be off and you may not notice an injury to
your foot.  This could lead to serious trouble.  There are
other exercises that are more suited to you.

Swimming is an excellent all-over workout.  Swimming uses
all the major muscle groups.  There is less chance of injury
when you're swimming than if you were running.  You're not
putting much stress on your knees and legs as you do when
you run.

Hydro-aerobics (water-aerobics helps you build strength and
improves your flexibility.  You stretch and do exercises
while you're in chest deep water.  The water buoys you up
and reduces pressure on your feet.  The resistance of the
water makes your muscles work more than doing them just in
the air.  Check local YMCA's, health clubs or senior centers
to find an organized hydro-aerobics class.

Whether you do swimming or aerobics you need to take special
care of your feet.  The bottom of pools are rough and your
feet might get cuts that you won't feel or notice.  You can
wear socks that are specially made for water sports (check a
sporting goods store).  If you have a wound that's healing
don't get into a pool because it can be a source of
infection.

You can try cycling which will give your legs a working
without injuring your feet.  Cycling also gives your heart a
workout without injuring your legs.  If you have a lack of
sensation in your feet that won't affect your balance on a
bike since you're balancing with your trunk rather than your
feet.  If you don't like bikes with skinny tires you may
want to try mountain bikes which have wide tires.

Rowing is an exercise that's easier on your feet that
jogging and you don't have to worry about balance because
you're sitting down.  A good rowing machine costs several
hundred dollars so you might want to try to buy a used one.

If you have access to a kayak or canoe try the real thing.

You can do stretching and muscle strengthening exercises
from a sturdy chair.

If you have problems with your feet you don't have to stay
off and always inspect your feet after you exercise for
blisters, cuts, or any irritations.

If you want to get an aerobic benefit from the exercise you
do you have to use major muscle groups such as your thighs,
calves, arms, and abdomen continuously for 30 minutes, three
to four times a week.  Intensity is measured by your heart
rate.  A good workout-rate for your heart depends on your
age, sex, general fitness level, and any other health
conditions you may have.  Your doctor can tell you what
heart rate you should aim for.

Start slowly and build up.  If you're just starting an
exercise program you might do ten minutes four times a week.

The next week try 15 minutes and add five minutes a week
until you reach your the total length of time you'd like to
exercise.  The important thing is to exercise consistently
and don't give up.


__________DFAN WRITING CONTEST__________

We are pleased to announce the First Annual DFAN Writing
Contest!

This is your chance to let us hear about your diabetes
related story!  It can be about anything that has happened
in your life that is related to diabetes, whether you're the
person with diabetes, you're related to a family member with
diabetes, or you're the friend of someone with diabetes.

The story can be about diabetes, including:

diagnosis
mealplanning
coping
stress-relief
cooking meals
how you relate to your doctor
how you cope with a diabetes complication
how you dealt with a unique problem related to your diabetes
how you stay motivated
how you deal with the diabetic in your life
how you deal with your family members
how you deal with diabetes at work
how diabetes affects your relationships
ANYTHING as long as diabetes is involved.

We have two categories: children and adult.

Children can submit stories of ANY length to this contest.
If the child tells you two sentences it can be a submission
if that's what they have to say.  So send it in.  There's no
one "right way" to write these stories, so an extremely
short story is just as good as a longer one.

Send your stories in.  You can enter more than one time.
Don't underestimate yourself.  Your story might be a winner!
Entries will NOT be judged on grammar and spelling (so don't
worry about that).

First prize in the children's category will be:
1 Power Ranger Collection (figures and one other Power
Ranger Toy)
1 Barbie Collection Set  (dolls and one other Barbie Toy)
There will be one boy winner and one girl winner


First prize in the adult category will be:
$25 donation made to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation or the
American Diabetes Foundation.

$15 donation made to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation or the
American Diabetes Foundation

$10 donation made to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation or the
American Diabetes Foundation

You can submit entries to the contest from October 1, 1995
to December 1, 1995.  Prizes will be awarded by January 5,
1995.  Entrants will be notified by January 7, 1995.

(All submissions become the property of DFAN.  Please do not
submit copyrighted work.  All submissions may be used in
future newsletters.)

   _________________BACK ISSUES_________________
There are seven other issues of the DFAN Online Newsletter
available.  If you'd like to receive any of them just send
us an e-mail to:

Internet: BELVE@AOL.COM
Prodigy : XJMV62A
AOL     : BELVE
Delphi  : BELVE

and we can send it to your e-mail box.  Or stop by our forum
on Delphi (Custom Forum 255).  Here are the other issues
that are now available for upload.

Fall Edition: DFAN Online * Official Flower Seeds * Article
- The First Day/Diagnosis * Article - A Mother's Dilemma *
DFAN Hottub/Biographies

February Edition: Article - Good Old Days/Part 2 * Article -
Coping As An SO (Significant Other) * Article - The Joy Of A
Transplant * Member To Member Advice * Article - Sorbitol/Is
The Harm Worth The Benefit

March Edition (Special Children's Edition): Interview With
Ten Year Old Diabetic Child * Article - D* At School/Time Of
Diagnosis * Article - Getting Ready For School Beyond
Notebooks & Erasers * Wordsearch Puzzle

May Edition: (Special Significant Other Edition): Looking At
The Glass Half Empty Or Half Full *  S.O.B's (Significant
Other Brothers) * Poem - "The Lesson Needed To Be Learned" *
SO Appreciation * Getting Involved * Meal Planning - The Key
To Success * Diabetes Mystery Story

June Edition: Article - Diabetes In Teens * Article - My
Life After Diabetes * Article - Who I Am * Article - All It
Takes Is A Little Time * Poll Results - Driver's License
Suspension * Article - Traveling With Diabetes * Diabetic
Study Announcement * Finish The Story - Tara's New Beginning

July Edition: Article - Cerebral Palsy & Diabetes/The Nexus
And The Nudge * Article - Life As An Ex-Diabetic (From a
Triple Transplant Recipient) * Article - What Supplies
Should You Buy * Article - Getting Involved

September Edition: (Special Stress Issue): Article -
Discipline * We Want Your Opinion * Article - Diabetic
Without Health Insurance * Article - A Life With Stress *
Article - Dealing With Stress

October Edition: Article - Dealing With Reactions * Poll
Results - Thicker Blood? * Article The 10th Anniversary of
the Bustin' Diabetes Rodeo ( Case Scenario - Meal Planning
Away From Home * Story - From Paycheck To Paycheck * Writing
Contest Details

(This newsletter is e-mailed to everyone who visits our
online forum and to everyone who requests it.  If you would
like to be removed from this mailing list of if you'd like
to receive any back issue please send an e-mail to
BELVE@AOL.COM

