The Corner Booth

  Frozen Shutter/Getty images Rampant wildfires blotted out the sun, followed by torrential rains causing catastrophic mudslides, literally sweeping people away and claiming their lives. Residents struggled to breathe outdoors, as sirens pierced the air and emergency responders combed the area -- turning parts of California into what looked more like a war zone than the lovely vacation spot it is known as. Among those affected were some of our brethren living with diabetes, who on top of navigating emergency evacuations and risk to life and limb, also have to manage their own survival by assuring that they have what is needed to keep this volatile illness in check.    “It’s a complete nightmare,” said Dr. David Kerr , Director of Research and Innovation at the Sansum Diabetes Institute in Santa Barbara. “But it was also eerie that many were comforted, I guess, that somehow a total disaster had been avoided. Cars have ended up in the ocean, houses are demolis...

 When he introduced legislation earlier this month calling for transparency in insulin pricing in the state of Colorado, Rep. Dylan Roberts had his younger brother Murphy in mind. Murphy Roberts was diagnosed with type 1 at age 10 more than a decade ago, but unfortunately a low blood sugar seizure a couple years ago led to Murphy’s death. He was a 22-year-old junior in college at the time, home from Vermont for summer break and on a hiking trip with his sister. It was in Murphy’s memory that Dylan – now Rep. Roberts , chosen in October 2017 to fill a vacancy in the Colorado House of Representatives – made his first legislation one that his brother would be proud of: calling for more transparency in insulin pricing, building on efforts in other states that have been popping up across the nation. The bill he's championing is HB18-1009 (aka the Diabetes Drug Pricing Transparency Act) . Inspiration largely came from Nevada’s first-in-the-nation law , passed by that sta...

We were very sad to hear the recent news that our friend, R. Keith Campbell, has passed away. A longtime type 1 himself for roughly 68 years (!) following his diagnosis in 8th grade, Keith became an icon in the D-Community over the years, shaping much of the diabetes education landscape as we know it today. He's known as one of the original "founding fathers" of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) in 1973, and he worked in pharmacy care at Washington State University before retiring four years ago. Just recently in October 2017, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his hard work and innovations over the course of his career. We originally published the following feature on Keith back on Nov. 1, 2013, and are revisiting it as a tribute today: Remembering Diabetes Education Icon R. Keith Campbell Diabetes education means A LOT to those of us living with this disease every day. But it wasn't always available -- or even a twink...

Today is World Diabetes Day, created to stand out as a beacon calling attention to diabetes across the globe. As we wrote at the start of November, we believe that these efforts, especially National Diabetes Awareness Month, are needed now more than ever -- given all the misinformation circling among the general public and the huge uncertainty surrounding health policy these days. Of course, all of it comes on the day marking the birthday of insulin co-discoverer Dr. Frederick Banting, who would be 126 years old if here were still alive today. World Diabetes Day has been around since 1991, thanks to the International Diabetes Federation, but this World Diabetes Day 2017 happens to be particularly noteworthy, as it also marks the 10-year anniversary since the United Nations recognized it with an official resolution -- helping to raise the public profile on this awareness day. Here are some Banting-specific items we are aware of for this WDD 2017. If you know of anything not mentioned, p...

 Ah, pizza... the complex carby food that so many of us in the Diabetes Community hate to love, and vice versa. The blood sugar effect is almost always an adventure, one that can be hit or miss depending on how well-versed we are in that ever-so-tricky Pizza Bolus. But with lower-carb options becoming more mainstream, it's almost like we're witnessing the birth of a new era of Pizza and Diabetes... Enter cauliflower pizza, which started out with Pinterest creations and has exploded in just the past couple years throughout the food industry -- especially in 2017 with new brands being launched and some big-name retail and online stores getting in on the action. My wife and I have been experimenting in the kitchen quite a bit more with lower-carb food choices, making several cauliflower pizza meals lately that swap out the traditionally high-carb, starchy flour crusts for those made with this versatile white veggie. It's ranged from our own homemade crusts cre...

Hello again, Diabetes Awareness Month. Yup, November marks another national awareness month -- aimed at those in America who are pancreatically-challenged or rapidly heading in that direction. And on Nov. 14, we'll once again mark international World Diabetes Day honoring the birthday of insulin co-discoverer Dr. Frederick Banting, who was born on this day in 1891. As always during this time of year, we've been inundated with marketing pitches from organizations big and small. And as always around this time of year, many in our community ponder the perennial question: Does it all matter? Really? Admittedly, it's not outside the realm of reasonableness to question the effectiveness of NDAM (shorthand for National Diabetes Awareness Month). But our country is in a different place in 2017 compared to past years, is it not? It's a good time to set skepticism aside to argue that November's designation as Diabetes Awareness Month truly does matte...

After nearly two decades, the Johnson & Johnson-owned Animas brand of insulin pumps is shutting down. In the early morning hours on Thursday (Oct. 5), J&J issued a press release that finalized nine months of speculation on the future of its diabetes insulin pump division. Effective immediately, no more Animas pumps will be sold in the USA or Canada, and it's TBD what will happen to the brand internationally. Pharma giant J&J has been "strategically evaluating" its three diabetes divisions since January, deciding whether to prop them up financially, sell them off, or shut them down. While many have speculated that an end was near for Animas and possibly even J&J's OneTouch and Lifescan meter brands, nothing has been official until now. The meter brands remain under evaluation, but its pump business is done and J&J has signed an agreement with competitor and market leader Medtronic to take over servicing existing Animas customers. ...