This is an important episode. How to help your doctor, help YOU!! Paying attention to what's going on in your body, and how you feel, gives valuable clues to your doctor. These clues can not only help your doctor make a better diagnosis, but effectively treat what ever condition you have.

There are many digestive complications that can arise from uncontrolled blood sugars. Some conditions are not exclusive to diabetes, yet many diabetics have them. I talk about just a couple of these issues.

Act1 has discovered that over the years, more and more large companies that manufacture test strips, are either reducing their Patient Assistant Programs, or discontinuing them all together, leaving many poor diabetics to their dooms. They claim that they can't afford to ship test strips to their PAP participants; in other words, the cost of shipping is eating their profits..... Bull****.

Act1 has created a digital petition on their website, to call many of these big manufactures to action, startint with Roche (makers of Accu-chek). We are asking that Roche (and similar companies in size) either reinstate their PAP services for financially challenged diabetics, or increase their contribution to the diabetic community. We are asking all site visitors take time to sign our digital petition, to not only show our strength in numbers, but to make these companies understand that, having test strips can be a matter of life and death for many. This will be a very long and dragged out battle; however, we've got the ball rolling.

This episode is about the story of  Galileo Galilei, a scientist, philosopher, & inventor during the 16-17th century. His life story teaches us the importance of being tolerant/open minded, and accepting new information or knowledge in to our daily lives. Today in our modern age, we still see much of the same attitudes that Galileo had to endure in his life time. This episode is about the struggle of getting people, to take initiative to want to learn about diabetes for themselves (or any other condition for that matter).

I talk a little about my A1C numbers; complications, and how important it is to continuously manage them, and to make sure they are within safe ranges. Also the lack of diabetic information for women.

This is about who sometimes we as diabetics look for quick fixes, instead of dealing with the core/underline problem. Puting a tiny Band-Aide on a large wound can actually make problems worse.

Sometimes we treat our insurance card as though it is a free credit card of some sort. Our insurance cards can have limitations, and or exceptions on the kinds of procedures covered. We have to be more pro-active in terms of finding out what specifically we are entitled too. Don't wait until the last minute.

Sorry it took me so long to get these clips. I finally got the last footage taken by our volunteer camera man. This will be the final episode of the Act1's World Diabetes Day/Non-Profit Celebration 2010 series. I just can't believe how wonderful everything came out that day. Everyone had a great time. I can't think of anything better than gathering together with other diabetics, lauphing, dancing, sharing, and honoring each other. The room was filled with type 1/LADA of every size, shape, and ethnicity. Thank you to everyone for making this happen. Thank you Manny Hernandez, founder of tudiabetes.org & estudiabetes.org for stopping by and sharing with us. Thank you camera man for donating your time, even though you accidentally spelled my name wrong in one of the clips :-) .