Dr. Bernstein, a world leading authority in diabetes, is hosting a live internet broadcasts to answer your questions on diabetes. Diabetes 911 is setup to stop the complications of diabetes before it's an emergency. Here's a link to the page where you can submit your questions, to be answered on his next broadcast -- September 19, 2007.

Just a heads-up for The Diabetes Blog reading community - AOL has announced they will be retiring The Diabetes Blog on September 14, 2007. So this is a preemptive blog to get your calendar out, send yourself a reminder email titled: OPEN ON SEPTEMBER 19th!!!!

This will not be my last blog shared with you, all mighty readers of the blogosphere. I'm working to get my proverbial welcome mat in place to continue unfolding the mysteries of diabetes on LoveDiabetes.com. More to come...

Creator of Diabetes Health Magazine, Scott King, has been a type 1 diabetic for over 34 years. Needless to say, he knows diabetes, and he is doing a remarkable job of introducing cutting-edge treatments for diabetics. In the first Diabetes Health TV broadcast, he shared interviews from the recent AADE Conference. A really exciting product he featured is called Neuragen - a topical treatment for diabetes neuropathy.

With diabetes neuropathy, people experience pain due to damage to the peripheral nerves. Neuropathic pain is often characterized by burning sensations or shooting pain, or may occur as numbness or chronic itching. Clinical trials have shown Neuragen to be effective in 70% of patients for the pain associated with diabetes. The ingredients are pretty kosher, too. Neuragen is made of a proprietary blend of essential oils from special species of geranium, lavender, bergamot, eucalyptus, and tea tree.

The Neuragen rep was blunt when he described the effective nature of this all natural product - using more does not make it any more effective! You have to admire his refreshing honesty. But like I said upfront - if Scott King is willing to spend the time getting the scoop on this product - it's probably worth your time using it. For more interviews, checkot the full coverage of the AADE Conference on Diabetes Health TV!

Scientists from all over the world will meet up in Seattle October 22-23 to attend the Warren G. Magnuson Congress for a Global Diabetes Alliance. The initiative is intended to help fight the rapid rise of type 2 diabetes worldwide. International Diabetes Federation past president Pierre Lefebvre, who will be a speaker at the conference, says the need for such an alliance to fight the T2 global epidemic "could not be more urgent."

More than one hundred diabetes experts hailing from over twenty countries will attend the congress. There's one main goal: the discussion of how to help under-served populations, such as indigenous peoples. However, the more general problems - prevention, treatment and the possibility of a cure - will also be on the table. It is also hoped that the alliance can help change public perception of type 2 diabetes as a disease associated with affluence, when in fact it is spreading faster in poor, developing countries where people frequently lack access to medical care.

Organizers say this is the first global alliance on diabetes. Speaking of organizers: who's behind this anyway? Well, it's being convened by the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI). Incoming president of the American Diabetes Association, Dr. Paul Robertson, is president and scientific director of the PNRI. Warren G. Magnuson, for whom the conference is named, was a US senator and supporter of the sciences who died from diabetes complications in 1989.

The ADA and PNRI's Dr. Robertson is optimistic the organization can effect change: "The response from top experts from around the world to develop a global, multidisciplinary, collaborative endeavor focused on clinical research on diabetes has been overwhelming."

Juan Domínguez-Bendala, Ph.D., is Director of Stem Cell Development for Translational Research at the Diabetes Research Institute. Once again, thanks to Gina and Jon at Diabetes Talkfest - you'll have the opportunity to chat live with Dr. Domínguez-Bendala on August 23rd at 9pm Eastern Standard Time.

Dr. Domínguez-Bendala is currently involved in several projects that focus on the use of embryonic stem cells to obtain pancreatic islets, in the hopes that these newly developed cells could one day be transplanted into patients with type I diabetes.

Join Dr. Domínguez-Bendala to discuss his work and ask questions pertaining to embryonic stem cell research. I know I'll be there, in true form, asking questions that I've been archiving for an event like this one!

Hear ye! Hear ye! I have an announcement to make. About 3 months ago, a committee formed to explore the possibility of creating a new conference series for adults with type 1 diabetes. Most conferences are currently geared towards all types of diabetes, but a group of us felt there should be more for the unique challenges that are posed to adults living with type 1.

With that in mind, we are conducting an interest study for the conference. Who would you like to see at the conference? Tell us what is missing from Type 1 diabetes (besides the obvious **cure**). This will help us with programming, as well as securing sponsorships for the event. Besides giving you all you want from the latest and greatest in type 1 diabetes - you have a chance to leave your mark on this revolutionary event. At the end of the survey, there is a question about creating a name for the conference. The committee will choose the winning name. The winner will receive an autographed copy of Know Your Numbers, by Amy Tenderich and Dr. Richard Jackson. The second and third places prizes are a Six Until Me mug and a Diabetes Mine mug, donated by Kerri Morrone and Amy Tenderich.

The survey closes on Friday, September 7, 2007 so don't miss your opportunity to voice your opinion. Take the survey today!!

Works by the modernist painter Charles Demuth (1883-1935) are now on display at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Add Demuth to the pantheon of notable Americans with diabetes. Demuth lived nearly his entire life in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He had a hard life, being type 1 diabetic at a time before digital meters and pumps and all that good stuff. Not only that, he was diabetic at a time when insulin was only beginning to be used.

So, you may well ask: what did they do in the dark, dark pre-insulin days? Well, dear reader, the treatment was pretty unsophisticated. Starvation, basically. They got you eating as little as possible. Not surprisingly, life expectancy was not good in those days! Demuth suffered from a lack of energy and eyesight problems. Eventually, he was started on insulin and his health improved as a result.

For subject matter, Demuth frequently turned to the increasingly industrialized landscape of his hometown, Lancaster. Icons of the industrial skyline - smokestacks, water towers and the like - were often the subject of his paintings. The Amon exhibit is titled "Chimneys and Towers: Charles Demuth's Late Paintings of Lancaster." The exhibit will remain on display in Fort Worth through October, when it will relocate to the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, FL, then it's off to the Whitney Museum in New York City.

Click here to read more about Demuth and this new exhibit.

A little something in the news the other day caught my eye: schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area of North Carolina have organized an informational meeting especially for families of diabetic pupils. The meeting was titled "Diabetes: Back to School Basics." Reports The Charlotte Observer, the idea is to prepare parents and children for the school-year, looking specifically at how diabetic kids should expect to deal with their condition during school hours, what parents can and cannot expect of school staff and so on.

Also included on the agenda was a chance for parents and kids to work on personalized care plans for while they're at school. The meeting is also a chance for everyone to meet the diabetes nurse who has just joined the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district. The nurse is trained in diabetes management and will be available to help kids and parents with educational materials and resources.

Here's to the powers-that-be at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. You can see there is a problem with so many diabetic kids in your schools, (The Observer says around four hundred kids in that school district are diabetic), and you are tackling it head-on. What I'm not clear on is what the schools' policy is on insulin-dependent type 1 kids who need shots during school hours. This has become so problematic of late, with schools concerned about liability issues in having staff assist with supervising/administering shots. But, nevertheless, this is a sign of the times and a good one. In fact, this is so good I'm wondering...why don't all schools do this?

If you're a daytime tv addict- the upcoming JDRF event might be worth your time and money. And don't worry about missing an episode of Days of our Lives. The event is being held on Saturday, August 25t!

Several stars of NBC's hit daytime drama series, Days of our Lives, are heading to Massachusetts on August 25 to support a charity event for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). From 11am to 4pm, fans will get the opportunity to "meet and greet" their favorite Days of our Lives actors and actresses. There will also be photo opportunities and autograph sessions, as well as show novelties up for sale. However, food and beverages will not be served during the daytime reception, which has been priced at $80 per person.

Among the Days of our Lives stars that are slated to appear that night are James Scott (EJ Wells), Stephen Nichols (Steve "Patch" Johnson), Rachel Melvin (Chelsea Brady), Judi Evans (Adrienne Josephine Johnson Kiriakis) and Blake Berris (Nick Fallon). The JDRF charity event will be held at the Burlington Marriot. Fans who wish to attend the event can order tickets online. For those who will be coming from outside the Burlington area, a block of rooms have been set aside by the hotel specifically for the event. For room reservations, call 1-781-229-6565. Like sands through the hourglass... attend the fundraising event to enjoy the stars from Days of our Lives!

Touted by Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as one of the most well-thought-of players on tour, Scott Verplank has negotiated his Type 1 diabetes all the way up the rankings of the PGA tour.

Verplank diabetes began when he was 9 years old. The off-limits list included sports, but Verplank didn't listen to that one. He was a phenom, winning the 1985 Western Open as a senior at Oklahoma State. It had been 29 years since an amateur won a PGA event. A couple dozen more victories appeared likely. Nobody could see what trouble diabetes would cause.

Verplank does not let diabetes interrupt his game. Checking his blood sugar every few holes and walking all 18 - the inconvenience of diabetes will not sabotage his love of the game. Verplank doesn't consider himself a role model. He categorizes himself as just a regular guy. Everybody faces obstacles, and he's merely managing the challenges of everyday life just like everybody else. Although Scott's feather is the fact he's a pro golfer -- one of the top players in the world!!

A few mommies, both accomplished and aspiring, who have come to know more about each others' diseases than their doctors met in person for the first time today in Fairfax, Virginia.

The women, this blogger among them, have corresponded for various lengths of time at www.diabeticmommy.com, a forum for women who have diabetes and are pregnant, hope to become pregnant or have become mothers. Today, they met each others' husbands, laughed at the pair of 2-year-olds squirming at a Cheesecake Factory table, compared insulin pumps and meters, listened to each others' stories and chowed down. Some went bowling afterward.

All of the women have tales to tell about struggles with their illness, medical care, families, children, pregnancies, birth experiences and more. And all would probably give up diabetes if given the chance. But none would trade the support discovered and celebration of victories shared via the web while embarking on what is among a diabetic woman's greatest challenges.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Capitol Chapter has become the only JDRF chapter in the country to put a new spin on fundraising. And what better place to do it than Washington? The Chapter is currently planning the second annual Spin to Win fundraiser for next fall.

A proven success with JDRF's Canadian chapter, it is the organization's newest event -- an innovative, high-energy, outdoor event where participants from a variety of local industries pedal to a fast-paced musical beat for 8 minutes in a race to see who can rack up the most mileage and the most money for diabetes research. Each spinner is asked to raise at least $150.

Last year's inaugural event raised more than $75,000 and members of Congress, athletes, and TV personalities were among the participants. The Chapter is looking to double the amount raised this year.

This year's fundraiser will take place Thursday, October 18 at the old DC Convention Center site and involve five-person teams from the Washington business community who have raised money for a cure for diabetes. Visit the Spin to Win web page or call the JDRF office at 202.465.4122 for more information about the 2007 Spin to Win.

Beginning today, advocates across the country will be meeting with their Congressional representatives in an effort to push legislators to approve funding for type 1 diabetes research.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Promise to Remember Me Campaign kicks off at 11 a.m. on the Cannon House Office Building Terrace in Washington, DC. Congressman Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, will join recording artist and American Idol finalist Elliott Yamin at the event. Yamin, who has type 1 diabetes, is set to perform at 5 p.m.

As part of the campaign, the JDRF invites participants to share their story of living with diabetes with legislators and encourage them to vote for type 1 diabetes research. The effort aims to join hundreds of families with legislators in the next 10 months to discuss funding for type 1 diabetes research; Yamin is the campaign's celebrity spokesperson.

Cantor is a sponsor of HR 2762, a bill that would reauthorize the Special Diabetes Program, which coordinates the efforts of research scientists to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.

Did anybody catch the first ever YouTube democratic debate last week? It was cosponsored by CNN and the cool thing about it was this: all the questions came in from Americans like you and me. Turns out two of the candidates spoke out on behalf of diabetes. Here's what they had to say...

Governor Richardson mentioned the fact that 33% of Medicare is wrapped up in diabetes costs. He suggests, "Let's have major prevention programs, and also ways that we can ensure that we find a cure." He still has not announced a plan to ensure a cure. But if he does - I'm willing to bet all of his campaign funding from Big Pharma might mysteriously disappear.

The other candidate addressing diabetes was Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut. Dodd's promise came after from a woman's question about stem cell research. Somehow the senator was able to plug an endeavor to "deal with diabetes". However, much like Governor Richardson - he has yet to announce a plan to cure. Politics as usual. Stay tuned for the LIVE Republican Debate on September 17th.

Dr. Faustman's lab is currently collecting blood samples from individuals with established Type 1 diabetes. These samples are being used to quantify the number of autoreactive T-cells and develop the adequate dosage for Phase 1 of human trials to cure Type 1 diabetes.

The research has been presented and the NIH confirmed it. By reeducating the confused T-cells and instructing them not to attack healthy islets, an apparent cure of established type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice is possible. Now, Dr. Faustman is collecting human samples to bestow the same cure for diabetes in humans.

If you wish to be a part of this revolutionary event for curing Type 1 diabetes, please contact the Clinical Coordinator or call Dr. Faustman's lab at (617) 726-4084. Each participant is asked to bring a control person along with them - an unrelated person without Type 1 diabetes or another autoimmune disease. Diabetic or not - you can be a part of history in curing Type 1 diabetes!

Meet the Face of Change is a photo exhibit owned by Novo Nordisk featuring YOU -- the face of change. Change for what, I asked? Well, it seems Novo would like to change your opinion of the barriers to insulin treatment for Type 2 diabetics. The common belief of insulin treatment for Type 2 diabetes is that it is the point of no return. Why? First instincts are usually correct.

Studies have shown that Type 2 diabetics injecting insulin create insulin antibodies (IAA). Type 1 diabetics have these antibodies upon diagnosis. Type 1 diabetes was also formerly referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes. Insulin antibodies (IAA) develop and attack the natural insulin produced, resulting in insulin dependence. Type 2 diabetics do not have the same level of IAA. Once they begin injecting insulin that looks like human insulin (the kind Novo makes) - you run the risk of developing IAA. The use of animal-insulins did not cause the development of IAA to the same extent. If you plan to start injecting insulin - ask your doctor if he will check you for IAA. As a Type 2 diabetic, you DO NOT have to become an insulin-dependent diabetic.

I asked Novo to explain what Meet the Face of Change is about. What are they trying to change? The response I received from Nov explains their wishes to strengthen the drive of their business, among other core values. Now I ask you - how do you drive a business that sells insulin? Sell more insulin. For the 16 million Type 2s not yet in this lineup- please consider if insulin-dependent diabetes is the face you want to meet. Don't add insulin to injury. It may not be the path of least resistance, but cut back on simple sugars, increase fiber consumption, and take a walk after dinner. Meet the face of change by putting your best foot forward, not your face on a campaign for vulture capitalism.