I want you guys to check out something I have been looking into for a while. I hope it will help with LADA, Type 1 which I have. When I put up my profile I didn’t know what LADA was. so I put type 1. I don’t understand what causes the disease, but I was doing one of my many Internet research snoops. "These things usually occur either spontaneously or at 3:00am which ever comes first, and can range anywhere from typing weird questions into my browser like Did Satan somehow inadvertently Cause Type 1 Diabetes, to phrases like OUCH MY FINGERS FREAKIN HURT!, and anything in between. but anyway.. I came across clinical trials which I want to be part of, they are trying to cure type 1 diabetes at a lab in Mass. their website is www.faustmanlab.org The problem I have with it is it is so far away and I am also worried about the possible side effects, or if it is a scam. They want non-diabetic control subjects and Type 1 Diabetics. I sent them a medical history form with the information that I became Diabetic at age 21, and that it was type 1. I am just taking this all with Caution because I have seen a lot of hooey on the net. And lets face it. if its not a scam, it sounds too good to be true. Honestly I don’t know what I would do if I was no longer diabetic suddenly. but I also know that with an A1c of 14 I will not live long if I don’t either learn how to control it, or figure something out. I take shots for the Symptoms of Hyper… Blah… High Blood Glucose and not only do I feel Alienated, but it is a tremendous burden on my life. actually it has taken over my life and there are even times when I don’t feel like my life is worth living. so I really need to get a handle on this somehow. anyways. this post was supposed to be about the clinical trial. What do you all think? does it look legitimate to you? and/or do you think it might be possible to cure Diabetes with these techniques? I know… I know… I type too much… but it is relaxing for me somewhat to type everything out. especially when I am sad like I am now. for no reason. anyways. I will stop. let me know what you think if you click their website.read what they are saying about it and tell me if it sounds legit… Thanks!
I found the trial at this link.
Whether or not you choose to be in a clinical trial depends on your situation. You should make sure you are thinking clearly (rationally) before you decide to be in a trial. If you are just totally overwhelmed by the big D, then you are not alone. Many of us here recommend reading “Think Like a Pancreas” by Gary Schneider (you can check it out from most libraries, but I got mine online). He taught me things I was totally misinformed about. I was diabetic for about 25 years when I got that book, and it changed my life. I dropped from an A1c over 8 to an A1c of about 6.5 after reading the book. The best lessons I learned from that book is the following:
- Diabetes is overwhelming and it is normal to feel overwhelmed sometimes.
- You need insulin to process protein. I actually didn’t know that, after 26 years. My last endo told me that you don’t bolus for protein. Totally wrong when you are type 1.
- Tackle one thing at a time. If you try to balance your bg and your insulin to carb ratio and your insulin to protein ratio, and your exercize, and carb counting all at the same time, you are bound to crash and burn. That is what I did for years. Fix one thing at a time. Work on that one thing for like a week, or two if you need it, and then move on to the next.
Now blood tests don’t seem to hurt as much as they used to. I used to say I don’t mind shots, it’s the finger sticks that bother me. What I finally realized, after over a year with A1c below 7, is that I was traumatized by the unknown about what the number would be. I never knew if my bg would be 80 or 180, or worse. Now that the trauma isn’t associated with the test, it doesn’t seem to hurt so much. You need to learn some skills, my friend, and laugh, so this isn’t so overwhelming.
My prescription to you is to go to youtube and check out the “My Life as a Pin Cusion” series. There are also some other great “Make sense of Diabetes” videos. This is one of my favorites.
Hey thanks for the first reply. I appreciate that you were so quick to respond, and thanks for the advice you gave. I will save this thread and look into the advice you gave. If I have my yahoo messenger on I can usually see when someone responds to the posts, and usually I can respond quickly. If I am on the Computer I am usually on my facebook, Myspace, or Youtube. I can always see when this website sends me an automated message in my email. Thanx again for the advice. I will check it out. TTYL <3
Actually, the Faustman trial is a very legitimate one and also very promising. However, I have heard that it is hard to get in that. Good luck!
Hi Elijah: You have been given some excellent advice by Baby Tee. First, you must take care of yourself! Being newly diagnosed is incredibly difficult, but I can promise you that if you get support here at TuD and if you get and read “Think Like a Pancreas” you will feel better.
Dr. Denise Faustman is one of the great Type 1 diabetes researchers, so I think a clinical trial with her group would be good. But it is most important that you take care of yourself physically and emotionally first.
All the best, Melitta
If it sounds too good to be true true - It is.
As others have indicated, Faustman and David Nathan are world-renown investigators in T1D. HOWEVER, while I think we should all hope for the best, I think that we should also plan for the worst (having D for the rest of our lives:) There are numerous interventional trials going on, at least some of which are not panning out as well as was hoped. This particular study is just too preliminary to know what the odds of it helping are. So keep that hope alive, but don’t let this time slip away from you on a dream that may not come true for us.
I agree completely with Baby Tee, take it one step at a time. Make one change and see where it gets you. Sometimes you’ll be surprised that one small change can solve several seemingly unrelated problems. It’s overwhelming and frustrating at times, but once you start seeing progress it will give you motivation to keep building on those small successes!
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00607230?term=bcg+diabetes&rank=1