Candy Hearts

Dear Beta Bionics,

Tears stung as I read the TIME article, and then perused your website learning more about your decision to form as a Benefit Corporation. I have followed your journey for nearly a decade, and it's surreal to see where you are today.

Thank you for making PEOPLE your priority over profit. Dr. Banting held to the same noble standard when he sold the intellectual rights of insulin for a few dollars.

People survive and thrive when the foundation stems from moral directive. I am reminded of Leonard Thompson. He was close to death when insulin was injected into a human for the first time, and he survived without regard to cost.

In contrast, people die when dollar signs underpin motivation. The price gouging of insulin is proof enough of that. How many people have died because they couldn't afford insulin, or afford *enough insulin to prevent the long-term complications that ultimately robbed their lives?

Thank you for your sacrifice, dedication, hard work, and unfailing determination. It was an honor for my daughter to be a part of your 2014 summer camp study, and we are excited about your next chapter!

Further reading:

TIME article: http://time.com/4278068/bionic-pancreas-company/?xid=fbshare

Beta Bionics Website: http://www.betabionics.com/ #!about-our-benefit-corporation/cee5

I wrote this a few years ago, but it showed up as a "memory" today. Sharing it again, because I want you to know that it's okay if you aren't the same.

http://candyheartsblog.org/im-not-the-same/

I’m Not The Same. She came home with an invitation to a cookie decorating party the other day. No special reason…just a group of friends getting together to make some memories and have fun on a Friday afternoo…

In honor of World Diabetes Day 2015, I'd like to play a little game:
Take a moment to think back to what it must have been like in 1922. Insulin had just barely been discovered, but wasn't widely talked about, because there no such thing as Facebook and Twitter to keep people connected. There was no such thing as glucometers, insulin pumps, or CGMs. Carb counting was still decades away, and no one knew a thing about Tcells and Beta Cells.

No amount of dietary restriction, herbs, oils, or teas could stop the inevitable: A T1D diagnosis carried a 100% mortality rate -- higher than any malignant disease ever known to man.

Imagine you're there -- either on the brink of death yourself, or watching helplessly as someone you love deeply was suffering.

Put yourself in that moment of time.

A syringe of insulin arrives. Suddenly their eyes open. They're able to sit up. Merely a shell of the person they used to be, they transform from dead to alive before your eyes.

Children cry again...and then they laugh! Parents rejoice! Loved ones fall to their knees with undeniable gratitude!

If social media had been available, what would be the 1st update you'd post after witnessing such a miracle?

This is the third school year my dear friend, Tracy, has made my daughter a custom purse/diabetes supply bag, and I'm excited to share the pictures!

My daughter uses this bag more than her school back pack or any pair of shoes in her bedroom. It goes with her/us everywhere. It's hung from trees while she plays in the grassy field across the street, waited for her on playground equipment, goes for rides in her bike basket, visits all of her friend's houses, stays with her at church, and travels back and forth to and from school every day.

There's an insulated pocket for a vial of insulin on the inside, and a clear window for her Dexcom receiver on the outside. There's lots of pockets and pouches to keep her stuff stored away, yet easily accessible at the same time, including a special place to fit the glucagon kit. She picks out the fabric to fit her personal style each year --> this year she wanted blue chevron; last year it was a black and white zebra pattern. This bag is easily the best $125 I've ever invested in diabetes gear!

Here's a list of what can be found inside her bag right now (from left to right):

Ponytail holders, hand sanitizer, gum, mints, chapstick, ear buds, cell phone, wallet, preferred clicker, extra lancets, strips, Animas Ping meter remote, 2 site changes, 1 new pump cartridge, extra tubing, a juice box, candies for hypoglycemia, glucagon, her Nightscout rig, a 2nd Dexcom receiver, Diastix (to determine if glucose is present in drinks), extra pump clip, back up clicker/lancets, back up meter, syringes, extra pump battery, and a quarter to remove the battery cap if needed.

Thank you, Tracy!!! We love it!!!

I saw this idea on FB and decided to modify to fit my kitchen so my kids can pack their own school lunches :)

Protein Bin: yogurt, cheeses, lunchmeat, pepperoni/salami, etc

Fruit &Veggie Bin: baby peppers/tomatoes, grapes, applesauce, etc

Carb Bin (Regular and ): tortillas, crackers, pretzels, popcorn, granola bars, chips, cookies, etc

Everything is carb labeled for my T1 kiddo. They must choose the minimum from each bin, but can choose up to the max, if desired. No item can be repeated in the same lunchbox.

For example, one could grab a yogurt and turkey, some tomatoes, a tortilla, and a baggie of cookies and make herself a wrap at lunch.

Or someone might grab ham and cheese, applesauce, crackers, and popcorn to make a "lunchable"; then add a granola bar for snack time.

Now I just have to keep the bins stocked!!

Dr. Frederick Banting discovered insulin 94 years ago today! Last November I dug up some of Dr. Banting's own words about the miracle discovery...it's fascinating to read how much remains the same today in the management of T1D...

He even mentions prebolusing!

http://candyheartsblog.org/dr-frederick-banting-in-his-own-words/

Dr. Frederick Banting: In His Own Words Today is November 14, 2014. World Diabetes Day I've spent the day taking care of routine stuff. A dentist appointment. A trip to Costco. Dishes. I've also periodically checked Sugar's Nightscout sc...

Oooooo....an inside look at the decisions that went into creating The Bionic Pancreas 1st generation . Very interesting behind the scenes stuff!!!!

For now it will use AA batteries, a B&W screen, and limited confirmation screens (among many other details)......but why? Why was it built the way it is? This series of posts will answer many of those questions.

http://tidepool.org/blog/

Blog Why black and white? We chose to use an eInk display for this first version of the BP. And yes, eInk screens are at thier best with black and white (for now, there is color but its just not as nice yet). This may come as a surprise but we chose this display technology for its technical advantages, i…

Invest 20 minutes of your time to watch this TED Talk, and be inspired!!!!!!

https://youtu.be/bZXmfTxd79Q

This is an abbreviated version of the standing-room only Bionic Pancreas presentation by Ed Damiano at the 2015 Children With Diabetes Friends For Life Conference.

Exactly one year ago, my daughter was participating in the 2014 Summer Camp Study where she wore The Bionic Pancreas for 5 days. It managed her glucose levels better in that short period of time than I've ever been able to achieve micromanaging her around the clock, every day, for the past 10 years.

Introducing the iLet: the The Bionic Pancreas all wrapped up into one pretty package. Good things are happening, people!!!!!

http://diatribe.org/bionic-pancreas-dual-chamber-pump-unveiled-friends-life-2015/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=bionicpancreas&utm_campaign=news

Bionic Pancreas Dual-chamber Pump Unveiled at Friends For Life 2015 One of our favorite conferences of the year is the Children with Diabetes Friends for Life Conference in Orlando. It’s always heartwarming to see many young people with diabetes and their families come together to share their experiences and inspiration...

Musings about managing diabetes in public...

http://www.t1everydaymagic.com/checking-and-dosing-in-public-is-there-such-a-thing-as-diabetes-etiquette/

Checking and Dosing in Public: Is There Such a Thing as Diabetes Etiquette? | T1 Everyday Magic by Wendy Rose, guest blogger, CandyHeartsBlog.org Choosing if, when, and how much of your diabetes care to share with the world is a personal decision.

Quotes like this make me happy...

"He said the FDA has been cooperative, contradicting their image that the agency is slow to react."

A Bionic Pancreas update!!!

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AACE/51551

Bionic Pancreas Gets Prime Time Slot at AACE A year-long trial is the next test for the device, developer says.

2015 DBlog Week: Keep it to Yourself http://wp.me/p43zh6-IB

2015 DBlog Week: Keep it to Yourself While I’m pretty transparent about our life, there are some things I just don’t feel comfortable talking about here. To be honest, I don’t actually know what all of them are, because I’m pretty sure many of them haven’t even happened yet. That being said, I just want you to know I understand. If you’ve ever had to make the choice between a tank of gas and a test strip copay, … [ 207 more words. ]

2015 DBlog Week: I CAN http://wp.me/p43zh6-Ix

2015 DBlog Week: I CAN Ten years ago, I knew. Deep inside this (candy) heart of mine…I knew. I knew something was wrong. I knew it was more than an occasional saturated diaper. I knew it was more than a simple childhood virus, but I was too afraid to push harder for an answer. I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t. I was right. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. [ 455 more words. ]

Happy Mother's Day! http://jnjparents.com/content/where-crossroads-meet/

Where the Crossroads Meet: Mothering a Child With Type 1 Diabetes - Johnson & Johnson Parents Read about how having a child with Type 1 Diabetes affects the entire family.

Dear New Friend (The one whose child was just diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes), http://wp.me/p43zh6-I5

Dear New Friend (The one whose child was just diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes), Your sweet child (no pun intended) was just diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I know you woke up today in the haze of this whirlwind, and I realize you may wonder if this is actually reality, or some weird dream-like state of consciousness you never knew existed. Whether you are familiar with what type 1 diabetes is or not, you are probably in shock and doing your best to take in the enormity of the situation without panicking. [ 2694 more words. ]