DIABETES RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #44 “Annual T2D-related healthcare costs reached $966 billion in 2021...to exceed $1 trillion by 2045”

From the first moment I discovered I had been diagnosed with DIABETES, I joined a HUGE “club” that has been rapidly expanding since it stopped being a death sentence in the early 20th Century. Currently, there are about HALF A BILLION PEOPLE who have Type 2 Diabetes. For the past 3500 years – dating back to Ancient Egypt – people have suffered from diabetes. Well, I’m one of them now… Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…Every month, I’ll be highlighting Diabetes research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you.

“Since insulin’s discovery in the 1920s, science has delivered nine classes of drugs to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D). These have improved life for many; but more than 100 years later, the disease remains widespread and progressively degenerative. An estimated 828 million adults were affected globally in 2022, up by 630 million since 1990...

“The complications of T2D are severe: blindness, organ failure, to heightened infection risk. Annual T2D-related healthcare costs reached $966 billion in 2021 and are projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2045, based on the International Diabetes Federation’s estimates.”

The sticking point here? Dorzagliatin was discovered and developed in China.

We all Americans are notably and frequently “China-phobic”. HOWEVER, while the new drug is NOT available here, there are signs that “East-West Relations” might be thawing…

In a study published in Volume 74, Issue 11 of the ADA magazine DIABETES, results are promising. “Effects of Dorzagliatin, a Glucokinase Activator, on α- and β-Cell Function in Individuals With Impaired and Normal Glucose Tolerance”

“In type 2 diabetes Dorzagliatin reduced fasting and postprandial (after-eating) glucose levels in a dose-dependent manner (depending . In phase 3 randomized controlled trials, Dorzagliatin treatment led to a −0.57% and −0.66% placebo-subtracted reduction in HbA1c (A2c levels) in drug-naïve (people who aren’t taking any diabetic drugs) and metformin-treated patients with T2D, respectively, with sustained efficacy (it had been working for…) 52 weeks. Furthermore, in an observational extension study, 65% of patients with early-stage T2D who received Dorzagliatin monotherapy had sustained drug-free remission at 52-week follow-up. These findings suggest Dorzagliatin may have a role in restoration of β-cell function in those with earlier stages of diabetes.” (see link below)

It took me a second read to catch that, people! They aren’t talking about “making you feel better but nothing really changes” – like I take 4 Metformin a day, plus Ozempic once every two weeks (a new approach to taking Ozempic supported by a small group study – and now you hear it from me: FOR ME, there was no change from weekly to biweekly use of Ozempic. I actually FELT better (after a doctor visit, where Dr. H informed me that the O-stuff PLUS big, fat, Ty.-shaped pills of M would like give me the D-stuff (too gross to even write!) and suggested I start taking a probiotic…

Now, I was NOT a pill popper until it became a matter of life and death and love of my wife! I take what I ABSOLUTELY have to in order to spend as many years with my beautiful sweetheart of 39 years as I am allotted! But “probiotics” sounded like an ad campaign invented by some dork-behind-a-desk intended to convince me that I should be taking MORE pills (OH! And ONLY “pure”, “natural”, “organic” ingredients (I should add Made-Of-MORE-Money than the evil “impure”, “unnatural”, “inorganic” (??? Like, made of ROCKS?) ingredients.)

So, on my wife’s advice, I started taking them and, as much as I hate to admit it, they seem to have made a difference…dang…

Links: https://www.nature.com/articles/d43747-025-00071-9

Image: https://asploro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diabetes-Research_Open-Access.jpg

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #43: Memories Are Sometimes All We Have…

For the first time since I started this blog eleven years ago, it’s going to be about me. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes four years ago. While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1. I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I’m reopening my blog rather than starting a new one. I MAY take a pause and write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictate; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!

I’m on a bit of a “memory kick” right now, as I’ve been thinking about a group of adolescent boys at the church I met my wife at…in particular because the one “kid” I got the most involved with (mom divorced, dad very absent, the kid had a very soft heart…) just lost his wife of 19 years to an aggressive form of cancer they’d been treating for the past seven years. Before that, another “youth kid” from my church (we were quite a bit closer in age), became good friends and often lapsed into having deeply theological discussions. His bane was that he was Type 1 diabetic and nursed a very deep sense of hurt that God gave him the bane and did nothing to heal it. He died after suffocating in a water bed following a diabetic seizure, after the birth of his second child, a little girl…who is not LONGER a little girl…That was MY first experiencing diabetes up close and personal…

My own wife was diagnosed and beat breast cancer (the entire series on my blog about THAT shitty experience is linked to your right…but started on Saturday, April 9, 2011 with “Observations of a Breast Cancer Husband”…

Then we passed through a period leading to the death of my mother, having lived several years deeply aware that my dad had descended into the deteriorating fog of Alzheimer’s.

Fifteen years, a couple months, and a double-handful of days have passed, and our kids are successful, have married, moved out, and granted us the joy of three spouses, and four grandchildren…

Now both my wife and I are Type 2 diabetics; and living in the SECOND quarter of the 21st Century. Technology today as well as plans of treatment are no long a death sentence for Type 1 diabetics; and us Type 2, using a combination of blood sugar monitors, wise food choices, and even wiser medical supervision, have a very good chance of living long and healthy lives; for example, myself: “…because life expectancy factors in infant and early mortality, males from this birth cohort who have already reached age 65 can expect to live to approximately 78 to 80 years on average.” How about this? Same question, but adding “diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes”: “roughly 15 to 21 additional years, meaning an average life expectancy of 84 to 90 years. However, this number is an estimate. Life expectancy relies heavily on when the condition was diagnosed and how well it is managed.

Note to self: try harder (perhaps more emphatically, “JUST DO IT YOU DUMB…”) Ahem…use this fact to kick yourself in the butt when you feel like stuffing your face with sweets or lazing around the house and skipping your four mile ride around the lake…

Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2663724/

Image: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41J0VUNJ8ML._SY445_SX342_QL70_FMwebp_.jpg

DIABETES RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #43 KETO and Type 2 Diabetes??? Who Knew?

From the first moment I discovered I had been diagnosed with DIABETES, I joined a HUGE “club” that has been rapidly expanding since it stopped being a death sentence in the early 20th Century. Currently, there are about HALF A BILLION PEOPLE who have Type 2 Diabetes. For the past 3500 years – dating back to Ancient Egypt – people have suffered from diabetes. Well, I’m one of them now… Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…Every month, I’ll be highlighting Diabetes research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: I’ve seen it and read the word – but what is a “keto” and how could it possibly help help me in my struggle against Type 2 Diabetes???

The paper opens with “We showed that three months of a ketogenic diet was able to improve beta-cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes, and these improvements were associated with changes in the proinsulin-C-peptide ratio, a biomarker of pancreas stress….Other than bariatric surgery or large-volume intentional weight loss, interventions for improving beta-cell function in type 2 diabetes do not currently exist.”

So: “In English PLEASE!”

First of all, is a “ketogenic diet” the same as “being on keto” (Or is it “going keto” or “On a keto diet”?) “The ketogenic or keto diet…” Answer to first question is “Yes, they are the same thing.”

Second then, is what the HECK is a “keto diet”: it’s a diet that “includes eating high-fat, low-carbohydrate foods to reach ketosis. In ketosis, the body uses fat for fuel, instead of sugar (glucose). This produces acids known as ketones.”

Something I’ve never read in these glowing advertisements for these FABULOUS “Keto Diets” is that ketones STINK: “It is a very common and predictable side effect that occurs when your body enters ketosis”, ketone breath has been “compared to your breath smelling like acetone (aka, nail polish remover), paint thinner, rotten fruit, or sweetly metallic…” YUMMY!

Second, it basically ditches balanced eating: “…eating different amounts of fat, protein and carbs in a day.” It breaks out like this, besides the fact that you weigh everything (the science is sound here – you’re balancing the fats, proteins and carbs in order to lose weight and become more healthy.) It looks like this: “four grams of fat for every 1 gram of combined protein/carb eaten throughout the day. Avoiding all carb-rich foods (like pasta, potatoes, fruit, etc.) is key here. Also, for every serving of protein-rich food, you need four servings of a fatty food (heavy cream, avocado, olive oil, full fat cheese, etc.)”.

So, let’s say we do this. It will “…improve beta-cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes; the improvements were associated with changes in the proinsulin-C-peptide ratio, a biomarker of pancreas stress….”

And I’m lost again…what is a “proinsulin-C-peptide ratio”? In plain English: “…A proinsulin-C-peptide ratio is a lab test that measures how hard your pancreas is working to produce insulin. In the pancreas, proinsulin is the inactive "raw material" your body builds into insulin – which you need to change glucose into something your CELLS can use. The pancreas chops the proinsulin in half, turning it into active, usable insulin. The C-peptide is the leftover "waste" and is dumped. When everything is working perfectly, your pancreas easily chops up all the raw proinsulin into ready-to-use building blocks for insulin. BUT, if your pancreas is under heavy strain it gets overwhelmed and starts dumping unfinished, "raw" proinsulin into the bloodstream before it has a chance to fully process it, You now have high levels of unfinished proinsulin compared to C-peptide. It is a warning sign that your beta cells are struggling and may be a predictor for developing diabetes.”

So, properly managed, a keto diet can HELP repair OUR messed up pancreas – NOT heal it, but help it work better. So, the choice is ours; at least now you have somewhere to start when you ask your doctor if a keto diet is something you want to try…

Links: https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2026/keto-diet-may-improve-beta-cell-function-in-people-with-type-2-diabetes, https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/good-food/what-is-the-keto-diet-and-can-it-be-beneficial-for-you/2025/05 Image: https://asploro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diabetes-Research_Open-Access.jpg

MY FIRST POST at GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…DIABETES #1 The Diagnosis

Sunday, October 16, 2022

This was the  first time since I started POSSIBLY IRRITATING ESSAYS almost NINETEEN years ago, that I made it about me. The week of October 16, 2022, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1 diabetes. Since then, I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I’m reopening my blog rather than starting a new one. I MAY take a pause and write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictate; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome (???) to join me!

When I sat down with the Diabetes Education counselor, it was no surprise that I was there.

I’ve been pre-diabetic for a few years. I knew I could change my diagnosis if I just followed a few simple steps. I needed to lose weight, exercise more, and eat right. My response to that knowledge was, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll get to it! Besides I eat pretty good. I ride my bike! I sometimes lose weight!”

Well, the jig is up. I’ve been caught with my proverbial pants down (sorta like the scene in SPIDER-MAN: A Long Way From Home. Nothing evil going down, but he got caught getting ready to put on the black suit that ultimately inspired Ned to call him Night Monkey.) I’m now officially diabetic.

What’s that mean? (TOTALLY UN)Funny you should ask!

I now have a blood sugar monitor kit of my very own. I used it for the first time this morning. My blood sugar level was 173, which my phone tells me is “high”.

And that means, what? Yeah, here’s where the educating myself well enough to understand comes in, plus a little bit of Translating the Doctors.

First a BRIEF history of diabetes (HIGHLY condensed from the Wikipedia article: Diabetes was one of the first diseases described by Human medicine. The term “diabetes” or “to pass through” was first used in 230 BCE by the Greek Apollonius of Memphis

Two types of diabetes were identified as separate conditions for the first time by the Indian physicians Sushruta and Charaka in 400–500 CE with one type being associated with youth and another type with being overweight. It took a long time to create an effective treatment. The early part of the 20th century for Canadians Banting and Best who finally isolated and purified insulin. We’ve known for a fact what causes diabetes FOR A HUNDRED YEARS…

What is blood sugar? It’s pretty simple: “Blood sugar, or glucose, is the main sugar found in your blood. It comes from the food you eat, and is your body's main source of energy. Your blood carries glucose to all of your body's cells to use for energy.”

And what does that have to do with diabetes? “Diabetes is a disease in which your blood sugar levels are too high. Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause serious problems…Himsworth published research that differentiated between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. He theorized that many people had insulin resistance rather than insulin deficiency. Insulin resistance is one factor that leads to type 2 diabetes. When a person has insulin resistance, their body cells lose their sensitivity to insulin and are not able to take in glucose. In response, the pancreas increases its output of insulin.”

What’s a NORMAL blood sugar? “Fasting normal blood sugar for a person without diabetes: 70–99 mg/dl (This is what my monitor shows. The funny letters after mean “milligrams per deciliter” or how much glucose (in milligrams – like what most of you antibiotics and Tylenol/Advil/Aleve is measured in) there is in a deciliter (which is one tenth of a liter or about the bottom of a two liter bottle of pop).” Official ADA recommendation for someone with diabetes: 80–130 mg/dl (4.4–7.2 mmol/L) when you get up in the morning (fasting level) and less than 180 mg/dl after you’ve had a meal.”

What KIND of serious problems can insulin resistance (Type 2 diabetes) cause? “stresses the pancreas (where insulin is made) damaging it. Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation. Diabetes and kidney disease due to diabetes caused an estimated 2 million deaths.

And WHAT THE @#$&!* can I do about it? A healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use are ways to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. How much am I SUPPOSED to weigh? (If you want to know about yourself, click here, supply the numbers and it will tell you! ( https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323446#body-mass-index-bmi ) I weigh 255 pounds. I should be between 136-172 pounds. So…to be safe, I need to lose 150 pounds…

“Diabetes can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with diet, physical activity, medication and regular screening and treatment for complications.” No other sentence I have ever typed sounded so incredibly SIMPLE and terrifyingly DIFFICULT...I have my work cut out for me and it’s (finally) time to get serious.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317484#non-insulin-treatment, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes,
For MORE details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_diabetes
Image: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41J0VUNJ8ML._SY445_SX342_QL70_FMwebp_.jpg

DIABETES RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #42 Fighting Diabetes Stigma, One Joke at a Time

From the first moment I discovered I had been diagnosed with DIABETES, I joined a HUGE “club” that has been rapidly expanding since it stopped being a death sentence in the early 20th Century. Currently, there are about HALF A BILLION PEOPLE who have Type 2 Diabetes. For the past 3500 years – dating back to Ancient Egypt – people have suffered from diabetes. Well, I’m one of them now… Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…Every month, I’ll be highlighting Diabetes research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: The Stigma of  Diabetes

I’m a funny guy.

My family, friends, church members, former students, grandchildren…and even my WIFE will attest to it. I’m funny.

Which made me start to wonder with anyone was trying to face and deal with Type 2 diabetes with humor?

Turns out, they DO!

A couple years ago (Winter 2024), a group of comedians, artists, and activists gathered together under the sponsorship of DiaTribe to brainstorm, write, and create a series of videos aimed at destigmatizing diabetes. “Broadly, the videos aim to spotlight surprising facts about diabetes, increase familiarity and respect, counter harmful stereotypes and misconceptions, and encourage laughter and curiosity over judgment.”

So – what can this do to HELP me deal with being a T2 Diabetic? Or even a Type 1…can’t imagine that, though trying to deal with the self-separating issues that come from few (if anyone) really understanding not ONLY what that meant for your life, but being unable – NOT because you’re fat, disabled, or something else that people might understand for you staying out of sports…but because you’re “a diabetic” and people wondering how THAT could keep you from playing any sport at all. That was what happened to Greg; my long-time buddy and friend. He was one of the most understanding – and obNOXIOUSLY funny people I have ever known! You’d think that would have kept him happy…but his ban (personal, parental, or doctoral, he never said…) from being an athlete. It hurt him.

At any rate, these commercials and the goal of this group, make me think of Greg…so I share them with you. If you know someone who struggles with T1 or T2 diabetes, watch these, think, then make a plan to make their lives more fun. At least, more “seen” and less “blamed”.

So follow a couple of them, follow all of them.

Then talk to someone who is diabetic and find out if there’s anything you can do to help – or if you should just shut up about it. Or refuse to talk about it and ask them to teach you. THEN shut up.

(A related post of mine regarding the stigma of being T2...

https://breastcancerreaper.blogspot.com/2026/03/guys-gotta-talk-abouttype-2-diabetes_01835368122.html

Links: https://diatribe.org/mental-health/fighting-diabetes-stigma-one-joke-time , https://www.dstigmatize.org/
Commercial 1: Above the Bias: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqelmrbFdbU

Commercial 2: DiabetesCanada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhrGmtO3g6o
Commercial 3: Spoonful of Laughter
https://diatribe.org/understanding-diabetes/spoonful-laughter-defeating-diabetes-stigma-comedy
Commercial 4: THIS ONE IS FUNNY!!! From DIATRIBE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNuzrPO6Rko&list=PLTSsBI6NOrskpJp0iZlEBJMuw4D9ep8Yx&index=1
Commercial 5: NOT so funny, but hopeful!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2dAlR6NGho&list=PLTSsBI6NOrskpJp0iZlEBJMuw4D9ep8Yx&index=5
Commercial 6: Not exactly funny…but kinda creepy…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmp0kRqlHE4&list=PLTSsBI6NOrskpJp0iZlEBJMuw4D9ep8Yx&index=15

IMAGE: https://asploro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diabetes-Research_Open-Access.jpg

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #42: How About I Make A SMART Choice FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME!

For the first time since I started this blog eleven years ago, it’s going to be about me. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes two weeks ago. While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1. Since then, I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I’m reopening my blog rather than starting a new one. I MAY take a pause and write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictate; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!

OK – in my regular reading of Type 2 diabetes research, here’s one I have NOT seen before: “In people with type 2 diabetes [who are] overweight…modest weight loss improves glycemia and reduces the need for glucose-lowering medications…greater weight loss substantially reduces A1C and fasting glucose and may promote sustained diabetes remission…”

Let me interpret this as I unpack it. First of all – I’ve been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes for several years now. (CHECK!) My ideal weight for my height and age? Hmmm…never looked it up/used a tool. So, here goes: I’m 69, about 5’10”. My ideal weight should be between 132-173 pounds. My ACTUAL weight as of this morning? “Nunnayerbeezwax!” OK…fine, this morning I weighed in a 237.2 pounds. Even on the HEAVIER end of the ideal, I’m about one 7-year-old grandchild overweight…

OK – I’m feeling guilty! So what am I supposed to do? Here are their recommendations:

“Metabolic surgery, which results in an average >20% body weight loss, greatly improving glycemia and often leading to remission of diabetes, improved quality of life, improved cardiovascular outcomes, and reduced mortality. Several therapeutic modalities, including intensive behavioral and lifestyle counseling, weight management pharmacotherapy, and metabolic surgery, may aid in achieving and maintaining meaningful weight loss and reducing obesity-associated health risks.”

Translations are hereby ordered: “metabolic surgery” = removal of a portion of my stomach. Medically? Nah…equally incomprehensible. How about in “normal man language”? Here we go! “A large part of the stomach is removed, leaving a banana-shaped tube…” OK…here’s a ROCK HARD PASS!!!!!

NEXT! “…A small pouch is made from the stomach and connected directly to the small intestine, skipping most of the stomach and first part of the intestines…” iow: food you eat skips the stomach and guts to get shit out unchanged…That’s disgusting even to me as a science geek/former science teacher (I taught all of them: life science, earth science, physical science (chemistry+physics), biology, chemistry, and physics; levels special-education to English Language Learners to “average students” to International Baccalaureate students.) Once again, ROCK HARD PASS!!!

In the end? “Metabolic surgery goes beyond just eating less; it changes the body's internal biology to fight obesity-related diseases, with studies showing it can be more effective for diabetes and long-term weight management than lifestyle changes.” OK – let me translate: “with studies showing it can be more effective for diabetes and long-term weight management than lifestyle changes” this obviously means that DON’T BOTHER TRYING TO CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR! GET EXTREME AND EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE SURGERIES THAT DO NOTHING TO CHANGE THE ROOT CAUSE OF YOU BEING OVERWEIGHT (and as a fat person myself, I am evaluating this in light of what such drastic surgery would mean for me. Maybe I just have a weak personality and an aversion to supporting an industry that makes certain people wealthy by convincing me to “DO THE EXPENSIVE THING, IT MUST BE THE BEST!”

OK – so what if all of the above “suck the big one!!!!!”

Is there something ELSE I can do? Here’s one: “intensive behavioral and lifestyle counseling”. Translation? “They go beyond handouts with health tips. The programs engage with your family to provide face-to-face opportunities to practice healthy behaviors. An IHLBT (Intensive Health Behavior and Lifestyle Treatment)program helps you change behavior in ways that are individualized… utilizing community health educators, dietitians and exercise specialists. They can take place within normal community-based organizations. It ALSO includes

non-judgmental activities that boost your self-esteem by focusing on health, not weight. Activities focus on physical activity, healthy nutrition involving the whole household to join to thrive in a healthy environment. There is a strong focus on changes to ENJOY and keep up after the program has ended. ALSO – encouraging time spent on activities, and changing routines and habits. It CAN’T happen overnight, and IHBLT programs work best when they offer plenty of time—26 hours or more, over 3 to 12 months working to help people along with their families – succeed.” [Adapted for my own life based on an article posted here:] https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/obesity/Pages/what-is-intensive-health-behavior-and-lifestyle-treatment-IHBLT.aspx?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=69654055&gbraid=0AAAAADyMpZG8kPPcbF7zA1ZXQPb5UZT7b&gclid=Cj0KCQjw77bPBhC_ARIsAGAjjV_pyGT3IxIweAYV7Xn9C21WV0jI235z_oCBVEBc0Ft94SzbFJmE7BIaAjzCEALw_wcB

THIS is something I can get behind and work at! Look for comments on this change in my own lifestyle and whether I’ve been able to implement them in future posts!”

Source: https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/48/Supplement_1/S167/157555/8-Obesity-and-Weight-Management-for-the-Prevention
Image: https://www.hcd.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/living-well-with-/diabetes.jpg

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #38: Dancing With Ozempic and Sheer HORROR...

For the first time since I started this blog eleven years ago, it’s going to be about me. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes two weeks ago. While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1. Since then, I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I’m reopening my blog rather than starting a new one. I MAY take a pause and write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictate; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!

Ozempic is killing us.

Not the drug, but the ABSURD PRICE THE DRUG COMPANY IS CHARGING US:

$800 (yup. EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS for a few milligrams of the T2 drug I take to control my diabetes...that OTHER people take so they can eat candy bars, sugared soda, toast, and sweetened cereal and NOT CARE!)

We will have to pay this same price again once I run out of this set of injections and my Medicare co-pay kicks in. JUST SO YOU KNOW, I TOOK A PICTURE OF THE COST I WAS QUOTED...AND IT'S VANISHED...HMMM...I WONDER HOW THAT HAPPENED?!?!?!??!?!

So, I’ve decided to fight back: “GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #39B: A MONTH After Switching To Ozempic Every OTHER Week” The science ALSO supports this move, at least for me. https://breastcancerreaper.blogspot.com/2026/03/guys-gotta-talk-abouttype-2-diabetes.html

HOWEVER...

The BIGGEST problem is that the drug company that makes Ozempic found out that people who are NOT diabetic want to use it to lose weight: “Data analyzed by Trillian Health, and reported by CNN, shows that a third of patients on Ozempic have no history of diabetes. This means that doctors are prescribing the drug “off-label,” presumably for another condition, such as weight loss. The off-label prescription of Ozempic is up to a third, or 33%, from 16% in 2021. Many doctors may feel as though they have no choice but to prescribe Ozempic to their patients who are clamoring for semaglutide to help in their weight loss. Even if doctors wanted to write a prescription for Wegovy, they may not have been able to.” https://medicine.iu.edu/blogs/bioethics/on-the-increase-in-use-of-glp-1s#:~:text=Data%20analyzed%20by%20Trillian%20Health,not%20have%20been%20able%20to.

However, THE most alarming thing strikes through to the heart of the career I had for 41 years?

“…a national study from Michigan Medicine shows that the use of these weight loss drugs is increasing rapidly in adolescents and young adults 12-25 years, especially females.” https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/young-people-are-increasingly-using-wegovy-and-ozempic

WHAT KIND OF MESSAGES ARE US ADULTS SENDING TO OUR (The collective SOCIETAL “our”) CHILDREN?

Source: See embedded links above…

Image: https://doralhw.org/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2025/07/Type-2-Diabetes-2048x1365.jpg.webp

DIABETES RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #41: New Therapy Aims To Cure Type 1 Diabetes (By rebuilding insulin cells and training the immune system to protect them!); Type 2 Using Stem Cells To Regrow Islet of Langerhans Cells Promising…

From the first moment I discovered I had been diagnosed with DIABETES, I joined a HUGE “club” that has been rapidly expanding since it stopped being a death sentence in the early 20th Century. Currently, there are about HALF A BILLION PEOPLE who have Type 2 Diabetes. For the past 3500 years – dating back to Ancient Egypt – people have suffered from diabetes. Well, I’m one of them now… Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…Every month, I’ll be highlighting Diabetes research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: A daring new therapy aims to cure type 1 diabetes by rebuilding insulin cells — and training the immune system to protect them.

WHOA!!!

This has been something the Community has been talking about for years! Currently, at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), researcher Leonardo Ferreira, Ph.D. somehow re-starting the pancreas to produce insulin for Type 1 diabetics.

The team specializes in modifying the immune system using chimeric antigen receptors. These receptors help guide “regulatory T cells” or Tregs, to specific targets in the body. These Tregs are important in keeping immune responses under control. The immune response is the body’s way of sending “troops” to destroy infections – colds, flu, and germs that get into your body through cuts and even surgery. Type 1 is a “mistake” of the body that leads to it attacking itself.

In simple terms, immune system (white blood cells, act like bodyguards, preventing the immune system from going too far and harming healthy tissue.

By combining stem cell biology, gene editing, and immune regulation, the team is developing more than a single therapy. They are building a framework for teaching the body to repair itself. If successful, this work could eventually free patients from daily insulin injections and shift type 1 diabetes care from lifelong management to a true cure.

"I think this can change how medicine is done," Ferreira said. "Instead of treating symptoms, we can actually replace the missing cells. By doing this work, we are likely to further understand how T1D starts, how it develops and how it can be treated."

Likewise, there have been advances in treating Type 2 research. “The Stem Cell Medical Center of Antigua has expertise and cutting-edge approaches that go beyond symptom management to address the root causes of this challenging condition. Stem cell therapy DOES show great promise, but it’s essential to approach any new treatment with informed caution. Recent breakthroughs, including a case where a patient’s diabetes was effectively cured through stem cell-derived islet transplantation, offer hope for the future. For now, stem cell therapy is viewed as a potential way to significantly improve diabetes management and quality of life for some patients.”

Links: (T1) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260302030648.htm#:~:text=Researchers%20are%20developing%20a%20two,protect%20them%20from%20autoimmune%20attack;
(T2) https://stemcellmedicalcenter.com/treatments/endocrine-metabolic-diabetic/diabetes-type-2-can-stem-cells-succeed-where-traditional-treatments-fail/#:~:text=In%20a%20groundbreaking%20case%20reported,Generating%20functional%20pancreatic%20islet%20cells

Image: https://asploro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diabetes-Research_Open-Access.jpg

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #37B: Diabetes T2 Is LESS Embarrassing Than Being OVERWEIGHT (aka Being FAT!)

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes on September 29, 2022.

While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1. Since then, I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I’m reopening my blog rather than starting a new one. I MAY take a pause and write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictate; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!

FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL POSTS, I’M GOING TO DRAW FROM THIS GUIDE:
https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/weight-management

So, the thing here is HOW DO I LOSE WEIGHT while being Type 2?

PART of the problem, is that I have NEVER been able to lose weight on purpose. I’m pretty sure there’s this psychological trigger that the moment I tell myself I’m not going to overeat, going to eat the “right things”, or that I HAVE to lose weight, the “C’mon! I DARE YOU TO MAKE ME!!!!” reflex kicks in.

What does the RESEARCH say about losing weight when you’re Type 2? I’m going to start at the beginning – NOT FOR YOU, but for me. (You can ride along if you’d like to!)

Get back to basics. The key to weight loss for most people is simply finding the right combination of exercise, healthy foods and portion control. No fad diet required.

While I’m not GREAT yet, I have made a solid start (for the past 3 years) with increasing my exercise. I LOVE biking. That wasn’t hard to start doing more often! However, I learned to LOATHE putting my bike on a stand in the basement or in the “spare room” and pedaling while GOING NOWHERE! I even tried reading while biking, and while I did that for a while, ultimately, I came to hate that as well. So, I’ll bike during the season.

But we live in Minnesota. Weather is entirely…unique. For example, it started snowing a few hours ago. We’ve got about four or five inches. It will CONTINUE all night. It will also continue all day tomorrow. AND, the wind will begin to whip it around at blizzard speeds. Virtually EVERYTHING will be shut down tomorrow until it blows itself out and we dig our various selves out, then continue to snow sporadically until next Friday, encouraging further forays with the shovel and snowblower.

At that point, the daytime temperature will be 60 degrees F.

At that point, I will have walked several MILES while blowing snow (and hauling, digging, throwing, and otherwise abusing snow whilst muttering dark threats to move to Florida or Hawaii. But walking for “exercise”? I hated that. But I created a routine for myself: I walk down the steps with my “step tracker” turned on, walk toward Palmer Lake Park Reserve (a TEENY urban slice of near-inner-city, that was entirely undevelopable because it’s a frequently overflowing SWAMP (also politely called a “marshland” at the end of the street), then along a sidewalk, slightly uphill to the street separating the neighborhood from a cemetery.

I turn around, follow the reverse path home, and when I arrive on my doorstep, I have walked 1.06 mile. On purpose and aiming for every other day when it’s WINTER out – and it’s enough that I willingly go out when it’s sub-zero, and without a care when it’s merely below freezing.

So, I’m exercising. A good friend of mine has suggested methods of dealing with sore hips (I AM almost 69!) that I’ve started doing…

Anyway, that’s it for now! Later.

Source: https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/weight-management
Image: https://diabetes.org/sites/default/files/styles/card_container_3_column_392w_2x/public/2023-09/exercise-type-1-card.jpg.webp?itok=6Autlf4i

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #39B: A MONTH After Switching To Ozempic Every OTHER Week

For the first time since I started this blog eleven years ago, it’s going to be about me. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes two weeks ago. While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1. Since then, I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I’m reopening my blog rather than starting a new one. I MAY take a pause and write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictate; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!

[There’s no evidence for this (yet?), but I have ZERO doubt that the makers of O, M, and all the others are preparing a vigorous smear campaign for studies like these.]

I’m writing to say that my own experience of reducing my Ozempic injections to once every other Sunday (my day for injections) supports the study linked below.

From the study, “In a small new study, most people who switched from weekly to every-other-week GLP-1 dosing maintained their weight loss and metabolic health improvements. [A fraction of the people regained weight and needed to return to weekly injections — suggesting close monitoring is important when reducing dose frequency.] While I have NOT regained weight and have NOT returned to a weekly dose. People who want to reduce their dose or space out GLP-1 injections should always consult their provider first.”

I talked with my doctor before getting off Ozempic on January 24, 2026, he supported my move, and with his concurrence, I stopped taking it every week.

I could share the actual data with you, but what you would see is NOT a miraculous return to the response of a person who is NOT insulin resistant – but you WOULD see someone who works to exercise regularly, watches both WHAT he eats and HOW MUCH he eats.

What you will NOT see is a man who has become acetic – only eating salads, twigs, single bites of fat-free yogurt (I have a cup of fat-free or low-fat yogurt a week and a cup of either fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese a week. These dairy products are mixed with (mostly) whatever fresh fruit is available at the grocery store (like raspberries, blackberries, apples, pears, and strawberries) mixed with a cup of either cottage cheese OR yogurt, and sweetened with Splenda – NOT to “ward off the effects of Ozempic”, but because I need to eat that amount of calcium twice a week so I don’t get cramps in my calves!

I confess that I DO have the occasional Dairy Queen PB Parfait or some scoops of ice cream during the week. I also walk a straight mile (ie – I have a route that I’ve clocked and know exactly how long and how far I go when I walk from our house to a nearby cemetery.); then add in whatever else my cell phone’s step counter has recorded. I’ll confess also that I am NOT religious about how much I walk…

My OTHER faith, “Minnesota Winter Weather Variation” has grounded me more than once. OTOH, I walked once day when the air temperature was -7F and the windchill gave the air a “feels like/ability to freeze skin” temperature of -36F (of course, that’s more to prove that I am still, indeed a Minnesotan)! I also now park as far out as I can in the grocery store or Target or church parking lot and walk into the building – no matter the temperature.

So…I did in fact reduce my use of Ozempic from weekly to bi-weekly. My starting physiological data are as follows:

2/24/2023 BP:155/180 Weight: 253.8 Blood Glucose: 189
9/7/2025 STARTED OZEMPIC BP:122/75 Weight: 241.2 Blood Glucose: 171
2/25/2026 BP: 120/75 Weight: 230.6 Blood Glucose: 145

Data indicates that when I DON’T walk, my BP and Glucose are higher. Weight can’t be measured as a “daily thing”, rather as a range. For example when I was originally diagnosed with Type2, I weighed 260.8 in April of 2023. Exercise and watching what I ate DID have an effect on my health. Ozempic initially help me break a barrier.

Because I’ve lately been drifting into the high 220’s with my Winter regimen, I’m going to work to push it lower when I take to my bike this Summer. We originally bought our house because it was adjacent to a park that is connected to biking/walking trails stretching from northern Minnesota, west to the Great Plains (North and South Dakota), south to Rochester and some go East into Wisconsin. I can literally ride the entire state and slices of three others and with the right permits, north into Canada!

I LOVE biking, and it’s stayed with me since I was a teenager and was biking to get away from my “sports-obsessed-family” – of course three activities I loved (biking, swimming, and camping) weren’t “sports-enough” for them…and, “Yes, you DO sense a bit of bitterness in my tone!” At any rate, I’m looking forward to losing a few more pounds (my recent A1c dropped to 6.2 about a month ago!), and seeing my daily blood sugars more often in the 140s rather than the 150s.

I’ll keep you posted! Have a great week!

Source: https://www.everydayhealth.com/weight-management/can-taking-glp-1-drug-every-other-week-help-you-keep-weight-off/ ; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11885104/ Image: https://aeroflowdiabetes.com/media/wysiwyg/diabetes-guide-booklet-aeroflow-diabetes.jpg

DIABETES RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #37A: The Stigma of Being Diagnosed with Type 2 (or even Type 1!) Diabetes

From the first moment I discovered I had been diagnosed with DIABETES, I joined a HUGE “club” that has been rapidly expanding since it stopped being a death sentence in the early 20th Century. Currently, there are about HALF A BILLION PEOPLE who have Type 2 Diabetes. For the past 3500 years – dating back to Ancient Egypt – people have suffered from diabetes. Well, I’m one of them now… Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…Every month, I’ll be highlighting Diabetes research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: Diabetes Technology: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026.

Being a Type 2 diabetic sometimes bugs me.

I wonder how I could have screwed up so much in my life that I wrecked my body so badly, it broke! Turns out, I’m not the only one who carried the stigma of being diabetic: “Diabetic Stigma is defined as negative attitudes, judgment, discrimination, or prejudice against someone because they have diabetes. It comes from the false idea that people with diabetes made unhealthy food and lifestyle choices, which resulted in their diagnosis. These false beliefs don't consider key factors that can cause diabetes, such as family medical history. They also don't factor in social determinants of health, which are the conditions where people grow, work, live and age. Diabetes stigma can particularly affect people with overweight or obesity. More than half of people with diabetes report that they have experienced stigma. Diabetes stigma can exist anywhere: in the family, school, workplace, and even in health care settings. Diabetes stigma can be experienced internally or externally. Internal stigma is a belief that a person with diabetes has about themselves. It can include feelings of self-blame, shame, and guilt. External stigma is blame and judgment that comes from other people and society. It can include awkward or mean looks, rejection, exclusion, and difficulty maintaining relationships and friendships.”

The word “stigma” derives from the Latin word, “stigmata”. A stigmata was literally religiously produced spots on the skin. At one time, claims were made bearing the stigma was a holy sign of God.

That’s not what it means any more: stigma: “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.”

While I learned as a kid, I can’t control what people THINK about me, I CAN control what I think about myself.

“Technology is rapidly changing, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to technology use in people with diabetes. Insurance coverage can lag behind device availability, people’s interest in devices and willingness for adoption can vary, and health care teams may have challenges in keeping up with newly released technology. An American Diabetes Association resource, which can be accessed at Link to Diabetes Technology Guidediabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-care/diabetes-technology-guide, can help health care professionals and people with diabetes make decisions on the initial choice of device(s). Other choices including device manufacturers, can help people troubleshoot when difficulties arise.”

When I first read this last year, I pretty much skipped over it because it seemed OBVIOUS that these would all be things providers should be doing to help manage Type 2 diabetes. I had also started thinking about the stigma I carried. Like it says above, I was working with a load of self-imposed self-dislike; and even though I was a science teacher, I still couldn’t get around what I thought of myself!

So, what do I do?

I took one step two weeks ago: I talked to my doctor about keeping up on Ozempic; by changing the frequency to every TWO weeks. I’ll be taking my shot tomorrow, and have discovered that walking is going to be IMPORTANT, MAYBE EVEN VITAL, to keeping my blood sugars down.

It sure has altered what I think of myself. I don’t feel so helpless any more…

I’ll keep you posted!

Links: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/articles/diabetes-stigma.html ; https://www.everydayhealth.com/weight-management/can-taking-glp-1-drug-every-other-week-help-you-keep-weight-off/#:~:text=More%20Than%203%20Out%20of,same%20after%20the%20reduced%20dosing. 

Image: https://asploro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diabetes-Research_Open-Access.jpg

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #39: CONSIDERING Going OFF Ozempic

For the first time since I started this blog eleven years ago, it’s going to be about me. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes two weeks ago. While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1. Since then, I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I’m reopening my blog rather than starting a new one. I MAY take a pause and write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictate; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!

Yep. Oh, BTW – I’m not taking Ozempic so I can keep eating myself into a coma instead of learning how to exercise and eat healthier stuff in moderation! I’m taking it to help lower both my daily blood sugars and my A1c: my weight HAS dropped 20 pounds since I started taking Ozempic BUT, the biggest change has been my A1c from 8.0 in April of 2025 to 6.8 in October 2025! MAJOR CHANGE! and average blood sugars dropping from 238 in April 2025 to an average of 138 this week! Again, a MAJOR CHANGE and a healthier person! I’d love to stay on Ozempic forever. The injections – which was admittedly my biggest concern before starting it (including a test run using Rybelsus, which is an oral form of Semaglutide (the active ingredient of Ozempic injected) – but the cost was horrendous AND THE PILLS WERE SO BITTER (bitter like, oh, say, I just about barfed every time I took one. I had to play around with placing the monstrosity carefully on the back of my tongue with a glass of water at hand to wash it down INSTANTLY.

I finally decided that was enough of that. I would make a plan to go OFF Ozempic. Stop using it. NOT cold turkey...but gradually with my doctor’s help.

That’s exactly what it sounds like. I’m going to quit Ozempic. But WHY??? You might ask. The problem is THE COST. Currently, even WITH insurance, it will cost me between $732 - $800 for a three month supply of Ozempic semaglutide. As there are 12 months a year, that means I’ll be shelling out…for the rest of my life…between $2928 to $3200 each year.

But is it worth it?

Well…I haven’t just been laying around, stuffing my face, and shoot my belly full of Ozempic. It’s full-on Winter here in Minnesota, so it’s just a given that I can’t get out and walk on some days. I TRIED setting my bike up on a stand and pedaling during the Winter, but that was just plain BORING, even when I read. It’s like…I ride my bike to get somewhere. Even if it’s just a few miles around the same lake as I usually ride ride around – but here, the weather can change in a matter of days. Winter officially begins on December twenty-something every year. BUT – some First Days of Winter are 60 degree. Others are 60 inches of snow, windy, and a wind-chill of ten-below-ZERO (which, I might remind you is 32 degrees BELOW FREEZING – even Minnesotans regard wind-chills (also know stupidly as “feels like”) that cold as DANGEROUS.

At any rate, I found I LOATHED pedaling indoors for 30-60 minutes incredibly BORING. So – I walk during the winter and bike as soon as the ice is off the streets and sidewalks. Then I bike between 5 and 20 miles a week. THAT’S when I feel best. BUT…I have to come up with a routine for something to DO on days it’s snowing, sleeting, raining, tornado-ing, or whatever.

Eating? Dang…my biggest weakness. I know what I SHOULD be eating (“You mean a peanut buster parfait isn’t the same as drinking a glass of milk, eating a handful of peanuts, and eating a few dark chocolate chips???” or “You mean an Arby’s Double Beef Burger isn’t the same as eating lean been slices with carrots and spinach dip? It’s WORSE?”

So, here I am. We’ll see why my doctor says soon enough and I’ll keep you in the loop about what is going on!

Source: https://www.bursor.com/what-happens-when-you-stop-taking-ozempic/ ; https://www.goldfieldsfamilymedical.com.au/coming-off-ozempic/ ; https://www.aarp.org/medicare/faq/does-medicare-cover-ozempic-weight-loss-drugs/#:~:text=But%20unless%20you're%20overweight,unless%20the%20program%20is%20extended.

Image: https://www.medsengage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Type-2-Diabetes-Management.jpg

DIABETES RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #36: What I’ll Be Following In 2026!

From the first moment I discovered I had been diagnosed with DIABETES, I joined a HUGE “club” that has been rapidly expanding since it stopped being a death sentence in the early 20th Century. Currently, there are about HALF A BILLION PEOPLE who have Type 2 Diabetes. For the past 3500 years – dating back to Ancient Egypt – people have suffered from diabetes. Well, I’m one of them now… Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…Every month, I’ll be highlighting Diabetes research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: What I'll be following in 2026.

As it’s STILL technically “the holidays”, I’m going to lay out my path of “reporting” on Type 2 research for the next several weeks. “My AI” brought up the following and surprised me with the possibility of insight and commentary!

“Type 2 Diabetes research in 2026 focuses heavily on advanced treatments (like single-dose gene therapies, CagriSema, digital health integration for better management, new prevention strategies, and updated clinical guidelines; [which emphasizes] personalized care, technology, and overcoming barriers like side effects from current medications…improving patient engagement, new drug development (like targeting specific fat transport), and establishing benchmarks for future care.

“Key Research Areas & Trends for 2026

“Moving beyond GLP-1s with approaches like RJVA-001 which MIGHT be a one-time treatment; and combining drugs or more effective blood sugar/weight control.

“Digital Health Integration: Using FDA-cleared digital tools to improve access, engagement, and outcomes, with NIH funding for research in this area.

Personalized & Preventative Care: Developing strategies for youth-onset T2D and tailoring care across the lifespan, with new guidelines emphasizing person-centered approaches.

“Understanding Disease Mechanisms: Deeper dives into how factors like free fatty acids (FFA) affect the liver and insulin resistance to find new therapeutic targets.

“Key Resources & Events: ADA Standards of Care 2026: The latest evidence-based guidelines released in late 2025, guiding care for 2026 and beyond, with updates on technology and management.

“New Journals: Launch of Diabetes, Obesity, and Cardiometabolic CARE by the ADA, focusing on primary care needs.

“Conferences: Events like the ADA's Clinical Update Conference (Feb 2026) and Keystone Symposia (2026) will discuss new research.

“NIH Funding: Calls for research on digital health (RFA-DK-26-315) and grants for diabetes translation research.

“Baseline Data Collection: For programs like Target Type 2 Diabetes, 2026 is a "dry run" for new activity reporting, establishing benchmarks for awards in 2027.

Clinical Trials: New drug trials, like CagriSema, are expected to reach completion or report primary results in mid-2026, potentially changing treatment landscapes.”

All these AND MORE as GGTA moves into the new yea!

Links: Google – type in “Type 2 Diabetes Research in 2026”

Image: https://asploro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diabetes-Research_Open-Access.jpg

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #38: I’m TIRED Of Living With Type 2 Diabetes! “So What? Be A MAN!” (or Woman)…

For the first time since I started this blog eleven years ago, it’s going to be about me. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes two weeks ago. While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1. Since then, I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I’m reopening my blog rather than starting a new one. I MAY take a pause and write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictate; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!
The post title is sort of the response I feel like I get when others find out I’m Type 2.

Diagnosed three years ago (October 2022, to be exact), I’ve been on a journey. My wife hated when I talked about her diagnosis and subsequent treatment of breast cancer starting 14 years ago as a “journey”. That makes us sound like we’re on a trip to Vegas or something like that!

So my “journey” has been more of a slog, is what’s it’s been. In fact, it’s such a pain in the butt that I choose to IGNORE my Type 2 sometimes and pretend I’m like in 20s again. In those days, I could pretty much eat whatever I wanted to!

For example, I’m addicted to the Minnesota State Fair – ever since I got my first car and could drive to fair (1975), AND could park on the Fairgrounds themselves (AMAZING, huh??), where I’d wander the Grounds for hours, sampling whatever it was I wanted. My “main thing” was something called an Orange Treet (aka, Orange Julius) – a sweet, orange juice-based drink with something called “Frisco Powder” (while I couldn’t find out what COLOR the powder is, this recipe seemed to make sense: “fresh orange juice, ice, sugar, water, a frothy egg white/dairy/vanilla mixture, and a special powder”. Frisco Powder is a “proprietary blend giving it that signature frothy texture.” Still as transparent as mud. So I dug deeper and FINALLY came up with this (btw – NOT making this up!) : “dried, ground orange peels”.

At any rate, my other favorite food at the State Fair has always been falafel wrapped in flat bread with cucumber sauce. Years after I started loving it, I found out the company – Falafel King – was owned by a friend of the Palestinian family who lived in our basement. They’d returned from Israel (where things were getting uncomfortable for them) and looking for someplace to stay because their family had turned turned them down. They’d become too Western… So, every year during the State Fair, I have this combination of foods – plus sometimes something sweet and indulgent. I justify it by telling myself I’m walking a lot (State Fair 2025, I walked somewhere around 9 miles (went with TWO families and three grandkids!) So, that cancels all the sugar and fat and things that make for fluctuating blood sugars and blood pressure.

Should I stop doing all of the bad eating (with Christmas just 10 days away!)

Of COURSE I should. Will I? Unlikely – caveat: I know what I’m doing. I’m sabotaging stable blood sugars and lowered blood pressure.

But I’m also eating LESS than I used to. I take a weekly semaglutide injection. I don’t drink sugared soda; I don’t even use sugar in my coffee anymore – I use brand-name sucralose. I’ve read how HORRIBLE it is for me and that I should just use sugar or one of the other sugars like monk (mogrosides (which are “triterpenoid glycosides [allegedly] possessing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and potential anti-cancer properties.”) often blended with erythritol (“which is made from fermented corn”). The diet Coke products I drink are sweetened with aspartame (“…methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide…”. Some of our friends would scream, “Horrible! It will kill you! It’s ARTIFICIAL!!!!” I’ll just point out the following: “with a can of diet soft drink containing 200 or 300 mg of aspartame, an adult weighing 100kg (220 pounds) would need to consume more than 11–16 cans PER DAY to exceed the acceptable daily intake, assuming no other intake from other food sources.” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame]

I use the tools I have. I don’t make massively STUPID food choices (except for sometimes during the holidays or once or twice at the State Fair!). So, I’ll amend the title of this post: “I’m TIRED Of Living With Type 2 Diabetes!” (This will always remain true…no changing it) “So What? Be A MAN!” (or Woman)…and EMBRACE what you can, WORK at being a healthier eater, and EXERCISE as much as you can.”

Source: https://diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/type-2
Image: https://www.medsengage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Type-2-Diabetes-Management.jpg

DIABETES RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #35: Are Blood Glucose and Blood Pressure Connected?

From the first moment I discovered I had been diagnosed with DIABETES, I joined a HUGE “club” that has been rapidly expanding since it stopped being a death sentence in the early 20th Century. Currently, there are about HALF A BILLION PEOPLE who have Type 2 Diabetes. For the past 3500 years – dating back to Ancient Egypt – people have suffered from diabetes. Well, I’m one of them now… Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…Every month, I’ll be highlighting Diabetes research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: Blood glucose and blood pressure…what’s the connection?

There seems to be a pretty simple answer; but no one ever made the connection for me until I had the idea for this blog post. A paper in the JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION, noted: “Yes, there is a strong connection between blood glucose and blood pressure, as both conditions share risk factors, have common underlying mechanisms, and can worsen each other. High blood sugar can lead to high blood pressure by damaging blood vessels, while the two conditions often coexist due to shared factors like obesity, inflammation, and insulin resistance.”

As well, the website of New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s Diabetes Resource Center notes, “Two out of every three people with Type 2 diabetes also have high blood pressure. Both are diseases of lifestyle and aging and share common risk factors. The good news is that diabetes and hypertension can be modified through behavior, including eating a healthful diet, exercise, weight control and, if your doctor prescribes it, medication. Either a T2 diabetic does not have enough/or effective enough insulin to process glucose so that it accumulates in the bloodstream causing widespread damage to the blood vessels and kidneys.”

While this sounds dire – and it IS, the good news is that both can be modified through behavior, including eating a healthful diet, exercise, weight control as well as medication.”

What started me on this is looking at my numbers after I started taking Ozempic-brand semaglutide (what does it do, anyway??? I know it lowers my blood sugars, BUT HOW? “semaglutide works by mimicking a hormone called GLP-1 to help the pancreas release insulin, lower blood sugar, and reduce the amount of sugar released by the liver.”)

Ohhhh! So, that’s what happens?!

But you know what? Shooting myself once a week with semaglutide does NOT work miracles! I can’t eat like a pig, take my shot and then slim down to my high school weight and build! I had to make LOTS of changes in how I ate – fewer in what I DID (During the brief period of “warm Minnesota weather”, I bike somewhere between 4 and 20 miles a week. More difficult is the rest of the year – so this winter, I’ve decided to walk a mile (working up to two, and MAYBE three) every other day. I’ve never done that before. It’s a new adventure.

All that to point out a couple things. First, is that I’m a retired science teacher. I LOVE data. So, when I began my journey in T2, I started to record on a chart EVERY DAY – the date, time, blood pressure, weight, and blood sugars. Starting on February 24, 2023 with a BP of 155/80, weight of 253.8, and blood glucose 189…I pretty much ignored the numbers until my doctor prescribed semaglutide in August of 2025 (yes, only three months ago!). My current (as of yesterday) data is BP = 127/71; weight = 233.8; glucose = 134 (average of last 10 days, 124.86).

I discovered VISCERALLY that when I walk and watch what I eat, my blood pressure comes down as does my blood glucose. So, I can report to you that I KNOW the statement is true: blood pressure and blood sugars ARE intimately connected…

Just so you know.

Links: https://journals.lww.com/jhypertension/fulltext/2025/05002/the_correlation_between_blood_glucose_levels_and.76.aspx 

Image: https://asploro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diabetes-Research_Open-Access.jpg

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #37: Diabetic Holiday Eating – With Recipes And OTHER Links!

For the first time since I started this blog eleven years ago, it’s going to be about me. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes two years ago. While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!

I don’t know about you, but when Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve roll around, I imagine that ALL foods served are (in the Spirit of the Season) CALORIE FREE!!!

I think maybe, ATTEMPT to imagine that all foods are calorie free. In fact, I know exactly what I’m eating, have figured out how it will impact my blood sugars and my blood pressure – and then just ignore it!

I’m hoping I’m not the only person to think this way, but even if I am, I’d like to share a couple of recipes we like to do during the holidays that seem to have a minimal effect on our diabetic lifestyle!

PICKLE ROLL UPS

Ingredients
Package of deli-thin-sliced turkey
2 (8 ounce) packages LIGHT cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) jar medium-sized dill pickles

Preparing
Spread cream cheese over a single meat slice to cover
Place a pickle on one end, and roll the meat up. Keep going until ingredients are gone.
Cut into 1 1/2 inch disks/pieces
Chill until ready to serve.

SOMETHING MORE SUBSTANTIAL
Turkey on Crackers with cheese and veggies

Roast a single, small turkey breast
Slice into sizes that will fit the crackers you’ve chosen (or use LIGHT cream cheese)
Diabetic-friendly crackers (Rye Crisp, Nut Thins, Black Bean Rounds, Ritz Thin Veggie, Triscuits, Cauliflower Crackers, Wheat Thins)

Things to stack besides turkey and cheese: Cukes, zukes, tomatoes, sweet potato (THIN), radishes, peppers of various colors and HEAT, mushrooms, green beans, whatever else you want!

Just don’t go crazy with HOW MANY you eat! If I’m at home, I take a glance at the “serving size”. Otherwise – just give yourself a limit

I know I miss stuffing my face with candy, cakes, and all the other treats the Holidays bring. But I’m finally learning to pace myself and eat REASONABLY!

Find a bunch more recipes below. The ones above are meant to be EASY stuff you can try!

LINKS: https://www.tristarhealth.com/healthy-living/thrive/eating-healthy-during-the-holidays-when-you-have-diabetes ; https://www.hcamidwest.com/healthy-living/blog/eating-healthy-during-the-holidays-when-you-have-diabetes ; https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/best-diabetic-friendly-recipes/ ; https://diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/holidays-entertaining ; https://www.familyhconline.com/diabetic-friendly-holiday-recipes/ Image: https://nycancer.com/media/images/2020/01/08/iStock-1036967058_-small.jpg

DIABETES RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #34: Type 2 LAME Excuse: Diabetics CAN Be Reversed If You Lose Weight!

From the first moment I discovered I had been diagnosed with DIABETES, I joined a HUGE “club” that has been rapidly expanding since it stopped being a death sentence in the early 20th Century. Currently, there are about HALF A BILLION PEOPLE who have Type 2 Diabetes. For the past 3500 years – dating back to Ancient Egypt – people have suffered from diabetes. Well, I’m one of them now… Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…Every month, I’ll be highlighting Diabetes research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: “Researchers See Type 2 Diabetes Develop for the First Time”

This scientific report – usually written in language I have to translate – spells out this discovery (EDITORIAL COMMENT: “How the…_ _ _ _ is this a “discovery”???”): “We saw that when a person accumulates too much fat, which should be stored under the skin, then it has to go elsewhere,” said Taylor. “The amount that can be stored under the skin varies from person to person.”

“When fat cannot be safely stored under the skin, it’s pushed into the liver and over-spills to the rest of the body including the pancreas, ‘clogging it up’. The clogs switch off the genes which direct how insulin should effectively be produced, and this causes type 2 diabetes.”

The end result of the study seems more a “duh!” moment than a revelation: “Excess calories leads to excess fat in the liver. As a result, the liver responds poorly to insulin and produces too much glucose. Excess fat in the liver is passed on to the pancreas, causing the insulin producing cells to fail. Losing less than 1 gram of fat from the pancreas through diet can re-start the normal production of insulin, reversing Type 2 diabetes. This reversal of diabetes remains possible for at least 10 years after the onset of the condition.”

This graphic sums up their result – though it hardly needs a scientist to either draw it or interpret it:

https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S155041311930662X-fx1.jpg

The end result of this (I don’t know if I was more startled by the results or the idea that someone said, “Let’s make everyone lose weight, then figure out if their blood sugars return to normal.”) is that it does. Rocket science? I think not…

HOWEVER, read my post from last month, here: https://breastcancerreaper.blogspot.com/2025/10/guys-gotta-talk-abouttype-2-diabetes-36.html

One last thing, and this did come as both a surprise and a vindication to my current condition of having Type 2 Diabetes, “The amount [of body fat] that can be stored under the skin varies from person to person, indicating a ‘personal fat threshold’ above which fat can cause mischief.” So…not EVERYONE, not even everyone in a family will be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

That diagnosis DEPENDS on their “subdural lipid storage capability”.

Link: https://beyondtype1.org/researchers-type-2-diabetes-develop/?lead_source=PPC&lead_source_detail=Google&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_campaign=bt1|general|pmax&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=6188803963&hsa_cam=21858550764&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21868968196&gbraid=0AAAAADgX8fMJFJZJsVOhfeNhUkWEpsSxj&gclid=Cj0KCQjw35bIBhDqARIsAGjd-ca23s834Puk0eXYUcHrrbW9OqM0t3YyB5fCo2IiGMQSPFYQgHQBo4MaAjcdEALw_wcB 

Image: https://asploro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Diabetes-Research_Open-Access.jpg

GUY’S GOTTA TALK ABOUT…TYPE 2 DIABETES #36: Indictment of an Insincere Rant I Read In An Old Issue of The Guardian

For the first time since I started this blog eleven years ago, it’s going to be about me. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes two weeks ago. While people are happy to talk about their experiences with diabetes, I WASN’T comfortable with talking about diabetes. My wife is Type 2, as are several friends of ours. The “other Type” of diabetes was what caused the death of my Best Man a year after my wife and I got married. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was a kid. It was called Juvenile Diabetes then. Today it’s Type 1. Since then, I haven’t WANTED to talk about diabetes at all. But…for my own education and maybe helping someone else, and not one to shut up for any known reason, I’m reopening my blog rather than starting a new one. I MAY take a pause and write about Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s as medical headlines dictate; but this time I’m going to drag anyone along who wants to join my HIGHLY RELUCTANT journey toward better understanding of my life with Type 2 Diabetes. You’re Welcome to join me!

FORTUNE MAGAZINE on 10/13/25

"Lay’s drastically rebrands after disturbing finding: 42% of consumers didn’t know their chips were made out of potatoes"

https://fortune.com/2025/10/10/pepsico-lays-rebrand-consumers-didnt-know-made-of-potatoes/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNZ6v1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFaUjVGbFlEdHdFcEpSN2t0AR4plAGexWZ-aJD0zVs8IhBT9_lIGoDGd2_8m0EXZCIIvNsORmsk_QdE1Q5uoA_aem_TWzYlg9UvqBILTax6a3AwQ

OK -- go ahead and read my essay below -- you'll understand why the article above supports my argument below...

FROM Sunday, December 4, 2022

ANY diet I submit to will be for the remainder of my life. I WILL NOT say I get this whole thing of living with my diabetes yet. I’ve had Culver’s and Dairy Queen treats. I don’t live in a monastery on a mountain top! But I need to control them. I need to substitute FRUITS and vegetables for sauces and rice. Make better menu choices that EMPHASIZE meat and vegetables rather than rice and nacho cheese…(we’re going out tonight, Mexican!)

Like I said, I’m not good at this yet. But I’m working on it. It’s just I have to remind myself that I CAN’T dawdle anymore. This I important. I’ve damaged my body with 65 or so bad habits…

In case you were wondering? This isn’t the last you’ve heard me on the subject of “diet” – and I’m not preaching at you. I’m trying to figure out how to live longer with my diabetes!

ALMOST THREE YEARS LATER…

[As I get a bit ranty in a few paragraphs, I’d like to say that I am NOT a fan of Big Pharma and have been known to rant against THEM at times. But I really, really really dislike insincerity exhibited by people who have a captive and sympathetic audience…]

I now take Ozempic (see LOTS of my previous posts!) and a veritable cornucopia of drugs that help me help me live a happy and productive life.

So, let’s start with the one I’ve had and heard DIRE warnings about. First words from the (OBVIOUSLY EVIL AND ENTIRELY CORRUMPT Pharmaceutical Establishment)

“Metformin-containing medicines are available by prescription only and are used along with diet and exercise help control blood sugar in a number of ways. These include helping the body respond better to the insulin it makes naturally, decreasing the amount of sugar the liver makes, and decreasing the amount of sugar the intestines absorb from food. It is available as a single-ingredient product and also in combination with other medicines used to treat diabetes. See FDA Approved metformin- containing Medicines. Common side effects of metformin include diarrhea, nausea, and upset stomach.”

I’d like to note here that these are ALSO side effects of having children, working a job, eating too much, exercising too much, NOT exercising enough, and tax season.

The deep concerns of others is that metformin will cause Vitamin B12 deficiency, metallic taste, and weight loss (HOW IS THAT A CONCERN??).

The main concern of our fringe friends is “Lactic acidosis, a potentially life-threatening buildup of lactic acid in the blood”. This can make you feel very tired, breathless and faint, so your doctor may check the vitamin B12 level in your blood. If your vitamin B12 levels become too low, vitamin B12 supplements will help.

So, while researching this, I was stunned to read the following in that paragon of British Journalism, THE GUARDIAN: “The American Diabetes Association takes millions from companies that stand to profit from our reliance on drugs. Is that affecting their guidance?”

After several paragraphs of ranting about drug makers and the GLORIES of “just tell people to eat less carbs and no one will need any Type 2 Diabetes drugs ever again!!!!” (That was never written, but constantly and consistently proclaimed)> The closest the author (“Neil Barsky, a former Wall Street Journal reporter and investment manager [and] the founder of The Marshall Project.” (Wikipedia writes: “… a journalism nonprofit intended to shed light on the United States criminal justice system, as well as to promote prison abolition.” How this makes Mr. Barsky an expert on Type 2 Diabetes (he is a Type 2 diabetic), I’m not sure as I’m also a Type 2 Diabetic…) says...in fact stating emphatically is “The ADA is far from the only obstacle to widespread adoption of a low-carb diet. Absent a national health education initiative that links carbohydrates to the diabetes epidemic, low-carb clinicians will be a voice in the wilderness. It can be challenging for many people with diabetes to forgo the breads, sweets, pastas and starches that form the basis of many diets. And given the dearth of healthy eating options on the shelves of many American supermarkets, some clinicians I spoke with, each of whom was dedicated to their patients’ wellbeing, said it was more effective to simply prescribe their patients pharmaceuticals.” (see link below)

So, aside from it being “challenging” to anyone who is Type 2 diabetic; and (really? Where does this man live? He can’t shop at the places I shop – like CUB, Rainbow, Target, and other easily, widely present grocery stores) “the dearth of healthy eating options on the shelves of many American supermarkets”…they’re all there. Even at the corner FASTANDEASY Mart…they OPTIONS are there.

The real problem is that the Human Species has EVOLVED to find the EASIEST way to get their calories. This writer, in order to BLAME OTHERS for his own condition, finds it easier to PREACH the idea of “BLAME OTHERS” for the choices most Americans make all the time, every time, and if you check the annual profits of MacDonald’s and any other restaurant on Earth, available to the fabulously NOT wealthy. According to him, “The losers are the millions of people with diabetes who suffer amputations, blindness, neuropathy, often daily shoot themselves with insulin and eat carbohydrate-rich foods because they simply are not informed about their healthier options. It is not too late for the ADA to, loudly and in no uncertain terms, tell people with diabetes the truth.”

I’m unsure what conclave of Humans entirely insulated from First World societies this writer lives in, but writing this, he provided a MASSIVE boost to the millions of First Worlders searching for someone to blame – instead of choosing not to stuff their faces with fattening, truly horrible foods rather than saying to themselves, “Nah, I don’t need to order two triple-burgers with the works, and a quadruple order of fries with cheese sauce, and my favorite flavored sugar syrup water! I sure wish someone told me that there were sensible alternatives! No one ANYWHERE HAS EVER MENTIONED THAT I DON’T HAVE TO EAT SO MUCH THAT I FEELING LIKE PUKING…or fall into a FOOD COMA the moment I sit down in my overstuffed recliner…”

And as always, I’ll remind readers (and Mr. B though it won't matter, because I don't have his audience or probably even his attention..) that when I point a finger at anyone, I’m firmly aware that the other three fingers are pointing directly back at me…

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/17/ada-american-diabetes-association-big-pharma
Image: https://www.hcd.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/living-well-with-/diabetes.jpg