First of all, thank you to everyone who commented on my post yesterday about the long-term consequences that the new American healthcare legislation might  have for the treatment options for people with diabetes. I’m used to getting comments (from other sites, not A Sweet Life!) saying that I’m an idiot and should never be allowed to write again, so it’s really nice to get feedback that’s so thoughtful and considerate, even when people disagree with my opinion. I’m writing now because this afternoon...

Last night, the United States Congress voted to pass the much debated healthcare bill. It was a moment likely celebrated by thousands of people just like me, whose status as Type 1 diabetics means that we are automatically disqualified from any individual plan. I suppose I should have been cheering, too. But instead, I felt a knot of dread in my stomach. I spent this Saturday morning at a fantastic pediatric diabetes symposium put on by the UCSF Diabetes Center, and heard firsthand reports from doctors and researchers about some of...

Ask the average healthcare worker about the biggest problem in diabetes care today and he or she will probably tell you that it’s getting patients to “control” their blood sugar levels. The concept of control is rampant in healthcare. With puffed chests and reassuring certainty, the medical establishment regularly touts, “She’s got her cancer under control,” or “He’s learned how to control his Tourette’s syndrome.” But what most people don’t realize is how the concept...