Note - I only talked to a first line tech.

Andrew

oh, i went with my mom to a medicare diabetic thing
today, and they were showing off the freestyle meter
and that you can test in alternate sites. she asked if
i wanted my sugar tested and of course i said yes
since i can’t test routinely. i was a bit apprehensive
though because i had had a piece of birthday cake.
and two bites of easter candy this morning. i tested
127!!!! i was amazed. i have dropped my other meds to
1 glucovance a day and 10 units of levemir. i am much

encouraged by this

Here is a report from Endocine Metobolic Medical Center, the place where I am
being treated with Byetta. This is a summary of their patients report for the
last 11 months that they have been treating with Byetta. I thought some of you
might be interested in this report. I found it very informatiove and helpful.
EMMC has about 200 patients on Byetta. I have been on it for 11 months with
increasing success and cell regeneration. The report was prepared by the PR Web
Press Release 4/17/06. It is worth reading carefully, many interesting results
being uncovered. I was also surprised and a bit disappointed that my offer to
supply people with information on preparing for the Bird Flu epidemic only

pulled 2 requests. Surely there are more than 2 who are interested? Come on
gang, lets get with it. John Dodson

Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly are the makers of Byetta, a
federally-approved injectible by prescription-only drug that has been in use by
our diabetic patients since its release in 2005. Prior to Byetta’s release, the
most popular option for diabetics was insulin. It still is, but it may not be
for long.
Redwood City, CA (PRWEB) March 30, 2006 — Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly
are the makers of Byetta, www.byetta.com, a federally-approved injectible by
prescription only drug that has been in use by our diabetic patients since its
release in 2005. Prior to it’s release, the most popular option for diabetics
was insulin. It still is, but it may not be for long. Exenatide, a protein–and
Byetta’s active ingredient, was initially found in lizard’s saliva (the Gila
Monster). The breakthrough finding identified exenatide as a hormone mimicking a
human hormone called GLP-1, responsible for stimulating digestion and insulin
production, the functions of which are compromised in diabetic patients.

There are 21 Million Americans with diabetes and about 90% of them are Type 2,
which is often associated with obesity. What worries experts most is the
pre-diabetic epidemic. The United States Department of Health and Human Services
reported in April 2004 that there are 41 Million people in the United States who
are pre-diabetic (a low level of insulin resistance).

How is Byetta helping resolve this problem?

A trend we are seeing is overweight patients without a diabetes diagnosis
seeking Byetta as a weight loss option. While we agree that there are concerns
Byetta will be used as a weight loss drug, a use that has not been medically
tested, we are taking a new and safe approach. We run a variety of tests (CGMS,
C-Peptide & HBAIC) and are finding that their level of insulin resistance
warrants a "pre-diabetic" or diabetic diagnosis.

An area of controversy is the actual definition of pre-diabetes. The American
Diabetes Association in November of 2003 changed the definition of pre-diabetes
to one that indicates fasting glucose numbers between 100-125 mil/per DECL.

At EMMC, a combination of tests is recommended to accurately assess an
individual’s level of insulin resistance (CGMS, CPeptide and HBAIC). Results of
one test alone may not give an accurate assessment of the compromised
metabolism.

Eleven months later, Byetta is meeting our expectations for better glucose
control and weight loss in Type 2 Diabetics. While you may have read that Byetta
can cause low blood sugar episodes (hypoglycemia) our patient population is
reporting this side effect in small numbers. To date, Byetta is giving patients
better blood sugar control (indicated by CGMS Values) and is stil less likely to
cause low blood sugar when compared to insulin. Approximately 20% of our
patients report Byetta cause them to feel nausea. For some of them, it subsides,
but for others, the side effect of nausea will persist, making Byetta a poor
choice for them. The majority of our patients are losing weight and when the
scale does not indicate it, measurements indicate they are losing inches. Many
of our patients report having more energy and strength than they have had in
years. Another benefit of this weight loss is that it reduces risks of other
diabetic complications (high blood pressure, blindness, neuropathy, kidney
failure, etc.) contributing to overall well-being.

Other versions of Byetta are currently being tested, including one to be used
only once a week, a nice contrast to the current twice daily injection.

I get clicks when I push the plunger - did with the 5 mcg, too.

Courage is the most important of all virtues, because without it we can’t
practice any other virtue with consistency.
– Maya Angelou
“““““““`

"The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not
to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That’s the essence of
inhumanity."
- George Bernard Shaw, playwright (1856-1950).
“““““““““““““

I am also not having the same stomach fullness and even experiencing some
hunger, so I am back on my hoodia (which I stopped a couple days ago).

Marsha