Speak, Show and Tell…with author A. K. Buckroth

Keeping up with knowledge and highlighting what I know in many facets of my life, I occasionally peruse the local library.  As the neighborhood library is an exact mile from my house, walking there and back is an extra positive for my daily diabetes care regimen. 

While there, I came across a childrens’ book on Diabetes.  No longer a child myself and having lived with diabetes for over fifty years, I was curious to see what writings, books, were available to the newly diagnosed diabetics, especially the children.  Not much has changed, really.  All of the avialable childrens’ books pertaining to diabetes are uplifting, encouraging.  That was certainly not the case when I was a child in the 1960’s.  Oh well. 

I found one particular book entitled plainly “Diabetes,” by Gail B. Stewart, copyright 1999.   I learned something!  Chapter 1 immediately details the history of diabetes as I have never known.  I re-write this for you here:

A History of Diabetes

• 1500 B.C. – First description of diabets in the Ebers Papyrus, an Egyptian compilation of medical works containing a number of remedies for passing too much urine. 
• 400 B. C. – Susruta, a physician in India, records diabetes symptoms and classifies types of diabetes.
• A.D. 10 – Celsus, a Roman encyclopedist and author of a comprehensive medical text, develops a clinical description of diabetes.
• 2nd century A. D – Aretaeus, a Greek physician, coins the term diabetes.  (Diabetes is the Greek word meaning “to siphen” or “to pass through.” )
• 1869 – von Mering and Minkowski observe that diabetes develops when an animal’s pancreas is removed.
• 1921 – Banting and Best obtain and purify islets of Langerhans from an animal pancreas, inject the material (insulin) into a diabetic animal, and find a fall in blood sugar level.

I thought this important to share with all of you.  It is just as simple as that!

A. K. Buckroth (www.mydiabeticsoul.com).

Wednesday, May 12, 2010, at approximately 1:45pm, I received a telephone call from my sister’s mother-in-law.  Yes, that is unusual and frightening at the same time.  Former moments that I have heard from the woman is to tell me that my sister, Judy, of Worcester, Massachusetts, is in the hospital – again.  For good reason, I often think the worst and hesitate to answer the phone.  I answered it today.

“Hi Andrea.  It’s Avis.”  she said with a brightness to her voice.  “I have some wonderful news.  Judy is in recovery right now from a kidney transplant.”  “Whoa,” I thought.  “OH MY GOSH!” I exclaimed.  That’s excellent.  Having asked for more details, I just wished I was there.

Judy will “remain in recovery at UMASS (University of Massachusetts Medical Center) before she is wheeled to ICU (Intensive Care Unity) for about two days.  The care nurse assigned to Judy was Karl’s nurse (Avis’ son and Judy’s husband) when Karl had his transplant.”  Halleluia!

You see, Judy was diagnosed in 1964 as a diabetic.  This actually occurred on her fifth birthday.  She was the second child to be diagnosed with this disease in a family of five children.  I was the first at age two in 1959; Gina was the third at age 12 in 1970.  Judy married a man, Karl, who was diagnosed in 1978 at the age of fifteen.  Okay, so between the four of us, we’ve been through it all!

To make a long story short, Judy has been undergoing dialysis for the last seven years.  This one diseased complication pertinent with diabetics, nephropathy, took over and disabled her young body.  This also means she has been on the “Kidney Donor List” for that long.   

I can only guess at how much longer she would be able to survive on dialysis, three days a week.  I am grateful to the donor and the donors’ family for granting my sister and me and my family this present.  Thank you.  Thank you so very very much.   Organ donations are a matter of life and death.   I wish more people felt and believed in this fact.

Good health to all!  AK.

Many of us, I will not say all because that is too presumptuous, are familiar with the writings of Willam Shakespeare, a fifteenth century author turned playright.  Personally, I have found all of his writings to be an inexhaustible source of pleasure.  Through compulsory reading in the United States’ educational system,  many students have read no more of him than was required.  Due to my mother being a Professor of English Literature, the writings of William Shakespeare became more prolific and appreciated in my life.

With that being said (written), I recently audienced a different twist of Shakespeare’s ever-popular drama “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.”  The characters Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, courtiers in the original, centuries old manuscript, are the main characters in this particular play.  Entitled “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead,” written by Tom Stoppard and directed by Scott O’Neal, is done so in jest of the original and  particularly famous play. 

Here is how it goes:  “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead” shares the plot of the original Hamlet by William Shakespeare.  “(1.) Hamlet’s father, the King of Denmark, dies.  (2.) Hamlet’s Uncle, Claudius, becomes king and marries Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude.  (3.) Hamlet’s father appears as a ghost and tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius.  (4.) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, school friends of Hamlet, are enlisted to find out what has been bothering Hamlet, but Hamlet does not trust them.  (5.) Players arrive; Hamlet sets a trap for his uncle by having the players re-enact the murder of his father.  (6.) Hamlet pretends to be insane to Ophelia, his lover.  (7.) Claudius leaves the performance, greatly disturbed.  (8.) Hamlet kills Polonius, thinking he is Claudius.  (9.) Hamlet is placed on a ship to England where, according to a letter provided to Resencrantz and Guildenstern by Claudius, he will be executed.  (10.) The ship is attacked by pirates who take Hamlet prisoner but then return to Denmark.  (11.) After her father is killed, Ophelia, goes mad and drowns.  (12.) Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, fueled by revenge, plots a duel to kill Hamlet using a sword with poison on it.  (13.) Claudius prepares poisoned wine for Hamlet to drink in case that does not work.  (14.) Both Hamlet and Laertes are wounded by the poisonous sword.  (15.) Gertrude mistakenly drinks the poisoned wine and dies.  (16.) Laertes tells Hamlet about the plot, then dies.  (17.) Hamlet then kills Claudius and dies.” 

Phew!  It is definitely much better when seen in person.  Having been creatively innovative, I congratulate not only the actors but the production staff as well.  Long live…well, everybody!

YAY!  Going to summer camp was always a favorite time of year for me – knowing that in July or August, I would be gone from home for two or three weeks.  I looked forward to it all year long!  Being away from my siblings, my mother, my daily chores, my summer boredom was relieved through summer camp.

From my recollections, January was the time when I was initially informed about being able to go.  This means, parents, that research needs to be started, applications filled out, then onto the inventory list once your child is accepted.  Much of the decision-factor is on a first-come, first-served (accepted) basis.  Analogous to a preferred school.

Heres’ a list of summer camps in California I researched for you: Bearskin Meadow Camp, Camp Conrad-Chinnock, Camp De Los Ninos, Camp Wana Kura, Larry L. Hillblom Teen Camp DJ Sequoia Lake, Larry L. Hillblom Youth Camp, Teen Cruise Camp, and The Diabetes Society of Santa Clara Valley.

Your local YWCA and YMCA’s have a list as well.  Network with the parents and teachers at  your childs’ school to learn about more.

Good luck!  AK.

Hmm.  This word, “relationship,” has been on my mind of late.  Flatly, a relationship is a connection.  As humans, we have a relationship with, to and for other people.  That is the easy part.  Such an intangible begins as a kinship through family and extended family.  It’s a people thing. 

As we progress and mature, we unknowingly come across a wide gamut of relationships.  For instance, one with nature, one with the law, a medical team, and another, perhaps, with business (work).   When I think about it, the list can be endless.

However, I would like to narrow down this noun with the relationship we possess with ourselves?  With your self?

Have you ever had anyone ask you “How is your relationship with you?”    Hmm.  Cause to pause.  Simple answers are more easily forthcoming through being asked simply “How are you?”

Analytically, a relationship with your self is private and may produce an in-depth, complicated answer.   It is easier to reply with the factors of your involvement with another person or persons, with your work routine, your environment, the causes you support, your political and/or religious views, etc.   

My relationship with me involves caring for my physical needs first, then onto my emotional needs.   My relationship with myself is not always as shiny as I may portray.   I cater to the harmony of myself in order to be aware and attentive to others’ needs and requirements.  A little too heavy?  Well, I thought it interesting to at least think about!

So, how are you?!  How is your relationship with yourself these days?

AK.