Jan Chait

Jan Chait was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in January 1986. Since then, she has run the gamut of treatments, beginning with diet and exercise. She now uses an insulin pump to help treat her diabetes.

Jul 22, 2008

Weighing In...On Several Topics

Jan Chait

During my visit to the endocrinologist last Thursday, I got my "official" weigh-in. While I’ve been checking my weight-loss efforts on my home scales, this time it was on the scales that recorded my starting weight.

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Jul 15, 2008

Happy Campers, Despite Having Diabetes

Jan Chait

"Where's Mom’s meter?" 11-year-old Rachel asked as she dashed out onto the deck at Camp Lobegon one evening last week.

"If it's in her purse, it's right over there," I responded.

Rachel grabbed the meter and dashed back into the house, only to return a moment later for glucose tabs. Shortly after dashing into the house again, she reappeared on the deck.

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Jul 08, 2008

Blast It! Starting on Multiple Meds Makes Sense

Jan Chait

Skimming through the latest edition of the diaTribe newsletter, my interest perked up when I read a report on the Banting Lecture by Dr. Ralph DeFronzo of the University of Texas Health Science Center and recipient of the 2008 Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement. In particular, his criticism of the American Diabetes Association’s treatment guidelines, "which recommend lifestyle changes and metformin as initial therapy for Type 2 diabetes," jumped out at me.

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Jul 01, 2008

Traveling May Be Expensive, But Friends Are Priceless

Jan Chait

Airlines are decreasing the number of flights they offer, and word is that flight prices will continue to climb. Travel experts are advising people to buy now for later. So I booked a flight to Germany for November. Far be it from me to disregard advice from the experts.

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Jun 24, 2008

Jan's Very Bad, Awful, Diet- and BG-Blowing Day

Jan Chait

Last Thursday, I began my day shaking with hypoglycemia and ended it chugging water in an attempt to quench the indescribable thirst that can come only with hyperglycemia.

It wasn't a good diabetes day. In fact, I felt so crappy from the highs and the lows, it just wasn't a good day at all.

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Jun 17, 2008

Mother Nature Opens a Flood of Questions

Jun 10, 2008

Pump Up Your Education

Jun 03, 2008

A Little Glitz, a Little Glam, to Give My Diabetes Stuff Some BAM!

May 28, 2008

Insurance Costs? Who Cares?

May 20, 2008

Vacations, Like Diabetes, Can Have Their Ups and Downs

May 13, 2008

One More Reason to Manage Our Diabetes

May 06, 2008

Fishing for Freedom from Harassment

Apr 29, 2008

Parents Charged in Diabetes Death

Apr 29, 2008

What Does That Have To Do With Diabetes?

Apr 22, 2008

Support Comes in Many Forums

Apr 15, 2008

Exploring the Gluten-Free World

Apr 08, 2008

Having Diabetes Means Coping With Change

Apr 01, 2008

There's More Than One Way to Answer a Prayer

Mar 25, 2008

Cruising My Way to a Goal

Mar 18, 2008

Finding My Inner Beach Ball

Mar 11, 2008

Where's Your Brain When You Need It?

Mar 04, 2008

South of the Border (and So Was My Glucose)

Feb 26, 2008

"Be Prepared": Not Just the Boy Scouts’ Marching Song

Feb 19, 2008

Medicine Doesn't Offer Any Guarantees

Feb 12, 2008

Call Me Irrepressible

Feb 05, 2008

In Praise of Pharmacists

Jan 29, 2008

Some Days Are for the Birds

Jan 22, 2008

Setting Priorities: Diabetes Doesn't Always Come First

Jan 15, 2008

Sticking Point: Getting to the Tip of the Problem

Jan 08, 2008

When Progress Isn't a Positive Thing

Jan 02, 2008

Diabetes Costs, by the Mile and by the Gallon

Dec 18, 2007

Jan Cleans Out Files, Comes Up With Blog Entry

Dec 11, 2007

All Pumped Up—Again

Dec 04, 2007

Is Today's Throwaway Society Going Too Far?

Nov 27, 2007

Just Stop Already!

Nov 20, 2007

Deadlines Eat Into Food Choices

Nov 13, 2007

Sometimes It Takes a Smarty Pants To Show You The Way

Nov 06, 2007

"Thimk" Before You Act

Oct 30, 2007

Laughter: Almost As Good As Blood Glucose Control

Oct 23, 2007

Byetta Garners Pancreatitis Warning

Oct 16, 2007

Your Treatment...Or Your Life?

Oct 09, 2007

Diabetes-Savvy Mental Health Professionals Needed

Oct 02, 2007

In the Hospital, Resistance is Futile

Sep 25, 2007

Fitting Diabetes Into Your Lifestyle

Sep 18, 2007

Take Your Best Stab, Then Hope for the Best

Sep 11, 2007

Bits and Pieces of This and That

Sep 04, 2007

Load the Code for the Proper Mode

Aug 28, 2007

Igor, Prepare the Lab

Aug 22, 2007

The "Heart" of Diabetes: More Than Just Blood Glucose

Aug 15, 2007

Adventures in Scooterland

Aug 07, 2007

Back From (Another) Trip

Jul 31, 2007

Serving the Public: A Little Information Wouldn't Hurt

Jul 24, 2007

There's a Reason We Don't Call it "Hibegon"

Jul 17, 2007

Tales of Hyperglycemia, Procrastination, and a Full Moon

Jul 10, 2007

Get a Clue! Keeping Track of Blood Glucose Shouldn't Be a Mystery

Jul 03, 2007

Meal Plan. Check. Medicines. Check. Blood Glucose Monitoring Materials. Ch...Oops!

Jun 26, 2007

Patient, Heal Thyself?

Jun 19, 2007

Laughter: A Good Medicine to Add to Your Arsenal

Jun 13, 2007

Fatal Distraction

Jun 05, 2007

"Fat and Lazy," or Type 2 Diabetes—Which Came First?

May 29, 2007

Pondering the Intensity of Preventing Type 2 diabetes

May 23, 2007

The Best Medicine?

May 15, 2007

Tackling a Weighty Subject

May 08, 2007

Escaping the Whirlwind

May 01, 2007

Fish Story

Apr 24, 2007

Out of Sight, Out of Mind?

Apr 17, 2007

Stressed? That's Life!

Apr 10, 2007

Making Food—and Diabetes—Easier To Swallow

Apr 03, 2007

Ear’s the Deal: We're All Corny

Mar 27, 2007

Trying Times

Mar 20, 2007

Practicing Medicine Without a License

Mar 13, 2007

Just Itching to Share the News

Mar 06, 2007

Will Maintaining Blood Glucose Ever Become Easy? Dream On, Alice!

Feb 27, 2007

Type 1 Envy

Feb 20, 2007

Get Packing! But What? And IN What?

Feb 13, 2007

Scared Trait. Is It Helpful?

Feb 06, 2007

Got Those Low-down, Fatty-Food-Eatin’, No-Carb-Countin’, High-Blood-Glucose Blues

Jan 30, 2007

Will They Ever Learn?

Jan 23, 2007

Turn Off the Alarm Clock—I'm Busy Sleeping

Jan 16, 2007

Symlin: Sometimes the Positives Outweigh the Negatives

Jan 09, 2007

Alterations: Not Just for Seamstresses

Jan 03, 2007

Up in Smoke: Changing Bad Habits

Dec 19, 2006

Lousy Beat and the Lyrics Are Rotten. I'll Give It a Zero.

Dec 12, 2006

What Does Your Doc Know About Diabetes?

Dec 05, 2006

Sleepless (But Not in Seattle)

Nov 28, 2006

Giving Thanks—Even For Diabetes

Nov 21, 2006

Flying With Sharp Objects

Nov 14, 2006

Diabetes: Portrayal vs. Reality

Nov 07, 2006

Trying to Control the Uncontrollable

Oct 31, 2006

Should You Be Eating That?

Oct 24, 2006

Freedom at the End of a Leash

Oct 17, 2006

New Monitoring Technology Brings Movies Instead of Snapshots

Oct 11, 2006

Diabetes and Life and Vice Versa

Oct 03, 2006

Walking the Euglycemic Tightrope

Sep 26, 2006

Fast Days Need Slow Consideration

Sep 19, 2006

Life After Insulin (Yes, There is One)

Sep 12, 2006

Knowledge Amid Chaos

Sep 05, 2006

Darned If I Can Think of One Reason...

Aug 29, 2006

Tendon-cy for Injury

Aug 22, 2006

When a Camp is a Support Group

Aug 16, 2006

Terrorist-Inspired Diabetes Terrors Weigh on Mind

Aug 09, 2006

Everything I Knew About Diabetes, I Learned From My Grandmother

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