It's that season!!!  Time to start off the 2011 JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes cycling calendar again!!!

Last year, the JDRF Ride program raised more than $4 million dollars aimed at research and development projects for Type 1 diabetes.  It was my honor to ride in Death Valley with 350 riders on my third time in that beautiful and challenging arena, and to serve as the chapter coach for our Tucson & DV riders as the Triangle/Eastern NC chapter re-established its program.

We are gearing up with many of last year's riders returning, and we're looking for new riders to join us on this journey.  National registration opens March 7th.  The Triangle/Eastern NC chapter is holding an information session on Wednesday March 2nd at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, NC.  If you're interested please come and talk with us.  If you can't make it, get in touch anyway. 
                                                                                                                                
You're Invited...

Join us for food, fun and great information and learn all you ever wanted to know about the JDRF Ride Program.

Wednesday, March 2nd
NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh (directions)
6:30-7:30 PM - Information and Q&A
Snacks and Refreshments will be available

The Ride to Cure is a unique program combining fitness, camaraderie, fundraising and support. Come learn more about the National ride program.

Feel free to bring a friend!


Please RSVP to Kelly Fleming at 919-847.2630 or kfleming@jdrf.org.

If you are unable to make it, but would like to ride information, please email kfleming@jdrf.org as well.

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2011 Ride Dates...

National Ride Registration
Opens March 7 at 12 pm EST!
Don't delay! Spots fill up fast!!!

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For more information, please contact your local JDRF office at 919-847.2630 or visit the chapter's local ride page. click here.
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You can also visit the Triangle Ride To Cure Diabetes Facebook Page -- become a fan!
JDRF Triangle/Eastern NC Chapter
7721 Six Forks Road #136
Raleigh, NC 27615

Islet Cell Transplant Clinical Trials

So earlier in the week I wrote a little on my thoughts about the current funding plans of JDRF and the response discussions that had been going on last week.  This morning I hopped on FaceBook for a sec and what did I find??? 

One of the strong cure-based research projects being undertaken by the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI).  DRI is in full swing with a number of islet transplant clinical trials.  (DRI on Facebook) This is exciting, but we need to remember to be patient.  We all hope... as a Type 1, I'm right there with you.  We must also remember that these are research studies and findings might not be the final answer.  But, it's a strong step on the path.

If you're interested in contributing to these clinical trial efforts, you can find more information here:
http://www.diabetesresearch.org/page.aspx?pid=746



Upcoming Adventures for the Cure Events

Adventures for the Cure (AFC) is gearing up for the upcoming events that the team is hosting this year.  AFC is a 501c3 charity and USA registered cycling club that boasts a strong group of men, women, and juniors that race in all cycling disciplines.  Here's a list and links, so come join us!


1.  March 12 - AFC Sugar Hill Mountain Bike Race (Patapsco State Park)

       The 3rd annual AFC Sugar Hill XC Mountain Bike Race, will be on March 12th (rain date March 19th), 2011. We will be raising money for Extreme Weekend For Children With Diabetes and Kupenda For the Children. Get ready for another awesome AFC race!!!

2.  April 9 - Leesburg Bakers Dozen
       The Leesburg Bakers Dozen mountain bike race has given us 10 spots to auction off for charity at their race on April 9th.


3.  May 7 - Tour De Cure (Columbia, MD)
       Join our AFC Tour De Cure Team. Every year our team rallies behind this fun ride to raise money to fight diabetes with the American Diabetes Associate. Please join us and help out!


4.  May 13-15 - Extreme Weekend For Children with Diabetes
       Extreme Weekend For Children with Diabetes is an annual weekend camp for children with diabetes. The next camp that was held on May 13-15, 2011. Go to DESTINY's website at http://www.diabetesdestiny.org to sign up.


5. August 7 - DUthe2 Duathalon (Western Regional Park, Howard County MD)
       On August 7th, 2011 DUthe2 Duathalon will be donating a portion of their proceeds to AFC (which will be sent to Extreme Weekend For Children With Diabetes and Kupenda For the Children). The race will be held at Western Regional Park in Howard County MD. AFC team members will be racing and volunteering at the race. Lets hope our cycling skillz hold up in a duathalon race :)


6. August 13 - Highway To Heaven, Ilchester Time Trial (Ellicot City, MD)
       On August 13th, 2011 AFC is partnering with the Chesapeake Wheelmen to host the Highway To Heaven Time Trial race up Ilchester Road. Racing up this hill is one of the hardest things you can do! Come out and give it your best shot. As usual, all of the proceeds made by AFC at this race will go towards our charity causes.
 
There is also an AFC team riding the 24 Hours of Booty event at the Charlotte ride on July 29-30.  If you're interested in joining us for the event, let me know. 
 
Additional events are always popping up throughout the year, so keep an eye out on the team website.  For additional information visit:  www.adventuresforthecure.com
 
Looking forward to an enjoyable season this year.  Come out and join us!

Research with Team Type 1

You may not have seen this yet, so getting the video out there.  Good luck to Joe, Phil, and the rest of the team divisions in the 2011 season!


Take care --J

Discussing the Big Picture

It's been a little over a week since the JDRF interview from DiaTribe caused a stir in the Type1 diabetes community.  Lots of people got upset.  Some supported the changes & updates.  Some remained quiet...

Human nature says people don't like change unless they see it in a positive light and impact for their own life.  Yet we all know that change occurs all the time.  It's a normal part of life.  The type 1 community is well-versed in being flexible and the constant need for adjustment, change, and adaptation.  We also understand both the physical and emotional energy that is tied to this constant effort.  The T1 community understands that on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis it's essentially an endurance event w/ the true finishline being that one day when type 1 is "cured". 

There have been a number of really good discussions, summaries, thoughts, and posts that have come out this week since the interview.  Facebook, Twitter, the CWD forums, and many others were alive for days!  Some of these conversations deteriorated into caustic unproductive tones... We ALL know how personal and emotional this subject (T1 & a cure) is for everyone.  There are millions affected -- that means there are millions of management regimes, millions of physiological details, lifestyles, financial situations, burdens,  millions of opinions, emotions, thoughts, and desires. But I will make a request...  remember we are all bound by the same tie, type 1...  You don't have to agree with everyone, but BE COURTEOUS... plain and simple.

One of the best responses I read this week was from AllisonB on DiabetesMine.  I'm not saying her thoughts are the only ones folks should listen to...  But, take a deep breathe, relax, and just read it all the way through for some thoughts and perspective that may (or may not) differ from your own. 

Personally, I don't see a major upheaval in JDRF's stated "new direction" (and yes, that's my personal perspective).  That may shock or anger some folks.  But before people get mad, keep reading...

I've always made the comparison of living with T1 as an endurance event.  The facets of life w/ T1 are too similar not to see some correllation... and I'm not talking about endurance events WITH type 1, but as separate subjects correlated in challenges, aspects, emotions, hurdles, etc.

JDRF has always had the long-term objective of finding a cure.  That hasn't changed, even with the stated "50-50" focus.  The objective is there... the smaller steps or goals along the way are just to be stated more openly upfront.  That will include helping work on improved LIFE treatements such as reducing or alleviating complications, technological advancement, "meds", and lifestyle facets such as exercise. 

 "Glucose control" as an example, has been a research funding category that JDRF has supported for a long time, not just with this new president.  How many T1's now utilize a cgm that didn't 4-5 years ago?  How many of them use it now with some coverage benefit by their insurance company?  How many know that one of the greatest reasons most insurance companies changed their opinions of cgms from "experimental" to "normal" treament equipment was due to a JDRF funded CGMS project?  And how many people are sitting with anticipation of a closed-loop system (the Artificial Pancreas)?  That's a big project for JDRF funding as well (here's a link: Artificial Pancreas).  By definition these measures aren't "cures", but life treatment improvements.

"WE NEED A CURE!"  I'm right there with you... trust me!  I know we all want that more than any of the rest of these advances.  But here's some food for thought...

What good will a cure do if we don't get to that day completely healthy, fit, and with no major physiological damage?  What good will a cure be if we don't live long enough to see that day at all b/c of a nighttime hypo or other "freak" d-related issue?  How many of us were moved, frightened, grieved, and were distraught by the young kids that have passed in the last year... that we know of... b/c of T1?  The "life treatement" tools available to living with T1 have to be improved even more as we go forward.  And the benefit of those improvements are the contributing knowledge base that keep us moving toward that finish line.  We have to live UNTIL the day and be healthy ON the day for it to make a difference for each of us individually.  I was really struck by Scott Johnson's post on Feb 4 (I'll let you read it.), and from Dr. Sheri Colberg's article on outlooks and hypotheses (another I'll suggest for thought).

The CURE is simple to talk about and hope for... but the physiology is an animal of almost unfathomable complexity.  You're talking about the complexity of a human being, from sub-cellular to the environment & lifestyle of every person in the world. 

We are learning more & faster today than we've ever been able to in the past.  And still we "want more"...   Welcome to the world of an endurance event... where at various points along the way everyone wants it to be over, but we push past those "low points" and continue on knowing that if we don't quit, we'll get to the end at somewhere down the road. We just have to keep exercising patience and recognize that any step that works towards that end is a good thing.  So, continue to work with and support those organizations that make those steps toward the end.  I don't care which, that's your own call... I've always been a big supporter for DESA, CWD, JDRF, AFC, DRI, MAD-IDEA, InsulinDependence, TT1, HypoActive, T1R, , and many more (see my last sentence below!).

Just remember to keep you head up... be patient... keep at it... do your best... and be courteous! 
WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM! 

Take care --J