Author: Amy Simon, RN, CDCES

October 2, 2024

Demystify Sugars: Gain an Understanding of Sugars in Your Diet

Understanding sugars in your diet is beneficial.  Especially if you are looking to lose weight, have diabetes, or are just concerned about what type of sugars you put in your body. This article will discuss the different types of sugars and how they are digested within the body. These are the types of sugars that will be discussed: Understanding Sugars...

Categories Everyday Life/General

August 28, 2024

Think Safe: Have Successful Meals, Not Sickness

Modified from August 2019. Summer is all about getting out of the house and enjoying the great outdoors.  Time outside could include picnics, fairs, parties, grilling, and all kinds of fun.  However, being outdoors with food means we need extra care around food safety. Whether you are purchasing, preparing, consuming, or storing food, it is very important to protect yourself...

Categories Community/Everyday Life/General

July 31, 2024

What is the WorkLink at Penn State University all about?

Penn State University has a program called WorkLink. It is an on-campus, non-residential 2-year certificate program. WorkLink is fully integrated. It provides the opportunity for individuals with ID to participate in postsecondary experiences and education opportunities with their peers. This program was founded in 2018. Special education students receive the opportunity to participate in Penn State classes. Participants connect with...

Categories Community/Resources

June 26, 2024

Outdoor Safety in the Summer: Avoid Tickborne Diseases

It’s that time of year when the weather starts to warm up and we start to have outdoor activities.  As we go outside to enjoy the sun so do other living things.  We may not realize the prevalence. According to the Smithsonian Institute “insect /arachnids species have been found to be quite numerous, with calculations of from 3 to 23...

Categories General/Resources

December 20, 2023

RODS Heroes Gives Voice to the Voiceless

An amazing organization helping every child hero get a family. I recently came across an organization called RODS Heroes, which helps hero children with special abilities come home to loving families. This amazing organization described what they do in this heartful paragraph on their website. “RODS Heroes inspires families to answer the call to adopt a child with special abilities...

Categories General

November 29, 2023

A Success Story After Being Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes

Do you remember when you got the diagnosis? Whether it was you or someone you care for, when you hear the word Diabetes you know it will affect many factors in life. When Brooks Shuster was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he had an A1C of 12. This is the equivalent of an average blood sugar of 298 for the...

Categories Everyday Life/General

November 15, 2023

Diabetes in America: Facing the ID/DD Population

Where do people with ID/DD fit in with treatment and care? Diabetes in America affects over 37 million people. (1)  Prediabetes affects 96 million people. (1)  With the number of people in the millions, it is a disease that cannot be ignored.  Concerning statistics it is difficult to find the exact number of people with ID/DD alone.  However, the CDC...

Categories General

November 8, 2023

Clearing the Confusion Between Insulin Injection and GLP-1 Agonist

Pharmaceutical intervention in the treatment of diabetes is truly a lifesaver. Fourteen different drug classes are available for treating type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Some of these medications are given orally, while some are given via injection. One form of insulin is given nasally. Insulin use in type 1 diabetes is a must, due to the fact that the...

Categories General

August 16, 2023

What’s in it for me to be hydrated?

Staying hydrated is gravely important to our body. Around 60% of the human body is made of water.  We lose fluid constantly through skin (perspiring), urine, and stool. We even lose through respiration. Bodies that lack hydration are at an increased risk for many illnesses. Getting less than the required fluid intake can also increase the risk of kidney stones, urinary...

Categories General

March 9, 2023

What are CGMs? Let’s Look at Continuous Glucose Monitors

Diabetes mellitus, Latin for “sweet urine,” has been documented for over 2,000 years.  It was once recognized as a devastating and deadly disease. In the 17th century Dr. Thomas Willis, a physician from London, would diagnosis patients with diabetes by sampling their urine.  If the patient’s urine had a “sweet taste,” he would diagnose them with diabetes mellitus or “honeyed”...

Categories General/Resources