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diabetes

Goals for 2010

By Life, ThinkingOne Comment

We are already in 2010 and I know I should have already set my goals, but hey I’ve been busy! So here they are:

Health
1. To get my diabetes under better control by testing my blood sugars at least twice a day.
2. To put on weight. (I know most people want to loose it, but I am 10 stone which is less than I weighed at 15 years old when I was 12 stone)

Education
3. To complete a further two modules towards my degree. (see Back to University)

Creativity
4. To write three short stories.
5. To enter these short stories in Writing Competitions.
6. To read at least fourteen books.
7. To update/tweak/add & remove sections of my website. (as the rest of the site as been poorly maintained since the new site design)

Paganism & Spirituality
8. To host two psychic parties. (see Psychic Party & Home Warming)
9. To buy Astral Projection for Beginners, read it and practice the exercises for more controlled astral projection.
10. Continue to work on invokation of Apollo. (see Apollo)
11. Continue to follow Pagan Festivals.

Financial
12. Save regularly.
13. Pay off an Overdraft.
14. Live more frugally. (see Living Frugally)

Travel
15. Book a holiday to MyKonos and save for it.

So there we are, ambitious plans for the year a head. Guess I better get a move on and start actioning some of these.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Making positive change for those with Type 1 Diabetes

By Health2 Comments

A while ago I blogged about Hope for a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. I had some positive comments from readers (thanks guys & galls).

I received a response from the email I sent to The Faustman Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital it read:

“Hi Antony,

I apologize for the delay in response, our clinical research coordinator has been on medical leave for the past month. Unfortunately, we do not keep track of or comment on other trials. Thank you for your interest and please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you!

Take care,
Rabia Malik”

(From: Email, Recieved: 13th October 09)

I doubt they don’t keep track of other clinical research trials, more likely with the litigation in America they are unwilling to recommend a trial incase it goes wrong and I take them to court. What I liked about their trial is that they are dealing with the cause not the symptoms of the disease.

So I did a Google search to establish the cost of diabetes for the NHS and found this article from The Guardian: Diabetes costs NHS £1m an hour, charity says. Now whereas it includes Type 1 diabetes (my type) and Type 2 they are often bunched together by the media. According to the article:

The total cost to the NHS equates to £9bn-a-year.
(From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/oct/08/nhs.diabetes, Last accessed: 14th November 09)

So with this in mind, it makes financial sense for the Government to commission research in to a cure for diabetes. So I’ve set up a petition at No. 10 Downing Street, please go to: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/diabetescure/ and sign it.

Many thanks & hugs,

Antony

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Two Hundred

By Life, The Web8 Comments

Can you believe that this is my two hundredth blog post? In celebration here are some questions answered. Hopefully you’ll learn more about me and what makes me tick, expect references to some of the posts I’ve written:

1. Why do you blog?
Blogging for me fulfils my creative urges and is also theraputic. It allows self expression on how I view myself, the world around me and how I experience it. It is also a great way for family and friends to keep up to date with my antics.

2. When do you blog?
I usually blog during the weekday evenings. Occasionally I do have a full day blogging on a weekend. On a weekend day, I can bash out several blog posts and schedule them to publish at a date and time of my choosing in the future. So don’t assume that the date of publish is the time I’ve written them.

3. What do you blog about?
Anything and everything. My blog is abstract really. I tend to blog about my own life experiences, what’s going on in my life and other things that I’m passionate about. My main two passions I’ve noticed I blog about a lot are gay rights (including homophobia) and my religion, paganism.

4. Is there anything you don’t share on your blog?
Although I may appear open and that I share everything on my blog, I actually don’t. I only blog about things I would say to a member of the public (as anyone can access this blog on the World Wide Web). There are many things I consider to be private that I never blog.

5. Where do you live?
I’ve never revealed this on my blog and don’t intend too. I live in an apartment I’ve recently bought. You can see photos on my blog post The Move.

6. Whose important in your life?
My family and friends. You can read more on my blog post People that inspire me.

7. What have you achieved in your life?
A many number of things, like I’m sure you all have. I’ve bought an apartment, completed a HE Diploma in Children’s Nursing, learn’t to drive, a many number of spiritual achievements. I guess it depends what you call an achievement? And anyway, how is an achievement measured?

8. What would you like to achieve in the future?
Well I have a grand plan, you can read more on my blog post A Magickal Grand Plan. It includes things I wish to achieve in all areas of my life, health, family and friends, love, education, creativity, career, paganism and spirituality, experiences, home life, finances and travel.

9. Are you religious?
Yes, I’m a pagan. You can read more about what being a pagan means for me on my paganism page of my website.

10. What is your religion? What does it involve?
My religion is paganism. It involves following the cycle of the year, you can read more on my blog post entitled Pagan Festivals.

11. I’ve noticed your adventures page hasn’t been updated in a while. Do you ever plan on updating it?
Yes, I plan to do some more adventuring in the next year. I hope to travel a bit more next year. I had intended too this year but travel got delayed due to buying my apartment,

12. Are you on any of the popular social networking sites?
I’m on facebook, for friends only. I am also on twitter @antonysimpson. It mainly contains tweets from when I update this blog and replys to other people’s tweets.

13. What’s your websites design? And how did you come up with it?
The idea is that it’s a cork notice board with a piece of paper pinned to it. It was designed by my good friend Sye. I am especially proud and love the cartoon style naviagation icons that change on mouse over at the top of the site that Sye did the art work for.

14. What do you like to do for leisure?
Write blog posts, obiously. Surf the web, read, TV, socialising, meals out, see friends, cinemas and films, allsorts really.

15. I’ve noticed you write a lot about gay rights. Why’s this so important for you?
I think it’s important to me as I know friends who have experienced homophobia. People I love and care about being isolated and mistreated because of their sexuality. I have experienced homophobia, but not to this degree. I also have read up on my history and know what it used to be like for gay people. No role models in society (on the TV, media, etc.), no rights (no recognition of gay relationships by the mainstream hetrosexual world), being mistreated by institutions (police raiding gay pubs, courts prosecuting gay people, homosexuality being treated as a mental health condition, etc.) and I never, ever want it to go back to how it has historically been. Right I’ll get off my soap box.

16. What’s your faviourate film?
Any Disney film. I was brought up on Disney. Probably the reason I’m single though, as I often want the ideal and can’t settle for less. I love rom-coms. The typical love story were boy meets girl, falls in love with girl and ends up with her in the end.

17. What’s your faviourate artist or band?
I’m werid. I like a whole mix of different music from cheesy pop, soft rock, a bit of r n b, opera, indie, everything really. I tend to like songs rather than artists. If that makes sense?

18. What’s your faviourate colour?
Yellow. The colour of the sun (am sooo a sun worshiper!), colour of intelect and creativity.

19. Who are you idols? Who inspires you?
My family and friends inspire me, you can read more on my blog post People that inspire me. But if your talking in the famous world you can find out on my blog posts Inspirational Icons and Inspired by Stephen Fry.

20. Is it true you have diabetes?
Yes. Type 1. Insulin dependant.

21. What’s your diabetes diagnosis story?
That’s a blog post that’s already written. It’s scheduled to publish January 2010 which will mark 3 years since my diagnosis of diabetes.

22. How’s the elearning going? (see Back to University)
I’m ok on one of the modules and the other one I’m slightly behind. I intend to play catch up this weekend. I couldn’t find the resources I needed to do the work. I’m still new to this style of learning and it’s taking some getting use too. But I have bought some new uni books.

23. You seem to post a lot about comedy. Why is comedy so important to you?
I think as Dame Edna would say “we all need to laugh, especially in this world…more than ever”. Comedy enables you to see things from a different perspective and not take things too seriously. I think we need that with all the negativity we are peddled by the media.

24. You seem to love books, what are you currently reading?
Several university text books.
Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend by Jenny Colgan
Wannabe a Writer? by Jane Wenham-jones
How to Create a Magical Home by Marie Bruce
Book by Whoopi Goldberg
So yeah a quite diverse selection of literature.

25.What star sign are you?
I’m a taurus (a bull). You can read more on my blog post As a Taurus….

Take care,

Antony

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Hope for a cure for Type 1 Diabetes

By Health4 Comments

I have come across hope for a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. Below is a rather lengthly video interviewing Dr. Faustman (from The Faustman Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital).

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Interview: Type 1 Diabetes Cure Trial from David Edelman on Vimeo.

(Video from: http://www.diabetesdaily.com/edelman/2008/09/diabetes-cure.php, last accessed: 13th September 09)

I learned a lot watching this video about diabetes, the history of research and current thinking. It sounds good to me. The problem is that the clinical trials won’t be funded by the big drug companies as the drug proposed to be used for the cure are a generic drug, a one off dose. Rather than for creating a new drug that people will need to manage the condition (continuous treatment).

Big drug companies don’t want to fund for a cure as they’ll make more money out of continuous treatment. How wrong is that? I have emailed The Faustman Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital) with this email:


“Hi,

I have recently come across your website and research on a cure for Type 1
diabetes. Thank you for your hard work on a cure for diabetes! As a type 1
diabetic diagnosed in January 07 (at the age of 21 years old!), I am
pleased to see this research being done.

I imagine that your research is US based, but I would be grateful if you
know of any UK based research trials going on if you could email me back
so I can contact them to see about joining trials.

I look forward to your reply.

Many thanks,

Antony Simpson”

I really want to do something to raise funds for this research. Will have to have a think and come up with some rather imaginative ideas of raising money. Now I never ask for any money off anyone, but if you think this is a good cause and want to give a £1, you can do so on their website: The Faustman Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Let you know how I get on with my fund raising ideas,

Antony x

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