Research Topic-Insulin Therapy for Children with type 1 Diabetes

I have chosen my own topic simply because I find it close to my heart with my son being a diabetic, and I know first hand how Insulin pump Therapy has changed our lives. I intend to prove to my audience that it is a proven better choice, especially for younger children on many levels,and how this technology has changed the lives of millions of children with diabetes. My sources are many but I have narrowed them down to 5 and need to still narrow them down further. They are as follows:

www.childrenwithdiabetes.com, Insulin Pump Therapy page questions and answers, published by Children with diabetes, Inc.

Diabetic Medicine, a journal compilation from the Journal of Diabetes, UK
published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc via intercience.wiley.com

Medtronic, Why Pump Therapy?
published by Medtronic MiniMed, Inc

Kids, Insulin Pumps & You..... A parents guide to Insulin Pump Therapy for Kids
published by Animas Corp.

New Pump, New Life
published by American Diabetes Association

What I found in my research is that the statistics prove that insulin pump therapy is responsible for not only helping children to live a more flexible life but the on an average it has lowered the average blood sugar ranges and decreased the amount of deadly low blood sugar episodes. I also learned that an insulin pump was used on a 12 day old baby that was born without a pancreas! This was huge because even 20 years ago that baby would have more than likely died but due to technology and insulin pumps this baby could be given minuet doses of insulin that a regular syringe isn't capable of delivering, thus allowing to manage such a tiny baby's sugar level, AMAZING. I also was touched by the numerous letters that children around the world have written thanking the pump companies for this device, and the parents as well are thankful for being able to live a less stressful life. I also learned that Insulin pump companies have already created a continuous glucose monitoring system that will read directly to a pump, which one day soon means NO MORE CHECKING blood sugars 8-10 times a day, this device will be implanted and automatically sense the level of sugar in the blood then read to the pump. This means basically an artificial pancreas! I learned lots of interesting things, much I didn't already know so it was a great research project, as far as technology goes, diabetes, and my school project.

The first Technological Revolution

This was a very interesting reading. If all that Peter Drucker is saying is true everything could have evolved in our world today as the irrigation civilization being the starting point. I really agree with what he says that technology needs to serve humans ends. I think that technology shouldn't only help aid us to be lazy but to help us bring that evolution to the next generation in a way that serves us as humans, positively, not just for fun.

This piece was so interesting how he talks about how the irrigation civilization sparked the start of the first government, and even seeing people as a citizen not in tribes and not individuals. That is huge, because if this never happened then we couldn't have moved on to such a democratic way of life at all.
His essay was also eye opening that because of the abundence of water and wealth there became theieves and dishonest people thus the creation of an army and the first war horse.

Then it seemed to just trickle down to creating social classes for purpose of work, then artistry such as poets and pottery makers, and then professionals. Interesting that the flow of such creations seems so obvious but I never saw it that way before.
Even the trading of goods from the surplus helped to create an economic system.
I see what he meant by saying that he suggests the irrigation civilization was "modern", the creation of all these different entities is the basis for our everyday life so I would definelty say they were very modern.
I agree with his opinion that one must not get ahead of themselves as far as technology goes. And that the innovations should be directly related as technology is presented. Unnecesary inventions that make us lazy or do not still challenge us to grow socially.

This was a great read it got me thinking about how difficult it would have been to create such a world we live in now, back then they knew nothing and still came up with such complex ideas. And although as Mr Drucker says it wasn't without imperfection, it gave us a base to grow and improve upon. I guess we could learn a lot from this type of society that created inventions to improve the soical and political way of life, not only to make lives easier and without any real responsibility or hard work.

America at Leisure and Disneyland Blog

Wow technology has come a long way! First the Disneyland video was so interesting, it is amazing how somethings look exactally the same. The experience of the tourists was absoulte fun, they were laughing and smiling most the time. I saw children dancing, there seemed to be a lot of tourist involvement in the street activity. The simularities I noticed were space mountain, The Princess castle, The Mark Twain ride is identical as today, some of the Pirates of the Caribiean, the park was well manicured as well and the large crowds. Some differences were the way people were dressed, the submarine ride (which I remember) has changed, way more characters were walking around and interacting with the tourists even riding rides with them, you don't see that now. The shows were different, older characters, and of course there is no California Park. I think there is more landscape than before and a lot more balloons for sale now. From the looks on the faces of the children and adults the fun is still the same as it is when I go, that will never change.

In watching the other shows on America at leisure I chose to look at the Clarmont Theatre in NY. I think the big simularity that we share with those of 1915 is the activity of going to a show for entertainment, and or to spend family time together. Social classes are mixed in and all ages both then and now attend. Going to the movies is fun for all ages and a great way to spend time together as a family, making memories. The obvious differences were the clothing, it seems that going in public in 1915 you dressed as though you were going to a wedding or church, nice hats included. It seems that the movies in that day also included seeing live shows, that is something you don't see now unless you pay more money to go to a play. I also saw a restaurant close by I assume that families would go there after, a common thing in this day and age.

I also choose to watch the College football game. First thing I noticed was a full stadium, much like you would see today. The game appeared to be played the same. Many differences here, uniforms, I couldn't see any helmets which surprised me. The barracades to the field were little to nothing, no security like now. No numbers on the field that shouts the yardage to fans. Again the clothing of the fans was top notch, including nice hats. No cheerleaders either. It was hard to make out the leisure meaning behind since you really couldn't see the fans all that well, I assume at a college game there were many college students much like there would be today.

Why we travel

This article was very deep. The author explains how traveling should be a much more profound and cultural experience than it is for most people. What I got from this writer is that when we travel we are not only supposed to indulge ourselves with the culture that we are traveling too, but to also bring our culture with us. It seems that the basic point of this writing is to get the reader to understand that sometimes going to less fortunate places and experiencing the unknown of cultures, it will only help us to become a better person. It was interesting how he compares traveling to being a child. It is true that when I travel I am much more open to change, and having a open mind lets me learn and experience more. Like a child does, I am open to the unknown and don't seem to really care. When I go to Mexico I always find myself wanting to learn the culture more and more, and not really caring that I do not understand the language all the time. I think if more people viewed traveling as a "love affair" as the author describes, we would probably get so much more out of our vacations. He obviously views traveling as a way to completely learn and feel the atomosphere of which you are in, to see everything even the bad and less fortunate things. This article I believe was more a reading about how to open up your mind and heart to the world around us. While he does speak of physical travel, I think he is more talking about a metephore of traveling outside our normal lives to experience more and help others to experience more as well.

He compares traveling to a love affair several times. Interesting comparison mostly because he is right that when we love good we are so open to learning everything we can about that person. We long to find more out, if we felt this way when we traveled we would see everything for what it is with emotion not just with our eyes. I think the writer wants us to use our felling more than our sight, he seems to think this is the only way to live your life, I think I agree.

The Tourist

In the Excerts for the Tourists by Dean MacCannell I really was able to relate to a lot of what he had to say. I completely agree that tourism has become increasingly materialized and all about making money. I truly feel that when you vacation to a special place it should be because you want to get something out of it. For me that means relaxing, but also it means that I am somehow getting in touch with the culture or history of where I am going. That is the beauty of visiting other locations, you can actually learn something new and add to your experience in life. MacCannell brings up a good point that some tourist attatractions popularity come in waves according to things that happen in society or from word of mouth. I also agree with him when he speaks about how things are so commercialized for instance McDonald's being all around the world. The amount of money that is spent on souvineirs and tours can get to be ridiculous. I was horrified at how often we had added charges, taxes, or just extra fee's when we traveled to Mexico last December. Having just been there 3 years ago I was surprised at home much more or a tourist attraction Mexico had become, and I later found that the prices in that area go up 30% simply because it is prime season when we were there. I think that is terrible, but once again you get out of your travels what you allow yourself to do. We found ways to see the beauty, experience the culture, and enjoy the weather without breaking our pocketbooks everytime we turned around.
I was very interested by his story of the African girl whom was taken back by vending machines in America and how they take the place of people standing there vending the product. Having her prospective can educate us on just how different things are in other places around the world. And how just by buying a soda we are taking for granted the technology we have at our fingertips. It must have been interesting to be there to experience that with her and to explain to her what it was, but also to get her feedback on it as well.
Although sometimes exploited I think tourism is a necessity in some areas. I just wish that sometimes it didn't take from the natural beauty of the locations, and history. Again I think that as a tourist you can get so much from visiting any locations, everywhere has history, culture, and interest in many ways. It is up to the individual themselves to learn from it and broaden your own mind. This essay helped again to see prospectives of others and to remember why we travel in the first place.

The Loss of the Creature

This essay was very interesting, particularly how Walker Percy chooses to show us a different side to how some people view things. I truly believe that you take from an experience or a viewing what you allow yourself. Although Percy brings up a valid point to the experience of discovering something. It is true that only Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, whom actually discovered the Grand Canyon, could truly take pride in the feeling of his discovery. However I do not feel that any other person cannot be breath taken by the beauty of the Grand Canyon. I think the experience is solely up to the person and how they choose to indulge themselves in it. True to what Percy says, one could become bored or feel that they didn't fully experience something. But isn't it true that this person would probably feel that way no matter what? Not because he didn't discover something knew or that the Grand Canyon didn't live up to the postcards he had seen. Most people that go to the Grand Canyon are going to see the immense beauty of it, and even be amazed. Even at age 12 I was breath-taken by it's beauty, and I had seen pictures a hundred times of the Grand Canyon. However I will say that I have a vivid memory of my visit on the second day because there was a rare lunar eclipse that happened before our very eyes. I remember how big of a deal it was, to this day that is my only experience of a lunar eclipse and it happened at the Grand Canyon. So I do understand Percy when he says that sometimes it takes a special experience or discovery to fully feel like you are fulfilled of an experience. However the Grand Canyon was equally as beautiful before and after that lunar eclipse, more memorable, but just as breath taking. I also share his opinion that you truly can be impacted by a place or experience if you whave a desire to share that with someone else. I have been to Mexico several times but have always longed to bring my family or friends there to share the experience with me. Last December my in laws traveled with my family and I to Puerta Vallarta. I enjoyed their happiness and excitement more than being there myself because they too now know the beauty my husband and I have known for years. This essay was very interesting, got me thinking in alternate ways about my experiences and what I took from them. I think this reading will help me to remember to look at things from many angles in order to take away the fullest. I found the ending very strange, not sure I fully understood the ending.

Track 3 #4 Personal Routine

I fully agree with David Greenburger in his radio broadcast about the personal routines of the elderly. Elderly people are extremely habitual, they require consistency, and I believe it helps them to feel safe. Just like when we are children and need a routine, and the comfort of knowing what to expect, we revert back to that same need as elder adults. Although routine is comfortable for people of all ages I have particularly noticed that some elderly people cannot function with out their normal routine. As for my generation of grandparents I think they need this routine because it is a duplication of the simple life they led. In this day and age our lives are far from simple, but my grandparents led simple lives, no computers, no cell phones, no crazy schedules and hectic lives. They worked, made money, and cared for their families. In my experience elderly people today need the simple things in life to be habitual or they feel lost, and confused at times scared. Putting an elderly person in a nursing home completely destroys everything they have grown to know and trust. Mr. Greenburger states that the experience of entering a nursing home is like being on a bus ride and never getting off, how true I believe this analogy to be. So many times these elderly people decline as soon as they enter, they don’t know how to deal with the change, as it is so different from the home they have always known.