John Webb, Special to The Clarion-Ledger 8:02 p.m. CT April 15, 2017

Type 2 diabetes can wreak havoc on your health. While lifestyle changes can help keep diabetes under control, many patients require oral medications or insulin injections as forms of treatment, too. Watch the video for how diabetes affects your body. Time

Mary Fortune, executive vice president of the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi, pictured here with Bailey, one of DFM's Diabetic Alert Dogs, has lived with the disease 50 years.(Photo: Special to The Clarion-Ledger)

To invert a popular adage, it can take a child to raise a village or, in this case, a child who grew up with diabetes and as an adult vividly recalls what it was like.

A self-described free spirit, Mary Fortune has trekked the world despite a particularly brittle case of type 1 diabetes, traveling the Pacific Coast Highway on the back of a motorcycle, even in the immediate aftermath of a low blood sugar episode, and riding the rails of Europe, where she remembers asking for food from a train window in Hamburg during another hypoglycemic moment (blood glucose monitoring was not available in those days).

But she had one limitation.

She was told that because of her condition she should never try to get pregnant. That was the conventional wisdom in those days.

Yet, as she marks her 50th anniversary with diabetes a demanding and often unforgiving life partner Fortune says she feels as if she has raised an enormous family of those from across the state who like her had to come to terms in their youth or childhood with multiple daily insulin injections, finger sticks, blood sugar highs and lows, rigorous attention to diet and exercise and the kind of health complications that can beset even the most conscientious.

Theyre all my children, hundreds who have grown up with diabetes, and Im still in touch with quite a few, said Fortune, executive vice president of the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. Ive followed their lives and careers, engagements, weddings, births, successes and failures, times of crisis and grief, and times of joy.

And making this Mississippi matriarch of diabetes particularly proud this week are those children and adults she has mentored over the years who will be participating in the Diabetes Foundations 14th Annual Ultimate Fashion Show and Champagne Luncheon from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Country Club of Jackson.

Proceeds will go to support the foundations Camp Kandu for children with diabetes and their families. The need has never been greater, because new studies have shown the rates of children being diagnosed with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes have increased dramatically, especially among racial and ethnic minorities.

Nationally between 2001 and 2009,the prevalence of Type 1 diabetes increased 21 percent among children up to age 19, according to astudy funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes among those ages 10 to 19 rose 30 percent during the same period, the study, released in 2014, found.Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, the hormone needed to allow sugar into cells to produce energy. Type 2 diabetesoccurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't make enough insulin.

We are up at Batson Childrens Hospital seeing newly diagnosed children far more than we used to be, Fortune said.

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Among those taking to the runway will be Charlie Mozingo, 41, the founder of Mozingo Clothiers in Fondren, who was introduced to Fortune after his diagnosis at the age of 10 and who in adulthood has been working with the foundation as a volunteer and board member.

Mozingo Clothiers is excited to be a part of this years fashion show, he said. We are dressing seven gentlemen in everything from custom clothing to some of our more casual attire. (As GQ might advise, Look for bold windowpanes in sport coats with lightweight materials that are both soft and comfortable, Mozingo said.)

Also taking part will be the foundations communications coordinator, Kaitlan Alford, 23, who was diagnosed with Type 1 at age 9 after spending two days in a coma.

My diagnosis was dramatic for everyone, really intense, and I saw how it affected my family, she said. We were all in a sense diagnosed. My mother saw me going through all this, the 2 a.m. blood sugar checks every night, but she knew I could handle it and take care of myself, which made me feel like I could do anything.

Kaitlan Alford, diagnosed as a child with Type 1 diabetes, was 14 when she walked the runway nine years ago at the Ultimate Fashion Show and Champagne Brunch in Jackson to raise money for the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi's children's programs. Now an adult, she is the foundation's communications coordinator.(Photo: Special to The Clarion-Ledger)

Soft-spoken and demure, Alford had to fight back tears as she recalled how the disease has affected her mother, as well as the way Fortune reached out to her, first as a friend and mentor but then as the one who hired her after college.

I get emotional when I talk about it, Alford said. I dont just work here. Its not just us helping others. Mary helps me. We talk about things we both go through, trying to juggle the complex set of challenges that diabetes presents while at the same time trying to live a normal life.

Kaitlan Alford, 23, communications coordinator for the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi, first walked the runway at the foundation's Ultimate Fashion Show and Champagne Brunch in Jackson. Alford, who has Type 1 diabetes, still participates in the event that raises money for the foundation's children's programs.(Photo: Special to The Clarion-Ledger)

At one of the foundations many statewide fund-raising walks, a child touched Alfords life in a way that she said still stands out in her mind.

My mom walked over to me and introduced me to this tiny, blond curlyhaired boy with blue eyes that could melt anyones heart, Alford said. He was 3 years old, and he had been diagnosed with Type 1 at 18 months."

She said that her eyes immediately filled with tears. Describing how I felt is nearly impossible, Alford said. I was hurting for him because I knew what he was going through, and I was empowered by him because he was 3 and dealing with challenges I didnt have to face until I was 9.

Ayden Wolken, 10, seen here with a bull at this year's Dixie National Rodeo Show, was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 18 months old.(Photo: Special to The Clarion-Ledger)

Alford said the boy, Ayden Wolken of Mendenhall, now 10 and competing on the soccer field and at livestock shows, inspired her to be even more courageous and determined while living with diabetes. Seeing him thriving now continues to inspire me, she said.

These are the kinds of moments that those at the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi make possible because of their passion for not merely helping others, but for changing lives.

The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippis 14th Annual Ultimate Fashion Show and Champagne Luncheon will feature models of all ages in spring and summer fashions, giveaways and an array of raffle items, as well as a Champagne lunch and a drawing for the 2017 Patty Peck Honda Car 4 a Cure. All money raised by the foundation remains in Mississippi to be used to improve the quality of life of children and adults with diabetes.

Being honored will be the foundations 2017 Women of Excellence, Dr. Jane-Claire Boyd Williams of GI Associates and Dr. Beverly Hogan, president of Tougaloo College.

What: The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippis 14th Annual Ultimate Fashion Show and Champagne Luncheon

Where: The Country Club of Jackson

When:11 a.m.-1 p.m. April 20

Cost: $70 per ticket

For more information, call 601-957-7878 or visit msdiabetes.org (click on Events).

Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes, isa chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, the hormone needed to allow sugar into cells to produce energy.

Type 2 diabetes, once call adult-onset diabetes, occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't make enough insulin.

Source: Mayo Clinic

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Diabetes drives children to help others - Jackson Clarion Ledger

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation One Walk will kick off its annual event in Stroudsburg on Sunday, April 23 at Stroudsburg High School. Aiming to raise more than $74,000 to help fund critically needed type 1 diabetesresearch. The event, organized by JDRF Eastern PA, is expected to attract more than 500 supporters representing local businesses, families, schools, and other organizations. The event is one of more than 200 community JDRF One Walks nationwide that bring together hundreds of thousands of people each year who share JDRFs vision to create a world without type 1 diabetes.

This is a great opportunity to get family and friends together whether you have type 1 diabetes, know someone who does, or want to simply participate in an event that makes a huge impact on so many lives said Pat Delaney, Executive Director. Every walker and supporter will bring our community one step closer to turning Type One into Type None. We are grateful for the incredible support of the people of Stroudsburg,and supporters like Haltermans Toyota/Scion, who make it possible for JDRF to direct even more funding toward importanttype 1 diabetes research for the 1.25 million people with this serious disease.

JDRF encourages people of all ages driven to support the cause to participate in JDRF One Walk at Stroudsburg High School and enjoy a fun day with food catered by Momento Pizzeria & Restaurant. On-site registration begins at 1 p.m. at the high schoolstadium. The entire JDRF One Walk will be approximately 3 miles long, starting and ending inside the stadium.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults at any age. In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system destroys the cells that release insulin, eventually eliminating insulin production from the body. Type 1 diabetes requires rigorous 24/7 monitoring of blood glucose levels to avoid devastating complications.Type 1 diabetes onset is sudden and unpreventable and it is unrelated to diet or lifestyle.

JDRF One Walk is the largest and most powerful peer-to-peer fundraising programfor type 1 diabetes, raising more than $68 million annually. Since 1992, the event has raised more than $1 billion dollars fortype 1 diabetes research. This funding has enabled the search to find ways of preventing, delaying or halting the progression of T1D, and ultimately curing it; and has led to, life-changing drugs, treatments and devices many of which have already moved into clinical trials and real-world testing.

We are excited to be partnering with JDRF for this event to help fund much needed type 1 diabetes research,said Tom Schoeller, Event Chair.We are proud to be a part of this community which is so committed to relieving the burden experienced by people with type 1 diabetes and their families, and we share the same desire to rid the world of this disease.

JDRF gratefully acknowledges its local corporate partners for Eastern PA Chapters Walk including Sanofi-Aventis, Haltermans Toyota/Scion, ESSA Bank & Trust, and Momento Pizzeria &Restaurant among others.

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500 to walk for Juvenile Diabetes - Pocono Record

Lets face it. You only get one body and if you want to be around awhile and enjoy good health, its your job to learn how to take care of it. Thats why I have been so pleased to attend the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes Healthier You series of eight classes that are held at the Enloe Conference Center and taught by Enloe Medical Center health professionals.

On March 20, I attended a class on prediabetes, presented by Mary Aram, clinical dietitian with Enloe Diabetes Services. Diabetes is a major health scourge of the modern age, and it is essential that you do what you can to keep from getting it, or if you have it already, to know how to control it.

There are two types of diabetes: Type I or childhood-onset diabetes and Type II, adult-onset diabetes. We are talking here about adult-onset or type II diabetes, a metabolic disorder in which the body becomes resistant to insulin, the hormone produced by the pancreas that lets the bodys cells take up sugar from the blood to use as energy for body functions.

People with type II diabetes have both high insulin levels and high blood-sugar levels, and that does a great deal of damage.

Diabetes can be associated with complications in about all organ systems and causes an increased rate of atherosclerosis (plaque on the lining of artery walls), stroke, heart disease, kidney failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor circulation, peripheral nerve damage, blindness, erectile dysfunction, and dementia.

As we exercise less, eat more, and choose foods poorly, the rates of this debilitating disease are ballooning. Between 1980 and 2009 the rate tripled. Diabetes is the sixth leading official cause of death among those who are over 65, and those who have diabetes have twice the risk of dying from other causes such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. According to Rebecca L. Ferrini and Armeda F. Ferrini in Health in the Later Years, to be diagnosed with diabetes at age 60 means that you have lost 7-10 years of life.

In addition, diabetes is the most costly chronic disease, requiring 25 percent of the total Medicare budget to treat. In this time of growing aged population and threats of government cuts to Medicare, this is an important consideration.

Alarmingly, poor life style choices are causing people to develop diabetes at an earlier age. In a recent study of California health, 43 percent of 18-39 year-olds in Butte County had prediabetes, and 10 percent already had developed diabetes. Unless this trend is reversed, huge numbers of future elders will be debilitated by this disease and require even more of the health care budget.

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There is good news. This is a medical condition in which the patients lifestyle changes can positively affect the disease outcome. Losing 5-7 percent of body weight (10-14 pounds for a 200-pound person) and getting a half hour of moderate exercise five times a week can significantly prevent or delay onset of diabetes.

Aram points out that when people reach their target blood glucose levels, most of the time they mitigate their incidence of diabetes complications by 60-70 percent.

Prediabetes often does not have any symptoms, so it is essential to be aware of risk factors, to have regular blood sugar tests, and to make immediate life-style changes if the tests indicate prediabetes.

The chance that you will get prediabetes increases if you

Are over age 45

Have African American, Hispanic American, Native American, Asian American or Pacific Islander heritage.

Have a parent or siblings with diabetes.

Are overweight.

Store extra fat in the abdomen (waist over 40 inches for men, 35 inches for women).

Are physically inactive (especially when sedentary for more than a two-hour period).

Have high blood pressure or you take high blood pressure medication.

Have low HDL cholesterol and/or high triglycerides.

Are a woman who had diabetes during pregnancy.

Have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

If you are over 45, even if you have no risk factors, you should have your blood sugar tested at least every three years. If you are over 65, have any risk factors, or previous tests have shown high blood sugar, you should be tested every year.

Discuss the results of your blood sugar tests with your physician. If your fasting glucose test is over 100, you are at the cut-off for prediabetes. This does not mean you should wait until you actually have diabetes before taking steps to improve your health. It means you have to act now.

If exercise is a dirty word for you, think in terms of activity that you enjoy. Little things can make a big difference: walk the dog every day; park the car farthest from where you are going; go for a 10-minute walk after meals.

If you are really out-of-shape, choose specific, measurable realistic goals, like walk for 10 minutes three times a day. Gradually, as you become stronger, you can raise the bar.

Regular exercise will help your body use insulin better and improve blood sugar levels. It also relieves stress, reduces depression and anxiety, and improves sleep. It will reduce heart disease and improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Finally you will lose fat and gain muscle. All of this will help prevent diabetes.

When people think of diabetes, they frequently think of reducing sugar intake, but several factors of diet and meal planning affect glucose level. The type of food, the timing of meals, and combinations of protein, carbohydrates and fat all play a part in the amount and speed at which glucose gets into the blood stream.

It is important to educate yourself about the glycemic index and learn which foods will cause a low and slow, rather than fast and high, increase in blood sugar. Helpful information can be found at http://www.glycemicindex.com.

Whether you have pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diabetes risk factors or you are simply interested in healthier living, you can sign up for a two-hour Prediabetes Education Class at the Enloe Outpatient Center, 888 Lakeside Village Commons, Bldg. C, Classroom A, Chico. Classes meet quarterly, on Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. (check in at 5:30 p.m.).

The next classes will be held April 20 and July 20 so sign up now. Classes are $10. You can preregister at http://www.enloe.org (look under Healthier You, then by date under the Classes heading) or by calling the Enloe Public Relations Office.

As Aram emphasized, the purpose of these classes is to help patients become better advocates for themselves.

Two more presentations remain of the OLLI Healthier You series for this semester.

On April 17, Jeff Zelenski, manager of Enloe Outpatient Rehabilitation Services, will speak on Joint Health.

On April 24, Shawn Furst, DO, of the Enloe Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic will present information on Pain Management.

These classes, which are free and open to the public, are held at the Enloe Conference Center, 1528 The Esplanade, Chico, 2-3:30 p.m. Mondays.

Leslie Howard is a retired English teacher and certificated gerontologist. She welcomes comments and suggestions at leslie.t.howard@gmail.com.

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A senior moment: Are you doing your part to prevent getting diabetes? - Oroville Mercury Register

WESTBOROUGH Diabetes Basics and Nutrition, a free, six-week program, will take place from 10-11 a.m. May 5, 12 and 19, June 6, 9 and 16 at the Westborough Senior Center, 4 Rogers Road.

To register: 508-366-3000.

Week 1: What is diabetes? Type I and II will be discussed, as well as facts and myths about diabetes and diabetic symptoms.

Week 2: Introduction to home blood glucose monitoring. What to do on sick days will be discussed, as well as dealing with highs and lows.

Week 3: What are the possible complications of diabetes? Participants will learn how to treat wounds.

Week 4: Keeping fit with physical activity. Programs to promote increased physical activity for older adults. The importance of wearing a medical alert bracelet. Keeping hydrated. Weight management strategies. Dining Out Guidelines.

Week 5: What to do during weather extremes. Participants will discuss tips for traveling.

Week 6: Tying up loose ends.

For information: 508-366-3000.

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Diabetes Basics and Nutrition program announced - Wicked Local Westborough