Team Salamone - Walk to Cure Diabetes 2004

Team Salamone 2003 Team Photo - Hatboro Horsham High School

Thank you to everyone who came out on Sunday, September 21, 2003 to join us in the JDRF "Walk to Cure Diabetes 2003". Our team was successful in raising $7,130 exceeding our previous years $5,752 total! This year, we have set our goal at $9,000 and I am confident we can get there with all of your support!

Diabetes at the Salamone House: Update 2004

It seems like yesterday that I sat down to compose my first letter asking for your help in our fight against Diabetes. Here we are in our third year of participation and I am once again trying to put all of the emotions from the last two years into words. I am convinced it just can't be done!

As most of you know, both my wife Natalie and daughter Gianna (both have Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes) started insulin pump therapy last year - a dramatic change in their diabetes management. While I'd like to say that the pump has made their troubles disappear, it has not. If for nothing else, it has eliminated the daily shots that they had to take in order to stay alive. Now, instead they are "chained" to the pump as their life support - 24/7. The pump has offered some flexibility in their daily meal times and for Natalie, helped to better stabilize her blood glucose readings. As for Gianna - we just can't seem to reach that "perfect world". Because of the nature of the disease and its unpredictability, and the growth spurts that she is experiencing at 4 years old (she has already been a Diabetic for half her life), her levels are all over the place. For consecutive weeks at a time, absolutely great numbers - with just a few occasional weekly hiccups, maybe 5 to 10. But then other weeks, the complete reverse. Glucose levels hovering in the high 300's (remember, 70-120 is normal for non-diabetics) for no apparent reason. Every time she is out of range I feel my heart stop. I can only think about what type of effect these high numbers are having on my daughter's organs - especially the two that I look most forward to seeing in action everyday - her eyes and her heart. You see, every parent, I am sure, thinks their child is unique in some way - their looks, their actions, whatever it might be. But Gianna is definitely something special. Everyday, when I wake up, I am greeted by Gianna's smiling face and her big beautiful eyes, ready to take on another day. She tries desperately to talk me out of going to work so that I can stay home and play with her. She has even offered to pay me to stay home. Whatever it takes - she tries so hard and she is so sincere! When I go to sleep at night I can't wait for that morning conversation with Gianna - no matter how early it might be. The fact that she can be so positive, and so happy - even though she has diabetes at her age - is so amazing to me. You see, Gianna knows she has diabetes - but she doesn't understand she is a diabetic. She knows we have to test her before and after meals - but she doesn't really understand why.

Here are some facts:

- Gianna is tested at least 10 times/day on her fingertips. Morning, noon, and night. Even in the wee hours of the morning while she sleeps.
- Her pump is changed at least every 3 days, most of the time every two. This requires the insertion of a large needle into her skin in order to place a tube that will be used for insulin delivery until the next time it is changed.
- When Gianna's sugar is high before a meal - she can't eat - no matter how hungry she might be. If she does, her sugar will skyrocket even higher before her medicine kicks in - which could cause greater complications.
- Gianna carries her pump with her at all times - eat, sleep, and play. Its in a pouch that she wears around her waist.
- She HATES changing the pump. It hurts.
- Over one million people in the US have Type 1 Diabetes - >1,000,000!!! Its rising at epidemic rates.

So everyday myself and my wife search for answers. Excuses. Reasons. And each night we go to bed with the same harsh reality. Diabetes is here in our family. We pray to God for a cure - everyday. It could never come fast enough. And although they are making great progress we need to expedite the process. For Gianna. For Natalie. And for the million plus others like them. And the only way to find the cure is through JDRF funded research.

So once again, this year we will participate in the Walk to Cure Diabetes, along with a half-million other walkers across the country. The goal of the walk: to raise $80 million to help fund research for a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications. In the past you have been very generous with your donations to our walk team, Team Salamone. This year I am asking for your help once again. We have challenged ourselves to raise $9,000 by October 31 - one month's time. In order to meet our goal I am asking each person to try their best to donate a minimum of $100 to our cause. That does not mean you, yourself, need to do it alone. Ask 10 people for $10 each. Your neighbor, your doctor, your friends and family. Join our team online by registering at http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=85822364. Help us become part of the cure. Once you are registered as a member of our team you can solicit your own donations and earn prizes for the money you raise. If you can do better than $100 - great! And if you can't make it to $100 - no problem. Whatever you can give is appreciated more than you can imagine. You can always visit www.teamsalamone.com for the latest updates and to see how much we have raised to date. If you prefer to make your donation by mail please make your checks payable to JDRF and send your donation to:

Team Salamone
PO Box 932
Norristown, PA 19404

On behalf of my entire family - thank you for taking the time to read our letter and for all of the support you have given to us. If you can, please join us on walk day, October 31 at McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals in Fort Washington. We would love to see you there.

Sincerely,

Drew Salamone
Team Salamone
http://www.teamsalamone.com
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Please visit our Walk Web page on the JDRF corporate site if you would like to donate online or see how close we are to reaching our team goal:

http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=85822364

On November 20, 2003 we were honored to attend the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes Awards Dinner on behalf of Team Salamone and received a few awards that we wanted to share with you:

(click picture for larger view)
MOST CREATIVE FAMILY T-SHIRT CONTEST
Awarded to the most creative original t-shirt for family team in the Philadelphia region.

(click picture for larger view)
GOLDEN SNEAKER AWARD
Awarded to teams who raise over $500 for the walk.

(click picture for larger view)
GOLD PLAQUE
Awarded to teams who raise a total of $5000-$9999 for the walk

Again, our sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the Walk to Cure Diabetes 2003 and please be sure to thank anyone who donated money on behalf of our team for us!

Click below to watch a video that will explain why we need a cure for Type I Diabetes:

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Our Diabetes Update: August 2003
Diabetes at the Salamone House

In February of this year, Natalie transitioned her diabetes management from daily insulin injections over to the latest insulin pump therapy available at that time. She currently uses the Medtronic Minimed Paradigm 511 to deliver a basal insulin to her body continuously throughout the day. The insulin pump is about the size of a pager and it is attached to a tiny tube that is connected to a self-injected port on Natalie's stomach. The port is changed about every three days and moved to a different location on her stomach. Although she still is required to test her blood glucose several times daily, her control has almost been tightened to that of a non-diabetic! With previous blood glucose ranges from 120-400 Natalie now has an average blood sugar between 80-100. And best of all - NO MORE NEEDLES! Because of the pump's contribution to Natalie's excellent control, the risk of birth defects has been greatly reduced during this pregnancy (due date: January 22). You can send e-mail to Natalie directly at nsalamone@gcd.net.

As for Gianna, it has been a roller coaster ride from the very beginning. And just when I say it gets better - it gets worse, and vice versa. For weeks at a time, paying close attention to everything she eats as well as the time she eats, her blood glucose falls within range - with the occasional high or low throughout any given week. On the other hand, with that same close attention to her diet and timing, her numbers are consistently in the 200's and 300's - which is WAY out of range for a healthy life. Most of the time, there is no rhyme or reason for the inconsistency. So to say we have good days and bad days is nothing but the truth. Currently, she receives three insulin injections per day - more if needed. She hates them. Overall, her control is considered good (through the laws of averages). We keep an extremely close eye on everything that she eats. She is on a routine schedule for meals which we cannot currently change. We test her blood sugar 10-15 times a day - and her little finger tips look horrible most of the time. Recently she started complaining that her fingers hurt when we test her blood sugar - which she never did before. We have started putting a special cream on her fingers to help the healing process. We have had two or three occasions where Gianna's blood sugars have dropped low enough to make her nearly unresponsive. One time her eyes even rolled back momentarily - the beginning of a diabetic seizure. Thankfully, we never had to administer Glucagon - but we have come pretty close.

In just over one year Gianna has had over 1,500 shots of insulin and her fingers have been stuck more than 4,500 times for a blood sample in order to monitor her blood glucose levels. Needless to say, her legs, arms and fingertips are bruised and scarred. She still screams and cries everytime she gets her insulin - we usually have to chase her and hold her down. She hates those damn needles. And so do I.

Now the good news. On September 2 of this year we will be transitioning Gianna over to insulin pump therapy! And in the short 6 months that have passed since Natalie received her pump, even newer technology has just hit the market (read FDA Approves New Insulin Pump/Glucose Monitor System, June 30, 2003) that will make Gianna's experience with a pump that much easier! The new Minimed Paradigm 512 comes with its own blood glucose meter which wirelessly transmits Gianna's blood sugars back to her pump. The pump will then automatically suggest an insulin bolus to give to Gianna, should she need it. Then you just push a button! Its that simple. Gianna was even able to select the color of her pump - she chose purple. Her pump has already been delivered to the house and she couldn't wait to rip open the box and try it on. She is very excited about it now - we'll see when it comes time to inject the first port! However, if we can get the pump to work for Gianna as well as it has for Natalie - NO MORE NEEDLES. But remember - the pump is not a cure - its a treatment. This is a device that needs to be attached to Natalie and Gianna 24 hours a day. They sleep with it, eat with it, play with it, watch TV with it. It must become their new best friend. Also, if anything ever goes wrong with the pump that would somehow stop the flow of insulin - they need to act quickly.

Thank you so much for your dedicated support. You will never know how much it is appreciated. But before you go, if you haven't watched the video in the link above, please take a look at it now. It really sums up the purpose of why we need your help.

Our Diabetes Update: August 2003 Diabetes at the Salamone House

Our Diabetes Update: August 2003
Diabetes at the Salamone House