WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED
TO KNOW BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO ASK
(Resource Column)
Inclusion of materials in this publication is for information only and does not imply endorsement by the Diabetes Action Network of the NFB.
DIABETES EQUIPMENT
Medicool, Inc., maker of insulated diabetes syringe cases, now features other equipment, like the Wright Prefilled Syringe Case ($15.95 for two), the Nail Care Plus electric nail file ($39.95), and its own line of medical ID jewelry. For information about these and other products, contact: Medicool, Inc., 23520 Telo Avenue, #6, Torrance, CA 90505; telephone: 1- 800-433-2469; website: http://www.medicool.com
ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT
Independent Living Aids, Inc., is an adaptive equipment distributor, with years of experience serving blind people and those losing vision. If you need tactile items, items that talk (like watches, clocks, diaries, or timers), or other equipment, give them a look! Their catalog is free, and is available on audiocassette and in standard print. Contact: Independent Living Aids, Inc., 27 East Mall, Plainview, NY 11803-4404; telephone: 1-800-537-2118; fax: (516) 752-3135; e-mail: [email protected]; website: http://www.independentliving.com
DIABETES SUPPLIES
Tropical Medical Supply, located in Florida, offers diabetes supplies, direct shipping, fast service, and handles your Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance paperwork. No waiting in line, and, if you have supplemental insurance, you may pay nothing. For more information, call: 1-800-611-2115.
THE WOUND CARE CENTER
One of the consequences of diabetes is the tendency toward impaired healing of wounds and lesions, especially those in the feet. This is of course why many diabetics require amputations.
If you suffer a wound or lesion, and it is not healing properly under normal medical care, there are clinics specializing in the healing of such wounds. In these places you will find top specialists and the latest resources.
Curative Health Services runs The Wound Care Center, a national network of state-of-the-art wound clinics. If you have a stubborn, non-healing wound, and the alternative is amputation, have your doctor contact The Wound Care Center at: 1-800-991- 4325, or call them yourself.
DIABETIC SUPPLIES
Diabetics Wholesale Club, Inc., carries a full line of diabetes supplies, takes care of your paperwork, accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance, and ships to your door. They also have a full service pharmacy, carry many specialty and hard-to-find items, and publish their own free newsletter, the "Sugar Free News." For information, call them at: 1-800-925-8299.
SKIN CREAM
If you regularly test your blood glucose, you puncture the skin of a finger with a lancet, once each test. This can lead to sore, cracked, or callused fingers. Formulated for Fingers Skin Cream is designed to moisturize and soothe sore fingers. Its active ingredient is Australian Tea Tree Oil, used around the world to soothe the skin. For more information about Formulated for Fingers, or its many other diabetes care products, contact Can-Am Care, Inc., Cimetra Industrial Park, Box 98, Chazy, NY 12921-0098; telephone: 1-800-461-7448.
DIABETES SUPPLIES
American Diabetic Supply, Inc., will ship your diabetes supplies to your door. They handle all insurance claims and provide free delivery. Folks with Medicare and/or private insurance (no HMOs) may receive supplies with no further cost. For information contact: American Diabetic Supply, Inc., 400 S. Atlantic Ave., Suite 108, Ormond Beach, FL 32176; telephone: 1- 800-453-9033.
TALKING COMPUTERS
Henter-Joyce, Inc., maker of the "JAWS" series of computer screen readers, offers screen-to-speech software including "JAWS For WINDOWS" (JFW 3.0), now capable of reading WINDOWS 95. The company also produces "JAWS for WINDOWS NT," and software for the DECtalk speech synthesizer. Find out more at their website: http://www.hj.com, or contact them for information: Henter- Joyce, Inc., 11800 31st Court North, St. Petersburg, FL 33716- 1805; telephone: 1-800-336-5658 or (813) 803-8000; fax: (813) 803-8001; email: [email protected]
DIABETES SUPPLIES
Heritage Diabetic Supply is a small, personalized source for your diabetes needs (insulin included), offering reasonable prices and one-on-one service. If you need something hard to find (like Diascan test strips), they will get it for you. Heritage handles Medicare and private insurance paperwork (no HMOs), and offers a free RSG glucose monitor just for signing up! Contact: Heritage Diabetic Supply, PO Box 1270, Marion, NC 28752; telephone: 1-800-267-6509.
EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES
Comprehensive Health Services, Inc., offers a customer direct diabetic supply program. They stock glucose monitors for the sighted and visually impaired, test strips, syringes, and other diabetic products. Medicare and private insurance accepted; free and convenient home delivery; 24-hour toll-free telephone; training and emergency customer support. Guaranteed full refund on supplies returned within 30 days of purchase. To qualifying customers, no "out of pocket" cost for diabetes supplies; no insurance paperwork to fill out.
For information, call: 1-800-795-6167, or contact: Comprehensive Health Services, 221 N. Front St., Suite 203, Wilmington, NC 28401.
TALKING LIFESCAN PROFILE
Myna Corporation, maker of the Voice Touch speech synthesizer for the LifeScan One Touch II glucose monitor, announces the Voice Touch Pro speech synthesizer for the One Touch Profile. The Pro attaches firmly to the base of the LifeScan monitor, and works entirely through the meter's controls.
Purchasers may order the Voice Touch Pro with male or female voice, and English- or Spanish-language speech. Myna Corporation offers a three-month warranty, with optional one-year warranty extension. The unit is priced at $189 (9-volt alkaline battery included). An AC adapter is available for $15 additional, and a carrying case for another $15. Myna Corporation also offers a talking laptop computer, the Myna. For information, contact: Myna Corporation, 239 Western Avenue, Essex, MA 01929; telephone: (978) 768-9000; fax: (978) 768-9911; e-mail: [email protected]
NUTRITION SUPPLEMENT
Your insulin or oral diabetes medications are only part of your diabetes self-management. Although food supplements do not replace your medications, a healthy diet is important, and research is continuing on the role specific supplements may play in controlling diabetes. Focused Nutritional Therapy is a dietary supplement formulated for the special needs of diabetics. A blend of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals, it is available in sugar-free caplets (and soon in chewable tablets), cost: $12.95 for one month's supply. Contact: Quadro Therapeutics, Inc., 315 S. Allen Street, Suite 126, State College, PA 16801; telephone: 1-800-347-0308.
DIABETES SUPPLIES
Preferred RX offers three ways to help you save on diabetes supplies and prescription drugs:
1. Insurance billing. They file the claim, handle the paperwork, and pay for delivery. No advance payment needed.
2. Medicare billing. Medicare pays for approved diabetic supplies (and starting July 1 that list will cover type 2 diabetics!). Preferred RX will handle the details, and pay for delivery.
3. Discount Prescription Club. No insurance? No prescription drug coverage? Preferred RX offers discounts at over 36,000 pharmacies nationwide.
Contact: Preferred RX, 34208 Aurora Road, Suite 132, Solon, OH 44139; telephone: 1-800-843-7038; website http://www.preferredrx.com
NEW DIABETES BOOK AVAILABLE
"Serving Individuals with Diabetes Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: A Resource Guide for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors" is the new diabetes and blindness reference produced by the National Federation of the Blind, in collaboration with the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University. Though written for rehabilitation professionals and their clients, it contains much material of use to both diabetics and health professionals.
The book is available in large print, Braille, normal-speed audiocassette tape, and IBM-compatible computer disk, and costs $25. Order from: Kelly Schaefer, R.R.T.C., PO Drawer 6189, Mississippi State, MS 39762; telephone: (601) 325-1363.
DIABETES ADVICE
Regular VOICE contributor Peter J. Nebergall, PhD, has written a book for the inquiring diabetic. Based on the questions most asked at diabetes support groups, Straight Talk About Diabetes is plain, simple, upbeat, and unvarnished diabetes education. Many of its chapters have already appeared here in VOICE OF THE DIABETIC. Available in large print, audiocassette, or IBM-compatible ASCII 3.5" computer disk; cost $15. Order from: Peter J. Nebergall, 307 East Ash #36, Columbia, MO 65201; e-mail: [email protected].
MATERIALS IN ACCESSIBLE FORMAT
If you have need of reading materials in alternative format (large print, Braille, or audiocassette), check out the following:
* The 1995 edition of the ADA/ADA publication "Exchange Lists for Meal Planning" is available in Braille and on audiocassette. To order, contact: National Federation of the Blind, Materials Center, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230; telephone: (410) 659-9314. They are open 12:30 to 5 p.m., EST, weekdays. Cost: Braille $10, cassette $2.
* Job Opportunities for the Blind (JOB), part of the National Federation of the Blind, publishes a free job-hunter's magazine on cassette (the JOB RECORDED BULLETIN, published six times a year); telephone: 1-800-638-7518, or contact them at the NFB address (immediately above).
* VOICE OF THE DIABETIC is the free quarterly diabetes magazine published by: Diabetes Action Network, National Federation of the Blind, 811 Cherry Street, Suite 309, Columbia, MO 65201; telephone: (573) 875-8911. Available in standard print or 15/16 ips audiocassette. You can also access the VOICE (current and past issues) on the World Wide Web, at http://www.nfb.org/voice.htm. See page 23 of this issue for a subscription form.
* "Diabetes Resources: Equipment, Services, and Information," the resource guide published by the Diabetes Action Network, costs $5 per copy and is available in Braille, large print, and audiocassette, from the NFB Materials Center, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230; telephone: (410) 659- 9314. You can also access this resource guide on the World Wide Web, at: http://www.nfb.org, following the link for "diabetes" from the NFB home page.
* The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress; telephone: 1-800-424- 8567. The National Library Service (NLS) has the specific mission of ensuring free access to published materials, for individuals unable to read print. Through its network of Regional Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the NLS circulates materials in Braille, "talking book record" (an old format now being phased out), and 15/16 ips audiocassette. The NLS also supervises the free distribution of special tape players, available to any individual certified legally blind or otherwise unable to read print. Pertinent sections of their catalog regarding diabetes include: "Guides for Living," "Cooking and Nutrition," "Personal Narratives," "Juvenile," and other sources (a listing of magazines and organizations).
* Vision Foundation, Inc., 818 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA 02174; telephone: (617) 926-4232. The Vision Foundation is a self-help group for adults coping with sight loss. It offers information and resources relevant to all types of blindness. Its "Vision Resource List" is available in large print and audiocassette, free of charge.
* The Center for the Partially Sighted, 720 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200, Santa Monica, CA 90401-1713, ATTN: Helena Jefferson; telephone: (310) 458-3501. The Center publishes: "Large Print Recipes for a Healthy Life" ($19.95). This title is also available, on audiocassette, from: The Braille Institute, Recording Department, 741 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020; telephone: (213) 663-1111, ext. 265.
* "The EQUAL Cookbook": EQUAL Consumer Affairs, Box 830, Deerfield, IL 60015; telephone: 1-800-323-5316. Available free, on audiocassette, large print, or Braille, this cookbook contains recipes assembled with NutraSweet instead of sugar. All recipes include diabetic food exchanges.