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Jeff Browning/Apidra® Story

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Jeff

Meet Jeff Browning:
Loving husband, good father, and Apidra® patient

I was diagnosed with diabetes in August 2002 when I was 36 years old. While diabetes may be present without symptoms, the truth is, I knew in my heart that I had diabetes long before I received my formal diagnosis. With my health care background, I understood the symptoms of diabetes, and I knew I had them: unquenchable thirst, frequent trips to the bathroom, and just feeling sick and tired all the time.

When I was finally diagnosed, I was told I had Type 1. This came as a surprise because I knew Type 1 normally struck children. The news scared me. I was married and the father of two young children. I had an active lifestyle and was not terribly overweight. But my disease changed my relationships with everyone.

Basically, it was like my wife now had three kids instead of two. She constantly had to ask me if I checked my blood sugar. She watched what I ate. I was really concerned about the burden I was putting on my family. I felt like I couldn't be a Daddy and a husband because of the diabetes.

So I started making some changes. The first change I made was to eliminate snacks like candy and soda from my diet, replacing them with whole grains and diet soda instead. I took a nutrition class and even a personal health class. Fear was my motivator; I didn't want to end up like my former neighbor, a man who suffered complications from diabetes.

Three months after I was diagnosed, I found my fear had been replaced with anger. One day it hit me that I was going to be sticking myself with needles for the rest of my life. My anger and unhappiness were apparent to everyone around me. Finally, a friend took me aside and asked me what I was going to do with my diabetes.

In that moment, I realized that I truly had to learn how to take control of this disease, rather than continue allowing it to control me. I knew complications happened when you don't take care of your problems, and I wasn't taking care of mine.

Since then, I've taken control. I watch what I eat, get plenty of exercise, check my blood sugar eight to ten times a day, and take my insulin religiously. And the tools I have to help me are getting better and better all the time. I urge you to work with your healthcare provider who is the best source of information to help you develop a treatment plan that works for you.

In March 2005, I added Apidra® to my insulin regimen. Because it is a rapid-acting, "mealtime" insulin, I inject it just before I eat a meal or a carbohydrate snack. It helps to eliminate the post-meal blood sugar spike I used to get, and it is out of my system within two or three hours.

Apidra® is also flexible. I can take it within 15 minutes before eating or up to 20 minutes after starting a meal. That flexibility really helps when I go out to eat at a restaurant. Once I get my meal, I can sample it and figure out how much I am actually going to eat before injecting the appropriate amount of Apidra®. As a result, I no longer worry that I might be forced to eat a whole plate of food I don't care for just because I have already taken my insulin.

Apidra® has been a great addition to my treatment plan for other reasons as well. In the first eight months I was on it, it helped decrease my A1C.

Testing my blood sugar and taking insulin have become a normal part of my life. I have accepted diabetes as a positive force in my life, which has led me to make healthier choices.



IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR APIDRA®

Apidra® is for adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes for the control of high blood sugar. Apidra® should normally be used with a longer-acting insulin. Do not use Apidra® during a low blood sugar reaction (hypoglycemia) or if you are allergic to insulin glulisine.

Apidra® differs from regular human insulin by its rapid onset and shorter duration of action. When used as a mealtime insulin, Apidra® should be given within 15 minutes before or within 20 minutes after starting a meal. Due to the short duration of action of Apidra®, patients also require a longer-acting insulin or insulin infusion pump therapy. Any change of insulin should be made cautiously and only under medical supervision. Tell your doctor about all other medicines and supplements you are taking. Glucose monitoring is recommended for all patients with diabetes.

Possible side effects may include low blood sugar; injection site reactions, such as changes in fat tissue at the injection site; and allergic reactions, such as itching and rash. Less common, but potentially more serious or life-threatening, is generalized allergy to insulin, including anaphylactic reactions.

When used in a pump, do not mix Apidra® with any other insulin or liquid. If the pump or infusion set does not work right, you may not receive the right amount of insulin. Hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, or ketosis can happen. Problems should be identified and corrected as quickly as possible.

Exercise or activity level may change the way your body uses insulin. Check with your healthcare provider before you start an exercise program because your dose may need to be changed.

Click here for additional important information for Apidra®.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR LANTUS®

Prescription Lantus® is for adults with type 2 diabetes or adults and children (6 years and older) with type 1 diabetes who require long-acting insulin for the control of high blood sugar.

DO NOT DILUTE OR MIX LANTUS® WITH ANY OTHER INSULIN OR SOLUTION. It will not work as intended, and you may lose blood sugar control, which could be serious. Do not change your insulin without talking with your doctor. The syringe must not contain any other medication or residue. You should not use Lantus® if you are allergic to insulin. Lantus® is a long-acting insulin you inject just once a day, at the same time each day. You must test your blood sugar levels while using an insulin such as Lantus®.

The most common side effect of insulin, including Lantus®, is hypoglycemia, which may be serious. Other possible side effects may include injection site reactions, including changes in fat tissue at the injection site, and allergic reactions, including itching and rash. In rare cases, some allergic reactions may be life threatening. Tell your doctor about other medicines and supplements you are taking because they can change the way insulin works.

Click here for additional important information for Lantus®.