Diabetes

Five years ago this month, my second son, Tristan, started to complain that his vision had gotten blurry. I also had noticed he was gulping down everything in sight, and he seemed to be urinating constantly. The day before Thanksgiving, I took Tristan, then 14, for a vision test at the pediatrician's office, and when the eye exam was done, I — as casually as possible — asked for a urine test. Although I hadn't told anyone, I knew he had the telltale signs of type 1 diabetes.

NEWPORT COAST— The struggles with balancing a budding music career while having a chronic health condition — on top of the rigors of high school — are found in the title and lyrics of a Newport Beach singer-songwriter's debut album. Amanda Lamb, 16, of Newport Coast, will release "Highwire," a pop-rock record she co-wrote and produced without studio backing, on Friday with a concert at the Yost Theater in downtown Santa Ana. The album takes its name from one of its tracks, "The Life of an Aerialist.

Deirdre Newman A fashion show benefiting an organization that supports children with diabetes will take place tonight in Newport Beach. The event, sponsored by the Padre Foundation, will feature children and teens diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, along with professional models showcasing spring's hottest fashion trends from Robinsons-May. Padre, based at Children's Hospital Orange County, provides numerous education and support programs to children with diabetes and their families regardless of their medical provider or where they are located.

Golf: In the article, "Allen gives back," published on March 15, Champions Tour pro Michael Allen's 14-year-old daughter, Michelle, has Type 1 diabetes. The article incorrectly listed Allen's other daughter.

Nominations open for breast cancer awards The Susan G. Komen Foundation of Orange County is seeking nominations for 2003's Most Inspirational Breast Cancer Survivor. The winner will be announced and celebrated at the Wanda J. Cobb Breast Health Symposium and Susan G. Komen Spring Luncheon from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at the Irvine Marriott. Nominees must demonstrate an understanding and awareness of issues related to surviving breast cancer and a commitment to educating the public about the importance of early detection and healthful lifestyle choices.

B.W. COOK Betty Mower Potalivo, president of Northern Trust Bank, Orange County in Newport Beach, was recognized as a "Woman of Distinction" at the second honors luncheon put on by the Girl Scout Council of Orange County. A standing-room-only crowd of dedicated O.C. citizens recognized Mower for her "efforts to help improve the quality of human care, education, the arts and the environment in this community," said Gail Ellis-Olds, communications director for the Girl Scouts.

Steve Virgen Sure, Orange Coast College men's hoops has do-it-all Nick Burwell. Yes, the Pirates have point guard penetrator Ryan Earl and smooth post moves from Chad Hagedorn. They don't lack scoring punch. But, it is the team's character that has made the difference in the Bucs' 4-0 start in the Orange Empire Conference. Coast's character comes from an unlikely source: Mark Meyers. The Pirates' triple threat of Burwell, Earl and Hagedorn provide personality on the court, while Meyers produces the team's character off it. Meyers, a 6-foot-7 240-pound freshman, has endured a life of diabetes -- four insulin injections a day, nausea from the joys of junk food and sometimes depression.

B.W. COOK Newport went Hollywood for the Doheny Eye Institute. The Luminaires, a volunteer support wing of the institute, threw a gala dinner at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood, attracting a large turnout of Southern California support. Newport Beach was represented by Barbara Nielsen, serving on the gala committee with Bea Stathatos, Mary Cooper, Mary Jane Harris, Mary Jane Kurlander and Bobbie Niblo. The evening, billed as "Let Us Entertain You," was chaired by Jackie Flynn with assistance from Rita Coulter.

Imagine being told at age 10 that you have Type 1 diabetes, that you have to monitor your blood sugar, inject yourself with insulin four times a day and become obsessive about everything that goes into your body. Some of us would let the disease control — and ruin — our lives. But like the saying goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and as a doctor and a mother in Newport Beach, I've been lucky enough to meet some incredibly strong kids. Type 2 or "adult onset" diabetes gets a lot of attention these days due to its link to the alarming rise in childhood obesity.

More than 6,000 people went for a walk at UC Irvine on Sunday to raise money for diabetes research. JDRF's Orange County chapter is projected to raise more than $800,000 from its 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes event. The money will help fund research for a cure, better treatment and prevention of type 1 diabetes. "This shows what a huge difference we can make working together," board President John Giovannone said in a prepared statement. "We are so proud to see the community come out in support of the nearly 3 million Americans who currently live with type 1 diabetes.

A Newport Coast teen is set to donate 200 teddy bears with medical ID bracelets around their necks to Children's Hospital of Orange County next week. Devon Cohen, who has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, has raised almost $30,000 for diabetes research. The 13-year-old will speak in front of almost 250 people at his bar mitzvah Saturday in Costa Mesa and will read excerpts from an edition of the Torah that survived the Holocaust. The bears and bracelets project was part of his mitzvah project, a social endeavor that Jewish children undertake.

It was a week to recognize and celebrate the contributions of dads on the Orange Coast. Father's Day2012 was the theme for the American Diabetes Assn.'s annual "Father of the Year" dinner held at the Grove of Anaheim. A shoulder-to-shoulder crowd of citizens, including a major contingent from Newport-Mesa, turned out to honor four outstanding men for their service to family and community. The Father's Day Council of Orange County joined with the American Diabetes Assn.

Golf: In the article, "Allen gives back," published on March 15, Champions Tour pro Michael Allen's 14-year-old daughter, Michelle, has Type 1 diabetes. The article incorrectly listed Allen's other daughter.

Author Jennifer Arnold couldn't say it all in her first book, "Through a Dog's Eyes," so she wrote a second book, "In a Dog's Heart" (Spiegel and Grau, New York, NY, 2011; $25). In the new book, she focuses a lot on the connection we can develop with our dogs, and how unwavering and absolute that bond can be - although scientists don't completely understand how. Arnold also expresses distress about the way some people are training their dogs. "I'll come right out and tell you, because I do it in the book," Arnold said by phone from Milton, Ga. "Cesar Millan and those punitive methods - I've been criticized for calling him out, but he represents a movement that has been tremendously damaging to dogs and relationships.

NEWPORT BEACH - Some see beauty pageants as demeaning to women. But not Heather Shields, 20. She finds the experience empowering. "I figured if I could get on stage in front of lots of people in a bathing suit, I could do just about anything," she said at her home Friday. Shields is preparing to represent Corona del Mar in the Miss California USA pageant in January and sees it as more than just a chance to get all dressed up, although she is excited about that too. The competition gives her a chance to raise awareness about diabetes and, if she wins, a real platform to get the word out about the disease that has afflicted her since she was 11. "If I won, I'd be in awe, and I'd really try to use that position to raise money awareness about Type 1 diabetes, and there are so many chronic conditions that so many people have and people just don't know about," she said.

NEWPORT BEACH — Golf pro Larry Mize walked through the doors of the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center. He then walked out only to walk through again Thursday morning. The 1987 Masters champion walked past a rehabilitation gym on his tour with Dr. Kris Iyer and they had to walk past it again. Some moments had to appear better than normal for the Golf Channel camera following the two men around the diabetes center at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach. However, there's no way to stage the staggering statistics about diabetes.

Five years ago this month, my second son, Tristan, started to complain that his vision had gotten blurry. I also had noticed he was gulping down everything in sight, and he seemed to be urinating constantly. The day before Thanksgiving, I took Tristan, then 14, for a vision test at the pediatrician's office, and when the eye exam was done, I — as casually as possible — asked for a urine test. Although I hadn't told anyone, I knew he had the telltale signs of type 1 diabetes.

NEWPORT COAST— The struggles with balancing a budding music career while having a chronic health condition — on top of the rigors of high school — are found in the title and lyrics of a Newport Beach singer-songwriter's debut album. Amanda Lamb, 16, of Newport Coast, will release "Highwire," a pop-rock record she co-wrote and produced without studio backing, on Friday with a concert at the Yost Theater in downtown Santa Ana. The album takes its name from one of its tracks, "The Life of an Aerialist.