Trust in the gov't agencies ?? Being a type I for 44 years, I have found that trust in my doctors and my own desire to be healthy through educating myself and exercise were best. Let's not forget the companies that have pioneered the now available mechanisms that have made good control so much easier...and of course, are being taxed like the sugary soda soon will, of which I also use to raise my sugar when it drops way too low, which happens a lot when you are keeping stringent levels.

As far as I have been able to tell diabetes and objectivism go hand in hand. Lets also look at the small sample of numbers here... A number of type 1 's and for once being one for only 34 years makes me look like the noob.. 8^) The thing is that if you are a type one and want to live you have no choice but to approach every day using the scientific method, and as much brain power as you can come up with. It also teaches you ( mostly the hard way ) that you have to be able to be 100% reliant on yourself and then also get the best help that you can possibly afford. I have made it pretty clear to everyone around me that I will never be a type one on medicare or medicaid. As I require the ability to control my disease and do not require the assistance of some brain-dead bureaucrat.

I think you mean ketones or blood-alcohols that are the bi-product of the incomplete metabolism of fat. They can be responsible for kidney failure - just like in real alcoholics. These are commonly tested for using an A1C test, which you can even buy at the drugstore and conduct yourself.

Here are a couple of symptoms regarding the onset of Type I Diabetes to look for. Keep in mind that the reason they call Type I "Juvenile" Diabetes is because the onset typically happens before one is twenty years old.

1) Is the person always drinking water and constantly urinating? (My two-year old would drink 16 oz of water at a time and ask for more.)
2) Does their urine smell "fruity" and have a fluorescent yellow color (almost like antifreeze)? This is a strong indication of high concentrations of sugar in the urine.
3) If feminine, do they suffer from persistent yeast infections (due to the extra sugar in the urine)?
4) Are they losing weight (especially muscle mass) despite eating well?
5) Does their breath smell like fruit-flavored gum? (This is another sign of too much sugar in the bloodstream)
6) Are they irritable all the time and irrational much of the time (result of brain not getting enough sugar).

For a more medical diagnosis, you can pick up a blood glucose meter from any store and do a standard finger-prick test. These are highly accurate and very cheap. Or just find a Diabetic who has one and ask to get tested. If your result is over 300, you should seek immediate medical attention and confirmation of the diagnosis.

You can also take an A1C test (of your urine). While the A1C is more of a long-term test, it also is highly indicative of blood chemistry problems associated with diabetes.

Keep in mind that only a doctor can make a positive diagnosis (even though all they do is another finger-prick test).

No, they haven't done a c-peptide test yet. I have actually used c-peptide as one of my reagents. My urine pH has been 5.5 for quite a long time. My blood pH is not that low, but I definitely have some ketone-acidosis. I am not sure about my younger daughter.