medical studies

For MANY years, I've participated in the Diabetes Prevention Program (now DPP Outcome Study). It started as a double blind medication study vs. lifestyle change (diet and exercise). Turns out I had been receiving the placebo (since a few years in, I got diabetes). Over the years my sugar level has fluctuated a LOT, and I've been able to get the diabetes in control... and out of control.

I still go to the healthy living seminars and my biannual appointments. They take the day's blood sugar, the A1c (the overview of the past 3 months), and keep charge of weight, cholesterol, etc. Every so often there are ancillary tests - the last one had tested for calcium plaque build up near the heart (I had ZERO).

A few weeks ago, I noticed that a hospital in Manhattan was conducting a study of the lungs of people who had been exposed to second hand smoke. My father smoked, my last boyfriend smoked and then there are neighbors and just passers-by who have smoked near me. So, I signed up. It was a low level CT scan of my chest. I received the results - I have a small (2mm) spot on my left lung.

Someone recently had suggested the herbal supplement, Olive Leaf Extract for lung issues. I will now take it daily. I'm supposed to go back a year from now to get another CT scan to see if there's any change. (According to the notice, there's a great chance this is benign.)