
I have Type 1 diabetes. I love to write. I’m happy when I am helping others. I speak up when it’s important. I have a passion for sharing knowledge and learning new technology. I was BORN to BLOG!
I’ve met so many other T1Ds on this journey who are cool and love to help others. We put our heads and hearts together … to bring more resources and knowledge to our amazing diabetes community. We’re making improvements every day … come back often, let us know what you think. And my gratitude for my amazing webmaster, Dave (an honorary T1D)!
And thank you for stopping by!
— Joanne Laufer Milo, The Savvy Diabetic

Savvy Updates 3.27.2017: Immune Response, 2 Types of Beta Cells, Wearable CGMs, Health Apps, Twins
children and twins concept - two identical twin girls in red dresses looking somewhere As always, lots of news in the T1d community. Here goes! Preventing the Immune Response to Implanted Diabetes Devices was reported by Jessica Apple on ASweetLife.org last...

Medicare Criteria is PUBLISHED!
It's finally here!!! Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients covered by Medicare who are on intensive insulin therapy may now get reimbursed for their Dexcom G5 CGM! Dexcom’s G5 Mobile system is the only CGM classified as “therapeutic.” A therapeutic CGM is...

Afrezza, the Amazing Inhalable Insulin
I've been using Afrezza intermittently for the past 2 years ... and am continually amazed at how well and how fast it works! What is Afrezza? Developed by Al Mann (who also developed the insulin pump and the cochlear hearing implat, among many other...

Savvy LOOPing: Running Open Loop
Here's my LOOPing update. I've been running the RileyLink for about 8 weeks. I started running it OPEN, which means that it is ON but not making and implementing decisions with my insulin pump, based on the algorithm and CGM and carb inputs. After...

Medicare, CGM and Liberty Medical: How to Work with Liberty
Let me start by saying that I am tempering my frustration with Liberty Medical. It has been a rocky road dealing with them. And they only get a one star rating on Yelp. This doesn't bode well. But ... Liberty Medical is the ONLY way to buy...

Savvy Top 15: Here are the Top 15 Pharma Companies of 2016
I just found this really interesting. As published in FiercePharma.com, 14 March 2017, here's the list of the top 15 pharma companies by 2016 revenue ... and these are some BIG revenues! Don't see Novo Nordisk in there. 1. Johnson & Johnson...

Savvy Humor: Mankoff’s “Not Covered”
Just a little "giggle" from Bob Mankoff, the cartoon editor of The New Yorker for the past 20 years. He is stepping down from that post but certainly not retired! Thanks Mr. Mankoff for all your humor!

Savvy Updates 3.12.17: Alexa, Live Stem Cell Imaging, New Cause of T1
Wow, some really neat stuff in the news! Merck aims to put Amazon's Alexa to work on voice-enabled diabetes tools, according to a post on FiercePharma.com by Beth Snyder Bulik, 8 March 2017 ... thanks to Mike Hoskins for the heads up. Using Amazon Lex, the brains...

Savvy Sweet Fun: SUGAR
I just read a fun and comprehensive blog post on the FIFTY SIX (56) names for sugar, thanks to Nicole Pajer on ASweetLife.com. Sugar is everyone and in so many of the foods we eat. According to the article, added sugar is in (hiding or not obvious) in 74% of...

CGM under Medicare: Liberty Medical Takes Order and Ships!!!
Here's an update from Frank, one of my readers: "Liberty" phoned me Tuesday and said Medicare had OK’d the new billing codes and they could start filling claims. They emphasized that if Medicare denies the claim & any appeals, I will be responsible, which is okay...