Surviving storms isn't enough; diabetes poses threats in the aftermath

    INDIANAPOLIS, June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Feel free to use this video and
script as Web content for your site:
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5030357601154424734

    Suggested Date of Use:  ** Hurricane Season Began June 1, 2006 **
    The first day of Hurricane Season brings a special warning for people
with diabetes and other chronic conditions. Eli Lilly and the American
Association of Clinical Endocrinologists are urging people with special
medical needs to prepare for disaster NOW.
    The Federal Emergency Management Agency warns that the first 72 HOURS
after a storm is when people are most likely to be isolated or alone. Being
prepared with the medication and supplies you need during that period is
important to your health.
    When Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, Shirley Barnett and her family
were in downtown New Orleans to attend a wedding. She was lucky to survive.
"You don't realize it until after a while - we lost everything!" said
Shirley.
    Shirley has diabetes and never planned on needing more than a couple of
days' worth of food, medicine or supplies. "I only took one pen needle with
me, because I had enough in that. The rest of them were in my refrigerator.
And the rest of my insulin was in my refrigerator, too."
    Little did Shirley know, her refrigerator and the rest of her house in
St. Bernard Parish would soon be under 13 feet of flood water. Shirley was
suddenly without a home and might soon be without medicine.
    It is a situation that Dr. Vivian Fonseca of Tulane University saw
repeatedly in the days following Katrina: "It became a major challenge.
They also had to adjust their diet based on what was available rather than
what they're used to - or had been advised to do."
    Dr. Sherry Martin of Eli Lilly and Company advises people to "Take the
time, take the 30 minutes that it takes, sit down, put together a list of
medications and all the things they will need." Dr. Martin also says to
keep ice packs ready to go in your freezer to help preserve your medicine.
Keep insulin and extra testing supplies in waterproof bags. Make sure your
kit has non-perishable food and a small plastic bottle to safely get rid of
used needles. And be sure you have copies of your prescriptions in
waterproof bags so you can get refills no matter where you end up.
    For a complete checklist of what you need to put in your Diabetes
Disaster Kit, click on http://www.lilly.com and click on "breaking news."
    Please contact Lyn Tolan at (614) 932-9950 for more information.

    Produced by:
    MediaSource
    6400 Riverside Drive - Building D
    Dublin, Ohio  43017
    Tele: 614.932.9950
    Fax: 614.932.9920
    This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information,
visit http://www.ereleases.com.

Link to this page: