Stuck on a desert island, how would you handle diabetes?

[GregGolden]

Another one of these random thinker questions.......

Imagine your stuck on a desert island, with nothing but the clothes on your back, no pump, no insulin, no NOTHING. What would you do to handle your diabetes and how long do you think you would last?

[Stuboy]

i think i would die!

I have a healthy liver so maybe that would keep me alive for a bit, but i'd have to be low all the time. i dunno.

[gettingby]

Truthfully, I don't think you could survive very long without insulin. Especially a type 1.

[seacomp]

The only treatment for diabetes before insulin was a near-starvation, extremely low carb diet. It could prolong life near indefinately if the patient still produced some insulin.
The story of the first use of injected insulin is very dramatic- bed-ridden patient get injection of experimental drug and is walking around in hours.

[JJeenn]

I'd eat as little as possible (then again, on a desert island I doubt there'd be much to choose from in terms of eating), and drink as much water as possible. But even then I don't think a type 1 could last more than a few days at most. So I'd probably make some type of "HELP" smoke signal and hope I got rescued!

[camjen1]

I'd be a gone probably after the first day. After only a couple hours without insulin I already feel sick and am heading towards DKA.

[Cyborg]

I think the only chance would be to eat only meat and do lots of aerobic exercise to counter the effects on the bg.

[GregGolden]

I think the excercise would work for a bit...... i also have to fit this in... E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!!

[David]

:dontknow: I'd certainly stay away from Mary Ann's banana cream and coconut cream pies.

[Cyborg]

No, but Mary Ann could help with aerobic exercise ;)

[Funnygrl]

i think i would die!

I have a healthy liver so maybe that would keep me alive for a bit, but i'd have to be low all the time. i dunno.
You wouldn't be low at all once the NPH left your system.

I think the only chance would be to eat only meat and do lots of aerobic exercise to counter the effects on the bg.
Aerobic exercise causes your muscles to use glucose- but only if there is insulin present. Otherwise it won't do a darn thing.

The only treatment for diabetes before insulin was a near-starvation, extremely low carb diet. It could prolong life near indefinately if the patient still produced some insulin.
The story of the first use of injected insulin is very dramatic- bed-ridden patient get injection of experimental drug and is walking around in hours.
Yeah, I saw that on dlife. Very cool. The low carb diets basically prolonged the honeymoon, since minimizing spikes in bg doesn't toll what insulin production is left as much.

[koblenz]

Aerobic exercise causes your muscles to use glucose- but only if there is insulin present. Otherwise it won't do a darn thing.
In that case, I would DEFINATELY go looking for MaryAnn! If I'm going out, I going out smiling!

But don't worry, I would tell Mrs. Howell where Jedi was!

[JediSkipdogg]

If I had my pump full, I would eat as little as possible, and exercise as much as I could without needing to eat alot. Or just eat fish, very low carbs there. I could then make my pump last probably a week to ten days on basal insulin only. If I saw no hope and I started fealing like ****, I'm not sure what I would do. DKA would bea very painful death.

[Cyborg]

In that case, I would DEFINATELY go looking for MaryAnn! If I'm going out, I going out smiling!

But don't worry, I would tell Mrs. Howell where Jedi was!

Mrs. or Mr?

[Funnygrl]

If I had my pump full, I would eat as little as possible, and exercise as much as I could without needing to eat alot. Or just eat fish, very low carbs there. I could then make my pump last probably a week to ten days on basal insulin only. If I saw no hope and I started fealing like ****, I'm not sure what I would do. DKA would bea very painful death.
Question said no pump, no insulin.

= screwed

[Cyborg]

Didn't they used to use animal insulin? I suppose I'd act like the professor and hunt for some boars or wild pigs to try and extract animal insulin.

[Dewey]

Normally, I'd try my darndest to find whatever way I could live, but without testing supplies or anything, I'd venture to say I'd be pretty well hosed.

If I knew I was going to die, I'd hope that whatever insulin I got before I was stranded would put me into a nice sleep so I could drift off...

[am1977]

Yes I think that would be a pretty catastrophic situaion :eek:. I think there's very, very little chance of survival with no insulin... It's kind of a doomed situation.

[BriOnH]

Didn't they used to use animal insulin? I suppose I'd act like the professor and hunt for some boars or wild pigs to try and extract animal insulin.
Ditto. I think about this question all the time. It's cool someone asked it. I'd hope for boars too, take out their pancrease and try to stimulate insulin production by soaking it in some sugar (hopefully there is fruit around) concentrated liquid then diffuse the sugar out of the pancreatic / sugar solution.

I've searched hard for info on how to make insulin but have had no luck. I don't think drug companies would like that, nor the FDA.

[blue_eyed_devil]

i'm a type one, i'd die. god that's depressing! makes you think when you realise how much your life depends on one little bit of liquid.

[Catareta]

Well, I would probably last a little longer w/o insulin... my DKA take about 10 days w/o insulin...

But the hunger and thirst would get me... I think I would kill myself...:(

[Simon]

Maybe there's a wild pig population that I could harvest insulin from. Hmm.

[JasonSmithMT]

Didn't they used to use animal insulin? I suppose I'd act like the professor and hunt for some boars or wild pigs to try and extract animal insulin.

Noble effort but the energy you would expend would likely just lead to a quicker demise. Even if you had everything you need to extract animal insulin and get the purity to the point where you could even begin to think about injecting it then you are going to have to figure out how you are going to inject it. Probably have just as much luck trying to make recombinant DNA insulin.

Better to spend what little time you would have trying to get rescued because DKA and death are inevitable for us type one diabetics.

Jason

[Stuboy]

Didn't they used to use animal insulin? I suppose I'd act like the professor and hunt for some boars or wild pigs to try and extract animal insulin.

Then how would you "take" this animal insulin once your have it? You can't take it by mouth...

[Cyborg]

Porcupine quills? The natives know how to make poison darts...

[DeusXM]

Actually, on a desert island, the lack of fresh water would kill you far quicker than your uncontrolled diabetes would.

[kidvid]

I'd spend my last days writing a made for TV docu-drama about my desperate situation (even if I had to do it in my own blood - it's not like I'm unused to poking holes in myself). I'd make it as hugely interesting as possible, mixing in lots of fiction - whatever would give it greater appeal. I would then write a last will and testament that stipulated any proceeds from the project be given to my grandchildren. In the event the "deserted" island was discovered, there would be some remote chance the piece wuold be produced, and my grandchildren would get something out of it...

Joe

[grace girl]

This thread wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Castaway was on tnt about 753 times this weekend, would it??????

[Funnygrl]

Actually, on a desert island, the lack of fresh water would kill you far quicker than your uncontrolled diabetes would.
I suspect they would both kill your around 3 days independantly, but the dka combined with the lack of water would be synergestic and kill you probably around 2 days.

[Stuboy]

you could of course improvise and make your own fresh (drinkable) water. like they do when their stranded at sea... evaporate the salt water and catch the condensation... leaves the salt behind! :D

[spike]

Another one of these random thinker questions.......

Imagine your stuck on a desert island, with nothing but the clothes on your back, no pump, no insulin, no NOTHING. What would you do to handle your diabetes and how long do you think you would last?

I'd prepare to meet my maker. I can't get by without insulin, simple as that.

[BriOnH]

Probably have just as much luck trying to make recombinant DNA insulin.


Recombinant DNA insulin is exponentially harder and time consuming in prep to make then extracting it from animals. I agree about the rescued part though; I didn't think that was an option. Surely the majority here would have some supplies on us as we got to the island too.

[Stuboy]

I'd be stuck, i only carry my tester kit around with me... being on mixtard, i dont carry my insulin on me... i just have it in three locations where im most likely to eat! lol

[JasonSmithMT]

Recombinant DNA insulin is exponentially harder and time consuming in prep to make then extracting it from animals. I agree about the rescued part though; I didn't think that was an option. Surely the majority here would have some supplies on us as we got to the island too.

Yeah ... I have done some recombinant DNA work and I was exadurating to make a point. Neither would be possible is my point. Extracting insulin from animals is no trivial task. Extracting insulin and purifying to a point of being injectable is even harder. If you are able to get the equipment and skills to extract insulin from animals you might as well go all the way to make some recombinant DNA insulin.

Jason

[SueM]

How about using some snake oil?:)
There seems to be plenty of people trying to sell snake oil as a cure for diabetes. On an island you can have a fresh supply.

Oops just one thing ...............Catch your snake 1st :biggrin:

[Cyborg]

Actually, on a desert island, the lack of fresh water would kill you far quicker than your uncontrolled diabetes would.

You could always distill water. :hmmmm:

[BriOnH]

Yeah ... I have done some recombinant DNA work and I was exadurating to make a point. Neither would be possible is my point. Extracting insulin from animals is no trivial task. Extracting insulin and purifying to a point of being injectable is even harder. If you are able to get the equipment and skills to extract insulin from animals you might as well go all the way to make some recombinant DNA insulin.

Jason

May I ask what work you have done with rerombinant DNA? Do you you know how to make insulin with it? All I know is the e. coli (have no clue what strain) is fed X and it's biproduct is insulin<?>. I hope to get to that level of biochem work eventually.

[GregGolden]

This thread wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Castaway was on tnt about 753 times this weekend, would it??????
yessss thats where the threat started!

[troop'er]

Another one of these random thinker questions.......

Imagine your stuck on a desert island, with nothing but the clothes on your back, no pump, no insulin, no NOTHING. What would you do to handle your diabetes and how long do you think you would last?

I have often thought about this question, along with what I would do if I fell off the edge of a cliff and was hanging on to a branch (I've had dreams about it).

However, I do have to look for the light in every situation I'm in. The original post said I have "no NOTHING", which is a double negative. Which means I would have something. So, I'd just hop on the sail boat (with a motor) I found with a full tank of gas, the nine month supply of food, insulin, and water that was in the back, and I'd be off.

Come on, people. Positive thinking promotes longer lives.

Oh, and Jessica Simpson happened to be on the boat, too.

[Cyborg]

If those are the rules, then Josie Maran would also be on the boat and it would be a fishing yacht.

[Dewey]

Enough food & insulin for all of us, along with testing supplies & sets.....And I'd venture to say the boat was a ship! Nick Lachey would be there, too, but he'd be too busy with me to worry about Jessica. :- Muahahaha

[Cyborg]

Party time! :rofl:

[gettingby]

Now, I like the idea of the ship. Heck, I would want John Mayer there. After a little time with me, he would be saying Jessica who??? LOL.:-

[JasonSmithMT]

May I ask what work you have done with rerombinant DNA? Do you you know how to make insulin with it? All I know is the e. coli (have no clue what strain) is fed X and it's biproduct is insulin<?>. I hope to get to that level of biochem work eventually.

Brian - I am sending you a PM.

Jason

[BriOnH]

Brian - I am sending you a PM.

Jason

Thanks Jason :)

I don't get the whole Jessica Simpson thing lol. All my friends think she is gorgeous too. I hope her sister isn't there too, if so you can take my insulin from me.

If John Mayer is there, which would be awesome, I'd love to jam with him and like his music a lot, hopefully Norah Jones would be there too as the opening act. I'd like to jam with her, and see her in a bikini. :p

[JediSkipdogg]

I don't get the whole Jessica Simpson thing lol. All my friends think she is gorgeous too. I hope her sister isn't there too, if so you can take my insulin from me.

She and he sister would be my experiment to see how much insulin a non-diabetic can handle. Yeah, it may give me a few less days to live, but at least they will be alot quieter.

[spike]

Thanks Jason :)

I don't get the whole Jessica Simpson thing lol. All my friends think she is gorgeous too. I hope her sister isn't there too, if so you can take my insulin from me.


I don't think JS is all that pretty either. My wife thinks she's gorgeous and wishes she looked like her.

And I can't understand how Britney Spears can sell CD's...

[JediSkipdogg]

And I can't understand how Britney Spears can sell CD's...

Same reason some ugly pornstars make money. You produce it, somebody WILL buy it.

[Cyborg]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

[parrotletzoo]

I'd find a sharp rock to visit upon my wrist. Coma/death by starvation/dehydration due to dka?? no thank you.

[spike]

I'd find a sharp rock to visit upon my wrist. Coma/death by starvation/dehydration due to dka?? no thank you.


I dunno...maybe a passing ship notices you minutes after you've drained all your blood!

[Cyborg]

I dunno...maybe a passing ship notices you minutes after you've drained all your blood!

Doh!

.

[Funnygrl]

Doh!

.
To quote Alanis Morisette..."And isn't it ironic..."

[BriOnH]

To quote Alanis Morisette..."And isn't it ironic..."
"Its liiike raaiiiin on you wedding day, inssuuullin but you're already low"

lol I couldnt resist :)

[sofaraway]

"Its liiike raaiiiin on you wedding day, inssuuullin but you're already low"

lol I couldnt resist :)

:thumbsup: lol!