The Expert? It's You . . . . .

Last Friday I flew to Vegas for The Diabetes UnConference.  Despite my usual travel anxiety, the journey went smoothly and I was lucky enough to spend both flights sitting with Stacey.  I was also lucky enough to have been randomly sent through TSA Pre-Check at both airports.  (Yay!!  And I spend about 30 minutes playing slots in Vegas and ended up $30 ahead!)  With the travel out of the way it was time to get on with the conference.


I feel very fortunate to have attended many diabetes conferences in the past.  I've been to pharma conferences where my travel was covered, and I've been to open conferences where anyone can attend if they can budget for it or obtain a scholarship.  Both kinds of conferences are comprised mostly of sessions.  And most of these sessions are led by experts - people with a ton of credentials and a long string of letters following their name.  That's good, because I often learn a lot and think about things I've never though of before.  Or think about things in a way I never had before.  These sessions are very valuable to me.

But the UnConference?  The UnConference was different in that all the sessions and discussion were led by us, the patients / attendees.  The conference facilitators were patients / attendees.  While other conferences I've been to usually have at least one similar session, where we can gather in a circle and really talk in a safe environment, I've never been to a conference where every single session was like this.  And it was wonderful.  I shared some of my deepest fears and said some of the hardest things I've ever had to admit out-loud.  I cried tears that were both happy and sad.  I laughed a lot and nodded in understanding.  I found out that all of the weird things I feel maybe aren't so weird after all.  Maybe I'm not a freak for feeling the way I feel.  Maybe it's diabetes that is the freak and others with diabetes share my feelings too.

The truth of the matter is that every session of The Diabetes UnConference was filled with a room of experts.  Every person living with diabetes is an expert.  Even when you don't feel it, you are an expert.  I'm willing to bet that diabetes has an impact on you, and nobody understands that personal impact better than you.  You are the expert.  I'm not an expert in the medical side of diabetes.  I may not even be an expert in parts of my life with diabetes.  But nobody knows better than I do what diabetes means to me, what diabetes does to my body and my emotions and where diabetes seeps into the cracks of my life.

I am my diabetes expert.  You are your diabetes expert.  And it took The Diabetes UnConference to show me how important that is and how much we need to come together and help each other.

Apples and Oranges

I got to know Kate of Sweet Success during the second Diabetes Blog Week.  I felt like we hit it off right from the start and she was one of my Find a Friends during this year’s DBlog Week.  Even thought we were “just on-line friends”, I’ve always felt very close to Kate.  It makes me so so happy when I have the opportunity to meet an on-line friend in person, and Kate has been high on my list of people I still really needed to meet.  I’m in Connecticut and she’s in Arizona, but I always believed we would somehow meet some day and I always told Kate it would happen.  So when she told me she was coming to Connecticut to participate in a panel, I didn’t think twice about letting her know I would drive up to meet her.  We worked out our plans and on Thursday I drove up to her hotel so we could have dinner!

Yay, me and Kate in her hotel lobby!!

I knew I’d be writing a post about the wonderful time we had.  I thought it would be all about  how the on-line friendships we are making in the DOC are real friendships that transcend the boundaries and borders of the internet.  But, of course, that’s been said so many times by so many others (and probably by me as well), so it’s hardly news to anyone.  And then I read Kate’s post about our meet-up, and as I sat there with tears in my eyes I knew exactly what I wanted to write about.  Kate talked about how although Type 1 and Type 2 are both diabetes, with so many of the same issues and treatments, they are also very different in some ways.  I agree and spending time with Kate gave me an even better understanding of this fact.

But do you know what?  I was shaking my head in bewilderment when Kate wrote that she felt like I have a lot more to do to handle T1 than she does for T2.  Because honestly, as we talked Thursday night I couldn’t help but feel how much easier I have things than Kate does.  She told me about her long flight the day before, which happened AFTER a three hour drive to the airport.  And how when she finally arrived at her hotel she was greeted with a high blood sugar.  So what did she do?  She did what she had to - she went down to the fitness center and walked on the treadmill.  I was so impressed - understanding how exhausted she must have been and knowing that when faced with the same situation I would just press the buttons on my pump for a correction bolus and go to sleep.

At dinner we both chose some tasty salads.  I used my phone to look up the carb count for my salad and was taken aback to find it supposedly had 51 grams.  No croutons, no starchy vegetables besides a few carrot shreds, no bread sticks served with it - restaurant dressing aside 51 grams still seemed high to me.  I casually told Kate I’d under bolus quite a bit since I had an hour’s drive home alone and didn’t want to go low.  I said I’d rather end up higher for my drive than lower, and if needed I’d correct back down when I got home.  What I didn’t tell Kate was that I was secretly wondering how many carbs were in her salad, and what it would do to her blood sugar.  I felt guilty that I could correct a high down fairly easily, while she might have to force herself into another late night workout.  Who had it harder that night?  In my opinion, Kate did, hands down!!

Type 1 and Type 2 are both diabetes.  It’s not a contest as to who has it easy - nobody does, T1 and T2 are both hard.  We walk similar paths and deal with similar issues.  But I agree with Kate when she said comparing us is like comparing apples to oranges.  Yes, I’m taking over 100% for my pancreas, while Kate is an executive assistant for hers. She can’t imagine testing 4 times in as many hours like I did on Thursday (although I usually don’t test THAT often, there were a bunch of extenuating factors in play).  I can’t imagine trying to manage on one test strip a day and using diet and exercise as my main treatment options.  Perhaps the grass is always greener on the other side?  Frankly, I don’t think so.  I think the grass is pretty well-worn on both sides of the diabetes fence.

Kate, thank you so much for the lovely post you wrote and the lovely visit we shared.  Thank you so much for the kind words about what I and other T1s do to stay healthy.  And to you and everyone living with Type 2 - I salute you.  I understand a little better the road you walk and the work you do and the struggles you face.  You are all inspiring to me and I admire all of the hard work YOU do to stay healthy.

Happy Birthday YCDT

Did you know that the You Can Do This project was launched a year ago today?

You Can Do This is a project dreamed up by Kim of Texting my Pancreas, in which people with diabetes create YouTube videos telling their diabetes story.  It’s a way to show that we are all in this together, a way to share your story in the hopes it encourages others to keep going, a way to hear stories that will inspire and energize you when the road you are on gets rocky.  It’s one of the best ways I know of to create ongoing support for anyone and everyone who needs it.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit I haven’t made my video yet.  (What, me, procrastinating?  What a surprise . . . .  not!!)  I’ve started a million times, but could never quite capture what I wanted to say.  But I think that’s part of the beauty of You Can Do This.  It is ONGOING, no end date, no deadline.  New stories can be shared all the time.  The more I think about it, the more I realize the timing wasn’t yet right for my video.  In December I will mark my 33rd diabetes anniversary, and at that point I will have lived 3/4s of my life with diabetes.  And I think that is when my video needs to be made.

For now, please join me in wishing You Can Do This a very happy first birthday!!  Kim, I am so proud of what you have created and I want to thank you for being such a bright light in our darkest times!!

Diabetes Hero - DBlog Week Day 7

Welcome to Day # of Diabetes Blog Week. If you are participating, don’t forget to link your Diabetes Hero post on this list.  (Please enter your Blog Name and the URL for your Diabetes Hero post.)


Let’s end our week on a high note and blog about our “Diabetes Hero”.  It can be anyone you’d like to recognize or admire, someone you know personally or not, someone with diabetes or maybe a Type 3.  It might be a fabulous endo or CDE.  It could be a d-celebrity or role-model.  It could be another DOC member.  It’s up to you – who is your Diabetes Hero??

Hero: he·ro/ˈhi(ə)rō/ - (Noun) A person who is admired for courage or noble qualities.

When I think about a Diabetes Hero, I think of the kids with diabetes.  I think of how they deal with this disease at such a young age and how they show such courage.  They are heroes.

Wait, then I think of the parents of those children.  I think of all they do every day to care for their kids.  The sleepless nights and the worry they endure.  They are heroes.

Wait, what about those diagnosed with diabetes as adults.  I can’t imagine how it feels to suddenly have such an intricate chronic illness to deal with.  I think of all of the changes they must suddenly make and all of the information they need to learn.  They are heroes.

Wait, what about the kids with diabetes who have grown into adults with diabetes.  I think about how they were promised a cure in five years, and how many multiples of five years have passed without one.  I think of the strength they show to just keep going, carrying on day in and day out with this disease.  They are heroes.

Wait, what about significant others and loved ones of people with diabetes.  I think about how much they do for us.  I think of my own husband getting up in the middle of the night to get me a juice box.  He, and others like him, are heroes.

Wait, my endo!  My fantastic endo who never judges, never scolds, always does all he can to help me live a happy and healthy life with diabetes.  And all of the other endos, CDEs, nutritionists and the myriad of medical professionals we see throughout our diabetic life.  They are heroes.

Wait, I can’t forget my blogging friends.  Kerri, who blazed the way for us and inspires me every day.  The 240 bloggers who have signed up for Diabetes Blog Week.  Each and every person who shares their diabetes life on-line, so others will learn and not feel so alone.  And those who read and comment and lurk.  They are heroes.

I don’t really feel lucky to have diabetes.  But I sure do feel lucky to be surrounded by Diabetes Heroes.

Just keep trying . . .

Quotation Inspiration. Find a quote that inspires you (either positively or negatively) and free write about it for 15 minutes.

So I’m just back from the second Medtronic Diabetes Activist Forum.  They planned an incredible schedule of events which I’ll be sharing  my thoughts on bit by bit, and I’m going to start with the guest speaker who presented during the afternoon.

Leighann and I getting our books signed.  Photo "borrowed" from Cherise.  ;)

Chuck Eichten, PWD since 1977 and author of The Book Of Better, met with us to share some thoughts and insights on living with diabetes.  One of the quotes he mentioned really resonated with me, and I quickly noted it down for today’s post:

“I can accept failing.  I can’t accept not trying” - Michael Jordan

For me, this is really what life with diabetes is all about.  No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, there will be times . . . many many times . . . . when I will “fail”.  Hard as I may try, I’m going to end up too low sometimes - like when we went to In-N-Out Burger on Saturday and I dosed for an accurate carb count and ate everything I bolused for . . . . and still ended up low most of the afternoon.  Or when I recognized that I always run high when I travel by air and started a 145% temp basal on the way to the airport yesterday morning, but still ended up with a CGM that looked like this as I boarded the plane . . .



It’s the times like these when I am the hardest on myself, blaming myself for these so-called failures and judging myself so harshly.  And it’s the times like these when I just want to throw in the towel, because if I can’t do anything right why even try.  From now on, I’m going to look back to Michael Jordan’s quote when I’m at my most frustrated and nearing my breaking point.  Because “failing” is just fine - in fact, when you are trying to be a human organ, failing is pretty inevitable. But not trying?  Nope. that is not an option.

** Medtronic invited me to the Diabetes Advocates Forum, and paid for my flights to and from L.A. and for my meals and lodging during the Forum.  They did not ask me to post about the Forum, and all observations and opinions are my own.

Don’t miss DSMA Live tonight!!

I’m running a bit behind schedule today (and have an impromptu date with my parents to go for ice cream in less than an hour) but I wanted to quickly pass along some information.  Tonight’s DSMA Live chat will feature the president of the International Diabetes Federation, Professor Jean Claude Mbanya. I was lucky enough to hear him speak at the Roche Social Media Summit, and he is impassioned and inspiring.  The discussion is slated to include the Life for a Child campaign, Act on Diabetes Now for World Diabetes Day, and the O is for Outrage campaign.



Tune in at 9 PM EST to find out more about what IDF does and how we, as members of the DOC, can help.  If you have a question you’d like discussed, please be sure to call in during the show at (760) 283-5150.

When is it time to come home?

Last Tuesday, Pete and I flew to Florida to experience CWD’s Friends for Life for the first time.  Although I’ll write more later about everything we did and everyone we saw, I can tell you now that it was an amazing eight days spent with other PWDs and their families.  We got to hang out with some of our very favorite friends!!  When you are on a trip as awesome as this one was, you really do want to stay forever!  So how do you know when it’s time to come home?  Well . . .

• Your blood sugar stays between 40 and 60 for three days straight.  Even after eating chocolate ice cream.  And a pretzel that rings in at 90 grams of carbs.  You don’t ever want to see another glucose tablet again!!
• You receive a call for help in the middle of the night from a very good friend having a very bad low.  Clad in a JDRF Walk t-shirt and PJs for the Cure bottoms, you rush into the night like a Bra-Less Diabetes Superhero.  (Of course, every superhero knows the importance of having a back-up team, so you call the paramedics first.  They seem somewhat baffled when they show up and see you testing your own blood sugar.  Yes, we T1s like to travel in packs!!)
• By day four, it becomes clear that your blood sugars had too much fun at D-Coaster Day and have decided to continue the celebration all week.  They shoot up over 200 if you even look at food, and then crash back down to hypo levels soon after.  It’s not fun when your CGM graph looks just like Space Mountain.  The blood sugar roller coaster continues until you get home.
• After spending a day in the parks, you develop a scary looking rash on your leg.The first question the First Aid Nurse asks?  “Do you have any history of diabetes?”  Great.
• You start to consider four hours a full night of sleep.
• When getting up to test your blood during the night, you walk smack into the bathroom door and cut your nose.It bleeds profusely.  (And those bags under my eyes are proof of the “four hours of sleep” nights.)
• Your insulin lets you know it has had enough of the Florida sunshine and heat . . . . by going kaput overnight and greeting you with a blood sugar in the 300s in the morning.  You immediately go to the Expo Hall to buy a Frio case.
• You miss a step on the bus back to the airport, letting out a loud yelp and wrenching your back and knee.  Limping through the airport is fun.  (Not.)
• When the kennel sends an email from your pet, telling you how much fun she is having, the picture makes it quite clear that she is actually not having fun at all.  In fact, she looks uncharacteristically cranky.And when you get home, she is so excited you fear she will spontaneously combust!!

But do you know what?  With all of those “signs” that it was time to come home . . . . if I could get back on an airplane and do the whole thing over again tomorrow, I totally would.  I wouldn’t trade one single minute of my Friends for Life experience.  (Although maybe I’d get on the plane in a week, instead of tomorrow.  I really need to sleep!!)

Seeking knowledge from each other . . .

I have only come here seeking knowledge,
Things they would not teach me of in college.  ~The Police

Last week I attended the Roche Social Media Summit in San Diego.   We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel - and being the huge Sting / Police fan that I am, I was sure to snap a picture of the wall that held the lyrics above.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the lyrics resonated my thoughts about the summit.

One of the first speakers we heard from Thursday morning was Dan Kane, Roche’s Vice-President of Marketing.  He discussed the reasons Roche does these Social Media Summits.  The bottom line, according to Mr. Kane, is to get to know us better - to see us and to really understand us.  It can’t be just about the products, they need activated and engaged patients, and then they need to interact with those patients.  I’ve always agreed with that whole-heartedly.  I’ve spoken before about my belief that pharma can learn a lot from patients and patients can learn a lot from pharma.  Attending the Diabetes Advocates Forum in the spring made my belief stronger.  And taking part in the Summit last week drove it home again.  Both sides of the healthcare equation, the pharma side and the patient side, should seek and gain knowledge from each other.

We discussed the ways that Social Media has become more than just a way to connect - it has become a power to bring about needed changes.  We were able to hear from, and give our personal perspectives to, the JDRF and the IDF.  We previewed some upcoming products Roche is working on, and were able to ask questions and make suggestions about what we saw.  We learned about things Roche has implemented after hearing the opinions and needs expressed in previous Summits.  (This was my first year attending, but I can tell you that the DOC was well represented in years 1 and 2.)  We broke into four smaller groups to brainstorm for One Great Idea, and I was please that a Roche representative joined each of the four groups.  We discussed Health Care Reform, and I learned of some deeper issues I hadn’t thought of.  And, we had a wonderful wonderful session with Dr. William Polonsky.  I met him a few weeks ago at TCOYD in Albany and I believe he will be at Friends For Life next week as well.  The poor man is going to think I’m stalking him!!  (He is totally stalk-worthy - he really knows the challenges we face and has great advice for getting though them.)

Event recap posts are always a challenge for me to write up, because my head always seems to be filled with more inspiration and knowledge than I can convey.  But I will try to add more details about the Summit in some follow up posts.  In the mean time, many of the other Summit attendees have already gotten some great posts written about our time in San Diego.

We're kinda scrunchy, but mostly left to right, front to back is:

Kitty Castellini, Elizabeth Edelman, Karen Graffeo (me), Kerri Sparling, Ginger Vieira, Karmel Allison, Leighann Calentine, Kelly Close, Jeff Hitchcock, Gretchen Becker, Ronald Gregory Machio.

Gina Capone, Riva Greenberg, Beatriz Dominguez, Cherise Shockley, Lee Ann Thill, Kelly Kunik, Sara Knicks, Allison Blass, Manny Hernandez, Sarah Jane Blacksher, Scott Strumello, Bernard Farrell, Mike Durbin.

Christopher Thomas Polack, Bennet Dunlap, Amy Tenderich, Crystal Lane, Brandy Barnes, Wil Dubois, Chris Stocker, George Simmons, Scott Johnson, Michael Hoskins.

Scott King, David Mendosa, Charlie Cherry.

***Disclaimer:  As a participant in the Social Media Summit, Roche paid for my travel to and from San Diego and my meals and lodging while there.  However, to continue my Police theme, I’m not Wrapped Around Their Finger.  My opinions are my own and I was not asked to blog about the Summit.

You Can Do This!!

Not too long ago, Kim over at Texting My Pancreas came up with a really great idea after seeing a touching commercial.  And today she brings that idea to life by kicking off the You Can Do This project!!  I’m very excited to have been a part of the kick off video she created to explain the project.

Let’s face it, diabetes is tough sometimes and we all need support.  So why not be a light to others and help them remember that they aren’t alone.  And that they can do this!!  Hop on over to Texting my Pancreas and check out the You Can Do This tab to find out everything you need to know to be a part of the project.  And don’t forget to “like” the Facebook page too!

What I’ve learned . . .

What we’ve learned - Sunday 5/15: Last year, Wendy of Candy Hearts made a suggestion for this year.  She commented “I think Day 7 should be a post about stuff we've learned from other blogs or the experience of coming together online...”  Today, let’s do just that!!  What have you learned from other blogs - either this week or since finding the D-OC?  What has your experience of blogging the DBlog Week topics with other participants been like?  What has finding the D-OC done for you?  If you'd like, you can even look ahead and tell us what you think the future holds!

First, I want to send a huge thank you to everyone who participated in Diabetes Blog Week - the 182 bloggers who signed up, the Twitter users who tweeted about #DBlogWeek, the commenters who left such wonderful feedback on everyone’s posts, the lurkers who took the time to read what we had to say.  Without all of you, Diabetes Blog Week wouldn’t exist.

I’m not really sure how to sum up what I’ve learned this week.  I’ve gotten so much out of the past seven days that it seems impossible to put it all into words.  But here goes:

• Secretly worrying that the participant list will be much much smaller than last year is just silly.  (Last year we had 142 participants, this year we topped that by 40!!)
• Knowing the D-OC is enthusiastic, supportive and extremely creative is one thing.  But actually seeing it in action is quite another!
• Bloggers can Step Outside the Box and be braver than anyone could imagine.  And for better or worse, they will inspire me to step outside the box too.
• Things can go more wrong than I ever could imagine and I will have no control over them.  (Hello, Blogger shutting down and eating posts and comments right in the middle of DBlog Week.)  This is a great lesson in not being so OCD and not stressing about things I can not fix.
• The D-OC is always ready to jump in and help when ever they can.
• There are a lot more diabetes bloggers out there than I ever could’ve imagined.  We are SO not alone!
• Sometimes, I need to learn not to be so sensitive about things.  But on the other hand, being sensitive enough to cry over post after post after post is not a bad thing.
• Reading all of the new posts each day is impossible.  I will get to them all - but it’s going to take me quite a while.  I’m absolutely fine with that!
• It is possible that some people might be interested in doing this all again next year, for a 3rd Annual Diabetes Blog Week.  (Crazy thought, huh?) 

And last, but certainly not least . . .

• SUPPORT IS PRICELESS, THE D-OC ROCKS, AND I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!  (But, of course, I knew that long before Diabetes Blog Week!!)

Don’t forget to add your post to the What we’ve learned-Sunday 5/15 Link List.  Please enter YOUR BLOG’S NAME in the field marked Your Name and the link to YOUR SPECIFIC POST in the field marked Your URL.

Admiring Our Differences!!

Diabetes Blog Week kicks off today and I’m thrilled to report that there are currently 159 participants signed up to blog along with all of us this week!  If you still want to sign up, it certainly isn’t too late.  Leave me a comment on the DBlog Week post or send an email to DBlogWeek@bittersweetdiabetes.com and I’ll add you to the list!!  Now, on to my post for Day 1!!



Admiring our differences - Monday 5/9: We are all diabetes bloggers, but we come from many different perspectives.  Last year, Diabetes Blog Week opened my eyes to all of the different kinds of blogs (and bloggers) out there – Type 1s, Type 2s, LADAs, parents of kids with diabetes, spouses of adults with diabetes and so on.  Today let’s talk about how great it is to learn from the perspectives of those unlike us!  Have you learned new things from your T2 friends?  Are D-Parents your heroes?  Do LADA blogs give you insight to another diagnosis story?  Do T1s who’ve lived well with diabetes since childhood give you hope?  Pick a type of blogger who is different from you and tell us why they inspire you - why you admire them - why it’s great that we are all the same but different!!

I love that the D-OC has so many different types of diabetes bloggers.  I gain so much from reading and pondering other perspectives and situations.  I love that we are all the same but different.  So it was hard to decide exactly which type of blogger I wanted to talk about today.  BUT I’ve had a certain post brewing in my head for a while and haven’t gotten it written yet.  AND yesterday was Mother’s Day.  AND next month we’ll celebrate Father’s Day.  SO today I’m going to admire the D-Moms and D-Dads!!

The parents I’ve met, both on-line and off, who give their all 24/7 to help their children live happy, normal, healthy lives with diabetes impress and astound me each and every day.  Reyna, Meri, Wendy, Lorraine, Renata, Trev . . . . I could continue this list all day and still not be able to link everyone.  And I want to mention my Real Life friend Joan, who is a D-Mom Extraordinaire!!

I would like to thank you all for sharing so much about the job of being a full time pancreas for your child or children.  You give me a much better understanding of a side of diabetes my own parents didn’t share much of, probably because they felt that burden should be theirs to bear.  I know it can’t always be easy to share your experiences, but so many readers learn so much from you.  You are heroes in my eyes.

And I want you to know, deep inside, I sometimes fantasize about completely handing over my D-Care to you for a day (or more??).  Any takers??? 



Don’t forget to add your post to the Admiring our differences-Monday 5/9 Link List.  Please enter YOUR BLOG’S NAME in the field marked Your Name and the link to YOUR SPECIFIC POST in the field marked Your URL.

Opening up communications . . . .

Do patients think pharma companies should be involved with social media?  Do pharma companies think pharma companies should be involved with social media?  Can both “sides” learn a little something from each other?

These were some of the issues we discussed yesterday, when I was a panelist at the WEGO Heath #socialpalooza event.  The fabulous crew at WEGO brought together patients and pharma reps to delve into the sometimes touchy subject of social media and pharma.  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share my views, along with Alicia the Awesome Cancer Survivor, Rosalind the Chronic Illness Career Coach, and Kerri the D-OC rock star.  And by “thrilled”, I mean so freaking nervous that I had a highly detailed dream the night before in which Kerri sat me down for a long talk about why it would be very wrong and quite offensive to knit socks during the panel discussion.  (Don’t worry, I never once considered knitting while speaking on the panel!!)  However, WEGO had assembled such a great group of people that once the panel started my nerves quickly melted away.

Although we panelists hadn’t discussed the topic before hand, it didn’t surprise me that we shared many similar views.  Be transparent - make it perfectly clear you are pharma and not a patient.  Don’t use social media simply to sell - use it to support and interact.  And apparently, bring cookies . . .

While I was thrilled to share my point of views with the pharma crew, I was just as glad to hear more about social media from their side.  It was interesting to hear about all of the regulations and legal issues that can hold them back from social media.  As Alicia pointed out, that’s a side of things patients may not be aware of.  And while most patients are only representing themselves and sharing their personal opinions in social media, these pharma reps are often representing their whole company.  I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a lot of pressure to me!

Should pharma and health companies get involved in social media?  I say yes.  In my closing statement yesterday, I voiced my opinion as follows:
“By engaging through social media, you gain insights to the issues and needs of real patients.  At the same time, using social media can show the community you care about more than profiting from their disease.”  (Yes, I am directly quoting myself, which seems a bit weird to me but oh well . . . )

You can read Kerri’s take on Socialpalooza here, and a wonderful view from the pharma side here.  Kerri also grabbed some great, serious and (yay!!) goofy pictures of our panel with the moderators.  Being the photo slacker that I am, I only snapped one picture.  Although in my defense, it does show just how great the WEGO crew is at putting together an event.


That’s right, they left something to treat a pesky low at each participant's seat!  Although the Red Velvet Whoopee Pies served after lunch kept my blood sugar stable during our presentation.

Cookies, Skittles and desserts aside, the sweetest part of the day was opening the lines of communication between pharma and patients.  I hope this is a trend that will continue and grow.  Because when it comes right down to it, learning more about each other can only help us all.

Calling All Artists . . . . yes, I mean you!!

I know I’ve said it before but it bears repeating.  If you ask me what fresh ideas are out there for the D-OC, what we can do that hasn’t already been done, without hesitation I’ll say “nothing”.  We’ve thought up all of the great ideas.  And happily, I soon find out I’m wrong!

This time around it is my good friend and awesome BlogHer room-mate Lee Ann who had the brainstorm.  She has announced Diabetes Art Day slated for September 1st. 



The quick explanation is that Diabetes Art Day is a call for anyone with diabetes to create an art piece and post it on September 1st.  Please hop over and read her post for all of the details.

Don’t consider yourself an artist?  Guess what?  I don't consider myself one either.  But I’m going to participate and you should too.  We are all artists, whether we realize it or not.  Every day we do a million little things that are artistic.  Just the simple act of getting dressed in the morning involves art - you are coordinating colors and textures and creating an ensemble.  So unless you walk around stark naked today, you are an artist and you should participate in Diabetes Art Day!

My mind is already spinning with thoughts of what I’ll create.  Being a knitter, I’ve often wondered if it is possible to knit with pump tubing.  This is the perfect chance to find out.  I’ve begun to collect the 8 to 12 test strips I use each day, because they are begging to become art.  I’ve got Play-Doh that followed me home from BlogHer - I may revise my plan of gifting it to my godson and use it for art instead.  Those paper craft supplies and beads in my craft room may finally get some glory too.  Although this is beginning to sound like one tacky piece of D-Art!

I hope you’ll join in for Diabetes Art Day.  You don’t need fancy supplies.  You don’t need to consider yourself an artist.  You just need to think about diabetes and then let go and create.

Weekend Reading - Diabetes Style

If you are like me, you are always interested in finding new diabetes blog and sites that you haven't read yet.  That was one of the delightfully unexpected benefits I discovered during Diabetes Blog Week.

So I was delighted when I received an email from Paul Hench about the list he put together of the Top 50 Diabetes Blogs.  I'm already a big fan of many of these blogs.  There are also quite a few listed that I hadn't discovered yet, and I'm looking forward checking them out.  I'd also like to thank Paul for including my blog on the list.

Have you discovered any new or new-to-you diabetes blogs lately?  Have you just started one yourself?  Leave me a link in the comments, I'd love to check it out!

Diabetes Trash to Diabetes Treasure

The idea of using "diabetes trash" to make art isn't new to me.  My fabulous friend Lee Ann introduced me to this idea quite a while ago.  In fact, she often blogs about the great art therapy sessions she's done involving "d-trash" and I hope to have the opportunity to participate in one some day.

So when Dana sent me an email asking if I could help spread the word about her need for supplies for a diabetes-art project, I was thrilled to help.  In Dana's words

"I am a Type 1 artist, working towards my Masters in Fine Art. My latest body of work  deals with diabetes in theme as well as materials. I am in search of expired or used Medtronic pump equipment packaging. In particular the MiniMed Quick-Set Paradigm."

Here is a picture Dana sent me to show exactly which part of the packaging she is looking for.

If you'd like to send your insertion set packaging to Dana, please shoot me an email and I'll pass along her information to you!

Proof that I can bring knitting into anything!!

A short time ago, Cherise asked if I'd be interested in writing a guest post for her blog.  Not only was I interested, I was down-right honored!!  She graciously told me to write about anything I wanted to.  Hmmmm, anything?  Well, what about knitting?  Click on over to Cherise's blog to see how I "knit together" my favorite hobby and my chronic illness.

You didn't think I'd post today, did you???

That's right, it's December 1st. And that means November NaBloPoMo is complete.

I did it!  And I no longer HAVE TO post every.  Single.  Day.  To be honest, when I signed up for NaBloPoMo I wasn't sure I'd succeed.  30 posts in 30 days.  On two blogs.  It's a tall order, but I did it.  Of course many days I used the same post on both blogs.  In the end, I wrote 46 posts in 30 days.

Did I love feeling pressured to post every day?  No, I didn't.  Did I write some lame posts that are just taking up valuable Cyber-Space?  You bet I did.  Did I still manage to neglect posting about some big topics I need to sit down and write about?  Absolutely.  I still need to write up a review of the new Bayer ContourUSB meter - and I can't believe I didn't get it finished during the 30 days of constant posting!!  But overall, am I glad I signed up for NaBloPoMo?  YES I AM!!!

I had become such a blog slacker before November.  There were months when I barely posted once a week.  Usually I was just being lazy about blogging.  I had gotten out of the habit of being on the lookout for potential post topics.  NaBloPoMo helped remind me how much I like blogging and how many blog topics are there just waiting to be noticed.  I've even had a request to keep up "Sunday Snapshots", so I'll be sure to get a few of those in every month!

Will I post every day in December?  Nope, I can tell you right now that won't happen.  But I will try to post much more than I had been lately.  I'd love to be a consistent Monday - Friday blogger, although I know I'll miss a few days here and there.  Maybe more than a few once the holiday crunch really gets going.   I'm okay with that, because blogging isn't really about how often we post.  It's about the connections we make and the pieces of our lives we share.  That is what's most important and that's what makes blogging so wonderful!

Doing what we have to . . .

As I made my way around the D-OC today to see what people were blogging about, I came across Amy's WayBack Wednesday post and I thought it was funny.  Not Funny Ha-Ha, but Funny-Odd.  Why?  Well, because last night I was in the exact situation she wrote about.

Pete and I had our weekly ballroom lesson.  As we floated around the dance floor (okay, more like stumbled) I heard the shrill beeps of my pump alarm mixing with the music.  The alarm always rattles the ballroom instructors a little, because they know a low is "bad".  After all, I've had to put many a lesson on hold while I slurped down some juice or chomped on some Smarties so I can continue to cha-cha / swing / samba.

This time the message on my pump simply said "Sensor Error".  I told Peter (the instructor) and Pete (the husband) that I would just turn the sensor off.  Peter was concerned, so I began explaining the two parts - the pump and the CGM.  I told him the pump gives me my medicine and was working fine.  The CGM just keeps track of my blood sugar, so turning it off was okay.  I'd still be getting the medicine I needed.

I was pleased that he was interested and even began to ask some more questions about the CGM and finger-sticks and such.  And then, just as in Amy's post, he got That Look on his face and said "I hate needles, I could never do what you do."  I assured him that he could.  No, the needles are not always easy.  But after almost 30 years, I'm used to it and it isn't that big of a deal.  (Although I still dread the CGM needle!!)  When given two choices - inject your insulin or die - the choice is pretty easy. He still didn't look convinced.

The more I think about it today, the more I see both sides.  Yes, the choice is easy.  Inject or die?  Injections are going to win every time.  So in a sense we are not being brave, we are just doing what we need to do to live.  But when I think about it a little more, maybe we are braver than we give ourselves credit for.  Not only do we stick and jab and poke.  But we face and fight this disease every day.  We navigate the frustrations and triumphs.  We try to let the ignorance and rudeness roll off our backs.  We have the threats of complications nagging in the corners of our minds.  But we keep on going.  And tomorrow, we'll get up and do it all again.  Yes, I'd say we are pretty brave after all.

It's MY Time . . .

and it can be YOUR Time too!!

As many of you know, this month is American Diabetes Month.  Over at dLife, a special initiative is going on all month called It's MY Time.  The goal is to encourage those of us with diabetes to reflect on the good things we do to manage our diabetes and to make small changes each week to improve the areas that need some work.

This week is about setting goals and getting motivated with three steps.

Step 1: Assess - Since starting on the pump in 2008 and the CGM earlier this year, I'm managing my diabetes better than I ever have.  I've got the lowest A1C I've ever had, and I'm hoping to see it holding steady when I go back to my endo next month.  But honestly, I still have areas of my management that need more focus and improvement.  I probably always will.  Diabetes has so many facets and factors that it often feels like a juggling act - with more balls than I can possible keep in the air.

Step 2: Make a List - For today, I'm going to limit my list to three good things and three bad things.  What balls am I keeping in the air?

• I've been focusing on healthy eating over the past few months - ridding our cabinets of unhealthy food and buying organic foods with better ingredients as much as possible.  Splenda has been traded for Stevia.  Chemical and preservative loaded treats full of High Fructose Corn Syrup have been swapped for better treats like Back to Nature cookies and Lara Bars.  Instead of eating Nurtri-Grain bars for breakfast, I reach for an organic banana.  Not only are my blood sugars benefiting, but I'm feeling better too.
  
• I test.  A lot.  Eight to ten times a day.
• I always wear my CGM.

And where have I dropped the ball?

• Logging.  I used to log everything . . . all the time.  Over the past few months I've fallen out of the logging habit though.
• Exercise.  I go in spurts where I'm really good about getting a work out in every day.  Unfortunately, those spurts only last a few weeks before I go back to being a slacker.
• Ignoring the CGM alarms.  Yes, I wear my CGM 24/7.  But sometimes, especially over night, I tend to ignore the low alarms.  I decide that it must be off and I'm not really that low.  Or that I'm on the upswing and should just wait for my blood sugar to come back up on its own.
  

Step 3: Prioritize - The last step is to pick one thing to work on improving each week.  I'm going to start with my biggest challenge.  EXERCISE  I had joined that Shred Challenge and did really well for the first week.  Seven workouts in a row.  But then I got sick.  I was stuck on the couch most of last week with barely enough energy to operate the TV remote.  Once a workout streak is broken I have a hard time starting up again.  But yesterday morning, I got a quick 20 minutes in on the treadmill.  This morning I'll do another 20, and my 45 minute ballroom-dance lesson is tonight.

So there you go.  That's MY Time.  How about YOU?  Are you ready to use this month to make some improvements?  Check out It's MY Time and come join the Community Group. Together we can do it, one small step at a time.

Support is a great thing . . .

I've mentioned before that for most of my life I was the only person I knew with diabetes.  That's part of what brought me into the world of diabetes blogging and on-line support groups.  It's part of what makes each and every Fld County Diabetes Dinner so amazing.  It's part of why I enjoyed going to that support group in May.

Yes, you've seen this picture before. Yes, it's the one Kerri took. 

Yes, she was kind enough to let me post it . . . again.

I wish I could regularly attend the support group meetings, but getting to NYC takes too long (and is too expensive) for me to do on a weekly basis.  Lucky for me (and for you too) these talented ladies have launched a web-site.  Introducing . . .

ACT1 DIABETES

The name is an acronym for Adults Coping with Type 1 Diabetes and the group's main goal is to provide all types of support for people living with T1.  The site is still in its beginning stages but they have been working very hard and it is expanding quickly.  There is a page with information about the two support groups they run.  One is for young women, and a second group has been added recently for all people with Type 1.  You can already find information on a new Supply Exchange the group is organizing, and a list of medical professionals in the NYC area who can help those struggling with the emotional side of diabetes.  And you can check out my favorite feature, the daily blog posts by the various group members.

I'm really impressed with what a great resource this site is for those in the NYC area and beyond - but I can't say I'm surprised.  After all, I have been lucky enough to meet the ladies of ACT1.  They are a wonderful group of intelligent, compassionate and dedicated women.  And they know how to have fun!  Please do check out their site and join me in wishing them the best of luck with all upcoming projects!