Hangover . . . . .

I’ve spent the last week with what I can best describe as a Friends for Life Hangover.  Lethargic, moody, emotionally achy and just feeling the need to avoid the internet.   Don’t get me wrong, I love the DOC and am so grateful to be able to connect on-line any time day or night.  But there is something crazy special about being in the same room, talking face to face, and hugging it out. 

Meeting friends for the first time in real life.

Reconnecting with friends I don’t get to see enough.

Acting silly.

And just hanging out.

Sometimes I forget how much I need the real-life stuff, in addition to the on-line stuff.  I miss it.  And I have a Friends for Life Hangover.  I kind of wish I could stay there forever.

But. of course, someone at home needs me too.  And she showed me how much she missed me the second I walked through the door.

I missed her.  But still, I miss my Friends for Life too. 

My Favorite Things - #DBlogWeek Day 7

We are down to the last day of another Diabetes Blog Week.  This truly is the most fun week of my year and I’m always a little bit sad when it draws to a close.  But what better way to sum it all up than to look back over the week and share our favorite parts.  Which is exactly what today’s topic, My Favorite Things, is all about.


As we wrap up another Diabetes Blog Week, let’s share a few of our favorite things. This can be anything from a #DBlogWeek post you loved, a fantastic new-to-you blog you found, a picture someone included in a post that spoke to you, or comment that made you smile. Anything you liked is worth sharing!

• I’ve happily discovered a ton of diabetes blogs that are new to me and I can’t wait to get to know you all better.  But the one that really stands out in my mind is April’s blog mygirlblogs.  Her daughter was diagnosed less than a month ago and yes, it’s always hard to hear that someone else has joined our ranks.  But I am endlessly impressed that April is already connecting and blogging and sharing their journey.  I hope we can all make this road a little easier for her and her family.
• As for  my favorite post - well I love each and every post that was shared this week.  But one that really stands out in my mind is the Mantras and More entry from Ilana at Diaturgy.  It’s a mantra and a beautiful story all rolled into one.
• My favorite picture was shared by Laddie at Test Guess and Go for Saturday Snapshots.  It’s like a snapshot meets Diabetes Art Day meets poetry, with a dash of Andy Warhol thrown in.
• I appreciate everyone who took the time to read my posts this week and to leave me a comment.  You guys are the best.  But I have to send a special THANK YOU out to Katy of Bigfoot Child Have Diabetes for leaving the sweetest comments every single day.  You rock, Katy.

There is honestly so much more I could share today, because about every part of this week has been my favorite.  But, if you are like me, there are a lot more posts on this week’s link lists that are waiting to be read - so let’s get to it  and discover a few more favorites!!

Looking for more favorites from this week?  Check out the My Favorite Things - Sunday 5/18 Link List.

What is Diabetes Blog Week? Click here for an explanation.  You can also check out a list of participants over here.

Stepping Stones . . . . .

Over the weekend I finally attended my first Diabetes Sisters conference.  Over the past few years I’ve been hoping to go, but each year something would pop up and I’d have to take it off my calendar.  Luckily this year was the year, and I’m so glad I finally attended.  I think I may be a Diabetes Conference Junkie, but honestly these events are so important for kick starting me and getting my butt back in the game.

There are some great posts already shared about the weekend. Stacey gave a wonderful recap of the conference as a whole.  Rachel shared fantastic thoughts about the need for us to judge less and stand together more.  And Kelley captured the whole feel of the conference for a first timer (like me).

The theme this year was Stepping Stones and I’ve been thinking a lot about what that means to me.  The journey with diabetes is a long one, and quite frankly there isn’t a finish line.  Treatments may change over the years, but the path still goes on and I often lose my way.  So for me, Stepping Stones are the small changes I can make to get back to where I need to be.  I came home and decided this week I’ll work on making healthy food choices.  I’ve worked hard to figure out how to bolus for almost anything without completely wreaking my blood sugar.  Deep down inside I feel I’ve earned the right to eat anything I want, because I did my time during my teenage years on the highly restrictive exchange diet.  But both the “Diabetes from Head to Toe” and the “Body Wars” sessions were a big wakeup call that eating healthy foods is more important than feeling entitled to eat junk if I can keep my blood sugar in range.  My Stepping Stone this week has been to make the choice to eat nutritious foods and log what I’m eating.  Because I’m less likely to scarf down half of my Easter basket if I have to see all that chocolate staring back at me from my LoseIt app.  One dessert after dinner is fine for the day’s indulgence, thank you very much.  (You can find descriptions of the sessions here.)

I think my favorite part of the conference was the dinner on Saturday night.  One by one we walked on stage to celebrate our years living with diabetes and to accept a small gift.  I admit to getting a bit teary eyed when we applauded collectively living with diabetes for 923 years and 3 months.  We each received a small stone inscribed with one of several words.  It was perfect that my stone says “Inspire” because that is what I needed and what Diabetes Sisters Weekend for Women did for me.

The other thing I really needed, and am thankful to have gotten, was to connect with my friends, old and new.  I spend a lot of time alone and feel more and more disconnected and isolated and lonely with each passing day.  I’m so grateful for the on-line support of the DOC but haven’t been making those social media connections the priority I should lately.  I needed that weekend spent together, off-line and in real life, even more than I realized.

Thank you, Stacey, for letting me use your picture!!

These ladies, quite simply, inspire me more than they know.

Ooops!!!

So today is Day 1 of the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge from Wego Health.  The fact that I don’t have a post and am using one of my two “Get Out of Post Free” cards does not bode well for me.  However, I have spent the day traveling back from Los Angeles after a fantastic few days with some marvelous DOC members for the second Medtronic Diabetes Activist Forum.  More about that, along with my attempt to post every day for the rest of April, after I get caught up on some much needed sleep!!

Observations from JDRF Government Day

So it’s been over a week since I returned from D.C. and my very first JDRF Government Day.  A week filled with WTF blood sugars, lots of mopey and cranky moodiness, and an icky virus - all impeding my ability to write a coherent post on the magic that was Gov. Day.  So maybe a rambled bullet list of highlights will have to do.

• Busy is good - especially when you feel overwhelming home-sickness.  Our schedule was pretty packed from the time we arrived to the time we left, but I really enjoyed that.  For some reason I was very home-sick on this trip . . . . even before my train had left Connecticut I was missing home.
• Diabetes is a strong bond.  I think part of the reason I felt so home-sick was because I didn’t know anyone at Gov. Day - beyond some emails and phone calls.  Meals with large groups of strangers usually aren’t in my comfort zone, but weirdly enough I didn’t feel like anyone was a stranger.  We all either had diabetes or love someone who does, and somehow that makes an instant friendship form . . . . especially when you need help buying your Metro ticket because your blood sugar is 47 and you can’t work the machine.
• Bloggers will always somehow find each other.  As I walked to the elevator for breakfast my first morning there, I met up with a woman named Kathy who I had seen at the “newbie session” the day before.  As we sat together eating and chatting, the subject of pumps came up and she said she used to use an Animas.  When I asked if she had gone back to MDIs, she told me she had an islet transplant and I was like “Oooohhhhh, wait, I KNOW you!!”  It was Kathy from My New Islets - whose blog I had recently commented on saying I hoped to meet her at Gov. Day!!  Soon after, to  my delight, Type 1 Advocate Gramma came over and introduced herself.  We also ran into each other at lunch on The Hill, and she was smart enough to get a picture (which I’ve shamelessly stolen).  She is awesome!
• Introductions are powerful and will make me cry.  That first morning we went around the room and each told a little bit about ourselves, and it was amazing.  (It may have been my favorite part of the whole weekend.)  There were people newly diagnosed, and people living with diabetes for 40 or 50 years.  There were parents with one or multiple children and grandchildren with diabetes, and some who had lost their loved ones to the disease.  There were spouses and siblings and pregnant diabetics.  There was a pump company employee who hopes to be out of a job one day because diabetes has been cured.  We were a varied mix of people touched by diabetes, but each and every story was a huge inspiration and will stay with me for a long long time.
• I’ve never considered myself much of a fundraiser, but government advocacy can raise more funds than you’d ever imagine.  Our mission in D.C. was to lobby our representatives to support the renewal of the Special Diabetes Program.  Renewal of its two parts will ensure $150 million for research to prevent and cure diabetes and its complications, and $150 million in diabetes funding for the Native American population.  Not.  Too.  Shabby.
• Does the thought of meeting with political big-wigs make you shake in your shoes?  Me too, but I now realize how silly this is.  Our representatives are just people, and since they represent us it is their job to hear about our needs.  You are the expert on life with diabetes, and JDRF provides the political information you’ll be discussing and does a terrific job training you on how the meeting will go.  (Shout out to JDRF Government Relations manager Neils Knutson and his session “What to Expect when you’re Expecting . . . . to meet with your Representative” for giving us first timers all the info we needed!)
• Would I change anything about the experience?  Well, just a few minor things.  I wish our hotel had been more central to D.C. - we were out in Arlington, Virginia and getting around was kind of a hassle.  Shuttle service didn’t exactly run on schedule and the Metro can be difficult for a first timer (especially when dealing with a low blood sugar, as mentioned above.)  Cabs were an option, but would not be reimbursed.  I’m all for keeping overhead low to allow for more money to diabetes research, but as a volunteer with a very tight budget (since Pete and I are still unemployed and keep getting turned down for everything we apply to) it was tough to worry about choosing between getting lost in D.C. with a low blood sugar or spending money on food and transportation that may not be reimbursed.

Before I knew it, I was back on the train home and looking forward to seeing Pete and K.C. and sleeping in my own bed.  That’s when it hit me that OMG I actually lobbied to Congress on Capital Hill!  I guess I’m no longer that shy girl who never spoke in class and went to great lengths to hide diabetes.  And that’s why I mean it when I say “life with diabetes isn’t all bad “.

If you’d like to become a JDRF Advocate, you can sign up at http://advocacy.jdrf.org

Diabetes in the Background

Saturday was one of those once-in-a-lifetime, amazing kind of days.  Saturday was the New York City stop of #Simonpalooza.  What is Simonpalooza?  It’s what happens when a handsome guy with Type 1 diabetes works many long hours to save up for an epic trip from Australia to the US, with stops in L.A., Kansas City and NYC.

So there we were.  Over a dozen people with diabetes (and a couple without) gathered at a chic bowling alley in New York City.  (I know, “bowling alley” and “chic” don’t usually get used together - but this place had quite an atmosphere.)  And do you know what?  We didn’t talk about diabetes!!  We were just a bunch of good friends (some of whom were just meeting for the first time) hanging out and bowling.  We laughed.  We goofed around.  We ate the  most amazing cupcakes!!



Diabetes? It flew under the radar that day.  Sure, the was some D-Talk as I took the train from Connecticut with Kerri and Briley.  And at the bowling alley, people chugged water to combat highs or passed around the glucose tabs to treat lows.  But the day was all about the epic meet-up we were attending, and not really about diabetes at all.  It was simply about spending some precious time with some very good friends.



I love that we educate and advocate and focus so much on diabetes.  But do you know what I love even more?  I love that on Saturday, diabetes spent the day in the background.  Because sometimes, that’s just the way it should be.

(Thanks to Kerri for loaning pictures to the girl who always forgets her camera!!  Otherwise this poor post would be picture-free.)

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.

Just the beginning . . .

“This one day is a small step - just the beginning”  That is what Amanda Sheldon, Director of Public Relations, told us as we began our day Friday at the Medtronic Diabetes Advocate Forum.  In some ways, it was just a small step.  And in others, it was a big one.

Katie Szyman, President of the Diabetes Business Unit, told us that most of the Business Units (including their largest unit, Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management) connect mainly with physicians.  The Diabetes Unit is different - it is more about connecting with patients, supporting us and listening to us.  Learning more about our needs can help them decide what to focus product development on - which makes sense to me since I'm the one managing my disease 24/7 and using my pump throughout the day and night.  Not only did the Medtronic Executives listen to what we had to say that day (and we had a lot to say), but Karrie Hawbaker, Public Relations Manager, was also reporting questions from Twitter via the #MedtronicDAF hashtag.

Although they were not able to speak about any new product development that has not yet gotten FDA approval, we did get a sneak peak at some things that have gotten the green light.  You probably already have heard that CareLink is now Mac compatible.  We also previewed MyMedtronic Connect, a new mobile phone app and we exchanged feedback on that.  While some said it wouldn’t be useful to them, I think I would use it to check the on-line store and my order status, and to set reminders for myself to order supplies.  I’d probably go to the app first when looking for Airport Security tips and to review the Travel Checklist.  I also had no idea about the Travel Loner Program until I saw it in the app.  I believe the point was brought up both in the room and via Twitter that it would be nice to have our CareLink info - especially the reports and charts - on the app.  Unfortunately, FDA approval is needed before that can happen.

I hate to play favorites, but I think my favorite speaker was Lane Desborough, Product Strategist.  He is a Mechanical Engineer who joined the Medtronic team after his son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.  My husband is also a Mechanical Engineer, and I can attest that engineers seem to have brains that never quit.  Pete is always looking at things and trying to figure out how they work and how they can be made better.  I got the impression that Lane thinks like that too, and I'm thrilled to know the Product Strategist is a Mechanical Engineer.  Lane showed us his representation of a Person With Diabetes and their “Batman Belt”, or all of the supplies we need to carry around.


Lane spoke about working to cut down the bulk.  He spoke about working to relieve some of the burden of diabetes management through better equipment.  Todd Rubin, Director of CGM joined the conversation and they spoke about SAFETY being most important and designing for the “abnormal” circumstances rather than normal ones.  They spoke about the balance of wanting a product to have EVERY new feature patients wish for and not taking FOREVER to get a new product out.  If there are eight great new improvements ready, but the ninth improvement on the wish list is significantly holding things up, the tough choice is sometimes made to drop that ninth improvement and move it to the next generation.  Safety and timeliness are factors I had never considered when I whine about why my pump can't do this or that or be thin and small like an iPod.

Overall I think the day was a big success.  I know I learned a lot and I could tell the Medtronic staff did too.  Sure, a few things were discussed that I didn’t, and probably won’t ever, agree with - like the discussion of why someone might not want a pump and how to educate them.  I’m always the first to speak up about how I feared going on a pump, how listening to others in the D-OC who had those fears too but tried the pump anyway gave me the courage to do it, and how it has been the best management decision for me.  But the most important words are FOR ME.  We are all different, and pumping is a very personal decision.  Others may do much better on MDIs than they could on a pump, and I respect that.  Also, Scott pointed out the at times finances can prohibit a pump more than personal choice.

I do hope this was truly “just the beginning” of communication between Medtronic and the on-line patient community.  I do hope other companies make strides to increase communication as well.  It may seem like one small step, but it goes miles towards bringing us all together for the good of the patient as well as the company.

If you’d like to see more pictures from the Forum you can view the Medtronic  Flickr Set.  The set also include pictures taken before the Sensor Manufacturing Tour, which I’ll write about in another post.

Unpacking . . .

Thursday I boarded the plane I was so nervous to board and flew out to Los Angeles for the Medtronic Diabetes Advocate Forum - in which Medtronic invited a group of people from the Diabetes On-Line Community to their headquarters for a conference.  Yesterday I did it all in reverse to come back home.  I stared out the window or read my book and tried to think of wide open spaces whenever I started feeling cramped.  It wasn’t that bad.  And even if the flight had measured up to my worst fear, it still would have been worth it when I factored in the experiences that awaited me in California.

I’m spending today unpacking and organizing my luggage.  And I’m also unpacking and organizing my thoughts.  It is unbelievable how much I had the good fortune to experience in such a short time.  I won’t lie, I was nervous when I left - and not just about the flight.  I was nervous about the people I’d be meeting and the sessions I’d be attending.  What if I sounded like an idiot or totally embarrassed myself?  Well, okay, I guess I did  just that when the topic came up about how floppy the Minimed CGM is - before rational thought kicked in I found myself hopping up in front of a room full of Medtronic employees and my peers and flashing my upper butt cheek to show how the sensor and transmitter need to be completely taped down.  (Note to self: it’s best to keep your butt cheeks covered in public!!)  Hopefully I also contributed some useful insights along with my public nudity.

So yes, I was nervous.  But here’s the thing . . . the Medtronic employees seemed nervous too.  They genuinely wanted to make sure the forum was beneficial to us and that we weren’t bored and yawning half way through our day.  (We weren’t - each and every speaker was fabulous, every employee I met rocked and the tour of the sensor factory was fascinating).  They made snacks and beverages available to us all day.  We were encouraged to get up and take a break any time we needed to - they even had some rooms set aside with computers and phones if we needed to check in on our lives back home.  They admitted they worried about trying to pack too much into our day - and we admitted the day seemed to fly by and we would’ve loved to have had more time!  As I mentioned when I spoke on the WEGO Socialpalooza panel, I believe both patients and pharma / medical tech companies will benefit from two-way interaction.  The Diabetes Advocate Forum made that belief even stronger.

My two days in L.A. also strengthened my belief that the D-OC is amazing!  I was lucky to connect with some old friends, meet some on-line friends in person for the first time, and get to know some great people I hadn’t had much contact with before.  My two days in L.A. were also pretty exhausting, so I was glad to spend some down time on Saturday seeing a few sights.  I also want to mention that the Hotel Palomar and their staff were fabulous and really go out of their way to make sure their guests are comfortable.  I was even encouraged to go behind the front desk at 4:45 am and help myself to coffee while I waited for my ride to the airport.

Enjoying coffee and scenery (but hey, no sunshine??) on the Santa Monica Pier.

So now I’m back home, trying to sort out my suitcase and my experiences.  K.C. is showing how much she missed me be sticking to me like glue, gazing at me as if to make sure I’ve really come back to her, and taking every opportunity she can to give me kitty kisses and nuzzles.  Pete seems just as happy to have me back - although he has kindly refrained from following me around the house and staring at me when I’m not looking.  Once I catch up with them and pour over the notes I took during the Forum I’ll have a lot more to share with you.  And yes, I did take notes, pages and pages of notes . . .  it was almost like I was back in college!!

Disclosure: Medtronic paid for my flight to and from L.A., for two nights in the hotel, and for my meals on Thursday and Friday.  I was not asked to blog or tweet, and my opinions are my own.  My decision to stay an extra day for sight-seeing was also my own and paid for by me . . .. or more accurately, paid for by my wonderful husband since I’m still unemployed at the moment.

Tongue-in-cheek disclosure: As I finish this post, I find my blood sugar is “scary low” (a.k.a. “low low”, a.k.a. “holy crap, meter, are you really telling my my blood sugar is 35?”).  So  perhaps this is all just a foggy low-blood sugar hallucination.

Live from New York . . . .

it's the D-OC!!!

Every year Cara, a die-hard Broadway Fan, makes a trip to New York City.  This year I was finally able to attend the annual diabetes meet up.  Yay!!!  We all met for lunch at Le Pain Quotidien at noon.  (Although one of us was very late because the only subway she knew would get her up-town to the right stop wasn't running on Sunday.  Stupid subway!!)

From left to right: Erik and Allison, Gina, Scott, Cara, Jason and Lee Ann, me, Tina, Stacey, Mara and  my hubby Pete.

After a fun lunch, a bunch of us took advantage of the beautiful weather by strolling through Central Park.  I suppose we looked a bit odd when we all gathered in a circle, pulling out our pumps to compare the various features.  It seemed pretty natural to me though!

Once we made our way back down to 59th street, it was about time to say our good-byes.  Pete and I were up for some more walking, and since we'd pass Cara's hotel on our way back to Grand Central, the three of us set off down 5th Avenue.  I was really lucky to snag some extra time to chat with Cara.  And I couldn't help but get a touristy picture of us in Rockefeller Center.

It's always such fun to take on-line connections made though blogging and Twitter and bring them into the real world.  I'm sure other tourists people-watching in NYC would never have guessed that Cara and I met for the first time just a couple of hours before.  They would probably have bet that we were old friends.  Because when you get right down to it, we are!

Out into the World . . . .

I love my computer.  I spend way too much a lot of time on blogs and Twitter and Facebook.  I'm always more comfortable behind the keyboard than face to face.  That's not to say I haven't been to a few meet-ups and Diabetes Dinners and other great events.  But mostly it's just shy little me and my laptop.

This picture scares me in a "Terminator" kind of way.

Next week, I'm going out into the real world for a couple events that I'm pretty excited about.  The first is the Boston Health Activist Meetup hosted by Wego Health.  When I first received the email about it, I was pretty interested but I wasn't sure I could go.  I'm actually a few hours away from Boston and I figured a Thursday evening trip might not really work out.  I mentioned it to Pete in passing, and he really encouraged me to go.  So today I changed my "maybe" RSVP status to "Attending" and I can't wait to see who I'll meet and what's in store for us!

Two days later is the ADA Expo in Hartford.  I've never been to one of these before, so I'm not quite sure what it will be like.  But cooking demos?  Product exhibitors?  Leading experts?  All cool!!

So here I go.  Out from behind the computer screen and off to do some D-Stuff in real life.  I'm looking forward to it.  Anyone else in the Boston / Connecticut area attending either of these events?  I'll keep an eye out for you!

Diabetes in my dreams . . .

When dreams enter my slumber, they are often extremely vivid and fairly weird.  I used to make my former co-workers laugh with stories of the odd dreams I had about them the night before.  Last night, my dreams were ruled by diabetes.

The first one was about blogging.  To be honest, the raging case of Blog Block I'm currently cursed with has been on my mind a lot.  I've been wanting to blog but can't think of a single topic worth the time you'd spend to read my post.  So it didn't surprise me that blogging worked it's way into my dreams.  In the dream, I had the perfect blog topic.  I was going to reveal my deepest, darkest diabetes secret to you all.  It would be hard.  It would be a gut-wrenching post.  But I was ready to take the plunge.  Anyone who came across my post would be shocked by my confession, but I was going to lay it all out for the world to see.  The topic?  I have no idea.  In the light of day, I really don't have a deep dark diabetes secret to reveal to you.  I do know in the dream, I was going to talk about my non-compliant days.  The time during college when I never tested my blood, when I ate whatever I wanted in the cafeteria, when I went to parties and drank the mystery punch with who knows what alcohol.  But I know I've admitted that before.  I don't really consider it a deep dark diabetes secret.  I more consider it a rite of passage for those of us diagnosed at a young age.

My second diabetes dream last night was about a meet up with another D-OC member. Again, this dream came up short.  We were on the phone making our plans.  We would meet later that day, and we got our meeting time all squared away.  Then I realized I had no idea WHERE we were meeting.  Panic ensued.  And the dream ended - long before I even set out to meet my friend.  Quite a let-down, no?

And that's it.  A couple of weird diabetes dreams.  Neither of which gave me much to work with in the light of day.  Once again, diabetes is just messing with me.  At least I got a blog post out of it this time.  I'd say that's a win for me!

Sometimes diabetes is just the icebreaker . . .

Diabetes can be a lot of things all rolled into one. A chronic illness, a pain the the ass, a character builder . . . the list goes on and on. But I have found that diabetes can also be an icebreaker, creating a bond that leads to so much more.

Before I started this blog, I didn't know anyone else with Type 1. So it seemed somewhat surreal on Tuesday when I met Kerri on a train to Grand Central for a Woman's Diabetes Support Meeting. I wasn't sure what to expect and I was a little nervous. I anticipated only that we would talk about the disease we all live with every day, and that I would get to see LeeAnn again. Then the meeting started, and I suddenly heard people saying things that I was sure nobody felt but me.

"Sometime when I go low, I just can't stop eating even though I know I've scarfed down more than enough to bring me back up."
"I was so scared to go on the pump, because I didn't want it attached to me all the time. I had done MDIs for so long that I was used to them and didn't want to change."
"When I was younger, I didn't want anybody to know I had diabetes."
"For a long time, I didn't take care of myself the way I should have. And now I'm so scared that I'll pay with complications."

Each time one of us took a deep breath and confessed something, I would see nods of understanding and hear "me too" muttered quietly. I was surprised at how quickly the 90 minutes went by and disappointed when it was time to leave the room or risk being locked in overnight.  Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was sorry that our time was up, because most of the group ended up at a nearby diner for more chatting.

Thank you, Kerri, for not only being the guest speaker and my traveling companion that night,  but the official event photographer as well. She was kind enough to send me this picture for my post, since I forgot to get a picture too.

As it turns out, diabetes was only the icebreaker. Our group had many other things to talk about, like weddings, careers, husband and boyfriends (and the benefits of having one of each) and shopping.

The train ride with Kerri was the same, with diabetes simply being the icebreaker to a friendship.  Sure, any eavesdroppers on the train might have heard two women with Type 1 discussing lows and pumps and CGMs. But they also would have heard two friends talking about normal, every day topics. Husbands, parents, grandmas, jobs, best friends, hot guys, cat vomit, workouts on The Jag, trolls locked in the bathroom and dying yarn with Kool-Aid.  You know, normal stuff.

It's nice when the icebreaker of diabetes can fade away and real friendships grow in its place.

Sweet, Sweet San Diego . . .

So as it turns out, Pea got sent to San Diego for work last week.  I decided to tag along, and we managed to fit some play time in too.

San Diego is the sweetest city I've ever seen.  The weather is sweet.  The beach is sweet.

It was about 80 degrees and I got a bit sunburned, and I loved it.  I can now say I've touched the Pacific Ocean as well as the Atlantic.  And wwwaaaayyy out there?  It wasn't Long Island, like when I look out at home.  It was Mexico.  Wow.

The Trolley Tour was sweet.  We saw Old Town, where we ate the best Mexican food ever.

Yup, Mexican two days in a row. Poor Dual Wave feature really got a work out.

We saw the sweet Gas Lamp district, where we had many an awesome breakfast at Richard Walkers and found those incredible cupcakes from my last post.  And we hopped around sweet Seaport Village to see the sights and browse the shops.

 

We found a sweet spot in Balboa Park to enjoy some southern California scenery.

But by far, the sweetest thing about San Diego was the fact that I was going to be meeting up with the D-OC's own Ninjabetic, George!!!  Even sweeter was that he had a little surprise for me.  He brought Scott with him!!  OH. MY. GOODNESS.  Could my smile have been any bigger?

It was a bit surreal and I was a wee bit confused when George said he brought a friend.  I knew it was Scott the minute I saw him, but I knew Scott doesn't live in California and it took my brain a minute or so to work the whole thing out.  I would have loved to have seen the look on my face.  (Guys, did I look like I didn't know what the heck was going on?)

We had a wonderful dinner at Denny's where we ate, talked, laughed and cried.  Not to worry, we only cried because we were laughing so hard.  We had the best waitress ever.  Scott had some fun by convincing her that we travel around the country eating at as many Denny's as we could find.  She was an incredibly good sport though.  Of course, she won George over when she brought him a whole carafe of Diet Coke.  See it in the front of the picture?  (It's empty, of course!) 

And yes, that's my infamous sunburn. In February. A SUNBURN IN FEBRUARY!! YEE HAA!

Our meet-up was over far too soon, but we had  to be up at 3am catch an early flight out.  And now, we are home, sadly, where it is barely above freezing and there are no Ninjabetics or Surprise Scotts.  But for them, the adventure continues.  Pop on over and hear about it here.

DRI Conference - Fun, Informative, Inspiring!!

I was one of the lucky people in the New York City area who was able to attend the Diabetes Research Institute's day-long conference, DIABETES 2.0 -Harnessing New Technologies in Research and Treatment. There is probably no way to actually sum up this experience in words. Although it was a very long day, starting with a 6 am train ride and ending with a 6:30 pm blogger dinner and a 9 pm train ride home, the hours flew by. The sessions were very informative and the first two took away some of my cynical doubting attitude about the chance of a cure in my life-time. (I do believe a cure for diabetes will be found.  I just sometimes doubt that it will be found in my life-time.  But the information I saw on Saturday made me more hopeful). Another session inspired me to get back on track with my exercising, and had me on the treadmill this morning before 7 am - and before the excuses for skipping my workout cropped up. The last session, about Diabetes Burn-Out, left us with lots of laughs and good tips.

Equally as important as the information was the social aspect of the day. I was fortunate enough to meet a whole gang of fellow diabetes bloggers. It was awesome to spend the day with a bunch of people who really get what I live with every day, because they do too. Some people I "knew" from their blogs, and it was great to put real-life faces and personalities to their on-line ones. Others were new friends who's blogs have quickly been added to my feed reader. All were delightful! I was battling high blood sugars all day, but my frustration was lessened when several others admitted theirs wouldn't come down either. I think maybe the conference center was pumping a sugar-mist into the air! (Just kidding.)

So, who did I meet? Well, it's easy to remember because my Event Photographer was on hand to take some group shots. In this first one, we are striking our best Rockette pose - but I obviously missed the announcement that our pumps were supposed to be on display.

We quickly realized we had left out a few key people and gathered again for another group shot.

From left to right: Scott (who it turns out I went to college with), Fran, Gina, me, Lee Ann,

Val, Kelly, Allison, Amy and Bernard (who Pea and I were fortunate to spend the train ride home with).

If you ever have the opportunity to attend an event like this, I would highly recommend it. As my post title stated, it was fun, it was informative and it was inspiring.

I thought I'd end this post with a little video that was mistakenly taken as we were lined up for pictures. It seems my camera was on the wrong setting, so we got some inadvertent video footage. There isn't much to it, but I think you can hear our laughter and the fun we were having.

So yeah, I guess the red light really means the camera is recording video!

You've got mail . . . eerrr, dinner . . .

Last night, I did something I've never done before. I sat down to dinner with three other Type 1s. Three complete strangers, who quickly felt like friends. People who I met thanks to the Internet and the Diabetic OC.

You may have read over at Kerri's blog about the Fld County Diabetes Dinner she arranged. The idea appealed to me immediately for two reasons. 1) I live in Fld County and 2) I've never ever shared a dinner with other Type 1s. I was nervous, yes, hoping I wouldn't revert back to Junior High Karen who was painfully shy. As it turns out, there was absolutely no need for nerves or shyness.

I arrived a bit early, and babbled to the hostess that I was meeting a group - but I didn't know how many of us there were or what name the reservation was under. Luckily, a minute later, Kerri showed up to take charge. She also babble to the hostess that she didn't know how many of us there were (and that we didn't have a reservation because we didn't need one on a Monday night). From that moment, I knew things were going to be fine (although I'm sure the restaurant staff wasn't as optimistic!!)

We were seated at a table with a clear view of the door so we could attempt to watch for others meeting us. Soon J joined us, and a few minutes later R arrived. We all chatted so much that the poor waiter had to come back three times before we were ready to order. We compared how long we've had diabetes (I "won" with almost 29 years, but all false pride at that fact was lost when I realized this also meant I was the oldest person at the table). We "pumped" J for her perspective on being diagnosed as an adult, just 6 months ago. We listened to R's insights about going through pregnancy as at Type 1. We were entertained by D-blogging stories that only Kerri could tell. We talked about husbands and boyfriends and parents. We talked about jobs and cats and dogs. We talked about lows and highs. We tested our blood sugar (and no one asked what the results were). We ate our dinner, and we talked and shared and laughed until the waiters started putting up chairs and turning off lights in a desperate attempt to make us go home!

A shared disease is no guarantee that people will be compatible, but these three women are people I would be happy to hang out with even without the diabetes bond. The fact that we could share our diabetes trials and tribulations with people who really get it was the icing on the cake. (And yes, we can have cake, we just need to bolus for it!)