Monthly Archives: October 2014

Like these links… Vacation edition.

October 3, 2014 – 9:46 am

I’ll be honest with you… I have vacation on the brain right now. Soon I’ll be off for an entire week for the first time all year. So you may not hear much from me for a while. That’s not a bad thing, right?

Especially because there are so many other great places to go to for interesting stories, and things that expand your knowledge. Consider these reading options this week:
 
 
– Kelley at Below Seven talks about how she’s often put up a happy front to help her cope with her diabetes, and how sometimes that sends a message to people that things are always rosy, when maybe they aren’t:

“I guess my main point or word of advice to others is that if someone seems really happy or bubbly, don’t necessarily think that their life is easy.”

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One of my favorite new blogs is written by Ally at Very Light No Sugar (Catchy!). Ally describes how she made a decision at age three to never cry at the doctor’s office. Ever. Now as an adult, she’s examining that decision and how it’s affected her life ever since:

”I see today that my mentality of always being strong was a survival tactic yet a detriment all at once. Some days I have a quick temper because it is easier to be angry than to acknowledge being scared or defeated.”

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– If you’re new to the Diabetes Online Community, or to diabetes in general, I hope someone has turned you on to Diatribe. Kelly Close and her amazing team do an amazing job of providing useful diabetes information (for all types) in an easy-to-read style. Find out about new drugs and devices going through clinical trials, new products hitting the market, research into things like cell encapsulation and what’s really behind your A1c, and much more. I’ve taken to printing the .pdf version and reading it on the train to and from work.

In the latest edition, find out about Abbot’s Freestyle Libre system, the approval of Eli Lilly’s new drug Trulicity for Type 2 patients, information from the Centers for Disease Control on obesity data on a state-by-state basis, and the always-interesting SUM musings from Kerri Sparling, who talks about the CGM in the Cloud phenomenon.
You don’t want to miss this or any issue of Diatribe.

No, I don’t get anything from Diatribe for saying all this. I just think you’ll find it a useful and necessary part of your life. That’s all.

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– Finally… here’s something to scratch your head over. Is a lack of insulin to the brain responsible for alzheimer’s? When I first read this, I remember thinking “How dare they steal my disease!”. Then I started wondering how deep the research really went, and if there really is a connection:

Is Alzheimer’s Disease Brain Diabetes?

Something for me to think about as I pack.

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So… What have you been reading lately?

I hope your weekend is great, and next week is even greater. Talk to you again soon!
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Like these links | Tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

8 Wishes.

October 1, 2014 – 9:28 am

On Monday, I talked a little about the first nine months of the year, and how it has gone for me, and what I hope to accomplish before the new year arrives once again (not counting the Jewish New Year, which just recently began— L’Shanah Tovah to you).

Today I’d just like to give my thoughts on the rest of the Diabetes Community, and my hopes for all of you during October, November, and December:

– I wish for safe deliveries for the expecting D-blogger moms out there who have worked amazingly hard to get where they are, and are bravely telling their stories… I think there are four who are all expecting very soon: Jen, Elizabeth, Jessi, and Kelley.

– I wish for clear answers for people who are searching for them, whether they’re worried about something physical, mental, diabetes- or non-diabetes related, monetary, or spiritual.

– I wish for great weather and fantastic rides throughout the fall to all of my favorite D-blogger bike riders, including but not limited to: Jeff, Victoria, Moira, and now Alecia.

– I wish for continued success in clinical trials while teams fine-tune their artificial/bionic pancreas systems, bringing us closer to the hips (and tummies, and backs, and, you get it) of those who so desperately need it. Like, now.

– Speaking of continued success, I wish for the continued success of efforts like CGM In The Cloud, bringing remote CGM monitoring to the masses for the first time. Thousands of new users, in just a few months.

– For D-students, I wish an awesome school year filled with learning, music, art, and sports. Plus, a friend to share them all with, who will support and encourage them no matter what.

– I wish for people who are unhappy with the Diabetes Online Community to shake off their disappointment and recognize that every Person With Diabetes, and those deeply involved with People With Diabetes, popular or not, are just as deserving as they are. There are no degrees of deserving, and if I don’t get invited to something, it doesn’t mean that the people who are there are to blame. I understand your disappointment… I do. I also recognize that your voice matters. Don’t stop shouting. If you’re still an active member of the DOC, don’t stop shouting. Just not at each other, m’kay? We’ve got plenty of other dragons to slay.

– Most of all, I wish for your happiness through the rest of the year. I wish for lots of special experiences filled with pumpkins, turkey, Christmas trees and dreidels, all filled with laughter and joy and not a hint of diabetes creep.
Most of all, please remember that I support you… no conditions.
 
 
What are your wishes for the rest of the year?
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Additional Inspiration | Tagged , , | Comments (3)