Monthly Archives: December 2017

Diabetes Strong is here… and so is your opportunity to start the new year fit.

December 29, 2017 – 10:11 am

Have you heard of The Fit Blog? Not anymore you haven’t… because The Fit Blog is now known as Diabetes Strong.

Christel Oerum and her husband Tobias have revamped their previous website devoted to healthy eating and meaningful exercise, to create an online resource for People With all types of Diabetes, sharing information, tips, and even coaching to help PWDs live happier, more active lives. They even provide a platform for inspirational stories, like the one from Sweet Zoo‘s Jennifer Christensen, talking about her first half marathon back in October.

And now, you have the opportunity to join the Diabetes Strong nation and get your New Year off to a tremendous start by participating in the Fit With Diabetes Challenge.

Image courtesy of Diabetes Strong


Starting January 3, it’s a four week fitness program where Christel and some of the smartest people in nutrition, exercise, weight management, and more will help you kick off 2018 the finest way possible. And the best part? It’s totally free!

Want more? How about giveaways that include gifts from Challenge sponsors mySugr, One Drop, and Myabetic. Win, win, and win.
 
 
There are five things that participants in the Fit With Diabetes Challenge will take part in:

1. Daily activities or “challenges” that take you through everything you need to do in a step-by-step fashion

2. Articles covering the most important topics on diabetes and weight management

3. Weekly meal plans

4. Workout programs that you can do during the challenge (home and gym workouts)

5. A Facebook support group for challenge participants in which you can ask questions, share your experiences and connect with other people who want to be Fit With Diabetes
 
 
The challenge is open to all fitness levels (or non-fitness levels)… and again, it’s totally free!

Here’s what I want you to do:

1. Visit the new Diabetes Strong. You will love it.
diabetesstrong.com

2. Sign up for the Fit With Diabetes Challenge.
diabetesstrong.com/diabetes-challenge
 
 
Start the new year off the best way possible… with the Fit With Diabetes Challenge, beginning January 3 at Diabetes Strong!

By StephenS | Posted in Exercise | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

2018, you have big shoes to fill.

December 26, 2017 – 10:11 am

Well, it’s been a heck of a year, hasn’t it?

2017 has been the most full, and probably most fulfilling, of my years here at Happy Medium. This year has been quite a bit different from previous years too. Different in a good way.

January started with the beginning of my life on Dexcom, inserting the G5 and employing it as a useful tool in my diabetes management. Even if I complained about sensor and transmitter issues, and having to wear one more thing.

February included participation in the second Diabetes Podcast Week. I really love podcasting, and I wish I had more time to fit it into my schedule. I also shared a few notable quotes, and why they inspire me.

In March, I reported for the fifth time on what is now the JDRF TypeOneNation Summit in Bethesda. They’re getting better at bringing adults into the conversation. I also took the time to remind everyone that Nobody Ever Died from Obamacare.

April 1st marked the March for Health, in many cities across America. I was fortunate enough to be able to speak at the march in Washington, D.C., in the shadow of our nation’s capital. I also shared a story from my personal life that showed me how important it is to support your friends. It wasn’t about what I did… it was about what I learned.

Diabetes Blog Week returned in May this year, and it was wonderful, as always. Also in May, I took time to attend a public workshop at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. I learned a lot about FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and the drug approval and after-market inspection process.

June brought about the rollouts of the new Accu-Chek Guide glucose meter, and (finally) the Dexcom G5 Mobile App for Android. I couldn’t be happier. I finished up the month with a meeting among diabetes friends, and it reminded me that we need each other now more than ever.

In July, I completed my local 5k run again, and did fairly well for a 55 year old who is a slow runner. I also attended another in the continuing #BeyondA1c discussions, and it was amazing, even if the information shared, at times, felt like I was trying to drink from a fire hose.

August posts included a note on conversations and my reaction to them. “It is always about enlightenment and being more comfortable being myself, and being myself with my diabetes.”

September was a hard month. I went through an unexpected emergency appendectomy, which included a very unexpected complication. Fortunately, I’m all better now.

In October, I shared my new role as a member of Maryland’s Advisory Council on Health and Wellness, and how this new role means I’ll be serving more than just the diabetes patients in my state. I’ll be serving all of the citizens of my state.

In November, I tried to remind everyone that while advocacy is often practiced with a little “a”, the effects of that advocacy can be very big indeed. I also went to a meeting at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where I discovered that I was Enlightened, but Unknowing.

And in December, I’ve talked about doing a trial of the new-to-the-USA Freestyle Libre CGM. And I presented a list of 8 gifts that People With Diabetes could really use right now.

I would be remiss if I neglected to mention the two wonderful Diabetes UnConferences that took place in February and October. Or the fact that we’ve sent out another 15 or 20 Champion Athlete With Diabetes medals. These are feel good stories every single time. I also love hosting the Diabetes By The Numbers podcast, and hope to bring you more episodes in 2018. And thanks to Cherise Shockley and the followers on Twitter for the privilege and fun times shared while hosting some of the #DSMA chats throughout the year.

Thanks also to Christel Marchand Aprigliano for the honor and privilege of representing DPAC at Friends for Life events in July and October. We learn from heroes. We are supported by friends.

This is where I express my gratitude to you for visiting this space on a regular basis… I could do this without you, but it wouldn’t be as meaningful or as fun. Also, I hope that you have had a full and fulfilling year too. Finally, I want to strongly express my desire for all of us to work toward less division, less cost, more access, more support, and mostly, less burden of living with diabetes.

Goodbye 2017… you were a whirlwind, but a remarkable year.

Hello 2018… you have some pretty big shoes to fill.

By StephenS | Posted in Milestones | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

The Freestyle Libre (part 1)

December 21, 2017 – 10:11 am

Disclosure first: I was given the Freestyle Libre continuous glucose monitor to try at home. Abbott is covering the cost of the device and two sensors. I am not being compensated in any other way. All opinions on my brief experience with this device are my own, as always.

You might have noticed a lot of talk about the Freestyle Libre gaining approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a couple of months back. That means that we here in the United States now have access to a device that has been a hit in Europe for a couple of years now.
 
 
Since I was given the receiver and a couple of sensors to try, I am happy to share my experiences using the Freestyle Libre. The setup was easy and completed without even checking the enclosed user manual and other material (more on that in a minute).
 
 
The initial two things I have to say about it fall under the Bad Thing/Good Thing heading.
 
 
Bad Thing: all of the documentation I received is in Spanish. The user manual and quick start guide are all en espanol. I can read and comprehend some Spanish, but not enough to feel confident using a medical device.
But… Good Thing: The online tutorials were terrific, and all I needed to get started.
 
 
Bad Thing: The Freestyle Libre calibration process takes 12 hours.
Good Thing: It’s true… this CGM does not require a fingerstick to calibrate.
 
 
I think that’s enough to start with. If you want to see what others have to say about the Freestyle Libre, just look around a bit… you’ll find plenty of information and opinion. Then come back here, as I will likely have more to tell as the next 20 days or so pass.
 
 
One more thing: I am thrilled that there is another tool for People With Diabetes to choose from to help them manage their misbehaving pancreases. As a community, I hope we can continue to encourage and empower choice and access for everyone.

By StephenS | Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

Be kind. Be supportive.

December 12, 2017 – 10:11 am

Do you ever feel like you’ll never be able to catch up? Like, you’re in that dream where you can’t possibly run faster, but you can’t run fast enough?

I think we all experience that sort of thing from time to time. Some people live for that kind of existence… if they’re not struggling to keep up, they think there must be something wrong. Others get overstressed the minute they schedule one meeting to start exactly when the previous meeting is set to end.

Gee… we all react differently to stress. Not exactly a scoop of a story, from my point of view. How we react to stress tells us exactly nothing.

Honestly, we do all react differently to stress, including the fact that some of us don’t even recognize it as stress at all. I think just like diabetes, we all react to stress differently, and we all manage it differently.

And that’s okay. If we had one exact strategy for dealing with the stressors in our lives, you know we’d all be working on it. But most people handle stress with a mixture of dread and resolve, and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. There’s no use complaining about the things that get us worked up.

But… and this is a big But… sometimes the stress is too much. Sometimes we can’t just work our way through it. If that’s the case, we need help and we should be okay with seeking it.

Likewise, when someone else is having a tough time of it, instead of just complaining more, instead of judging someone experiencing difficulty dealing with their stress, we should be actively supporting that someone. Helping them feel not alone, maybe reminding them that you’ve been there too, and giving them the space they need to feel like they’re not being manipulated by life like they’re a little marionette.

In the end, it’s not a perfect appointment book or a perfectly clean home or anything else that makes us feel good as much as people do. Let’s remember to be kind this holiday season, but also be supportive. You and your friends and loved ones are well worth the effort.

By StephenS | Posted in Out Of the Box | Tagged , | Comments (1)

8 Things: Holiday gifts for everyone living with diabetes.

December 7, 2017 – 10:11 am

Hey, how are you? I hope you’re in the middle of a rather stupendous holiday season.

I hope that gifts are in order this year. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, or another holiday, giving and getting are AWESOME. So let’s look at 8 holiday gifts all People With Diabetes could really use this year:

1. More support. There are new diabetes diagnoses every day. There are new people waking up, like I did six years ago, realizing their diabetes doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

I hope those people find the hope and support that I found when I found this community. And I hope they pay it forward when they do.

2. Laughter. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I really laughed hard. I’m ready for something really funny to just knock me out of my chair.

Likewise, I think it would be really great if I could make someone else laugh too. I just hope it’s not because I did something really embarrassing at the same time.

3. Retail Competition for Closed Loop Systems. Honestly, the #WeAreNotWaiting movement, and all of the do-it-yourself systems it has spawned, has taken a bit of the wind out of the sails out of the commercial artificial pancreas designers out there.

Eventually, we know these systems (the iLet, Cell Novo, etc.) will be approved, but whenever we start to see rollout of non-DIY closed loop, I hope it’s not just one at a time. Good, reliable technology is what we need, and we need more than one option to choose from.

4. More knowledge sharing. Here at Happy Medium, I try to do my best to keep you as up-to-date as I can on the latest diabetes happenings, especially when it comes to news out of Washington, D.C., and items I gather from attendance at various conferences, research summits, and symposia.

I would like to see more of that from everyone in our community, or at least a sharing of resources for learning about new developments in diabetes. Not just, “Here’s the group I spoke in front of today”– which is still good, and should be shared– but also an occasional post that says, “I read this interesting thing today”, or “This event is happening in your area”. I don’t see much of that anymore.

5. A couple of diabetes memes. I can’t handle something new every week, but it’s fun when we can get out of whatever rut we’re in and post something on a common theme. Hey, I’m not the only one with good ideas!

I love Diabetes Blog Week, and I loved the social media #MakeDiabetesVisible campaign during Diabetes Awareness Month. Again, I don’t need a prompter all the time, but it might be cool to do a #dblog Check-in Day, or Diabetes Art Day, or No-D Day again.

6. A couple of recipes might be nice too. One of my favorite things to do here is share recipes, but I haven’t done a lot of that lately. Have I shared every recipe I know?

Chances are, I haven’t. Chances are, you haven’t either. Maybe it’s time to search our cookbooks (give credit where credit is due) and family recipes and deliver something new for everyone’s palate to enjoy.

7. Less Uncertainty. Let’s face it… we’ve been through the wringer on this Affordable Care Act thing. Ever since this time last year, we’ve all been worried out of our minds about whether ACA will still exist, and whether it will be as helpful and as accessible as it has been up to now.

We’ve always known it was broken. Damn few of us expected a so-called “fix” that would break it entirely. Let’s stop the uncertainty, congress. Let’s take away the roadblocks toward giving Americans the same healthcare rights available in every other decent nation in the world. Do that, congress, and maybe I’ll use the big C when I refer to you again.

8. More Kindness. Any change, meaningful change, change that lasts, begins and ends with kindness. Empathy. Decency. Change that lasts does not include cheating, lying, or calling people, even elected officials, names.

This gift could also go to some of our friends in the diabetes community, who have been less than friendly with people not living with their type of diabetes, or are fans of one cause but not another. We all want the same thing. Bashing each other to get there, or to get more notice, is a recipe for eventual failure. You might get your way initially. But no one is going to be excited about how you got there, and that will be shown in their overwhelming lack of support for you.
 
 
However you celebrate the holidays, I hope they are full of gifts, however you define them. And happiness, however you define it. Here’s to us this holiday season… may we celebrate many, many more!

By StephenS | Posted in Out Of the Box | Tagged , , | Comments (7)
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