Author Archives: StephenS

Hello… I’m Stephen. I live in Baltimore, Maryland, USA with The Great Spousal Unit, Maureen. I’ve been living with Type 1 Diabetes since January 1991. I’ve been a pump user since April 2010, and I’m currently wearing the Animas Vibe pump. Also wearing the Dexcom G5 continuous glucose monitor.

I found the Diabetes Online Community in the summer/fall of 2011, and that discovery has changed my life. I started this blog in April 2012, and since then, my diabetes advocacy has continued to grow. Among other achievements, I’ve attended and spoken up at FDA workshops and participated in clinical trials.

I’ve been thrilled to serve as a facilitator for the Diabetes UnConference. And I’ve been honored to volunteer for Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition. You should Google both of those.

I’m currently serving as a member of the State of Maryland’s Advisory Council on Health and Wellness, where I am co-chair of the Diabetes committee. In addition, I’m part of the 2018 Reader Panel at Diabetes Forecast magazine.

I’m always searching for the perfect balance between the highs and lows of my blood glucose level and my life… always searching for the Happy Medium.

Anything you’d like to share? Please let me know… I’d love to hear from you.

Don’t miss these events!!!

May 10, 2013 – 9:25 am

Just want to ask for a couple of minutes of your time today, so I can remind you about two Must-Dos (if you Can-Do them) next week and the week after.

Monday begins the fourth annual Diabetes Blog Week, hosted by Karen Graffeo at Bitter-Sweet Diabetes. Every day from Monday through Sunday you’ll get a different subject to write about. There are also a couple of wild card subjects just in case a day’s topic leaves you stumped. Each day you’ll publish on that day’s subject, then link your post over at Karen’s.

Perhaps the best part about D-Blog Week is the fact that you’ll get to read and discover others like yourself who are out there telling their stories too. It’s a fun, eye-opening week of discovery and, of course, blogging. Don’t miss it!
http://www.bittersweetdiabetes.com/2013/05/diabetes-blog-week.html
 
 
The following week, on Tuesday, May 21, the first annual all-virtual Diabetes Hope Conference will take place. It all begins at Noon eastern time, 11 a.m. central, 10 a.m. mountain time, and 9 a.m. on the left coast.

They’ll be using Google Hangouts to live stream discussions between panelists. They’ll be taking questions from participants via Twitter… use the hashtag #dHopeConf. If you’re not available then, I’ve found out that it will be recorded and available later via YouTube. Panelists will include (are you ready for this?): Manny Hernandez, Emily Coles, Mike Lawson, Dr. Bruce S. Trippe, Dr. Steven Maynard, George Simmons, Kerri Sparling, and Karen Graffeo (who apparently gets one day of rest after D-Blog Week).

I’m thinking there will be a lot of super discussion involved when that group gets together. You can register for the Diabetes Hope Conference here:
http://www.diabeteshopeconference.com/

That’s it for now. I’ve got to get crackin’ on those D-Blog Week posts…

Have a great weekend!
 
 
 

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No More Strips!

May 9, 2013 – 8:09 am

Long story short: I ran out of test strips for my Accu-Chek® Nano meter yesterday.

How has my life gotten so busy that I let myself run out of test strips without refilling my prescription?

I think that this may be my form of diabetes burnout. I’ve got to admit it: I’m growing tired of making doctor appointments, going to doctor appointments, remembering to carry all of the stuff I have to carry when I leave the house, and yes, refilling prescriptions.

The thing is, I think I do a pretty good job of taking care of my diabetes when I have everything I need. When I’m fully stocked up with drugs and durable medical supplies, everything is great. When I’ve just finished my latest round of doctor appointments and next quarter’s appointments are already on the calendar, no problem.

But right now, thanks to some extra work, a trip here and there, working out more, and a couple more extras in my personal life, my schedule seems to have moved into the cray-cray stage right now.

Or so it seems. Actually, I think this may be just a symptom of the fact that I haven’t caught up to my schedule yet. In other words, I’m probably more than capable of handling everything on my plate. But I haven’t quite ramped up the discipline to my schedule to the degree that I remain stocked and appointed properly.

I’ll be okay in the short run– I’ll be using my old Bayer Contour® meter until my new prescription comes in for the Nano. And this gives me a chance to finally break out the Contour NextLink meter that Medtronic sent me a while back. So it’s not all bad, though my BG tests may be “23 percent less accurate” for a few days.

If I’ve ever felt diabetes burnout, or been close to diabetes burnout in the past few years, it’s at times like this. But like all bumps in the road with this sucky condition we have, I have to do my best until I get the ship righted again. Because really, do I have another choice?
 
 
 

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Slow and Steady.

May 6, 2013 – 10:44 am

It’s getting to be crunch time in my training for athletic (I use that term very loosely) events coming up this year. In a couple of weeks, it’s an ADA Tour de Cure 55 mile bike ride. A month later, a sprint triathlon, and about three weeks after that, a 5K run.

As expected, I’m finding the training more difficult this year. Partly, that’s because I’m another year older. Partly, it’s because I haven’t had to train this hard at this time of year for a few years. And partly, it’s because I’ve been sick off and on over the last 5 months or so, making a regular training schedule a pipe dream. Oh, and let’s not forget a much colder than usual Spring this year, making outdoor workouts harder to accomplish.

None of this is an excuse, of course. Ordinarily, I’d be very concerned that I wouldn’t be able to turn in stellar times or rise to the challenge when these events happen. Ordinarily, I’d still be planning out my strategy for turning in the best times or finishing as high on the board as possible.

But I think I may have reached a point in my life where just competing, and just finishing these events mean more to me than winning (which I never did anyway), or turning in personal records.

When I ride in a couple of weeks, I want to enjoy the scenery a little while I’m pedaling down the road. I don’t have an all-consuming desire to hang with the leaders as long as I can (usually only about 10 miles) before slipping off and working at my own tough but slower pace. I still want to get the distance in, and I do not want to finish last… that part of my competitive steak is still intact.

But I really want to relish my participation in these events while I’m still in decent enough shape to enjoy them.

Let somebody else burn up the road. This time, I’m happy being the slow and steady tortoise.
 
 
 

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So, how’s that clinical trial going?

May 3, 2013 – 9:17 am

Funny you should ask.

First, let me bring you up to speed: I started participating in a clinical trial back in the middle of April. Participation means wearing a Dexcom™ G4 continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and giving daily updates (keeping a diary, if you will) about glucose readings, boluses, meals, how I’m feeling that day, and a host of other things. If you want to read about it, here’s a link:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01767831?term=iBOLUSED&rank=1

Okay, so how’s it going? Pretty well so far. I should tell you that we’re taking a break from the study for a short time so web developers can work out some details with the website we’re accessing. Our group in this study is the first to use this system, so it was inevitable that we’d run into a blip here or there.

But I am getting first-rate information on how my glucose is trending on a daily basis, and which foods really help or hurt my BG management. Hint: being away last weekend and eating out for every meal meant mostly high readings all day Saturday and Sunday. Being home this week and eating homemade meals has meant significantly lower readings and lower variability too. Too bad, ‘cause I like eating out. But I also like cooking for myself, so life’s a balance, I guess.

Also, I’m starting to think about my answers to all of the questions I’m asked when I log on daily and give my information. I’m thinking about meals and exercise, and stress and other things that I’m giving information on. I suppose that’s part of what they’re trying to find out in the study.

At any rate, I’m still happy to be participating, and I’m finding the CGM to be more of a help than a nuisance. As the study rolls on, I’ll give you what information I can without compromising the trial.
 
 
In the meantime… in case you’re interested in participating in a trial of your own (and not the legal kind), here are a couple of places to start:

From the USA’s National Institutes of Health:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/

Also, the Clinical Trials page on JDRF’s website lists a number of helpful links:
http://jdrf.org/research/clinical-trials/
 
 
Have a great weekend!
 
 
 

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A whole lotta stuff.

May 2, 2013 – 9:27 am

It’s no secret that all of us diabetes-folk accumulate a lot of… stuff.

I wonder… are we the hoarders of the patient world?

I mean, we have tons of things that we rely on each day. Think about it:
 
 
For blood glucose management:
– Meters
– Test Strips
– Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs)
– If you’re wearing a Dexcom™, a CGM receiver
– How about a backup meter?
– Backup test strips? You know, the ones you really hoard because your insurance company doesn’t think you need backup?
– Throw a couple of extra meters in there (at least), because you know you never get rid of the old ones the second you get a new one

For insulin delivery:
– Insulin (of course)
– Syringes
– Or Pen needles
– Or a pump
– Or all of the above
– Infusion sets for your pump
– Reservoirs for your pump

Wow, look at that list! And we’re just getting started.

For treating lows:
– Glucose tabs
– Juice
– Honey (one of my favorites)
– Nutella (not one of my favorites, but to each their own)
– That year old candy from a restaurant that’s always in the bottom of your pocket (or pocketbook)

Some additional extras:
– A Glucagon Kit
– Alcohol Wipes
– All of the stuff you carry your D-stuff in (I’m not talking about the plastic grocery bag crap I carry my stuff in… I mean the cool accessories, like you get here or here.
– Documentation—A medical bracelet or necklace, a card in your wallet, information for schools, doctors, TSA screening agents, etc.
 
 
That’s a lot of things to keep track of, just so we can live our lives with diabetes. That’s it—I live a full, happy life with diabetes (and a lot of diabetes-stuff) along for the ride.

Is there anything I’ve left out? Let me know.
 
 
 

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