Category Archives: DSMA Blog Carnival

April DSMA Blog Carnival – Spring Exercise.

April 23, 2013 – 10:55 am

This month’s DSMA Blog Carnival gets us thinking about spring (here in North America anyway), and our workout routines as the weather changes.

Does the sunshine and warmth of Spring urge you to change up your exercise routine? If you don’t have an exercise routine, does it inspire you to start exercising? And if it’s not Spring in your corner of the world, what season are you heading into and how does it impact your fitness routine?

Last question first: It is Spring in my corner of the world, finally, and I’m looking forward to ramping up my workout routine in a big way. There are a couple of reasons for that.

To begin with, the obvious: The weather gets warmer and the days get longer. That means there is more time available for me to actually get outside and get some exercise in. These are the times when I’m looking for an hour here or an hour there to hop on my bike and go down the road a little. Plus, the warm weather just makes me feel better. I crave the warm sunshine on my back (or my front) while I head off to places I haven’t been for nearly six months.

Second, Spring usually begins the last major push for me to get in shape for various events I’m competing in this year. I’ve got a 55 mile ride scheduled in May, a triathlon (swim, bike, and run) in June, a 5K run in July, and a 65 mile bike ride scheduled for September. As I’ve gotten older, my goals for these events has diminished somewhat. But I’m still well aware that if I’m going to get in the best shape possible for any of these events, I will have to make an extra effort now. Now that the weather is warmer, I can get outside the confines of the gym and that always makes me feel better. When it comes to meeting your fitness goals, variety is always a good thing.

Those are definitely two reasons why I’ll be doing more now that Spring has finally arrived here in the USA. In addition to that, there are always tasks in the yard that require my attention at this time of year. Preparing and planting the vegetable garden, mowing the grass, or just walking the dog more often are always high on the list of priorities when weather permits. So even if I weren’t training for something, I’d be putting in the extra effort anyway just taking care of the regular things at this time of year.

Whatever the reasons, I hope that spring brings a renewed sense of hope and confidence that you can do whatever it takes to maximize your fitness routine this spring!

This post is my April entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2013/april-dsma-blog-carnival-3/
 
 
 

By StephenS | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

March DSMA Blog Carnival: My Superhero

March 21, 2013 – 9:39 am

I’m very flattered to have been asked to be a monthly contributor for the Blog Carnival over at Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. Beginning today, you’ll start to see me over there too.

Now on to this month’s question. It comes from a DSMA Twitter Chat not too long ago:

Disney just gave you funding to create a character with diabetes. What type of character would you create? What would you want your character’s message to be for adults and children living with diabetes?

When I looked at this topic, I realized that I needed some kind of special assistance to complete my project. I’ve never been good at creating things like this. So I went to the ultimate source of knowledge in the world… the internet. I mean, hey, if it’s on the internet, it must be true, right (he said, tongue in cheek)?

I typed “How to create a superhero” into my search engine and found multiple sites that list complete how-to guides on how to create a superhero. Some even provide software to let you piece together how your superhero will look.

Most of the sites I checked covered the same ground in their online tutorials. So let’s take these tasks one at a time and apply them to our super Diahero.
 
• Origins: Where does your superhero hail from? What about this makes him or her unique?
My superhero is born from a single healthy beta cell, originating in the obscure Islet of Langerhans, home of other beta cells in our pancreases. Being able to escape from this land of origin prior to the destruction of all of his fellow beta cells, he’s able to uniquely empathize with similar individuals who have suffered the same fate.
 
• Special Powers: This is delicious. What kind of superpowers does your superhero have?
My super Diahero has an amazing mind that can deduce insulin on board, current blood glucose, and the amount of carbohydrates on your plate. Then, factoring in insulin to carb ratios, exercise, and future basal rates too, he provides the precise measurement of insulin for any scenario.

Also, my hero has a great ability to educate and slay those troublesome diabetes myths. Don’t even try to mislead, or misrepresent facts: “You can’t eat that”, “You brought this on yourself”, and “You can’t have children” are all eradicated with split-second, persuasive action. Complete enlightenment is our hero’s hallmark.
 
• Weaknesses: What is our hero’s kryptonite?
Alas, our super Diahero is susceptible to the evil twin demons known as hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. The hyperglycemia that makes him sluggish and irritable, thirsting for water but searching for the demon’s lair so BGs can be brought to mind at a healthy level. And the hypoglycemia that tries to turn his brain to mush, dulling his Special Powers until he is able to find the right combination of fast-acting carbohydrates (occasionally administered by his trusty sidekick, who sometimes takes the form of a Parent or Spouse, or another member of the League of Super Diaheros. Hey, it’s my superhero… I can create whatever I want, right?).
 
• Mission: Of course, our superhero needs a mission.
My superhero travels the world searching for other healthy beta cells in an effort to prevent those of his kind from being destroyed. And where they have been destroyed, his hope is that one day, a new, healthy Islet of Langerhans can be reborn in a Perfect Pancreas World that can live within all of us.
 
• Finally, our superhero needs a name. What’s your name?
No, really… what’s your name? Because if you’re living with diabetes, you know that living a meaningful life requires superhuman effort. You also know that it’s possible. And I hope you know that you can do it. To all my fellow People With Diabetes: You are my carb-counting, insulin-adjusting, educating, myth-busting, hypo- and hyperglycemia surviving, AWESOME Super Diaheros.
 
 
Mission accomplished.
 
 
This post is my March entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2013/march-dsma-blog-carnival-3/
 
 
 

By StephenS | Tagged , , , | Comments (4)

February DSMA Blog Carnival. Feel the love.

February 12, 2013 – 1:57 pm

February’s DSMA Blog Carnival invites us to feel the love… for our readers, commenters, and even our lurkers.

Write a Valentine to your readers, commenters, and lurkers!

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

Dear readers, you give me a reason to keep writing. Besides my own ego, of course. By visiting my site, you help me to remember that I’m not just writing to get things out of my head and onto the information superhighway. I’m also writing to inform, to make you think, to make you laugh. I hope to continue doing so for some time.

Dear, dear commenters, you make me feel so special with your words of encouragement and support. I’ve also learned a thing or two by reading your comments. Please, please keep leaving your thoughts for me to read. This goes for you Twitterites too. Just the thought of your messages always makes me smile.

And my dear, dear, dear lurkers… please don’t feel ashamed by the creepiness of your title. I enjoy and welcome your cookies to my site. It’s so great to know that there are secret admirers of Happy-Medium.net. Know that I hold you close in my heart always. And please… if the spirit moves you, consider moving over into the commenter category.

Thank you so much for being a part of my online world, you crazy readers, commenters, and lurkers.

Your kindness and generosity is unequaled, and my appreciation for you knows no bounds.

This post is my February entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at
http://diabetessocmed.com/2013/february-dsma-blog-carnival-2/
 
 
 

By StephenS | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

January DSMA Blog Carnival… New Year with Diabetes.

January 29, 2013 – 10:44 am

Ohmygosh! It’s almost the end of January, and I haven’t completed my post for the January DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’re writing about your diabetes too, you should participate. Just write a post on the subject and link to it on the DSMA Blog Carnival page.

This month’s blog carnival topic asks us to fill in the blank:

New Year with Diabetes : Striving for _______ in 2013

To be honest, I could have taken the easy way out and used my January 2 post this month. But that post really talked about my life overall, and what I would like to accomplish this year to be a more well rounded person. Since we’ve still got a few days left in January, I’d like to narrow down my focus to just diabetes here.

I think what I’m striving for in 2013 is a continuation of what I started in 2012. I want to get out there and get engaged with the rest of the world. A few times in the past year people have asked me about my story… you know, the “tell us all about your diabetes” story. Each time, I found myself describing this sequence of events where I was diagnosed, went off to live my life, and kind of lived in the woods with my diabetes, so to speak. Not doing anything to help anyone, not learning anything new, not knowing much beyond what I knew on the day of diagnosis. But since last year, I’ve been trying to change all that.

I want to find my way out of the woods and into a place where I can get some clear footing with my condition. I want to learn about new therapies, new ideas. Converse with others going through the same issues and share valuable information, because together we are worth more than the sum of our parts.

In 2013, I’ll be striving to get my diabetes out into the sunshine, and I’ll be trying to help others do the same. I hear it’s warm out there.
 
 
This post is my January entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at
http://diabetessocmed.com/2013/january-dsma-blog-carnival-2/
 
 
 

By StephenS | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

December DSMA Blog Carnival. Diabetes in 2012.

December 21, 2012 – 10:23 am

I have the privilege of guest posting over at Diabetes Social Media Advocacy for this month’s Blog Carnival. This is the second time this year they’ve graciously put my post up on their site. And although I don’t mention it below, both times have been major highlights for me this year. Thanks DSMA!

This post is my December entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2012/december-dsma-blog-carnival-2/

(See what I did there? I didn’t wait to put the link at the bottom of my post. Just call me a rebel. Or not.)

The final installment of the DSMA Blog Carnival for 2012 is seeking input on something you might expect at this time of year:

Take a moment to reflect on diabetes in 2012 – on a personal level, on a community level, on a technological level, anything you can think of. What things stand out to you the most? What did 2012 and Diabetes mean to you? You can even take the challenge one step further, and post a collage of your Year in Diabetes!

Well, my blog only has only been around for a little over eight months now… but still, what a year.

On a personal level, 2012 can be described as the year when I became reacquainted with the diabetes community at large. I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll mention it again: I spent a long, long time living my life on my own, not knowing about or paying attention to how others with diabetes were doing. That meant that, for instance, when I had a tough time managing glucose during or after working out, or I couldn’t figure out how to talk to my endocrinologist about my A1c, I thought I was the only one who ever had these problems. In the last half of 2011, I found the Diabetes Online Community and realized that I am not living in a diabetes bubble.

So I started a blog. But I continued to do a lot of reading. In doing so, I found out a lot about new products that are coming to the market. I’m just guessing here, but I think we may look back on 2012 as the year just before some big breakthroughs in diabetes care. To be sure, not every product we read about this year was given rave reviews. But some were. If you can, think back to how you saw these products reviewed this year: Tandem’s T:Slim insulin pump, Medtronic’s MySentry, Roche’s Accu-Chek Nano, the iBGStar from Sanofi, and GlucoLift glucose tabs.

What does this mean? For me, it means that there are a number of companies out there working to bring helpful products to the market that will be meaningful to people managing their lives with diabetes. Working with them in some cases are organizations that are providing input during the development phase and feedback once the product is in the marketplace. Sometimes these initiatives are resulting in better stuff; sometimes they are not. In every case, it seems, there are plenty of people in the DOC who are not shy about saying what works and what doesn’t. Whether companies embrace the idea or not, it’s pretty clear that there’s a kind of collaborative effect working to bring us better products producing better results. Or to discount wild claims about products that aren’t cutting the mustard. In future years, I’m guessing, companies will be even more aware of the power of social media as an information-sharing tool as well as a marketing tool.

My year included a visit to Maryland JDRF’s annual meeting in June. At that meeting, I heard a talk from someone with the University of Virginia’s Center for Diabetes Technology, who spoke about their work on the Artificial Pancreas Project, which JDRF is helping to fund. I got so excited about that talk that I wrote about it. Later, I was invited to an open house at the center where I learned more about the AP and even held the device in my hand. Definitely a highlight of my year. In November, the FDA released important guidance on development and testing of the Artificial Pancreas. Could 2013 (or 2014?) finally be a breakthrough year for the AP in the United States and beyond?

The Artificial Pancreas Project wasn’t the only JDRF-related event for me this year. I underwent mentor training, meeting some very dedicated individuals in the process. I rode 65 miles in the Tour de Talbot bike ride here in Maryland, which benefited JDRF and allowed me to meet Team Type 1 athlete John Anderson.

What haven’t I done? I haven’t gotten together with a support group yet. I’m trying, but I just haven’t been able to make that connection. So that’s near the top of my diabetes list for 2013.

And I don’t think I’ve done enough advocacy this year. Now, I’m still a relative newbie in the blogging landscape, so I’m still figuring out how to have a voice that extends beyond my home page. But I definitely have my eyes open for a great advocacy effort that goes beyond what I’ve accomplished so far. Blogging and Twitter are great, but they won’t last forever. And we don’t live in our hard drives (though those low glucose moments sometimes make us feel like our hard drives have crashed).

It’s been a remarkable year. I’m so excited about what this year has done for me and my diabetes. But, as always, I’m looking forward to the future, for changes that will benefit all of us. Changes that will cost us less and give us more access. Changes that will give all of us a chance to live the full, unrestricted, meaningful lives we’re meant to live.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Tagged , , | Comments (3)