Category Archives: Like these links

Like These Links

June 5, 2019 – 10:11 am

Welcome to Wednesday… when, for the first time in a long time, I’m handing out links like they’re candy at a hypoglycemia festival. Let’s get started:
 
 
First of all, in case you missed it, the 2019 DiabetesMine Patient Voices Scholarship Contest is underway. That means you have a chance to go to San Francisco for a few days and participate in two of the most incredible events on the diabetes calendar all year: The DiabetesMine Innovation Summit and the D-Data Exchange event. I’ve always wanted to go to this, but may not apply due to other commitments.

However, I want to encourage you to apply for a scholarship! Why not you? Get all of the details and the link to apply:
OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: The 2019 DiabetesMine Patient Voices Scholarship Contest!
 
 
In addition, if you think that medical devices like insulin pumps and CGMs are like, reeeaallly cool, you might want to check this out from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This page definitively explains the FDA’s proposed changes to its digital health software (is there any other kind?) precertification program.

One of the biggest proposed changes is to allow device manufacturers with a track record of quality and a willingness to monitor their devices post-approval a streamlined pathway toward approval. In my mind, that’s big, in that manufacturers would be monitoring devices post-approval, the way drugs approved by the FDA are.

It’s an interesting and informative read:
Digital Health Software Precertification (Pre-Cert) Program
 
 
If you know me, you know I’m a foodie, and I really like the Hangry Woman blog. Recently, Mila, the author, published a terrific post featuring five breakfast recipes. I should admit right now that I hate fried or hard boiled (or soft boiled) eggs, but I’m pretty sure I could make updates to most of these and have them come out fine. See what you think about these:
5 Filling Diabetes Breakfast Recipes

(I checked, and as far as I can tell, none of the recipes actually has diabetes)
 
 
Finally, from Renza at Diabetogenic, a few words about community, what it means, and how we all fit into our community, however we define that word. If you read none of the other posts above, read this one. It will make your day:
Community Connections
 
 
While I’m at it, thank you for clicking on links to come here and find out what I’m thinking. It means the world to me, and I’m thrilled that you have become part of my community.

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Thank you Kerri

May 6, 2019 – 10:11 am

I started blogging a little over seven years ago. By that time, Kerri Morrone Sparling had been writing at Six Until Me for nearly seven of her fourteen years.

Saturday, she published her last blog post at that location. While I’m sad that I won’t be able to go there to find something new, I’m also happy for what comes next for Kerri.

People will occasionally ask me about people in the diabetes community, and what they’re like. When I’m asked about Kerri, all I can say is what you read is what you get. Believe it or not, that makes her unique.

I’ve never reached greatness in anything I’ve been involved in, but I’ve been lucky enough to interact with a number of people over the years who were at the top of their field. Nearly to a person, they all differed from who they seemed to be at a distance. In a couple of cases, they were downright jerks.

But Kerri is different. No secret anger hiding just below the surface, no friendly public persona wrapped around a desire to escape from all human interaction. No asking for everyone else to help with everything else while singularly taking credit for a group achievement.

Every time I’ve encountered Kerri, I’ve walked away from our conversation feeling better. That doesn’t happen often, and it happens even less often when encountering someone who has absolutely no incentive to be nice to me.

Kerri, I’ve also learned from you. I have my own style of writing, but I’ve learned how to write about a difficult subject by watching how you did it. I’ve learned how to take being gracious to a new level. I’ve learned how great it feels to do something nice for someone without anyone ever knowing about it.

I’ve been happy to share the internet with you for seven years Kerri, and happier still that you’ve always been more popular than me. Because you deserve it, and because you’re probably better at dealing with the slings and arrows that are sometimes thrown at someone sitting on such a lofty perch.

I’m going to miss reading the remarkable displays of your rapier wit, and the world will be lesser for it. But… I will be thoroughly satisfied with the Kerri that emerges from this transition.

I realize this is all kind of sappy, and kind of suck up, but I promise not to write about this tomorrow. For now though, I think a little gratitude and celebration are in order.

Thank you Kerri… I know that what comes next will be worth waiting for.

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Thanks diaTribe.

March 20, 2019 – 10:11 am

Every so often over the next, oh, three or four months, I’d like to take a few blog posts and pay tribute to a few of the institutions that help make my walk with diabetes more informative and meaningful.

Today, I write in praise of diaTribe.

Imagine trying to start, from scratch, an organization (the diaTribe Foundation) dedicated to providing valuable information on everything from accuracy and reliability of diabetes devices, to results of important clinical trials. Then, add in sharing this information online, in a format the average reader (like me and other patients) can understand.

A website where people can get factual information on everything diabetes… and when I say everything diabetes, I mean all of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly, in terms that connect with each individual reader.

Now, imagine also sharing this information in public forums, where many can hear firsthand about new drugs, the importance of time in range, and emerging therapies. Kelly Close, Adam Brown, and others are out there taking part in focus groups and speaking at FDA workshops, helping to advance the art and understanding of managing diabetes for everyone.

I especially like reading the New Now Next and Conference Pearls columns, because they’re great for catching up on things I’m particularly interested in. And the Adam’s Corner columns are great because his perspective is always unique, and one I want to consider when thinking about my own diabetes.

I don’t know how much of all this Kelly Close had in mind when diaTribe began, but she and her amazing organization has been at the forefront of reporting on diabetes research, new products, changes in standards of care, and more in the way few self-sustaining organizations can ever hope to be.

I am happy to say I receive regular updates from diaTribe in my e-mail inbox every week. I can’t say I always immediately go to diaTribe to read the latest, but I almost always go there at some point during the week to learn what I don’t know already, or learn a different perspective on something I thought I already knew. There are very few places on the internet where I can say that’s the case.

Consistency. Reliability. Integrity.

diaTribe.org

Certainly one of my most valuable reference sources. What’s one of yours?

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Like these links.

October 12, 2018 – 12:11 pm

Happy Friday, everyone. I hope you’re wearing blue today to recognize and support everyone living with and affected by diabetes. So in that vein, let me say Happy #BlueFridays!

Now, on to today’s links for your perusal:
 
 
Every so often, I go to this site to read what people write. I may have also written something there once. Sometimes, it’s a real help to have a place to unload, and to read and know you’re not alone. Thanks to Christopher Snider for creating
MyDiabetesSecret.com
 
 
Do you ever find yourself straining to understand or explain terms like average glucose, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation? Want to know more about what you’re looking at in those CGM or meter downloads? Then you’re going to want to keep this article from Adam Brown and Divya Gopisetty at diaTribe handy. Spoiler alert: it includes examples too!
Understanding Average Glucose, Standard Deviation, CV, and Blood Sugar Variability
 
 
I don’t quite know how to explain this story, but it involves sunscreen, moisturizers, pump and CGM placement, and it’s not porn. But, as Kelly Kunik will tell you, the struggle is real.
Diabetes Hardware & The Moisturizer/Sunscreen Chess Game
 
 
I’m always jealous of Renza Scibilia, because she gets to travel to amazing conferences where things like #DOCDay happen, like at the annual EASD conference in Berlin recently. Her mention of the new Diatravellers initiative caught my eye too.
#DOCDAY at EASD2018
 
 
Read anything fun, inspiring, or interesting lately? Please share! In the meantime, enjoy your weekend, and I’ll catch up with you next week.

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Like these links: T2 love, diversity, and The Social Diabetes Project.

July 12, 2018 – 10:11 am

It’s been a while since I’ve shared what I found in the Diabetes Online Community, so I thought I would make this Thursday edition of Happy Medium about some of the other great writers and advocates out there. Ready? Here we go:
 
 
First of all, I don’t give enough T2 love via my blogroll.

I need to rectify that.

So I’ve added some links to fabulous Type 2 advocates and writers this week. Here are two:
Corinna Cornejo at Type 2 Musings
Bea Sparks at The Type 2 Experience

Here are two more Type 2s, who happened to sit down and talk recently about their experience with the Freestyle Libre CGM. Here are the links to their stories:
Phyllisa at Diagnosed Not Defeated
Sue at Diabetes Ramblings

You’ll find Phyllisa and Sue’s blogs in my blogroll in the future, and I’m feeling pretty good about that.
 
 
The other thing that’s been missing from my blogroll has been diversity. So I’m going to try and do something about that too, by adding Phyllisa and these super advocates:
Ariel at Just a Little Suga’
Mila at Hangry Woman

Ariel has a great take on life, and I love reading the stories she shares. Mila’s recipes are definitely bolus worthy and drool worthy.
 
 
Finally, I can’t leave you today without sharing the link to The Social Diabetes Project: 2018. Written by Kerri Marrone Sparling, it’s an in depth look at the history of the Diabetes Online Community, the rise (and leveling off) of diabetes blogging, all of the various platforms where patients and advocates have interacted in the past and interact today, and terrific viewpoints from people who have been there for all of it. When you have a break in your schedule, or even if you don’t, this is well worth your time.
The Social Diabetes Project: 2018
 
 
That’s all for now, though that should keep you busy for a bit. I hope you’re enjoying your week. Remember… we’re always better when everyone is included.

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