Category Archives: Like these links

Like these links.

January 30, 2014 – 9:02 am

Today I have a couple of time-sensitive items, and a couple of links that I hope will be helpful and informative. They were for me, anyway. Holy #diabetes Batman— To the #DOC:

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– Don’t forget that Monday is Diabetes Art Day. Founded by Lee Ann Thill in 2010, Diabetes Art Day is designed to help people affected by diabetes connect through creativity. So get out the construction paper, the paint, the pen, or the camera and come up with the idea of what diabetes is saying to you. Then post it on the D-Art Day website, but don’t forget to send it up to Facebook and Twitter too (hashtag: #DArtDay). All the information on how to participate is available at diabetesartday.com
 
 
– Sara Nicastro at Moments of Wonderful is participating in a webinar next Wednesday (February 5th) hosted by the American Diabetes Association and the College Diabetes Network. CDN is working on improving and empowering college students with diabetes. A quick count on their website reveals they already have 72 chapters operating at schools all over. You or a loved one who’s living with diabetes and who hopes to go to college soon might find this a very useful part of your week. Since Sara posted about it originally, I won’t link to the webinar registration directly. Instead, go to her post about the webinar to get the details.
 
 
– There are a couple of diabetes bloggers who have been researching a pump change (and making a change already in one case). I’m linking to their stories here because I think the descriptions of both exercises in due diligence are informative, and great reference material for the next time you’re making an insulin pump decision.
Read about Jen’s demos and reviews here.
Read about Kim’s demos and reviews here.
 
 
– What does diabetes take away from us in time over the years? Rhonda at FifteenWaitFifteen has a pretty good explanation of it when she talks about Charging Diabetes by the Hour.
 
 
– Finally… because my sense of fairness can’t let this post contain only links to blogs written by women… Here’s a fine post from Scott at Rolling in the D, who describes how different and yet similar we all are.

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Enjoy the rest of your week… I’m already googling “at-home art projects”.
 
 
 

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Like these links– Friday edition.

January 3, 2014 – 10:13 am

Happy Friday! I hope that somehow you’ve either avoided the terrible weather gripping the country right now, or that you’re safe and warm wherever you are.

I haven’t done this for a while, so I thought I would pass along these terrific posts from around the Diabetes Online Community. You’ve probably already seen a couple of these, but there are also links to a couple of items that you may have missed.

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Christel at ThePerfectD has your initial lineup of diabetes conferences for 2014. Personally, I was glad to see this since there were a couple in my area that I didn’t know about. Look for conferences in your area here:
http://theperfectd.com/2014/01/01/your-2014-diabetes-conference-calendar/

Here are a couple of additional conferences for you:
I got an e-mail about a one-day event in Washington, D.C. in February. From The Gary and Mary West Health Institute (WHI) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) the focus of the conference is “Igniting an Interoperable Health Care System”. It’s a public conference that will be held at the Omni Shoreham hotel on Feb. 6. The conference will convene stakeholders critical to driving interoperability – a cornerstone to improving patient care through safer and more cost-effective health care delivery. For more on the conference, and to register (it’s free),
Go here.

On February 28, there’s a symposium entitled “Challenging Current Diabetes Care: Strategies for Practice Improvement”. It’s taking place in Richmond, Virginia, and it’s coming from the University of Virginia’s Office of Continuing Medical Education. It looks to be primarily related to Type 2 diabetes care, and features a few notable speakers. I don’t have a web address for you, but if you’re interested, e-mail me at happymedium[dot]net[at]gmail[dot]com and I’ll send you the information.

Kim at Texting My Pancreas is looking for a little help test-driving a new source of diabetes information via the web. I won’t link you there directly. Instead, I’ll send you over to her post so you can get all of the information. Oh, and get this: If you help provide feedback, she’ll enter you for a chance to win a $100 Target gift card:
http://www.textingmypancreas.com/2014/01/profile-health.html

Finally, I want to turn you on to a blog from someone who’s outside of the normal diabetes-blogger profile. This writer graduated from college in the USA recently, then took off this fall for Kenya, where she’s working with people living there. Her story about managing diabetes on the African continent is the perfect example of “you can do anything with diabetes” (except make insulin, of course). The blog is Achieving Dreams While Acing the A1c:
http://t1worldtraveler.wordpress.com/

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I hope your weekend is spent doing something fun and fulfilling. Life isn’t always about the diabetes, but when it is, make it worthwhile.
 
 
 

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Like these links – Info, Advocacy, and more.

November 20, 2013 – 9:12 am

A quick update of my own first: I’ll be talking with Cherise Shockley and Scott Johnson Thursday night at 9:00 USA Eastern time on DSMA Live. We’ll be talking about the initiative to award medals to Athletes With Diabetes who are out there getting active and competing (the “medal count” is up to 3! Yay!). You can listen in on Blog Talk Radio, and participate in the conversation by calling the number listed on the page:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/diabetessocmed/2013/11/22/happy-medium

Now, without further ado, and in no particular order, here are links to things I’ve found interesting, funny, and useful recently around the diabetes blogosphere. Unlike most of these posts, this time I’m actually including a couple of more well-known sites… Just ‘cause I want you to know about what’s happening.

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In honor of Diabetes Awareness Month, the folks over at A Sweet Life are giving away a nice set of blue Le Creuset cookware. I want that French Oven. Heck, who am I kidding? I want the whole set! The chance to enter ends soon… like today. Enter here:
http://asweetlife.org/tips/world-diabetes-day-le-creuset-giveaway/

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The wonderful people at Diabetes Mine are doing giveaways this month too… Here’s their latest.

Also, they’ve released the results from their Patient Voices survey, and put it in a super infographic. Check it out… and click on the image to find out more:
Survey

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Melissa Lee at Sweetly Voiced has been encouraged by the Big Blue Test this month, and decided to make the effort to walk 10 miles per week for the next five weeks. Awesome… just awesome. And she’s using her activity to be an advocate too, hoping to raise $1,000 for the Diabetes Hands Foundation, creators of the Big Blue Test, in the process. Want to support her? Read the story, then click on her fundraising page to donate:
http://www.sweetlyvoiced.com/2013/11/a-mile-in-my-shoes.html

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Finally… these kind of photos always make me laugh. Jen G. (one of our medal winners!) at See Jen Dance had a few questions when she saw this sign at her local pharmacy:
http://seejendance.com/2013/11/12/you-had-one-job/

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Hope your Wednesday is going well… Have a great rest of the week!
 
 
 

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Like these links – Event Edition.

October 25, 2013 – 9:43 am

It’s late October, and with the chill in the air there’s an increased focus on current and upcoming events in the diabetes community. Take a look:
 
 
Thanks to the non-profit Diabetes Hands Foundation, The Big Blue Test is back! You know that November is Diabetes Awareness Month, right? November 14 is World Diabetes Day. Now until WDD, you (yes, YOU) can take part (and help people in need) by doing four simple things:

1. Test your glucose. Unless you don’t have diabetes, in which case you can skip Step #1.

2. Get Active. Exercise for 14 to 20 minutes. The form of exercise is up to you. Swim, play badminton, break dance, run naked through the streets… but don’t get caught.

3. Test your glucose again. On average, Big Blue Testers see a 20 percent drop in BGs after just this much exercise.

4. Share your results. Where? Here: http://bigbluetest.org
Also on Twitter (#bigbluetest), Instagram, Facebook, etc.
There’s even an app for that.

The really great part, besides the fact that you’ll feel better after, is that every time you log your goings-on between now and November 14, a donation will be made to non-profit organizations that are helping to save the lives of People With Diabetes by providing supplies, education, and services at the grass roots level. Get active and be an activist at the same time… I love it!
 
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Diabetes takes center stage in this post from Instructions Not Included. Becky in the UK has written her story and plans to perform it during Diabetes Awareness Month. How cool is that? Seriously, I think that’s very brave and inspiring. She has a request for the rest of us too: She wants us to take a picture of ourselves holding a sign with our name on it, and the words ‘I live in hope’. She hopes to use the photos in her show. Can you do that? Good. E-mail the photo to Becky at instructionsni@gmail.com.
 
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In December, Children With Diabetes (the people who put the Friends for Life conference together) is doing another Focus On Technology conference. I mention it here because there are so many events that happen in cities on the two coasts, and this one is in Cincinnati, Ohio December 7 and 8. Actually, it’s in West Chester, which is north of the city, which should make it pretty accessible to people from Dayton or even Indiana or Kentucky. The program includes a closing keynote address by Dr. Ed Damiano, discussing the bionic pancreas research they’re working on in Boston. When I saw him speak in February, he brought along the device they’re working with so we could all get a look. Just hearing his talk is worth the price of admission, and there should be much more. If you’re in the area, don’t miss it.

Go to http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/activities/Cincinnati2013/ to find out more. Click on the Program link at the bottom of the page to see what will be presented, and click on Registration at the bottom of the page to register.
 
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Finally, looking ahead, the date has been announced for the next JDRF Research Summit in Bethesda, Maryland (outside of Washington, D.C.). It will be on Saturday, March 1, 2014. The conference should be accessible by car or the Washington-area Metro, which connects to Amtrak, etc. No word yet on the presentations and personalities who will be there. But last year’s event was great, and very well attended. So put it on your calendar now. Registration opens on January 9. To find out more, go to http://jdrfsummit.org.
 
 
That’s it for now… have a spooky-great weekend!
 
 
 

By StephenS | Also posted in Events | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Like these links.

September 18, 2013 – 9:35 am

It’s been a long time since I’ve shared some terrific posts with you here. Too long.

If you haven’t read these already, let me offer these superb examples of writing for you to enjoy today:

Heather Gabel at Unexpected Blues has a thought-provoking post about anticipation and what it’s like to wait a long time for something, and the feeling you get once the waiting is over:
http://unexpectedblues.com/2013/09/17/and-well-all-float-on-okay/
(By the way, she was fantastic on the DSMA Live podcast last week)
 
 
You may have already seen this post, from Kerri Sparling at Six Until Me that talks about the relentlessness of diabetes, and the depression that sometimes comes with it. And also overcoming that. It’s well worth your time:
http://sixuntilme.com/wp/2013/09/12/filling-back-up-diabetes-depression/
 
 
Are you a fan of the A-Team? (it’s okay… you can admit it)… Bennet at Your Diabetes May Vary, who’s been at the forefront of the #stripsafely campaign, talks about how the initiative is starting to come together. Check it out:
http://www.ydmv.net/2013/09/i-love-it-when-plan-comes-together-or.html
 
 
Finally, here’s a great, poignant story about a New Yorker’s 9/11 this year. Alecia at SurfaceFine has a message for all of us:
http://www.surfacefine.com/?p=746
 
 
But wait… that’s not all! For a limited time only you can put your money where your mouth is by supporting two awesome riders and bloggers participating in the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes in Nashville, coming up this Saturday. Support is the fuel that runs this Diabetes Online Community, and your support of these riders just might bring us even closer to a cure:

Click here to support Victoria Cumbow

Click here to support Jeff Mather
 
 
Happy reading… Enjoy your Wednesday!
 
 
 

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