Tag Archives: Diabetes Community Advocacy Foundation

What a year.

December 30, 2013 – 9:12 am

Holey Moley, it’s been an amazing year. 2013 went by so fast.

Back in October, I wrote about how one thing at a time, over time, can add up to a lot if you just keep at it. This is very true for me when I think about the past year.

The following list is not designed to say “Here’s what I’ve done—what about you?”. Instead, it’s a reminder for myself, to remember during times when I feel like I’m not doing anything. Also, it’s a recap of the year that’s been, a Bridget Jones-like reference of the previous twelve months.

My life in 2013 included, in no particular order:

– One noteworthy anniversary

– Participation in two clinical trials

– Not participation in two other clinical trials. That’s right… I was disqualified from another AP study. Don’t want to talk about it.

– One entire week of gluten free eating (My Week with Celiac)

– Two 55 mile bike rides

– One 5K run with The Live-In Niece

– One Book Review (Shot – Staying Alive With Diabetes by Amy Ryan)

– A chance to meet Cherise Shockley for the first time, and begin to understand her passion for connecting others and helping them live better, more meaningful lives with diabetes. I left that meeting ready to charge up the hill for DCAF.

– A Chance to meet Scott Johnson in person for the first time, and an opportunity to meet Karen, Kerri, Shannon, and Christopher too. There were several others I met in passing that weekend that go unmentioned, but not forgotten. The CWD Focus on Technology conference definitely ranks as a major highlight of the year.

– One appearance on DSMA Live with Cherise Shockley and Scott Johnson

– Attendance at the DSMA Live meetup in Philadelphia in August. That meant a chance to see Cherise and Scott again, and meet Kelly and Allison and Brea (and her Mom) and Penny and Colleen and Maria and many more wonderful people who I can’t remember right now.

– While we’re on a DSMA kick, I should mention the countless #DSMA Twitter chats that I was lucky enough to take part in this year, including a special hour that I was honored to moderate on World Diabetes Day in November. Hands down, that was the fastest hour of the year.

– Also high on the list was the Manning Diabetes Symposium in Charlottesville back in April. Lots of talk about diabetes research from a number of experts in the field. I think I was the only one there that didn’t have a bunch of letters after the name on my lanyard, but I didn’t care. I soaked it all up like a sponge. Thanks to UVA’s Center for Diabetes Technology (I’m looking at you Molly) for letting me attend.

– One more event to mention: The JDRF Research Summit in the D.C. area back in March. There’s another coming up this March. Get all of the information at http://jdrfsummit.org.

– Finally: Five Medals were handed out to real bona fide Champion Athletes With Diabetes. And we’re just getting started. I can’t wait to hand out every medal we have, then order more to give away! To find out more, click on the medals image in the upper left part of this page. Or just click here.

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Wow, did all of that really happen? It all flew by really fast. Even so, I think know I would rather have participated in all these things that seemed to have happened so quickly, rather than missing even one. I wasn’t responsible for a lot of the things I was a part of this year, but I was glad to participate or help wherever I could.

With all this said, even though I’m not a New Year’s Resolution kind of guy, I do have a few things on my list for 2014. I don’t know if I’ll get to all of them. But I know it’s shaping up to be another interesting year searching for the Happy Medium.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Milestones | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

Yay Vacation! On to Philly for #DSMA, then Ohio.

August 7, 2013 – 10:51 am

I’m on vacation! It has been a long time since I’ve taken consecutive days off, and I’m starting six days off that will take myself and The Great Spousal Unit first to Philadelphia, then to Cincinnati, where my father-in-law turns 80 this weekend.

First, I’m going to Philadelphia to see the #DSMA Live and #DSMA Twitter Chat happening Wednesday night. I’m hoping I can connect and re-connect with people I admire, some of whom I haven’t met yet. And I’m excited to see the DSMA Live podcast happening at the same time of the Twitter chat (this is a first for DCAF). If you’re in person, everything starts at 8:00 p.m. EDT. If you’re tuning in to the podcast and/or participating in the Twitterage, everything starts at 9:00 p.m. EDT.

If you’re not able to be there, you can listen in on the podcast by clicking here.

If you’re interested in participating in the Twitter chat (and who isn’t?), this is a good place to go for participation and to keep up on the fastest hour of the week.

Oh… and did you know that Diabetes Community Advocacy Foundation has a new website? It looks fantastic, and you should check it out! Instead of looking for Diabetes Social Media Advocacy, go to http://diabetescaf.org

dsma-social-meetup

Looking forward to connecting with you, either in person, via the podcast, or by Twitter Wednesday night. And I hope the rest of your week is super too.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Social Media | Also tagged , , , | Comments (3)

#DBlogWeek – Day Three. Thanks for the memories.

May 15, 2013 – 8:47 am

diabetes-blog-week

We’re right in the middle of Diabetes Blog Week! Myself and many others are posting for 7 (seven!) straight days. This is day three’s post. Haven’t heard of Diabetes Blog Week? Get the lowdown by clicking on the banner above. Now, on to today’s subject:

Today we’re going to share our most memorable diabetes day. You can take this anywhere…. your or your loved one’s diagnosis, a bad low, a bad high, a big success, any day that you’d like to share. (Thanks to Jasmine of Silver-Lined for this topic suggestion.)

My most memorable diabetes day? I’m not sure if I’m an optimist, really. But I know that I don’t like to dwell on the bad things. So here’s a look at one of my greatest days, with diabetes right in the middle of it. In a good way.

It was just a few months ago. I celebrated my 15 year anniversary at the company where I work. Whenever someone hits a milestone anniversary there, the department gets together and does a thank you, gives a plaque, and then you go back to work.

After more than a few years of ups and downs (mostly downs) between my job and my diabetes, in the last couple years, things had seemed to thaw a bit in the relationship. I’m glad they’ve changed. I’d like to think that I’m a bit less sensitive these days too, and that helps.

Still, I felt a little… nervous about reaching this milestone at work. Kind of like some old demons were left that I couldn’t get rid of. So I was left thinking: how do I take this thing that’s a little uncomfortable, and turn it into something that feels good? I thought about it for some time.

Eventually, I decided on an idea centered around Blue Fridays. Since my anniversary was on a Sunday, I asked everyone to wear blue on the Friday before. I also asked them to make a donation to the Diabetes Community Advocacy Foundation. DCAF is the organization behind the Diabetes Social Media Advocacy website, the DSMA Live and DSMA en Vivo podcasts, and the weekly #DSMA Twitter chat. And Blue Fridays! I talked to my bosses, and they were great about it. I sent an e-mail to my colleagues in Baltimore, New York, and Connecticut, and marked it on my calendar.

And on a cold Friday in February, nearly 20 of my colleagues showed up in three locations wearing blue. They contributed something like 300 dollars to DCAF (sorry, I forgot the final number). I was grateful, I was overwhelmed, and I was thrilled that I was finally able to bring my diabetes to work in a positive way.

How was I able to pull this off? Mostly because of reading others in the Diabetes Online Community and what they were doing. There are so many out there who were, and are, doing such amazing things. Such great things, in fact, that they made me want to do something too.

I know, I’m blowing my own horn here. I’m not really trying to do that. Instead, I’m trying to show that things don’t always have to be uncomfortable and contentious. Sometimes, even if we’re a little afraid to step forward (and I was, at first), when we do despite our fears, good things can happen anyway. It was a feel good day.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes Blog Week | Also tagged , , | Comments (4)

My real life meeting with a Champion.

April 11, 2013 – 9:39 am

While I was away last week, I made a special side trip to meet a very special person:

DSC00743

Cherise Shockley is Founder and CEO of Diabetes Community Advocacy Foundation, keepers of things like the Diabetes Social Media Advocacy website, the DSMA Blog Carnival, DSMA Live, DSMA en vivo, DSMA Live ‘Rents and the ever-popular Wednesday night DSMA Twitter chat. Our lunch wasn’t the ask-questions-get-answers-write-a-blog-post-about-it kind of thing. I just wanted to meet her, and give her the chance to put a face with a name, so to speak. Let me tell you about our meeting.

The first question you might ask is, “What is she really like?”. In person, Cherise is pretty much like her online self. Polite, funny, passionate about her cause, and always one step ahead of me.

And smart. Cherise is very, very smart. Growing up in a family where service to the community is part of her DNA, she’s inspired by the possibilities and challenges of bringing together people who are affected by diabetes. Best of all, she’s doing something about it. It seems like her mind is constantly thinking about ways to enhance and expand what DCAF can do for everyone touched by this disease.

During our conversation, I likened her to a military general. She may not have everything figured out yet. But as the social media landscape changes, she’s good at maximizing opportunities and figuring out the best way to make the most of her resources when they’re needed. That’s a quality that many people wish for, but so few possess. After just a few minutes, I was ready to go charging up the hill for DCAF too!

I’m not big on first impressions. Often we come across people who are rushed, are having a bad day, fighting with their significant others, or experiencing hypoglycemia. And that can affect how we are with people we meet for the first time, and how they perceive us. But in this case, my first impression was only positive. I have a really good feeling about DCAF and where Cherise will lead the foundation into the future.

I’m really glad I was able to make this connection. Our lunch together really gave me the feeling of being in the presence of greatness. I’m hoping you’ll make the connection with DCAF too.

The weekly DSMA Twitter chat happens every Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time here in the USA. To join the conversation, go to
http://diabetessocmed.com/tweetchat/

To listen to DSMA Live, DSMA en Vivo and DSMA Live ‘Rents, and to download previous podcasts, go to the Diabetes Social Media Advocacy station on Blog Talk Radio at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/diabetessocmed

To support DCAF and all of the great happenings that are, um, happening, consider making a tax-deductible donation today. Just go to this page and click on the Donate button:
http://diabetessocmed.com/supporting-dsma-through-dcaf/
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Travel | Also tagged , , , | Comments (4)

Yay Co-Workers!

February 18, 2013 – 9:54 am

From time to time, I’ve alluded to the fact that there’s been a somewhat tenuous relationship between my work and my diabetes over the years. In the early years of living with this disease, there weren’t really any issues. If diabetes got in the way at all, it was due to my A1Cs being high more than anything else. I might have been a little more sluggish during those times, but I was still able to function at a pretty high level.

Since those first few years, I’ve had an on and off, good and bad relationship between work and diabetes. At times, things were difficult. Tensions were occasionally strained.

So, what’s my point? Where am I going with all of this?

Over the weekend, I celebrated my 15 year anniversary at the company where I work. I thought about it a little in the last month or so. Whenever someone hits a milestone anniversary, the department gets together and does a thank you, gives a plaque, and then you go back to work. That’s great, but five minutes of feel-good doesn’t always wash away things that bother you for five years or more.

The good news is that in the last couple years, things have seemed to thaw a bit in this relationship. I don’t know exactly when things changed, although I think I know, and at any rate, I’m glad they’ve changed. I’d like to think that I’m a bit less sensitive these days too, and that helps.

Still, I felt a little… nervous about reaching this milestone at work. Kind of like some old demons were left that I couldn’t get rid of. So how do I take this thing that feels so uncomfortable, and turn it into something that feels good? The thought gnawed at me for a few weeks.

Then it hit me. Blue Fridays. Since my anniversary was on a Sunday, I would ask everyone to wear blue on the Friday before. I would also ask them to make a donation to the Diabetes Community Advocacy Foundation. You know… the organization behind the Diabetes Social Media Advocacy website, the DSMA Live and DSMA en Vivo podcasts, and the weekly #DSMA Twitter chat. I took the idea to my bosses, and they were all for it. Instantly. So I sent an e-mail to my colleagues in Baltimore, New York, and Connecticut, and marked it on my calendar.

The Baltimore crew. I'm in the back ( I thought I was tall)

The Baltimore crew. I’m in the back ( I thought I was tall)

When I got into work, and later as I watched people arrive, I would look around and see a sea of blue. To think that my co-workers would care enough to do this for me… it almost made me break down and cry. A co-worker shared with me that they were recently diagnosed with Type 2, and they were appreciative of an effort to elicit support for those who have to live with diabetes. That almost made me cry. Not everyone who donated online told me how much they contributed. But what I know of the contributions puts the total dollar amount into the hundreds.

That’s my work anniversary and Blue Fridays story. I never really thought about what marrying these two ideas would really mean. It went beyond what I could have imagined. I’m so glad we were able to do this. And I’m so grateful for the people I work with, who made my cause their cause for a day. Today, I feel really lucky to be part of their team.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Work and Diabetes | Also tagged , , | Comments (5)