Tag Archives: diabetes

The athletes among us.

August 21, 2015 – 9:01 am

The fact is, I have a number of Champion Athlete With Diabetes medal winners to talk about. Somehow, I got sidetracked and haven’t talked about it for a while.

Then I received a couple of e-mails in the past week about a couple of athletes who are growing, learning, and reaching their athletic goals while hauling diabetes around with them everywhere they go. Those people are fantastic, and they make me want to be like them.

If you live with diabetes, or someone close to you lives with diabetes, you know it’s hard. Sometimes, diabetes is a needy, clinging thing that requires constant attention. If you can deal with that and are still motivated enough to chase your athletic dreams, I am in awe of you and your achievements.

Previous medal winners have come from far and wide: as close to me as Northern Virginia, as far away as Trinidad, and also New Zealand. And those medal winners have minted their medals in a variety of ways: half marathons, basketball, curling, lifeguard competition, and so much more. We’ve given away over 30 medals, and I still get pumped every time I read a new e-mail from a D-athlete.

Every athlete’s story is a unique one, but they all leave me with the same feeling. The feeling that they are greater than the medals they wear. It’s not an overstatement to say they are inspirational. It’s not too much to call them heroes.
DSC01178
So let’s raise a toast to our wonderful athletes. And if you are conquering diabetes at the same time you’re conquering your competition, I have a medal just like the one above for you too. Here’s what you do to get one:
 
 
1. The athlete receiving the award must be living with diabetes.

2. The athletic event must have taken place in the last six months. For now, we’re going with a pretty loose interpretation of the word “event”. If you feel you’ve accomplished something important to you, that’s an event. ‘Nuf said.

3. Send me an e-mail at champswithdiabetes@gmail.com. Tell me your name, name of the athlete (it’s okay if it’s you), and your address (gotta know where to send the medal). Most important, tell me what athletic goal was accomplished, and when. Extra points if you tell me how you felt accomplishing the goal. Full disclosure: I reserve the right to use your testimonial here, on Twitter, and on Facebook. I will not use your name if you don’t want me to. As always, I will never share private information.

4. When you receive your medal, it would be great if you post a photo of it around the athlete’s neck. You can send a Tweet to @ChampsWithD (hashtag: #champdathletes) or post it on the Champion Athletes With Diabetes Facebook Page.
 
 
I salute you, Champion D-Athletes. It takes a rather large amount of courage to compete, or maintain an exercise routine. Heck, sometimes, it’s everything we can do just to climb the stairs. Getting out of your comfort zone and taking that brave step is something that should be recognized and rewarded.

If it’s a big deal to you, it’s a big deal to me too. I want to support you, or support the Athlete With Diabetes in your life. Don’t wait… send me an e-mail for your award. There are plenty more where these came from.
 

By StephenS | Posted in Athletes With Diabetes | Also tagged | Comments (0)

Like These Links.

August 14, 2015 – 8:43 am

Welcome to Friday! Don’t forget to wear blue today to support and encourage everyone living with and affected by #diabetes. I’ve got one more day of software training in New Jersey, then it’s back home tonight. In the meantime, check out this #diabetes click bait.
 
 
Does wearing an insulin pump help you have a healthier heart too? Some researchers in the UK think so. I think there are other reasons why this might be true, but there seems to be a link there anyway. Check out this link for the full report:
Insulin Pump Reduces Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease By Almost 50%
 
 
Lauren Stanford has a nice recap of the five things that have helped her deal with diabetes burnout and further transition into adulthood:
5 Things That Helped Me Cure Diabetes Burnout
 
 
Lauren and her mom Moira are joining the JDRF riders gathering this weekend in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. It’s a little old, but if you haven’t seen it yet, this is worth a read. Moira has this to say about her recovery from a broken ankle and foot, and why her ride is especially important this year:
I’m BACK ON MY BIKE!!! (The One Where I Realize a Harsh Reality)

And thank you both for riding for all of us with Type 1.
 
 
Kristin is one of my favorite writers. Last week, she had a less than fun day. This is why we need better, more accurate, more affordable tools to help us manage diabetes:
Diabetes Pulled A Punk-Ass Move
 
 
Finally… Hope Warshaw has a wonderful feature on her blog where she interviews DOC champions. Her latest is a nice interview with Kelly Kunik. She talks about starting her blog, finding the Diabetes Online Community, what it means to her, and #IWishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes. Check it out:
Dialoging About Diabetes: PWDs Offer Ways to Improve Communication and Care #11 Kelly Kunik
 
 
Enjoy the reads, and enjoy your weekend. Thanks for reading! Have you read anything interesting lately?
 

By StephenS | Posted in Like these links | Also tagged , , , | Comments (5)

Saturday Night.

August 10, 2015 – 9:04 am

It was Saturday, about 6:00 p.m.

My BGs had been running high all day. It was time for dinner, and since I try to pre-bolus whenever possible, I washed my hands (like I almost always do), did my pre-dinner check, and saw that I was 138 mg/dL.

I was just making a sandwich and eating a tomato for dinner… no big deal, except that bread seems to spike my post-prandial numbers a bit. So I bolused based on that 138 number and continued watching the L.A. Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates game on TV.

Pre-bolusing being what it is, I had expected to wait 15-20 minutes before eating. About ten minutes after my bolus, I felt what I thought was a sign that I was low: A feeling of shakiness, sort of like I was sinking, and a suddenly overwhelming hunger.

But I had been high all day. I was 138 mg/dL just ten minutes before, right? In the next five minutes, the following occurred:

– I went back into the kitchen to test again. The result: 48 mg/dL.

– I grabbed the juice bottle from the refrigerator and, carefully, a glass from the cabinet. Somehow, I got the glass and the juice on the counter just before I slunked down on the kitchen floor.

– Now I’m trying to (again, carefully) get the glass and juice off of the counter and onto the floor next to me so I could drink it. I didn’t know if I could get back up again until I could get my BG back up again.

– After trying for what seemed like a long time, but really wasn’t, I was no closer to getting the glass or the juice off the counter, but I had managed to lay flat on my back, feeling very sleepy, if that makes sense.

– Somehow, something inside me made me realize that I needed to get up to the counter to get my juice. I had no other choice. Again, it seemed to take a long time to stand up, but it wasn’t a long time after all.

I finally got my juice, and within 15 more minutes, I had eaten my sandwich and was feeling almost normal again. Except for the post-low hangover that comes with an episode like this. And it was significant.

Immediately after, I called The Great Spousal Unit, who was away, and let her know what happened and that I was okay.

Then I took to Facebook and recounted what happened. I also replied to some of the replies I received, and posted a little more too. I was so grateful to have people who understand help me feel better after an awful experience like that. Still, I generally don’t spend my Saturday night hanging out on Facebook, and that made me ask a few questions.

Was I really trying hard to connect after almost being permanently disconnected? Was I trying to keep a lifeline (so to speak) open in case of another low? Was I just trying to show how strong I am and that I was okay and no one should worry about me because I’m tough as nails?

Maybe it was a combination of some of those things. Plus this:

When you nearly lose your life (because, for worse or for worse, hypoglycemia is a near-death experience), you want to connect with the special people in your life and forget about anything else that doesn’t really matter.

Hypoglycemia sucks. Diabetes sucks.

As a person with diabetes, I am in a unique position to let the rest of the world know that we need the best accuracy possible from our glucose meters. We need Medicare coverage for seniors who simply must keep their continuous glucose monitor technology. We need artificial pancreas technology that will help read our glucose levels and adjust pump settings automatically based on reliable algorithms designed with patient safety as its first priority.

And we all need to have people to reach out to, to make us feel less alone when we’re at our most vulnerable. God bless those who don’t have anyone to turn to.

If you have no one to turn to when diabetes wrecks your evening, I encourage you to find the Diabetes Online Community. Search the #DOC hashtag on Twitter. Do a Google search for diabetes blogs. Or send me an e-mail. Don’t be alone.
 

By StephenS | Posted in Lows | Also tagged , , | Comments (5)

Diabetes By The Numbers: Type Zero Technologies.

August 6, 2015 – 9:34 am

Molly McElwee Malloy was my first interview here. She’s also my latest interview here.

A little over two months after the birth of Happy Medium, I saw Molly give a speech at a local JDRF meeting in Baltimore. At the time, she was clinical research coordinator at the Center for Diabetes Technology at the University of Virginia. She is also an RN and a Certified Diabetes Educator, and has been living with Type 1 Diabetes since 1998.

That was the first time I had seen anyone speak live about artificial pancreas development, how everything worked, and actually show me photos of the device they were testing. I was jazzed up about it, and the next day (and the day after that), I really bothered Molly for an interview. She said no, but said she would answer any questions I might have, so I could get all my facts straight.

In that instance as a new diabetes blogger with two months experience, and in the three years since, she has been kind, patient, and gracious when bombarded by my enthusiasm and my never-ending list of questions.

This month, Molly stepped into her latest role as Head of Patient Engagement at Type Zero Technologies, which is the commercial arm of AP research that was born many years ago at UVA’s Center for Diabetes Technology.

I am proud to say that she has finally gone on the record with me, for about 13 minutes, to talk about Type Zero and their InControl platform, including InControl Advice and InControl Cloud. She talks about those three products, the timing of upcoming clinical trials, and the plan for submitting these for approval to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In reality, I wish we had more time, because this discussion could have easily gone two or three episodes. Instead, you’ll have to be satisfied with this little teaser, and then go to the Type Zero website to learn more.

Also, and this is important: Clinical trial participants are a very important piece of cutting-edge development like this. Please see below to find out more about volunteering to participate.
DBTN

Reference Material – Click below for more information on this topic

Find out more by going to the Type Zero Technologies website:
http://typezero.com

Follow Molly McElwee Malloy on Twitter:
@MollyMacT1D

Clinical trial participants are necessary and appreciated! Interested? Send an e-mail to:
artificialpancreas@virginia.edu
 

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes By The Numbers | Also tagged , , , | Comments (2)

8 Things: Summer Edition.

August 4, 2015 – 8:58 am

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted an 8 things list. Today, here is a list of things that are part of my world this summer:
8
1. Insulin worries. Every summer, it seems that every high number comes with a “Did my insulin get skunked in the heat?” question. Remember that insulin is best when stored and used at under 80 degrees. Anything above that and you’re playing with fire. Or potentially compromised insulin, which no one wants, especially in the heat.

2. Low BG/sweating worries. This is the flip side of the high number questioning. Since it can be so warm where I live (Maryland– nearly at sea level)… how can I say this? If I’m sweating, which can be often, the questions are: Am I low? Or am I just sweating? These questions are of particular concern when I’m operating potentially dangerous machinery, like when I’m driving or mowing the lawn.

3. Eating… better. How about something a little nicer? As in, fresh fruits and vegetables. So good, and so good for us. If I’m ever in danger of overdoing it on veggies, it’s at this time of year. Nothing wrong with that.

4. More exercise(?) It’s been a good summer in Baltimore weather-wise. Oh sure, we’ve had our share of stifling heat, muggy days with lots of humidity. But we’ve also had an occasional cool spell, where the high dips into the low 80s with less humidity. Those days are golden in the summer, and though (because of my knee) I haven’t been able to do bike rides or go for runs outside, I have been able to do a few extra walks here and there. Right now, those are golden too.

5. More controversy. Thanks to the CrossFit issue, People With Diabetes had more to feel stigma over, more to respond to, and yes, more ways to examine how we react to controversial statements about diabetes by ignorant individuals. I’m very glad that the Diabetes Online Community was quick to react to the shameful postings of CrossFit and their CEO. I just wish that some of those reactions were more inclusive of all People With Diabetes, instead of just saying “Sugar didn’t cause my type of diabetes”. Also…

6. Second hand news, second hand blues. Friends for Life… MasterLab… ADA Scientific Sessions…. and now the AADE convention this week. I haven’t been able to get to any of them this year. So all the news I’m getting from these events is second hand. Good thing the people that are giving me the updates from these gatherings are pretty good at reporting in the first place, or I might be totally in the dark.

7. Travel….? Travel? Really? See #4 above. Are you kidding? Travel? Good thing I was going places early in the year, because I’m not going anywhere right now. Mostly, it has to do with work. I’m needed right now, this year more than most years, so that’s put a crimp in the travel plans for a while. We did get away to Charlottesville a couple of weeks ago, but really, a day and a half extra doesn’t exactly a vacation make. I’m headed back to New Jersey next week, for training for my job. This year is a lot about what is needed, and not a lot about what is wanted.

8. One visit with the endocrinologist. My next appointment with the endo is in another couple of weeks, and I’ll be interested to find out how surgery and my lack of movement has affected my hemoglobin A1c. My last number was at an even 7.0, and I had been significantly under that for a while. Our goal was to bring it up from where it was, so 7.0 is not so bad. But I certainly don’t want to be any higher. To me, that would feel like a huge fail.
 
 
So there you have it. Eight ways that diabetes has factored into my life this summer. I hope your summer has been grand. How has diabetes fit into your life this year?
 

By StephenS | Posted in Out Of the Box | Also tagged , | Comments (0)