Tag Archives: diabetes

Like these links… Vacation edition.

October 3, 2014 – 9:46 am

I’ll be honest with you… I have vacation on the brain right now. Soon I’ll be off for an entire week for the first time all year. So you may not hear much from me for a while. That’s not a bad thing, right?

Especially because there are so many other great places to go to for interesting stories, and things that expand your knowledge. Consider these reading options this week:
 
 
– Kelley at Below Seven talks about how she’s often put up a happy front to help her cope with her diabetes, and how sometimes that sends a message to people that things are always rosy, when maybe they aren’t:

“I guess my main point or word of advice to others is that if someone seems really happy or bubbly, don’t necessarily think that their life is easy.”

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One of my favorite new blogs is written by Ally at Very Light No Sugar (Catchy!). Ally describes how she made a decision at age three to never cry at the doctor’s office. Ever. Now as an adult, she’s examining that decision and how it’s affected her life ever since:

”I see today that my mentality of always being strong was a survival tactic yet a detriment all at once. Some days I have a quick temper because it is easier to be angry than to acknowledge being scared or defeated.”

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– If you’re new to the Diabetes Online Community, or to diabetes in general, I hope someone has turned you on to Diatribe. Kelly Close and her amazing team do an amazing job of providing useful diabetes information (for all types) in an easy-to-read style. Find out about new drugs and devices going through clinical trials, new products hitting the market, research into things like cell encapsulation and what’s really behind your A1c, and much more. I’ve taken to printing the .pdf version and reading it on the train to and from work.

In the latest edition, find out about Abbot’s Freestyle Libre system, the approval of Eli Lilly’s new drug Trulicity for Type 2 patients, information from the Centers for Disease Control on obesity data on a state-by-state basis, and the always-interesting SUM musings from Kerri Sparling, who talks about the CGM in the Cloud phenomenon.
You don’t want to miss this or any issue of Diatribe.

No, I don’t get anything from Diatribe for saying all this. I just think you’ll find it a useful and necessary part of your life. That’s all.

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– Finally… here’s something to scratch your head over. Is a lack of insulin to the brain responsible for alzheimer’s? When I first read this, I remember thinking “How dare they steal my disease!”. Then I started wondering how deep the research really went, and if there really is a connection:

Is Alzheimer’s Disease Brain Diabetes?

Something for me to think about as I pack.

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So… What have you been reading lately?

I hope your weekend is great, and next week is even greater. Talk to you again soon!
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Like these links | Also tagged , , , | Comments (3)

8 Wishes.

October 1, 2014 – 9:28 am

On Monday, I talked a little about the first nine months of the year, and how it has gone for me, and what I hope to accomplish before the new year arrives once again (not counting the Jewish New Year, which just recently began— L’Shanah Tovah to you).

Today I’d just like to give my thoughts on the rest of the Diabetes Community, and my hopes for all of you during October, November, and December:

– I wish for safe deliveries for the expecting D-blogger moms out there who have worked amazingly hard to get where they are, and are bravely telling their stories… I think there are four who are all expecting very soon: Jen, Elizabeth, Jessi, and Kelley.

– I wish for clear answers for people who are searching for them, whether they’re worried about something physical, mental, diabetes- or non-diabetes related, monetary, or spiritual.

– I wish for great weather and fantastic rides throughout the fall to all of my favorite D-blogger bike riders, including but not limited to: Jeff, Victoria, Moira, and now Alecia.

– I wish for continued success in clinical trials while teams fine-tune their artificial/bionic pancreas systems, bringing us closer to the hips (and tummies, and backs, and, you get it) of those who so desperately need it. Like, now.

– Speaking of continued success, I wish for the continued success of efforts like CGM In The Cloud, bringing remote CGM monitoring to the masses for the first time. Thousands of new users, in just a few months.

– For D-students, I wish an awesome school year filled with learning, music, art, and sports. Plus, a friend to share them all with, who will support and encourage them no matter what.

– I wish for people who are unhappy with the Diabetes Online Community to shake off their disappointment and recognize that every Person With Diabetes, and those deeply involved with People With Diabetes, popular or not, are just as deserving as they are. There are no degrees of deserving, and if I don’t get invited to something, it doesn’t mean that the people who are there are to blame. I understand your disappointment… I do. I also recognize that your voice matters. Don’t stop shouting. If you’re still an active member of the DOC, don’t stop shouting. Just not at each other, m’kay? We’ve got plenty of other dragons to slay.

– Most of all, I wish for your happiness through the rest of the year. I wish for lots of special experiences filled with pumpkins, turkey, Christmas trees and dreidels, all filled with laughter and joy and not a hint of diabetes creep.
Most of all, please remember that I support you… no conditions.
 
 
What are your wishes for the rest of the year?
 
 
 

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

UnConference Scholarships: This is your last chance to apply.

September 30, 2014 – 9:01 am

Here’s your final reminder: Applications for scholarship opportunities to attend the Diabetes UnConference can be submitted through today.
 
 
Christel Marchand Aprigliano of ThePerfectD dreamed up this conference where diabetes peers of all types, from all over, will get together and actually set the agenda in the first hour of the conference. Actual adults living with diabetes will be asking and answering questions all throughout the weekend. There will be tons of information gathering, support, and encouragement from Friday, March 13 through Sunday, March 15 of next year. I don’t know if anything like this has been done before, and I’m pretty excited about it.
 
 
The best part is, you (yes, you) have an opportunity to get a scholarship that will pay for your travel and accommodations at the Flamingo Las Vegas, and pay for your registration to the conference too. There are scholarships for Type 1, Type 2, a Medicare recipient, and room scholarships that will pay for your hotel only. The application process is simple, quick, and easy. Have you been wanting to attend a diabetes event but haven’t had the space in your budget to fit it in? Here’s your chance… but only if you get your application in today. Click on this link and get started:
http://diabetesunconference.com/scholarships-for-the-diabetes-unconference-2015/
 
 
Scholarships were made available through sponsors of the event and The Diabetes Collective, Inc., a Florida not-for-profit corporation. I have no affiliation with the sponsors or The Diabetes Collective, Inc., and I am not being compensated in any way for talking about this here. I just want you to be able to be there next March!
 
 
If you’d really like to attend a diabetes conference by People With Diabetes, for People With Diabetes, this just might be for you. Find out more about the Diabetes UnConference and register by going to:
diabetesunconference.com
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Events | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Where have the past 9 months gone?

September 29, 2014 – 10:07 am

Since 2014 is nearly 3/4 over, and the days are getting shorter here in North America, I suddenly found myself considering the things I had wanted to accomplish this year. How have I done? Have I crossed enough off of my list? Am I a better person than I was on January 1?

This year started like a lot of others for me. I’m not a resolution-maker, but whenever I reach a milestone like the beginning of a new year, I try to think of some things I would like to do, or be a part of.

There have been many successes, and a few failures, but overall, it’s been great. Probably the first thing I could say is: I’ve learned a lot this year. I’ve learned how to be a better advocate. I’ve learned how to speak to people about my diabetes, and diabetes in general. I’ve learned a lot about the regulatory process, I’ve learned even more about how artificial pancreas technology works, and I’ve picked up valuable knowledge from the rest of the Diabetes Online Community. Lots of support and encouragement too.

I’ve continued to hand out medals to People With Diabetes who bravely train and achieve athletic goals that sometimes seemed unreachable. Every time I get a new request, I get so excited I want to do cartwheels and handsprings (but I don’t, because that would be a huge athletic fail). I get even more excited when I get to write about it and show off someone’s picture wearing the medal. As much as I get out of it, what I really hope is that someone sees a story and goes off on an athletic quest of their own. That is awesome and inspiring. There are not enough great adjectives to describe the feeling it gives me deep in my heart.

Still, I have my own athletic endeavor on the books. I’m still going to try to get in a short triathlon of some sort before the end of the year. October is a great month for it, but I’m not making any promises yet because frankly, I’m in horrible shape right now. But as people are fond of saying, it’s not always how fast you go… finishing and doing your best is a victory in itself. I really hope I can still get there.

What else have I left undone? I still want to organize a regular in-person diabetes meetup in my area. I think I got too busy to concentrate on it for a while, but I also can’t discount the worry that it will be a big bust and no one will show up. Oh well… screw it. I’m doing it anyway, because maybe people will show up, and if it turns out they won’t, at least I’ll know I tried.

I also can’t deny the feeling that I’m searching for the next thing I can do. Something… I don’t know what. I know that sounds incredibly vague, but I don’t have an idea what that is yet. I just know that when I’ve felt this way in the past, something has always popped up to grab my attention for a while. I just need to leave myself open to whatever is going to show itself over the next few months, because I really feel like something will. I’ll let you know if it finally hits me.

I’ve read about people going through amazing experiences this year, and I’ve read about people working through tough times, taking care of themselves the best they can for a while. Each of those scenarios involves victories, even though on the surface they don’t appear to be equal at all. So what about you? Are you feeling good about 2014 so far?
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Milestones | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

Part of a well-rounded portfolio of resources.

September 26, 2014 – 9:42 am

Okay, I’ve talked a couple of times about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and what they do in terms of testing and approving devices and products that help us manage diabetes. Today, I’d like to share a few more FDA resources with you. I hope you find them helpful.
 
 
Did you know the FDA has a web page devoted to schooling you on illegally sold diabetes treatments?
These are those “miracle cinnamon cure”-type items that pop up in our inboxes now and again. If you’re a well-informed Person With Diabetes, you can probably spot that kind of bunk from a mile away. But some people can’t. Including people who don’t live with diabetes, who don’t understand why we can’t all be cured like Halle Berry. Send those people a link to this page, which also has links to a great video helping to further define garbage products, and a Flickr page that actually shows you what some of these products look like. Case closed.
 
 
While I’m dropping F bombs… In addition to Flickr, the FDA has a presence on Facebook too.
Be the first on your block to friend the FDA! Once you do, you’ll get the latest updates as they are posted, and I suppose you’ll be able to directly leave comments of your own. More avenues of communication can only be good.
 
 
I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth mentioning again. MedWatch has been the FDA’s avenue for reporting adverse reactions to drugs or devices for over 20 years now. Today we can report issues by going directly to www.fda.gov/medwatch and completing on online form. Also, MedWatch is a source for safety information on drugs and devices that are a part of our everyday lives. Over the years, MedWatch has helped inform People With Diabetes about problems with blood glucose meters, the drugs Avandia and Actos, and insulin pump infusion sets. Those issues were reported by someone, and someone at the FDA listened. And then reported on it.
 
 
In addition to these sources, you can also follow and converse with the FDA directly on Twitter at @US_FDA. If you want to keep it old school, you can still call the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088).
 
 
Maybe the FDA isn’t the first place you think of going to gather information on diabetes. But any well-rounded individual should have a portfolio of important sources of data that includes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

That’s the end of my public service announcement. Enjoy your Friday!
 
 
 

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