Tag Archives: dsma

Like these links. Lotsa stuff.

June 4, 2014 – 9:03 am

This being June, there are lots of D-happenings happening over the coming months. These events are always great ways to meet people, compare notes, and learn a lot in a short time. Here goes:
 
 
Taking Control Of Your Diabetes is hosting one of its big conferences in Washington, D.C. this Saturday. It will be an all day affair that includes fitness sessions, screenings, a Type 1 and Type 2 track, and chances to see and interact with Dr. Steve Edelman, founder of TCOYD, Kerri Sparling, former NBA star Dominique Wilkins, and many more. Twenty dollars gets you all of this and lunch if you register before Saturday; if you register at the door, it’ll cost twenty-five. All the information is available here:
http://tcoyd.org/national-conferences/washington-dc-2014.html
 
 
My local JDRF chapter, the Greater Chesapeake and Potomac chapter, is getting ready for its annual meeting on June 26. The meeting this year will take place at the Discovery Communications headquarters at One Discovery Place in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside of D.C. The guest speaker this year is Moira McCarthy, a tireless advocate, an author, and writer of the popular blog Despite Diabetes. The event is free to all, but you have to register to attend. Find out everything you need to know here:
http://greatercp.jdrf.org/event/jdrf-annual-meeting/
 
 
This isn’t scheduled until next March, but I’m hearing a lot of buzz about the Diabetes UnConference, so you might want to get on board early. Brainchild of Christel Marchand Aprigliano, it’s happening next March 13th through the 15th in Las Vegas. The UnConference is specifically for adults 21 and older living with diabetes of any flavor. What is an UnConference? I don’t think I can do the description justice, so just click over here to find out more and register before everything is booked up and sold out:
http://diabetesunconference.com/details-2/
 
 
That’s it for now. Hope your Wednesday is sunny and warm. And don’t forget about the #DSMA Twitter Chat at 9:00 EDT (US) tonight!
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Like these links | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Like these links – Back from vacation.

April 4, 2014 – 10:28 am

Vacation was nice… but now I’m back!

I didn’t see as much baseball as I would have liked, but the weather is often unpredictable, or so I’ve heard. Since I’m still getting back into the swing of things, I’ll take this time to share a few diabetes-related things that are coming your way soon.

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You may have noticed the Tour de Cure icon on the left side of this page. Rather than hounding people for donations to my ride on May 17 this year, I put up the image so you can donate if you’re able. The American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure rides that take place all over the country are marvelous events that raise a lot of money for education and research, but also provide a place for all of us Red Riders (and Type Awesomes) to get together and enjoy a day on top of our two-wheelers. I won’t kid you… the money is tight this year. If you’re able, I could really use your help in making this ride happen.

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Locally to Baltimore, a digital marketing and technology agency is hosting a happy hour on April 16 at Sotto Sopra, which is one of the city’s great Italian restaurants. The goal of R2integrated is to raise $5,000 for the company’s team at the ADA’s Tour de Cure ride in Carroll County on May 3.

Twenty dollars gets you in the door, and gets you a drink and a chance at some awesome raffle prizes. There will be additional food and drink specials and live music too, plus some guest bartending.

Once again, the event is April 16 from 5:00 to 8:00 at Sotto Sopra on Charles Street. You can get your ticket in advance here.

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I may have mentioned this before, but… it’s always nice to say it twice. Diabetes Sisters is hosting a conference in Washington, D.C. in late April. Actually, it will be in Alexandria Virginia, just across the Potomac river from our nation’s capital.

Did you know that there will be a DSMA Live meetup on Friday night? It will happen on Friday, April 25 from 8:00 to 9:00. This event is open to the public (including guys like myself). If you’re somewhere nearby and you’ve never seen a DSMA Live meetup in person, here’s your chance. I’m definitely looking forward to it.

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One day later, JDRF and Children’s National Medical Center is inviting high school students living with Type 1 and/or their parents to a two hour session at Children’s to talk about the teen transition years, including handing off care of a student’s diabetes from parent to child, moving from pediatric to adult medical care, and of course, taking your diabetes to college. Speakers and panelists will include professionals from Children’s National Medical Center, and peers who are in college, or recently graduated from college.

The event happens on Saturday, April 26 from 10:00 to noon. Click here to register for the event.

I also hear that a similar event will be making its way to Baltimore soon.

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Hope your weekend is off to a flying start… get lots of rest and lots of play.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Like these links | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

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)

November DSMA Blog Carnival: What’s the one thing you would share?

November 22, 2013 – 9:26 am

I’m encouraged by the diversity of answers to the one simple question that’s the subject of the November DSMA Blog Carnival:

What is one thing you would tell someone that doesn’t have diabetes about living with diabetes?

My first reaction is: I can only pick one? That’s difficult.

Because the first thing I would tell someone who isn’t living with diabetes is that I’m the same person today that I was before my diagnosis. I have the same hopes, dreams, and desires. I believe an incredibly wonderful life can be lived in spite of, and sometimes because of, diabetes.

If I can at all avoid it, I don’t let this disease get in my way. Sometimes it tries to shake my confidence with an unexplained high or low glucose, causing me to shift priorities from doing what I want, to doing what I have to do. It might delay me. But it doesn’t stop me. Diabetes is not my boss.

I can eat the same things today that I ate before diagnosis. I might eat them in smaller amounts now, and I might make healthier choices, and I take insulin to account for the carbohydrates I’m consuming. But I really don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.

I still train and participate in athletic events, just like I did 22 years ago. Of course, I’m 22 years older, and I don’t look as good as I did then, but who cares? I only care that I can keep moving, stay active, concentrate on what I can do, rather than what I can’t.

Something different about me is that I’m more interested in learning new things than I was back then. I’ve learned so much about my diabetes, and diabetes in general, over the past year and a half. And it’s made me a smarter, more well-rounded, happier individual. I feel more in control of my life.

Add it all up, and you’ll see that I’m a person with diabetes… not a person suffering from diabetes.

Now, if there was a second thing I could tell someone that doesn’t have diabetes about living with diabetes? I would tell them about the amazing amount of work it takes to live this life. I would tell them how no one should have to go through what I do. I would share with them stories about how some find it all overwhelming, and how we all need to do more to reach out to those people while simultaneously searching for better solutions.

Because for me, living with diabetes is not only about living well… It’s about helping others to live well too.

This post is my November entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetescaf.org/2013/11/november-dsma-blog-carnival-3/
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in DSMA Blog Carnival | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

October DSMA Blog Carnival. What would you say?

October 14, 2013 – 9:57 am

One of the hot issues in the DOC these days is test strip accuracy. It’s exciting to see outside agencies beginning to take note. With that in mind, let’s revisit our September 4th chat “Test Strip Accuracy” and talk about . . .

What would your comment be on meter accuracy at the Diabetes Technology Society meeting?

Well, I could say a lot of things. But I’d really want to say the perfect thing, of course. To do that, I think I’d have to point out that while we have lots of technology at our disposal, not all of it is the best technology available.

Just like many things in life, Diabetes often comes in degrees and layers of differences. We all know this, and we reflect that in our choices of tools to help us manage our glucose. Sometimes, rules in other countries make something available or not available to us, and we’re stuck with what we have. Here in the USA, we sometimes encounter the same thing thanks to insurance guidelines and medicare.

What that means is we’re all using different meters with different strips, many of which aren’t nearly as accurate as they should be. As accurate as they need to be. So we need the Diabetes Technology Society to understand these simple things:

– Lives depend on the accuracy of our devices.  Let me repeat:  Lives depend on the accuracy of our devices

– Continued accuracy, or lack of it at current levels could cost lives

– The proliferation of diabetes technology does not automatically equate to improved quality of the devices we use

– Quality and accuracy of our diabetes devices always needs to improve.  Ninety-nine percent accuracy still won’t be good enough when our lives are at stake, and right now we’re a long, long way from ninety-nine percent

– Ongoing, continuous post-market inspection of meters and strips, and holding manufacturers responsible for shortcomings will be a huge leap forward in improving and saving the lives of People With Diabetes

That’s what I would tell them.

If you’re living with diabetes, or caring for someone with diabetes, you know the importance, the hard work, of maintaining glucose numbers within a range that helps us to continue leading meaningful lives. Shouldn’t we expect at least as much from the Diabetes Technology Society, the FDA, and the manufacturers of our devices?

This post is my October entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetescaf.org/2013/09/october-dsma-blog-carnival-3/
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in DSMA Blog Carnival | Also tagged , , | Comments (2)