Tag Archives: dsma

#DSMA June Blog Carnival. #Diabetes Devices.

June 27, 2013 – 9:35 am

June’s DSMA Blog Carnival prompts us to think about the many devices we use in our daily lives with diabetes, and asks some great questions:

Regardless of which type of diabetes you have – T1 T2 or T3 – you probably use one or more diabetes devices on a daily basis. For this post, when we refer to devices we mean blood glucose meters, insulin pens or pumps, and all other diabetes medications. This month we’re going to revisit the May 15th chat on Diabetes Devices and really think about what we use. We’d like to know:

How do you select the diabetes devices you use? To others looking into new or replacement devices, what would be your best advice to someone shopping around?

This really brings back some memories for me. If I may, let me give some advice by telling you how not to choose devices.

First, let’s talk about meters. After my diagnosis, I just accepted the first meter that was handed to me, and I used it for about ten years. I mean, they wouldn’t give me something that helps determine how I use insulin and the various ramifications of said usage without it being 100 percent accurate and never failing? Right?

Wrong. It’s not that my meter wasn’t good for its time (it was 1991, after all– only 45 seconds to get my BG!), but I didn’t even think of whether there might be an alternate meter I could use. And if the one I had was still working, why would I need a new one? Then came the day that an endocrinologist asked to see my meter, and she laughed at me when she saw it. She said, “You know, meters have really come a long way since the Mesozoic Era”. I had no idea. It simply didn’t occur to me that things could change, and meters could be even better. From then on, I tried to keep an eye on the latest improvements in meters and test strips, so even if I wasn’t changing meters, I would know if there was a major improvement of some kind that should prompt me to upgrade this very important device. Lesson: Stay current… maybe something better, or at least more useful, is out there.

Now, let’s talk about insulin pumps and infusion sets. When I first decided to start pumping insulin instead of injecting it, I had really only seen or read information on one pump product. So when my endocrinologist (who I had just started seeing six months earlier) said I should read about additional manufacturers of insulin pumps, I took her advice but didn’t really change my opinion about what I wanted.

In the end, I chose the pump that I’m using today for a couple of good reasons, and a few bad reasons. Chief among the bad reasons were the fact that I didn’t really consider the other pumps. I had my mind set on one only, and that’s the one I chose. Also, and this is very important: I didn’t ask anything about any other pump, and I didn’t get any demos or trial runs of any other pumps. This is completely not like me, and I want to kick myself every time I think about it. I should have done trial runs of other pumps. I should have listened to the sales pitches from the other reps (because that’s what you get… sales pitches). I should have asked a lot of questions.

I can’t say that I’m unhappy with my choice of pumps. What I have works very well, and it’s amazingly reliable. Those are big metrics for me. So I’m pretty happy I wound up with the pump I’m using. But I really wish I had done a little more due diligence, so I would be absolutely happy and sure of my choice. Lesson: Be an informed patient and consumer. It can only benefit you in the long run.

These are a couple of examples that I can point to in saying: Don’t make my mistakes. Learn about potentially new meters, medications, and yes, insulin pumps if you’re using one or plan to use one in the near future. Ask a lot of questions. A lot. Here’s an idea: Why not reach out via social media to get feedback on something you’re thinking of? Most of you know how responsive the DOC (Diabetes Online Community) can be, and how we’re very good at giving you the unvarnished truth. Finally, if you can, ask to do a trial run of your potentially new device so you can be even more sure you’re making the right decision.

I can’t guarantee that following this advice will help you land the perfect device to help you manage your diabetes better. But I do know this: More information will help you make the best choice you can make. And who wouldn’t be happy with that?

This post is my June entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2013/june-dsma-blog-carnival-3/
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in DSMA Blog Carnival | Also tagged , , , | Comments (3)

DSMA May Blog Carnival. Strengths and Weaknesses.

May 29, 2013 – 9:34 am

Strengths and weaknesses… hmmm, let me see… I know they’re in there somewhere. Everyone has them. Why is it I have more trouble finding my strengths than I do finding my weaknesses?

Maybe that’s because I’m not really trying to find my strengths. I’m trying to find what you think my strengths are. That way we can all agree and be happy. Plus, like a lot of people, I tend not to focus on my strengths, preferring instead to focus on my weaknesses, in the hopes of (hopefully) making them go away.

So where was I? That’s right… strengths. Diabetes strengths. Here’s one for your consideration:

I like to believe that I’m a lot stronger than you might think when you see me in person. Stronger as in tougher. Able to get up from a terrible low in the morning, and go to work all day. Able to fight with my prescription provider for my regularly scheduled meds, hang up the phone, and go off to my appointment at the endocrinologist. Able to ride 100 miles on a hot day in June, collapse, and head back to the gym two days later. Able to handle multiple daily injections for 19 years before going on pump therapy, in addition to all of the finger sticks that come in 22 years with diabetes.

I guess you could call it perseverance as a strength. That’s something that I think all of us living with diabetes possess. Because really, do we have another choice? Sometimes this thing will try to knock us down, and sometimes it will, but the real victory is in getting back up and continuing to live meaningful lives, despite pump tube occlusions or a crazy metabolism that decides to suddenly kick in six hours after a hard workout and drop our BG into the 40s (or the 2s if you’re outside the USA), or a hemoglobin A1c that doesn’t reflect how amazingly hard we’ve worked in the last three months. Living well despite all that… that’s what I mean by strength.

Weaknesses? I’ve got ‘em. They’re not very fun to identify either.

I admit that I have a weakness for salty carbohydrates… chips, popcorn, stuff like that. Needless to say, carbs aren’t the best thing for People With Diabetes. Also, I’m not big on logging data. If logging data were as easy as breathing, I’d be the best logger ever. But since it’s not, I’m not good at logging data. Of course, the good news is that by admitting what my weaknesses are, I can get to work on being better at cutting out the carbs and uploading the data.

But whatever our weaknesses or our strengths are, two things remain important. First, that we continue to keep doing our best, showing an example for other PWDs by showing that nothing can keep us down. Second, we need to continue to support each other as we try to come up from our lows and come down from our highs. Trust me… you are an inspiration for someone. That’s a strength, and it’s even more of a strength the longer you persevere. Stay strong.

This post is my May entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2013/may-dsma-blog-carnival-3/
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in DSMA Blog Carnival | Also tagged , , , | Comments (1)

#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)

April DSMA Blog Carnival – Spring Exercise.

April 23, 2013 – 10:55 am

This month’s DSMA Blog Carnival gets us thinking about spring (here in North America anyway), and our workout routines as the weather changes.

Does the sunshine and warmth of Spring urge you to change up your exercise routine? If you don’t have an exercise routine, does it inspire you to start exercising? And if it’s not Spring in your corner of the world, what season are you heading into and how does it impact your fitness routine?

Last question first: It is Spring in my corner of the world, finally, and I’m looking forward to ramping up my workout routine in a big way. There are a couple of reasons for that.

To begin with, the obvious: The weather gets warmer and the days get longer. That means there is more time available for me to actually get outside and get some exercise in. These are the times when I’m looking for an hour here or an hour there to hop on my bike and go down the road a little. Plus, the warm weather just makes me feel better. I crave the warm sunshine on my back (or my front) while I head off to places I haven’t been for nearly six months.

Second, Spring usually begins the last major push for me to get in shape for various events I’m competing in this year. I’ve got a 55 mile ride scheduled in May, a triathlon (swim, bike, and run) in June, a 5K run in July, and a 65 mile bike ride scheduled for September. As I’ve gotten older, my goals for these events has diminished somewhat. But I’m still well aware that if I’m going to get in the best shape possible for any of these events, I will have to make an extra effort now. Now that the weather is warmer, I can get outside the confines of the gym and that always makes me feel better. When it comes to meeting your fitness goals, variety is always a good thing.

Those are definitely two reasons why I’ll be doing more now that Spring has finally arrived here in the USA. In addition to that, there are always tasks in the yard that require my attention at this time of year. Preparing and planting the vegetable garden, mowing the grass, or just walking the dog more often are always high on the list of priorities when weather permits. So even if I weren’t training for something, I’d be putting in the extra effort anyway just taking care of the regular things at this time of year.

Whatever the reasons, I hope that spring brings a renewed sense of hope and confidence that you can do whatever it takes to maximize your fitness routine this spring!

This post is my April entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival. If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2013/april-dsma-blog-carnival-3/
 
 
 

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

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:

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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)