Because this is my blog, here are a few random diabetes and non-diabetes ramblings, in no particular order:
– Ever notice a difference in how your diabetes works with different insulins? Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know… yet. The fact is, they all work. It makes sense if they don’t all work the same. The trick is in finding what works best for you, and then not using what you’re using as an excuse for results that don’t make you happy.
– Additional note: Don’t tell me they all work the same, then tell me I have to pay three fucking times more for one than I have to pay for another. There’s a point where copyrights of manufacturers and the rights of so-called insurers need to be tempered by the needs of patients who need said insulins to survive. Three fucking times more means the balance is skewed too far toward the manufacturer and/or the insurer, and not enough toward the patient.
– I’m very excited to be speaking later on today with the brother-sister team of Hayley and Ethan Maurice, who earlier this year climbed Mount Whitney, tallest peak in the contiguous United States, raising thousands for JDRF. I’m eager to find out how things have been going since their backpacking adventure, and get a little inside scoop on how things were during their climb too.
– Part of the reason why I’m speaking with the Maurices today, and not before their trip, is because my life has been scheduled beyond belief for the past several months. I mean, I’ve had something scheduled every single Saturday morning going back to mid-May. That’s the last time I’ve slept past 7 a.m. on any morning. Sorry to complain about it so much, but every time I whine about how busy I am, it kind of lets off a little of the pressure I’m feeling, plus it helps me to focus on what is really meaningful, which is the fact that I’m amazingly lucky to be so busy. And this Saturday morning: I’m helping a friend on the other side of town at 7 o’clock. Then I’m meeting a rep from a pump maker. See what I mean?
– I get the fact that people are feeling a little jealous about the ALS ice bucket challenge. I’ve seen enthusiastic ice bucket challenge videos from people who have never donated to any of the diabetes-related things I’ve advocated for. Hell yes, I’m jealous. But I don’t begrudge them one ounce of their fun nor one dollar of their fundraising. I don’t wish Lou Gehrig’s disease on anyone any more than I wish diabetes on anyone. They are both horrific things to have to live with, and the sooner they’re both eradicated from the earth the better. I’m sad that we in the diabetes world get a lot more attention for complaining about an article in the New York Times than we get for helping to save the lives of children who don’t have access to insulin or the means to pay for it. But as I’ve noted before… when I compete, I don’t feel good, even when I win. When I help, I feel good, even if no one notices. So let’s keep our eyes open for opportunities to help, and if we keep helping, I think an opportunity will present itself and grow like this one did for ALS. If: We are all working together. Supporting each other.
– Speaking of other things I (probably) have no business weighing in on: Is it okay now to call this whole Ray Rice thing a fiasco? Maureen probably had the best take on it yesterday when I asked her whether she thought the NFL had knowledge of the elevator video prior to yesterday. She said: “Sure they knew the video existed. They just didn’t want to pay for it like TMZ did. Good for the NFL for not paying for it; shame on the NFL for not doing the right thing in the first place, video or not.” My take: No one should get a free pass on this issue. Including the fans of my favorite football team. The statistics show that no one is untouched by abuse. I’d be really happy if we could say that no one is untouched by protection from abuse. No one. Ever.
Now I’m off to search for those Medicine X videos from last week. I’m jealous of everyone who was there, but in the most supportive of ways. I can’t wait to hear everything I’ve only heard up to now via Twitter and blog posts. Be safe, be well, and remember: I support you… no conditions.
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