Tag Archives: Type 1 Diabetes Lounge

Diabetes Podcast Week! With the vivacious, committed, and reliable Merle Gleeson.

February 2, 2016 – 9:11 am

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You read that right… it’s Diabetes Podcast Week!

Brainchild of Stacey Simms at the Diabetes Connections podcast, this is a week where a dozen diabetes podcasters will be uploading new episodes and helping to raise money for the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign. Listen to the beginning and the end of today’s episode of Diabetes By The Numbers for more information on the Spare a Rose, Save a Child initiative and what an amazing difference it makes for children living in developing countries throughout the world.
Insulin should not be a luxury.

Today’s episode of Diabetes By The Numbers features the Superwoman known to her friends and compatriots as Merle Gleeson. In our opening round question, she describes herself as vivacious, committed, and reliable. She’s that and a lot more.

Merle has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for over 50 years. She’s also a Champion Athletes With Diabetes medal winner. Around nineteen years ago, her and a few friends started something called the Type 1 Diabetes Lounge, which holds regular meetings, fundraisers, parties, and more in the Chicago area. It’s quite an operation, and if you’re looking to kick start a local diabetes meetup or amp up the meetup you already have, you can do a lot worse than listening to Merle.

Here then is my conversation with Merle Gleeson, and a special message about Spare a Rose, Save a Child.
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Help save the life of a child living with diabetes in a developing country by donating to the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign today: www.p4dc.com/spare-a-rose/give/
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Reference Material – Click below for more information on this topic

Merle Gleeson is founder and CEO of the Type 1 Diabetes Lounge in the Chicago area:
type1diabeteslounge.com/

More about Diabetes Podcast Week can be found at Stacey Simms’ blog:
staceysimms.com

Spare a Rose, Save a Child is an initiative of Partners for Diabetes Change. To find out more about Spare a Rose, Save a Child:
www.p4dc.com
 

By StephenS | Posted in Diabetes By The Numbers, Diabetes Podcast Week | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)

A Champion Athlete With Diabetes, and a Pied Piper.

March 31, 2014 – 8:32 am

I was so excited to send out our 8th Champion Athlete With Diabetes medal a few weeks back (I know, I’m writing about our 8th medal winner after I wrote about our 9th medal winner… sue me). Where do I begin?

Merle

Merle Gleeson is a 50 year Joslin Medalist. How ’bout we start there? I think that trumps my little medal, by a longshot. But that’s not all… Merle is also founder of the non-profit Type 1 Diabetes Lounge, known as Chicagoland’s adult education and support network. Founded in 1997, this is an amazing organization. They do lots of talks, parties, fundraisers, and more, all designed to help bring PWDs together in an atmosphere of encouragement and understanding. Be sure to check out their website and Facebook page for more.

So… What does all that have to do with athletics? Well, not much. But I thought you’d like to know about it, because I think it’s kinda cool. Now, when it comes to athletic prowess, Merle is hard to beat. Check out her current weekly routine:

Monday: Workout Challenge
Tuesday: Spin and Weights
Wednesday: Muscle Definition
Thursday: Spin and CXWORX
Friday: Sports Conditioning and Zumba
Saturday: TRX and Power Step

I got tired just reading that. That’s six days a week of tough conditioning. In addition to that, Merle still gets out on her bike when the weather permits, and can do up to 50 miles at a time with her local bike club.

In Merle’s words, “I just want to STAY HEALTHY and be a role model!”. Check and check.

Merle Gleeson… For being an amazing athlete, a gatherer of like-pancreased souls, an advocate, and for persevering for fifty-plus years with diabetes, we are proud to recognize you as a Champion Athlete With Diabetes. I stand in awe and grateful appreciation of your outstanding achievements.
 
 
Are you out there persevering, working hard to achieve athletic goals? If you’re living with diabetes, and you’re active; or if someone close to you is living with D and is active, we’ve got an honest-to-goodness medal we’d like to award you (or the athlete close to you). 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. Click here, or on the photo of the medal in the upper left corner of this page to find out more.
 
 
 

By StephenS | Posted in Athletes With Diabetes | Also tagged , , , | Comments (1)
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