Lazy Chris

Makes me wonder what business I have subscribing to all of these feeds in the first place.

Secondly, the You Can Do This Project is up for a micro-grant from the Diabetes Hands Foundation. Kim has all the details on her blog. Go read her post and be sure to check out the other nominees. There are some fantastic ideas there and it’ll be exciting to see what comes of all of this. Obviously I’m especially invested in YCDT but I wouldn’t be part of the Advisory Team if I didn’t believe in the project and the power of “You Are Not Alone”-ness.

It’s done wonders for me.

Most of you know that I work for the American Diabetes Association. This has been the case for over two years. I can’t lie, having a “diabetes.org” email address is pretty cool. Last year I attended our Scientific Sessions conference in San Diego to help out with the staff and helping keep things operating smoothly. I’ll be in Philadelphia this year for the latest conference – helping out and whatnot. It should be a lot of fun. After all, this is the largest diabetes conference in the world.

But, my endocrinologist will not be there. I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing, but I’m curious: for those of you that are pancreatically challenged, does it matter to you if your endocrinologist attends conferences like, or along the lines of Scientific Sessions? I know having our doctors active and accessible on social media is still a bit of a leap, but is it important that they attend these meetings? If they are doing their due diligence to stay up to date on the latest news and developments on their own time, is it essential that they go to #ada2012?

Let me know what you think.

I thought about this one for a decent amount of time (relative to the normal, “just wing it” approach I typically take to these blog posts). I suppose I could have written a brief tribute to Kerri, who I credit as my first “discovery” into the diabetes online community. Most of my social media presence (this blog, the podcast, the twitters) can be blamed on her. Kind of. I’ve certainly branched out from the early years, but it all started because I found her blog.

But there’s more than that. Finding Kerri led to me finding Scott and George. Find those two led me to Dana. And it’s her cupcake shenanigans that brought me and Dayle together.

So, my Diabetes Hero is the Internet. I cannot even imagine what it would take to imagine where I would be without the strength and influence of the diabetes community. If you’re looking for a more specific list of Diabetes Heroes, start with this group of Diabetes Blog Week participants.

It’s wildly apparent that those in the diabetes community have a shared tendency to post pictures of our Dexcom receiver. It’s the most efficient way to detail how a day is going, or has been. I do what I can to spice up my Dexcom pictures by adding things to the background. Sometimes it works, other times I’m too creative for my own good. The point is that sharing these images strengthens the community. Sharing the highs and lows empowers others to be open and honest about their diabetes and while I’m no medical professional, I’m certain the effects of experiencing and participating in this openness has a positive impact on one’s diabetes management. Maybe not immediately, but the good will come.

I do my part in sharing little pieces of my world online, often diabetes related in part because I think it’s interesting but also because I know there are others out there that are looking for encouragement. They’ll soon be discovering that they are not alone in the diabetes world and if they come across any of my stuff, I hope to be a proper ambassador for the online community.

So I post good days, and not-so-good days. I post about synergy, and shenanigans but most importantly, I’ll post about stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with diabetes, because sometimes that’s just as, if not more essential to a happy and healthy life with diabetes.

The “Last Test Strip” blues. #diabetes

(If you’re on Instagram, you can find me there at iam_spartacus.)

Diabetes does not stop, ever. Diabetes shows no emotion. Diabetes does not care how hard you are working to control your blood glucose or if it’s your anniversary. Diabetes demands constant attention. And even when you give diabetes the attention it so desperately craves, your reward is a d20 roll away. Managing this disease is extremely difficult but if you’re reading this and your pancreas works fine, I’m sure you’re saying to yourself “I don’t know if I could do all of that” – trust me, eager reader, you’d be surprised what you’re capable of when your life is on the line.

To the prompt, what’s the one thing I would tell said functioning pancreas owner? I’m not alone.

It’s my diabetes. I’m the one responsible for the ups, downs, highs, lows, no-hitters, the Costco-size box of peppermint patties, the juice under my bed, the collection of used insulin pen needles, the insurance, the endocrinologist appointments, the carb counts, the insulin injections, the blood glucose tests, the…everything. It’s all on me. But I’m not alone.

If you’re coming to this post not knowing what the value of community is, I direct you to the ridiculously long list of Diabetes Blog Week participants. Each one of us is on the hook to get this diabetes right on an individual basis, but despite the solitude there is comfort knowing that support is there and yes, You Can Do This. Turns out it’s true, there is strength in numbers.

Yes, there’s plenty of doom and gloom I could, and sometimes do spread, about life with diabetes to the uninitiated, but this week ends on a high note. This post ends with the thought that there is more out there, and we are all better because of it.

Fun fact, I actually had a brainstorm about how I would improve my Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring system, you can check that out if you want a slightly more realistic vision for the future of diabetes care (if I had my way).

Now, if I had a magic wand and could make something magic appear, kinda like oobleck but less…weird, I’d create a teleporter.

Let’s face it, the online community is great. The virtual support at our finger tips has resulted in countless success stories and feel-good moments over the years. As the community grows, so do the opportunities to hang out, go eat cupcakes, go bowling, debate over Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi or whatever else floats our collective boat. Opportunities like Friends for Life are exciting because we get to hang out with people we normally associate with at 140 characters at a time or through the occasional Google Hangout. As fun and important as that is, it doesn’t beat a real-life hug from Scott Johnson.

I’m not dismissing the technology currently at our disposal. It’s fantastic. But I want instantaneous travel. Rather than budget out time and money for a trip to Florida for a week, let’s all just hop in our teleporter and save everyone the hassle of dealing with the TSA.

When someone is participating in Tour de Cure, we can teleport to the finish line to congratulate them on the ride of their life.

When someone announces a bun in the oven, we can teleport to the baby shower.

When someone runs out of test strips, has a pump failure, needs a backup syringe or assistance with the diabetes police…teleporter.

The only problem is we need to name this thing – any suggestions?

How about the “mg/dL 5000″?

I believe the saying goes “insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Within the diabetes community, we know that expecting the same results from anything involving diabetes management is a exercise in futility. The only constant thing about this disease is its inconsistency.

At yet, I still assume.

I assume that taking my Lantus at the same time each day will produce similar results overnight or over the course of the day.

I assume that having the same breakfast two days in a row will require the same amount of insulin, because we all know that there are no other external factors that impact blood glucose or insulin absorption.

I assume that my CGM is always accurate.

I assume that going through the motions when I have other things on my mind will leave me in a happy place, diabetically speaking.

As you can guess, none of these assumptions are valid, or wise. I get complacent in my complacency. Even when I know I should know better, sometimes it still takes a kick in the nethers to get me to wake up and refocus my diabetes management.

If there’s one thing I need to improve on, it’s my focus.

There are a number of ways to approach this one, as I am a person living with diabetes and I care for a person living with diabetes. Hi Dayle!

Yes, living with diabetes can be a bummer. And yes, caring for a person with diabetes means you share the bummer-ness. But I think both of those things cancel out. I’m not entirely sure on that math on that one. Let me get back to you after I check my work.

As far as Dayle goes, she has been great about being patient about my eating habits. It’s been well documented over the years that my culinary excursions aren’t exactly Man vs. Wild in metaphor. I come from the philosophy that there’s nothing a good Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich can’t solve. (Grape jelly, mind you). (Oh, and creamy peanut butter).

Slowly but surely, Dayle has encouraged a more diverse diet into my life, and as a result, into our lives. I’m not making Iron Chef meals featuring a random ingredient but at the very least, I’m eating a lot more vegetables and other fun things like fish. It’s not a perfect diet and I know I’m not perfect. But she doesn’t judge.

I do my best to curb cravings for things like pizza, especially knowing how tricky it can be for both of us to manage those post meal spike-spikes. I don’t want to be a burden on her diabetes because I’m the picky eater but I can’t change my habits overnight. She’s been more than incredibly patient with me as I expand my dietary horizons. And for that I am incredibly appreciative.

I’m working on returning the favor(s). Foot rubs may not be high on the exchange rate, but it’s a start, right?

There are a great number of posts detailing blogs you know and blogs you may not know right here. The fun part of this exercise is that everyone has their own unique take on this prompt. So it’s not a question of where there is overlap, but how each person spins it. Me? I’m going for the n00b approach. It seems like there’s an introduction happening on Twitter or Facebook of a new member of the diabetes online community. This is exciting. But for people who are literally just getting started after searching ‘diabetes’ on Twitter, here are a few places to get you started. Follow these people and you’ll be instantly connected to the rest of the online community.

It’s magic. Or is it science?

First up, Kerri. I call her “patient zero” for the online community. I’m sure there are other diabetes blogs that pre-date hers, but she was the first person I found (and the third overall person I followed on Twitter). I don’t even remember how I found Six Until Me, but I’m glad I did. Read her blog, follow her on Twitter, (follow her husband too, he’s kind of a big deal) and prepare for conversations about birds, disco boobs, and real talk about life with diabetes. Any time I hype the online community to someone looking for more information I send them to Kerri’s blog. Go there and you’ll agree with my recommendation.

Then there’s Cherise. If you want to get an idea of what the online community is capable of, follow the hashtag #dsma on Twitter each Wednesday night. Cherise is responsible for that madness. People rearrange their schedules for that hour because of the constant flow of information, laughs, tears and shared enjoyment of that Twitter chat. Follow her and you may be overwhelmed with retweets and discussion topics but the point is that they are in one central location. Indulge at your discretion and be amazed at the level of participation that occurs – all because of her.

Finally. Scott Johnson and George Simmons. It was too difficult to pick one of these two, and quite frankly, they are a bit inseparable. Simply stated, there are no two better people I know than Scott and George. Genuine good souls. The phrase “he’s good people” was created with them in mind. Keep up with these two guys and you will experience unmistakable joy, and you’ll never want to give that up.

So there you have it. No longer should you be afraid of the diabetes online community. If you’re just getting started, I can’t think of a better group of people to be your ambassadors into this madness…I mean…family of strangers.