Hi. I’m Chris.

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in October 2002. You can read more about that here. This blog started in 2009 as a way to share, and mostly vent my frustrations with, my life with diabetes. Over the years it has expanded into a daily chronicling of whatever is going on in my life. For the most part that has been my life with diabetes – there’s a post tag for that. But there’s more to me than my diabetes, like life with my lovely wife and these two cats, so for everything else, there’s a post category for that.

Over the years my creative efforts have expanded in a variety of directions. Including, a weekly podcast that I host and produce called “Just Talking” that features the stories and experiences of a different guest each week. The goal is a casual yet informative conversation that anyone can approach which you can find at justtalkingpodcast.com.

My story sharing efforts have expanded to include a monthly pop culture podcast called 2 Big Topics, and Mark All That Apply, a conversation about race and identity with my sister.

Additionally, I built a platform that encourages the sharing of thoughts, feelings, and experiences about the impact of chronic diseases and illness through the safety of anonymity called My Disease Secret. This platform includes a number of community-specific sites reaching different patient communities, including diabetes.

There will also be posts and tidbits from my other social media outlets. You can find them all here, if you’re really that curious. I do what I can to keep those audiences segmented unless there’s something major that merits cross-posting.

Over the years I’ve developed my perspective and voice as a patient advocate, both through this blog and in person at conferences like Stanford’s Medicine X. I’m not an authority on any one particular matter, but when I have strong feelings about a particular topic or advocacy effort, you’ll certainly know it.

At the end of the day, I believe in storytelling. I believe that the stories we, the diabetes community, share strengthen our community and improve our capacity for greatness by an exponential margin. I believe that every story is worth telling, no matter how ordinary it appears to be on the surface. I believe all of “this” is best served to help remind others that they aren’t alone with their diabetes, their cancer, their rheumatoid arthritis, or whatever else you may be dealing with. I believe that every patient community has something to teach, and something to learn.

In March 2017, I became the Community Manager at Tidepool. Among other roles, I have the privilege of managing our email and social media communication. More importantly, I represent the Tidepool team to the diabetes community, and the diabetes community to the Tidepool team. This role truly feels like a culmination of everything I’ve been passionate about, and I have to pinch myself every day to remember that this is all really happening. You can learn more about Tidepool by visiting tidepool.org.

I still have a lot to learn, and if I’m lucky a few things I can help teach in the process.

At this point in the game, this blog exists because I want to connect with other people with diabetes, share and promote stories of patient advocacy, and naturally post pictures of my cats. Welcome to my madness.

This is a personal blog – funded wholly by me, myself, and I. The views expressed here are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.

Further, I am not a doctor. If you have any questions regarding details or treatment of diabetes or any other medical condition, please talk to a professional.

If you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you personally know me, you are living with diabetes, or someone you love has diabetes. If you came here looking for actual consequences or symptoms of hypoglycemia, 1. I apologize for capitalizing on a little Search Engine Optimization and B. I’ll refer you to the JDRF for a proper explanation.

-Christopher

Last Updated: 19 November 2017