The Corner Booth

Being the last day of the month, it's time to finally join the circus. Or rather, the carnival. The Diabetes Blog Carnival. Also known as the #DSMA Blog Carnival . For those outside the ever-expanding online community of diabetics, you may find it relevant to know that #dsma means Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. That's a weekly Twitter chat where dozens come together online to discuss diabetes issues and topics, and the point of this carnival exercise is to have a bunch of D-bloggers focus on a specific question and personalize our own response to that. Blogs will all be compiled at month's end to highlight what's been written. So, the February topic has been: " The most awesome thing I have done in spite of diabetes is . . . ." There have been so many posts, from the start of the month to just recently. Many have had great responses. Some have resonated completely with me, others in part, some not so much. But all have been wonderful to read, without ...

As a reporter at a legal newspaper, I find myself regularly passing through courthouse security and sitting in courtrooms. A recent assignment took me to a local courtroom notorious for having a "no tolerance" policy on cell phones and related pieces of technology, to avoid any potential courtroom disruptions. The judge and bailiff are well-known for the policies and discipline imposed on folks who disobey. So you can only imagine my delight recently when my insulin pump appeared on their disruption radar and the court focused some of its attention on me. In the hours before entering court that day, I'd been flirting with Lows all morning. Blood meter checks showed my CGM paranoia was totally off base and was at least 40 mg/dL off the mark - meaning there was nothing to be worried about. But being in a constant on the run mode that day made it a little more uncertain, and meant the constant pump alerts...

Recently, Briley over at It's About Independence, It's About Life sent me an email saying she had a story to tell and wanted to see if she could share it over here. Always welcoming guest-posts and opinions from fellow D-Bloggers, I agreed in a heartbeat and looked forward to sharing her thoughts with the rest of the Diabetes Online Community. Sending her post, Briley noted: “I'm very honored to be writing here today. This is my first guest post anywhere and I couldn't be happier that it's here. I started reading Michael's blog when he wrote about D camps, and I'm a big fan of camps, especially D camps. He welcomed me into the DOC with open arms, and really made me feel like I belonged.” Then, she shared her story.   I want to talk about the difference between being a diabetic and being a person; more specifically on Valentine's Day. I had finished the most amazing meal I've ever cooked, and The Boy was telling me how his gift for me seemed insi...

Yes, that's pump tubing on my head... Don't ask. Our Shadow Cat is almost nine years old.  She came into our lives about seven years ago, in the summer of 2004 that was our first year living in Indiana after moving here from southeast Michigan. A copy editor friend at the paper I worked for at the time found her on the side of the road one night, scared after an apparent near-miss by a passing car. Her front paws were scraped, but she was OK. An email went out at work about anyone wanting to adopt a cat, and despite not being "cat people" or ever owning a pet before, we opted to bring her home. She was already being called "Shadow" because of her gray coat and "sneakiness in following you around like your shadow," so the name stuck. We found a vet and learned the estimate was she was about 2 at the time. We moved from that apartment to our first house about a month after our wedding in September 2005, and after some initial investigation she ...

Lately, I've been asking myself a key question: "What has the JDRF done for me?" Like really, truly through all the years as I heard that a cure is "right around the corner," while continuosly raising money for that cure, yet not seeing it around every corner I turned in my life? What have I gotten from the organization so devoted to researching that so-called cure and what do I think of that mission? Reflecting on this question seriously in recent weeks, some irony has come to mind because of the answer: In a weird Twighlight Zone sort of way, the JDRF has given me hope. Maybe not the kind of hope that comes from knowing each dollar I raise for a walk will specifically fund a cure at some specific point in the future. Rather, the hope that a lot of people are looking for a cure with all the passion in their hearts. I'm not a scientist, so I don't know what might be the best road. But I know there's the JDRF doing what it can,  just as many...

Ever thought about having your blood meter or insulin pump pimped out with pinstripes or some other creative artwork like vintage blue flames or flashy cool wavy lines? Or maybe you've pondered how an artistic painting genius might illustrate what you’re feeling about a dreaded D-complication, like the Dead Eye version known as retinopathy? Until recently, I can’t say my mind had ever pondered either of those above-mentioned concepts. But now, thanks to the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana, those two curiosities have been explored and addressed through an awesome fundraising event aimed at helping to send kids to Diabetes Camp. A group of talented artists brought those questions to life with a little paint and artistic wonder, part of the Pinstriper Panel Jam & Auction this past weekend that raised a total $8,815 to help send kids to the Camp Until a Cure in Noblesville, Indiana. This all came to be at the World of Wheels class car show in...

UPDATED : Came home from work on Valentine's Day to a special Heart Day Gift:  #BluntLancet shirt, along with candlit Valentine champagne glasses & chocolate hearts!  This was the second #BluntLancet shirt , a result of the first one being the wrong size. CafePress was cool about it and offered to send a correctly-sized one, but also allowed us to keep the original! So, now we have two! Below, you'll find my original Heart Day post as it was before this mail delivery update... Total Carb Count = 80g Yes, seriously. I'm not lying... You may disagree, but for me, this milk chocolatey goodness is totally bolus-worthy!!! Enjoy whatever treats you may enjoy or whoever your Valentine is for 2011. Have a Happy Heart Day!

Do real diabetic men wear boxers or briefs? Admit it: You really want to know. Personally, I wear boxers most of the time. It's a comfort choice. But sometimes, it comes down to where my insulin pump is attached to my body. I often rely on the same real estate and go with my upper body - abdomen, arms, stomach - for pump sites. Way too often, I leave these sets in longer than what is FDA-recommended ( Disclaimer: I'm no doctor or medical role model here ...) When sites are tough to find and it's time for a new spot, I resort to leg sites. Usually, I fall back to these areas when the above-mentioned locations are over-used and beat up. But I often feel restricted in my daily activities, like every move I make might rip a set out or dislodge a cannula. The dog isn't allowed to sit on my lap during these leg site periods, and I usually am more cautious about bending over or stretching that particular leg in a way that might spell site trouble. My under...

Living With Diabetes is tough. Constant blood sugar checks. Invading thoughts about what the numbers mean and whether that'll impact your day or task, and how so. Balancing snow shoveling or dog-walking with BG levels and what type of quick-acting sugar you might need to haul with you. Frustrations with insulin pumps, from low battery or refill alerts to wondering about whether the little speck of red near a cannula is hindering the insulin flow and causing your mood swings. Beeping Continuous Glucose Monitors. Math equations every time you consider putting food into your mouth. To put it mildly, those daily routines can be overwhelming at times. We can drive ourselves nuts. Diabetes doesn't give us a break, but sometimes we need a mental vacation - if even for a few hours every once in a while. My slacking came on Tuesday, after a long day at work that only forecast what was expected to be an even longer deadline-heavy latter part of...

You may recall that in early January I began a trial run with the Minimed 523 Paradigm Revel, a loaner from my local pump rep who offered to help out in making a decision about whether I truly wanted to purchase a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). Affectionately, I named this loaner pump and CGM combo Larry The Loaner. A month in, this is a letter to the device that has given me a chance to look beyond fingersticks for a short time.  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dear Larry The Loaner: This is tough to write. Frankly, because it's not going to be what you were hoping for when we set out on this adventure a little more than a month ago. Unlike my two-week ride with Lex The Dex and my short  Flight of the Navigator more than a year ago, our time together has enabled me to trial-test a handful of sensors rather than just a one-time test. This has been a beneficial look at how you'd really be if we were to partner up in the long-run. Instea...

A package arrived.  WOO HOO!! How very exciting!!!!  Opening it, this is what was inside. We won't get into the shirt size discrepency issue... And this. Meter & Test Strips not included. So, now I'm a groupie of the music phenomenon known as BluntLancet (#BluntLancet). And being a fan means I also support the  Diabetes Hands Foundation . Oh, my Riley Dog is also a fan who's ready for the Rythm & Bruise Tour! Rock On, Riley!!!!

At some point, is it possible to look in the mirror and see a snake oil salesman or Halle Berry staring back? You know, someone doing more harm to the diabetes community than good? That thought horries me. But it's how I feel at the moment, and regrettably it's something I have brought on myself. My evil twin came out to play, and I'm feeling the consequences of that. Much has been written and discussed recently about a diatribe article with JDRF CEO Jeffrey Brewer, focusing on the organization’s focus and direction. Discussion on that article began online and some passionate parents of Children With Diabetes voiced their thoughts and views on the article and overall topic. Some expressed frustration with the direction while others didn’t. The Adult Type 1 community joined into the discussion, and unfortunately the conversation soon dwindled into a name-calling slug-fest onine between some CWD Parents and the Adult Type 1 community. Here's the thing. I disagreed wit...

Pump Set Change + CGM Sensor Switch = Lots of Waste. Every few days. Glad I have curbside trash pickup every week!

As it's Groundhog Day, you can find me visiting fellow D-Blogger Sarah Jane over at Sarahndipity . We had the chance to meet for the first time at the Roche Summit this past summer, and I was honored to have a post over there. So please, stop by and say hello! This comes as we're bracing for what is being dubbed the Indiana ICEPOCALYPSE, or the national winter storm impacting a third of the country and hitting the Hoosier state particularly hard as far as ice and cold. Little snow in Central Indiana, like in Chicago or my hometown Southeast Michigan where they're tapped to get more than a foot of snow. But state government's been shuttered, federal offices and courts are closed, mail service postponed, schools and business closed, National Guard responding and shelters opened. There's an inch of ice covering the tree in my front yard, and the grass is crispy icecycles that make the dog hesitant to go outside to do her business. As I write this later Tuesday aftern...