Times Have Changed

Four years makes all the difference, apparently.

Back about this time in 2007, when this was still The Corner Booth and didn't have "Diabetes" in the title, I'd written up a D-themed blog post called "What's In a Name?" and said that there was no need in my mind to ever name an insulin pump or medical device, as some in the small DOC-at-the-time had done. I questioned the motives for doing something like that and said it wasn't my thing, and ended the short post with the proclamation: "That's where I draw the line"

Flash-forward to 2011, and here I am with a Minimed pump. I'm not even sure how many actual pumps have come across my D-Life during my past decade of pumping, but there's been a handful. The past three going back to late 2009 have had names - Bacon Gibbs, Bacon II (a.k.a. Bacon Gibbs Corleone, The Don of Rage Bolusing), and Scarface. That all followed a brief two-year switchover to the Cozmo, which later got tagged with the casual name of either Coz and Kramer.

During the past couple years, I've even managed to score a trial test of one Minimed CGM who received the nickname of Larry The Loaner CGM.

(Recomposing myself, trying to find my dignity and self-respect...)

So there it is. BAM.
 
Looking back, it's quite remarkable how things change - in life generally and as it pertains to this online diabetes community. Somehow, at some point, I crossed the line and started naming my medical devices. Not exactly sure where it began,  I'm sure this naming inspiration came from those in this community to some degree. You know, me doing what the cool kids do.

The Diabetes Online Community has grown exponentially and so much has changed, for the better. It's tough to keep up these days with everything that's been written, but that's a good prob to have. This community's patient-voice is so incredibly stronger and well-heard, and continues echoing here and beyond like a growing megaphone hooked up to our named-medical devices.

Mostly, I think it's humor and perspective that the DOC has injected into my life - cynicism and sarcasm is always present, but I feel that by connecting with others who are Living With Diabetes just as I am - and articulating those day-to-day challenges - it helps being able to put it all into context and better balance. I'm not the first to say it, but it's a matter of having everyone shoulder a D-Life rather it being just me. That's very powerful and I'm so thankful for the changes I've come to experience in recent years. And so on.

Amazing, isn't it, how time goes by?

Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I can't wait to see what's ahead. If nothing else, I'm sure it will have a cleverly fun name to go along with it.