The Corner Booth

Our annual JDRF Walk happened Saturday morning in downtown Indianapolis and we had a great time. Both Suzi and I walked, along with the Riley dog who's been excited to participate in past walks. This was the latest it's been scheduled, and given the timing so close to Halloween the theme was "Say Boo To Diabetes." So, we had some fun and dressed the Riley Dog up in a D-themed costume. She became an insulin pump. A "Puptronic 2011" pump, to be exact. All with a little homemade artistic magic by Suzi, using stick-on felt designs on a University of Michigan doggy coat. The Manufacturing Process Manufactured by @TypeSuzi Excited to be an insulin pump! Showing off her costume at the Walk! Relaxing, just before the walk begins! Posing with dad and the Animas pump guys. Happy Dog, smiling for a photo! And so that was our weekend walk. We had a blast, along with about 3,000 others. Now, we're ready for Hallow

I plan on wearing blue on Fridays in November because it’s Diabetes Awareness Month. The plan also extends to World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14. Did so last year, and will continue that practice in 2011 and beyond. Without a doubt. Just like so many others in the ever-expanding Diabetes Online Community. As evidenced by this Facebook page and video created by Cherise. Thanks, Mom! ( @jath622 ) But I’m not just planning to wrap myself in blue clothing, put blue attire on my dog, and watch for monuments and fellow diabetes advocates to “Go Blue.” No, the plan is for more than that. I want people to know WHY we are wearing blue. By people, I don't mean my fellow Knights of The Diabetes Jedi Order. I mean regular folk. Simply, most people don’t know that someone wearing blue on a particular day, or even on a regular basis for a month, is doing it for any specific reason. They don’t get blue is the color representing diabetes. Heck, even the Diabetes Community itself can’t agree on a uni

Don’t ever doubt that you make a difference. One person, telling his or her story, is all it takes. That person can reach someone else when they might need it most. And change a life, in small or big ways. That’s what Simon says the DOC has done for him. That’s what the DOC has done for me. And so many others echo that same sentiment, from online blogs and Twitter-chats to real life meetups in random settings. From 1-on-1 get togethers to large-scale “events” with groups of PWD. You look around the roster of people who gathered from more than a dozen states, all in the name of one individual from Australia who seems to embody the spirit of this community so well. A friend, life-changer, and awesome person. Most of us had a great time, and the words are just starting to trickle out of our hearts even as the thoughts and feelings are still being processed in our heads. Not everyone could be there live in person, but many could follow along online thanks to the technological wonder

All I can say is WOW. A weekend in Kansas City with a group of about 30 friends was beyond words, and so far I don't have the energy or ability to express the awesomeness of it in writing. But, to start, i thought we could set the stage with some great photos: There was Diet Coke... Oh yes, there was. @MHoskins2179 'I'm NOT addicted to Diet Coke. I can quit anytime I want.' - @ scottkjohnson says, with 3 cans on table. # simonpalooza 9 Oct via Twitter for BlackBerry® How'd YOU react seeing this after deboarding a plane??? Stunned or Scared?... :)) Then, there was the Airport Group Greeting : <-------- US SIMON!! -----> Simon, overwhelmed to the point of needing to sit down. The #Simonpalooza KC Leg's Airport Welcoming Group - Photo provided by Sara's Camera After fun, food, more fun, and even more fun, we heard the rumors of Blunt Lancet actually be spotted on their tour

So, here we are again. The day we write about anything EXCEPT that chronic condition that we are living with. No D Day, some might know it as. An annual tradition that's the brainchild of our own bacon-loving Ninjabetic . This means no blogging, Tweeting, or Facebooking statuses on that subject. George describes it this way: "We are more than a disease, a lot more and tomorrow is a day to share some of that. There are many facets to each one of us and since we do talk so much about our D lives, we maybe miss some other cool stuff about each other. It’s not easy. It is a serious exercise to avoid all D talk but, I think it is a positive step in seeing that life is more than diabetes. We are more than diabetics or People With Diabetes. We give diabetes a lot of attention, let’s spend one day and give the rest of ourselves the spot light."   Many articulate No D Day posts can be found here . But for me, it's a replay from the Corner Booth back in 2010, ap

A simple message came across my Twitter-feed, in response to one I’d sent about an article regarding the idea of the Diabetes Online Community. The individual on the other end of that Tweet was the article’s author, a respected pediatric endocrinologist who’s been Living With Type 1 diabetes for more than four decades and has been described as a luminary in the field of D-Management. His message about the online D-Community: “Caveat Emptor!” Or: “Let the buyer beware, when engaging in this potentially-dangerous online health community that might be trying to give medical advice or sell a product to those with diabetes. Online flash mobs are a risk, and they can certainly be a danger in the diabetes community as well.” The Tweet that got me to the column/letter/article in a Texas newspaper in the first place: “With Diabetes Social Media sites there is potential for much good but also the potential for 'bad.' See if you agree:" Article link was here . Clicking on t