Wondering what it’s like to be surrounded by thousands of people affected by diabetes? Today, my fellow Friends for Life faculty member and longtime family friend, Scott Johnson, takes over SUM to share his experience as a first-timer at FFL back in 2010. Scott was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes back in 1980 and has been blogging about his…
Guest Post: What FFL Was Like as a First Timer.
Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, RelationshipsPanel: Challenges in Healthcare Leadership.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, SUM in Other PlacesYesterday, I took part in a panel discussion at the Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership Class of 2017 Convocation at Brown University (say that three times fast … I sure as hell can’t) and part of our discussion was about leadership in the healthcare space. My fellow panelists were folks who were employed in the healthcare arena (Michael Hudson, EVP…
Interview: Anna Norton on the Future of Diabetes Sisters.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial SupportOrganizations that bring people touched by diabetes together have a special place in my heart, because peer-to-peer support checks that “whole person care” box on the mental diabetes management to do list. The Diabetes Sisters organization is a group that brings women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes together in an environment that fosters open discussion, camaraderie, and learning. …
Karen Graffeo is a talented knitter, devoted cat owner, and tireless advocate for diabetes, and I am so proud to call her a friend. Six years ago, she launched the first Diabetes Blog Week, an effort that serves to expand the diabetes online community and embrace the beauty of diversity of voices. Today, Karen is sharing some of the how’s…
“Your thing is going off.” Though nondescript, that phrase is a loaded one. It is Chris-speak for, “Your Dexcom is making an alarm of some kind; you need to take a look at it.” And now that the Dexcom SHARE application is feeding my glucose results to my husband and a few other authorized viewers, when the thing goes off,…
Unraveling the UnConference.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life DiabetesThanks to the vision, dedication, and determination of Christel Aprigliano, the first Diabetes UnConference came together in Las Vegas last weekend. “Wait, what? I didn’t see anything on Twitter or Facebook!” And that’s because there was a social media blackout on the whole conference during the actual course of it. No live-Tweeting, no live-blogging, no live-streaming. As my daughter used…
D-Blog Week: What Brings Me Down … and Then Back Up.
Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes Complications, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life DiabetesDiabetes has made my body broken in ways I don’t readily admit, but I am sometimes forced to acknowledged. People talk about my daughter’s chances of developing the disease and they always give me what they think is a comforting comment – “At least it would be the devil you know,” – but that doesn’t ease my boxed-away fears and…
Nine Years of Blogging.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online CommunityToday is my blog’s ninth birthday. Tomorrow starts year ten and I still stand by the words I wrote in my first post, back in 2005: “The purpose of this is to make contact with other diabetics. It’s one of those diseases (or maybe they’re all this way, I’m not sure) where even if you have the mechanics of it…
If I Knew Then: Diabetes Blogging.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes and Family, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life DiabetesI wish I had known, at the outset, what a “blog” was. When Chris suggested I start one back in 2005, the face I made was as though he had shoved a lemon into my mouth. “A blaaaaahgg?” I wish I had known that things like SEO would matter – not on the “I need more page views” sort of…
What’s Your Itch?
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial SupportMy “diabetes advocacy itch” has always been emotional health. I’m not a doctor and I don’t know everything about type 1 diabetes, but I do know that I pay more attention to my diabetes when my head is in a healthy space, and being tuned in to diabetes improves outcomes, for me. Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, upset … any kind of…
Make a Difference For One.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial SupportAn ode to the community I respect so much, and one that doesn’t simply exist “online.” Diabetes advocacy takes shape in the smallest actions – you don’t have to be a “blogger” in order to make a difference. Make a Difference for One. We’re united by beta cells on a long break.We’re united by know just how much it takesTo…
Power of Patient Communities.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Healthcare, Psychosocial Support, Real Life DiabetesAt the end of November, I had the opportunity to contribute an article to Pharmaphorum, which is a UK-based publication with the mission to “connect healthcare thought leaders to support the pharma industry in delivering innovation.” Thanks to the thoughtful responses from Bob Pederson, Shannon Marengo, Laura Gibson, and Melanie Bunda, I was able to highlight some of the benefits…
Global Connections in the DOC.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Diabetes VideosIn October, I was in Barcelona for the 2nd European Blogger Summit put on by Animas and had the opportunity to brainstorm with several diabetes bloggers from across the pond. (And some from waaaay across the other pond there on the far left … I’m talking to you, Australia.) This video is a compilation of some of the things we…
Of Cocktails and Community
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, Relationships“So what you should do is see what people are searching for and then carefully tailor your posts to draw in those searches. Pick the search engine terms that there isn’t a high competition for, giving you an advantage in Google’s search algorithm.” The example he used was pretty simple: “10 Best Cocktails for People with Diabetes” In a discussion…
Weird Together.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, Traveling“I travel a bit and go to conferences and events where there are people who have diabetes, too. It can be kind of isolating, diabetes, so knowing other people who have it makes it easier to manage on all levels. Does that make sense?” “Yeah. It’s like, ‘Hey, we’re weird together.’ And when you’re weird together, you get closer.” That…
The oven broke. It took me a while to notice, because it was upwards of 90 degrees inside of my house (no central air … we will not be making this mistake with our next house), but once I realized the stove was kaput, it was about 6.30 pm and very much time for Birdzone’s dinner. While I’d like to…