I met Emily Davis and Sarah Steinmetz of Chronically Healthy at a JDRF TypeOneNation last November, and their mission to help people with diabetes, and also folks living with other chronic illnesses, find peace and good health despite health challenges. They focus on the intersection between holistic modalities and conventional medicine. I really enjoyed talking with them both and wanted…
An Interview with Chronically Healthy
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Diet and Food, Exercise & FitnessA Bad Case: Making Diabetes a Laughing Matter
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Online Community, Real Life DiabetesThere’s a new comedy series about diabetes coming to a screen near you, and the project is shepherded by a familiar face: Erin Spineto of Sea Peptide Productions, self-proclaimed “type 1 diabetic, sailor and triathlete.” Erin is tackling diabetes advocacy through a comedic lens, and today she’s answering a few questions about her new project, A Bad Case. Kerri: Last…
Seven Versions of One Low Blood Sugar
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, RelationshipsSCENARIO: A blood sugar of 53 mg/dL caused me to wake up at 2 am, drink a juice box, and stay awake until 2.30 am waiting for my blood sugar to rise. DESCRIBING TO MY FRIEND: “Yeah, sometimes diabetes is a thing at night. I had a low last night that woke me up around 2 am, but that’s why…
Designing for Diabetes: An Interview with Natalie Balmain
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Diabetes Products, Psychosocial Support, Pumping Insulin, Real Life DiabetesNatalie Balmain is a fashion designer from England, and the creative force behind Type 1 Clothing. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 20, and this was ultimately her inspiration behind her debut line, designed to help people manage their multiple daily injections more easily and wear insulin pumps more comfortably. Natalie has raised money for…
So … I went into the CSS on my blog and wanted to change one quick thing, then ended up down some weird redesign rabbit hole, and I’ve come out the other side with a different website layout. (Just in time for net neutrality’s demise. I’m at the point where I don’t know where to look in order to escape…
Starting this blog back in 2005 wasn’t for page views or for advocacy efforts, to be honest. It was because I didn’t know any other people with diabetes, and I felt alone. I was the only twenty-something I knew who shot up before breakfast, the only one with a bottle of juice in the shower. I wanted to find some…
Do You Hate Diabetes?
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes and Family, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Mental Health, Psychosocial SupportI asked some friends on Facebook if they hated diabetes, and the answers* were as varied as the folks responding: “I hate it, the hassle, and the complications but I do not hate the growth amd strength I’ve achieved or the family I’ve gained because of it.” “I don’t hate it as a thing but it does annoy me. At…
Guest Post: Until Next Time, FFL.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Family, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Guest Diabetes Blogger, Psychosocial SupportLeigh Fickling was at the Friends for Life event this past weekend in Falls Church, VA and this morning, she posted about the power of FFL and of the green or orange bracelets given out to attendees on her Facebook page. I asked if I could share her post on SUM, and she was kind enough to say yes. Take…
Thirty One Years with Diabetes.
Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes and Family, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Complications, Diabetes Memories, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life DiabetesWhen my diabetes marked it’s 25th birthday, I wrote a bulleted of stuff I’ve learned since diagnosis. Another handful of years later, most of that list still holds up, with a few tweaks: Sometimes I can’t believe this is still A Thing. That diabetes is still a thing that requires attention, work, and patience. I used to believe in the…
Everyone involved with Connected in Motion impresses me; their sense of adventure coupled with their ability to jam diabetes into those adventures is something I draw inspiration from. (Come on … go look at their social media feeds and tell me you don’t want to be part of something that explores this kind of landscape.) Their community is centered around…
Guest Post: People with Diabetes are Demonstrating for #insulin4all
Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online CommunityToday’s guest post comes from Elizabeth Rowley, director of T1International – an organization working towards sustainable access and affordability of insulin, diabetes supplies, medical care and education for all people living with type 1 diabetes. They are planning a protest at Eli Lilly on September 9th, and Elizabeth is borrowing SUM today to share the who, what, where, and why of…