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…
Over the weekend, I saw a post from Stephen with the meme in it and felt this moment of, “Oh hell yes. Something fun and kind of mindless that doesn’t involve being on a soapbox. Want.” So I did the meme post and it felt fun. Like I didn’t give a shit and wanted to write something for the sake…
What Does the DOC Mean to You?
Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, UncategorizedTwo weeks ago, the #dsma chat was centered on the how and why of people’s participation in the Diabetes Online Community (DOC), and after chat participants shared what brought them to the web for diabetes information, the last question of the night asked them what the DOC means to them. The answers created a quilt of community and comfort that…
Drafting Off #DSMA: Diabetes Job Description.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life DiabetesI love tuning in to the diabetes discussions on Twitter – they are always insightful and make me see things through a different (insulin-colored?) lens. The final question of last night’s #dsma chat really brought out some interesting responses: Q4 At the time of diagnosis, would it have been helpful to be offered a Position Description for life with diabetes?…
What Do You Want to Talk About?
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life DiabetesLast night’s #dsma chat was a particularly good one, because its intention was to generate discussion and feedback about what people in the diabetes online community (DOC) want to talk about. These questions will be about DSMA and how we can improve your experience and to discuss topics that are near and dear to you. #dsma — DiabetesSocMedAdvoca (@DiabetesSocMed) July…
Friday Six: Masterlab, TypeOneNation, and Jim Turner!
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, SUM in Other Places, The Friday SixThere used to be only six links, but I’ve made a mockery of that and now it’s a pig-pile of resources. All clickable and informative, though, so dive right in! –> Jim Turner has always been on my list of “awwww, isn’t he charming?” and the fact that he has type 1 diabetes didn’t hurt that sentiment. This week, Christopher…
(There are words, but they are photos of words, so that’s a technical win, yes? These are some of the search terms that brought people to Six Until Me this morning, and they pretty much run the gamut.) It always comes back to Nutella. You might also like: Wordless Wednesday: Birdzone in the LHJ Zone. Diabetes Blog Week: Message Monday….
Official totals for the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign came in at $27,265.17, from 832 donations. Below is a second letter from Dr. Graham Ogle, thanking our community for our participation: [Link to full-size PDF file] I love how community efforts gave rise to a beautiful message from the DOC to our friends, globally. And I also…
How Real Do You Want It?
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Complications, Psychosocial Support, Real Life DiabetesOver the last few weeks, I’ve been watching the articles about Lisa Bonchek Adams circle, ranging from the New York Times opinion piece by Bill Keller to the one written by Emma Keller (his wife) for The Guardian (which has been removed from The Guardian site but lives on in the archives), to the response piece written by Brian Loew…
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…
Guest Post: Someone Who Understands.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, RelationshipsPart of what drew me to the idea of creating a diabetes blog was the search for, and the hope of finding, people who understood. Google was a dark abyss of bad news and depressing statistics; what I needed was to connect with others who were living life, with diabetes along for the ride. That same connection still feels necessary,…
Another #DayOfDiabetes, Twitter-Style.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, Robot LifeFor World Diabetes Day yesterday, I attempted to participate in another round of #dayofdiabetes, using Twitter to log the different nuances of a day with type 1 diabetes. It was a tougher day than normal, Internet-wise, because I spent the morning in the plane and the rest of the afternoon with very limited access to Wifi, but it was World…
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…
Diabetes Reality, Reframed.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life DiabetesRecently, I read a blog post about the concept of “reality reframed,” which is basically the photo practice of cropping-out of the tougher stuff in life, and giving focus to the positive and “prettied up” stuff. As Tracey wrote: “I figure instead of abandoning the art I love, I will show the reality along side of it. This is how…
Roche Summit 2011: SUM Thoughts
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, RelationshipsWhat should have been a fun business trip ended up being a big ol’ mess. Here’s my attempted recap: On Wednesday, I flew out to San Diego for the Roche Social Media Summit and then the ADA Scientific Sessions Conference. On Thursday, I attended the first day of the Roche Summit. On Friday, my cornea tore again (almost as fiercely…