Accidental blog hiatus. You know what that means … mmm hmmm. Bullet points. Children with Diabetes* Friends for Life conference took place in Orlando last week, concluding on Sunday. It was exactly the diabetes emotional and educational refresher I needed, and I’ll have more in terms of stories to share this week. But for the time being, you can check…
It’s Complicated.
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes Complications, SUM in Other PlacesThis month, in the most recent edition of The PLAID Journal, I contributed a piece about the complicated questions we get about diabetes, and how our answers are just as complicated. “Is diabetes hard? Yes. And no. There are times when I get mired in some of the tougher moments of diabetes, blowing up balloons by the dozen for a…
I can’t remember how I stumbled onto Just a Little Suga’, but after reading Ariel Lawrence’s take on Black Panther, I was taken by her message, her writing style, and her honesty. Ariel stopped by to chat here on SixUntilMe today, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share her story. Kerri: Thanks for taking the time to chat! Could…
Casualty Girl Giveaway
Diabetes Online Community, Diabetes Products, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, TravelingMonica Vesci, creator of Casualty Girl, was on a mission to wrangle in her diabetes … stuff. “When traveling, or leaving the house, I always have this inner dialogue asking myself if I have all my diabetes shit with me. On a whim, I thought it would be fun to add the phrase to a carry-all pouch because I found myself…
Yesterday, I was at a meeting where the audience was decidedly not a diabetes one. And in explaining my experiences with diabetes, I had to give an overview of what type 1 diabetes is and how long I’ve been living with it. “I was diagnosed at the age of seven. It will be 32 years this September …” After the…
200 mg/dL. Often, when I see a number like that, I think, “Oh, it’s okay. It doesn’t define me. It’s not an assessment of my self-worth. I’m still a decent person despite an out-of-range blood sugar.” And that’s true. I’ve written about how true that is a pile of times*. These numbers aren’t ME. … but they’re still mine. The problem…
It’s a picnic. I’m wearing a maxi dress with pockets and my infusion set is on my arm, the tubing snaking discreetly into the body of the dress, disappearing. “Hi, nice to meet you.” “Nice to meet you, too!” I don’t know everyone but that’s okay; kids are running everywhere, it’s a beautiful day, sunshine like whoa. “Do you mind…
Dexcom G6: A Few Weeks In
Blood Sugars, Dexcom, Diabetes Products, Diabetes Tech, Real Life Diabetes, Robot LifeIt’s been over a month (by a bit) of using the Dexcom G6, and I have second impressions. (First impressions are here.) REVISITING INSERTION. It doesn’t hurt to go in. I know I mentioned that the first time around but it’s a really big change from all of the other iterations of the Dexcom CGM product. The updated G6 insertion…
When it comes to making sense of diabetes and food, do you count carbs, or do you wing it? Turns out, there’s plenty of gray area between those two concepts. Folks on Facebook seemed to do a bit of both winging and measuring. “We will wing it when we have to, but for the most part, we strive for accuracy…
Dino Days
Diabetes Advocacy, Diabetes and Emotions, Diabetes and Family, Diabetes Community, Diabetes Online Community, Psychosocial Support, Real Life Diabetes, RelationshipsBeing diagnosed with diabetes as a child twists time, making me feel like I’m not terribly old but that my diabetes is ancient and withered. Looking back at an online journal that chronicles almost half my life with diabetes paints me as a digital dinosaur, one whose story and community has evolved in response to time, technology, and ability. The…
So yeah, I tried to restart the Dexcom G6 sensor. And it didn’t work. No offense, Dexcom. I respect your work and I love, love the data from this device. My health is, without fail, better for the introduction of a CGM into my life. But this shit is expensive, and cost is often a deterrent for folks trying to…