Stealing Moments for Ourselves

Posted on August 18, 2011 by mydiabeticheart

Diabetes.  Heart Disease.  Cancer.

Three different health conditions with one thing in common.  All three are thieves.

Each have stolen the life of one of my friends or family members.  Each have stolen moments of joy that I’ll never get back.  Each have stolen time that April and I might have otherwise been able to spend continuing to build on the years that we’ve spent together.

Between my crazy 50 hour night-time work weeks, juggling my diabetes & congestive heart failure issues and doctor appointments, my involvement with the DOC and advocacy efforts, and with April being her mom’s primary care giver through the cancer ordeal and all of the running to Indy for treatments, testing, etc… there hasn’t been much time left for us.   And it hurts. A lot!

We do spend a little time together when we can, though grocery shopping and running errands on Friday and Saturday nights is hardly what I would consider “date night” activities.  But, given the circumstances, I’m thankful for whatever time we have together.  A little time together is better than no time together at all.

This past weekend, we managed to steal a whole day to ourselves.  We spent nearly all day Saturday out and about.  We had breakfast at one of our favorite locally owned diners, browsed an open-air farmer’s market downtown, snapped photos of plants and critters while sitting on a bench in a park, and enjoyed ice cream from a favorite shop.

It was a great day, and the time spent together was much needed and well deserved.   And while I tried not to focus on anything but those precious hours April and I were spending together, I still had the nagging thought in the back of my mind that reality would soon catch up with us, and it would be back to the grind for both of us.  April would return to her mother’s side, and I would return to work and everything else all the while thinking about her and the hell we’re all going through.  It’s a vicious cycle.

There are lessons in all of this rambling. And they are very important ones for each of us to understand and remember.

Life is finite.  We each have a set number of minutes, hours, days, weeks, and years to live, yet no one knows what his or her number is.

Time spent with friends and loved ones is precious no matter what you are doing or how long or short the duration.  Live in those moments!

And never, ever, pass up an opportunity to show those you’re closest to you just how much you love and care for them.

They may not be there tomorrow!

Posted in Cancer, Diabetes, Health, Heart, Lessons Learned, Life | 3 Comments

A Chat with Friends – DSMA Live

Posted on August 12, 2011 by mydiabeticheart

Last night I had the privilege of being the guest on the DSMA Live radio show.  A big thanks to Cherise, Scott, and George for extending the invitation to be on the show.  And many thanks to everyone who listened, participated in the chat room, and called in.

For those who missed the show last night, no worries.  A recorded version is available on the DSMA Live page on BlogTalkRadio.com, and also on iTunes.  You can also listen to the show here on My Diabetic Heart via the player  below.

And for anyone who has questions or comments and weren’t able to participate last night, again,  no worries.  Simply leave a comment below and we can continue the conversation right here.  I hope to hear from you!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf

Posted in Diabetes, DSMA Live, Health, Heart, Inspiration, Life, Shout outs | 5 Comments

My First Interview: Kris Freeman

Posted on July 18, 2011 by mydiabeticheart

During my visit to Camp John Warvel in early June, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Olympic Cross Country Skier and Type 1 Diabetic, Kris Freeman.  Now, I had never conducted an interview with anyone for My Diabetic Heart before, and having such a high profile person as my first interviewee was a bit daunting, but Kris was very gracious and accommodating and we got through it.  Many thanks and best wishes to Kris for the upcoming season.

The video here was recorded during the interview, and I have to give a big thanks Carly Whiteside for shooting the video for me after my tripod broke.  We were swarmed by campers during the interview, so there’s some background noise. And editing software can only do so much. 🙂

And it’s a long video, so grab a Diet Coke, sit back, and enjoy.  And, of course, let me know what you think.  Ciao!

Posted in D-Meetups, Diabetes, Inspiration, Interviews, Life, Shout outs, Vlog | 6 Comments

A few thoughts about Roche SMS 2011

Posted on July 6, 2011 by mydiabeticheart

So I realize this post is several days late, but it’s taken me a while to process all of my thoughts and emotions surrounding my attending the 2011 Roche Social Media Summit. The experience was incredibly exciting, yet also physically and mentally exhausting. I can say, however, that it was an experience for which I’m thankful to have had.

Looking back, the whole experience was really comprised of a series of firsts for me.

– This was my first year attending the Roche summit. Many thanks to those responsible for my being invited.

-Attending the summit provided me with the opportunity to meet so many of my DOC friends and family in person for the very first time. I had already met Mike Hoskins and Cherise Shockley in person, as we all live within a couple of hours each other in Indiana, but I hadn’t met any of the others. And I can honestly say that it was overwhelming to finally have that happen.

And while I’m thinking about it, I’d like to point out an interesting fact about the attendees from Indiana. The three of us, Mike H., Cherise, and I, each represent a different type of diabetes. Mike H. has type 1; Cherise has type 1.5 or LADA, and I round out the group with type 2. Maybe I’m weird, but I think that’s kind of cool.

-Being in the room with all of the DOC folks provided my first chance to witness the passion for diabetes advocacy that I’ve come know and love first hand. It’s one thing to read the words put on a page by a screen name, but quite another to actually be in the same room with the real, live individual, and see the expressions on their face and hear the emotion in their voice.

We are real people, living with a real disease, doing the best we can to not only get ourselves through each day, but also to educate others and advocate for a cure.

And last, but not least…

-This wasn’t just my first time flying since diagnosis with type 2 diabetes and congestive heart failure, it was my first time flying, Period! As surprising as it may be, I had never set foot on an airplane before June 22,2011. And those who followed my tweets that day know how close that experience came to not happening at all.

I’ll probably have another post or two about the summit eventually, as I have plenty of thoughts floating around upstairs. For now, though, it’s nearing the 4:00 a.m. hour, and I’ve yet to sleep. Ciao!

Disclaimer:
Roche paid for my flights, hotel accommodations, and meals associated with my attending the 2011 Social Media Summit in San Diego, California.
I was not asked to write about the summit, nor was I coached on what to say and not to say. My thoughts are just that..my thoughts.

Posted in D-Meetups, Diabetes, Lessons Learned, Shout outs, Travel | 3 Comments

DSMA Live at Roche SMS 2011

Posted on June 27, 2011 by mydiabeticheart

Last week’s DSMA Live radio show was broadcast live from the Roche Social Media Summit in San Diego. Not only was I able to participate in the show, I also shot photos throughout the hour-long show. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=104087

Posted in D-Meetups, Diabetes, Photos, Travel | 4 Comments

Roche 2011 Photos

Posted on June 27, 2011 by mydiabeticheart

Here are some of the photos I shot during the 2011 Roche Social Media Summit in San Diego.  More photos and a write up are in the works.  Stay tuned…

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=104087

Posted in D-Meetups, Diabetes, Photos, Travel | 5 Comments

You Can Do This – Mike Durbin

Posted on June 20, 2011 by mydiabeticheart

So, here is my contribution to the You Can Do This Project, which is the brain child of Kim over at Texting My Pancreas . The video is kind of long, but I had a lot that I wanted and, quite frankly, needed to say.  And I would highly recommend having a box of tissues handy before hitting the play button.

 

Posted in Diabetes, Inspiration, Lessons Learned, Life, Shout outs, Vlog, You Can Do This | 15 Comments

A Day at Camp John Warvel

Posted on June 15, 2011 by mydiabeticheart

Last Wednesday I had the privilege of visiting the American Diabetes Association’s Camp John Warvel, during their annual Sponsor Day.

The camp is organized by the good folks at the ADA office in Indianapolis, with whom I traveled to Chicago in April for the Diabetes Expo.  They thought it would be nice for me to visit and see what camp was all about.  I accepted the invitation to visit, and I’m certainly glad that I did because the experience was amazing.

Each June, the popular ADA summer camp is held at the YMCA owned and operated Camp Crosley in North Webster, IN.  Through the cooperation of Camp Crosley staff, generous donations from corporate sponsors, and numerous volunteers, the ADA is able to take over the camp ground for a week, and provide a safe, entertaining and educational summer camp experience for kids with diabetes.

While precautions are in place to ensure each child is safe and their diabetes is properly managed, campers are given the opportunity to participate in all of the typical activities that you would expect at a summer camp.  There are opportunities to go swimming, ride horses, practice archery, climb high wires, play soft ball, you name it.

And I absolutely love the message that those experiences impart on the campers; the message being that just because you have diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t live a long, active, and fulfilling life.  Diabetes doesn’t have to keep you from doing what ever you want to do.

That message was definitely driven home by Olympic Cross Country Skier and Type 1 Diabetic Kris Freeman, who was a special guest at camp that day.  I had a chance to spend some time chatting with Kris while we were there and I’ll have a post about that soon.

Aside from a little sun burn and a twisted ankle I acquired during a tour of the grounds, my time at Camp John Warvel was wonderful and I hope to be invited to visit again next June.  The experience honestly left me wishing that there were such a camp available for adults with diabetes.  Hey, I can dream, can’t I?  Besides, I’m just a big kid at heart. 🙂

 

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=104087

Posted in D-Meetups, Diabetes, Lessons Learned, Life, Photos, Shout outs, Travel | Leave a comment

Kris Freeman – You Can Do This

Posted on June 15, 2011 by mydiabeticheart

I had a chance to meetup with Olympic Cross Country Skier Kris Freeman, PWD Type 1,  during my visit to Camp John Warvel last Wednesday.  During the time that I had with Kris, I shared the story of the You Can Do This Project, and he agreed to sit down and shoot a quick video.   Here’s the result.   Enjoy!

 

Many thanks to Kris for taking time out of his schedule to take part in this awesome project.

PS: My video will be posted as soon as I get it edited. Stay tuned! 🙂

Posted in Diabetes, Inspiration, Shout outs, Vlog, You Can Do This | 4 Comments

I Blogged, But Not Here

Posted on June 13, 2011 by mydiabeticheart

Hey Everyone! I know you came here looking for a blog post, and I guess technically this constitutes as one.  However, this is just a highway marker to point you to the correct place.  Simply put, I blogged for today, but not here.

My friend Meredith over at the with a side of insulin blog invited me to write a guest post for a series on traveling with diabetes, and share my perspective on traveling with type 2 diabetes and congestive heart failure.  I accepted.

So, head on over to her blog and check out the post titled guest blogger: mike.

Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in Announcements, Diabetes, Guest Post, Shout outs, Travel | 2 Comments