Day two of Diabetes Blog Week is all about letter writing; letters about diabetes to be more specific. The letters can be addressed to people, companies, etc…, real or imaginary. With that in mind, I decided to take the approach of having some fictional characters write a letter to diabetes. Enjoy!
Recently, last night in fact, I returned home from work to discover that a secret meetup of epic proportions was taking place under my own roof. Little G, that stealthy diabetes ninja warrior, and his high flying superhero friends, the Angry BirDies, had gathered to plot the demise of their evil green nemesis, D Pig!
At the conclusion of the secret conclave, the fuzzy little bad asses issued a warning letter for their enemy. They granted permission for the letter to be published in its entirety.
Today is the first day of Diabetes Blog Week, and the topic of the day is all about expressions of admiration. As I interpret the prompt, we are to pick a person, blog, group, etc… of a different type of diabetes and talk about why they inspire us, why we admire them, etc. So, here goes…
As I prepared to respond to today’s prompt, I spent a great deal of time reflecting upon the impact that reading the blogs of so many amazing individuals had on my life in the early days of my diagnosis. And I came to the conclusion that no single blog or individual was more deserving of admiration than the others.
I believe the words of Maya Angelou sum it up best:
“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”
Simply put, I admire each and everyone of you just the same. Every person and every blog, no matter the type, background, etc… is part of my life with diabetes, and my life is much richer as a result.
If I were to express admiration for any one set of things that every blogger has in common it would be for the strength and courage each person displays in opening their hearts and sharing his or her experiences in living with diabetes. It takes great strength and courage to open up and share things that may be perceived as a weakness in this world that is all too often uncaring and cruel.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t thank you all for inspiring me to do the same. If it weren’t for the inspiration I gained from reading the experiences of fellow PWD’s, My Diabetic Heart wouldn’t exist.
So the second day of my efforts to collect diabetes supplies to send to Alabama have been just as great and exciting as my first. Today’s donations included:
10 boxes of lancets
10 tubes of glucose tabs
4 boxes of alcohol prep pads, AND last but certainly not least,
a $200+ donation to help cover the costs of shipping all of the supplies to Alabama.
Yes, I even have the costs of shipping covered thanks to a generous donation from my great aunt and uncle, who do not have diabetes, but wanted to contribute to the effort.
We are all aware of the devastating tornadoes that ripped through parts of Alabama recently, leaving numerous people dead, and many more survivors injured and homeless.
Among those affected by those storms were thousands of people with diabetes, many who are now without the critical supplies needed to survive. Simply put they need HELP! AND FAST!
Victoria Cumbow, a fellow PWD, lives in Alabama, and has put out a call to the Diabetes Online Community for donations of supplies, and many have stepped forward to answer that call.
While I’m just one guy, living more than 500 miles away, I’ve heard that call loud and clear. And it is not going unanswered.
After returning home from work in the early hours of Thursday morning, I compiled a list of organizations in Fort Wayne to call and email to seek donations to send to Alabama. At 1:30 a.m., I was busy drafting a letter for emailing, and by 3:00 a.m., had sent off half a dozen emails.
At 9:30 a.m., I received a call from the person in charge of the diabetes management program at my insurance company stating that they had 3 boxes of supplies that I could pick up. I was just shocked.
After going to pick those up from the office, I returned home and spent time making phone calls to the diabetes education centers at all of the local hospitals. I’m waiting to hear back from them, and I’m hopeful that they will step up to the plate and help the cause.
So far, with just a handful of emails and phone calls, I’ve secured 15 meters, 8 lancing devices, and a bunch of logbooks. I’ve also been contacted by a friend on facebook who is going to be sending me 3 boxes of Omnipods to send down there. Those items and everything else that I’m expecting to receive in the coming days will go a long with in helping the good people of Alabama get back on their feet.
I feel both very proud and blessed to be able to help in this effort to the extent that I can, and I encourage everyone who is able to make donations to do so.
Rest assured Alabama, we are with you. And help is most definitely on the way.
Last year, my friend Karen over at http://www.bittersweetdiabetes.com created and played host to Diabetes Blog Week. And with more than 100 diabetes bloggers, myself included, participating in the inaugural event, it was an unqualified success.
With that in mind, and after a lot of thought, Karen has decided to give it another go, and has announce that the 2nd Annual Diabetes Blog Week will be next week, May 9th – 15th, 2011.
For more information on the event, and to sign up to participate, visit Karen’s blog.
And, of course, I’m proud to announce that My Diabetic Heart will be participating again this year. I can’t wait to read all of the fabulous posts next week.
April and I made a trip to Indianapolis on Saturday to drop her brother off at the airport and, on the way back to Fort Wayne, we stopped at Falls Park in Pendleton.
We got to the park just as a festival was winding down for the day. And with just enough time to purchase some delectable home baked goodies. Banana Cake, Zucchini bread, and pumpkin bread. OH MY GLUCOSE!
After checking out a few of the booths that were still open, April and I took a nice little hike along one of the trails. The weather was great and the scenery was just as beautiful. Here’s a gallery for your enjoyment.
And my blood glucose was at 95 mg/dl after our hike. Great number and a great excuse to eat some of those home baked goodies. Not that I need an excuse or anything. 😛
This past weekend I embarked on a wild and crazy adventure in which I drove to Indianapolis, took a bus to Chicago and back, and then drove back to Fort Wayne. All in 24 hours. (I know what you’re thinking…and you’re right. I’m crazy. But that’s not what this post is about. 😉 )
The American Diabetes Association’s Indiana office sponsored a bus trip to Chicago on Saturday for the 2011 Chicago Diabetes Expo. And after reading about the planned trip on ADA Indiana Area’s Facebook page, I decided that I wanted to go. So, I made the necessary arrangements and plans were set. The only catch was the bus would be leaving from Indianapolis and I was in Fort Wayne.
So, around 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning, I got in the car and headed south to Indy to meetup with the group at the ADA office. After a short wait for the bus and group members to arrive, we loaded the bus and hit the road for what would prove to be quite an educational trip.
Learning on the way
When we left Indy, we thought the only diabetes showcase we would be attending was the one in Chicago. As it often does though, diabetes had other plans and put on its own exposition. A member of the group had a severe low and started having a seizure. After attempts to treat the low and bring the guy around failed, 911 was called and an ambulance came out to the rest area where we had stopped.
He finally started to come around and his blood sugars started to rise, and after making sure he was going to be OK, the paramedics took off, and we resumed the trip to Chicago.
Personally, I had never actually witnessed, much less helped treat, someone who was experiencing a severe low and having seizures as a result. I had heard the horror stories, but had never actually witnessed it. I can’t say that anymore. I can say that I learned a lot from the experience, and I’m thankful that my new friend came through it OK.
My hat’s off to everyone on the bus who came forward to help a complete stranger in his time of need. You not only helped him, you saved his life.
The Expo
I had never been to the Chicago Diabetes Expo before and really didn’t know what to expect from it or if I’d have a good time up, but it was something that I knew I wanted to take in at least once. And I was not disappointed in that decision.
I truly enjoy meeting other people whose lives have been touched by diabetes in some way, and traveling on a bus with the group to the expo, and then being surrounded by hundreds of other PWDs, was an amazing experience. I hate the disease that is our common denominator, but I love the sense of comfort and community that I feel when we do come together in one place. And that’s just what I experienced throughout the day Saturday.
Before leaving for Chicago, we were given a schedule of events that were to take place at the expo, and I really wanted to attend the session called “facts vs. myths about diabetes”, but was unable to due to our late arrival. Hopefully, they will have that session again next year. Yes, I’m already thinking ahead. 🙂
Meeting Ben Vereen
The Taking Control of Your Diabetes group (TCOYD) had a booth at the Expo and they sponsored an appearance by Broadway and TV star Ben Vereen, who lives with type 2 diabetes. And I must say that I was blown away by the presentation that he gave about the S.T.A.N.D. initiative.
Here’s a clip shot by our ADA group leader:
You really had to be there to feel the passion that this man has for this cause. I’m certainly glad I was, because I got to meet him after the presentation.
The chance to meet Ben and get his autograph came with a catch, of course, and it was one that I readily agreed to. You had to sign the Start Taking Action Now for Diabetes pledge. You could chose one of the pre-written pledges or write your own. I chose my own, and pledged to do what I already do every day, and that’s:
Tell the world that it is possible to live a long, fulfilling life with diabetes and congestive heart failure.
After printing and signing my pledge I went through another line to meet him and got a personalized autograph.
I was going to get my picture taken with him at that time, but the batteries in my camera died as I reached the front of the line. I wasn’t pleased at all, but it happens. So, while I was at lunch with another group member, I changed the batteries with the intention of going back through the line to get a photo with him, but he wasn’t there when I got back.
As fate would have it, he returned to the booth for the last hour of the Expo, and when I realized he was back, there wasn’t anyone in line to see him. Embarrassingly enough, he remembered my camera issues from earlier in the day, and since there wasn’t a line, I got to spend a little bit of time talking to him about my pledge, about my blog, and about the DOC. He seemed genuinely interested and thought it was cool that I had business cards for MDH. I gave him several. 🙂
And the very last thing I did before leaving the exposition hall was have my photo taken with him. That experience was a great ending to my time at the expo.
Bags of free stuff
You can’t go to any type of health fair without leaving with oodles and oodles of brochures, goodies, and all sorts of other free stuff, and the diabetes expo was no different. I wandered through the exposition hall, visiting nearly all of the vendor booths and collecting all of the stuff they had to offer, and ended up with two shopping bags filled with stuff before I was finished.
I picked up two and three of every educational item that I could, and had two reasons for doing so. The first being that I just wanted it, and the second being that my mother’s significant other had literally been diagnosed the night before the Expo, and I wanted to get stuff to send to them. And once I sort through it all, I’ll be doing just that.
Walking the Pier
No trip to Navy Pier would be complete without actually walking out along the pier itself, and taking in the views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline.
After lunch at the Häagen-Dazs shop in the food court, my friend and I decided to escape the extremely warm building for a bit and take a walk outdoors. I, of course, couldn’t resist taking pictures of the city skyline and the lighthouses on the lake. You can see some of the photos in the gallery below. Good times!
Back to Indy & Fort Wayne
By the last hour of the expo, everyone was sufficiently wore out and ready to head back to our meetup point to catch the bus home. The bus got there around 4:00 p.m. Chicago time and we loaded up for the trip back to Indy.
We had a bit of fun on the way back, as there was a prize drawing for those who participated in the trip. There was a big box of ADA gear, books, and other goodies, and each persons name was drawn from a stack of papers and got to chose an item. After everyone had something, we answered trivia questions until the box was empty. I ended up with a cookbook and a book on traveling with diabetes. Pretty cool!
And we also play a game that one of the kids on the bus made up, in which you had to guess the animal that he was thinking about. Everyone got a chance, and it was pretty entertaining.
We reached Indy around 9:00 p.m., and after a short break I got back on the road for my two hour drive back to Fort Wayne. I’m not sure how, but I made it back home safe and sound, and slept for about 17 hours afterward. 🙂
That’s a wrap
All in all, the trip to the Chicago Diabetes Expo was a great experience and is something that I’m definitely looking forward to doing again. I met some awesome people, learned some things, and had fun. It is definitely a trip that I would be interested in making again, and hope that the good folks at the ADA’s Indy office will offer it again next year. If so, consider this my RSVP. 🙂
Recently, I was going through the archives of a blog that I used to write, and came across this little gem, circa 2006. I had just quit a job because the owner was a real jerk, was struggling to get on my feet, and was dealing with a real lack of self respect and confidence. After a long conversation with April one night, I sat down and wrote this.
I am a strong, confident, caring, loving, and passionate man. I have a sound mind, and a strong spirit. I am well educated; possessing the knowledge and abilities needed to make it in this world. I am strong willed; filled with a sense of determination and endurance that will carry me through all situations. I am filled with respect, not only for others, but more importantly, for myself.
When I look back on those times and think about what I’ve been through and how far I’ve come, I realize just how true those words really are. And sometimes, it’s good to be reminded of it.
If you were to write something similar about yourself, what would you say? I challenge you to write a comment here, and tell me and, more importantly, yourself, Who You Are.
While I’m not really participating in the Health Activist Writers Month Challenge (HAWMC), I have been following the prompts for each day, and the Acrostic prompt from day one of the challenge reminded me of a post I wrote in March of last year, and I thought it deserved another look. Enjoy and feel free to add your own interpretations of the word Diabetes.
D.I.A.B.E.T.E.S.
So I got to thinking about what we, as diabetes bloggers, are really doing by way of the things we chose to share. It’s a simple idea, yet one that leaves a lasting impression. It all in the way you look at and interpret the word Diabetes.
As I interpret it, we, as diabetes bloggers, are:
Directly Influencing Awareness By Educating others Through Experience Sharing.
Of course, that’s just my interpretation of it. What do you think? Drop a comment and share your thoughts.
April is here, and that means it’s time for another DSMA Blog Carnival post from My Diabetic Heart. This month’s topic is a question from the DSMA twitter chat on March 16th about Life Stages with Diabetes. It asks: “How did relationships with other people help inspire you to take care of yourself?” You’ll find my answer below. Enjoy!
I’ve thought long and hard about this question since it was raised during DSMA last month, and about the answer that I tweeted that night.
Q4: Well, the thought of my significant other having to deal with losing me was pretty strong motivation to keep fighting.
Our health problems, be it some type of diabetes, congestive heart failure, cancer, etc…, did not just become part of our lives at diagnosis, they became part of our family and friends lives as well.
I remember the day I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and congestive heart failure as clearly as if it were just this morning. I remember how scared I was when the doctor told me my heart was barely working enough to keep me alive. And I also remember the look of fear on April’s face that day and how tightly she hugged me when the doctor left the room. I wasn’t the only one that was going to lose this battle if treatment didn’t go well. She was going to lose me.
As the fight of my life began, I knew that I wasn’t just fighting for myself, but for everyone who depended on me being there, with April being first and foremost on that list. And each step of the way, with every little bit of progress I’ve made, and every little set back, I had that as a reminder of why it was important to keep fighting.
However, I also realized something else very early on in all of this. Something that has also inspired me to keep fighting.
When you’re facing a potentially fatal health condition like congestive heart failure, the true value of each day of life becomes crystal clear. When you realize that your days really are numbered, you start to take each one to heart. You want to be well enough to get as much life and joy out of each day as you possibly can.
I realized how much I love my Helter Skelter life, and that I want to keep living it as long as I can.
Not only has my relationship with other people inspired me to take care of myself, but the relationship I have with myself has too. I’m not just living for them, I’m living for me.
I don’t know who this quote is from, but it certainly expresses how I feel now:
“Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving safely in a pretty well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming … WOW! What a ride!”
My Diabetic Heart 