Joe Solowiejczyk: A Type 1 Diabetes Guide To The Universe

Yesterday  I wrote about my first friend with diabetes, Joe Solowiejczyk and how he came into my life way back when - And how he reappeared back in my life not so long ago. 
Today I'm writing about Joe's latest amazing endeavors in the world of diabetes (and how you can win one of those amazing endeavors,) and I'm so proud of him!
PS: There are a few blogger.com formatting issues that I have to conquer - but I'm working on them! 
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Joe Solowiejczyk: Type 1 PWD for 53 years, diabetes nurse educator, family therapist and charismatic diabetes motivational speaker - Not to mention beloved Diabetes Guru to many, both online and off. Joe is a diabetes trailblazer because he was one of the first to treat the psychological aspects of living with diabetes, not just the physical.

Some remember Joe from his time at Animas, others first met him at Children With Diabetes, and many of you haven't met him in real life - yet, but know and love him because of his highly successful (not to mention funny and informative) Diabetes Chalk Talks videos. 

Joe Solowiejczyk is very "Jersey" when it comes to his diabetes approach - Always has been. And by "Jersey", I mean Joe speaks honestly, to the point and straight from his heart when it comes to life, and living life with diabetes. It's a no B.S. zone when it comes to Joe and diabetes. And it's his Jersey attitude combined with his intricate knowledge of diabetes that has made him such a charismatic diabetes teacher and speaker. 

This past year Joe began working on two majorly fantastic projects that I believe will change the world of diabetes for the better. 

In 2013 Joe Solowiejczyk launched his new business, AMileInMyShoes.com - An offshoot of his successful consulting services for families, couples and individuals dealing with psychological & emotional aspects of living with diabetes. 
AMileInMyShoes.com was created (and I'm paraphrasing) to insure that patients and their families living with diabetes across the globe have access to the most practical and up-to-date information that’s required to manage and thrive with diabetes. 
The site's dedicated to helping PWDS (people with diabetes) and their families/partners thrive, through unique web-based presentations regarding diabetes self management and emotional coping skills - And presented in a funny and engaging way.
And via AMileInMyShoes, Joe will offer sessions with families, groups and couples via Skype.

NEXT: Joe Solowiejczyk has taking his 53 plus years of living with diabetes knowledge and wisdom and written an amazing book called "The Type 1 Diabetes Guide to the Universe", available on iTunes at the beginning of April, 2014.  

"The Type 1 Diabetes Guide to the Universe" is a digital book that is both dynamic and interactive - And it’s unlike any other book on diabetes out there for several reasons: 

1. It’s written by Joe and there’s only one Joe Solowiejczyk

2. "The Type 1 Diabetes Guide to The Universe" engages you - literally and figuratively because It’s the only book of it’s kind to tackle diabetes in the multimedia format that is truly unique to apple's ibook authors.

Joe Solowiejczyk of AMileInMyShoes.com presents:
A Type 1 Diabetes Guide To The Universe~
FYI: That's Little Joey  - He's your official tour guide~

"The Type 1 Diabetes Guide to the Universe" is presented in such away that you as the reader(s) feel involved and engaged but never overwhelmed. And because the ibooks format is so interactive, the reader has no choice but to become engaged in the topic and the discussions. Personally, I love that I was reading all this great info I had the opportunity to hear interviews with others who have walked in your diabetes shoes.

In Joe’s own words: 
The Type 1 Diabetes Guide To The Universe isn't just another book on diabetes management, the book integrates the psychological and emotional aspects of coping and living with diabetes on a daily basis into the warp and woof of the book. 

The book has general diabetes management discussions around injections, tweaking blood sugars results/ patterns and tweaking insulin doses -all that kind of stuff. 

But at the same time the book addresses the psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects of living with diabetes. 

Kelly: SPIRITUAL? Psychological and emotional aspects are important, but the spiritual aspects -  I love that!

Joe: Yes, spiritual as in POWER vs POWERLESSNESS. 
The one profound and shared experience that 100% of all parents with a child diagnosed with Diabetes experience is the feeling powerlessness, which is deep and profound. 
And the pain caused by feeling powerlessness can allow you to get stuck in that place of pushing down harder in all aspects. Pushing down harder on blood sugar numbers. Pushing down harder on the nagging the other spouse - That all about feeling powerless - And it's not a good place to get stuck in. 
And then if that’s not bad enough, there's inability to make diabetes go away - you can’t fix this. It’s not about fixing diabetes or making it go away - it’s about managing and moving on with this - It’s about acceptance and letting it go. So in those areas, they are psychological concepts, but I think they’re more related to spiritual in the sense of existential crisis as in coming to terms with the reality. 
Yep, they lie in the psychological realm for sure, but I think they’re more spiritual. 
particularly about he acceptance and letting go and healing in the sense of your heart gets better.

Kelly: I like it. 

Joe: It’s a bit like the Serenity Prayer.
Kelly: I was going to say it has a 12 step feel, without actually having a 12 step feel. Does that make sense? 
Joe: YES  and YES, TOTALLY! 

Joe: It’s the first type of book of its kind from a technological perspective 
because it uses the cutting edge technology of the ibook author software. 
There’s embedded videos and interactive quizzes, videos of me talking with  
families as if they were in my office, being educated and counseled. 
Videos of families talking about their experiences of living with diabetes. 
So my hope is that it will be like a Harry Potter book.

Kelly: It has a very "Daily Prophet" feel to it, a’ la the Daily Diabetes Prophet!
Joe: Exactly! And the idea is for the book to not only be helpful re: information 
it contains, but for the book be healing -THAT’S THE BIG ONE.

Like I said, it's the first diabetes book of its kind. 
There are no other diabetes books out there that really integrate the family and the daily psychological aspects of diabetes. No other diabetes manual,no other healthcare manual for that matter, integrates the interactive elements, etc. 

Kelly: Will the book interactive format, allow for periodic updates? 

Joe: It will. Every 6 months there will be different videos , different quizzes and different information updated to keep it current and to keep it fresh and changing and dynamic - sort of like diabetes is. 

Kelly: Will those upgrades be included with the initial price of the book, which is $34.99?  

Joe: YEP!

Kelly: OK, That’s a great deal! 

Kelly: I read somewhere there that there's a recommended order to the book, but that there is no real order to the book - Is that true? 
Joe: That is correct - You should start at the beginning  & go to the end, but the way that the book is constructed, you can jump around from place to place if you want. 
Stay in one place if you want, but lets say that you’re in a chapter on insulin dose adjusting and there’s a video about Sebastien Sasseville  & you want to learn more about him you, can go to that chapter. 

It’s geared to allow people to do it in their own diabetic style. 
So if you want to use more video, fine. 
If you want to use more content, fine. 
Maybe you want to jump around a little bit, fine - You'll always be able to go back to where you are. 
The video content is reminiscent of a road-trip in itself. We started interviewing people at ChildrenWithDiabetes, and then continued interviewing people throughout the US and Canada,then the UK, Australia & New Zealand. SO there are videos from all around the world. 

Kelly: it’s global in every sense of the word. 
Joe: Including that the book contains info in both milligram per deciliters and milligrams. Because the book is an international one, so there’s no adjusting or conversions. The information Is clear and concise and you'll know what you're looking at.

Kelly: So.... What do you think our friend Dr. Lester Baker would think of this book? 

Joe: I think he’s looking down and smiling and telling me it’s about time! 

But I think he’ll give me a little dispensation/wiggle room -The ibook technology wasn't available until recently and that technology is key because it allows the readers the choice of accessing each chapter's concept by reading the content or accessing it  by watching the video, so the reader will be able to get feel of what the chapter is about.

So yes, I think Lester Baker is happy... And I think he’s smiling in a knowing kind of way - And I think he’ll be happy it’s dedicated primarily to him and a few others Kelly. 
Kelly, Lester is in every page of it.  

Kelly: So you're telling me that I’m going to hear my old pediatric endo’s (Dr. Lester Baker’s) voice?

Joe: Yep he’s embedded in it, like the videos. 

Kelly:That makes me very happy. 

Sidebar: I did hear Dr. Baker’s voice throughout the book and absolutely made me happy.

Kelly: Will there be any follow up books? 

Joe: There will be follow up books! One on celiacs and diabetes and another on diabetes and exercise with Sebastien Sasseville. 

Kelly: What about a book tour? 

Joe: Yep, I'm working on it! 

Kelly: So Joe, what’s the one thing you want people to take away from reading this book? 

Joe: I want them to feel healed I want them to feel safe and healed... and not alone. OK, that’s 3 things. 

Kelly: That’s OK, considering all you're giving us, I’ll let you slide~ ;) 

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Are you guys excited to read A Type 1 Diabetes Guide To The Universe, when it comes out on iTunes?  
Would you like to win a copy? 

You can! Just leave a comment on this post as to why you're stoked about Joe's 
book & you'll have the chance to win one of two digital copies of "A Type 1 Diabetes Guide to The Universe," that Joe has generously donated to Diabetesalciousness! 

Since the book is digital, it doesn't matter if you live in the US or abroad - You're 
still eligible to win a copy~ 

All winners will be chosen by random.org and the 2 winners will be announced Monday Morning!  GOOD LUCK!