Because Even With Health Insurance, You Still Tough It Out.

Diabetes makes us tough - but I don't always want to be tough. 
I don't always want to consider the cost re: every diabetes move I make. 
With that being said - I'm going to plow through the muck and find the lotus - but I gotta bitch a little bit~
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You walk around with a new infusion site that you unknowingly placed in a patch of skin that doesn't really absorb like it should, but you're afraid you'll run out of infusion sites before your next shipment of pump supplies gets delivered in January. 
So you make excuses. "Maybe I shouldn't have had the leftover mash potatoes with my leftover turkey, at dinner - it MUST have been those damn mashed potatoes." OR "I didn't get my exercise in today and it shows." But deep in your heart, pancreas, and mind, you know it's because it's the ghost of zombie sites past - that the new infusion site has hit a zombie patch of skin - not quite dead, but definitely not alive in the sense that it's not utilizing the insulin that's going into your body from the electronic pancreas that's clipped to your hip.

But you decide to tough it out because insurance. 

You walk around in the high hundreds to low 220s and then some - and you use copious amounts of insulin. You blow through your Monday and you make it your bitch with a vengeance because NOTHING is going to stop you.
You correction bolus, finish one project and start another and you don't stop - until you can't take it anymore. 

Then you remove the less than 24 hour old infusion site from the zombie spot and put in a new one. 

And a little over an hour later your numbers drop back to normal. 

And you feel mad and guilty all rolled into one - Mad because another part of your body has betrayed you - And mad because a box of infusion sets equals a car payment. 

Mad because your deductible is so high you will most likely never reach it by January. 
Guilty because you picked the wrong worn out patch of skin. 

Guilty because even with rotating sites like boss, you're one of the reasons that patch of skin is now longer subcutaneously astute. 

But you're damn thankful that the new site works and that you have backup infusion sites. 

And then you write a blog post, ASAP because you have to articulate how you're feeling to people who "get it," and you haven't even utter the D word. 

#IwishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes (dot) Org Is Up & Running!

"You have to lift your head out of the mud and just do it." Terri Garr~

"Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to the other: What! You too? 
I thought I was the only one." C.S. Lewis~
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For those of you who have been asking me and waiting , the  #IwishPeopleKnewThatDiabetes website is now up and running!

And with your help, the site can continually grow into a mixed media gallery/teaching tool, and be a place where people living with diabetes can share their thoughts and feelings through mixed media formats that will inspire and educate others in the process.

And a place where people sans diabetes can come away with a better understanding of what it’s like to live with diabetes and become both educated and inspired in the process. 

The past few months I’ve reached out to a few Diabetes Online Community friends to submit blog posts, artwork, and videos and what they've submitted is pretty damn special. 

Please click on the link below and and give a look.

http://iwishpeopleknewthatdiabetes.org

The site is still a work in progress re: the layout and video plugins - but it's up and running and  your submissions, thoughts, and comments are needed to make it complete! 

Check it out and thanks in advance! 

2015 DiabetesMine Innovation Summit

Today, along with other fantastical Diabetes Patient Advocates, I have the honor of attending the DiabetesMine Innovation Summit being held at Stanford University's Medical School, at the Li Ka Shing Conference Center. 
The DiabetesMine Innovation Summit is a “Diabetes Think Tank” consisting of patients; Pharma, inventors, investors, HCP, manufacturers and payers sdiscuss diabetes innovation in all dimensions. 

I’m beyond thrilled to be attending the summit and I’m incredibly grateful to DiabetesMine for once again spearheading this yearly event and for choosing me as one of the 2015 Patient Voices Scholarship winners. 

Do you want to join in and watch the Diabetes Mine Innovation Summit conversation unfold online? 
Go for it! Jump on the twitter and follow the hashtag:  #DBMineSummit.

FTR: My travel, lodging, and some meals are paid for by the scholarship offered by DiabetesMine, but all thoughts are mind and mine alone.

Diabetes as Kintsukuroi

My mother was fascinated with the art of porcelain and two of my closest friends are Master Potters. So yep, Kintsukuroi speaks to me - for all sorts of reasons~
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Kintsukuroi courtesy of google~

Kintsukuroi, “to repair with gold”; the art or repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer and understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken."
Interesting phrase and theory is it not? Most in our society look at anything broken as throwaway items - but not the Japanese -  the consider Kintsukuroi pottery to be more beautiful for having been broken. 

Kintsukuroi finds and celebrates the beauty in the flaws - And I’m totally down with that. 

There were times when I considered myself broken because of certain aspects of my life. Broken because of the people I loved and who are no longer alive and the status of my permanently busted pancreas. 

Perceiving myself as "being broken" stopped me in my tracks - even though my legs worked perfectly.

But I’m not broken because of losing loved ones or my busted pancreas, I am anything but. And I choose to see myself as Kintsukuroi. 

Those I’ve lost are with me still - and I find comfort in the memories. And while I still shed tears for them - I find myself smiling when I think of them and I gain strength from their memories every day.  

Diabetes has left marks on my body and my soul. My are fingers scarred and callused from years of checking my glucose. Scar tissue is a theme throughout my body - my abdomen has deadspots from 13 years of insulin pumping, as do my arms and legs from 25 years of multiple daily injections before  pump therapy. 
Thanks to diabetes, my tendons play tricks on me, forcing me to listen to and take notice. 

Diabetes has perpetually caused me to say I’m sorry, even when I’m not.

But diabetes has given me the gift of empathy - a gift I am truly grateful because we live in a world where so many people are depleted of empathy and consider empathy as weakness and a threat, 

Diabetes has made me lean on others - and has allowed others to lean on me.

Diabetes makes me listen to my body, even when I don’t want to. 

Diabetes has helped me to develop a twisted and wonderful sense of humor.

Diabetes has forced me to be tenacious and get back up again. 

And as previously stated,  diabetes has caused me to feel broken. 
But now I see that there’s beauty in the flaws - there are works of art in the gold and silver flecks of strength and resilience that make me who I am. 

Kelly as Kintsukuroi - more beautiful, strong, and resilient for having been broken.

The DOC (Diabetes Online Community,) as Kintsukuroi -more beautiful, strong, and resilient for having been broken.

Colgate Total® And the American Diabetes Association's “30 Days of Laughter” Campaign

Humor, it’s what gets me through the day and it’s what keeps me sane. 

And humor is how I deal with diabetes on a daily basis - I figure if I can laugh at all the crap diabetes brings into my life, I can spend more time owning my diabetes, instead of my diabetes owning me. 

A few months back, the folks from Colgate Total reached out to me to team up with them in their 30 Days of Laughter campaign. 

The campaign focuses on diabetes, the importance of good oral health and using humor as a coping mechanism when it comes to living the diabetes life.

YEP, my interest was piqued!

Look, I know a lot people, diabetes or not, don’t do well when it comes to going to the dentist - I also know that good oral hygiene, a.k.a, taking care of our teeth and gums is especially important to people living with diabetes.  

For 30 days, beginning today, (November 12th,) and ending on December 11^th, 
t3 ( a person who loves someone with diabetes, regardless of the D type,) Joey Fatone, Colgate Total, and the American Diabetes Association will encourage the DOC (Diabetes Online Community) to participate in “30 Days of Laughter” by using the #30daysofLOL hashtag, to share memes, tweets, statuses pictures, videos and blog posts. 

MySugr and Colgate Total have created an incredibly cool Monster Selfie app for you to tame your diabetes monster and show off your smile during #30DaysofLOL and beyond!

And on Wednesday December 2rd, at 8 pm EST there will be a 1 hour Twitter chat with Colgate (@Colgate) and the American Diabetes Association (@AmDiabetesAssn,) and (hosted by yours truly, @diabetesalish) where diabetes and diabetes humor will take center stage. I hope you’ll use the #30DaysofLOL hashtag and join in the fun!

YEP.
It's how I feel and I made that!

Why am I involved? Any program that uses humor to encourage diabetes education and empowerment is something I want to be part of. 
On a personal note: Diabetes or not, there was a time when, yours truly, worked at a Dentist’s office.  Without getting into the details, I saw things there that scared me and made me want to take care of my teeth and gums. 

On a professional note: When I saw that fellow Diabetes Advocates including the American Diabetes Association (@amdiabetesassn,) mySugr (@mysugr,) Divabetic (@MrDivabetic,) and Sofrito For Your Soul ( @urbanjibaro,)were involved, I immediately agreed to join in the “30 Days of Laughter,” campaign. 

And from the bottom of my busted pancreas and regardless of your diabetes type, I sincerely hope you’ll join in #30DaysofLOL, too. 

For more information on the campaign, here’s the link to the “30 Days of Laughter,” press release. 

For more info about diabetes and oral health, click on OralHealthandDiabetes.com

***Full Disclosure: I’m being compensated by Colgate Total, for my work consulting on the “30 Days of Laughter campaign. As always, all thoughts/opinions posted on Diabetesaliciousness are mine and mine alone. I think #30DaysofLOL a great campaign and I'm honored to be a part of it~

#LaceUp4Diabetes Giveaway ~

I've participated in #laceUp4Diabetes for the past few years. 
Every time I wear my sneaks and look down at my laces - I smile and feel motivated. 

I like to walk because it clears my head, makes my ass look good, and it's great for my blood sugars.
But some days motivating myself to exercise takes more work than the actual workout itself .
Somedays I just don't feel like exercising - and when I take those first few steps and force myself to walk, I'm always so glad I did.

For the past 3 years I've participated in Novonordisk's #LaceUp4Diabetes program, part of Novo's  Cornerstones4Care.com , a "personalized support program for people living with diabetes and their partners."

I'm all about diabetes support and helping others.
I'm all about getting my exercise on every month, but especially in November because of Bigbluetest.org.
I'm going to be giving away 3 pairs of #laceup4diabetes laces (I've already promised a pair to a PWD (person with diabetes) who has jumped back on the workout bandwagon without fanfare and has stuck with it, and I'm keeping a pair for myself.

Here's how you can win a pair.
Leave a comment on the blog, and to up your chances, leave a comment on diabetesaliciousness facebook page, like the above pic on my instagram page, and tweet about it on the twitter and tag me @diabetesalish.
I will pick the winner tomorrow night at 10 PM will and post the winners on Instagram, Facebook, twitter and the blog immediately after.

All winners will be chosen via Random.Org
If I haven't heard from the winners by Friday, I will choose new winner(s).

GOOD LUCK! 

8 Is Great~

8 is great!

It’s been crazy as of late and I'm glad for that. 

But the craziness has made me me forget a few things - Like picking up the dry-cleaning I dropped off two weeks ago, a friend's recent Birthday, and a dermatology appointment that was scheduled for this Tuesday - thankfully they called on Friday to reschedule or I would have missed it - even though it was on my iCalendar (and I'm religious about using my iCalendar,) because it wasn't on my brain's radar. 

And then 15 minutes ago ( just as I was about to write my Diabetes Awareness Month, Day 8, facebook status,) I suddenly, said out loud: SHIT, tomorrow my blog turns 8 years old!

How the hell did that happen? 

When I started blogging about diabetes I’d never read a diabetes blog before. 

It’s not that I didn’t know people with diabetes before finding the DOC, because I did.

 I met my first friend with diabetes when I was 8.

(sidebar: there's that number again!)

 I went to diabetes camp, my neighbor had diabetes, so did two upper Classmen and an under Classman I'd gone to high school with. 

Over the years, I'd met others with diabetes here and there. 

Also, HELLO, have you seen my family tree?

But did I have a sense of diabetes community? 

Nope.

Did I understand the power of community? 

Nope, not until I started blogging about diabetes.

And for decades, I wore an anchor of diabetes guilt around my neck and I wasn’t even aware it was there. 

Since finding the DOC, I’ve found my tribe, a community of friends who have become family, and I've found my greatest passion - helping others with diabetes!

I’ve also learned (and am still learning,) to let go of whatever happened in the past with my life, diabetes and none diabetes related, so I can have a better now and a more fantastical future.

The DOC taught me to develop and use my diabetes voice - and I will continue to.

I’ve unfurled my diabetes freak flag, I’m getting my diabetes freak on, daily. 

And I’m great with that! 

And I’ve learned that together, the power of WE, can move mountains. 

And I’ve seen mountains move and made mountains move with all of you, because we as a community are mountain movers!  

I love moving mountains with you guys. 

I love and appreciate turning to you when I’m in need of support, and I hope I’ve been able to support you when you’ve needed it.

I don’t know what the next 12 months will bring me, but I know the DOC will continue to act as my rudder in life and my life with diabetes. 

And I know that the DOC will continue to steer me on course, and in the direction of better, towards the point of becoming and positive change.

So while I might have forgotten that my blog turns 8 on Monday and have scheduled other cool stuff on my blogs plate for tomorrow, 
I will never forget that blogging and finding the DOC has changed my life dramatically and for the better. 

Thanks and I love you guys!! 

Xoxo

Diabetes Is A Kaleidoscope of D Types, In Every Shade of Blue On The Pantone Chart~

Because sometimes a free-write based on my Facebook status turns into blog post. 
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Pantone pic courtesy of Pinterest~

Diabetes Awareness Month, day 2.

Diabetes, no matter the type, is incredibly difficult. 

Diabetes is also demanding, never ending, and nine times out of ten, diabetes is misconstrued by those who know nothing about it.

Diabetes is a fickle bitch, an unwanted and constant companion in the lives of people who live with diabetes on a daily basis. 

Diabetes can make you cry, and does so at the drop of a hat.

And diabetes will make you laugh, because laughing at diabetes is sometimes the only way to prevent yourself from going certifiably nuts because of diabetes.

There are days when diabetes is the background, and there are days when it seems as if diabetes is front and center - stealing the spotlight from the business of being. 

Diabetes has taken away people I love and I miss them terribly.

Diabetes has introduced me to a community of people with diabetes who have enriched my world in more ways than I can count - and I love my tribe.

Diabetes has forced me to be resilient, even when I don’t want to be.

Diabetes has given me patience because waiting for a high or low blood sugar to subside, has the ability to make you stop, forcing you to wait when waiting is the last thing you feel like doing. 

Diabetes is a kaleidoscope of D types, in every shade of blue on the Pantone Chart. 

Diabetes is the unwanted and uninvited guest at the party called my life, who has refused to leave my side for the past 38 years. 

But diabetes hasn’t stopped me from celebrating, regardless of who’s on guest list.