Summer's End: #AADE19, #AADEDSMS, DDRC, Never Ending Insurance Issues~

It’s been a long summer and a while since I’ve last posted. 

Here’s what’s going on with me since I last posted. 

#AADE19 #AADEDSMS 

I traveled to Houston in August (super hot, great food,) and covered AADE19 for Ascensia Diabetes Care and Co-Chaired Ascensia’s #AADEDSMS Diabetes Social Media Conference. AADEDSMS discussion topics included diabetes stigma, the importance of talking about complications, diabetes tech, and Health Insurance in the US. 

You’ll recognize many of the names who attended the summit - and those who followed  The Ascensia #AADEDSMS Summit virtually and via the hashtag on twitter. 

My first in a series  of three articles covering AADE is up and running over on Ascensia’s website. 

Click HERE, give a read and many thanks in advance.

Disclosure: Ascensia paid for my expenses and provided me with an honorarium. 

As always, when it comes to my writing, all thoughts are mine and mine alone.

The Rest Of My Summer….

Work, connecting with family, ocean workouts - primarily body surfing. 

 I love body surfing -I love how it makes me feel and I love the positive impact that body surfing has on my blood sugars, heart, shoulders, and lungs.

Speaking of the ocean, it’s hurricane season - Dorian is wreaking havoc in The Bahamas and Abaco Islands, and threatening the east coast. 

As someone who survived Hurricane Sandy - I’m nervous and have my Diabetes emergency bag ready to go at all times. 

If you’re anywhere near Dorian’s path, click HERE and check out The Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition - info found there will help you prepare diabetes wise for any weather related disaster. 

Insurance Issues

I’ve been dealing with insurance issues since April because I live in the US and it’s a never ending and ongoing struggle. 

First my insurance Company switched my insulin coverage in January and they no longer cover Apidra - the insulin that works best for me. I’ve struggled with higher numbers the past few months and I know using an insulin other than Apidra is one of the reasons why.

Still appealing - diabetes bitch-switch is flipped and dialed up to 11. 

This summer I developed peroneal tendonitis and was prescribed a prescription lidocaine cream (after my lidocaine patch RX refill was denied,) and that was covered by my insurance in June. 

When I went to get my RX refilled in July, it was no longer covered - thanks to a third party company that was hired to review all RXs that came their way and via my insurance company. 

Apparently I didn’t fit the criteria to be granted the RX and said third party company continues to deny said RX after multiple appeals. More to follow~

I Attended #FFLOrlando19 As Ascensia Diabetes Care's Guest Reporter

I adore childrenwithdiabetes.com and their yearly FFL 
(Friends For Life,) Conference -held every July in Orlando. 
It's truly life changing and I highly recommend attending!
For the record: It's not just for children with diabetes! 

I've attended the conference since 2012 and worked as a conference volunteer starting in 2013 and up until now. 

This year I was able to attend the 20th anniversary of FFL (known on Social Media Platforms as #FFLOrlando19,) as the Guest Reporter for Ascensia Diabetes Care. 

I was able to participate in the sessions as an attendee and report from FFL with a fresh set of eyes. 

My first in a series of three articles spotlighting FFL is up and running on the Ascensia website. 
Click HERE and check it out. 
Also: Thanks in advance! 

Disclosure: Ascensia Diabetes Care paid for my time and talent and  also covered my flight, hotel, and expenses. 
As always, all thoughts are mine and mine alone. 

Ascensia Diabetes Care Guest Reporter At #ADA2019 - Day One Coverage ~

Day One of ADA included Sessions on diabetes apps, diabetes tech, circadian rhythms & meal timing.

As mentioned previously, I was this year's Guest Reporter for Ascensia Diabetes Care , covering the American Diabetes Association's 79th Scientific Sessions in San Francisco, June 6 through June 11th, 2019. 

My first post (in a series of three,) is up on Ascensia's website and it's all about my key takeaways from day one. Including: diabetes apps, diabetes tech, circadian rhythms & meal timing. You can read it (and I hope you do,) by clicking HERE. 

Disclosure: Ascensia Diabetes Care paid for my flight, lodging, and expenses, and provided me with a stipend for my time and talent. 

I worked hard, learned much, and as always - all thoughts are mine and mine alone. 

I'm Attending #ADA2019 In San Francisco And Full Disclosure

Hi guys - Happy Friday!

I’m currently writing this blog post from the first day of the American Diabetes Association’s 79th Scientific Sessions in San Francisco, CA! 

I’m excited to be attending the sessions; learning all I can, and reporting on my experiences in a series of articles on the Ascensia Diabetes Care website and just like I did last year.

When each new post is up and running on their website - I will let you know.

Full Disclosure: As I mentioned above, Ascensia Diabetes Care hired me as their Guest Reporter for ADA. 

Ascensia is covering all my expenses, (travel, lodging, meals,) and providing me with an honorarium for my time and my talent. 

As always - All thoughts are mine and mine alone. 

Follow the sessions in real time via twitter and by clicking on the #ADA2019 hashtag.

You can find me on Twitter @diabetesalish .

#DTM2018: The Diabetes EcoSystem

A few weeks ago I attended the Diabetes Technology Society's 18th annual Diabetes Technology Meeting  (#DTM2018 on the twitter,) in Bethesda, Maryland on November, 8th, 9th, and 10th. 

It was an excellent opportunity to listen to lectures from diabetes tech-heads, FDA, researchers, scientists, healthcare professionals, and to learn more about the latest diabetes and dtech advances for people with diabetes. 

A tremendous amount of information was discussed at a rapid fire pace - as in it made my head spin - but in a great way. 

I’m glad I was able to experience it. 

Full Disclosure: I was able to attend thanks to Ascensia Diabetes Care, who sent me there to cover the event as their Guest Reporter. Ascensia covered all my expenses, (travel, lodging, meals,) and provided me with an honorarium for my time and my talent. 

As always - All thoughts are mine and mine alone. 

My first of two #DTM2018 articles is up on Ascensia's website, mapping out the topography of the Diabetes Ecosystem, its parts and booming expansion - and how “people with diabetes are more than the twin of their diabetes data. We represent what the data cannot articulate - the living, breathing, real life component of diabetes. Our voices need to be included on panels and discussions when it comes to diabetes tech.”

Click HERE and give it a read! 

Attending #AADE18 As The On-Site Guest Reporter for Ascensia

Last week I attended the American Association of Diabetes Educators annual meeting in Baltimore, MD as the On-Site Guest Reporter for Ascensia.

  
There I was surrounded and inspired by thousands of passionate Diabetes Educators, (our Diabetes Mechanics,) whose jobs (and lives for that matter,) are devoted to making sure that people living with diabetes are provided with the tools/skills in the form of knowledge; support, and empathy so that we can live our best lives with diabetes.  
I was able to sit in on multiple sessions re: peer support; treating both the mental and the physical sides of diabetes, dTech, and teamwork. 

IT. WAS. AMAZING. 

I'm sharing my #AADE18 experiences and POV as a person living with diabetes in a series of 3 articles for Ascensia 's website - I did similar project with them back in June for ADA. 

Article 1 is up and running - here's the link and I'd very much appreciate you guys giving it a read!

 http://www.ascensia.com/press/aade2018/

FULL DISCLOSURE: Ascensia paid for my hotel, travel expenses, and provided me  

with an honorarium for my time and skills - all of which I appreciate.

As always, ALL THOUGHTS are mine and mine alone. 

Kismet: Attending #2018ADA As A Guest Reporter For Ascensia

Kismet has been occurring as of late and I'm embracing it!

For instance, I was able to attend The American Diabetes Association's 78th Scientific Sessions last week in balmy (code for UBER HUMID,) Orlando, Florida - and thanks to Ascensia Diabetes Care, who hired me to write a 3-part series re: my experiences as a person living with diabetes attending ADA. acting as their official on-site Guest Reporter for ADA 2018. 

ADA was awe inspiring; incredibly overwhelming, physically never ending, a total sensory overload, and IT WAS AMAZING! 

I learned so much, met incredible people,  reconnected with diabetes friends and colleagues. 

My first post is up and running and it's all about diabetes data; dtech, helping other people with diabetes in under-served communities and a very cool WHISK. Click  HERE and give a read!

As always, while Ascensia paid for my flight, hotel, and travel expenses, and provided me  

with an honorarium for my time and skills - ALL THOUGHTS are mine and mine alone.