Diabetes In The Wild At The Harvest Moon Party~

Friday night I received an invite via text to a Saturday night Harvest Moon party, promising good people, good fun, and a beautiful view of the moon.

Sidebar: Tonight (September 24th,) is the official Harvest Moon for the Americas - but it’s pouring buckets in my neck of the woods so I’m not sure I’ll see it. 

But I digress. 

Cut to Saturday night. I drove over to the party, parked my car and with pumpkin bread in hand, walked through the front door and into the kitchen - where I was immediately greeted with hugs and by people I haven’t seen in ages, while simultaneously being introduced to new faces. 

Thanks to kismet, I had two “diabetes in the wild,” encounters with two kick-ass women with personal and professional connections to diabetes. 

"Diabetes in the wild," encounter number one occurred outside on the deck - where my friend was talking to a young woman. I didn't know anyone out and the deck and felt like a dork. My friend motioned for me to come over. I did, he introduced us and mentioned that I wrote a Diabetes Blog. 

Turns out she was a grade school teacher who had a student with t1. 

She told me how she’d become aware of all things diabetes related and was learning more everyday. 

We talked about growing up with diabetes, she asked me about my low and high blood sugar tells and I told her.

Two weeks into the school year and this woman knew a lot about t1 and clearly wanted to learn more. Quite frankly, I WAS IMPRESSED. 

And IMO, her t1 student was lucky to have her as both a teacher and a friend. 

I gave Teacher Lady a few resources including CWD and Coco The Monkey.  

HELLO KISMET. As soon as I mentioned Coco, I remembered that I had a set of Coco books in my trunk. 

Sidebar: I was going to give the books to a local t1, but she already had them - so the books had been living in my trunk for a month.

I went out to my car; searched my trunk and found the Coco books, went back inside and handed them over. Teacher Lady couldn't wait to check them out over the weekend and then read them to her class!  

We exchanged numbers and I told her to keep in touch.

Later on in the evening, when I was bolusing via my Omnipod PDM for some crazy delicious autumn leaf sugar cookies, Teacher Lady walked over and said to me on the sly: You good? 

I told her I was and we both laughed. Girlfriend had my back and didn’t blink twice about me bolusing for cookies.

The second “diabetes in the wild” moment occurred later on in the kitchen, when I met a mom of a t1. dMama's daughter was now a mother herself and had lived with diabetes for over 3 decades. 

Like magnets to steal, we started talking about all things diabetes related. 

We discussed surviving the Diabetes Dark Ages, and dMama told me that the very first glucose meter her daughter ever used cost over a thousand dollars and wasn’t covered by insurance.

And I could totally relate. 

We discussed scar tissue, diabetes idiosyncrasies, the cost of insulin, and everything in between. We talked about diabetes challenges - back in the diabetes dark ages and ones we struggle with in real time.

I told dMama about the Diabetes Online Community and peer support and gave her some links and info I thought her and her daughter would find helpful. 

Once again I found myself exchanging contact information with someone who “got it.” 

As I put the key in the ignition, I looked up at the moon, partially hidden by deep purple and navy night clouds, and thought about how we are all connected - and how once again, diabetes proves it. 

The amazing kick-ass women I’d met both live near me, each with personal and professional connections to diabetes, and I’d never met either one of them until now - even though we shared mutual friends. 

Bottom Line: The universe is big, the world is smaller than we think - the world of diabetes - even smaller. The moon is magic, the universe knows what it’s doing - and we are meant to meet exactly when we do. 

#tbt - Dear Lady Sitting In The Magnolia Bakery

I originally wrote this post on September 8th, 2009 - and it's about how awesome  Diabetes Meet-ups are - even when you don't know they happened until it's over! 
Hope you enjoy!
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Dear Lady sitting in the Magnolia Bakery:

You kept looking at me and I wasn't sure why.
I was waiting in line with my friends in cupcake anticipation and wondered why you kept staring at me.

I thought it might be because I laugh way to loud- - you know, from my belly.  
Or maybe you thought I was being to silly for swooning over my cupcake like a giddy little schoolgirl, which of course I was!

My friends and I were laughing and recovering after three days of wedding activities. 
N (the bride) was still glowing from her wedding the night before.

We were a chatty, happy, and tired group looking forward to our cupcakey goodness and final moments with friends, both old and new.

My weekend had been truly bolus worthy, on every level. 
A whirlwind of wedding activities, and a flurry of meeting all types of wonderfully interesting folk.

I’d had lunch with a D Blogger Shero on Friday (a post and pic on that VERY soon) and had experienced diabetes moments of bonding with other guests of the happy couple, but I digress.

The line to pay was long and I was DYING for just one bite of the sprinkled frosting- it was torturous to hold my cupcake topped plate and act like an adult. 

Cupcakes me happy and I want the world to know it!

There you sat, a party of 1, at a table for 2-with and with a plate full of crumbs and a folded up Metro Section of the New York Times.

I caught you staring at my pump, YET AGAIN.

I thought maybe you were going to reprimand me, tell me that I shouldn’t indulge if I wanted to be healthy. Maybe you’d say “NO DIABETICS ALLOWED,”unless they behaved.

I looked away and then looked at you again, and you were still staring. Then you smiled and said: I’m leaving, take the table and enjoy your cupcake.

Me: Thanks, but we need a bigger table. 

You glanced at my pump one last time and got up. 

You grabbed your handbag and Times & turned to leave, but just before you walked out the door you turned, looked straight in my eyes, and flashed me your insulin pump and a smile.

You were gone before I could say anything and my friends (who had missed the whole lightening quick exchange because they’d been debating between Vanilla Banana pudding Vs cupcakes) and had missed it all. 

I could have run out and tried to catch-up, but I still hadn't paid for my cupcake. 

I smiled and said nothing. It had happened in a matter of seconds, in a crowded Cupcake bakery of all places.

It was unspoken moment of D-bonding at the Magnolia Bakery on 69^th and Columbus, in the city that never sleeps.

Another beautiful moment in a weekend of many.

Thank you for sharing, without even uttering the the "D WORD." 

Kelly K

Diabetics on A Plane, Diabetes In The Wild, D-Meet In The Sky.

I sat on the plane waiting for it to take off and fly the friendly skies. I was a hot, tired, sticky mess and for the first time in two days I wasn’t surrounded by people with diabetes. And quite frankly, that just felt weird and lonely all rolled into one. 

I was on my way home from the Roche Summit and I was sorry to leave Indy for so many reasons. 

As I sat there lost in thought and Fruit Zombies, my pump chirped out a familiar array of beeps reminding me that I had indeed had a temporary basal rate going on. I glanced down at it and saw that it was slightly entangled in my seatbelt, fixed it and tried to concentrate on the Fruit Zombies on my iPad. 

Two minutes later I heard the familiar chirping again and got really annoyed. 
In my head I was like: COME ON INSULIN PUMP- I know that you’re running a temporary basal rate - I’m the one who programmed the temporary basal rate - SHUT UP ALREADY.  Except this time when I glanced down at my pump to see what it was squawking about, I realized my pump wasn’t the one chirping. 

And I was totally stunned. 

HOLY CRAP, I thought -  Someone else on this plane has diabetes. I Iooked around and saw a woman in the aisle one row behind and across looking at her pump and quickly tucking it back into her shirt, lean back and close her eyes. 

I didn’t want to interrupt her if she was trying to sleep, but I was dying to jump across the isle and say: Hey, I have insulin pump too, I have an insulin pump, too!!!!  

But I didn’t want to risk waking her.  Seriously, if she was as tired as I was - she was probably already asleep.

The flight attendant came around and told me to put my iPad away and before I knew it the plane was took off. Once we reached "cruising altitude” I glanced over at Insulin Pump Girl again and she was fast asleep. 

And I was bummed out. But I was also really tired and couldn’t keep my eyes open .  

Then I closed my eyes and fell promptly asleep for about an hour and fifteen minutes - And I never sleep on planes so that’s saying something! 

I woke up once,  when my pump reminded me that I less than 20 units left and was in and out of sleep fully after that. When I finally woke up, we were probably a half hour from landing, but just to be sure I took out my pump and glanced at the clock, then I glanced over towards Insulin Pump Girl because I thought I felt someone watching me - And she was.

Insulin Pump Girl: You have a pump too!!! I heard beeping earlier and was trying to catch your eye!

Me: Oh my God, I heard your pump beeping earlier and tried to catch your eye too! But you were trying to sleep and I didn’t want to bother you....

Insulin Pump Girl: That’s so funny!

Me: RIGHT! This is so cool!

Insulin Pump Girl: Were you in town for AADE? 

Me: No, I had was at the Roche Summit - But I wish I could have stayed for AADE.

Insulin Pump Girl: I was in town for some AADE meetings -I’m a Diabetes Pediatric Nurse.

Me; YOU’RE AWESOME. 

And then we talked about how long we’d had diabetes (she was 27 years in ) and how the diabetes world has changed and how amazing “diabetes in the wild” is!

Her seat mate (an older lady with a terrific smile)  just kept watching our exchange, grinned from ear to ear and didn’t say a word. 

Diabetes Pump Girl knew about the Diabetes On-Line Community and and we chatted away until it was time to land. 

We walked through the terminal together and continued talking. Finally we exchanged cards, hugged one another, said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. She had to find her connecting flight and I went on to find my luggage. 

And as waited for the carousel to deliver my big purple suitcase I couldn’t help but smile and be happy about what had just happened. 

Diabetes in the wild, diabetics on a plane, D-Meet in the sky  - Whatever you want to call it, it was a wonderful and awesome thing! 

#DBlogWeek Day 6: It's All About Familiar Faces ~

It's day 6 of Diabetes Blog Week and it's called Saturday Snapshots.

Basically all the pics posted today are diabetes related. 

And the first thing that came to mind when I read about the subject matter for this was were all the DOC faces I've been lucky enough to meet in IRL - And all the faces that I haven't meet in IRL. 

So for the sake of time, here are just a few pics of fellow DOCers that we all know and love, and that I've been able to make face time with.

And opefully I can add your picture very soon!

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Me & the chicklet who created #DBlogWeek !

Me & some AWESOME Canadian DOCers!

D friends in the lobby of CWD Focus On Tech Conference
Photo courtesy of sixuntilme.com

D friends over drinks~
Photo courtesy of sixuntilme.com

D @ The HardRock 

D Friends

D Angels

D Cupcake LOVE In Beverly Hills

D Rocket Scientists? 

D Hugs

D twin

Simonpalooza & Cara in NYC 

Sprinkles Stare down

Roche & Friends For Life

Gracie's Gang At the Philly JDRF Walk

Diabetes Fashionistas @Tibi in Soho, NYC!
$100 of each sale of that amazing blue shirt support the DRI!

Insulin - The Discovery - NYC

Dmeet-Up Down South Jersey Way~

D- Meet Up Down South Jersey Way!

So the world is smaller than we know and the universe is smarter than we think! 

This past weekend the stars were aligned in all types of wonderful way, and in little beach cafe down South Jersey way a Diabetes Meet-Up occurred. 

TRUE STORY.

 I had the opportunity to meet Emi Reem from The Miss Adventures of Peabody! 

And you know what kids? it was fantastical!

It's so strange meeting someone face to face for the first time - when you feel like you already know them.  

Because in the DOC world, you've already talked them and shared your lives with one another, and the IRL thing is just a wonderful and very welcomed formality! 

Emi and I sat for hours talked and laughed and it was just such a great time.

Sometimes we spoke in the diabetes dialect and some times not, but the conversation continued to flow~  

And as I drove home, I was once again reminded that because of my faulty pancreas, I was able to meet another amazing person with a tremendous spirit and zest for life. 

 And that my friends is a wonderful thing~

My Weekend Plans: The Children With Diabetes Focus On Technology Conference

February 25 & 26,2012

Philadelphia Marriott West

West Conshohocken, PA

I'm heading out to Children With Diabetes Focus On Technology 2012 Conference in Conchohocken, PA this weekend and I'm looking forward to it. Actually, I'm downright excited to attend the conference for many reasons.

Even though I only attend one day of The Children With Diabetes Friends For Life Conference in 2010, I can tell you that it changed my life for the better. CWDFFL was like coming home to Diabetes Land. People who live with diabetes (or whose children, siblings or spouses live with diabetes) are the majority, not the minority. And everyone understands and speaks the language of diabetes, fluently and in all its dialects.

It's a fantastical thing to walk around and learn about diabetes with others who know first hand what your going through. Plus, you also learn the parents perspective, which was incredibly eyeopening to me as former child with diabetes. Same goes for me being a sister, daughter and aunt of someone with diabetes - And a diabetes blogger.

The Program of Events for the 2012 Tech Conference includes all types of interesting/timely topics including but not limited to: CGMS & New Technology talks, advanced pumping concepts, managing technology in school, managing diabetes stress & burnout (YES), making sense of data sensors , sports exercise & bg control, managing hypos, infusion set and sensors, a group workout, discussion group for parents of teens, etc.

I know that I'll see some of you there and I can't wait! And for those of you who won't be attending, I'll give you the 4-1-1 when I return.

Have a great weekend guys!

Diabetes Days & Diabetes Moments ~

There are days and moments after 30 plus years with diabetes, that diabetes is second nature - Like being left handed.

Days where I test automatically and without thinking and can immediately read the carb count on an unfamiliar meal. Days where I am indeed a Diabetes Savant. For a brief moment in time, life with diabetes mimics others whose pancreases are in working order view as normal.

And then there those days where I’ve rushed out the door sans my insulin pump, tune out my pump’s “low Insulin” alarm completely until my diabetes well is damn near dry, or have my infusion set in a spot that unbeknownst to me, has become useless and dead.

Days where my numbers go either north or south for unexplained reasons. And others where I do something stupid, like forget to bolus for coffee, and then wonder out loud why I’m blowing a 240 a few hours later.

Then there are those “diabetes moments” that are public and at times uncomfortable. Moments where all of a sudden I feel the low and think that others can feel it to. Like everyone in the Diabetes On-Line Community, I’ve become an expert at downing glucose tabs in record time and sucking down a juice-box in one gigantic gulp. Hey, I wonder if I should write that on my on-line dating profile??? But I digress.

Much like “Senior Moments,” these “Diabetes Moments” happen and I acknowledge and accept them, and at times laugh out loud at them - or cry in frustration. But I continue to plow ahead - because I see others doing the same.

And then I remind myself that I’m not the only one who has these diabetes days and diabetes moments - Others stand where I’m standing and that’s a great comfort. Realizing that others like me, live and embrace this diabetes view of normal, not only helps us live our lives, it also saves lives. It is a wonderful and empowering thing.

And then I remember shared diabetes moments, in the form of DMeet Ups, blog posts, twitter chats, emails, phone calls, letters and the likes there of and I'm once again remember that you can speak the language of diabetes in real life and on-line, without ever having to utter the “D Word.” But that it’s more than OK if you do. And that is also a wonderful thing~

To Canada & The Canadian DOC Contingency With Love

On August 15th I accompanied my mom on a trip to Toronto, Canada so that she could see her oldest friend (they'd been friends since they were four) and my mother's older sister.

We returned home on the 20th and I called the ambulance for her on the evening of the 21st. You know the rest of the story, so I'm not going to rehash it.

Anyway, it's taken me a while to write this post for many reasons, mostly emotional.

I'm not going to post mom pics from this trip or go into much detail regarding our time in Canada together, because as much fun as we had, it still makes me cry when I think about it.

But I will say our trip back to my mother's homeland was a gift for all parties involved and I am so grateful for that time.

I wish I had done a few things differently, but I'm still so incredibly grateful to have been given such a gift.

I was going to use my in Toronto time to see the see family, sneak some work in if possible, check out the city, because the last time I'd been there I was maybe 16.

I had sky high hopes to visit The Banting House, which was a 3 hour drive.

But since II didn't have access to a car and the train drop-off was no where near the Banting House, I didn't make it, which totally bummed me out.

I had also planned to check out the University of Toronto & it's historical significance to the discovery of insulin, and later meet up with a few members of the Canadian Diabetes On-Line Community which I was thrilled about!!

So, I took the subway to U of Toronto, armed myself with a map and began my long trek by foot to discover my diabetes history.

As I walked miles and miles around the University, I started to feel really low, and I was just about to sit down on a bench, when out of the corner of my eye I saw this:

Had my blood sugar not gone low at that moment. I never would have seen this sign.

I actually went into the building after my blood sugar went up, and I have to say, I was disappointed.

For some reason I expected U of Toronto to make a bigger deal of the men who saved my life.

After I left that building, I continued my journey and about 7 minutes later I

saw a small plaque on a building and decided to investigate further.

Had I not had a map and actually knew where it was, I never would have seen it.

Then I went to the other side of the building and this is what I saw.

And once again, I was happy, but really sad and pissed off at the same time.

COME ON University of Toronto, trim the damn hedge and have some pride!

Seriously, what the hell??

I continued onward, looked for the word "Banting" on my map, and found the location of the following:

A Hero's plaque with little fanfare.

I can't believe I found it and I can't believe that no one seemed to give a shit.

I couldn't understand why no one seemed to care about Banting & Best.

I expected the City of Toronto & it's university to have banners, streamers and a damn marching band to celebrate our diabetes heroes.

After all, millions of lives were saved, and hadn't we just celebrated the 90th anniversary of the discovery of insulin??

After the letdown, I decided to continue exploring and I found some things that reminded me of home, except they were.. you know, " Canadianized."

Canadians have some interesting tastes. FYI: I didn't try the pickle chips but I really wish I had because I think I would have LOVED THEM!!

But I wasn't super interested in the chicken chips at all.

I continued my tour or Toronto and thought I saw a familiar face across the street......

Could it be???

I think I see........

Clifford??

Turns out I did see Clifford!!!!

Later I saw something else that reminded me of a familiar face.......

Can you say Scott Johnson????

I walked by things I wish I'd had time to see.

Like the above sign. I wish I'd known Carrie Fisher's One Woman show was in town, because I'd have bought tixs!

Cut to a few days later, when I was all dressed up and ready to spend the evening at Gretsky's with some friends I'd never met in real life.

Right down the street from Gretsky's I saw one of my all time favorite things ever!

A place whose members and name had inspired me since I was a child.

I could feel Gilda Radner & John Candy's spirit!
But I had important people to meet and had to walk past and not go in. :(

The front doors to Gretsky's

Walking into Great One's restaurant doors, I knew he Canadian Contingency of the DOC was on the other side and I was stoked!

I went to the rooftop and it was packed.

I walked around looking for people wearing insulin pumps and a seeing eye dog.

Finally, a woman walked up to me and asked: Are you Kelly? And I said: I sure am!

Turns out it was Ilana, and we hugged, walked around & found a tiny table on the rooftop.

We started chatting and were quickly joined by Scully & Virtue B and the conversation was just non stop.

Soon Jaimie, Larry & awesome type 3 guide dog Keeta joined us and we went inside, found a table in a quiet room and the the conversations continued, as did the continuous beeping of all of our pumps.

And if I remember correctly, the waiter had to come by like 5 times before we were ready to order.

The CanadianContingency explained the whole Putene concept to me (fancy word for cheese fries) and we discussed life, life with diabetes and everything in between.

We laughed, and then laughed some more and we had a blast!

Around 11 the evening ended and we posed for a group picture.

Ilana, Scully, Virtue B, your's truly, Larry, Keela & Jamie

Then we hugged one another, said our goodbyes, talked some more, hugged and said our goodbyes again.

We walked outside and one by one, we went our separate ways until finally it was Ilana and I.

Who might I add, went went out of her way to make sure I got on the right subway!
The next day I met Jaimie for coffee at Tim Horton's, the Canadian equivalent to Dunkin Donuts.

The coffee was OK, the Timbits (munchkins) were better, and the company was the best!
Once again, a fellow DOCer made sure I took the right subway, and I went back to my mother's friend's, had dinner and packed to go home. And the next day, I went home, and the next day after that, shit hit the fan with my mother's health, and it went down hill from there.

Through it all I received notes from my Canadian DOCers letting me know they were thinking of me and pulling for my mom.

They wrote me beautiful emails, comments and sent direct messages on twitter & facebook during her illness and after she died.

So to the Canadian DOCers - Thank you for bringing a smile to my face, both in Canada and at home.

Thank you for being there and understanding all that these past few months have been, and never once mentioning or asking when I was going to post about our meet up.

I love you guys and am so grateful to have met you both on line and in real life - And I can't wait until we meet again!