What Diabetes Blog Week Means to Me

Last night after Arden's softball game she and I took a walk to the water ice truck to get Arden a cold treat. At the same time, Cole was two towns away getting ready to play in a baseball game. Arden and I were rushing a little bit so that we wouldn't miss too much of Cole's game. As we made our way back to my car I stranger stopped me. She reached out her hand sheepishly and said, "Hi, you don't know me but I know you" and then she introduced herself. She continued, "I read your book and I wanted to tell you...". The rest of what the stranger said was wonderful to hear. She loved the book and made some touching comments about my writing. 

About an hour later Arden asked if she could get something from the snack stand, we were now a considerable way from home and on a different baseball field, watching Cole play. When Arden returned from the stand she gave me my change and told me, "The woman at the stand asked me if my name was Arden, when I said yes she said that she loves your blog and reads it every morning". Arden went on to tell me that the nice woman (Hi if you're reading!) explained that her son was playing on the other team and that he had type I.

A woman in the stands must have overheard Arden because as we were bolusing for her pretzel, the woman began to tell me that she also wears the OmniPod. We spoke for some time about insulin pumps, type I and Arden's DexCom G4.

What does any of this have to do with Diabetes Blog Week?

Arden's Day will be six years old this summer, and my being published is in large part due to the fact that I write this blog. When I began blogging I never imagined that I'd be giving a woman insulin pump advice at a ball game, or that the concession mom in a town I've never visited before would make a point of stopping in here to see what was going on. I certainly never expected to be the author of a book. But yet, here I am and I have Diabetes Blog Week to thank. 

A number of years ago, the first time that I wrote for DBW, I was under whelmed by the pieces that I produced. They seemed boring to me and repetitive. I hated that I didn't have a voice of my own. It felt like I was just dictating my experiences - the writing lacked personality, my personality. I almost let that feeling deter me from blogging, almost - but I really wanted to participate in blog week. It was then that I found the style that I have written in since. Today, I write the way that I speak, I follow the pentameter of my voice and tell stories that originate from the deepest and most private depths of my heart.

I really did almost stop writing this blog one day many years ago. Diabetes Blog Week kept me going.

This past week has been crazy around here. I've been learning how to budget my writing time better because I've accepted some freelance work (That I can't tell you about just yet - sorry), I'm trying to support my book release and there is talk of me making an appearance on TV. Busy, busy... in a good way but not in a way that allowed me to blog this week - which made me sad. I thought every day about DBW and felt terrible when I realized that I wouldn't have time to participate this year.

I hope that you have a great weekend, that you were able to check out lots of diabetes blogs this week and that something that you read or wrote for it... changes your life.

Diabetes Co-Stars

Click to help DHF

Sanofi US is supporting the Diabetes Hands Foundation with an initial $10,000 program sponsorship. But, when this documentary reaches 10,000 online views, Sanofi US will double that sponsorship for a total of $20,000! Please consider clicking over to help DHF receive this donation. 

What is the Diabetes Hands Foundation?

At the Diabetes Hands Foundation, we believe no one touched by diabetes should ever feel alone, because together we become stronger and have the power to generate positive change in ourselves and our community.

Diabetes can be a very isolating disease, so we provide platforms where people with diabetes and their loved ones can connect and have an open dialog about their experiences with this chronic condition. Instead of looking at the disease, Diabetes Hands Foundation seeks to understand, connect and energize the millions of people living with this condition.

Diabetes Blog Week 2013

Diabetes blog week is the reason that I didn't give up on blogging a few years ago when I began to feel like my voice was necessary in the community.... so I love it!

You can (and should) find out more about Karen Graffeo's wonderful creation at this link. I'll be doing my best to keep up with the topics next week... Here is the list of topics from Karen's blog:

Share and Don’t Share - Monday 5/13

Often our health care team only sees us for about 15 minutes several times a year, and they might not have a sense of what our lives are really like. Today, let’s pretend our medical team is reading our blogs. What do you wish they could see about your and/or your loved one's daily life with diabetes? On the other hand, what do you hope they don't see?

We, The Undersigned - Tuesday 5/14

Recently various petitions have been circulating the Diabetes Online Community, so today let’s pretend to write our own. Tell us who you would write the petition to – a person, an organization, even an object (animate or inanimate) - get creative!! What are you trying to change and what have you experienced that makes you want this change?

Memories - Wednesday 5/15

Today we’re going to share our most memorable diabetes day. You can take this anywhere.... your or your loved one's diagnosis, a bad low, a bad high, a big success, any day that you’d like to share.

Accomplishments Big and Small -Thursday 5/16

We don’t always realize it, but each one of us had come a long way since diabetes first came into our life. It doesn’t matter if it’s been 5 weeks, 5 years or 50 years, you’ve done something outstanding diabetes-wise. So today let’s share the greatest accomplishment you've made in terms of dealing with your (or your loved one’s) diabetes. No accomplishment is too big or too small - think about self-acceptance, something you’ve mastered (pump / exercise / diet / etc.), making a tough care decision (finding a new endo or support group / choosing to use or not use a technology / etc.).

Freaky Friday - Friday 5/17

Just like in the movie, today we’re doing a swap. If you could switch chronic diseases, which one would you choose to deal with instead of diabetes? And while we’re considering other chronic conditions, do you think your participation in the DOC has affected how you treat friends and acquaintances with other medical conditions? 

Diabetes Art - Saturday 5/18

This year Diabetes Art moves up from the Wildcard choices as we all channel our creativity with art in the broadest sense. Do some “traditional” art like drawing, painting, collage or any other craft you enjoy. Or look to the literary arts and perhaps write a d-poem or share and discuss a favorite quote. Groove to some musical arts by sharing a song that inspires you diabetes-wise, reworking some song lyrics with a d-twist, or even writing your own song. Don’t forget dramatic arts too, perhaps you can create a diabetes reality show or play. These are just a starting point today – there are no right or wrong ways to get creative!

Spread the Love - Sunday 5/19

As another Diabetes Blog Week draws to a close, let’s reflect on some of the great bloggers we’ve found this week. Give some love to three blog posts you’ve read and loved during Diabetes Blog Week, and tell us why they’re worth reading. Or share three blogs you’ve found this week that are new to you.

Dream Diabetes Device Wildcard

Back by popular demand, let's revisit this prompt from last year! Tell us what your fantasy diabetes device would be? Think of your dream blood glucose checker, delivery system for insulin or other meds, magic carb counter, etc etc etc. The sky is the limit – what would you love to see?

Diabetes Wild Kingdom Wildcard

What is the ideal diabetes service animal? Think beyond the obvious and be creative in explaining why your choice is a good one. For example, maybe a seal would make a good service animal - it flaps its flippers and barks every time you get a good blood sugar reading!

Sesame Chicken you Motherless $%&^@

It was a long Sunday and the nights hours were burning away quickly. We just wanted to have a fast and easy dinner when we made the call. It ended up being anything but.

I pre-bolused. I counted carbs. I over-estimated those carbs. I set temp basal rates. I did everything that I know how to do and two hours later, it appeared as though my foresight had won the battle. Arden's BG was 150 two hours after insulin and some ninety minutes after she finished eating. I was victorious!

That victory was however, short-lived - Chicken and rice... not so nice

The next few hours were a slugfest. I traded punches with diabetes all night. It hit me in the jaw, a countered with a bolus. It responded with a gut punch, I shot insulin with a needle. Uppercut, water bottle. Jab, Temp basal. We went back and forth like two prize fighters in a ten round fight. This exchange went on until four in the morning, I was staggered by the unrelenting nature of the attack. Defeated physically as well as spiritually.

We just wanted a number four with dumplings

It's so incredibly frustrating at times. The old diabetes adage really does stand true. You can do everything that you did the day before in the exact same situation and get completely different results. We don't make a habit out of Chinese take-out, but I was certain that I had developed a great system for combating those crazy carbs. Not on this night I guess, my best laid schemes failed me.

 

But little Mouse, you are not alone, In proving foresight may be vain:

The best laid schemes of mice and men

Go often awry

The most difficult part of staying up overnight in these situations isn't the loss of sleep, though that did eventually catch up to me. It's the stillness of the dark and how it allows you the time to reflect on what the high BG is doing to your child's body. The darkness makes me want to be better. Do better, make better decisions. I do a fair job of not beating myself up in these moments, I try to learn their lesson. Knowing that you are standing in the dark with me helps keep that attitude in the forefront of my mind. We are only alone in these moments if we forget that somewhere, there is another person just like us, having the same doubts, fighting the same fights. The DOC is always with you!

From Stay-At-Home Dad to Published Author and all the Laundry in between

From the Trenton Times. Photo by Christina Izzo 

From the Trenton Times: 

Scott Benner said he had his first introduction to writing books when he was a child in school.

“We used to write them and bind them and then they would go on a library cart and go from class to class,” he said. “That’s the part I really liked — that the book was somewhere else and someone else was reading it.”

Benner, who grew up in Bucks County, continued writing through his teens and early 20s, trying his hand at writing movie scripts and fiction, but he said he found that he was writing stories that were already written.

“I felt that I didn’t have anything to say,” he said. “I felt that if I kept saying stuff that somebody else had already said, either it isn’t valuable or I’m not at a point yet where I should be doing this.”

But after being a stay-at-home dad for 12 years, Benner said he found something to say.

You can read the entire article in today's edition or online here.

If you are in the Central NJ area, please come out tonight at 6:30 pm for my first book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Hamilton, NJ.