Seven Years Later

It's 2:45 in the morning on August 22, 2013 and I can't sleep. I'm tired but not in the way that I remember tired feeling seven years ago. Seven years ago when I felt tired, I'd shut my eyes and go to sleep, the process felt natural and without repercussion. Seven years later, I forget what it's like to feel refreshed. I sleep when I'm able and stay awake when it's necessary. Tonight I'm up fighting with a few spoonfuls of a bedtime snack that seems to want to keep Arden's BG at 250. 

I checked Facebook, perused Twitter, read your blog comments, made notes for myself so I won't forget to do some important things tomorrow and so now I'm downstairs writing to all of you. It's 2:52 now and in a few minutes Arden will have type I diabetes for seven years.

I remember the emergency room doctor coming into the room, he looked tired and he didn't make eye contact immediately upon entering. I knew he was going to tell us something terrible, I could feel it. Kelly and I sat next to each other in a palatable pool of sadness, waiting for him to confirm what we already feared was true.

The next two years were among the worst that I've ever experienced, but today, seven years later, I'm mostly okay and Arden is great!

It's exactly 3 AM now, the clock turned while I was looking for a passage from my book to share with you. I looked up and saw the time move forward when I heard, and I can't believe this just happened, when I heard Arden's DexCom beep twice at exactly 3 AM. That seemed like a sign until I realized that thing beeps all damn day... Anyway, I could search my mind all night for the right words to explain what I've learned in the last seven years, but I think I already found them when I wrote my book...

People can make claims about how to navigate personal turmoil, and there is a literal ton of books to help you get through life’s terrible moments. I only have one piece of advice, and I can lend it to you with the full knowledge that it served me well.

Don’t stop and don’t give up.

Some days will bring the weight of the world to you—don’t stop. There will be times that those days turn into weeks—don’t give up. There is a wonderment of understanding on the other side of your struggle, and it’s worth getting to. These days and weeks that seem as though they exist only to torture you and the people that you love—they teach. The pain strengthens you and the dings in your soul aren’t as deteriorating as they initially seem. In the end, they are reshaping it, and it’s up to you to decide what shape it will take.

I am contractually obligated to say that excerpts from 'Life Is Short, Laundry Is Eternal' were used with the permission of Spry Publishing. Actually, I'm supposed to ask them before I use the text but they're a good bunch and I'm betting that this would be okay. 

GiveAway Winners Announced

If you were around at all last week you saw the celebration for the sixth anniversary of this blog. Giveaways were abound and now it's time to pick the winners. As always, we used the tried and true method of pulling names from a hat and the ever popular, 'first come, first serve', gambit.

I'll begin by letting you know that the first ten people that said (on the blog) that they would like a copy of the new book, 'Coco's First Sleepover', from Lilly/Disney will receive an email today letting them know they won. Next, Lauren's Hope announced two winners yesterday of the giveaway that they hosted to help me celebrate Arden's Day's sixth year.

Before you watch the video of Arden picking the JDRF and "Life Is Short' giveaway winners, I want to take a second to highlight the wonderful comments that folks left for the JDRF giveaway, and ask that you give them a read, the each uniquely express why walking for the JDRF is such a fantastic experience - check them out!

Okay, this video will revel the two people who won a signed copy of my book and the single winner of the $50 JDRF walk/ride donation - Bonus: you'll get to see my black eye. Thanks to each of you for reading and for entering the various contest, good luck!

Winners, you will be receiving an email later today with instructions on how to claim your prize. Hold tight.

Anniversary Week Continues: Books and Video

Arden's Day's First Header Graphic (circa 2007)

The Arden's Day anniversary week celebration continues today with a fresh look at a blog post from 2008 and a book giveaway. 

blog post from 2008

In January of 2008 my focus for Arden's Day wasn't what it is today. Back then I saw this blog as a teaching tool for the uninitiated and a way to drive support and advocacy for people with type I diabetes. I wanted to create educated, empathetic supporters and give them a personal connection to type I. I was trying to support the search for a cure in the only way that I knew how, by communicating. 

So in 2008 I made a video called, 'Six Months Worth of Needles' and posted it on my blog and on YouTube. Since then the video has been viewed on YouTube nearly 9,000 times and I think that it still holds up all of these years later. We walk every year for the JDRF and have never missed a year though we have taken a break from fundraising recently because Arden raised nearly $50,000 in her first few years of walking. I felt because our friends and family had done so much, in such a short amount of time, that I couldn't keep asking them every year to donate. I very much love that the blog has evolved from where it began while still holding true to the goal of creating advocates. Actually, I sometimes can't believe that Arden's Day has been going for so long, six years is a long time. In honesty, I don't have a plan... I just keep following my heart and let my passion continue to shape the content of the site. Okay, I'm rambling, kinda tired and I wrote this in the middle of the night but you get it... the blog started as an advocacy platform and it's evolving, maybe not unlike me.

enough sentiment... how about a giveaway 

Thanks to my publisher Spry,  I have two copies of my first book, 'Life Is Short, Laundry Is Eternal: Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Dad' to giveaway for anniversary week. Simple entry this time, just leave a comment under this post saying "please enter me" and Arden will choose two winners this weekend. I only have two rules: You can enter up until August 10, 2013 at 11:59PM Due to a typo in the entry date (Was originally listed as 8/10/13) the giveaway has been extended. Entries now excepted until August 18, 2013 at 11:59PM EST and the giveaway is open to U.S. residents only this time around for postage reasons.

other anniversary posts and giveaways

'Tell Me About Your JDRF Walk' 

The Anniversary Week celebration began on a charitable note. I thought it would be nice if we shared what we love most about our JDRF walk experiences. Everyone who shares their thoughts in the comment section (under this post) will be entered into a drawing. At the end of the week Arden will pick one winner and my family will make a $50 donation to your walk effort! You can enter up until August 10, 2013 at 11:59PM est.

Update on Thursday, August 15, 2013 at 12:50AM by Scott Benner

Due to a typo in the entry date (Was originally listed as 8/10/13) the giveaway has been extended. Entries now excepted until August 18, 2013 at 11:59PM

Arden's Day is Six Years Old

Let's celebrate... It's the sixth anniversary of Arden's Day!

At exactly 3 AM on August 16, 2007, I posted my first blog entry on the Internet and "Decided to Share" began my online life as a type I diabetes advocate. I had no idea if anyone would ever read my little blog and there were times that I seriously considered closing Arden's Day because I doubted that I was adding a needed voice to the community. Well, it's six years later and I couldn't be happier that I made the decision to keep blogging, because so much has happened since that overwhelmed and exhausted guy first said these words...

I can’t sleep... Haven’t really been able to for about a year now.  On August 22nd Arden will be a Type I diabetic for one year.  I’m going to try and relay to all of you what Arden’s disease is, how it effects her and how it effects our family.  My goal is to give you a glimpse into our life so that you can better understand Type I diabetes... My hope is that the understanding will result in your advocacy.

Starting now I’ll be updating this site as much as is needed to bring you into all of this as completely as possible.  I’ll be taking pictures and video as much as possible.  I think diabetes is one of those things you need to feel to understand, an explanation just doesn’t do it justice.  It’s a much more visceral experience then you may think. That picture (above) is from just now (3:00 am), Arden just called me from her bed.  She wanted to lay down with us.  I checked her Blood Glucose (from here on out known as BG) and it was good.  Well not really good, high actually about 120 - 150 points higher then a non-diabetics would be at 3 AM but good for our purposes. Don’t worry it’ll all start making sense to you soon...  Please use the “Subscribe” button on the ‘Daddy’s Blog’ page to stay up-to-the-minute.  I really think that being updated every-time something happens will help bring you into the process. Please share this link with any and everyone you know.  Off to get some sleep...

Since that day, I've spoken to Congressmen and Senators, raised funds for the JDRF, written a book and met the most wonderful people. I could probably make a list as long as my arm of amazing things that have happened since I began to blog, but if I had to pick a favorite... it would be easy to choose. I am still, to this day, amazed at how much sharing our story helps others. Honestly, when I began six years ago, I never expected that. Moreover, I'm simply stunned by how powerfully you all return the love. That dynamic is, without a doubt, the most rewarding part of all of this. The relationship that we all have is one of the most uniquely human experiences that I've ever been a part of. Starting Arden's Day in 2007 was, without exaggeration, a life changing moment for me and that feels celebration worthy. Plus, six years is quite an accomplishment for a blog and I'm genuinely very proud to be able to lay claim to six years of diabetes blogging.

You are reading the 568th post that I've written for Arden's Day and the wonderful feeling that comes from sharing with you has not diminished one bit since 2007. It's my pleasure to be able to say that I am, in some small way, a part of something as wonderful as the diabetes online community.

You must be wondering why I am posting about an anniversary eight days before it happens. Easy answer... So you can be ready for what's happening next week. Stuff like...

Lauren's Hope is generously giving away some medical ID swagerrificness in celebration of Arden's Day's sixth anniversary!

Spry Publishing has donated a few copies of my book, Life Is Short, Laundry Is Eternal that I'll be signing and giving away. 

I'll be asking for your thoughts on what your JDRF Walk means to you and your family. A few days later, Arden will randomly select one of your comments and my family will make a $50 donation to your walk efforts.

I'll highlight one of my favorite posts from the past every day next week and reflect on them from today's perspective.

...and an announcement that includes giving away multiple copies of the newest Coco book from the Lilly/Disney collaboration, 'Coco's First Sleepover'.

I'm excited for Monday to arrive and hope that you are too! In the meantime, enjoy your weekend and good luck getting that Flintstones song out of your head!