So that was World Diabetes Day?

So that was World Diabetes Day... Good thing I have a Twitter account and this blog or I wouldn't have known. I saw a message on Twitter yesterday saying the same thing. The author wrote that they didn't hear a word on any large media outlet but that Twitter was on fire with diabetes related posts. I found myself agreeing.

Every blogger, website and person whose BG was ever above 120 took the opportunity to announce something yesterday, me included and everyone's exuberance caused a flutter for certain, tweets were flying down my timeline at a furious pace. I spent my entire day keeping up with, managing, posting and responding to things related to World Diabetes Day. I felt great, though a bit exhausted (I may have fallen to sleep on the sofa and not woken up until 4:45 am) and I'd do it all again in a second but my question is, "what did I do?"

Was I only talking to other people who already knew that it was World Diabetes Day? Did our community have a party that only we came to? I'm sure not totally but I'm betting that the answer is, in some part, "yes". It's this nagging feeling that I have that helped me to decide to follow my passion and announce my charitable intentions last week. My overall concern that while we are supporting each other and doing it well, our message may not reach far outside the community or with the same intensity that it does inside the community.

It's a huge and difficult question but I want it answered - How do you get a baseball fan to care about hockey? A serious news junky to care about the Kardashians? Is it possible to get a message to a person that has no interest, connection or concern with a topic without marketing that person to within an inch of their life, thusly ruining the message? I think the answer is "yes" and I'm determined to find a way to do it. 

None of this is to say that the amazing things that go on in the DOC everyday aren't valuable, just the opposite, they are the heart of the DOC but how do we expand? How do I leave a guy who has no connection to type I diabetes feeling what a T1 mom feels when she reads something that I've written. It is possible, I know it. I know in impart because I believe but also because it's happened to me and recently.

We took Arden to see 'Wicked' in New York last week. At the end of the first act the character Elphaba is hovering above the ground having just come to an important realization about herself. The scene ended, the curtain went down and the house lights went up - I was crying. My level of interest going into the show stopped being an issue when I was presented with a well told and interesting story. That is how I see our message about diabetes going wider. We have to stop spouting statistics and saying the same things over and over when we're presented with a larger audience. I know that it's difficult to find new and interesting ways to say the same stuff but it's doable. We need to tell more interesting stories, well.

If only diabetes was a green witch that could sing...

They didn't allow photograph in the theater so here is a picture of Arden surveying New York from the Empire State Building.

"There's nothing you can't do"

Spring Universal Infusion Set - Giveaway

In celebration of World Diabetes Day, Spring Health Solutions has generously allowed me to identify one child that would benefit from receiving a *three year supply of their Spring Universal Infusion Set, at no cost to the child! Spring has also contributed a $250 gift to help me realize my goal of starting a charitable foundation whose focus is putting insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors in the hands of children who want but can not afford them. 

If your child could benefit from a three year supply of the Spring Universal Infusion Set, please complete the form at the link below to be considered. Be sure to read and understand the following details before completing the form.

The details...

The Spring Universal Infusion Set is compatible with the following insulin pumps: Animas One Touch Ping, Roche Accu-Check and Sooil Diabecare IIS.

You must have a doctor's prescription to receive the Infusion Sets and complete a product training with a Spring U.S. representitive.

What's next?

Consider helping the Untitled Giving Project become a reality.

Become a member of Arden's Day to stay up-to-date about future giveaway opportunities.

Complete the form to be considered for the Spring Universal Infusion Set giveaway.

Spread the word about our efforts by using the 'Share Article' link just below or by sharing this link - http://www.ardensday.com/main/2011/11/11/spring-universal-infusion-set-give-away.html

The rest...

Arden's Day is not a charity and does not claim to be one. We take no responsibility for your experience with the Spring Universal Infusion Set should you be chosen to receive the three year supply. Arden's Day is not directly giving the winner any products but merely choosing one child that Spring will award the gift to, train in it's use and make delivery of as they see fit. In the event that Spring can not, for any reason, fulfill it's promise to supply the infusion sets. Neither Arden's Day nor it's owner Scott Benner, assumes any responsibility to fulfill this offer. The recipient will be chosen based on many factors, at the discretion of Arden's Day with the primary focus of provided the best clinical outcome possible. If the recipient is unable to accept the gift, a new winner will be chosen. The gift has no cash value and is non-transferable. Recipient must be a U.S. resident.

*"Three year supply" means 450 total infusion sets. 

Update on Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 7:23PM by Scott Benner

This giveaway has ended. Look for a follow up story soon.

Thank you for your interest!

Free* Apidra from now until 4/30/12

I just got my card. It only took a few minutes...

All you have to do is go to this link and answer a few simple check box questions. The system will then generate a printable card for you to take into your Pharmacy and just like that your Apidra is free! Visit the link to get your card now and for more details. There is a bit of fine print... I've included some of it below.

If you want to know about more offers in the future please follow me on Twitter, FaceBook and Subscribe to Arden's Day - links are in the sidebar to the right.

Follow @ArdensDay

Please use the "share article" link just below to spread the word.

From now until April 30, 2012, Apidra® vials are free for patients with commercial insurance*. ACCESS also provides Certified Diabetes Educators for on-demand support and counseling.

 *Offer is not valid for patients participating in Medicare, Medicaid, or any other federal- or state-funded benefit programs. Offer not valid in MA (except for cash-paying patients). Void where prohibited by law. Cards are the property of sanofi-aventis, and must be returned upon request. Both parties reserve the right to rescind, revoke, or amend this program without notice. Maximum offer value $250 per prescription. Cards valid through April 30, 2012.

I have not been compensated in any way for this post. Just good information for our fellow insulin users.

Hurricane Irene just crashed into our vacation!

So here I am, writing at my desk when I should be on my way to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I had planned on doing a series of blog posts this week about caring for Arden during a warm weather vacation. The heat, activity, ocean water and sand all present new obsticles and I thought that the experiance would make an interesting conversation.

View from our deck - Outer Banks 2008

The first time that we visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina was a bit of a daunting experience. Between the extended car ride (about 10 hours), being so far from home, the heat and the overall concern that we may run out of diabetes supplies, our first OmniPod enabled vacation was a bit nerve-wracking. We made it through pretty well and even came out the otherside with what I thought was some solid advice that was worth sharing. I envisioned taking advantage of this new blogging platform and writing from the road this week as we journeyed back to the Outer Banks (OBX) for our summer ending vacation.

But things have changed...

Hurricane Irene made landfall near the southern tip of the Outer Banks at about 7:30 a.m. Saturday, with winds of about 85 mph as the storm trudged up the East Coast. link

So it seems that a hurricane has smacked into the amazing beach where we have rented an ocean front house for the week (pictured below).

Image from realtor of our 2011 rental

We haven't given up hope that we will see this house in person... here's our plan.

We aren't giving up just yet. As I write this the Outer Banks is being pummeled by Hurricane Irene and the area is understanably under evacuation orders. As soon as the weather passes OBX assesments of bridges, beaches and homes begin. If the governing body says that the beach is safe to re-enter and if the house that we rented is habitable, we are jumping in our car and heading to North Carolina! I don't know if we are being too hopeful, a bit stupid or a combination of the two but we aren't giving up.

So if you want to follow along with us as we wait, hope and perhaps make our way, just subscribe to the site by clicking on 'Arden's Day RSS' located under our Twitter feed to the right of this posting and you'll know each time that I've posted an update. I'll be writing about our Hurricane Irene vacation for the next seven days or as long as there is hope that we can reach our destination safely. We won't put ourselves in harm's way to make it to the Outer Banks and we realize that the heightened situation will present more issues for Arden but in the same breath, we also will not teach her that there are things beyond her reach because of her disease.

Arden at OBX in 2008

I hope that it goes without saying that our hearts go out to those affected by Hurricane Irene and we wish them Godspeed as the storm reaches their homes and beyond. As our house is also in the projected path, I'm including my family as well as yours in this wish.

Now we wait, both for the Hurricane to leave OBX and for it to arrive here at our home in New Jersey. This is going to be one crazy weekend... be safe!

In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina...

Follow @ArdensDay

Cole is negative!

Arden’s brother Cole gives his blood every year to aid the research that TrialNet does...

“Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet is an international network of researchers who are exploring ways to prevent, delay and reverse the progression of type 1 diabetes.”

Cole’s blood is especially helpful because he is the sibling of a child with type I diabetes. His letter arrived today with his test results and he is still negative for "diabetes related autoantibodies'! It’s a happy day and a sad day all wrapped into one.

If you’re the sibling or parent of a type I child please check out TrialNet to see if you can help.