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"

We have a new FaceBook page

 

I've started a companion FaceBook page to this blog. If you are a FaceBook user we would really appreciate it if you could take a moment to visit our new page athttp://www.facebook.com/ArdensDay and press the "like" button.

FaceBook will only give a fan page like ours it's own username if you have a minimum number of "likes". You'll know that you're on the correct page when you see this photo of Arden complete with her diabetes support circle. Thank you in advance for your continued support, hope to see you on FaceBook!

My diabetes365 interview

The website www.diabetic365.com invited me to be part of their ‘Diabetic Heros’ interview series. The interview took place on Father’s Day and was posted just the other day. Diabetic365 was kind enough to allow me to repost it here at Arden’s Day. 

I think that the information that was revealed during this 20 or so minutes is worth the time it takes to hear it.

The interview is in two parts, I hope that you take a look. Please also take a moment to check out diabetic365.com.

part I

part II

Met a nice family

First I need to say that Arden choose this picture for the post. I asked her which to use and she said, “the one where we twist our faces”. The glasses that she is wearing are BTW cosmetic... oh little girls!

Anyway...

The other evening my family went out to dinner, we took two cars because Arden and Kelly were out shopping and Cole and I met up with them at the restaurant when they were finished. When it was time to leave the kids went with Kelly and I stayed behind to pay the check. As I was getting up to leave I saw that the little girl next to me was giving herself an injection in her arm. I spoke to them as I was leaving saying, “excuse me” before I began.

The next day I received a great email from the little girl’s mother and I want to share some of it here without using their names. The bits from her email will be in bold...

To be honest, I initially thought you were going to say something to us about not having our daughter give herself insulin at the table! I just heard you say "Excuse me" and I thought, oh God, here we go. We offended this guy by having her inject herself in public.

But that isn’t what happened, is it? I told that little girl (she was about 11 or 12) that I thought she was a rock star for injecting at the table and not being embarrassed!

It was the exact opposite, and it was a nice surprise to have someone support her for a change. I think she liked hearing what you had to say too, it made her feel good. She doesn't get positive feedback often...

Well I’m glad that I didn’t come off as creepy!

The last couple of years have been frustrating in so many ways...

Wet talked for a few minutes and I tried my best to let the family and that sweet girl know that they weren’t alone and that much of the trials that they face are faced by all of us. That they get easier and that there are a lot of people that would be happy to help them. I told them about all of you on Twitter (hey tweeps!) and in doing so I said Arden’s name...

The father says, “what was your daughter’s name again?” and I repeated, “Arden”. He looked at his wife, she looked at me, smiled and said, “I know you, I’ve been on your website”.

Here I thought that after almost 2 years of caring for my daughter’s diabetes, I had it down and felt that I was educated and informed. Your website humbled me pretty quick. There's still SO much left to learn and it's clear we are only just beginning...

So for anyone that is reading this, you aren’t alone and to the people that blog about their experiences... you are helping others so please keep it up!

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks and we'll definitely be following your blog and maybe I'll start a Twitter account eventually...

**

The following are archived comments from this post. You can post new comments below.

Sarah

YEY for incidental D-meets!!! So glad you were able to encourage her and her family! Here's to hoping they're on twitter soon so they can find the awesome DOC there!!! :-)

Thursday, February 24, 2011 - 11:23 AM

Lorraine

Neato. :)

Thursday, February 24, 2011 - 11:36 AM

Penny

How very wonderful, for you and the family!

Thursday, February 24, 2011 - 07:13 PM

Breaks my heart every time

So I just got off the phone with what must be the twelfth parent of a newly diagnosed child that I’ve personally spoken to.  People normally reach out through this site but today I got a call from a family friend whose nephew was diagnosed on Christmas day.  I’ve had this talk so many times now that I’m not sure that I even need to be there for it, if you know what I mean.  Every time is the same, parents so new to the type I game that they aren’t yet sure what they are scared of, they just know that they are.

When I get off of the phone I always have the same hollow feeling in my stomach.  It feels like it’s happening again to us, just so many terrible memories...  but knowing how much the DOC helps other people is all I need to make it all worth the trip down bad memory lane.  

This mom will call and email for a few months and then, poof, I won’t hear from her again.  I love that part... when they stop calling.  It’s then that I know that they have it and that’s just the greatest feeling...

**

The following are archived comments from this post. You can post new comments below.

Lorraine

It's true - the hollow feeling of it happening all over again and then - you don't hear anything and it's a good thing. :)

Friday, January 7, 2011 - 02:36 PM