Day Of Diabetes: World Diabetes Day Edition

Six years ago I began this blog with the intention of sharing every diabetes related moment that happen to us over a twenty-four hour period. I planned to share our day with diabetes with my friends and family but didn't have one idea about what I was going to do after that day ended. I had never read a blog, didn't know another family who lived with type I diabetes and only ever saw two message boards in the Internet. I had no idea what my sharing would introduce me to or what meeting all of you would one day mean to me. So many diabetes related events happened in the first few hours of August 16, 2007, that I had to stop before the day was over - but that was on my first day.

Today, I think I can make it for twenty-four straight hours... One full day of sharing to help bring awareness to the the world of type I diabetes. Every moment of our World Diabetes Day that is touched by type I diabetes, I will share as an update here on Arden's Day and other social media portals that lend themselves to the moment. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr

If you want to follow along or share the posts, I'll be hashtaging them with #DayOfDiabetes - Many other DOC members will be doing something similar today, please support them as much as you can. Here we go!

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 12:45AM by Scott Benner

#DayOfDiabetes - Just 39 minutes in and diabetes is already making noise. 
#NDAM #WorldDiabetesDay

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 1:05AM by Scott Benner

3hrs 30min since snack time insulin. Going to wait up a little longer. Tonight may just go well. #dayofdiabetes

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 1:33AM by Scott Benner

1:33 am. Arden's BG is drifting lower. Temp basal, off for 30 mins. I'll listen to some music and check again in 30 mins. Eyes starting to hurt.

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 2:18AM by Scott Benner

BG is steady at 95. One last temp basal, off to sleep. now. getting up in 4hr 45min. #DayofDiabetes

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 8:13AM by Scott Benner

I overslept. Sometimes staying up until after 2 am can do that to me. Was woken finally by Arden's DexCom. Not only did her BG slowly drift to 196 by 8am but it wanted me to know that the sensor needs to be replaced in four hours. Thing is, we use that sensor to get through the school day. Going to have to reset it and set timers for extra testing.

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 8:43AM by Scott Benner

Arden couldn't take her chewable vitamin this morning because her BG was 200 and they are 6 carbs, would require .45 units of insulin and hinder the bolus that is working for the elevated BG - vitamins. #DayOfDiabetes

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 9:11AM by Scott Benner

Currently trying to decide what caused morning rise.#dayofdiabetes

The popcorn Arden ate before bed resolved almost perfectly. I set a decreased temp basal at 1am that seemed to work (Happy enough with the 150 range). Guessing the AM rise was not due to temp basal at 1am. If I hadn't overslept I could have boluses it just as it began and I think the 8 am number would have been around 140ish.

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 9:14AM by Scott Benner

Timer just sounded. Arden will be testing in class and sending me a number in a moment. #DayOfDiabetes 

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 9:34AM by Scott Benner

Working on high BG from AM & getting ready for snack.#dayofdiabetes

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 10:36AM by Scott Benner

On the phone with DexCom to deal with transmitter battery message. #DayOfDiabetes 10:28am

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 10:44AM by Scott Benner

Arden just texted, CGM is ready to calibrate. She is testing now. #DayofDiabetes

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 11:03AM by Scott Benner

“The blood won’t come out, I did it like 12 times” - Arden’s Text

I’ll have a #Dblog up in 20 mins about the last 1/2 hour. edit: Here it is LINK
#DayofDiabetes 

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 11:51AM by Scott Benner

Arden is at lunch, CGM is back and new DexCom transmitter has been ordered. This looks like a safe time for me to take a shower. #DayofDiabetes

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 1:32PM by Scott Benner

Post Gym CGM check 97. #DayofDiabetes

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 1:46PM by Scott Benner

I just entered Arden’s post gym BGs in the #BigBlueTest #DayOfDiabetes

www.bigbluetest.org

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 2:06PM by Scott Benner

Arden just ate 5 Mike and Ikes to keep a #CGMnow of 97 steady. #DayofDiabetes 

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 2:46PM by Scott Benner

Arden is on her way to the bus port. Just sent her CGM, we made an adjustment/bolus  and she will be home soon. #DayofDiabetes

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 6:46PM by Scott Benner

CGMnow 90 mins after Chinese food, 84. Small snack going in. #DayOfDiabetes 

Update on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at 9:52PM by Scott Benner

Arden is in bed, had to bolus again for an elevated BG. I’ll check on her in a little bit. #DayodDiabetes

'Like' Arden's Day on Facebook

'Likeing' Arden's Day on Facebook is a great way to make sure that you never miss a blog post, picture or giveaway. If you love the blog, you'll 'Like' the blog on Facebook. See what I did there? Now, you don't want to miss out on more magical word play like that do you? ;)

Your Favorites: April 2013

Your Favorite Arden's Day Content from April 2013 was...

On the blog

On Sale Now: My first book, 'Life is Short, Laundry Is Eternal'

DexCom G4 Platinum: Second Look

Pooh. Gilly. Bear.

OmniPod Rash?

Many other posts received similar attention to this month's top four - thank you for reading!

facebook

This picture received the most 'likes' during April on the Arden's Day FaceBook page

This post was seen on more timelines then any other...

"Thank you to every member of the DOC for supporting my book... I know that there are far more then just the names you see here. #HeartWarming

Life Is Short, Laundry Is Eternal arrives in stores today."

twitter

The tweet that you retweeted the most was something that started out as a way to amuse myself but a lot of you got behind it - which I really love and appreciate!

C’mon @Oprah just look… You’ll love it.  Can I get some RTs from readers! http://t.co/QE9CCZKoOB

It was accompanied by this image

I've only been doing these end of month favorite post for three months, however...

Arden's Day has experienced growth in both page clicks and unique users every month for the last eight consecutive months! I'm touched, humbled, and happy that you are enjoying the site.

I've said this before but it bears repeating, thank you for the incredible support that you have shown both by reading my blog and buying my book. I genuinely don't know how to properly say thank you... 

On to May!

Social Media is helping me lose weight

I have never been a thin person. I have at times considered myself fat, overweight, in shape, not too bad and an entire slew of other body and health terms. I put on weight for the first time in my life around age six and didn't return to a healthy weight until about ninth grade. That dance has continued throughout my life. My weight hit an all time high around 1998. That was the first time that I took a drastic measure to reduce my size. The diet worked great and before I knew it I looked the best that I ever had! Then we had Cole and I put half of it back on. I've been up and down ever since. I never get so heavy that I feel unhealthy but somehow I always feel better when I take off a few pounds so I know that the weight effects me poorly.

Intellectually I know that I should be leaner and I wish that I looked better but these things never seems to be enough incentive for me to maintain a constant weight. The truly odd thing about me being overweight is that I am not a food person. I don't have cravings or even get hungry very often. It took me a long time to realize that my issue was two-fold: I don't eat enough food or water (often I joke that my body thinks that we are shipwrecked and is conserving fat) and when I do eat, I put no effort into eating well (though my kids are fed very well). Even after coming to that understanding about myself... I still haven't addressed it. I did however eat two batches of Christmas cookies, one at a time, over an 18 day period last month.

I needed help but I know that I wouldn't have sought it out on my own.

About a week ago one of our friends posted on FaceBook that he needed to lose weight. In minutes the idea of a competition was suggested and a week later forty people were signed up for a weight loss contest. Everyone threw in twenty-five dollars and the 'biggest loser' will take home a cool grand. Nice idea and my wife was doing it so I joined in as well. I wasn't all that enthusiastic until I saw something happen, something that was very familiar to me because of diabetes and the DOC.

Along with the competition came a private FaceBook group. To keep things on the up and up everyone had to post a video of their initial weigh in. No one was too pleased and people spoke of dropping out to avoid making their weight public but a few intrepid souls went first and then the greatest thing happened...

People stopped feeling alone, isolated, embarrassed and the weigh in videos began to appear one after the other. Where had I seen this before? In the diabetes online community of course. It's the power of social media. Which is just a new way of saying that people need people. It's community, friendship, support, or as we love to say in the type I world... the knowledge that others are living with and surviving the same things that you are struggling with. Somehow, some wonderful somehow, once you understand that you aren't alone, everything magically gets easier.

I'm watching people that didn't know each other a week ago share things that I know they are embarrassed by. They are offering encouragement, recipes and a lot of needed contact. All of this is supporting and motivating the group. I wish that everyone could experience such community. Up until last week I thought that I would only ever feel like this when I was around the people in the DOC.

This is just another way that social media is helping me. Please share how social media and online relationships have helped you, your post may be their introduction to a much needed life change.

Follow @ArdensDay

Update on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 10:34AM by Scott Benner

My one month weight loss total is... 21 pounds!

Win a $50 Amazon gift card!

I am giving away one $50 Amazon gift card to a lucky reader!

Not just any gift card, the exact card that I was awarded for winning CBS Philly's 2011 Most Valuable Blogger contest. If it wasn't for all of you Arden's Day wouldn't be a blog. I could write until my little fingers couldn't go anymore but if no one read what I wrote... well, I'd just have the world's most public diary. It's all of you that make my words meaningful, you do that when you read them and I appreciate it more then you can imagine!

There are a few ways to enter:

1. Subscribe to the "Arden's Day RSS" feed (link on the righthand sidebar) 

After you subscribe you will be entered once for each comment that you leave on Arden's Day from now until November 15, 2011 at 12:00pm*

2. Like Arden's Day on FaceBook 

After you 'like' the page you will be entered once for each comment that you leave on our FaceBook page from now until November 15, 2011 at 12:00pm*. - https://www.facebook.com/ArdensDay

3. Follow Arden's Day on Twitter

After you 'follow' you will be entered once for each retweet of an @ArdensDay tweet from now until November 15, 2011 at 12:00pm*

4. Vote for Arden's Day in the Parents.com 'Best Kids Health Blog' contest.

After you vote, Tweet - " I voted for @ArdensDay http://blog-awards.parents.com/blog-awards/mom_blogs/448-arden-s-day". You will be entered once for voting ***Voting for Parents.com contest has closed. 10/18/11***

*Contest is open to all but the gift card can/will only be mailed inside the United States. I reserve the right to eliminate comments for content, spam ect. You must include your email address when you comment to be entered. Enter as often as you want, no limit, with the exception of the fact that you can only vote at the Parents.com contest once. 

If you already like us on FaceBook, follow on Twitter or subscribe to our RSS feed your comments will automatically entered.

The winner will be drawn at random by Arden herself and announced on November 21, 2011, good luck!

Update on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 10:19AM by Scott Benner

Voting for Parents.com contest has closed. 10/18/11