Comment

Posted on April 15, 2013 by janekdickinson

Wow. Today’s prompt (pick someone else’s blog post and write a comment to them) was hard for me! I read several blog posts and they all seemed to be about food and frustration. I honestly didn’t know how to respond. Finally I landed on this post by Allison Nimlos. I’m not sure if my comment will show up or not, but here it is:

Hi, Allison! Thanks for writing about Jessica’s product/program. I have been reading a bunch of blogs today and confirming – all over again – that everyone with diabetes is unique. There are so many different ways to eat with diabetes, and I tell the people I work with that it’s all about balance and “what works best for you” to achieve healthy BGs, healthy outcomes, and feel good. When people ask me, “what can I eat?” I always answer, “anything.” To me it’s just as important that we approach diabetes with a positive, healthy attitude, as putting healthy foods/beverages in our bodies. There are no secret tricks. Consistent foods at consistent times definitely helps, but that’s not reality for everyone. The one thread that weaves through all of it is our attitude. Thanks again!

 

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Thankful for Diabetes Health Activists

Posted on April 14, 2013 by janekdickinson

HAWMC_2012_dayprompt-14Today’s prompt for the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge is to thank fellow health activists. Here’s my list:

Leonard Auter – for his grass roots, personal efforts to reach out to and support others with diabetes.

Susan Mees and her colleagues at WEGO Health (the folks who started this challenge three years ago).

Karen Graffeo for organizing the Diabetes Blog Week that happens each year in May.

Cherise Shockley for founding the Diabetes Social Media Advocacy organization that runs live tweet chats and blog talk radio interviews – all around diabetes topics and for people with diabetes.

Kelly Rawlings, the editor of Diabetes Forecast, who made a conscious effort to change the language used in their publication.

David Edelman for creating and Ginger Vieira for contributing to Diabetes Daily, which serves thousands and thousands of people with diabetes.

Manny Hernandez for creating and Emily Coles for managing tudiabetes, which serves thousands and thousands of people with diabetes.

Bennet Dunlap for his work at Diabetes Advocates.

Mike Young, who is connecting people with diabetes in Spain and Europe with the online community in the United States.

Shelley Yeager for her tireless efforts with DECA and DTreat and anything to help people with diabetes.

The folks at glu and TheDX and dLife and diabetesmine and insulindependence.

And all the amazing people living with diabetes and parenting kids with diabetes, who write about their experiences, share information, advocate, and support. Clearly I could go on and on and on. The online health activist community is huge! Thanks to everyone for your part in helping, supporting, and advocating for those who live with health conditions.

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Diabetes Poetry

Posted on April 13, 2013 by janekdickinson

Daily

Intention &

Action

Beget

Energy &

Tenacity, which

Elicit

Success

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Hindsight

Posted on April 12, 2013 by janekdickinson

Baystate MCIf I could go back in time and talk to myself and my parents on the day of my diagnosis with diabetes (June, 1975), I would simply say this:

You’re going to handle this just fine. You have what it takes;you are good enough; thank you!

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Random apps for your highness

Posted on April 11, 2013 by janekdickinson

app4that-thepointe-webToday’s prompt is to write about my favorite iPhone app for diabetes. Here’s the truth: I don’t use any diabetes apps! I do have an iPhone, though, so I guess that makes me an embarrassment to the Apple community.

Anyway, ironically, I had a conference call today that was about some diabetes technology, and I learned about Diabetes Pal. This app, available for Apple and Android products, was discussed in the January issue of Diabetes Forecast. It sounds pretty fancy, for those who are looking for a way to log blood glucose readings and even create graphs and such.

Meanwhile I am still kicking it old school: I check my BG several times a day, make immediate decisions (about food, exercise, and insulin) and wait to download my meter until I meet with my endo. Prior to my first pregnancy, I even kept a log book! Call me crazy, but we all do what works, right?

And there is nothing wrong with that. So if you are an app user – awesome! If you are recording your BG readings in a log book with blood smears on it, that’s awesome too! Find what works for you (and you have lots of options) to achieve the best health outcomes possible.

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Wordless Wednesday

Posted on April 10, 2013 by janekdickinson

Huatulco 33

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Diabetes: Advice for Caregivers

Posted on April 9, 2013 by janekdickinson

Advice-logo-newTrust. Open Communication. Understanding. I can’t overemphasize the importance of these behaviors when you are living with, taking care of, or just know someone with diabetes. The last chapter of my book is about this very topic.

Ask questions! Find out how the person with diabetes feels about living with the disease, managing it, food, health, and your role in all of it. Ask questions and avoid judging. We know that many judgmental comments originate from lack of knowledge, but it’s so much more effective (and less relationship threatening) if others just ask questions and gather information rather than make comments or judge.

Avoid using questions like, “What did you eat/do?” or “Why don’t you just…?” Perhaps exchange them with questions like “What does that mean?” or “What will you do now?”

We really don’t expect anyone who doesn’t have diabetes to have any idea what it’s like to live with this 24/7 disease. We just hope you’ll give us the benefit of the doubt: trust that we are doing our best to take care of ourselves, understand that at times we will make unhealthy choices (and we get to own those choices!), and love us for the people we are and not the disease that we happen to have.

A huge thank you to all those who care for and about people living with diabetes. It’s not easy for you, either!

 

 

 

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Diabetes is a dog

Posted on April 8, 2013 by janekdickinson

Skipper 1I resisted getting a dog for ten years, and then my family wore me down. I knew that no matter what they said, I’d be the one to take care of a dog, and I didn’t even want one! Now we’ve had a dog for almost 2 1/2 years. I work from home, so I handle most of his needs, and therefore, he loves me the most.

Diabetes is a lot like the dog. It’s always around. It lays quietly on the couch for hours, and then all of sudden needs to go outside, or wants to play…NOW. It needs to be fed and watered, and requires constant monitoring.

Yesterday I was at my computer for a while and every time I looked over at the floor by the office door, there was the dog. When I leave the house I may stop thinking about the dog for a while, but as soon as I walk back in the door he is there to greet me.

Like my dog, diabetes has led me to meet people, and exercise consistently. Diabetes occasionally wags its tail, but it does not give hugs. But while diabetes is in many ways like my dog, it is definitely not cute and fluffy!

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Diabetes Makes You Look Younger

Posted on April 7, 2013 by janekdickinson

HAWMC_2012_dayprompt-7One of the most ridiculous things that has been said to me about diabetes was, “Is it the diabetes that makes you look so young?” I’m writing this in response to today’s prompt for the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge.

It would certainly be exciting if diabetes made us look younger, or better yet, if diabetes made our blood vessels last longer and stay healthier. In reality, we manage diabetes on a daily basis in order to keep our blood vessels healthy. Maybe sometimes people with diabetes end up with healthier blood vessels than others, as a result. Maybe…

But back to looking young. I think it’s my attitude that makes me look young. Seriously, if we are grumpy and negative, we have a tendency to look older (and meaner). But if we are happy and positive, doesn’t it make sense that we’d appear more youthful? It goes along with a positive attitude contributing to living longer, so it makes sense to me.

Here’s to staying positive and looking younger! Diabetes or not. 🙂

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Letter to an Older Me

Posted on April 6, 2013 by janekdickinson

Dear Jane,

I don’t really want to know what it’s like to still be living with diabetes when you’re 85. I’d rather ask what it’s like to no longer have it, but I know that may not be realistic (as if writing to someone in 2053 is). I don’t want to know because I honestly feel better about living for right now – getting the most out of each day and enjoying life.

When I think of you as an old woman, I don’t think of diabetes. I’m sure that’s because I don’t think of me as diabetes now and never have. I wonder what your hobbies are – I hope your fingers still work, so you can write and work on projects. I hope your eyes are ok, so you can read. I hope your legs and feet are healthy so you can still walk – I picture you living close to “town” where you can walk to the post office (is there still a post office??) or corner store. I picture you spending a lot of time with your grandchildren and doing a lot of laughing.

But I do wonder if you’re tired of diabetes. Are you still writing about it? Or what do you do now that you are retired and slowing down (hopefully you’re not slowing down!)? Like patients that I work with now, is it hard for you to ease up on diabetes management and let your numbers drift up (for safety reasons), or do you still feel the need to keep your A1C in a certain range? Do they still measure A1C??

Writing to you at 85 turns out to be good incentive to take care of me at 45. While it’s not that far away, it’s still many years of managing diabetes and living well and staying positive. And you’re worth it.

 

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