Last week I had the outstanding privilege to attend the 2018 DiabetesMine University which consisted of the Innovation Summit & DData Technology Exchange. I was one of 9 Patient Voices Winners from across the globe. I am humbled to be in the company of others influencers within the diabetes sphere. I felt extra special to be in the same room [...]
When I was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I required insulin to not only sustain my life, but to bring me back from the dead. I wasn’t completely dead or if I was, I wasn’t dead for long, thankfully. I was unconscious in my bathtub for an unknown amount of time from the extremely high levels of sugar in [...]
Yesterday, someone wrote to me the following sentence. “I want you to tell me how to beat diabetes, like you.” This simple statement stopped me in my tracks because that’s not how I perceive it. Yes, I’ve shed nearly 100 lbs. Yes, I have run over thirty 5k races. Yes, I eat healthier now and have more discipline around food [...]
Food pushers come in various degrees and I've been come across a wide range. The aggressive food pusher: "Here, try this." Me: "I am counting carbs, no thanks." Aggressive FP: "That's good to know, but try it, it's just a little bit." (There's no way out) The Self-important Food Pusher: "I made this, taste it." Me: "I maxed out on [...]
My dear friend Sue (at Diabetes Ramblings) and I were recently together at HealtheVoices18 and discovered that we both were using the Freestyle Libre. We teamed up to give you our opinions on the device. How long have you been using the Freestyle Libre? Me: Since April 2018 Sue: December 2017 What do you like about the Freestyle Libre? Me:I [...]
I finally got my hands on the Freestyle Libre (a CGM finally available for people with type 2 diabetes) a couple of months ago. I've been waiting to review it until I had adequate time with it. It's been roughly two months, so here you go. Overall, I am pleased with it, but as with everything there is THE GOOD, [...]
It's Mango season! As a kid growing up in South Florida, I couldn't wait until the summer to have as many mangoes as my stomach could handle. Of course, I would start off eating from the two trees in our backyard, but as the days went on and I got tired of eating ours, I traded with the next door [...]
There I was minding my own diabetes business when I saw a pamphlet about fasting during Ramadan. Naturally, with Ramadan starting in a few days, I picked it up and read it. There were some great tips on there about avoiding sugary drinks, butter, and large portions. But then something caught my eye. Immediately when I saw this SAMPLE PLATE, [...]
Type 2 Diabetes is seen as failure. Taking insulin when you have type 2 diabetes is seen as a failure. So, imagine what it's like living with type 2 diabetes and talking insulin. Who needs another reason to feel like a failure? I don't! I am back on insulin. When I was first diagnosed, I started on insulin. After a [...]
2017 was an exciting year for me. I learned a lot of about diabetes advocacy and discovered that some things are possible that I didn't know existed. When I think back over 2017, there are some things that stick out as milestones and/or extremely memorable. Here are a few of those things (in no particular order). 1. Creating a peer-to-peer support [...]