D-Blog Day 2010

Today is the sixth annual D-Blog Day (thank you, Gina Capone!) -- and though I’ve spent little time on the blog over the past year, there’s no way I could let the day go by without posting.

In keeping with this year’s theme, here are six things I want everyone to know about diabetes (along with a boatload of links to illustrate them):

1. Diabetes is a thief.

It steals time.

The time it takes to count carbs, prick fingers, test blood sugars -- and to THINK about what all those bloody numbers mean; the time needed to treat the inevitable high and low blood sugars.

It also steals experiences -- because it cannot be ignored.

And even with the best of care, it steals lives.

2. Managing diabetes forces children to grow up too fast; the risk of complications forces children to grow up too fast.

3. An insulin pump and infusion set does not equal a working pancreas.

Pumps malfunction; cannulas bend -- sometimes with frightening consequences.

And even when fully operational, these tools are only as good as the humans operating them (see #5).

4. Parenting a child is hard; parenting a child with type 1 diabetes is heartbreaking.

5. Just because we’re not perfect, doesn’t mean we’re not trying.

So much about managing diabetes truly is a shot in the dark. You can test and log your blood sugars, watch what you eat, exercise, treat highs and lows as they happen -- use the best technology available to you...

But still.

You will never have perfect (or even near perfect) control all of the time.

Because as much as any of us try to “think like a pancreas,” we will never be a pancreas.

6. Community makes a difference.

The Diabetes Online Community saved me that first year after Joseph's diagnosis. Just knowing we were not alone gave (and continues to give) all of us strength.

(Thank you, DOC!)

And here is my bonus 7th thing...

7. You can help someone who needs insulin, but can't afford it just by watching a video. Really.

For every view of the video below, a donation will be made by Roche Diabetes Care -- up to $75,000 -- to the Diabetes Hands Foundation. This money will be used to help provide insulin to children in the world’s poorest countries.

Again, all you have to do is watch.



We have to get to 100,000 views by Sunday to get the maximum donation, so again -- please watch!