Day 28: #HAWMC: Must Follow!!

Today I'm going to share the top 5 MUST follow facebook pages, websites and/or blogs for diabetes.

1. Of course, ALL the major diabetes organizations. JDRF, ADA, DRI...these are the go to's for anyone newly diagnosed to the veteran diabetics who maybe need a little help somewhere. Great resources to get you connected locally to your chapter, find mentors, ask questions and hear about research.

2. Diabetic Barbie/Amy Ermel...I know I've sung her praises before but she's a great lady who lives in Canada and just wants to see her daughter's dream of making a Diabetic Barbie a reality. If you haven't liked her page yet you can find it here. I'm blessed to call her my friend.

3. The TheAngryType2Diabetic is a great resource for Type 2 diabetes. I love Lizmari and have learned so much from her. She is a great advocate for Type 2 and posts some great research and findings on her page and/or blog. She is my go-to person when ever I have questions about Type 2 or when someone contacts me with a new Type 2 diagnosis.

4. My friend, Meri Schuhmacher, who blogs over at Our Diabetic Life. She is a fellow D Mom who has 3 out of 4 kids with Type 1 Diabetes. After my second daughter was diagnosed I messaged Meri and just thanked her for being such an inspiration to me. It was because of Meri that I knew our family would be okay with our second diagnosis of T1D.

5. I have saved the best for last....my dear, dear friend and co-"worker", Thomas Moore. If you aren't friends with him, seriously, go do it NOW!! Thomas is one of the greatest researchers I know. My notifications ding several times throughout the day with his status updates or links he has shared. He puts in so much effort in his quest to educate about diabetes. I learn so much and I thank him for his tireless work!

To Post or Not To Post...that is the question...

Today's WEGO blog challenge is:

"Should people post about their (or loved ones) health on facebook? Why or why not?"

Pfft...uh, duh! Yea!

Well, I should say, if you feel comfortable with it or if you are posting about your loved ones health; that they are okay with it first.

If I'm posting about my girl's diabetes or my son's hemophilia on my personal facebook page I am NOT looking for sympathy. I'm looking to educate and raise awareness of said disease. This month has been a perfect example. Many of us in the Diabetes Online Community have been posting on our facebook pages: facts, a day in the life and challenges with diabetes. And in doing this, I've had friends and family reach out and ask questions.

It gets the conversation rolling.

It gets the awareness raised.

It's educating people.

If my posts help open the eyes to others to see the seriousness of diabetes,

the signs of diabetes,

the reality of an invisible disease

then...

 I've done my job.

Over the weekend Diane and I where fortunate enough to finally be able to meet Michelle Litchman face to face in the Brookline neighborhood of Boston, MA.  Michelle, and other D movers and shakers, where in town for a diabetes conference and was gracious enough to spent some of her free time with us.

Most of you already know Michelle from her work as the author of the Sweet Advice blog, and as a very active and outstpoken member of the DOC.

Michelle is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Utah, and, as part of her work there, is conducting a very important survey about diabetes.

I wanted to share the survey in hopes that others would be interested in taking part, and helping Michelle to learn more specifics about the disease we battle each and everyday.

Follow this link to take the survey:

http://www.tudiabetes.org/m/discussion?id=583967%3ATopic%3A2784644
or contact Michelle directly with questions:

michelle.litchman@gmail.com

Have a great day everyone!!!

Diabetes...funny or offensive?

I would like to state I don't get offended easily. I just don't.

However...

There is a video circulating on facebook that came from the Conan O'Brien show. It's a skit that are spoofs off video games. The first one they lead off with is Super Diabetic Mario Bros.

I find this HIGHLY offensive. To make fun of ANY type of diabetic is NOT okay.

Diabetes is a disease. NO ONE asked to get diabetes. Just like no one asks to get Cancer or Autism or MS or ANY disease!!

I've decided NOT to share the link with you for the video. I don't want to advertise it because then it will create publicity and that's what it was intended to do. The writers knew what they were doing. They knew it would spark controversy. And I'm NOT going to help promote their stupid agenda. But feel free to look it up if you need to. I'll wait...

Offended?

Okay, so whether you checked it out or not, there is always an option to send a little rant on their fb page. I went to the page and looked at what others were posting. Some showed pics of their diabetic kids. Some just posted their disappointment in the shows lack of taste. I was scrolling down and liking all the diabetic support posts and pics. I was getting ready to send my little rant to their page.

But I stopped.

Again, that's what the writers want us to do. Instead I posted something similar to this blog on my fb status and I'm pissed off, so I immediately signed on to blogger to blog my rant!! So I'm thinking what better way to get back at them (short of purchasing a diabetic vodoo doll akin to Conan O'Brien...ooh...not nice Jen...sorry, getting fired up) breathe...okay. So our best defense is to put on our BLUE SHOES and go do some DIABETES educating!! Won't you join me? Let's educate the masses!! The ignorant Conan O'Brien's of the world!!

Let's get back to posting our pics of us in our Blue Shoes or blue diabetes ware. What better day to kick this off again than on BLUE FRIDAY!!  Diabetes is EVERYDAY...not just one day in November!! We deal with it everyday but do we talk about it? Do we use an opportunity to educate about it or just let it pass? Show us your pics! Start talking about diabetes! 

Oh, Mr. O'Brien you just opened up a big ole can of Blue Shoe whoop ass!! 

You don't mess with the DOC!!

Oh...and your on TBS...who watches that channel anyway?!?