I canNOT believe that we are just a day away from 2015!! This past year has flown by. We've been a little quieter this year than in years past but each of us (Diane, Tony, Thomas and myself) have been fighting the good fight right along with you. This year Blue Heel Society turned 4 years old!! We launched our eMag on Flipboard and have tried to keep you up to date on all things diabetes related in news, sports, healthcare, insurance, new gadgets, blog posts and all kinds of interesting topics. You can always flip back through the eMag to see what you've missed!
On a personal level, our Co-Founders, Diane and Tony, celebrated their 1 year wedding anniversary AND are contributors to Suite D by Omnipod, Ask Tony and Diane, video segments. I love watching these segments to get their dual perspectives of being both a T1D and being parents of T1D kids.
Thomas had a rough go with some skin cancer and managed to kick it's ass and thus celebrated an "all clear" test result. He is slowly getting into the swing of things again as he recovers and re-energizes as he sifts through the mounds of diabetes resources to bring you some awesome content to read. Oh!! And he and his Favorite Diabetic welcomed another grandchild to the Moore family just last month!
As for myself, I took on a more active role at our local diabetes non-profit doing what I love to do, Outreach! I was able to meet Tom Brobson, the Artificial Pancreas clinical participant (you may have seen the JDRF video that shows Tom eating an ice cream sundae and his blood sugars are completely flat lined!) and hold the AP in my hand!! I also traveled to Washington DC this year and met past JDRF CEO, Jeffrey Brewer.
So, what does BHS have in store for you in 2015?! I'm not sure! For me, I'm helping to plan a big Type Once Nation Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 15th...so if you are in the area come check us out! We have Moira McCarthy Stanford, Derek Rapp, Sean Busby, Sierra Sandison (Miss Idaho) and Mackenzie Bart (Miss Ohio) all coming into town to speak about T1D and I'm SO excited and of course will be blogging all about this!!
We would like to thank each of YOU for following us, reading our stories, liking our posts and thinking of us anytime you come across a pair of blue shoes!! You have always been supportive of all we do and we love you for it!! Let's celebrate 2014 (good or bad) and strap on some blue heels (or shoes) and strut ourselves into 2015!! We've never looked so fabulous!
Dec 30, 2014
Oct 15, 2014
I'm not done...
Hey all! I know we've been a little quite lately. That doesn't mean that diabetes has gone away (I wish!) or that we have forgotten about you...our blue-tiful peeps. It just means we've been busy living. We are still out and about in our communities...advocating for diabetes. I thought I had done a good job; advocating that is, at least to close friends and family, until something was said this past weekend.
Nora, my 8th grader, the one who was diagnosed at 4 years old. That means we've had NINE live-a-versaries. NINE. We aren't newbies by any means. I've been as vocal about diabetes from day one...there just weren't blogs or facebook back then. I've been an active member of the diabetes community. I've recruited walkers and riders and raise money for diabetes research.
Just laying some background...
This past weekend was Nora's school basketball team's last home game of the season. We had lots of celebration. Big pictures of the girls hanging on the gym wall with their jersey numbers displayed just beneath. Parents and 8th grade girls were introduced by name; Mom's were given roses. Pictures were taken. It was a bitter sweet moment.
Talk on the bench for the past week has been about one of our players and her injury. We were going up against a team that has been our nemesis for years now. They are good, tall and BIG. A couple of the girls on the team look more like football players than basketball players and I'm serious. They make some of the Dad's look like little people. This team used to intimidate our girls but since a lot of them play select basketball year round they have all come to know and respect each other. So a week ago our girls are playing this team Our girl and their girl go for a loose ball. They both dive for the ball and unfortunately our girl was on the receiving end of a 6 foot 230lb 8th grader. Bones were snapped and our girl left on a stretcher called in by 911 and 5 broken bones. She is out for the rest of the season. It was awful. It was a total accident.
Within a few days of the accident tales were being told that this particular girl was responsible for at least breaking bones of 4 other girls between this season and last season. Again, NOT her fault. But then parents became enraged saying that the boys football team has weight restrictions and maybe that should carry over to ALL sports. I happen to know this girl struggles with self confidence and feels bad about herself. Imagine how she would feel if there was a weight restriction rule. But that's my two sense. On with my point...so the night of our last home game a mom starts talking about how much this girl weighs and she thought there should be a weight restriction. The person I'm sitting with turns and looks at me and said that maybe I should talk to her about diabetes. My mouth hung to the floor as I yelled out...that has NOTHING to do with diabetes!!! They went on to say they knew but the damage was already done.
Dammit...isn't this what I do day in and day out?! Especially someone who KNOWS and yet they still said this stupid comment. I've never felt more hurt and defeated. I haven't done my job well enough. I haven't educated the difference between Type 1 and 2 and how sometimes weight and diet have NOTHING to do with Type 2. That skinny, fit people have Type 2. That if you took one look at that 8th grade girls parents you would see how tall and big they BOTH are. That it's genetics. That this 8th grade girl is active year round. I know. I see her playing against my skinny daughter who has Type 1. She isn't sitting around eating bags of chips while watching TV.
There is a lot in this post to be upset at. There is a lot of judgement going around. I've sat on this since Sunday and it's just been stewing inside me. If there is ONE thing you get from reading this it should be this...BIG people DON'T always have Type 2. Think about it....if that were the case EVERY big person would be Type 2 and we all know that isn't true.
Clearly my job is NOT done...I will keep on advocating not only for my daughter but for 8th grade girls that are 6 foot and weigh 230. I will advocate on the stereotypes of BOTH Types. Help me. Help me break down the stereotypes of both types. In fact I challenge you. For the month of November take the opportunity to educate ONE person on Type 2...especially if Type 1 lives in your house. Conversely, if Type 2 lives in your house take the opportunity to educate ONE person on Type 1. Let's break down these walls. Let's get rid of assumptions and stereotypes and .... TYPES. Let's do this.
Nora, my 8th grader, the one who was diagnosed at 4 years old. That means we've had NINE live-a-versaries. NINE. We aren't newbies by any means. I've been as vocal about diabetes from day one...there just weren't blogs or facebook back then. I've been an active member of the diabetes community. I've recruited walkers and riders and raise money for diabetes research.
Just laying some background...
This past weekend was Nora's school basketball team's last home game of the season. We had lots of celebration. Big pictures of the girls hanging on the gym wall with their jersey numbers displayed just beneath. Parents and 8th grade girls were introduced by name; Mom's were given roses. Pictures were taken. It was a bitter sweet moment.
Talk on the bench for the past week has been about one of our players and her injury. We were going up against a team that has been our nemesis for years now. They are good, tall and BIG. A couple of the girls on the team look more like football players than basketball players and I'm serious. They make some of the Dad's look like little people. This team used to intimidate our girls but since a lot of them play select basketball year round they have all come to know and respect each other. So a week ago our girls are playing this team Our girl and their girl go for a loose ball. They both dive for the ball and unfortunately our girl was on the receiving end of a 6 foot 230lb 8th grader. Bones were snapped and our girl left on a stretcher called in by 911 and 5 broken bones. She is out for the rest of the season. It was awful. It was a total accident.
Within a few days of the accident tales were being told that this particular girl was responsible for at least breaking bones of 4 other girls between this season and last season. Again, NOT her fault. But then parents became enraged saying that the boys football team has weight restrictions and maybe that should carry over to ALL sports. I happen to know this girl struggles with self confidence and feels bad about herself. Imagine how she would feel if there was a weight restriction rule. But that's my two sense. On with my point...so the night of our last home game a mom starts talking about how much this girl weighs and she thought there should be a weight restriction. The person I'm sitting with turns and looks at me and said that maybe I should talk to her about diabetes. My mouth hung to the floor as I yelled out...that has NOTHING to do with diabetes!!! They went on to say they knew but the damage was already done.
Dammit...isn't this what I do day in and day out?! Especially someone who KNOWS and yet they still said this stupid comment. I've never felt more hurt and defeated. I haven't done my job well enough. I haven't educated the difference between Type 1 and 2 and how sometimes weight and diet have NOTHING to do with Type 2. That skinny, fit people have Type 2. That if you took one look at that 8th grade girls parents you would see how tall and big they BOTH are. That it's genetics. That this 8th grade girl is active year round. I know. I see her playing against my skinny daughter who has Type 1. She isn't sitting around eating bags of chips while watching TV.
There is a lot in this post to be upset at. There is a lot of judgement going around. I've sat on this since Sunday and it's just been stewing inside me. If there is ONE thing you get from reading this it should be this...BIG people DON'T always have Type 2. Think about it....if that were the case EVERY big person would be Type 2 and we all know that isn't true.
Clearly my job is NOT done...I will keep on advocating not only for my daughter but for 8th grade girls that are 6 foot and weigh 230. I will advocate on the stereotypes of BOTH Types. Help me. Help me break down the stereotypes of both types. In fact I challenge you. For the month of November take the opportunity to educate ONE person on Type 2...especially if Type 1 lives in your house. Conversely, if Type 2 lives in your house take the opportunity to educate ONE person on Type 1. Let's break down these walls. Let's get rid of assumptions and stereotypes and .... TYPES. Let's do this.
 |
| 8th grade night |
Sep 4, 2014
Throwback Thursday - A tidbit of Diabetes History
A little diabetes history to ponder. There have been no "cure" for a major disease since the late 1950's.
1552 BC – Written on a 3rd Dynasty Egyptian papyrus, physician Hesy-Ra mentions frequent urination as a symptom. This is the earliest known record of diabetes.
1500 BC — Ancient Hindu writings note that ants are attracted to the urine of people with a mysterious emaciating disease.
500 BC — The first descriptions of sugar in the urine and its occurrence in obese individuals.
250 BC — Apollonius of Memphis is credited with coining the term “diabetes”, meaning to go through, or siphon, for a disease that drains patients of more fluid than they can consume.
1st Century AD – The Greeks describe the disease as “a melting down of the flesh and limbs into urine.”
164 AD – Greek physician, Galen of Pergamum, diagnoses diabetes as a kidney ailment.
Up to 11th Century – Since the urine of people with diabetes is thought to be sweet tasting, diagnosis is often made by “water tasters” who drink the urine of those suspected of having diabetes. Mellitus, the Latin word for honey, is added to the term “diabetes”.
16th Century – Paracelsus identifies diabetes as a serious general disorder.
- See more at: http://www.defeatdiabetes.org/diabetes-history/#sthash.4LrwyYml.dpuf
Sep 3, 2014
Aug 27, 2014
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