Bacon, Cats & Diabetes

A trend is afoot.

You must have seen it. It's pretty obvious. At least to those in the Diabetes Online Community who frequent the Twitter World.

Not a day goes by (usually) that Bacon or Cats aren't brought up in some form, and while it's sometimes random, there is often a connection to Diabetes specifically mentioned or implied. Blogs. Vlogs. Videos on YouTube. Tweets. Photos. Random Internet articles and Google searches.

All portray a simple reality consisting of Three Themes:

1. Bacon Rules. There's no question there. (We must honor Ninjabetic, the Almighty Bacon Lover and Connoisseur!) We have the concept of Bacon Cupcakes. Gifts of Bacon Toothpicks. This AWEsome video about Bacon Rockets, and a Rap about Bacon. Twitter's even ventured into the arena of creating Bacon Avatar Tributes. Wow.

2. Cats Are Everywhere. They seem to frequent our Diabetic lives. We've latched on to the Colorful Daydreaming Friskies Cat Mingling with Pilgrim Turkeys and Sailing on the Mayflower video. We believe this is proof of what our cats think. Most of us have voices for them. We have the stars, such as Six Until Me's Blasted Cats. We honor those Wonder Pets Who've Gone Before (such as Stacey's wonderful ferrett Elvis and CALpumper's kitty Katsi), honoring them with our love and insanity. There's many more - too many to list - that frequent our lives. Most of these furry felines seem to be plotting our demise, which isn't surprising given the PWD at issue here. One likely reason for this plotting is we chase the cats and pick them up, but also taunt them with Insulin Pump Tubing and Test Strips and even create little Tubing Hats for them to wear. That's probably why they want us gone. We suspect there's some larger Cat Plot of World Domination afoot, and so some of us are stocking up on catnip in anticipation of this apocolayptic cat event. It'll be a game-changer, for sure.

3. Diabetes Makes Us Crazy Like a Fox. Like zombies lured to the smell of fresh brain, we are drawn to insanity for yet unknown reasons. The above two points about Bacon and Cats proves this, and we turn to the DOC and online universe to spread our insanity as broadly as possible. One's insanity creativity and humor bounces off the Diabetic Waters and skids along even more, creating ripple effects that impact so many other lives and inspire our own insanity (er, creativity and humor). Our mental states frequently fluctuate just like our oft-rollercoastering blood sugars, creating a vicious cycle that is really quiet funny. This is probably why we turn to fun and humor, and hallmarks like Bacon and Cats.

Wow. What a phenomenon.

Some have recently pondered the connections between these three, wondering about the genesis of Twitter-talk surrounding them and what it means for the larger Diabetes World. That's a valid question that deserves more exploration. I'd say it's all about Community Spirit and being part of something bigger than ourselves.

Whether there's sanity there or not, really isn't the point - the point is we are Crazy. Someone should explore that and why Bacon and Cats are an apparent sympton or remedy to our craziness.

Somewhere, a scientist or university must be conducting a study about the connections between these three topics. You'd think it would be pretty justified, since there's already studies out there on everything else in the world you'd never think would be necessary. Like the ones I wrote about in 2007 that showed: "sedentary behavior linked to high blood sugar," and "Active Self-care Improves Blood Sugar Control." Seriously. C'mon.

Those all illicit a "No Sh...t, Sherlock" reaction, at least in my own little Corner Booth. You'd think a more intriguing review of Bacon, Cats, & Diabetes would be well worth the time and effort. To me, and really I can't be alone in this (or can I??), it only seems fitting that someone invest in funding a study on this. What a mindblowing research report that would be, full of potential for video and blog-writings and illustrations!

Short of a D-Cure, Closed Loop, or Artificial Pancreas, the results of this research could very well be one of the most beneficial and telling tales of our Diabetes Lives.

Just sayin'. Or maybe I'm just crazy. Whatever. I'm off to chase the cat and find some bacon.