The Corner Booth

Today is my 31st anniversary since my T1D diagnosis as a kid. And as I've done for the past number of years, I went to a diabetes party this past weekend. It was the Beta Cell Bash . Yep, that's seriously the name of it. Actually, it wasn't specifically to mark my diaversary . It just happened to fall at this time of year. Once again, the B-Cell Bash was a... bash. Meeting up with other fellow pancreatically-challenged peeps is a fun experience, and this past weekend was no exception. This yearly get-together was the 4th one that I'd been to and its the brainchild of Mr. Michael Schwab , a local Indy guy who's now in his fourth decade with T1D. Sadly. there were no sightings of hoverboards or flying DeLoreans, and Marty McFly wasn't playing his guitar anywhere near the stage. Still, it was a fantastic time. I have no clue how many fellow people with diabetes were actually there, but I know that I saw at least a half-dozen and conversations with a numbe...

So, there was that trip up to Michigan to see family at Christmas that never happened. Bad weather and the late 2012 "Snowpocalypse" that dropped a foot of snow onto Indy. Then ice. Then sickness. And then busy work schedules and travel. Now, we're into the 2nd week of January. And finally, it's time to make the trip. I'm excited. Of course, diabetes will be going along with me (was there any doubt?) And D-Math is already making the roadtrip, even before my car leaves home. Being on a pump hiatus at the moment, I have been on multiple daily injections (MDI) since Thanksgiving. And that includes a Lantus SoloStar Pen. My dose is divided up twice a day, with half in the morning and the remaining half just after dinner. Enter the D-Math. Currently, 100 units in my Lantus Pen after this morning's dose. I take 12 units twice a day. Plus 2 primed units wasted with each dose. So, that's a total of 28 total per day. Times five days up in Mich...

Not so long ago, I would've cringed at the idea of getting together and hanging out socially with other people with diabetes (PWDs). Seriously. Why would anyone  want  to wear diabetes on their sleeve or get together  because  of diabetes? Especially when you have to live with it every day. But now, I crave these connections — the chance to meet up with friends, where diabetes may come up in conversation but it doesn't have to... And when it does, you know the others at the table understand. You know the sharing is all in fun and there won't be any judgment or "textbook" advice coming your way. It's a place where pumps and CGMs beep (not only yours!), and blood meters and questions about carb counts aren't outside the norm but rather the "cool thing" because everyone else has those topics on their minds, too. That's the beauty of a D-Meetup. And it's a key connecting thread of the Diabetes Online Community, which offers lots in-p...

Attending my first-ever American Diabetes Association Expo in Chicago recently was a great experience, not only for the event itself but because of the great opportunity it presented for a D-Meetup with friends from the online community and others in the D-world for the first time. We traveled from Indianapolis to Chicago by bus, the 30 of us ranging from ADA volunteers, to parents of children with diabetes and adults living with all types. From the online community: Aside from myself, there Mike Durbin and his girlfriend who are from northern Indiana, and Jeff Neitzel from Central Indiana. Once in Chicago, we had the privilege of meeting up for the first time with Marie and Missy who live in that area. A couple others who live in the area were unfortunately unable to make it, but we carried their spirit with us. Plus we met an array of new friends in the Diabetes Community, from parents to people living with all types of diabetes and other chronic conditions. Being my firs...

A few of us Indiana members of the Diabetes Online Community got together recently for a D-Meetup. L to R: Mike Durbin, Cherise Shockley, Mike Hoskins - and... Build-a-Bear in front! My wife and I, plus Cherise Shockley and her daughter, reside in Central Indiana. So, we were excited to meetup with Mike Durbin , who was visiting family in Kentucky and able to make a stop in our area on his way back up to Fort Wayne. Our place of choice: Panera Bread on the northside of Indianapolis. How do you really describe the awesomeness of one of these D-Meetups? Simply put: Fun times, full of laughter and intellectually stimulating conversation. All while sharing some bread. We chatted about some of the latest new blood meter technology out there (the Telcare meter ) and our feelings on it. We talked about the dangers of D-Management technology all being connected online and what might happen if the power grid crashed or Terminator Machines took over and impacted our ability to use ...

You may recall a guest-post last August from Michael K. Schwab , a fellow Person With Diabetes in central Indiana who created what became known as the Beta Cell Bash. Founded by Mike in 2004 along with Greg and Tracie Mrakich (who are also type 1 D-musicians here locally), the bash was created to raise awareness and money through music and art to improve the lives of those affected with type 1 diabetes. Well, the Beta Cell Bash went to the curb a handful of years ago. But thanks to some prompting from The D-Corner Booth , Mike decided to bring back the Beta Cell Bash for 2012 . That is happening this Friday, March 2. A night of art, music and fundraising for the Indiana chapter of the JDRF. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. at Blue Wren Studio (in the Fountain Square District of Indianapolis) with an art show/silent art auction. You can check out some of the artwork here . The address is Blue Wren Studio -Murphy Art Center, 1043 Virginia Avenue, Suite 214 , Indianapolis, ...

Just like last year, I'm participating in the Promise To Remember Me Campaign and meeting with my area's elected leaders in Congress to discuss diabetes. On Monday, a group of eight advocates came together to meet with Rep. Todd Rokita, a Republican congressman who's been in office for less than a year after winning in November 2010. In total, we had 130+ years of Type 1 experience either present or represented in the room. Our group included three Adult Type 1s - myself, fellow DOCer Jeff Neitzel who was diagnosed 27 years ago at age 13, and another man diagnosed 26 years ago at age 14. Jeff's mom was also there, representing Jeff's sister who was diagnosed almost 40 years ago. We also had a grandmother, a mom, and a family whose 6-year old daughter was diagnosed at 16 months old. See me there, in the back 4th from left... WEARING BLUE!!!! Being a freshman lawmaker, Rokita hadn't before heard the JDRF pitch and wasn't familiar with the group....

Our annual JDRF Walk happened Saturday morning in downtown Indianapolis and we had a great time. Both Suzi and I walked, along with the Riley dog who's been excited to participate in past walks. This was the latest it's been scheduled, and given the timing so close to Halloween the theme was "Say Boo To Diabetes." So, we had some fun and dressed the Riley Dog up in a D-themed costume. She became an insulin pump. A "Puptronic 2011" pump, to be exact. All with a little homemade artistic magic by Suzi, using stick-on felt designs on a University of Michigan doggy coat. The Manufacturing Process Manufactured by @TypeSuzi Excited to be an insulin pump! Showing off her costume at the Walk! Relaxing, just before the walk begins! Posing with dad and the Animas pump guys. Happy Dog, smiling for a photo! And so that was our weekend walk. We had a blast, along with about 3,000 others. Now, we're ready for Hallow...

I was running behind Wednesday morning. Late to work, thanks to traffic woes. Courtesy of the construction on Indianapolis expressways and the drivers who simply shouldn't be allowed to take up space in the traffic lanes. While I was going to be late, we're not talking an extraordinary amount of time - just enough to ensure that I'd be walking into an important meeting at work minutes after it was set to start. Or that I'd be responsible for delaying it. A phone call to let my boss I was en route and all seemed OK, but I wasn't eager to prolong my delay any more than necessary. Finally made it downtown after the construction and congestion. Came to a halt on fourth floor of my parking garage. Sacrificed a quick moment to test, dreading the result ( 300+ mg/dL, in case you were wondering ). Lifted my shirt and took my morning Lantus injection that I hadn't had time for earlier while still at home and also grabbed some skin to pinch for a correction bolus. The fac...

Updating what I wrote a week ago, the 22nd Annual Ice Cream Social in Indianapolis on July 8 was a huge success! Consider this update the "official" public relations-friendly account of the vent, rather than the past post expressing my disgust at one's critic's response to the ice cream social. Put on by the American Dairy Association of Indiana, this event on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis is reportedly the state's biggest ice cream social and takes place as part of National Ice Cream Month. Not to mention it happens in the Hoosier State, that produces the second-highest amount of ice cream nationwide. ( Some fun ice cream tidbits can be found over at this blog , such as the history of ice cream dating back to 4 B.C.! ) For only $3, visitors could enjoy a bowl of Edy's "good stuff" light ice cream with various Smuckers toppings - including sugarfree chocolate, caramel, and strawberry. This has been going on for more than 20 years...

About a month ago, my parents visited Indianapolis and we were able to set up a long-awaited tour of the Eli Lilly headquarters. This has been something that had been on the mind for a long time, going back seven years since I'd moved to Indiana from southeast Michigan. Back in early 2010, I'd had the chance to briefly walk through a part of the historic museum when attending a JDRF Research Update where I met Aaron Kowalski. I wrote about that experience at that time . But coordinating a tour with my mom was more tricky, as the company has had tighter security protocol since 9/11 and the touring isn't something they do all that often anymore. Finally, we had that opportunity in early May through a contact I've made locally as a board member of the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana. The stars had finally aligned for this visit to take place while my parents were in town. My mom and I both have Lilly medals - she's a 50-year recipient marking her diagnosis in 1...

 Life has been pretty busy lately with regular stresses and much to do with work, so I've been unplugged more often and not as connected to the Diabetes Online Community as has been normal. A handful of D-Meetups this week presented a great chance to get back into the swing of things. A trio of Meetups, plus another event with fellow People With Diabetes, decorated the calendar. But as fate would have it, the stars only aligned for one of those D-meetups. - Monday brought an Adult D-Meetup on the northside of Indianapolis, one of several that have occured during the past year as part of the local JDRF chapter's effort to increase outreach to the Adult Type 1 community. This meetup brought out about 10 of us to a local brewery called Three Wise Men Brewpub. No formal agenda or organization to this gathering, and this one didn't really even delve into much talk about the JDRF or the adult outreach. It was an unscripted meetup where we were just all able to talk individu...

Ever thought about having your blood meter or insulin pump pimped out with pinstripes or some other creative artwork like vintage blue flames or flashy cool wavy lines? Or maybe you've pondered how an artistic painting genius might illustrate what you’re feeling about a dreaded D-complication, like the Dead Eye version known as retinopathy? Until recently, I can’t say my mind had ever pondered either of those above-mentioned concepts. But now, thanks to the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana, those two curiosities have been explored and addressed through an awesome fundraising event aimed at helping to send kids to Diabetes Camp. A group of talented artists brought those questions to life with a little paint and artistic wonder, part of the Pinstriper Panel Jam & Auction this past weekend that raised a total $8,815 to help send kids to the Camp Until a Cure in Noblesville, Indiana. This all came to be at the World of Wheels class car show in...

So, this past Sunday as World Diabetes Day. Many people participated. Much D-Advocacy was advocated. Good times were had. Discussion ensued, courtesy of the JDRF. And many in the global Diabetes Community tweeted, wrote, and photographed monuments and buildings going blue in recognition of this worldwide awareness event. Even Indianapolis. A City of Blue all on its own, without diabetes. You know the Roche crew created a human circle of blueness. Lilly colored its water fountain blue. And you've read about my own efforts to step outside the Diabetes Online Community bubble and bring some of that D-Advocacy to the general non-D aware public. So, it was with great joy that I learned Saturday ( yes, one day PRIOR to WDD ) from the mayor's office that the City of Indianapolis would be coloring blue the Soldiers & Sailors Monument on the traffic circle in downtown Indy. This 284-foot high monument is the tallest Civil War tribute in the country and stands tall in...