The Corner Booth

The 22 nd Annual Ice Cream Social on the Circle is happening Friday! Sponsored each year by the American Dairy Association of Indiana, this event celebrates National Ice Cream Month and recognizes the Hoosier State’s #2 ranking in U.S. ice cream production. It happens on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For just $3, guests can indulge their taste buds with gigantic sundaes made from Edy’s Slow Churned Light Ice Cream and drizzled with Smucker’s chocolate, strawberry, caramel, or butterscotch syrups. Sundaes will be served by more than 30 “celebrity” scoopers that include local media personalities, sports notables and business dignitaries - including Tony Hoard of America’s Got Talent . All the proceeds this year go directly to the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana, which runs the only D-Camp in Central Indiana and supports, educates and encourages young people with Type 1 diabetes. ( Disclosure : I am a DYFI board member. ) So, if you ha...

A coworker of my wife recently approached her at the office. "So, Suzi, I have a question: Can Mike really EAT sugar and sweets, and those types of thing?" Her response: "Of course, why wouldn't he be able to?" "Well, he's diabetic..." Suzi: "Ah. Well, he can eat whatever he wants. He just has to dose insulin for it. But yes, he can eat whatever he wants..." My quick-witted wife added, "Unless it's laced with poison." Hearing this story at home, I beamed proudly. What. An. Awesome. Type 3. : )

We People With Diabetes often voice our frustrations with Diabetes Police, who are those typically well-meaning and nice people who think they're the resident experts on everything related to diabetes. As with all D-Police Force members, dealing with these individuals one-on-one or in mass can be frustrating and require diplomacy, usually in the form of biting your tongue and instead responding with education or information about whatever the topic might be. Hopefully, it sinks in. But sometimes that isn't the case. That response can be even more tricky when those people are family members or close friends, and it requires a bit more delicacy than strangers or even more casual acquaintances. In my own D-Life during the past decade, the person who I've come to label as my Chief of D-Police is none other than my mother-in-law. A pleasant woman, she is herself a Type 2 diabetic - which means that her view of the D-World is gospel. I do my best to maintain composure, balanci...

You may know them as Insulin Reactions, Hypos, Lows, or by some variation of those terms. In my world as a Type 1 diabetic since the age of 5, they've historically been "Reactions" that have transition into the more generic "Lows" in more recent years. The opposite of Highs, which garner quite the confused and befuddled glares when you say out in public that "I'm High" and follow that with the need to "shoot up." (Fun, seriously. Try it out if you haven't already!) But two new descriptions for Lows came with a recent experience when the in-laws were visiting during the Memorial Day Weekend. It was Sunday, and they'd gone out with Suzi for a day of shopping at a nearby mall while I stayed home with the goal of cleaning up our kitchen and doing some outdoor work while they were gone. A Law & Order: SVU marathon and The Sandlot 2 interfered only briefly, and the plan was to clean the kitchen and do some outdoor work. But, a...

A ninja stands on the mountain top, peering out over the California countryside and singing songs of hope for all those who may need it. His mad ninja skills are always sharp and he advocates for the cause. Same goes for others, who use their lives and powers for a greater good. From Boston to California, Canada to Mexico. In the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. (Most recently, breaking news told us of a sighting in Minneapolis!) However, there are villians out there trying to thwart those heroic plans. Like the strategically schemeful Siah and Shadow Cats, who are bent on world domination and plot to conquer the galaxy. The Diabolical Doctor and Wicked Witch of Chicago, who spread fear and misinformation to trick the general population into believing they're the saviors. Or the Diabetes Police who appear to be nice and well-meaning but really strive to oppress and control lives. This is the reality happening in public and behind the scenes e...