November 25th, 2010 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, Humor, True Stories
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It’s Thanksgiving here in the States, and I’m feeling pretty thankful. While the day is reserved for turning hand tracings into turkeys, it’s also a good day to highlight what I’m thankful for this year:
I’m thankful that we have a backyard that the cats can go [potty] in, because I was tired of cleaning that litterbox. (And I’m also secretly glad that our neighbors have a ridiculous cat that comes over and starts trouble with ours, because when they pile into the bushes out back and cause the shrubbery to vibrate with their Andy Capp-style battles, it cracks me right up.)
I’m thankful for our family and friends, who have helped Chris and I adjust to our new lives as “parents” and who make “home” a place that matters. We’re so glad to be sharing this chapter of our lives with the people and in the places we love the most.
I’m thankful for having good enough health to take it for granted, and to actually have the luxury of feeling frustrated when I’m “sick” because it’s such a foreign concept.
I’m thankful for the wonderful work opportunities that have come up in the last few years, specifically for the companies and organizations that have embraced the voices of patient advocacy and who have decided to become part of the conversation.
I’m thankful I have an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor that can help me make sense of the holiday meals. Also known as: “Pie? Yes, please.” Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
May 5th, 2010 by Bryan Vartabedian, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, True Stories
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I [recently] visited a small town in west Texas to address a local medical society on the emerging role of social media in healthcare.
My presentation involves social media and the evolving relationship that patients share with doctors. I discuss challenges and opportunities -– especially as it relates to transparency, personal boundaries, and even the ethical obligation to participate in the online conversation. I target the disconnected physician and offer education as well as a compelling argument for involvement.
When I arrived at the venue I found that the meeting was attended predominantly by physicians much older than myself. While waiting to speak, I was concerned that my message of connection and changing relationships would elicit pushback. After all, isn’t it this era of physicians we hold accountable for paternalism and control in dealing with patients? That’s what I’d been lead to believe. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at 33 Charts*
June 8th, 2009 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, Patient Interviews
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Even though I do not like the disease, there are some diabetes-related simple pleasures that make me smile:
- I like when I change the battery and the insulin reservoir at the same time. Having my Medtronic 522 “full” on both sides makes me happy.
- I like when the carb count on something is exactly 10 grams of carbs because it matches my insulin to carb ration precisely. One snack, one unit, one oddly happy Kerri.
- I like the sound of the pump counting up a bolus. Boop boop beep!
- I like when the sound of the bolus is caught by Chris and he ends up whistling it back to me, almost without thinking. It’s a little soundtrack snippet of our life.
- I like when the cats wait patiently for me to remove the pump tubing from my body before they lunge for it.
- I like when new boxes of diabetes supplies show up and I can organize them in my little OCD supply closet.
- I like when the number on my meter is two digits, but higher than 89 mg/dl. It’s a tight range, I’m not usually in it, but it brings me weird joy.
- I like when the Dexcom beeps and my coworker (who works a wall away from me) IMs me quietly to check, “Low?” because she’s ready to get juice if necessary.
- I like not having to wear a watch.
- I like when I get to dump all the used test strips that have piled up throughout the day. Knowing I’ve tested a bunch makes me feel like I really stayed tuned in.
- I like the smell of white glucose tabs.
- I like when the new infusion set doesn’t sting at all.
- I like having someone in my life who is willing to get their hands covered in SkinTac in an attempt to stick a Dexcom sensor to random places on my body.
- I like that the hope of the parents of kids with diabetes rubs off on me, and makes me feel good for even just a few minutes.
- I like that diabetes gives two people, who wouldn’t otherwise have a thing to say to one another, a whole dinner’s worth of conversation.
- I like having coworkers who understand but don’t push.
- I like when my best friend clinks her beer to mine and says, “Bolus, baby.”
- I like when the cat licks my hand after I test.
- I like “free shower:” a shower without a pump site or a CGM sensor attached.
- I like having a whole network of people who understand – and do not judge – my diabetes life.
I like when I can focus on the silly, simple things when I feel a little overwhelmed by the tough stuff.
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
