This year, the dog days of summer are especially challenging as we continue to grapple with the COVID-19 outbreak. And in these strange, pandemic-mode times, there continues to be a whole lot going on around the Diabetes Online Community (DOC).
Here’s our monthly roundup of favorite posts that caught our eye, in no particular order.
It was a different feel for the 4th of July this year, but at least one person had reason to celebrate. Lance Martin shared his type 2 diabetes (T2D) win of “An Independence Day from Insulin” on RRSpin.
The coronavirus crisis is everywhere, and the DOC seems to be front and center with talk (and confusion) on who is at higher risk and why. There are webinars and panel discussions every week, along with alarming news articles on the diabetes implications of COVID-19 and accounts of those who’ve tested positive and experienced the effects firsthand. Not to mention how the call to wear face coverings has become highly politicized in America compared to the rest of the world. (#MaskUp, D-Friends)
The popular Friends For Life conference held in Orlando each July by the nonprofit Children with Diabetes (CWD) went fully virtual for the first time, drawing in a record number of more than 5,000 attendees. We were thrilled to be part of this incredible event once again and enjoyed this brief recap by CWD leaders Jeff Hitchcock in Ohio and Laura Billetdeaux in Michigan.
Insulin affordability remains an ever-critical issue as we hit the midpoint of 2020. It’s a public health crisis within a pandemic, and it’s felt even more deeply during these troubling times. Thanks to D-advocate Randall Barker in Texas, who lives with type 1 diabetes (T1D), has a daughter with T1D, and who’s made it a priority to advocate on this issue. This Instagram image speaks volumes. We are so lucky to have Randall’s voice in the DOC space and beyond.
Amazing that our DOC celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the popular #DSMA Twitter chat this month. Held each Wednesday evening, this weekly online conversation has touched millions of lives over the past decade and continues going strong under the leadership of advocate Cherise Shockley, who now works for the diabetes org diaTribe.
Diabetes stigma is a huge issue that D-peep Rob Howe addressed in a recent Diabetics Doing Things podcast. He interviewed fellow advocate Mila Clarke Buckley, who lives with T2D and is active on issues of inclusivity. The podcast is a great listen touching on important aspects of stigma and how to combat it.
Endocrinologist appointments can be anxiety-inducing for those of us with diabetes in normal times, not to mention during a public health emergency. Molly Johannes at Hugging the Cactus blog shares her recent encounter where disappointment was the name of the game thanks to less-than-stellar A1C results, along with the many pandemic-mode aspects of the clinic visit.
Rheumatoid arthritis with diabetes can be tricky to navigate and that’s why it’s so important to hear stories like these being shared by longtime T1D Rick Phillips. He writes for the RAdiabetes blog, along with several other publications in the chronic condition health space.
Queer, Black and T1D was the topic of a virtual panel discussion and follow-up Q&A session earlier in the month, bringing some incredibly valuable points of view from members of our D-Community who aren’t often represented or heard from as much as they should be. This session aired some eye-opening revelations about the poor treatment some of our diabetes brethren endure. We appreciate these conversations, and look forward to more of them taking place.
2020 seems like the year of the neverending crisis on so many fronts, and with so much seriousness we couldn’t help but smile at this levity from Project Blue November on Facebook — illustrating how they were “marked safe” from a very common diabetes problem.
Ever wondered what it’s like doing a summer internship for a diabetes organization in Canada? Well, this post from Connected in Motion shares some insight from those who’ve been helping out with this group’s hallmark Slipstream outdoor activity events.
Finally, we appreciate D-Dad Tom Karlya’s “Lisa Awards” for those who stand out with “the power of one” in our online community. These annual awards are named after a dear friend who passed away from cancer in 2009. We were honored to see our own Mike Hoskins receive recognition as a “diabetes powerhouse,” and he’s humbled to be thought of as someone deserving of that kind of honor.
That’s what has been on our radar in the DOC in the past month or so. Please chime in and share your favorites, too, if you like!
Remember, we share our favorites each month and would love to include yours, too. Please ping us via email or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.