It has been over a year since I last shared a post, but with two snow days I had plenty of time to reflect on what the past year has taught me. 2018 was full of new challenges, many of which were diabetes related. After 35+ years of living with T1D, you would think I’ve dealt with it all, but that is not the case. Below are a few highlights, lessons learned and things to ponder.
- I became a Dexcom Warrior and had the privilege of trying the new G6 before it was released to the public.
- I shared my T1D story, per the request of the Oklahoma Diabetes Legislative Caucus, to insurance providers in an effort to change future coverage for people living with the disease. It worked. Report to follow in a future post with my testimony.
- Ryan stepped down and I took the reigns of the Diabetes Daily Grind and Real Life Diabetes podcast. In Podcast 55, Ryan shares his final farewell.
- While on vacation, my backup Novolog pen malfunctioned, I had no refills and my pharmacy back home was closed. This situation had me scrambling, but the #DOC from the state of Texas rallied and with the help of a kind pharmacist at Walgreen’s and a customer service rep from Novo Nordisk, I had a box of new pens the next morning. I was only without insulin for about 12 hours, but purchased syringes to get EVERY last drop of the old pen (about 7 units). Lessons learned: 1.) Check backup supplies before packing them, 2.) Be kind to the folks who are trying to help and 3.) Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
- I participated in a Novo Nordisk Summit alongside fellow bloggers, advocates and researchers. I was blown away by their new low BG virtual experience. This device will make a huge impact on the medical community and for loved ones of T1Ds. It was SO real. I share a little about it in Podcast 54.
- I created a diabetes support group at Healthy Living OKC (my past employer) and had the pleasure of working with T1Ds, T2Ds and their loved ones. This support group really opened my eyes for various reasons which I plan to share in future posts.
- I hosted the 2nd Annual Diabetes Awareness Day.
- The Real Life Diabetes podcast received the Top 10 Diabetes Podcasts award.
- I published the 58th podcast episode and reached 87,000+ downloads. SO much more coming for 2019…
- I stepped down as Associate Director of Healthy Living OKC to pursue my passion to help people living with diabetes and further my advocacy efforts.
- Featured as one of the top diabetes related podcasts in Diabetes Forecast magazine.
It has been a whirlwind of a year and I cannot believe everything I’ve accomplished. Not to sound like I’m bragging, but sometimes you have to remind yourself in order to keep going. 2018 taught me a lot about myself and what I am capable of. Stay tuned… I have so much more to give in 2019.