At the end of the day – it is our responsibility to stay up to date on diabetes management tools and tricks. There is a LOT of information available and I don’t know about you, but I’ve learned more from the diabetes community than in any medical setting.
I was honored to be chosen as one of ten Patient Voice Contest winners for the DiabetesMine Innovation Summit. During the two day event, I was surrounded by industry leaders, tech gurus, genius creators of diabetes apps, and many fellow advocates. This Summit coalesced the mother lode of advancements in diabetes management, and a few of the brave souls in attendance took time to chat with me. Though our interviews were brief, each guest radiated an optimism and passion for helping to better the lives of those of us living with diabetes, and I hope their energy inspires you as well.
A few months ago, I received a heartfelt video message from a person I’d never met, and it had me and my friends and family in tears. It was exactly the boost I needed to keep going. Dr. Fox is one of the good guys – the doctor who truly cares about his patients and their sense of wellbeing after leaving his office. His holistic mind, body, spirit approach is one you rarely, if ever, see in the endocrine world. He has taken a chance by stepping out of the traditional medical community box and intends to make a much larger impact on the diabetes community with his programming and overall approach to treatment. (more…)
This globetrotting T1D just embarked on a 12-month remote year journey with a focus to reach one million people living with diabetes. Her candid approach, charismatic attitude, and ability to touch on hot topics will transform lives and prevent diabetes burnout. With 39 1/2 years of experience and a handful of degrees, Dr. Jody is an expert in all things diabetes making her the perfect guest.
It is always a pleasure to connect with fellow diabetes advocates, Rev Run and Justine Simmons. They radiate positive energy and had me laughing with their ability to call each out when it comes to healthy lifestyle choices. There is no doubt, their passion to rewrite their family history with Type 2 diabetes is contagious and the Simmons kids are teaching them a thing or two.
Last December, Anne came to the rescue, offering help during my insulin crisis while in San Antonio, Texas. She, like many people in the DOC (diabetes online community) stayed in contact with me while I resolved the problem. She is a leader in the diabetes community and her wealth of knowledge has helped so many T1Ds and their families.
Diabetes is rough right? Even with a CGM and around the clock basal insulin from a pump, most days are still a grind! But staggeringly, across the globe insulin prices are accounting for up to 40% of monthly expenses, and people are walking 100 miles to get a prescription. Elizabeth Rowley, founder of T1International, is digging deep to gain awareness to the disparities in care and often inadequate access to standards in daily management, like strips and insulin. They campaign for systemic change that not only meets daily needs, but aims to solve the underlying issues in healthcare. If you’d ever like more information on the subject of diabetes across the globe, they are the knowledge hub.
Well, we warned you and now it’s time to share another episode of “Ask Us Anything“. In this episode, we received stellar questions from #DOC royalty and some brave souls who were kind enough to leave us a SpeakPipe message. Amber & Ryan share their deepest thoughts, not advice on diabetes complications, drinking bourbon, carb guessing in uncharted territory and how to encourage a “friend” to make healthier food choices. We’re keeping it real and sharing some laughs. Hope you enjoy the show.
In the midst of a VIP cocktail hour LIVE from the Connect+Cure Gala in Oklahoma City, leaders on the diabetes research and treatment frontier were kind enough to converse with us. We didn’t focus on run of the mill research questions. We got to the heart of their individual diabetes motivations. We covered the importance of a physician’s own A1C, the equal importance of cowboy boots, favorite Toby Keith (he played a full concert that night) songs, and why both Amber and Ryan haven’t been dropped as patients for non-compliance… yet. As the night’s feature ceremony, the Hamm Prize–$250,000 for research advances toward a cure–was awarded to Dr. Ronald Kahn, and he joined us to share his enlightening perspectives (that’s not hyperbole, it’s truth).
After we wrapped up our interviews, we were honored to join 900+ people who support the Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center’s (HHODC) future and groundbreaking strides toward eradicating diabetes. As Oklahomans, where 1 out of every 3 people is affected by diabetes, it was a meaningful night filled with promise. We are so grateful for the opportunity provided by the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center and appreciative of our guests to supply insights for all of us with diabetes. Thank you everyone! (more…)
Diabetes and driving – race car driving that is… is the topic today as Amber recently won the Lilly Diabetes My Diabetes Pit Crew Sweepstakes! She’s officially an honorary member of Ryan Reed’s pit crew and was given the opportunity to interview the Nascar driver about life on the road with diabetes. In this first ever MiniPod, we talk real life – Amber style (no filter). Ryan Reed indulges her “non-traditional” questions, shares his go-to recipes, and who has access to giving him a shot. (more…)