The Marathon Runner Who Jumps Over All Hurdles
We all get knocked down from time to time -- that's just life. Robin Arzon has perhaps experienced this more times than could be considered her fair share. The story of her life reads like the written account of a heavyweight boxing match that won't end -- because nothing keeps Robin down for very long.
The daughter of immigrant parents, Robin originally planned to follow in her father's footsteps and become an attorney. She chose to get her undergraduate degree at NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Robin didn't take the course load that one may expect of a prelaw student, opting instead to take her father's advice, "You will learn how to be a lawyer in law school, take the classes you want to take."
About a year before she would graduate from Gallatin, Robin met a couple of friends at Bar Veloce in New York's East Village. A casual, fun night out with friends soon turned into a life-altering experience that would propel Robin to a new direction, years later. That night a ranting man armed with three hand guns, a sword, kerosene, a lighter and the desire to "choose when he dies" was out on the street exacting his plan to die in a fire while killing as many people as he could. The gunman approached and shot a man on the street. The wounded man took refuge in the closest place he could find, Bar Veloce, and the gunman followed him into the business. Upon entering the bar the gunman forced all of the patrons, Robin included, into the back where he huddled them together and soaked them in kerosene.
Early on in the confrontation the man spoke of wanting to talk to the police, and Robin served as his line to the police while being held as a human shield. Afraid but not wanting to give up, Robin spent that time trying to talk to the man in the hopes of ending the nightmare. When the police arrived Robin was being held by the madman by her hair, still soaked in kerosene, with a gun and a lighter being held to her head. Two patrons tried to jump the man as he held Robin; one was shot but the commotion of the struggle was enough to allow the police to storm the room and subdue that man.
This harrowing experience took a toll on Robin, but she got back up, graduated, went to law school at Villanova and practiced for seven years at a prestigious firm before making her next decision that flew in the face of conventional wisdom.
It was during law school that Robin found, very much by mistake, her passion for running and fell in love with it. She describes that in the years after much of her time in the law office was spent "counting down the minutes" until she could go for a run. This is all from someone who was made fun of on the playground for how she ran and who was forging notes as a teenager to get out of gym class. Robin then made a choice that not many could, she quit her safe life, one that she worked very hard for, to follow what her heart was saying.
Initially Robin worked at being a freelance sports journalist and had "no idea what I was doing." Robin started a blog, interviewed Olympic athletes with her cracked iPhone and surrounded herself with like-minded people -- kindred spirits who love to sweat.
Robin realized that if you put the work in, you can become whatever you want to be. Robin created a new life as an "Ambassador of Sweat" -- becoming a running coach, cycling instructor and ultramarathoner.
A believer in her mother's words that she is from "resilient stock," Robin says, "Resilience and willpower can seem finite but they can be recharged." Those theories would be tested last year when Robin was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 32.
Robin thought she was jet lagged after returning from India with her mother and sister. Her mother, who is a physician, was worried that her symptoms could mean something more and she sent Robin to have blood work. Two days later she had an endocrinologist and was taking insulin to manage her blood glucose. Robin's first thought wasn't why me or what next. Robin isn't the type of person to worry about obstacles, all she wanted to know from her doctor is what tools she would need to be healthy with Type 1 diabetes while being able to continue her life as an athlete. Her doctor put her on an OmniPod insulin pump just days after her diagnosis because of its tubeless design and a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor so she could watch her glucose values in real time.
My story on Robin also ran on Huffington Post Healthy Living and has been picked up by Yahoo and AOL. Thank you for all of the great support!
Robin made good use of both tools recently when she finished the New York City Marathon, her fourth marathon with Type 1 diabetes. The NYC Marathon was the first marathon she ever ran, four years ago, and now she says Type 1 diabetes has made her stronger because it has made her more determined to accomplish her goals.
"I really believe we need to trust our struggles," says Robin. "It can be hard to find reason and rationality in a disease like diabetes when you think your body should be doing what it's meant to do but it doesn't. Trust your struggle. There's always light through the cracks. Find inspiration online, from friends and family, from the community, and it will reinforce your power."
A1c: Working 9 to 5
I remember the first time that I was able to make Arden's A1c decrease on purpose.
I don't remember what her level was or where it moved to but I remember making an adjustment to her regiment that worked as I anticipated and the moment that her Nurse Practitioner walked up to me to share the good news.
The decrease was minimal and Arden's A1c was still much higher (in the 9s) than where we hoped for it to be, but still I broke down and cried in the waiting area when the NP told me the news. I must have been quite the site because after a moment I felt the NP put her arms around me and she hugged me tightly without saying a word.
That moment in our lives occurred many years ago. On that day I believed that I was crying because Arden's A1c was lower, but today I think that the relief I was feeling stemmed from success – effort was finally turning into results. Moving that number however how slightly, was the result of hard work, hours of contemplation and months of trial and error. The tears that I shed had accumulated from all of the moments that I wanted to cry but didn't and it felt right to release them in celebration, I could sense that the tide was turning.
In the years that followed more adjustments were made. We added the OmniPod insulin pump, a decision that led to a large decrease in A1c. We also changed how we thought about many foods but the final piece of the puzzle was adding a Dexcom CGM which gave me the confidence to use insulin more boldly. We now had the tools that I felt I needed and the path to travel was clearly in front. We just needed to learn how to walk. Each step was a learning process that led to incremental improvements for Arden but we were finally moving forward with purpose and that seemed like a huge leap.
I love to tell these stories because even though it doesn't feel like it today, you won't be reading this blog for much longer, at least not for the same reasons as when you began. Arden's Day readers are mostly made up of the parents of newly or newer diagnosed children and folks who are still finding their way with type 1 diabetes. One day, much sooner than you think, you will have the accumulated knowledge, courage, and hope that you will need to make Arden's stories your own. Then you can get back to using the Internet for good stuff like reposting photoshopped pictures of Kim Kardashian's shiny ass, taunting your friends on Facebook when their sports teams lose and 'liking' pictures on Instagram.
Here in present time... it was Endo day. I tried to give Arden my obligatory speech about A1c levels and ready her for an unexpected increase that will likely happen at some point. I want to prepare her because we have been on some kind of a crazy run over the past two years and my hope is to limit her disappointment, should things go the other way. Arden stopped me before I could finish and said, "I know, I know, you tell me every time - I won't be disappointed if it goes up". Seems that my sly parenting skills aren't so sly anymore...
When we arrived the nurse recorded Arden's weight, height and BP and then we made our way to the little room where the blood stuff happens. The A1c machine began it's test as we were being ushered into an exam room. Not long after we sat down, the NP brought Arden's A1c results to us. When she spoke the number out loud there were no tears of joy, no relief, no sense that we had been working hard for what was achieved and deserved this. Arden's A1c had reached a new level, one that I certainly didn't expect we would arrive at for maybe another year. Hearing the number only caused me to feel calm. "I knew this was going to happen if we just kept at it", I thought to myself.
I put my hand on Arden's back and congratulated her and then texted my wife Kelly with only this image, her response was...
"Shut up!!"
This post is for everyone who is at the point where 5.9 feels unobtainable. I am here to promise you that it is within your reach. Each of you can do this with time and patience. It hasn't been easy. We've added technology, switched insulin, adjusted diets, sacrificed sleep and persevered countless setbacks, some of which I thought could break my spirit. Yet here we are at 5.9.
I don't know how long we can hang on to this number. Maybe this is our new normal, maybe it's a fleeting moment and puberty will come and knock us into oblivion, who knows. None of that matters because I know and believe that we can find our way back here again; this time with purpose.
Now THIS is a Giveaway!
Lilly Diabetes reached out to see if I'd be interested in giving away twelve L.L. Bean backpacks full of their diabetes themed books to my readers – I was all like, "ah, yea!".
There are a number of ways to enter using the widget below. Some options are "worth" more entries than others and some are even eligible to be completed daily (like tweets). The more entries you have when the winners are chosen, the better your odds of winning. Here's a look at what you are trying to win...
Disney Books: Tween novels - Superstar Dreams - ESPN: Covering the Bases - ESPN: Power Forward - ESPN: Up for the Challenge - ESPN: Running Interference - Hannah Montana: Uptight (Oliver’s All Right)
Coco Books: Coco’s First Sleepover - Coco Goes Back to School - Coco & Goofy’s Goofy day
Disney Cookbook - Disney Holiday magazine - Disney/Lilly Postcard
PLUS the L.L. Bean backpack
Get much more information about the books here...
Small print: I am sorry to all of my Canadian readers but for this one it's US residents only, 18 years or older. One prize per person. Twelve winners will be chosen by random (Rafflecopter app). In the past I have attended blogger events hosted by Lilly, my travel, lodging and meals were covered by the company. I have also been a spokesperson for Lilly in the past, when I gave interviews about my tips for sleepovers for children with diabetes. No purchase is necessary to enter. No personal information is being collected by Lilly or Arden's Day. Prizes have no cash value.
More info on my blogging morals are available at my disclaimer/disclosure.
Good luck!
2014 Year in Review
It's December 31st and I've been spending a lot of time recently thinking about how to make Arden's Day better for you. As we head into the eighth year of my little blog's life I'm looking at ways to make the blog more informative, social, easy to consume and worth coming back to. In the process I've been reading a lot of old post from 2014 and found a few that are worth revisiting before the ball drops. I hope you read to the end of this long post, I'd like to share something very personal to me before the calendar flips.
From January 2014
It baffles me, but one of the most popular things on the blog this year was a photo of me looking tired, How to Spot a D-Parent. It was even reposted on Diabetes Daily and become one of their most popular post of the year. Of all the things I wrote, shared and talked about this year, you liked seeing me looking ragged the best. Tells me we are all pretty damn tired.
From February 2014
Dexcom was approved for pediatric use, one of my non D storIes blew up on Huffington Post and Miss Manners was all the buzz but all you guys wanted to see was pictures of Kris Freeman's abs. Parents still read this post every day when they wonder if their child is too lean for pumps and a CGM. Kris's abs turned out to be quite the public service.
From March 2014
My blog titled, Pitstop Fail won Best of Betes Blogs for March - a huge thank you to the person who nominated it and voted!
From April 2014
A Forgotten Wallet Buys a BG of 25 and I got yelled at a little bit in the comments. BTW, Kris Freeman could have easily been mentioned here too, you guys sure love abs.
From May 2014
I changed my expectations for what 'in range' means and lowered Arden's a1c, Living Between the (Diabetes) Lines.
From June 2014
June brought the lowest A1c Arden has gotten to date, A1c Countdown: It's Endo Time.
From July 2014
This was the month of #ShowMeYourPump but Arden's Day readers were more interested (By just a few hits) in Arden's Sudden Needle Anxiety.
From August 2014
In August I tried with all my blogging might to get you to believe that Diabetes and Fear don't have to go together, Guts over Fear was written, the hashtag #DiabetesandFear was tweeted and my quest was underway.
From September 2014
I traveled to the Dominican Republic to deliver a speech to a group of D parents during the summer but wasn't able to share the video of my talk until September. My time in the D.R. led to a very popular post, my first invitation to give a keynote at a JDRF event (Info coming soon) and a whole lot of new understanding about the rest of the world.
From October 2014
Hello Dexcom SHARE you are the remote monitoring I've been waiting for.
From November 2014
Arden changed her first OmniPod without any help from me while she was at a sleepover, I'll Take Insulin Pump Change for the Win Alex.
From December 2014
I shared our experience with getting an insulin pump in the hopes that it would give you the freedom to speak your mind because, Don't Let Doctors Push a Pump on You, that's why.
I can't thank you enough for reading about Arden's day. I hope you have time to check out one more post from 2014, it's one I wrote today about what diabetes blogging means to me, you can find it here. Have a happy, healthy 2015... you are all in my thoughts. Best, Scott
Why Would Anyone Write a Blog
I wondered recently if you ever wonder why anyone would write a blog. I'm always interested in people's motivations and given that I am writing about parenting as it specifically relates to children's health – well, if I was you... I'd wonder about my motivations. That's a long rambling way of saying... I want to tell you why I do this.
A long time ago I was the parent of a child newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and I was frightened. I felt alone, unsure and most of my waking moments were spent wondering if the next decision I would make about insulin would kill my little girl. I was a bit of a wreck, if I'm being honest.
One day about a year into our new lives I found a free program living on my iMac that, among other things, said it could post my thoughts onto the Internet to something called a blog. I had never read a blog and thought this was revolutionary. And so I wrote something and with the push of a button, put it into the world for others to see. Not many saw actually, I got about 10 hits that month.
I received my first reader email from a lovely mother, she thanked me for sharing my life with her, told me that my sharing helped her family and offered me community in return. In the years that have passed since that email, I've received more correspondence than I can properly recall. Today I'd like to share one of them with you, redacted appropriately to protect the sender.
This email arrived in the Spring of 2014 after I mused that I wasn't sure that my blog was still relevant in the diabetes community. it said...
My 5 year old son NAME was diagnosed with type 1 two years ago. You have helped me more than anyone, emotionally and practically, to care for him. Because of you we got NAME Omnipod. Because of you we are trying to get him Dexcom G4. Because of you I am aggressive with high blood sugar. Because you are up at night I feel less alone in this. Because things go good for you I feel pleased for you and because they sometimes don't go well I feel bad. We live in COUNTRY and our lives are very different but what you write about day to day life with type 1 often reflects my own days and experiences and this has given me support, encouragement and optimism. What you have done for me is immeasurable. I know that your writing has directly improved the quality of NAME's life with type 1 diabetes. Please don't stop because we would miss you and Arden a lot.
There was a time that I wrote here as a diary that helped me move past Arden's diagnoses. The writing morphed into a way for me to cope with events that felt insurmountable. After that, I began to share how I was able to crest those hills. You've watched me triumph, fail, cry, fall down and get back up. I've tried my best to be transparent and only want for you to not feel alone. The blog is not planned, I don't write ahead. When I feel something deeply that I think you would like to know, I share. I have written things that have been seen by tens of thousands and other stuff that was seen by hundreds - it all feels the same to me. In the end, I write this blog because I just hope that someone who is frightened will find it and feel a little less alone. I hope that one day I am able to help the reader to realize that while diabetes my be hard, we get better at it much faster than they can imagine. So much better in fact, that it stops feeling so hard. I write the blog that I find myself wishing existed when Arden was diagnosed. It's not easy to live through something and then relive it when I tell you about my experience, the process becomes draining at times but once in a while I get an email from a stranger or see someone on Facebook mentioning that I said something that helped them and recharges me. Your being helped, helps me. I guess this post is my 'thank you' email to all of you.
I've learned over time that my readers are mostly the parents of newer diagnosed kids, and just as I begin to learning your names... you ride off into the Internet sunset. This is my happiest time. I love the idea that there will be a moment for each of you when you realize that you no longer need a blog. Sure it breaks my heart when the next crop of parents begin to show up, but I am buoyed by emails like the one I've shared today. That coupled with the knowledge that you will soon be rid of the fear that type 1 brings, makes me feel like a parent whose child has left the nest – proud, happy, accomplished. Sad to see them go but satiated that I've done my best to help them to live a confident and happy life. I hope that wasn't too convoluted... That's why I write this blog.
The ways that information is exchanged online morphs constantly and getting the word out about Arden's Day becomes more of a challenge as each day passes. In 2015 I'm going to do my best to change with the times and try to keep up with this digital thing.
As always, I hope that 2015 is the year that the world ceases to need a type 1 diabetes blog, but until that day comes – I share for every person that feels the way that I did all of those years ago, because Arden's diabetes never got easier but I got a whole lot better at it. I want, more than anything, for you to believe that statement will one day be true for you and your family, because it will.
Happy New Year!
My Best,
Scott