Most Popular: February 2014
These are the most popular post from February....
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Kris Freeman at the Olympics
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That was fast DexCom!
Looks like it is alarm week around here. The other day Arden mistook a dumpster for her OmniPod and now our DexCom G4 sounds like it has a sick speaker.
BeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrddddddEEEEEEnnnnpppp
Out of no where Arden G4 started to sound like it was being strangled. Quick beeps lasted twice as long and the sound it made was, in my wife's words, "like nails on a chalkboard". What I'm going to share next, is the only reason this story merits it's own blog post.
I called DexCom customer service around 4:30 pm EST and left my information in their phone cue so I wouldn't have to hold. They called back within 30 minutes.
The CSR went over my concern, we did a few minutes of troubleshooting and I was promised a replacement.
It arrived the next day at 10 am - 17 hours later.
In a world where blogs often complain and Facebook post are frequently about what is wrong - I just wanted to say that DexCom treated us judiciously and with amazing swiftness.
All that is left is to wait for a sensor change so we don't have to cringe every time the receiver wants to remind us of something. Currently, the speaker is as shrill as anything that I've ever heard. The CSR said he's never heard of a speaker malfunctioning, I told him that it almost sounds like it's loose and moving around inside of the shell - has anyone else had this happen?
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Opinions are my own. I do not have a financial relationship with DexCom. If I did, I'd tell you. This is just a great example of a good company doing right by a customer - and I wanted to share.
Kris Freeman, "I probably skied my last race of this Olympics yesterday"
Image from krisfreeman.net
“I want to be clear that I do not believe my subpar performances here were attributable to diabetes”
Shortly after competing in his second Olympic event in Sochi, Kris Freeman posted a 'Thank you' on his blog where he announced that his 2014 Olympic pursuits are "probably" over and that, "I am clearly far from my best right now and it would be fair to give fresher teammates a chance in the later races".
Kris speaks at length in his open letter about his training plan for the games, that he is looking forward to competing in next year's World Championships, but most of all - he wants you to know that his performance had nothing to do with his type I diabetes.
Please take a moment and go to Kris's blog to read his full message.
“I will have to adjust my training to allow for more recovery in the future”
Everyone in our family is proud of Kris and we look forward to supporting him in the future. I hope Kris knows just how much his presence at the games has meant to Arden. Such a huge inspiration!
more about Kris on Arden's Day
Kris Freeman: Men's 15km Classic
Photo Credit: FasterSkier.com - Used with permission.
Kris competed earlier today in the Men's 15km Classic, his second of four scheduled Olympic events. Reports indicate that the course for today's 9+ mile race, were less than optimal. The snow was apparently "slushy" and the temperatures warm. American Erik Bjornsen finished 38th today, Fasterskier.com quotes him as saying, "It was harder than I was expecting".
Kris had this to say after he finished 52nd in a field of 92.
“It was one of the hardest courses I think I’ve ever raced on. It’s really slow and tons of elevation, and there’s that 3-minute sustained climb there… I was racing really cautiously because you can go right off the edge so easily… I was trying not to put the hurt on myself today”
I was hoping to wake up this morning and read about Kris having the race of his life, that didn't happen, but here's what I love about the interview quotes from Kris that I read on Faster Skier. Kris never mentions his diabetes - Representing the United States in Sochi as one of the best cross country skiers in the world, Kris's successes and shortcomings are never tied to type I diabetes. He's is just an athlete competing on a world stage. It's completely invigorating, as the parent of a child with type I, to see how little of an effect diabetes has on his skiing. There is no better message to pass on to our children then the one that says, diabetes can't stop you from achieving at your highest potential and it is never an excuse for moments that don't end as you'd hope.
Kris races again soon, his schedule is on Arden's Day, link below, I can't wait to watch with Arden and cheer him on.
VIDEO: Kris Freeman on NBC's Olympic Zone
This piece begins with host Sibila Vargas saying, "For American cross country skier Kris Freeman, Sochi represents his fourth career Olympics where he'll not be only representing the United States, but also diabetic athletes everywhere."
Immediately after Sibila finished, Arden exclaimed, "That's me!"
Originally aired on NBC's 'The Olympic Zone', Feb 10, 2014 - Channel 4 NY
After the interview, Arden told us that she shared with her class today that she knew someone who was competing in the Olympics. Arden explained to her friends that the man she knew had type I diabetes and that he wore the same insulin pump and CGM as she.
I can't thank Kris enough for the example that he is setting for my daughter, and for everyone whose life is touched by type I diabetes. If I had a gold medal Kris... I'd give it to you.
Thank you to NBC for this interview, it means so much... to so many.
