Dexcom CGM on American Idol (Video)
Dexcom CGM citing on American Idol!
Not sure how many folks are still hanging with American Idol in what feels like it's 900th season but if you were watching last night - you would have seen the Dexcom CGM make an appearance.
A musician named Adam Lasher was asked, "Is that your phone" when judge Keith Urban notices something clipped to his guitar strap, Adam responded by saying, "no I'm diabetic... it's my robotic pancreas you could say". It seemed to me that Adam was trying to explain what his CGM was without going into a long description when he called it a 'robotic pancreas' but then he does a very good job of describing what his CGM does, though he never calls it by name. The judges go on to say that Robotic Pancreas would make a great band name.
After the chatting is finished Adam plays an original song. Oh and by the way... he's Carlos Santana's nephew. Enough of my describing something that you can just watch, get clicking and see for yourself. Spoilers, Adam makes it to the next round so maybe we'll be seeing more of his Dexcom CGM on television again.
Don't miss my new podcast interview with Adam!
Facebook was abuzz with parents talking about how great it was for their kids to see someone on TV using the diabetes tech that they do, I wonder if Adam knows how many children and parents he made happy tonight by not hiding his Dex? Thanks Adam!
Pretty cool seeing the Dex on American Idol, can't wait to show Arden!
Adam Lasher is on Twitter @AdamLasher.
Precision Xtra Blood Ketone Meter
It's that time of year... here come the sick days.
There are some things that you don't expect as you prepare yourself for parenthood. One of the things that I didn't imagine? Being peed on more times then I can count. I guess that I should have been ready for a little pee at the changing table or perhaps in the doctor's office. That said, I never imagined how many times I'd be hit while collecting a urine sample and I'm talking about pre-diabetes. There was a time when he was about three that I believed my son was trying to pee on my hand. And Arden, oh Arden is the biggest offender as she quite likes to break out into uproarious laughter as I'm bent over collecting a sample during her yearly well visit.
When I realized that checking ketones was a part of diabetes management my first thought was, "great, more to do and learn" but my second thought was, "well at least I don't mind getting peed on anymore".
Did you know that pee and ketone management don't have to go hand in pee covered hand.
Recently on FaceBook I had a conversation with a mother of a newly diagnosed child who was experiencing their first illness with type I diabetes. She was understandably concerned and wanting to make the next few days as stable and simple as she could. Without a moment of hesitation, I recommended that she get a Blood Ketone Meter and told her that we use the Precision Xtra from Abbott.
This meter is fast and accurate when checking ketones, it does require a largeish drop of blood but nothing that a little extra squeezing can't provide. It's a real lifesaver during sick days and any other times that you require a ketone check. I highly recommend asking your endocrinologist to write you a script so you can try it. We actually have two, one at school and one at home. I can't specifically speak to the pricing as our insurance covered Arden's meter and test strips, but I have seen the meter online for less then twenty dollars... a small price to pay to avoid getting peed on IMO. HUGE thank you to Erin who just told me in the comments that the meter is available for FREE from Abbott when you sign up for their FreeStyle Promise Program. Who says blog comments are dead?
When you love someone who has type 1 diabetes the flu and cold season is particularly stressful!
I know that during the winter months I'm always holding my breath a little extra, hoping that Arden doesn't get a cold or worse, the flu. There is much that you can do to prevent the spread of germs but getting sick is sometimes inevitable and being prepared makes the process go much smoother. If our Precision Xtra sits in a drawer 360 days a year – it is still well worth having for the other five.
May you and your children be healthy and germ free this season!
This post was updated with new links and better writing on 1/22/15.
Remember that I am not a doctor. I am just passing on good information from my perspective. Always speak with your health care professional before making changes to a care plan. This is not a paid review. Please note that I have never used it as a blood glucose meter and can't speak to it's reliability on that front.
Lilly/Disney Books & Backpack Giveaway Winners Announcement
I'm knocking down two birds with one microphone this morning.
It was time for another microphone test for my upcoming podcast and also time to announce the winners of the Lilly Diabetes and Disney books giveaway. I took the opportunity and choose the winners during the mic test. All you have to do is click play on the audio player below to find out if you won - good luck!
Winners will be receiving an email from me very soon. I want to say congratulations to those who were picked at random and thank those who participated and weren't chosen. Thank you!
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."
Same Diabetes Data Two very Different Headlines
This really pissed me off!
In the past week I've seen two headlines shared on social media about type 1 diabetes. The first one that I came across from Sciencetimes.com reported, "Type 1 Diabetes Shortens the Lifespans of Sufferers". Needless to say I didn't jump to read this one - just too depressing.
A few days later I saw this article from Harvard.edu, "People with type 1 diabetes are living longer". This off course seemed strange because only a few days before, the first headline was saying the exact opposite. This stark contrast caused me to sit down to read both articles.
What I learned was actually uplifting but I remained irritated by the lazy 'journalism' of Science Times. Wait for it... both article were written based on the same research. They were both reporting that people living with type 1 are living significantly longer than in previous history. One just choose to use a click bait style headline, while the other chose to be straight forward.
I wanted to bring this to your attention in case you saw the Science Times piece and were bummed out by it. I also wanted to point out how misleading headlines can be and remind you that most websites are more interested in getting you to click than they are in actually informing you of something important.
The Science Times piece, which if you can get past the shitty headline is informative is here - http://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/2481/20150109/type-1-diabetes-shortens-the-lifespans-of-sufferers.htm
I however prefer the Harvard piece that can be found here - http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/people-type-1-diabetes-living-longer-201501087611
Be careful what you believe, share and take to heart... Type 1 diabetes and the ways that people are living with it is actually constantly improving and significantly more positive than even a very history. There are plenty of reason to be positive!
Link to research that both articles refer to: JAMA Abstract
Now before you go, I was hoping you could help me out.
I am in the process of adding a podcast to the blog. Entries will be conversational, additional content for a blog posts (like today), interviews, news, and revisits of older post. I'm far enough along with getting things up and running that it was time to do a test show. It's not perfect yet but I'm ready to let you hear it to get feedback on the idea, find out how it sounds and the rest. It's not available yet anywhere but in this post... but in the future I'll be posting across all podcast platforms. For now, I could really use your feedback on any aspect that you have an opinion on - thinking of calling it The Juicebox Podcast... Thank you in advance for your opinions!