Diabetes By The Numbers

One of the surprising things I've found out about myself while interviewing people for Diabetes By The Numbers is that I'm one of the worst pronouncers of names I've ever met.

That's horrible, especially when I have a guest as special as Renza Scibilia. Renza is a diabetes superhero worldwide, with her blog, her work for a large diabetes organization in Australia, and her presence at the forefront of the most important issues facing all of us.

After Renza gets me straightened out on the correct pronunciation of her last name, we talk about the upcoming ATTD conference in Berlin, the importance of #LanguageMatters, and how critical the Spare a Rose campaign is.

Which is timely, because this episode of Diabetes By The Numbers is part of Diabetes Podcast Week, February 10 through 16. All of the podcasters and video bloggers are throwing their efforts this week behind the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign through the International Diabetes Federation's Life for a Child program.

As I've mentioned before, the cost of one rose (about $5 USD) saves the life of a child for one month. The cost of a dozen roses gains a child in another part of the world an entire year to play, go to school, and be with their families. Who doesn’t love that?

There are children all over the world who are depending on us. So please, take time right now. Go to LFACInternational.org/SpareaRose and make your life-sustaining donation.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Renza!

Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic

Renza Scibilia is a gifted writer, and you can read her at:
Diabetogenic.wordpress.com

Be part of the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign this year by making your donation at:
LFACInternational.org/SpareARose

Mike Lawson is easy to talk to. He's been on the podcast before, in one of his many roles with Diabetes Hands Foundation. Today, Mike still has a number of roles... in addition to a full time job, he's a board member at T1 International.

And he's written a book!

Open Up Your Bag is a delightful children's book that helps familiarize young ones to the everyday tasks that come with living with diabetes. As Mike mentions, it also helps facilitate discussion about life with diabetes between kids and their parents.

If you're a fan of Mike's artwork at DHF and elsewhere, you'll notice it in the new book because he's the illustrator too! 

In our conversation, we talk about the book, about Mike's creativity, and his lifelong love of children's literature. It's a terrific chat, and a terrific book.

Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic

Mike Lawson's new book, Open Up Your Bag, is available via Amazon:
Get your copy of Open Up Your Bag

You can find coloring and activity sheets for Open Up Your Bag by going to Diabetes Doodles:
diabetesdoodles.com

Diabetes By The Numbers is BACK!

Thanks to everyone who waited patiently while I worked to retool the podcast. It took a while, but I am happy to be sharing another interesting conversation with you.

Today I'm speaking with Grainne Flynn, who is a passionate writer and diabetes advocate living in the Republic of Ireland. I've been reading her blog, Blood Sugar Trampoline, for some time, and I got to meet her in person last October at the joint Diabetes Sisters/Diabetes UnConference get-together in Alexandria, Virginia.

Did you ever strike up a conversation with someone and instantly feel comfortable? That's how you'll feel hearing Grainne. We talk about Blood Sugar Trampoline, the amazing Thriveabetes conference just completed... and she even shares her three must-visit places on the Emerald Isle. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

And thank you so much for listening. Again.

Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic

Grainne Flynn writes about her life with diabetes at her personal blog, Blood Sugar Trampoline:
BloodSugarTrampoline.com

Grainne is a co-founder of the diabetes empowerment organization Thriveabetes, which works to foster education and connections in the Republic of Ireland, and hosts a yearly conference:
Thriveabetes.ie

Clinical trials come and go, and often they may seem like the same thing is just being tested over and over again. But it’s really not like that at all.

Case in point is the clinical trial beginning at the University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technology. Jess Robic and Jennifer Pinnata from the CDT are here to talk about this trial specifically, and to answer a few questions surrounding clinical trial participation in general.

This trial is specifically recruiting MDI (multiple daily injections) users, but it’s using algorithms developed for use in artificial pancreas systems. There are many super interesting aspects to this study.

The best part is all the diabetes stuff you get as part of participation in the trial. It includes:

- Insulin for the length of the trial
- Use of an innovative insulin “smart” pen
- Use of a Dexcom G5 continuous glucose monitor
- Test strips for the length of the trial
- A stipend, dependent on the number of in-person study visits you complete before the end of your participation.

Seriously, if I was an MDI user, I would sign up for this trial yesterday.

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A quick note: this interview was conducted two days before the unrest in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12. If you’re wondering why we’re so cheery in the interview, and why we’re not even acknowledging anything about the racial discord of that weekend, or the fact that someone lost their life, it’s because it hadn’t happened yet.

In the aftermath of that sickening weekend, all of us decided to wait a bit before airing the episode. If you qualify, I hope you will consider signing up for this study… I believe it will help lead to something truly unique in insulin delivery for people living with diabetes.

Reference Material - Click below for more information

Jess and Jennifer talk about CDT's Recruitment Database... to join the pool of potential clinical trial participants, CLICK HERE.

To see the clinical trials currently recruiting and taking place at the University of Virginia, CLICK HERE.