Melissa Baland Lee

I met Melissa online at TuDiabetes.org. I was on the admin team with her 5 years ago.  A lot has changed in Melissa’s life.  She is a mother of two toddlers, wife, busy advocate, and she writes a great blog about diabetes and motherhood, if you have not read her blog Sweetly Voiced, I recommend that you do.  During DSMA Live, we covered a lot of details about Melissa’s diagnoses of type 1 diabetes and opting out of diabetes camp.

Melissa said, “ I was naïve…I did not understand the importance of connecting with other people living with diabetes.”  In college, she met someone living with diabetes.  She later married, the love her life.

18 years into her diagnosis, she was told she could not get pregnant, which was the first time she was told she could not do something due to diabetes.  Melissa was determined to lower her A1C and change her lifestyle to become a mother.  She shares intimate details of her journey to gain her doctor’s approval to conceive, losing friends, finding the diabetes online community and later becoming a mother to two beautiful children.

Melissa ended the show with a powerful message for women with diabetes.  Take a listen.  I hope you enjoy.

Spoiler Alert:  Melissa serenades the DSMA Live Team and our listeners.

Original article: Afterthoughts: Sweetly Voiced

©2013 Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. All Rights Reserved.

Crystal  Jackson of the American Diabetes Association joins us to chat about safe at school.

Click here listen.

Summer is the best time to get ready for the next school year. With a little more time and a more relaxed pace, getting plans in place for next year is a less stressful process.

Join us as we talk with Crystal about:

• Common school diabetes care problems and how they constitute “discrimination”
• Strategies for resolution
• Legal protections and rights of students with diabetes (federal and state)
• Barriers to the enforcement of legal protections
• Importance of (and how to develop) written plans
• How to get help
• Recent developments – legislation and OCR “victories”
• New initiatives – The Association’s new child care efforts (new position statement, DMMP, and other resources that will flow from the new position statement)

Crystal is a member of the American Diabetes Association (ADA)’s Legal Advocacy staff located at ADA’s national headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia and Director of the Association’s Safe at School Campaign.  Crystal is considered a national authority on the rights of students with diabetes and has spoken at conferences and forums throughout the United States and internationally on how to effectively advocate on behalf of students with diabetes, training hundreds of parent advocates, attorneys, and health care professionals.

Click for the American Diabetes Associations Safe at School Page 

Original article: DSMA Live ‘Rents: Safe at School

©2013 Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. All Rights Reserved.

Yo, como su hijo Jaime, también tengo la diabetes tipo 1, pero creo que ya supieron eso. Con eso, me gusta hablar con Mila sobre cosas que sabe y también de lo que hace por su hijo cuando se encuentre en situaciones que también tengo.

También hablamos sobre la diabetes tipo 2 y los problemas que se encuentran en la comunidad. Pero, actualmente, es un tipo de movimiento que tenemos que empezar. Un movimiento de la mente y forma de pensar; el estilo de vida.

Lo que no sabe mucha gente es que no se tiene que cortar lo que les gusta, sino, es saber cómo comer, como mantenerse uno a nivel de salud buena.

En final, tenemos que hablar más sobre nuestras experiencias, nuestras enfermedades y enseñar que no estamos solos.

Christina Rodriguez
DSMA en Vivo

Original article: Compartiendo Tiempo Con Mila Ferrer

©2013 Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. All Rights Reserved.

What do you consider to be your Diabetes Strengths?  What do you think are your Diabetes Weaknesses?

We’re excited to be hosting another Blog Carnival Giveaway this month.  All you have to do is answer this month’s question on your blog and come back and link you post in the comments section of this post.  You will be eligible to win a copy of Scott Benner’s new book “Life is Short, Laundry is Eternal”.

So don’t forget to come back to this post and link your carnival post in the comments section.  Also please add the following line to your post: “This post is my May entry in the DSMA Blog Carnival.  If you’d like to participate too, you can get all of the information at http://diabetessocmed.com/2013/may-dsma-blog-carnival-3/“

Original article: May DSMA Blog Carnival

©2013 Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. All Rights Reserved.

• Kelley has recently worked out a new exercise routine, and looks forward to adding outdoor biking to it.
• The Spring weather has Sue thinking of starting some new exercise routines, both traditional and unique!
• Over at DiabetesMine, Mike finds himself newly excited about exercise these days and Amy’s ongoing love of exercise feels even stronger lately.

As always, you can click over to the blog carnival page for the link to the full list of posts.  Didn’t quite get a chance to submit your post this month?  Go ahead and write it anyway and leave your link in the April Blog Carnival comments section so we can check it out!

This month the blog carnival also featured a fun give-away donated by Ginger Vieira and Rich the Diabetic.  Rich was our February winner and he generously donated the prize back to us.  This month we’d like to congratulate Kelley of Below Seven, who will be receiving an hour of coaching from Ginger along with a copy of her latest book “Emotional Eating with Diabetes”.  (And thank again, Ginger, for the generous prize donation!)

Don’t forget to check back here on Thursday when we’ll announce the topic for the May DSMA Blog Carnival!

Original article: DSMA Blog Carnival – April Round-Up

©2013 Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. All Rights Reserved.

Wil is a diabetes columnist and the author of four books about diabetes that have collectively won 16 national and international book awards. He pens the edgy Dear Abby-style advice column every Saturday at Diabetes Mine; writes the Diabetes Simplified column for dLife; and am one of the ShareCare diabetes experts. On his blog, lifeafterdx, is his personal observations about life and diabetes. He has  spent the last half-dozen years running the diabetes education program for a rural non-profit clinic in the mountains of New Mexico.

Original article: DSMA Live: Conversation Beyond Fingersticks with Will Dubois

©2013 Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. All Rights Reserved.

Lilly, the makers of Humalog said in their most recent earnings call that they have applied to the FDA for approval of some new medications. U200 insulin was one. That is double the strength Humalog. That is good news for people who take significant doses due to diminished insulin sensitivity. It also is a possible source of confusion at the pharmacy assuming it is approved. Read more here.

There has been a discovery of a new hormone, called betatrophin. The hormone has been found to produce insulin-secreting beta cells in mice. The applicability to people with type 2 diabetes could be significant, and there is also hope for it having a role in type 1 diabetes, at least for those newly diagnosed. This is still in the research phase, with only mice seeing the benefit thus far, but is an interesting discovery with regard to those all important beta cells. Read more here.

During the show we had the pleasure of being joined by Cherise, Kim, Scott, Scott, George, Leighann, Kelly and Mike.

The post-news conversation was free flowing. We started with how the show idea and format came to Cherise. We also talked about various favorites – favorite shows, videos, etc., and caught up a little with what everyone has going on. We had a lively chat participation from the Blog Talk Radio chatroom regulars. All around it was a fun evening and a real treat to be live and in person with so many. Thanks to all our friends who participated!

To listen to the show, click below, visit Blog Talk Radio, or Listen on iTunes.

We hope you will join us for our next show when our guest will be Crystal Jackson.

Disclosure: Bennet and I were in Indianapolis to attend a summit unrelated to DCAF. Lilly Diabetes coordinated and paid for the conference room, phone and internet service to allow us to conduct the show. Lilly Diabetes did not ask us to do the show, nor did they have any input on the content of the show. The thoughts, views and opinions expressed therein are ours and ours alone.

Original article: Afterthoughts | DSMA Live ‘Rents Destination Indianapolis

©2013 Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. All Rights Reserved.

As someone who has participated in local events through Insulindependence, it was a real treat to learn about Peter, his background, and how he’s pulled this magical group of people together to help change the world.

Insulindependence is all about getting people with diabetes moving. Exercise is such a powerful thing, but because it introduces so many variables into diabetes management, many of us are quite intimidated or downright afraid of exercise. Peter and his group are supporting people as they get moving, allowing people with diabetes to learn from people with diabetes as they try new things.

Early on in with his own diabetes, Peter recognized the value of support, and how having support and education around was a critical part of staying active with diabetes. He has put that lesson into practice in every event and activity through Insulindependence.

One of my favorite things about the show was hearing Peter talk about recognizing the value of other groups doing great things in diabetes, and helping them reach and help more people. When they recognize a gap, they do what they can as an organization to help fill that gap. I love hearing about people working together to benefit people living with diabetes.

There are local Insulindependence chapters all over the continental United States, and Peter is always looking to find volunteers to help get even more chapters up and running. Head over to their website to learn more.

Also be sure to check out the announcement for the upcoming conference (San Diego, CA – August 16-18, 2013) and the Athletic Achievement Awards.

Thank you, Peter, and all of the Insulindependence crew (volunteers, advisory council, board, staff, fundraisers, everyone!) for everything you are doing to help change the world!

“Turning individual habits into cultural norms” – Peter Nerothin on DSMA Live

– Stream the show, Download the MP3 (~15MB), grab the podcast via iTunes, or listen below.

Original article: After Thoughts: Peter Nerothin at Insulindependence

©2013 Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. All Rights Reserved.

Live Sunday, April 28th 9PM EST on Blog Talk Radio.

Original article: Special Sunday Edition of DSMA Live ‘Rents

©2013 Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. All Rights Reserved.

This week we are chatting with Peter Nerothin, President and Founder of Insulindepence, an incredible group of people who are doing amazing things to get people with diabetes moving, and to introduce them to the power of exercise and activity.

– Stream the show, Download the MP3 (~15MB), grab the podcast via iTunes, or listen below.

Original article: Peter Nerothin – Insulindependence

©2013 Diabetes Social Media Advocacy. All Rights Reserved.