Aware of Awesome

Blogging used to be the way I found and met other people with diabetes online but Twitter quickly became the meeting place for the DOC.

One person that I met via Twitter and who I was have been blessed to meet in person is Bob Pederson. Bob writes a blog called T Minus Two where he writes not only about diabetes but also cooking, poetry, physical health, among other things.

For whatever reason I felt connected to Bob pretty quickly. He has a way of writing that makes you feel like you really know him. You can also tell by his posts that he is a smart man and I like being around smart people! They make me feel smarter.

Besides being a great writer Bob has a big heart. At least that is what I think. His genuine concern, compassion, and caring of others in the world is one I wish was echoed through everyone. We could use more people like Bob.

Diabetes Awareness Month is an important time to focus on Diabetes but I think shining a light on great people living with this disesase everyday is also an imporant part of understanding Diabetes. 

I am a huge fan of Bob and I know many of you are also. Feel free to share you stories about Bob in the comments below. 

The Game Changer

I like to brag about riding 36 miles on the ADA Tour de Cure a few years ago. The few of you who rode with me know it was not a pretty sight but I did make it and because of that I am pretty proud of myself.

The Tour de Cure and my desire to finally take the leap of faith and do it is because of one person, Mari Ruddy.

I met Mari while attending an AADE conference in Las Vegas. We met on the convention room floor and within a few moments of talking she had me crying, she was crying, we were hugging, and my commitment to ride was set in stone.

Her story of why she wanted to start the Red Riders Program with the ADA is a powerful one. I highly recommend you click on this link and read her story. It always makes me choke up.

Mari is an important person in my life even though we only chat online now and then. She inspires me to be better than I think I can be. She makes me want to get up and do something when the world is sitting on top of me. She helps me remember that all this struggle and frustration with diabetes is worth it, I am worth it. 

Being a Red Rider means so much more to me than it ever would if I didn't know Mari or read her story. She changed my life and I am just one ninja. Can you imagine how many others she helps?

Becoming aware of Mari this Diabetes Awareness Month is like getting another weapon in your arsenal against diabetes and depression.

If you know Mari please share your story in the comments. I would love to be more aware of her awesomeness.

The Curious Girl

When I first started blogging back in January of 2006 I had no idea I would still be doing it 7 years later! There were a handful of diabetes bloggers back then and I felt like such a weirdo wanting to start my own.

One of the people who inspired me to start blogging was Nicole. 

Nicole seemed like such a cool person. I remember reading her posts and thinking we shared a similar sense of humor and view of the world. Her honest account of her diabetes life was refreshing and raw. She was funny and smart. I love that combination.

I live in the Los Angeles area and several years ago Nicole was in San Diego on business. San Diego is a 2 hour drive South from me but the chance to meet one of my D-Friends is worth a few hours in traffic.

When I went to pick her up at her hotel I pulled into the driveway and up this weird ramp into a parking area. I was so confused. I stopped the car and called her.

"I have no idea where I am supposed to go but I am here. Where are you?"

"Hmm I am right out front... hang on I have an idea."

GEORGE? GEEOOORRRGE?? WHERE ARE YOU????

I hung up the phone laughing because Nicole was literally shouting my name so I started to shout back.

I CAN HEAR YOU BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE!!!

I looked over a ledge and down below I saw her. When she heard my voice she looked up and saw me. 

STAY THERE! I WILL COME TO YOU!

As I stood there by my car laughing at the silliness that just occurred, Nicole walked up some stairs and got to me.

That entire evening was spent laughing and having fun. We went to karoke bar and made in time for someone to buy us a shot (still don't know what that was about). We tried on hats, had burgers, and mostly laughed and laughed. 

                         

We even recorded a vlog!

Nicole writes about diabetes in the Blogabetes section of dLife. She continues to be an inspiration for me and someone I will always call friend. 

I'm Aware!

Today marks the beginning of National Diabetes Awareness Month. 

If you are reading this blog than you are probably pretty aware of diabetes. Diabetes has a way of making sure you pay attention to it, either sooner or later. It can be devistating while being sneaky.

Sneaky in the way you sometimes feel like you have it figured out. Like this combo of food and medicine works well and I know my blood sugar will stay in WAIT A SECOND, everything changed and I'm a mess.

That is the awareness many of us with diabetes face daily.

So this month I want to make you aware of something closly related to diabetes but not Diabetes. That is what my Facebook posts are for. No, I want to make you aware of people who I have met online or in person because of our connection to diabetes. 

Each day for the month of November I am going to write a post about a person with diabetes. Not my favorite 30 people diabetes, or my best D friends, this is just a group of 30 people that I want you to be aware of and know.

I am blessed with a lot of people in my life and I am also blessed with the abilty to love them all very much. That said, if I did this kind of thing for an entire year I would miss people I love so this list is just 29 (skipping today for the intro) I picked out for one reason or another. 

Hopefully you will get to know some people you may not know or get to know some people better than you know them.