D•blog | Welcome to the Diabetes Stories website | riva greenberg

A diabetes solutions campaign you can help shape now

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:52:07 -0500

Sanofi has created an extremely brief 6-question survey in a unique diabetes awareness effort. Until Feb. 12th by expressing what matters most to you about diabetes in this survey you get to shape the focus of Sanofi's Data Design Diabetes Innovation Challenge.

The challenge will gather ideas for innovative solutions regarding diabetes awareness and care. After ideas are submitted, 5 semi-finalists will be selected for an intensive mentorship program, design boot camp and a $20K prize. Two favorite finalists will then be chosen by the public and finally a judge will select the winner who will receive $100K to develop their solution.

Sanofi is casting the net wide to grab as many innovative ideas, interventions and solutions as possible to help in the management and awareness of diabetes. On the survey page you can read all about the contest and rules. I should just mention winning ideas will be mentored by industry leaders, plus remain the property of their creator.

So take the survey and help shape the Challenge. Be part of the solution finding a solution.

The role you were born to play may just be a heartbeat away

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:55:57 -0500

Whether you know who Stephen Colbert is or not - by the way he's the comedian who hosts his own late night TV show, "The Colbert Report," I recently read an article in the New York Sunday Times magazine about him where one line made my skin tingle.

Comedian Stephen Colbert

The author says, "The role he (Colbert) was born for...hadn't yet come his way." It references the fact that Colbert wasn't very successful when he began his comedic career because he looked too bland, too sane and too conventionally good-looking. That the role he was born to play, the character he currently plays on his nightime parody show, is the one he unknowingly was waiting for. And by virtue of not giving up, for years, but persisting, he eventually got to play his role.

The take-away for me is if we haven't known great success in the past, and/or are trying to find our way now, perhaps the role we were born to play - whether that's in our work, love life, family etc, just hasn't yet come our way. It may still be waiting for us if we just persist.

"How Mrs. Grady Transformed Olly Neal"

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:58:03 -0500

Olly Neal

Nicholas Kristof

This was a wonderful story I read this weekend in the Sunday Review of the NY Sunday Times. It was written by Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize winning Op-Ed columnist. Nicholas Kristof is also an idealist. The kind of idealist I like. I've been reading his articles over the last few years and most are trying to wake us up to the genocide in Darfur. Once a year Kristof even takes a student and teacher with him on a reporting trip to Africa to experience first-hand the strife and inspire in them their own way to make the world a better place.

Kristof's Olly Neal article is filled with the same idealism and I like the take-away. The story is about how a teacher, Mildred Grady, ridiculed and reduced to tears by troubled and trouble-some student, Olly Neal, in the segregated South in the 1950s, ended up doing Neal a remarkable kindness that put him on a trajectory to become a lawyer, the first black prosecuting attorney in Arkansas and then a judge on the appellate court. The kindness wove its way to Neal's daughter who earned a doctorate in genetics.

Volunteer abroad and empower children with diabetes

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:40:40 -0500

Summer program, apply now

Here's an opportunity I wish I could take advantage of, but unfortunately I am too old, oh yes, and I don't speak Spanish. But if you are a young person, at least sixteen years old, do speak Spanish and would love to have a life-changing experience empowering young people with diabetes, AYUDA (American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad) is for you.

AYUDA is looking for volunteers to help children with diabetes in Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. You don't have to be in medicine and you don't have to have or know about diabetes, you will be trained.

The Dominican Republic program runs mid-June to early July. The Ecuador program runs mid-July to early August. Applications are being accepted now until February 1 and here's everything you need to know.

Have a safe and wonderful journey.

The power to tame disease

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:48:31 -0500

A simple yet powerful talk

I came across this video while reading psychologist Arloski's blog on wellness coaching.

It's about Dr. David Servan-Schreiber who succumbed to brain cancer almost twenty years after he got it.

During Dr. Servan-Schreiber's years with cancer he inspired people who have cancer to fight for themselves through diet, being present and hope.

I found the video moving and a confirmation of how much our bodies are the result of what we do. As Servan-Schreiber says, "Food is something you do to your body three times a day." The idea of food being something we do to our body was a different way of looking at what we choose to put into our mouths.

You can substitute "diabetes" for "cancer" throughout this short video and I guarantee you will get something out of it. Even if just a reminder about how you're caring for yourself and your diabetes.

Thank you Dr. Servan-Schreiber.

Social media isn't just for patients

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:35:04 -0500

Support and idea space

The social media space isn't just support space for patients - which is incredible enough - but also "idea" space for medical device manufacturers if they'd only look.

That's what writer Amy Munice, blogger Amy Tenderich of DiabetesMine's Design Challenge, her inspired device designers and I think.

According to Amy Munice, "The foolproof way to get the right mix in social media messaging and pave the path for future patented technology, above all, is to focus on listening...all new product developers tapping into the likes of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and disease-specific niches in the blogosphere at every stage of medical device development, could well be the harbingers of engineering and design school curricula in the not-so-distant future."

To read the full article click here.

JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Research Summit and You're Invited!

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:25:49 -0500

Saturday February 18th

If you have type 1 diabetes and could spend a Saturday hearing what’s currently going on in research toward a cure, and more – FOR FREE – would you? You can, and you are cordially invited to the second annual JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Research Summit.

Whether you are an adult with type 1, teen with type 1, parent of a child with type 1, loved one of a type 1, health care provider, CDE, MD, researcher, industry partner or interested party, the JDRF Capitol Chapter, which serves the Washington, DC metro area, is sponsoring this fantastic event Saturday February 18^th in Bethesda, MD - and welcomes you.

Registration is still open but will begin to fill up, so don't put it off, and spread the word. Here's the full day's program. To register simply go here.

While I wasn’t at last year’s event, I will be at this year’s. In fact, I'll be moderating the dozen stand-out researchers and scientists who will be presenting. Last year’s attendees numbered more than 400 and I heard via the grapevine all thought the conference was amazing. I know this year’s event will be just as amazing, enlightening and enriching both for what you’ll learn and who you’ll meet.

Help for families who have a child with type 2 diabetes

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:22:06 -0500

Your Healthy Home Series

Here's a great way to get the new year off to a happy and healthy start - if you have a child with type 2 diabetes: Your Healthy Home Series (YHHS).

YHHS is a 4-week series of video coaching sessions from Helaine Ciporen. Helaine is a licensed clinical social worker who counsels children and families at NYC's Mount Sinai Hospital, Center for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes.

Even better news - the first 50 people who sign up get it for free!

Your Healthy Home Series consists of 8 interactive emails, each with a short video followed by a questionnaire designed to help families better understand their needs, so that they can make the small changes that will lead to big changes in their health. One of the advantages of this online program is families are right in the environment where they need to make changes - their home - and now they can have the ongoing support and guidance they need.

Although increasing numbers of children are getting type 2 diabetes, due to escalating childhood obesity, there are few educational resources for parents and families. Helaine's coaching program, as well as the educational web site she developed after years in the field, DiabetesFamilies.com, is one of those resources.

Dear Santa, won't you please take this diabetes away?

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 11:08:02 -0500

One can wish, can't one?

I've posted this before but I'm posting it again - because it makes me laugh, and humor can't be overrated living with diabetes.

Dear Santa,

All I'd like this Christmas is for you to take this diabetes away. I'm so tired of it already. All the time stabbing my fingers for blood and guessing when my sugar's too high or too low.

Now that I'm in menopause I can barely tell whether I'm sweating because I'm losing estrogen or because my blood sugar's crashing at 50 mg/dl!

And, can we talk... I mean the constant figuring out how many carbs are in a ravioli or bread stick or that fried calamari that will be at the company Christmas party. Some days I just want to lie down and shoot myself. Please, please, Santa, would you take this diabetes away?

Sincerely,
Riva

***
Dear Riva,

I'm very sorry you're having a tough time during my favorite season. I only want people to be singing carols and drinking eggnog and feeling good cheer. Unfortunately, it says in my contract that I'm not allowed to interfere with life's natural occurrences. So here's my suggestion: although you've already opened your holiday gifts, go back and look under your Hanukkah bush for the gift in having diabetes.

Free Classes at Type 1 University: A holiday gift just for you

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:32:25 -0500

Learn for free in January

CDE/pump trainer and author, Gary Scheiner, is offering free online diabetes classes throughout the month of January.

Don't miss this opportunity to relearn carb counting, lose weight on insulin, make better use of your pump or CGM and more. Gary offers 10 different classes to help you brush up on your management.

T1 University's online one hour classes are available to anyone who uses insulin and parents and caregivers.

Pre-registration is required, so take a look, check out this 10 minute sample class and then sign up today.

You'll be glad you did.

Back from the International Diabetes Federation World Congress in Dubai

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:21:45 -0500

Members of the DOC

It's been an amazing two and a half weeks. December 2nd I left New York for the International Diabetes Federation World Congress in Dubai.

More than 15,000 attendees arrived for the conference and I reported its opening on the Huffington Post.

In between running to press briefings I got to hang with a number of fellow diabetes bloggers and do a night on the Dubai-town.

Pictured here are Cherise Shockley of Diabetes Social Media Advocacy, Elizabeth and David Edelman of DiabetesDaily.com and Manny Hernandez of Diabetes Hands Foundation and TuDiabetes.

Here is the Congress in pictures(and captions), thanks to my husband and newly minted press photographer.

Dubai-bound

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:02:01 -0500

It's out the door from Brooklyn to Newark airport to Zurich to Dubai where the International Diabetes Federation is holding its every-other-year Congress. 12,000 plus of the top minds in diabetes will be converging in the part of the world where 1 in 4 people have diabetes.

I'll be there scooping up stories and posting photos at my twitter account. Follow me via http://www.twitter.com/diabetesmyths

Walgreens diabetes magazine wins health information award

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:48:24 -0500

Quarterly Magazine

I can't say I'm in a Walgreens very often. Although I probably am more than I know as I recently discovered they took over the very famous, and for some unknown reason, beloved local New York City chain drugstore, Duane Reade. Oh, you'll still see the Duane Reade sign, but they're a Walgreens.

Anyway, I have dipped into Walgreens now and then because every so often they run a sale on my beloved Extend Bars - I love 'em for getting me through the night when my blood sugar's going to take a nosedive as I sleep.

Anyway, it appears Walgreens has made an even bigger commitment to diabetes as sex ed/CDE Janis Roszler let me know with their "Walgreens Diabetes & You" quarterly magazine. Here's a link to this fall's issue. The magazine won the national health information awards' top honor. So while I can't give you any personal insight as I've never seen it Janis is writing for it and that alone gets my vote of merit.

So next time you're in a Walgreens (or maybe a Duane Reade?) pick up a copy and check it out. I say it every time I give one of my peer-mentor A1C presentations "Education is key to managing diabetes." And as Oprah says, "The more you know, the better you do."

How many ways can we "Take the next step" with our diabetes?

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:32:29 -0500

At Friends for Life in Orlando

What's your next step?

As Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I'll be off eating turkey, I've been reflecting the past few days how thankful I am and how fortunate I've been this year in both my personal and professional life. One of my professional joys and accolades has been the many presentations I've given this year at health events and conferences, and I've loved them all. For a girl who grew up quiet and shy, I love educating and inspiring a group.

I spoke in April at Diabetes Sisters' 'Weekend for Women' conference to 100 women, and helped them see their unique strengths to manage diabetes. In July, at Children with Diabetes' 'Friends for Life' conference, I invited patients to explore and share their healthy habits, discover their personal reason for doing the work diabetes demands, and look for 1 positive thing diabetes has given them. Not one turned away scoffing.

Early in the year I spoke at an American Diabetes Association conference in Madison, Wisconsin to diabetes educators, and I closed the year with the third of my 'Take the Next Step: Get Motivated' programs that I do with fitness trainer Kim Lyons, (sponsored by Pfizer) at TCOYD.

Ground-breaking documentary follows quest - and possible cure

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:13:31 -0500

New documentary: Quest for a cure for type 1 diabetes

The Islet Sheet may be a cure

Patient 13 is a documentary-in- progress seeking funds to continue filming. It's also on a quest to find, and it's possibly standing on the brink of, a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Patient 13 is following two men: Dr. and medical researcher, Jonathan Lakey, who was part of the islet-transplant work more than a decade ago known as the Edmonton Protocol. Lakey is now part of a team of researchers and scientists developing and testing the 'Islet Sheet' (shown here in hand - transparent and the size of a business card) as a possible cure for type 1 diabetes.

Scott King is the man who will be patient 13 - the 13th subject in the clinical trial. King has had type 1 diabetes for 34 years and has been on his own quest for a cure as both a scientist and biotech entrepreneur.

The Edmonton Protocol in Canada, proved islet transplants could free patients of their need for insulin, but insulin-independence was short-lived, largely due to anti-rejection issues. Lakey believes the Islet Sheet will not encounter that problem; it is not expected to be recognized by the body as foreign and so not rejected.

T:slim pump has go-ahead and Apple-like features and screen

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:29:42 -0500

Slimmer, color touch screen

Well it appears someone is listening to diabetes patients' cry for devices that work-cool and look-cool.

Today Tandem Diabetes Care announces it has approval from the FDA to market t:slim™, the smallest insulin pump with a color touch screen that works and looks more like your iphone.

Kim Blickenstaff, President and CEO of Tandem said, "In creating t:slim we spoke with more than 4,000 healthcare professionals and people with diabetes, and the clear message we heard was, "make it cool and make it uncomplicated to use."

While a traditional tubed pump, the t:slim is slimmer and has a rechargeable battery and USB connectivity to management software.

t:slim launches the first half of 2012. The company is now putting customer support, sales and clinical and business operations in place in preparation.

For more product description, Amy Tenderich over at DiabetesMine breaks it all down - beautifully ;-).

Today is World Diabetes Day

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:36:20 -0500

Help make the blue symbol used and recognized

If you're new to diabetes, or the diabetes online community, November 14th is World Diabetes Day. Nov. 14 is the birthday of Frederick Banting who helped discover life-saving insulin.

World Diabetes Day was established by the United Nations to raise awareness of diabetes and increase funding for its prevention and treatment. We actually have the little nation of Bangladesh to thank for pushing through this resolution.

Today the World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Take a look at some of the great things going on and ways you can get involved. Today in many places around the world structures, and people, will be lit in blue to draw attention to the round blue symbol you see here. Like breast cancer's pink ribbon, IDF is leading an effort to get all diabetes organizations to adopt the blue symbol.

IDF just released in its Diabetes Atlas the latest global diabetes statistics:

• One adult in ten will have diabetes by 2030

• Currently 366 million people have diabetes, that will rise to 552 million people in 2030. That means 3 new people will be diagnosed every 10 seconds

Save a life doing the Big Blue Test: maybe save your own

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 07:52:31 -0500

Do the Test: Help save a life

Have you ever directly seen the impact of activity on your blood sugar? You've heard it a million times: exercise helps manage blood sugar and prevent and delay diabetic complications. Now see it for yourself, and be part of the movement that's saving thousands of lives. And one of those lives may be your own!

Between now and November 14th at midnight test your blood sugar, participate in an activity of your choice - walking, gardening, vacuuming, chasing the cat - for 14 minutes, test your blood sugar again and share your results at the Big Blue Test. This is Diabetes Hands Foundations' yearly initiative to show people with diabetes the impact of exercise on blood sugar.

When you do the Test and share your results, Roche Diabetes Care will fund life-saving diabetes supplies to someone in need in the U.S. or Latin America. The goal is 8,000 Big Blue Testers = 8,000 lives saved. If you want to save more lives, you can do the test as many times as you want as long as you record the results.

Dr. Oz's SharecareNow picks"Top Ten Diabetes Influencers"

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:52:34 -0400

Top Ten Diabetes Influencers

Ten diabetes advocates in the online diabetes community - including yours truly - have been recognized by a new service from Dr. Mehmet Oz and partners called SharecareNow. The company's mission is to help simplify the search for high-quality online healthcare information. They've just released SharecareNow 10 - their list of the top ten people reaching and impacting audiences, from mainstream news sites and personal blogs to community forums and Facebook.

I'm honored to be on this list along with many fellow advocates and bloggers whom I know, and also know how hard they work helping to inform, educate and inspire all of us.

Here's the list:

1) Amy Tenderich, DiabetesMine™
2) Kerri Sparling, Six Until Me
3) Kelly Close, Close Concerns
4) Manny Hernandez, Tu Diabetes / Ask Manny
5) Leighann Calentine, D-Mom Blog
6) Riva Greenberg, The Huffington Post
7) Kelly Kunik, Diabetesaliciousness™
8) Elizabeth Woolley, About.com - Type 2 Diabetes / Diabetic Mommy
9) Kim Vlasnik, Texting My Pancreas / You Can Do This Project
10) Scott Johnson, Scott's Diabetes

Diabetes Research Institute gives us a reason to believe in a cure

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:15:58 -0400

Kicking off Diabetes Month, the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), a leading organization in diabetes research, unveils their new heartfelt campaign about their commitment to never stop searching for a cure.

The campaign, Reason to Believe, is a series of videos that will be rolling out all month featuring parents, patients and researchers expressing their hopes and beliefs that a cure will come.

The campaign aims to raise funding so DRI can find that cure more quickly. While we know intellectually how difficult it must be to have a child with diabetes, I dare you to watch this video about 3 year old Jace, diagnosed at two, and his parents and not feel immediately how heart-wrenching and difficult it is for every parent who endures the fears for their child when out of sight for just a few minutes, and the hardship parents and children share of daily finger pricks, injections, countless carb and insulin calculations, and the nighttime dread over a disastrous low and uncertain future.

Last year I interviewed DRI’s Scientific Director, Dr. Camillo Ricordi, “Curing Diabetes: How Close Are We?”. His life-long commitment inspires me to believe that yes one day there will be a cure.

Your old cell phone can buy life-saving, in time, care

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:11:38 -0400

Chelsea Clinton wants your phone!

This is such a great cause. Chelsea Clinton and supermodel Christy Turlington Burns have started an action at George Washington University - that you can be part of - to collect old cell phones so women in Congo and Nepal can get critical care fast.

Money from the sales of your recycled phone will be used to buy new phones and given to women in developing countries so they can get vital information from far-away health care providers and connect for critical hands-on care in life-saving time. It's about taking an old cell phone and creating a health care infrastructure where none exists.

Your donated phone will generate two to three new cell phones. Smartphones can yield five to 20 cell phones.

To donate your phone, ipad, ipod, digital camera or other mobile devices, register here, fill out the ticket Information, click "Register" and you'll be led to a registration page. Fill it out, click "Complete Registration" and you'll be led to a page that says "Order Confirmation." Click on "Hope Phones mailing label" and you'll be provided a Prepaid Shipping label to affix on a padded envelope and drop in the mail.

A coaching conference in health leadership

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:42:35 -0400

Coaching patients to change behavior

So, can I say I'm a Harvard graduate when I come back from this weekend in Boston?

I'm going to the Institute of Coaching, a Harvard Medical School affiliate for the fourth annual Coaching in Leadership and Healthcare conference.

It promises to be both educational and interesting with some of the leaders in the coaching field leading discussions and facilitating workshops. Many also come from the field of positive psychology. People like Margaret Moore, Carol Kaufman, Bob Kegan and Richard Kogan.

This is an annual conference designed for those in psychiatry, psychology, behavioral medicine, mental health clinicians, physical medicine & rehabilitation and coaches.And healthcare providers who want to add coaching to their repertoire of skills. Here's a detailed itinerary.

While we know patients with diabetes are still failing, in droves, to adapt healthier lifestyle habits, coaching patients is beginning to be recognized as a key instrument and support to help patients improve their diabetes self-management.

"My Sweet Life" shares women's success stories living with diabetes

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:48:13 -0400

Available now for pre-order

Calling all patients - whether you're newly diagnosed or have been living with diabetes for decades - and health care providers.

There’s a new book hot off the presses, "My Sweet Life: Successful Women with Diabetes." Published by PESI HealthCare, "My Sweet Life" is available for pre-order now and will be widely available next month, diabetes month.

“My Sweet Life" brings together twenty plus stories from successful women who have found a balance in their personal, professional and diabetes-management lives. One of the themes in the book is how diabetes can be viewed as a blessing in disguise.

Clinical psychologist and CDE, Beverly Adler, gave birth to the book. I happen to know because only two months ago I was writing my story to be included in this compilation. While there seem to be a number of books that feature inspiring stories of living with diabetes this one is strictly of women, and predominantly women with type 1 diabetes. While a type one woman will no doubt see herself in these stories, I imagine there are things a woman with type 2 will relate to as well. If you're a man married to or dating a woman with diabetes, particularly type 1, it may give you greater insight what your woman deals with.

A New, All Natural Glucose Tablet

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:02:17 -0400

All natural glucose tablets

Ten days ago, while presenting at the TCOYD event in Tampa, I wandered around the Exhibition Hall looking to see what’s new - and I actually found something, and someone.

I found Chris Angell, a young man with type 1 diabetes standing behind a table with his product, GlucoLift.

GlucoLift is, unlike other glucose tablets, all-natural. It contains no artificial color, flavoring or dextrose from genetically modified corn.

GlucoLift contain the same 4 grams of glucose/per tablet as the glucose tablets you’re familiar with and come in three flavors: Orange Cream, which Chris likened to those creamsicles of yore, with which I agree, Cherry and Wildberry. While taste is personal, and I didn’t find they taste that different than regular glucose tablets, I do like the idea of no artificial ingredients.

GlucoLift also have the advantage of a flip-cap top on their sleeve of tablets. It's a one hand operation, easier to open when working with a muddled brain, heart palpatations and shaky hands from a low. These tabs also carry the banner of being the 1st "TCOYD approved" product.