Tag: community

A Meeting……I Should Have Known……We Have Work To Do…….What Say You?

Posted on | by tomkarlya | 11 Comments on A Meeting……I Should Have Known……We Have Work To Do…….What Say You?

surprisedAstounding. Mind-blowing.  Revealing.  Frustrating.

We have some work to do.  If ever I was reminded of that fact, it was last night.

I belong to a small group in my hometown.  We raise money for local causes surrounding diabetes needs.  In the scheme of things it is significant enough to make a difference to those entities we fund.  Not earth shattering but a difference none-the-less.  We work hard at raising money to help.

So last night we invited hospitals to “pitch us” on a project that had to do with diabetes, kids, and a significant impact in the community.

Here is what I heard.
Not one thing having to do with type 1 education.
Not one thing in helping kids with type 1 in any way.
Not one thing in helping adults with type 1 in any way.
Each proposed dealing with the growing obesity problem leading to type 2 and not one included defining and educating differences between the two largest groups much less the other types of diabetes.
Two referred to the ‘juvenile’ diabetes within their families.

To their credit, they all addressed a growing problem.
To their credit they all agreed to type one initiatives when I mentioned it.

This was a representation of our community health care.

And there it is.

Here is my question……if this is a sample of what is out there, and I do believe it is, what do we do about it?

Anything?

I look forward to hearing from you on this subject and please reply here at the site and not on the FB page so all can chime in.

I am a diabetes dad.

 

A Community……Our Community…..Comes Together.

Posted on | by tomkarlya | 2 Comments on A Community……Our Community…..Comes Together.

Community: defined as a  group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists.

As I watched the tragic events of the last few days the word ‘community’ has been stated so many times.  We all belong to various definitions of the word community, don’t we?  Probably the strongest community I belong to is this, the diabetes community. 

As I watched the people in Newtown, Connecticut come together for strength and consolation of each other I started to think about our diabetes community.  What makes us part of this community, what draws us together, is the very same thing that all of us could do without and would love never to have had enter in the first place; but we are here now.

We, probably more than many others, understand the need to come together for support, for answers, for consolation, and yes sometimes even to mourn.  We are part of something bigger than us, something that makes us laugh, makes us angry, makes turn to when needed…….we are a community.

I went to various people’s sites today and just read some of the posts.  What a variety of emotional posts from happiness at a local bar, to celebrating an anniversary, to the frustrations of what do with a particular diabetes management tool, to frustration at a school; to the pain we are feeling about the tragic events of yesterday; all with many, many comments to support and uphold the person writing the post.

We ARE the diabetes community.  In some cases we live many miles away from each; we have different religious, political and other views; we piss each other off from time to time but when needed we are here for each other…….we are dedicated to each other.  We are a community.

I so appreciate all of you and I just did not want to wait to tell you.  I want to tell you that today.  You all mean the world to me and I would be lost without this, a place none of us wanted but are here now to be there for each other……..a community.

I am a diabetesdad