Tag: glucometers.

Why Would This Woman Do What She Did??? A Video That Will Drive you to Your Knees.

Posted on | by tomkarlya | 3 Comments on Why Would This Woman Do What She Did??? A Video That Will Drive you to Your Knees.

Sandra StraussEmotional.

Do you get emotional?

Sandy is beautiful and in fact, when she smiles, she is downright breath-taking.  She’s the type of person that, upon entrance into a room, it becomes electric.

She does not ‘say hello’, she hugs you because she ‘means’ hello.  She speaks four languages, and she will share with you that she is a speaker, writer, marketing specialist and a girl who just wants to change the world.

About being the underdog, she writes:  I see underdogs as people with a burning desire to make a mark – who remain committed and undeterred in spite of the odds stacked against them, and who exhibit an indomitable spirit that inspires others. Underdogs have the boldness and tenacity to pursue a goal wholeheartedly, and deserve all the help and support they can get!

She also has T1 diabetes.  When I saw the video that I have included below, I not only cried, but I had to share it with you.  It is of one of the most gruelling undertakings a person can put themselves through.  It is called Tough Mudder which is described as hardcore events in a 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. 

What!!!!!!

Sandy tells you why she attempts it at the end of the video and it will pierce your heart.  You have to watch it to see if she completes it.   She was not alone in this undertaking and her whole team was made up of people with T1 Diabetes.

This is a video of my friend Sandy Struss. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VeEoIlUkTw

“….just a girl who wants to change the world.”  Indeed, beautiful.

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

There Was a ‘Back Then’, Before……..Who Would Live Like That????????

Posted on | by tomkarlya | 5 Comments on There Was a ‘Back Then’, Before……..Who Would Live Like That????????

Back in timeBefore.

Heavens; what did we do ‘before’?

When I was at dLife, Richard found his way into our forums and chats and once I became a regular in the online community Richard would always ‘pop in’ here and there adding his golden nuggets of incredible information.  You see Richard has been living with diabetes for 67 years.  That’s right, 67!

This week, while at the Children with DIabetes Friends for Life Conference he had a ‘first timers’ ribbon on.  Now being in his seventies, the man still looks to educate himself and be part of the diabetes community; doing something for the first time after having diabetes for 67 years.  If that doesn’t humble you, nothing will.

After meeting Richard, I was thinking on the plane ride home from Orlando; what it must have been like living with diabetes when Richard was a young boy.

I know all of the changes that have occurred since Kaitlyn was diagnosed 21 years ago and there have been so many more since Richard was diagnosed during the 1940s.  It makes me wonder what in heaven’s name we all did before……..before……..SO MUCH!

Imagine our world without devices like pumps, fast-reading glucometers, small needles, CGMs; Imagine our world without CWD, JDRF, DRI, The Diabetes Advocates, The Diabetes Hands Foundation, and so many other areas; Imagine our world without Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; Imagine our world not connected and not being able to be with each other in the many ways available to us.

Imagine.

We now live in an instantaneous world which readily is available to supply and share information.  Our meters are the fastest they have ever been, and there is even discussions of things like the Bionic Pancreas and the BioHub; words that did not even exist 5 years ago, much less sixty-seven.

The world is forever changing and changing at a pace that on one hand does not seem fast enough but in another; faster than anyone could ever imagine.

When people like Richard were testing urine in a test tube 40 years ago, what would they have said when told that someday you will have something that will dispense insulin automatically?

We are now living in the fastest world of ‘now’ becoming ‘before’ than any other time in our history.  Just a shame that it is all not fast enough……isn’t it?

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.