I’m usually skeptical of good diabetes news (still waiting on that cure, by the way), but Lilly’s recent announcement on reducing insulin prices is a mind-boggling moment in patient advocacy. Surely, there is still much work to be done for truly equitable insulin access to become a reality for all. Yet, Lilly’s move (later followed by Novo Nordisk and Sanofi) is a step most of us never foresaw without federal regulation forcing pharmaceutical companies’ hands. (Without regulation, notably Pharma companies could raise list prices if they so choose). Understandably, all of this recent news doesn ..read more

The abridged version: I recently underwent an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) due to suspected adhesive capsulitis (“frozen shoulder”). After months of physical therapy (PT), the pain has infinitely improved yet my range of motion is still significantly limited. We needed more answers from the MRI to inform next steps. Because of other advocates’ warnings, I was concerned about blood sugar issues while inside the MRI machine. After voicing this to the imaging center, they explained that I would have a “panic button” of sorts- a squishy balloon contraption- to squeeze to alert the techs that I ..read more

This month marked 32 years of living with type 1 diabetes for me. Honestly, it was just another day at this point. The week was emotional for different reasons, and diabetes was in the background. What a contrast to that time over three decades ago, in which I was in DKA and fighting to survive, hooked up to beeping heart monitors and IV drips. I’m grateful this year for Tandem’s T:slim pump, particularly. This device is the reason I get some reprieve from the constant managerial aspects of T1D. It is why on my thirty-second diaversary, diabetes did not have the spotlight this year. How I wish ..read more

Wishing you a (belated) Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a fresh start in 2023! May we all be as chill as the mouse pictured here after some relaxation time this holiday season! *Alt text: Large, Christmas-themed stuffed animal mouse resting on a bed. I am making an effort to include alternate text descriptions for those with visual impairments. I am not always perfect at remembering, but please know that I am trying in good faith to be better about this. Thanks for the advocacy from many in the diabetes community regarding the inclusivity of alt text ..read more

“Have you had Covid yet?” “Not to my knowledge.” “Wow! You’re lucky!” the nurse replied, prepping the alcohol swab for my latest booster shot. Lucky. Surely, true to some extent. Privilege, or lack thereof, indeed affects the Covid course depending on who we are. This blog is by no means a critique of those who have experienced Covid-19 diagnoses; when government and public health responses fail so profoundly, of course many of us will be exposed in an airborne pandemic. Nor is this a condemnation of the nurse’s words. She was kind and simply making conversation. I imagine many of those she va ..read more

This blog recently notched its eighth anniversary. Woah! As time elapses, my anniversary posts usually cover the same theme: I am certainly not as into blogging as I once was, but I can’t seem to let go entirely, either. This year is no exception. Please know that although I may not be as vocal here, I do try to keep up with what our community is doing and I’m always rooting for us. I’m not the same person who started out here, and although the growing process has been ugly and painful, I’m more firmly in a better place now. Some friends in advocacy didn’t stick around to see this version of m ..read more

It happened gradually and then all at once- the searing shoulder pain which lasted about 30 seconds if I reached too far under the table for a dropped pen, or abruptly braced for impact when my lunchbox fell off the top of the refrigerator, aiming at my head. Seemingly overnight, my chorus became, Oww oww oww oww oww, my f*cking shoulder!, oww oww oww. After months of pain not resolving by my own methods of *trying to ignore the issue because I’m way too busy for anything else right now*, and then some more waiting for an appointment with an orthopedic specialist, the probable diagnosis, which ..read more

*Content warning: This blog discusses and contains images of insulin pump, continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and blood sugar values, which can potentially be upsetting in relation to personal diabetes challenges. Please be advised of this before reading further. I recently made the leap of faith to Tandem’s t:slim insulin pump with Control IQ software, and my mind is totally blown by all this tiny machine does akin to a normally-functioning pancreas each hour. Many others have chronicled their positive Tandem experiences, and at a later time I hope to join them with further blog posts. But the ..read more

If insulin is biologically as accessible to you as clean water, an afterthought as the tap pours freely- do not put words in our dry mouths, having never dwelled in the desert all this time ..read more

Wishing you a (belated) Merry Christmas and Happy 2022! See you next year ..read more