Diabetes by the Numbers

One of the surprising things I've found out about myself while interviewing people for Diabetes By The Numbers is that I'm one of the worst pronouncers of names I've ever met. That's horrible, especially when I have a guest as special as Renza Scibilia. Renza is a diabetes superhero worldwide, with her blog, her work for a large diabetes organization in Australia, and her presence at the forefront of the most important issues facing all of us. After Renza gets me straightened out on the correct pronunciation of her last name, we talk about the upcoming ATTD conference in Berlin, the importance of #LanguageMatters, and how critical the Spare a Rose campaign is. Which is timely, because this episode of Diabetes By The Numbers is part of Diabetes Podcast Week, February 10 through 16. All of the podcasters and video bloggers are throwing their efforts this week behind the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign through the International Diabetes Federation's Life for a Child program. As I've mentioned before, the cost of one rose (about $5 USD) saves the life of a child for one month. The cost of a dozen roses gains a child in another part of the world an entire year to play, go to school, and be with their families. Who doesn’t love that? There are children all over the world who are depending on us. So please, take time right now. Go to LFACInternational.org/SpareaRose and make your life-sustaining donation.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Renza! Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic Renza Scibilia is a gifted writer, and you can read her at: Diabetogenic.wordpress.com Be part of the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign this year by making your donation at: LFACInternational.org/SpareARose

Mike Lawson is easy to talk to. He's been on the podcast before, in one of his many roles with Diabetes Hands Foundation. Today, Mike still has a number of roles... in addition to a full time job, he's a board member at T1 International. And he's written a book! Open Up Your Bag is a delightful children's book that helps familiarize young ones to the everyday tasks that come with living with diabetes. As Mike mentions, it also helps facilitate discussion about life with diabetes between kids and their parents. If you're a fan of Mike's artwork at DHF and elsewhere, you'll notice it in the new book because he's the illustrator too!  In our conversation, we talk about the book, about Mike's creativity, and his lifelong love of children's literature. It's a terrific chat, and a terrific book. Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic Mike Lawson's new book, Open Up Your Bag, is available via Amazon: Get your copy of Open Up Your Bag You can find coloring and activity sheets for Open Up Your Bag by going to Diabetes Doodles: diabetesdoodles.com

Diabetes By The Numbers is BACK! Thanks to everyone who waited patiently while I worked to retool the podcast. It took a while, but I am happy to be sharing another interesting conversation with you. Today I'm speaking with Grainne Flynn, who is a passionate writer and diabetes advocate living in the Republic of Ireland. I've been reading her blog, Blood Sugar Trampoline, for some time, and I got to meet her in person last October at the joint Diabetes Sisters/Diabetes UnConference get-together in Alexandria, Virginia. Did you ever strike up a conversation with someone and instantly feel comfortable? That's how you'll feel hearing Grainne. We talk about Blood Sugar Trampoline, the amazing Thriveabetes conference just completed... and she even shares her three must-visit places on the Emerald Isle. I hope you enjoy our conversation. And thank you so much for listening. Again. Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic Grainne Flynn writes about her life with diabetes at her personal blog, Blood Sugar Trampoline: BloodSugarTrampoline.com Grainne is a co-founder of the diabetes empowerment organization Thriveabetes, which works to foster education and connections in the Republic of Ireland, and hosts a yearly conference: Thriveabetes.ie

Clinical trials come and go, and often they may seem like the same thing is just being tested over and over again. But it’s really not like that at all. Case in point is the clinical trial beginning at the University of Virginia Center for Diabetes Technology. Jess Robic and Jennifer Pinnata from the CDT are here to talk about this trial specifically, and to answer a few questions surrounding clinical trial participation in general. This trial is specifically recruiting MDI (multiple daily injections) users, but it’s using algorithms developed for use in artificial pancreas systems. There are many super interesting aspects to this study. The best part is all the diabetes stuff you get as part of participation in the trial. It includes: - Insulin for the length of the trial - Use of an innovative insulin “smart” pen - Use of a Dexcom G5 continuous glucose monitor - Test strips for the length of the trial - A stipend, dependent on the number of in-person study visits you complete before the end of your participation. Seriously, if I was an MDI user, I would sign up for this trial yesterday. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- A quick note: this interview was conducted two days before the unrest in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12. If you’re wondering why we’re so cheery in the interview, and why we’re not even acknowledging anything about the racial discord of that weekend, or the fact that someone lost their life, it’s because it hadn’t happened yet. In the aftermath of that sickening weekend, all of us decided to wait a bit before airing the episode. If you qualify, I hope you will consider signing up for this study… I believe it will help lead to something truly unique in insulin delivery for people living with diabetes. Reference Material - Click below for more information Jess and Jennifer talk about CDT's Recruitment Database... to join the pool of potential clinical trial participants, CLICK HERE. To see the clinical trials currently recruiting and taking place at the University of Virginia, CLICK HERE.  

Mindy Bartleson is accomplished.  I don't think that's overstating it.  What's really amazing is how accomplished she is at only 24 years of age. Mindy lives with a number of chronic conditions, diabetes being one of them, and we talk about them here.  Many people remember her from her previous work at College Diabetes Network.  She has a really super blog.  Her writing has been featured on numerous websites. And now, she's written a book.   We talk about the book, about what it's like to live with so many things and go to college and write a blog and write a book too.   This interview is being aired in conjunction with the Kickstarter campaign designed to help Mindy get her book published.  CLICK HERE to contribute... the end result will be well worth it.   Here's a pretty revealing look at one of nicest people you'll ever get to know.   Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic   Help Mindy publish her book!  To donate to Mindy's Kickstarter campaign, CLICK HERE.   Mindy's blog is titled There's More To The Story, and you can find it here: blogMoreToTheStory.com  

Truth be told, I look to Christopher Snider as the gold standard for quality diabetes interviews and podcasts.  I've wanted him on this podcast for some time. Now, with that out of the way, let me tell you why Christopher was part of the podcast this week.  He has a new role, as Community Manager at Tidepool. Tidepool is a terrific nonprofit organization that helps provide a free, open platform where people with diabetes, doctors, researchers, and others can either upload or view diabetes data.  Christopher explains it way better than I do, so I will encourage you to listen for that. We spend a good amount of time talking about Tidepool's recently announced Big Data Donation Project.  Tidepool has agreed to donate ten percent of any fees they receive for selling your de-identified data to researchers.  The money will go to one of eight diabetes nonprofits that you probably know well.  Christopher explains it way better than I do, so I will encourage you to listen for that too.   There's also a vague reference to Odin, the Norse god.   Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic Christopher Snider is Community Manager at Tidepool: Tidepool.org   To find out more about Tidepool's Big Data Donation Project, go to: Tidepool.org/BigData   Christopher Snider is host of two amazing podcasts: Just Talking Podcast Mark All That Apply

How do you do two interviews on the same subject on different days within the same week?  It helps if something big happens on one of the days in between interviews. "Everything in my life, every decision I've made throughout my life, has always been framed around, 'Will I be able to get health insurance?'." In part two of my discussions with leaders of the March for Health, the wonderful organizer of the Nashville march, Cara Richardson explains perfectly why, even though the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives pulled his "repeal and replace" healthcare legislation from consideration last Friday, there is still a need for a March.  She explains exactly why access to care and spreading knowledge of patient's rights are such an important part of her life.    Trust me... this will be well worth your time. Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic Cara Richardson is organizer for the March for Health in Public Square Park, Nashville Tennessee, Saturday, April 1st at 11:00 a.m.  To find out all about March for Health Nashville, or to find another city where you can march; or to help support March for Health with a donation, go to: MarchForHealth.org March for Health still needs volunteers who can help with everything from e-mails to fundraising to setup and cleanup.  To become a March for Health volunteer, email: volunteer@marchforhealth.org Cara writes about her life with diabetes at the blog Every Day, Every Hour, Every Minute: countrygirldiabetic.blogspot.com

Wow.  What a turn of events.  Last Thursday, when Leyla Mansour-Cole and I recorded this interview, we were less than 24 hours away from the unexpected move of the Speaker of the House of Representatives pulling the Republican's "repeal and replace" health care legislation from consideration.   Still, there is a lot left to debate when it comes to health care in America.  And that's why people all over the country will be participating in the March for Health Saturday, April 1.  So many of us are affected by the way care, drugs, and medical technology are delivered in this country.  That's a lot of what we'll be talking about in this episode.  And don't forget to listen to Wednesday's companion interview on March for Health with Cara Richardson.  Together, these two are the model of what happens when you see an important issue and throw yourself head first into the discussion, making a huge, positive impact.   Reference Material - Click below for more information Leyla Mansour-Cole is National and Washington, D.C. coordinator for the March for Health, Saturday, April 1st.  To find a city where you can march, or to help support March for Health with a donation, go to: MarchForHealth.org March for Health still needs volunteers who can help with everything from e-mails to fundraising to setup & cleanup.  To become a March for Health volunteer, email: volunteer@marchforhealth.org

Hello, and welcome to my little part of Diabetes Podcast Week.  This week, eleven diabetes podcasters and video bloggers are taking part in a week-long diabetes information-fest, and centering once again on the Spare A Rose, Save A Child campaign.  So listen to this episode, then use the giving link to make your donation and save the life of a child living in a developing country who is also living with diabetes.  More information on Spare A Rose, Save A Child is at the beginning of this episode, and there's an additional link below.   My guest for this episode is one of my best friends in the world, Karen Graffeo.  But that's not why you should listen to our conversation.  You should listen because Karen, in addition to leading Diabetes Sisters' Virtual PODS (Part Of Diabetes Sisters) group, is helping to lead Diabetes Sisters Voices, a collaboration between Diabetes Sisters, the Johns Hopkins University, the University of North Carolina, TrustNetMD, and the Diabetes Sisters stakeholder advisory board of women and diabetes advocates.   If you're a woman living with diabetes, there is an easy way for you to participate in this groundbreaking research, and Karen is going to tell you all about it.  There's also a link below.  I think I also may have inadvertently convinced Karen to reprise Diabetes Blog Week this spring:)  I hope so.   Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic   Are you a woman living with diabetes?  Find out more and participate in Diabetes Sisters Voices research: DiabetesSistersVoices.org   Help save the life of a child by using the giving link and donating to Spare A Rose, Save A Child: LifeForAChildUSA.org/SpareARose   Thanks to Stacey Simms for coordinating Diabetes Podcast Week again.  Find out about Diabetes Podcast Week and meet each podcaster by going to: StaceySimms.com   Karen Graffeo writes about her life with diabetes, and hosts Diabetes Blog Week at: BitterSweetDiabetes.com  

Time now for the third and final part of my conversation with Christel Marchand Aprigliano.  If you haven't yet listened to the first two parts of our chat, please go back after this episode and listen to them, because they are well worth your time. In this episode, we talk about Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition,or DPAC.  Christel and Bennet Dunlap started DPAC as a way to help amplify the voice of the patient to elected officials and policy makers.  They provide a slew of tools that empower friends, family, and fellow advocates to take action on a number of diabetes-centric issues.  Often, in less than one minute. Note: I volunteered with DPAC in 2016, and plan to do so again in 2017.  Also, I should mention that this interview was recorded after the November 2016 election, but prior to the beginning of the 115th U.S. Congress in 2017.   Thanks so much to Christel for sitting down for this conversation.  Enjoy, and get your advocacy on! Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic Christel Marchand Aprigliano writes about diabetes at: ThePerfectD.com   You can connect with Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition, or DPAC, at: DiabetesPAC.org  

Welcome back to Diabetes By The Numbers. Today, I feature the second part of my conversation with Christel Marchand Aprigliano.  In this episode, we talk about one of the hot button issues of the day-- insulin pricing. We cover a recent meeting between insulin makers and diabetes advocates, and developments on pricing announced by two of those insulin makers since that meeting took place in November of 2016. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reference Material - Click below for more information Christel Marchand Aprigliano writes about diabetes at:ThePerfectD.com You can connect with Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition, or DPAC, at: DiabetesPAC.org © Stephen Shaul

I can't tell you how excited I am to finally share a conversation with Christel Marchand Aprigliano.  In three parts.   Christel, as I mention in the introduction, is a force in the diabetes world.  Until there isn't a diabetes world any longer, we can only hope to have advocates like her who get in the trenches and fight for the things that are important to those of us living with this disease.   In part two of our conversation, you'll hear about one of the hot topics of the day, insulin pricing, where roles are slightly reversed, and I'm the feisty one.  Part three will cover Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition, and how using the easy button can help you get your diabetes advocacy started, and up your diabetes advocacy, all in less than two minutes.  Those episodes are still to come, and you're not going to want to miss them.   Today, we talk about the unique gathering known as the Diabetes UnConference.  Christel covers all the things that make the UnConference life-affirming.  We discuss the No Social Media policy that exists during the sessions on Saturday and Sunday, and why that is so important to attendees.  And Christel admits that her intentions in creating the UnConference were not entirely altruistic (her words, not mine).  She needs it just as much as the rest of us.   If you’re in a place in your walk with diabetes where you could use some space to vent, or learn, share, and meet new friends, whether diabetes has been in your life for days, weeks, months, or years, this is the podcast episode you’ve been waiting to hear.   Full disclosure:  I will be a facilitator at the Diabetes UnConference in both locations this year.  I am not compensated in any way for this interview, except in the good vibes that come with going one on one with a person whom you admire and trust and learn from at every turn. Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic Christel Marchand Aprigliano writes about life with diabetes at: theperfectd.com Find out everything about the Diabetes UnConference (and read experiences from attendees too), by going to: DiabetesUnConference.com The Diabetes UnConference will be held February 10, 11, and 12 at the Westin Las Vegas. Register by January 24 by going to: DiabetesUnConference.com/register

Diabetes By The Numbers is back, with the first in what I hope will be a series of episodes in which I'll investigate healthcare in countries other than my own.   Helping me get started is Mariana Gomez.  Mariana is a super diabetes advocate, through the diabetes community in Mexico City where she lives, as a writer at her personal blog, dulcesitosparami.com, and as Community and Social Media Assistant for the Hispanic Market at Diabetes Hands Foundation.   In addition to that, she's a licensed practicing psychologist.  And oh, by the way, she's been living with Type 1 diabetes for over 30 years.    Mariana is uniquely qualified to discuss diabetes at any time, and certainly qualified to discuss the state of healthcare for those living with diabetes in Mexico.   As I said, this is the first in what I hope will be a series of interviews on healthcare from a number of countries.  If you're living in a country outside of the USA and you'd like to talk about healthcare where you live, please send me an e-mail at happymedium[dot]net[at]gmail[dot]com and let's talk. Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic   Mariana Gomez is Community and Social Media Assistant for the Hispanic Market at Diabetes Hands Foundation: diabeteshandsfoundation.org You will often see Mariana at DHF's Spanish-language community site: estudiabetes.org   Mariana has a wonderful personal blog: dulcesitosparami.com

About three weeks ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the MiniMed 670g, Medtronic's hybrid closed loop system, for people with diabetes over the age of 14. This news has generated a lot of excitement, and also a lot of questions.  I was fortunate enough to connect a little over a week ago with Karrie Hawbaker and Michael Hill of Medtronic Diabetes (which is why then I was saying the approval was two weeks ago), who went on the record about how the 670g works, the new CGM sensor associated with the 670g, and the upgrade pathway for existing Medtronic customers.  Which is still a little murky, but they recognize that every customer is different, and they're willing to talk to you about it.  There's also a little at the end about how Medtronic is leveraging IBM's Watson supercomputer to crunch data. Here then, is everything you want to know about the 670g.  Thanks Karrie and Mike! Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic: Karrie Hawbaker is Senior Manager of Social Media for Medtronic Diabetes, and Michael Hill is Vice President of Global Marketing in the Intensive Insulin Management business unit at Medtronic: medtronicdiabetes.com If you're an existing Medtronic pumper, and you're interested in upgrading to the 670g in the spring, here is all the information on the Priority Access Program: medtronicdiabetes.com/products/priority-access  

Original air date: October 14, 2016 Today begins one of my favorite times of the year.  Every year, Diabetes Hands Foundation sponsors the Big Blue Test.  Now until November 14 (World Diabetes Day), you and your loved ones, plus anyone else you know, are encouraged to get moving.  And log the results.  And help diabetes groups doing amazing work to build community and help others. Here’s how it works: first, check your blood glucose.  Not living with diabetes?  Skip this step.  Then get out and get moving for 14 to 20 minutes or more.  You can walk, run, swim, bike, play badminton, ride a Big Wheel, whatever.  Then do another BG check (or skip it if you don’t live with diabetes) and log the results at BigBlueTest.org.  Or make it easy on yourself and download the Big Blue Test app on your iPhone or Android device, and do the same. For the next month, every Big Blue Test logged will result in a $3.00(US) donation, split evenly among three wonderful diabetes non-profits:   Diabetes Sisters   We Are Diabetes   Riverside Community Diabetes Collaborative   Three fantastic organizations providing help, education, and support to those living with or at risk of living with diabetes.   Today, Mike Lawson, Senior Director of Programs and Marketing for Diabetes Hands Foundation, joins me to talk everything Big Blue Test, including a little about this year’s grantees, the goals for this year, and a new way for exercise groups to get involved in the Big Blue Test initiative.  Have a listen.

Welcome to year 2 of Diabetes By The Numbers! Asha Brown is a unique individual.  Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of five.  She later developed diabulimia, a dangerous condition.  Fortunately, she was able to overcome diabulimia, and she has been in recovery for seven years now.    The really cool thing about Asha is that she co-founded We Are Diabetes, which works with families patients, and health professionals across the USA to help and support those living with diabetes and eating disorders.   Today, we talk about diabulimia, how We Are Diabetes serves and supports, and the challenges faced by patients post-treatment.  This was a conversation I've wanted to have for a long time, and I came away with a lot of knowledge that I didn't have when we began.   Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic   Asha Brown is Founder and Executive Director of We Are Diabetes, which provides information, hope, and support to people living with diabetes and eating disorders: wearediabetes.org  

Daniele Hargenrader is one of the hardest working people I know of in the diabetes community.  Both on a personal and a professional level.She's a nutritionist, a health coach, a certified professional trainer.  She's an international speaker, and an author too.Today, Daniele talks about the things that motivated her to lose weight, get fit, and rock her diabetes.  She talks about why nutrition is focus number 1.  She talks about her book, Unleash Your Inner Diabetes Dominator: How to Use Your Powers of Choice, Self-Love, and Community to Completely Change Your Relationship With Diabetes for the Better.  And she talks about her latest project.Seriously, I don't know how she does it all, but she does it well.Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topicDaniele Hargenrader writes blog posts, hosts video chats, teaches online courses, and more through her website:diabetesdominator.comDaniele mentions using MyFitnessPal to log her food choices:myfitnesspal.comWant to pick up Daniele's fantastic book?  You can find it on Amazon right here:Daniele's Book-- Unleash Your Inner Diabetes Dominator

After a brief hiatus, the Diabetes By The Numbers podcast is back.Today's podcast features Dr. Medha Munshi, Director of Joslin Diabetes Center's Geriatric Diabetes Program.  She's co-authored a recent (and first ever) American Diabetes Association position statement designed to help homes and other skilled nursing facilities care better and more appropriately for senior patients with diabetes.Dr. Munshi shares key points on the position statement, and great insights on caring for older people with diabetes.Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topicDr. Medha Munshi is Director of the Joslin Geriatric Diabetes Program and an an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.  She's also a staff geriatrician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.CLICK HERE to find out more about Joslin's Geriatric Diabetes Program.To read the American Diabetes Association position statement co-authored by Dr. Munshi, CLICK HERE

You read that right... it's Diabetes Podcast Week!Brainchild of Stacey Simms at the Diabetes Connections podcast, this is a week where a dozen diabetes podcasters will be uploading new episodes and helping to raise money for the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign.  Listen to the beginning and the end of this episode of Diabetes By The Numbers for more information on the Spare a Rose, Save a Child initiative and what an amazing difference it makes for children living in developing countries throughout the world.  Insulin should not be a luxury.This episode of Diabetes By The Numbers features the Superwoman known to her friends and compatriots as Merle Gleeson.  In our opening round question, she describes herself as vivacious, committed, and reliable.  She's that and a lot more.Merle has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for over 50 years.  Around nineteen years ago, her and a few friends started something called the Type 1 Diabetes Lounge, which holds regular meetings, fundraisers, educational sessions, parties, and more in the Chicago area.  It's quite an operation, and if you're looking to kick start a local diabetes meetup or amp up the meetup you already have, you can do a lot worse than listening to Merle.One other thing, though we don't talk about it during the podcast: Merle Gleeson was one of our first Champion Athletes With Diabetes medal winners.  She does it all, and I chronicled some of that back in March of 2014.  It's worth a read.Here then is my conversation with Merle Gleeson, and a special message about Spare a Rose, Save a Child.Help save the life of a child living with diabetes in a developing country by donating to the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign today:http://www.p4dc.com/spare-a-rose/give/Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topicMerle Gleeson is founder and CEO of the Type 1 Diabetes Lounge in the Chicago area:type1diabeteslounge.com/More about Diabetes Podcast Week can be found at Stacey Simms' blog:staceysimms.comSpare a Rose, Save a Child is an initiative of the non-profit Partners for Diabetes Change.  To find out more about Spare a Rose, Save a Child:www.p4dc.com

Welcome to Episode Ten of Diabetes By the Numbers.Today we have our first returning guest.  It's Molly McElwee Malloy, Head of Patient Engagement at TypeZero Technologies in Charlottesville, Virginia.  TypeZero is in the news this week for two big undertakings.First, there's a 12.7 million dollar artificial pancreas study funded by the National Institutes of Health.  It will begin very soon.  In this study, they'll be testing TypeZero's inControl platform, using a spiffy new device. This study will include as many as 240 participants!  The studies will take place in nine locations... six in the USA, and three in Europe.  To find out more about participating in this important research, scroll to the bottom of this post.The second big piece of news is this: Type Zero is entering into a partnership with CellNovo, which makes an integrated diabetes management system in Europe.  They've gotten a lot of good press here in the USA, and we talk about that and what this partnership means for TypeZero.  Have a listen. Reference Material - Click for more information on this topic Find out more about the inControl diabetes management platform by going to the Type Zero Technologies website:TypeZero.com Clinical trial participants are necessary and appreciated!  Though the study will take place in several locations, the overall management of the trial will be handled through the Jaeb Center for Health Research.  To contact the Jaeb Center to volunteer to participate, Send an e-mail to:Info@jaeb.orgTo find out more about artificial pancreas testing through the University of Virginia's Center for Diabetes Technology, send an e-mail to:artificialpancreas@virginia.eduCellNovo makes a diabetes management system that includes a patch pump, an activity monitor, a hand held cell-enabled handset, and a continuous glucose monitor.  Data can be shared via the cloud.  To learn more about CellNovo, go to:CellNovo.comFollow Molly McElwee Malloy on Twitter:@MollyMacT1D  

Mary Beth Withers Wyss has been living with Diabetic Macular Edema for some time.  She went through a two year clinical trial of an experimental drug designed to treat DME.  She talks about her experience, about why clinical trials are perfect for a patient like her, and even why she is still a Cleveland Browns fan (to put the timeline into perspective, this was recorded before the Cincinnati Bengals had lost a game this season, and now they have lost two).Mary Beth frankly talks about the difficulties of living with DME, and living with the fact that the best treatment available to her involves injections directly into her eyes.Want to know about Diabetic Macular Edema from someone who's been there?  Want to know about clinical trials designed to find a viable treatment for DME?  Then you'll want to listen to this podcast. ©Stephen Shaul Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic Learn more about diabetic macular edema (and other diabetes-related eye diseases), and find out more about the center where Mary Beth was treated during her clinical trial:National Eye Institute - Facts About Diabetic Eye DiseaseOhio State University department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science

I'm so grateful to my endocrinologist, Dr. Vivian Pao, for taking the time to speak with me on the complex relationship between a diabetes patient and their endocrinologist.This is the third and final part of our conversation, and in this episode, we talk about the importance of being honest with your endo, and what keeps her up at night. ©Stephen Shaul Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic Learn more about endocrinologists, read research and updates, and even search for an endocrinologist by clicking on one of the links below:American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Endocrine SocietyPediatric Endocrine Society

Some people only get to spend about 40 minutes each year with their endo... I got to spend close to an hour with her last week.  The conversation was so good that I've broken it up into four parts.In this episode, we talked about how an endocrinologist considers outside factors, including depression, in treating a Person With Diabetes.  Also, she talks about how she stays up on the latest and greatest in her profession, including a reference to Dr. Oz and some "raspberry, ketone thingamajiggy".This is part two of our conversation.  We get into a lot more in part three.  I hope you'll join us for that.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this installment.©Stephen Shaul Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topic Learn more about endocrinologists, read research and updates, and even search for an endocrinologist by clicking on one of the links below:American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Endocrine SocietyPediatric Endocrine Society

“Who is this Dr. Vivian Pao anyway?”, you might ask.She’s my endocrinologist.Some people only get to spend about 40 minutes each year with their endo... I got to spend close to an hour last week.Together, we talked about what exactly an endocrinologist specializes in (in addition to diabetes).  We also covered what she’s looking for from a diabetes patient at the quarterly appointment (and more importantly, why); and why she made me wait before allowing me to begin on my insulin pump.  Hopefully, you’ll begin to understand why I believe in her so much.  She is a huge, important part of my diabetes care team, and I value her input very much.The best part is, this is just the first part of our conversation.  We get into a lot more later on.  But you’ll have to wait for that.  Sorry.  Our talk was too good to just cut out questions for the sake of brevity.Part 2 is coming in the next installment.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this view from both sides of the desk. Reference Material - Click below for more information on this topicLearn more about endocrinologists, read research and updates, and even search for an endocrinologist by clicking on one of the links below:American Association of Clinical EndocrinologistsEndocrine SocietyPediatric Endocrine Society

Diabetes By The Numbers is back, this time with the CEO of Diabetes Sisters, Anna Norton.  Her passion and enthusiasm for leading this groundbreaking organization for women living with diabetes practically knocked me over from 700 miles away.Today, Anna and I talk about the mission of Diabetes Sisters, the various programs that the organization provides to educate, support, and empower women, and what’s on the agenda for 2016.  If you don’t know much (or anything) about Diabetes Sisters, or if you’re just looking to reconnect, this podcast is for you.

Everyone living with and affected by diabetes is excited about artificial pancreas research and the various innovations spawned by this remarkable technology. In this episode of Diabetes By The Numbers, I'm joined by Molly McElwee Malloy, who has just recently stepped into her latest role as Head of Patient Engagement at Type Zero Technologies.  She is an RN and Certified Diabetes Educator who has been living with diabetes since 1998.  She knows the relationship of diabetes, analytics, and technology like almost no other person I know. Type Zero is the continuation of artificial pancreas research started at the University of Virginia at their Center for Diabetes Technology.  In our conversation, we talk about the birth of Type Zero, its InControl platfrom including InControl Advice and InControl Cloud, and the timeline for development, testing, and submission for approval to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Type Zero Technologies:typezero.comInterested in participating in a Type Zero clinical trial?  Send an e-mail to:artificialpancreas@virginia.edu   ©Stephen Shaul

It seems nearly everyone knows Nicole Johnson.  They remember her as Miss America 1999, they’ve seen her at conferences, on social media.  All that, plus the fact that she always seems to have a smile on her face, makes people forget that she is actually Doctor Nicole Johnson, who is the first person to earn a Doctor of Public Health degree at the University of South Florida.  Moreover, she is actually doing something important and meaningful with that distinction.  That’s why you’ll hear me refer to her as Dr. Johnson, rather than Nicole, throughout our talk.  She’s earned that right.In this episode of Diabetes By The Numbers, Dr. Johnson lets us in on the groundbreaking Postdoctoral Diabetes Fellowship Program that she’s running out of the University of South Florida.Part patient-facing, part research, five women from around the country will be taking part over the next year in a program that will develop and enhance their understanding of the complex relationship between human behavior and diabetes.  Definitely a subject worth further scrutiny.  The fellows will be mentored by doctors at the head of the class in this subject, including Dr. Johnson herself, Dr. Korey Hood at Stanford, Dr. Lori Laffel at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, and Dr. Jill Weissberg-Benchel at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.I would tell you more, but I prefer to defer to Dr. Johnson for the rest.Dr. Nicole Johnson is Executive Director of Bringing Science Home:http://bringingsciencehome.com  Bringing Science Home is involved in a number of initiatives, including, but not limited to:Students With Diabetes http://hscweb3.hsc.usf.edu/studentswithdiabetes/Diabetes Partners http://hscweb3.hsc.usf.edu/bringingsciencehome/diabetes-partners/ ©Stephen Shaul

Bea Sparks has been living with Type 2 Diabetes since 2000.  She lives in the Chicago area and is an amazing, outstanding advocate for everyone living with diabetes. She writes at the blogs crankypancreas.com and TheType2Experience.com.   Today, we speak about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes advocates, how they respond in social media to news of the day, and... division where there should be no division.   ©Stephen Shaul

Katy Killilea joins me on the first episode of this new podcast.  Katy writes at the diabetes blog BigFootChildHaveDiabetes.com. She was recently diagnosed with diabetes, and her son lives with Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. Our conversation revolves around creating and submitting 504 plans for your child with diabetes, and submitting them to your local school district.  Many nuggets of information in a short amount of time.Thanks for listening! © Stephen Shaul