Scott on Disney's Spoonful
I hear from mothers a lot about a perceived lack of engagement with diabetes from their husbands...
so when Disney asked me to write about being the father of a child with type I diabetes... I used the opportunity to explore that issue in a way that I thought you guys would appreciate and benefit from - sorry you have to click to another site for this article, but unlike the deals I've been able to make with my other freelance work, I can't repost this one on Arden's Day.
I do think that you'll find it a worthwhile read and the site doesn't have ads or try to sell you anything (though your brain will read the post in Donald Duck's voice). Spoonful is a Disney/Lilly Diabetes initiative and they do a great job of offering content that I think you may enjoy and find useful - I tried to add to that tradition with 'Dads and Diabetes'. I sincerely hope that you like the piece and that it sheds some light on why your spouse may not be as involved with your child's type I caregiving in the way that you want.
For transparency: I was compensated, with a standard fee, for the article.
Evolution of a Blog
Arden's Day began in the summer of 2007 - it was never intended to be what it has become.
There have been two moments in the evolution of this blog that I see as pivotal. The first came after I became disenchanted about blogging. I was certain that there were plenty of people in the world doing what I was and that the community didn't need my voice. This feeling came to me after I read a number of blogs during 'Diabetes Blog Week' and saw many similarities between my writing and the other people participating in blog week.
I did stop writing for a short while, but I missed it so much.
When I realized how much I missed writing and contributing to the diabetes community, I searched for a way to share that I didn't think was repetitive.
Things were going along just fine until one day a reader told me something that changed everything...
I was speaking on the phone with a mother when she told me that sometimes she can't read the blog because it made her feel badly about how she was handling her child's diabetes.
I was momentarily confused, but she went on to explain that when things go right for us it can magnify when things go wrong for her. In short, hearing about good things sometimes made her feel like failure.
Well, that was about the most debilitating thing that I could have heard, but I understood. I gave that conversation a great deal of thought and then began to share everything, even the moments that made me feel like a failure.
These two moments have shaped everything that I've done here on Arden's Day, they transformed my writing and they are the only reason that my book is well received. Saying that I am grateful doesn't begin to cover it. Two moments, two people that opened me up to a part of myself that I was ignoring - it changed my life.
If you like this blog, you have Diabetes Blog Week and a mother who wasn't afraid to say that she felt like she was letting people down, to thank for it. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Who or what are you effecting and where will it all lead?
Conversations In Care
Tonight at 8 PM est.
I'll be doing a live one hour interview tonight at 8 PM est with host, Tami Neumann. We'll be talking about type I diabetes caregiving, parenting and my book, 'Life Is Short, Laundry Is Eternal'.
Listeners are invited to call-in to ask questions, participate in the conversation or just heckle me. Hope to talk to you tonight!
646-478-4343
How to spot a D-Parent
Spotting a D-parent in the wild is easy if you know what to look for. Common indicators on stubborn BG days include, but are not limited to:
Needs haircut/The ignoring of personal grooming
Vacant stare from too much carb counting
Unshaven
Bed head
Dark circles under the eyes
Overall exhausted appearance from lack of sleep
Be advised that on days blood glucose values are in range, parent may appear normal. On those days you can approach* the parent as you would any other. However, if the subject has one or more of these indicators giving them a hug is currently the best known form of treatment.
*Please use your good judgement when engaging a D-Parent on days like the one shown here. There is no way to know how they may react. Arden's Day is not liable for any injuries that you may incur while attempting to have a conversation with a D-Parent in distress.
This has been a public service announcement.
My new Diabetes Daily interview
When the multitalented and overwhelmingly delightful Ginger Vieira asks you to sit down with her and talk about diabetes, you clear your calendar.
Check out my interview that just went live on Diabetes Daily. It's centered on raising a child with type 1 diabetes and a few of the changes that I hope to see one day in health care, including a magic helmet that lets my wife and I go to a movie.