Dexcom CGM on American Idol (Video)
Dexcom CGM citing on American Idol!
Not sure how many folks are still hanging with American Idol in what feels like it's 900th season but if you were watching last night - you would have seen the Dexcom CGM make an appearance.
A musician named Adam Lasher was asked, "Is that your phone" when judge Keith Urban notices something clipped to his guitar strap, Adam responded by saying, "no I'm diabetic... it's my robotic pancreas you could say". It seemed to me that Adam was trying to explain what his CGM was without going into a long description when he called it a 'robotic pancreas' but then he does a very good job of describing what his CGM does, though he never calls it by name. The judges go on to say that Robotic Pancreas would make a great band name.
After the chatting is finished Adam plays an original song. Oh and by the way... he's Carlos Santana's nephew. Enough of my describing something that you can just watch, get clicking and see for yourself. Spoilers, Adam makes it to the next round so maybe we'll be seeing more of his Dexcom CGM on television again.
Don't miss my new podcast interview with Adam!
Facebook was abuzz with parents talking about how great it was for their kids to see someone on TV using the diabetes tech that they do, I wonder if Adam knows how many children and parents he made happy tonight by not hiding his Dex? Thanks Adam!
Pretty cool seeing the Dex on American Idol, can't wait to show Arden!
Adam Lasher is on Twitter @AdamLasher.
Dexcom SHARE Unboxing
Arden's Dexcom SHARE arrived today, here are my obligatory unboxing photos.
The unit feels well built, it's a bit heavier than I expected and the slot where the receiver slides into the cradle is nicely rubberized. I'll be getting it set up later today for tonight's maiden voyage. Look for my review soon.
Disclosure: Arden received this SHARE from Dexcom as a gift. The note that announced the gift read...
"I wanted to let you know that you have been selected to receive a complimentary Dexcom SHARE cradle and system. Before launching this product, we asked our employees to nominate people in the diabetes community that went above and beyond to educate, support, nurture, or simply be a firm foundation for others with diabetes, and I nominated Arden and yourself."
I had no idea that Dexcom was gifting SHARES or that we were being considered, I found out just as the news of the SHARE being FDA approved hit the Internet - It was a lovely surprise. Had I never been contacted, I would have bought one immediately with our own funds. Dexcom did not ask me to provide a review or to speak favorably of the device, you can be sure that the review I will post will be reflective of my complete and unfiltered feelings and impressions and nothing else - Arden's Day and the diabetes community at large mean much more to me than $299. I am obliged to fill out a "very short survey after 30 days of use", which I will gladly do.
It's Diabetes Cure Season
I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing the first time that I read about promising research to cure type I diabetes. My daughter Arden was two years old, it was early fall, just a few months after her type I diabetes diagnosis and my emotions were volatile.
I read the article with precision focus, it promised that researchers had cured type I diabetes in lab mice and told of the goal to begin human trials as soon as they could secure funding – after all, research is expensive.
I woke my wife and told her about this amazing news saying, "Arden is only going to have diabetes for a few years, they cured it in mice". I was crying uncontrollably.
That moment happened over eight years ago and since then countless lucky mice have been cured but it was only recently that I came to understand why we see so much hopeful, yet ultimately crushing news articles about diabetes cures in the fall.
It's diabetes cure season. Diabetes awareness month is November and the media; television news, newspapers and online sources pay close attention to matching their stories with the calendar, because it's what works and how things have always been done. Let me explain...
Have you ever seen me on television, heard me on the radio or read something about me that was focused on parenting and mentions my book, Life Is Short, Laundry Is Eternal: Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Dad? If you have, did you happen to notice that all of those appearances happened in early summer, you know, around Father's Day.
Maybe you read my piece about head injuries as they relate to football, the one that ran on Huffington Post three days before the Superbowl?
Producers need content and they want that content to be relevant to the calendar. People need exposer and they (me included) take it where they can get it. So whether it's a writer trying to let people know about their parenting memoir, or a researcher wanting to get wide exposer for their work so that they can attract more research dollars – if you pay close attention to the calendar, you'll see that the "news" you are being given is carefully scheduled and targeted to your emotions and the events that are about to happen in the world. The news is marketed to you to elicit clicks, shares and word of mouth.
Much of the diabetes cure research that we will hear about in the coming weeks is very promising and I am one-hundred million percent behind all of it. Please just keep in mind that is was also very promising research six months ago, but now is when you are going to read the big news, on every media outlet – all from reputable institutions.
Don't misunderstand, one of these researchers is going to figure it out and I hope that it happens soon and perhaps even is one of the methods that is being bandied about today. But when I woke up this morning to see all of you on social media feeling like I did eight years ago, it broke my heart to remember how I felt after the moment had passed and I realized that the promising lab mouse cure wasn't going to take away Arden's type I diabetes – at least not any time soon. I didn't decide to write this post until I opened up my text messages and saw that my brother also read today's cure "news" and asked me if the article was legitimate.
The answer that I owe my brother but cant bring myself to send him... that news article is legitimate but it isn't going to cure Arden now. I love you for wanting that for her and I am so sorry that these thoughts are part of your day. I wanted you and everyone reading this to understand how these news cycles work because I know how shattering it is when they turn from Diabetes Cure Found! to Thanksgiving Treats That You Can Make at Home.
Wonderful research that will one day cure type I diabetes is going on all over the world and there are a ton of good reasons to be hopeful about them, but these articles aren't going to be how we find out that a cure has been found. On the day that happens, the world will celebrate the end of diabetes with a grand spectacle, no one will have to wonder if it is legitimate.
You are all, each and every one of you, in my thoughts today.
Video: Sierra Sandison on Dr. Oz #ShowMeYourPump
Sierra Sandison became Miss Idaho 2014, dreamt up the viral hashtag #ShowMeYourPump and is competing to be Miss America – all with her insulin pump clipped at her side.
Now she's on the Dr. Oz Show showing her pump to his audience and making every person with diabetes about as proud as can be.
I first met Sierra in July when I interviewed her about the events that led up to her #ShowMeYourPump tweet; which inspired people everywhere to share photos of themselves with their insulin pumps. During our conversation I learned about McCall Salinas and how a talk that she had with Sierra led to the Miss Idaho wearing her insulin pump on stage.
The Miss America Pageant is on ABC Sunday at 9 pm est. The top 15 contestant make it to the live stage and I'm hoping, as I imagine are all of you, that we see Sierra show her pump Sunday night on national television. Good luck Sierra, the entire diabetes community is behind you!
A1c Countdown: It's Endo Time
Endo time...
Only 24 hours before the American Diabetes Association announced their new A1c guidelines for children 19 years old and under, Arden was in her Endocrinologist office for her quarterly appointment. We missed her previously scheduled appointment in April because of an illness. At that time the Doc told us, "Arden's A1cs have been good for the last year and a half... let's just get back together in June".
Skipping a quarterly appointment made me feel strange but the three months seemed to fly by and before I could wonder what happened to the time, it was June and I was signing Arden out of school just like we have every three months for the past 8 years. It was Endo time. I found myself thinking about those numbers as I drove to the office.
"Diagnosed in August of 2006... first Endo appointment was in early September..."
Then I counted off the months. "October, November, December... December of 2006 was her second visit. Then four in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 - we just skipped April of 2014, so this is maybe, Arden's 32nd visit to her Endocrinologist.
This thought made my heart heavy until I remembered my recent trip to the Dominican Republic, and I was quickly reminded that there is an entire planet full of people living with diabetes and most of them can only wish that they were able to visit a doctor. I adjusted my thinking and instead of the number 32 feeling like an albatross, it started to feel like a life preserver.
I walked into Arden's 32nd Endo appointment with a fresh set of eyes. Arden however, was not in the same mindset - she was preoccupied, unusually nervous and she seemed just a bit unsettled. When I asked her why she said, "I think I get a blood draw today... I really don't want to do that". A few minutes after we got into the waiting room a nurse called our name and we were off. These visits have their own pattern. Height, weight, blood pressure and other vitals happen in a room thats no bigger than a walk in closet, then we head down the hall for a hemoglobin A1c test and blood draw when necessary. The nurse started with Arden's A1c, loaded the sample into the machine and then ushered us to an exam room, "No orders for a blood draw in the computer", she said. Arden was relieved but confused, "I always get a blood test in the summer", she told me as the nurse left the exam room. Then she smiled as if she had gotten away with something big. About a month ago Arden experienced serious and sudden needle anxiety while at a dentist appointment, this was new for her, and I never imagined that it would translate to her Endo appointments because while she doesn't enjoy the blood draws, she has never resisted them or been afraid.
After the nurse left the exam room we chatted about softball for a minute (Arden's 9 year old All Star team had just won their tournament the day before) and then I snuck back to the phlebotomists room to get an early peek at her A1c result.
Arden's A1c has been steadily improving for the past two years but this was our first experience with skipping a quarterly appointment and I was irrationally concerned that would mean an increase from Arden's last result of 6.7. When I arrived in the room, it was empty and there was about one minute left in the process... just enough time to get my phone out of my pocket.
Watch the ten second video before you read on - trust me.
My heart did a backflip when "6.2" appeared on the screen, a back flip. In July of 2009 Arden's A1c went from 8.5 to 8 when we switched from shots to the OmniPod insulin pump. In October of 2012 I blogged about the factors that I believed helped get us to her new best of 7.5. I remember just hoping for 7.4 in June of 2013 when Arden's A1c made a serious leap to 6.5. We stayed steady for some time around 6.7, and to be honest, staying steady felt like a bigger accomplishment than achieving a decrease. The decreases come as you make adjustments but who knows if they are anomalous... steady is, well, steady... it's balance, it's relief. I love steady!
That said, I'd be lying if I told you that 6.2 didn't make me wonder what a number that began with five would feel like...
Oh, and we did need to get blood drawn on this day, but that's a whole other story...
Arden does not experience significant or frequent lows. Achieving a desirable A1c under those conditions is not healthy nor an indication of health. Steady is much better than fluctuations that "trick" you into feeling good at A1c time. Please remember to read my discloser, it will remind you that I have no medical training and this site is not meant to replace your doctor because my words are not meant to be advice. Arden's Day is just a blog.