One day. I'll learn to start listening to that voice, the one that occasionally gives me advice, the voice that I largely ignore. It's a tiny little internal voice, coming (I presume) from a tiny little internal smart guy. In my imagination, he dresses much better than I do.

Let's call him... Tiny Rob.

Now, to be fair, Tiny Rob has a pretty spotty record. Sure, he may have been the one who sent me to the doctor five years ago, but he's taken more on-the-job vacations since then than George W. Bush. Tiny Rob has left me to my own devices for months at a stretch, only popping by occasionally to ask, "So, what'd I miss?"

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How many times have you been talking to someone about your diabetes diagnosis, and had them respond by saying the following: "You don't look sick!"?

And how many of you have ever rattled off a list of medical conditions to someone, only to have them say "You're too young to have that much wrong with you!"?

I'd be willing to bet just about every one with diabetes or any other invisible illness has heard those lines at some point.  I certainly have.  Admittedly, I find them rather annoying.

Some days, I don't even acknowledge those comments, because I just don't have it in me to deal with them.  Other days, however, I'm not so passive.

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So I’m the designated research information volunteer for the Mid-Jersey chapter of JDRF. But, “if I’m being perfectly honest,” as Simon Cowell would say, I haven’t done a very good job at it at all. I just haven’t had the time to sift through the many emails I receive regarding the many diabetes studies going on around the world that are funded by JDRF.

It’s strange. You’d think that the more clinical trials being conducted would make one more hopeful for a cure. Somehow it has an opposite effect on me. As the number of studies increase, I feel a sense of cynicism growing. Too many claims of progress. Too many potential cures. (READ MORE)

Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year but for so many it is not. The holidays tend to be a time that people reflect on the past year and sometimes that can be a real downer.

This Christmas will not be so “Holly Jolly” for me.

My health was pretty good as far as my diabetes goes. I had no major incidents like DKA or hospitalization of any kind so that front has been pretty good. In fact, I may have some really good news to share soon but I will wait for the official word on that. (READ MORE)

People with diabetes, and those touched by diabetes, follow their journey with the disease through a myriad of winding emotional paths. Depression is very common for those newly diagnosed, sadness can rear its head at different stages in the game, and a little humor and humility can even find the door to expose itself from time to time. The keys for controlling those doors are littered all over the place and on  Wrld Diabetes Day today, you can follow this map of internet hotspots. Expose diabetes for all that it is, good and bad, and then share it with others. Find an emotion and embrace it!

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To describe diabetes in three words is very difficult. That's because at any given time, your thoughts and feelings about this disease are changing. So I guess one word that comes to mind is unpredictable . It is important to note, however, that with better control comes more predictability. I think I view my diabetes as little bit more unpredictable because I have trouble keeping my sugars regulated. I feel a person who can maintain an A1C of 6 can predict their blood sugar a lot more accurate than a person with hemoglobin of 8. Maybe I'm wrong though. Another word that I would use to describe my diabetes is unfair.
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