They were the three letters that changed the course of a day and ones that I didn’t need to hear. I headed in to a follow up appointment with my ophthalmologist today. Over the past few years my eyes have been a diabetic experiment gone wrong. Proliferative retinopathy, leading to vitreous hemorrhaging , add a couple of turbo charged cataracts and a huge dose of apathy and you get the picture. Waiting for the call up I was engaged in the most amazing Twitter dialogue with some of my DOC friends. Random karaoke followed by conversation with people I really love had made my day. I was surrounded by the warmth of friends I had never met. I could almost feel their presence stirring me, accepting me and embracing me. How I longed at that moment to sit with them and share an embrace, a good dose of tears and a hearty handshake. And then came the call…. The doctor spoke slowly as he shared my amazement at the transformation in my vision. From almost blind to near full sight….and then came the three letters that formed a word…...BUT… I think it was somewhere between his outline of the first and fifth procedure required on my eyes that I tuned out and the waves rolled in.... All of the doubts, the unspoken fears, the insecurities, the self doubt, the “why me”, the “what ifs” all rose to the surface. There I was faced with the realization that despite my best efforts my sight once more hung on a tightrope. Having fallen to the lowest depths and risen, I knew that at any moment all could be lost….again To be honest there were no tears and now, several hours later there still aren’t. Just the knowledge that I stand on shaky ground. That all of the friends that I have come to love and need, lie so far away and my problems sit on my doorstep. For now I am just mad...I want to be mad. I hate the diabetes that brought this and I hate my apathy that let things fester for so long. I am confused and cut, battered and broken. Wounds that had healed again lay open and the emotional scars that lay dormant have quickly stirred. So I hang on again. I hang on to hope and the only people who have helped instill it in me. I hang on to my friends in the DOC. I hold on to their warmth having felt the coldness of reality once more. I hang on to the dreams that they have formed and the song that they have started. I hang on to treasured memories and precious moments, knowing that all may be taken in an instant. I am perhaps more resolute than ever. Resolved to make the most of what I have, to embrace each moment more fully, to express each feeling more concisely and to tell all of you I am coming to meet just how much you mean to me. It is your stories and your personalities that carry me when in myself, all strength is gone  

I recently interviewed Naomi Kingery, The Diabetic Diva and essential member of the diabetes online community, about her third book, <a href="http://www.livetolovediabetes.com/books.html">Sugar Free Support</a>. <strong>My wife has type 1 diabetes, and I took on the role of food police in the beginning. It didn't go over well. What's the key to talking about diabetes with a loved one effectively? </strong>Take the time to learn how your loved one with diabetes would like to be communicated with in regards to their health, especially with diet because that can be a very sensitive subject. If you knew someone was a visual learner, would you try and communicate with them through audio? The same principal is applied here. If you know your loved one with diabetes needs encouragement, support, or to be simply left alone at different times then this could change everything. You can support them all day, but if it isn’t in the way they need it or at the times they will truly take it all in, then it isn’t going to be as impactful as it can be. <strong><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1390" title="Check out the Sugar-Free Support eBook" src="http://cdn.diabetesdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Sugar-Free-Support-Book-201x300.jpg" alt="Sugar-Free Support Book" width="201" height="300" />That makes a lot of sense. It's so easy to see something from your perspective, but much harder to switch and look through someone else's eyes. Do you see a big mistake that potential supporters tend to make? </strong> The biggest mistake made unknowingly by many loved ones is not accepting the fact that they truly don’t, and can’t, understand what we go through. You may see what we endure on a daily basis but there is so much more involved. So continue to strive to learn more, but more importantly communicate with us so you can try to understand what goes on beneath the surface. Accept that you won’t feel the symptoms or the needle pokes like we do, and tailor your support accordingly. <strong>If someone with diabetes just isn't taking care of themselves, what do you do? How do you handle it?</strong> I have met many people who take care of themselves, and many that don’t. It makes me sad but immediately prompts me to encourage them because I believe the root of not taking care of yourself is typically tied to feeling like you are out there on your own. I usually begin to share my personal story with them, and it won’t be the same as theirs but it is always good to connect with other people who understand. I then ask for them to get involved in an online community if they aren’t already, like <a href="http://www.diabeticrockstar.com/">Diabetic Rockstar</a> or <a href="http://www.tudiabetes.org/">TuDiabetes</a> because these communities show you that the struggle is real, but that we can all unite and help each other each step of the way. <strong>Your book is packed with great advice. How will reading it change someone's life? </strong>When I first started writing it was an outlet for me to share the things that I feel I would have greatly benefited from along my path towards accepting and embracing diabetes. Along my journey I realized that people with diabetes have support, but what about those who support us? Because of that, Sugar Free Support is my third book and this was one I wanted to focus solely towards those who support people with diabetes. Their support is vital and I feel they do not receive the recognition they deserve so I wanted to make this clear. It was also very important for me to give them the descriptions and explanations they seek on what it feels like to live with diabetes so I put it all down on paper in hopes to transform individual and family relationships. And I believe it has the potential to do so because it has had that affect on my life! <strong>What's next on your agenda? </strong>I am currently working towards a bachelors degree in Kinesiology and am focused on continuing to build on my career at <a href="http://www.medtronicdiabetes.net/">Medtronic Diabetes</a>. I am also currently writing my fourth and final installment of The Sugar Free Series which will share about my decade journey with diabetes as I just celebrated my 10 year anniversary on September 2! <strong>We look forward to it! In the meantime, how can someone get a copy of this and your other books? </strong>Learn more about my books and the work I do in the community at <a href="http://www.livetolovediabetes.com/" target="_blank">www.livetolovediabetes.com</a> where you will get a direct link to purchase them. <em>Learn more about Naomi at </em><em><a href="http://www.livetolovediabetes.com/" target="_blank">www.livetolovediabetes.com</a> or connect with her on Twitter at  <a href="http://twitter.com/naomikingery">@naomikingery</a>.</em>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs2Q0SRWhCs In this video, we talk with Sharon Howard about how to have an enjoyable Thanksgiving with diabetes. Sharon is a Certified Diabetes Educator, Registered Nurse, and Charter Fellow of the American Dietetic Association. She has over 25 years of experience helping people manage diabetes, weight loss, celiac disease, and eating disorders. You can download <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/edelman/files/2011/11/Holiday-Slides.pdf">all of the slides</a> (pdf). The event is brought to you by Diabetes Daily in conjunction with <a href="http://www.diabetescare.net">DiabetesCare.net</a>.

[caption id="attachment_11002" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Paula Deen&#39;s Famous 1800 Calorie Lady&#39;s Brunch Burger"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-11002" title="Lady's Brunch Burger" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/edelman/files/2012/01/article-2086500-0F73C99F00000578-802_468x351-300x225610262224.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" />[/caption] This week, Paula Deen announced she has type 2 diabetes and became a public spokesperson for Novo Nordisk. Famous for over-the-top recipes like the 1800 calorie <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/simplycooking/2009/04/22/do-you-want-a-side-of-angioplasty-with-that/">Lady's Brunch Burger</a>, she has a unique opportunity to talk about the intersection of food and diabetes in our culture. Her announcement on the Today Show (<a href="http://bites.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/17/10173727-paula-deen-diabetes-diagnosis-wont-change-how-i-cook">video</a>) was not a good start. Rather than confronting the role of food in diabetes head on, she touched the edges. "My show is just entertainment. Everything in moderation." Deen will need to do much, much more to live up to her potential. <h3>Help Wanted: Seeking Good Role Models</h3> Almost one out of ten American adults have type 2 diabetes. There are another 300 million around the world. Sadly, few public figures choose to become public advocates. The record of those who do is mixed at best. Halle Berry "cured" herself. B.B. King sells test strips. Mike Huckabee, Larry King, Randy Jackson and others are "out", but rarely use their stature to address these issues. Diabetes is a big problem, it deserves a much bigger voice. Paula Deen can help. <h3>Open the "Diabetes Closet"</h3> If you followed the discussions about Deen on Diabetes Daily, then you saw a tinder box of emotions: guilt, shame, frustration, blame. Even our educated community has a hard time talking about how diet contributes to diabetes without poisoning the conversation with blame. Let's be upfront about this: Paula Deen does not deserve to be blamed for her diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is strongly genetic (far more so than type 1 diabetes). Although weight might be a trigger, genes and other unknown factors are the gun. Most importantly, no one deserves a disease. Period. By coming out, Paula Deen can confront the stigma of having diabetes head on. She can address the very personal feelings of guilt ("did I do this to myself?") and shame ("what will people think of me now?"). This will make it easier for others to talk about their diabetes. Her actions could encourage others who have been avoiding the doctor to get diagnosed and take action. As International Diabetes Federation President Jean Claude Mbanya once confided, the biggest reason we don't see political action on diabetes is that so few will admit that they have it. <h3>Improve Our Food Culture</h3> Paula Deen isn't making America unhealthy with her food. She's serving southern fried culture that millions know and love. (Although it was a little disingenuous to say that her cooking is merely entertainment in her announcement.) As a celebrity chef, she now has a unique opportunity to talk about our complex relationship with food from the inside. When people see an overweight, middle-aged woman cooking real food, they can think, she's like me. She gets me. And they will listen. Talking candidly about her relationship with her own food would be a big first step. How is she adapting her habits? How can she enjoy the foods she loves in a healthy way? How does she feel - both good and bad - about these changes? (And can the media please stop blaming it all on dietary fat!) Changing a culture is extraordinarily difficult. And Paula Deen can't do it alone. But she can trail blaze the way for the food celebrities who follow. <h3>Read More</h3> <ul> <li>Paula Deen's new Novo Nordisk website: <a href="http://www.diabetesinanewlight.com/">Diabetes In a New Light</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.diabetesmine.com/2012/01/paula-deens-diabetes-mistakes-and-opportunities.html">DiabetesMine</a> talks about blame, drugs, and hypocrisy</li> <li>Kelly Kunik says <a href="http://diabetesaliciousness.blogspot.com/2012/01/paula-deen-if-you-need-us-diabetes-on.html">the diabetes community is here to help</a>!</li> <li><a href="http://thegirlsguidetodiabetes.com/2012/01/18/paula-deen-type-2-diabetes">Mixed thoughts on Paula Deen</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/17/paula-deen-6-word-memoir_n_1211087.html?ref=email_share">"Might as well eat that cookie."</a></li> </ul> <div><em><strong>Update</strong>: </em>Amy Tenderich of DiabetesMine <a href="http://www.diabetesmine.com/2012/01/our-interview-with-paula-deen-sticky-sweet.html">interviewed Paula yesterday</a>.</div>

http://vimeo.com/27224119 The Longest Swim is an upcoming movie about what someone will go through to save their friend from a diabetic coma. Here's a nice synopsis: <blockquote>Based on a true story, The Longest Swim is a drama that shows what one friend must go through in order to save his best friend who is experiencing a diabetic seizure. While vacationing at a Vermont Lake House, Matt is awoken by subtle blurts and shouts coming from Ben’s bedroom. He rushes to the bedroom and flicks on the lights... There before Matt is his best friend Ben: convulsing, shaking, gagging… His legs straight and stiff like a statue, his arms flail and scratch, foam drips from his lips. Ben is experiencing a very dangerous diabetic induced seizure and it is up to Matt to save his best friend’s life. No phone, no hospital within 30 miles, and the closest house is the one directly across the lake. Matt's only option to save his best friend is to swim The Longest Swim…</blockquote> If you like the story, you can <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/224084921/the-longest-swim-movie">help fund development</a> at Kickstarter. They're seeking $3500 to complete the project. What do you think of the trailer?

When I <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/pedersen/2011/12/23/a-cold-and-rainy-part-of-town/">last posted to this space</a>, I wrote of having gotten off track with my diabetes management. I did so using an analogy of a bus trip I'd taken to an unfamiliar (and somewhat scary) part of my city. I pictured my self as stranded there, knowing where home was but not being entirely sure how I was going to get there. Things are better now. I'm not home quite yet, but I'm getting there, and all the landmarks are familiar.  I met with my doctor and spoke of having gotten out of my good habits. We set some goals, and I'm going to be seeing her monthly for a while. I'm concerned that my A1c crept up by two tenths, but it's still in a range she's happy with. Since meeting with her, I've been doing a great job of taking my meds regularly. (I have two weekly reminders set: I check for needed refills on Tuesday and fill my sorters on Thursday.) Still, though, there's plenty yet to do. I need to re-make some changes in my diet. I'm still not testing every day. And, I'm not doing the regular blood pressure checks my doctor asked me for. Also, while I hadn't let my exercise drop off much, it's clear to me that I need to incorporate a little more. But, I'm feeling a lot better emotionally and a little better physically. No, I'm not home. But where I am is less cold and scary.

It's hard to know where it began but somewhere along the road my normal ceased being normal. Upon reflection, the process of erosion is always slow and gradual. Grain by grain, second by second, minute by minute the process goes on.Wearing away, treading down, undermining and ultimately if left unchecked, destroying. There are no days off, no happy hours and no respite. From that war there is no discharge. It's soldiers are regularly conscripted and carried away without consent... So it was with my decline into diabetic complications, depression and defeat. There are no guideposts on that road. There is no GPS to lead the way out...slowly but surely the will to live is taken away. Abnormal becomes normal, defeat the daily routine. Looking around the blogosphere and this incredible community I find my story echoed by a multitude of others. Diabetes and depression, denial and defeat. One day at a time the road to recovery becomes longer and dreams of a future fade into a hopelessness and the faint hope it would all end. Having just come through the most soul destroying period of my life I am beginning to see a new day dawn. There was no silver bullet and in truth I don't know if there ever is.....there is just the company and camaraderie of a close group of friends. I hear their voices, I read their blogs and as I drink in their presence I remind myself that I  am not alone. The results may not be immediate, the process slow and painful but somehow what collapsed can also be rebuilt...grain by grain, day by day and month by month.

This week I was <em>so</em> busted. It wasn't a hypoglycaemic crazy fest or a sugar binge that caused my undoing. No, it was my pump. Allow me to explain. My cat has a love affair with my pump. She loves this thing more than horny teens love Twilight. On more than one occasion I've awakened to feel the pull at my pump insertion site while my kitty chomps delightedly on the curls of tubing weaving across the sheets. When the pump beeps at me in frustration for low reservoir or low battery, my kitty bops it with a curled paw and has been known to growl at it. It is a match made in heaven (well, except on the days when kitty punctures the tube with her sharp teeth and I need to change everything to avoid hyperglycaemic hell). But then one day, it all changed . . . I'd been petting another kitty cat, whose fur was all over my pump, stuck between every nook and cranny. The kitty took a liking to my pump, so I let her play. And oh did I hear about it later . . . <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-11.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-219" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-11-1024x813.jpg" alt="" width="559" height="443" /></a> <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-21.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-221" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-21-1024x416.jpg" alt="" width="909" height="369" /></a> <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-31.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-222" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-31-1024x483.jpg" alt="" width="910" height="427" /> </a> <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-41.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-223" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-41-1024x455.jpg" alt="" width="910" height="404" /></a> <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-51.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-224" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-51-1024x431.jpg" alt="" width="908" height="382" /></a> <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-71.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-225" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-61-1024x504.jpg" alt="" width="909" height="447" /></a> <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-71.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-226" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-71-1024x433.jpg" alt="" width="913" height="386" /></a> <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-81.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-227" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-81-1024x412.jpg" alt="" width="915" height="368" /></a> <a href="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-9.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-220" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/meganradford/files/2012/01/Panel-9-1024x827.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="621" /></a> Check me out on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Megan-Radford-Word-Nerd-and-Chronic-Sicko/200812943275344">Facebook</a> or drop me a line on Twitter @MeganRadford (I'll be sure to send my regards to Fluffykins)

<em>By Meri Schumacher, mom of three kids with type 1 </em> I don't get a lot of sleep. Not because sleep is overrated, but because I have three boys who live with type 1 diabetes. I know the whole 2am check vs. no nighttime check can be a very controversial issue within parental circles in the Diabetes Online Community.  But when one has three growing boys with Type 1, the chances of every one of them being in range all through the night are slim to none.  I can't remember the last 2am check when I didn't have to bolus, temp basal or feed a child. The odds are never in our favor, so to counteract we must always be vigilant.  That means 2am checks. It also means questioning my actions when I return to bed. <ul style="padding-bottom: 6px;"> <li>Did I feed too many carbs?</li> <li>Did I temp basal too long?</li> <li>Did I bolus too much?</li> </ul> Constant questions lead to more alarm setting and put a kybosh on a restful sleep. [caption id="attachment_11080" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The MySentry shows parents exactly what is on the pump screen. "]<a href="http://www.medtronicdiabetes.net/mysentry?utm_source=Diabetes%2BDaily%2BEmail%2BNewsletter%2B%28mySentry%29&amp;utm_medium=Email%2BNewsletter%2B%28mySentry%29&amp;utm_content=Diabetes%2BDaily%2BEmail%2BNewsletter%2BmySentry%2BBanner%2BAd&amp;utm_campaign=Diabetes%2BDaily%2B%28mySentry%29%2B"><img class="size-medium wp-image-11080" title="The MySentry in Action" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/edelman/files/2012/01/Medtronic-0100-300x199202.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>[/caption] <strong>My Wish, Answered</strong> When I was called and told that the <a href="http://www.medtronicdiabetes.net/mysentry?utm_source=Diabetes%2BDaily%2BEmail%2BNewsletter%2B%28mySentry%29&amp;utm_medium=Email%2BNewsletter%2B%28mySentry%29&amp;utm_content=Diabetes%2BDaily%2BEmail%2BNewsletter%2BmySentry%2BBanner%2BAd&amp;utm_campaign=Diabetes%2BDaily%2B%28mySentry%29%2B">mySentry</a> was approved by the FDA, my mind was blown. mySentry is exactly what I asked Medtonic for a year ago at a blogger summit. I was blessed to have one on my doorstep less than 10 days after the FDA announcement. The idea of mySentry is a simple one. Through a large screen on our bedside table, we see exactly what is on the pump screen: graphs of sensor glucose readings, battery life, units left in the reservoir, and directional arrows showing which way blood sugars are heading. Audible alarms alert us to potential problems as well. Once out of the box, it took less than 10 minutes to set up and sync (honestly!). I laid my head on my pillow and stared wistfully at the screen.  This device was just the first step in a long line of devices designed for better connectivity to my children.  I felt lighter knowing that what we have been asking for was finally here. <strong>The First Night</strong> I was sure I was going to be up all night staring at the graph, but once I did fall asleep the genius of this device was readily apparent.  My head cold made sure that I was conscious at least every hour.  It was a dream to look at the monitor and know that the line was flat. All was well. As a parent, peace of mind is everything. I still did my 2am rounds, but I was able to go back to sleep knowing I would be awakened if something went awry. I can HEAR the CGM alarms now, when before they were just a muffled whisper under my child's blanket. I know WHAT they are alarming about. That is a win in my book. True, I can only use the monitor for one boy at a time, but I've got a call into Medtronic...one awesome technological advance at a time. <em>Meri Schuhmacher is mom to four boys, three who have Type 1 Diabetes.  She is an active advocate within the Diabetes Online Community and authors the blog <a href="http://ourdiabeticlife.com/">ourdiabeticlife.com</a>. Muddling her way through with humor and hope, she wishes every family to know they are not alone. Meri and her husband Ryan are raising their family in Northern California.</em> <span style="font-size: 92%;">For important safety information about Medtronic insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring and the mySentry Remote Glucose Monitor, please visit: <a href="http://www.medtronicdiabetes.net/importantsafetyinformation">http://www.medtronicdiabetes.net/importantsafetyinformation</a></span>

<em>By Meri Schumacher, mom of three kids with type 1 </em> I don't get a lot of sleep. Not because sleep is overrated, but because I have three boys who live with type 1 diabetes. I know the whole 2am check vs. no nighttime check can be a very controversial issue within parental circles in the Diabetes Online Community.  But when one has three growing boys with Type 1, the chances of every one of them being in range all through the night are slim to none.  I can't remember the last 2am check when I didn't have to bolus, temp basal or feed a child. The odds are never in our favor, so to counteract we must always be vigilant.  That means 2am checks. It also means questioning my actions when I return to bed. <ul style="padding-bottom: 6px;"> <li>Did I feed too many carbs?</li> <li>Did I temp basal too long?</li> <li>Did I bolus too much?</li> </ul> Constant questions lead to more alarm setting and put a kybosh on a restful sleep. [caption id="attachment_11080" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The MySentry shows parents exactly what is on the pump screen. "]<a href="http://www.medtronicdiabetes.net/mysentry?utm_source=Diabetes%2BDaily%2BEmail%2BNewsletter%2B%28mySentry%29&amp;utm_medium=Email%2BNewsletter%2B%28mySentry%29&amp;utm_content=Diabetes%2BDaily%2BEmail%2BNewsletter%2BmySentry%2BBanner%2BAd&amp;utm_campaign=Diabetes%2BDaily%2B%28mySentry%29%2B"><img class="size-medium wp-image-11080" title="The MySentry in Action" src="http://www.diabetesdaily.com/edelman/files/2012/01/Medtronic-0100-300x19920.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>[/caption] <strong>My Wish, Answered</strong> When I was called and told that the <a href="http://www.medtronicdiabetes.net/mysentry?utm_source=Diabetes%2BDaily%2BEmail%2BNewsletter%2B%28mySentry%29&amp;utm_medium=Email%2BNewsletter%2B%28mySentry%29&amp;utm_content=Diabetes%2BDaily%2BEmail%2BNewsletter%2BmySentry%2BBanner%2BAd&amp;utm_campaign=Diabetes%2BDaily%2B%28mySentry%29%2B">mySentry</a> was approved by the FDA, my mind was blown. mySentry is exactly what I asked Medtonic for a year ago at a blogger summit. I was blessed to have one on my doorstep less than 10 days after the FDA announcement. The idea of mySentry is a simple one. Through a large screen on our bedside table, we see exactly what is on the pump screen: graphs of sensor glucose readings, battery life, units left in the reservoir, and directional arrows showing which way blood sugars are heading. Audible alarms alert us to potential problems as well. Once out of the box, it took less than 10 minutes to set up and sync (honestly!). I laid my head on my pillow and stared wistfully at the screen.  This device was just the first step in a long line of devices designed for better connectivity to my children.  I felt lighter knowing that what we have been asking for was finally here. <strong>The First Night</strong> I was sure I was going to be up all night staring at the graph, but once I did fall asleep the genius of this device was readily apparent.  My head cold made sure that I was conscious at least every hour.  It was a dream to look at the monitor and know that the line was flat. All was well. As a parent, peace of mind is everything. I still did my 2am rounds, but I was able to go back to sleep knowing I would be awakened if something went awry. I can HEAR the CGM alarms now, when before they were just a muffled whisper under my child's blanket. I know WHAT they are alarming about. That is a win in my book. True, I can only use the monitor for one boy at a time, but I've got a call into Medtronic...one awesome technological advance at a time. <em>Meri Schuhmacher is mom to four boys, three who have Type 1 Diabetes.  She is an active advocate within the Diabetes Online Community and authors the blog <a href="http://ourdiabeticlife.com/">ourdiabeticlife.com</a>. Muddling her way through with humor and hope, she wishes every family to know they are not alone. Meri and her husband Ryan are raising their family in Northern California.</em> <span style="font-size: 92%;">For important safety information about Medtronic insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring and the mySentry Remote Glucose Monitor, please visit: <a href="http://www.medtronicdiabetes.net/importantsafetyinformation">http://www.medtronicdiabetes.net/importantsafetyinformation</a></span>