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Happy New Year !!!
Where were you when the year 2017 and everyone was yelling Happy New Year? Me, I was in a chair with my computer on my lap half asleep. When Sheryl got up to kiss me (our tradition) the ball had dropped and the fake singing had already occurred. For the first time in years I missed the ball drop, I missed the first local commercial after the New Year and I missed being the one to kiss Sheryl as opposed to her coming to kiss me. In short, I came into this New Year already behind. First Commercial I know you are asking; the first local...
read moreChronic Blessings 2016 – Friends
Living in a community and having friends is different. I live in a community, and I am thankful for that community, but I am also thankful for those in the community who are my friends. My final blessing for this year are my many friends made in the three online communities I am a part of. Friendship When I speak of friends, I mean the people who are willing to laugh, cry and support me daily. People who I care for as much as they care for me. Some share the conditions, Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis, and some...
read moreChronic Blessings – Family
I have been married for 39 years. My wife and I have had ups and downs, and we have made it together, which does not imply we are perfect. Marriage and family is hard work. It is messy, complicated, and often it results in difficult situations where there is no road map for the future. But it is also worth every minute of the investment we make. Meeting Sheryl I had been a person with diabetes for a few months when I met Sheryl, and it was two years later when we started dating. When I asked her to marry me, I immediately had misgivings,...
read moreChronic Blessings 2016 – Community
Where would we be without community? I rely on two communities for support. The Rheumatoid Arthritis Community is passionately caring. They hold me up when things are tough, or I am having a miserable day. They give me a wide berth to be sad, happy, relieved, angry and passionate about dealing with the daily trials of having RA. They are a rock of my foundation. The Diabetes community keeps me informed, advocating, active, angry at injustice, and happy for small victories. They understand when I say I am riding the roller coaster of...
read moreChronic Blessings 2016 –Technology
How does something that is misshaped, misidentified and misunderstood become one of my four blessings of 2016? It made the list exactly because it lacks so much form. Technology, especially medical technology, is important to each of us in our own special ways. For those of us with diabetes, it is our lifeline. For those with AS and RA, it is our safety net. Aspirations Fullfilled. This year with the promise of new insulin delivery, and hybrid control technology our diabetes has never been closer to being managed more like a human...
read moreChronic Blessings 2016
Do we who have chronic conditions have blessings? It is an annual question I ask myself. For the last two years, I have called this list, the chronic blessings series. Starting today and for the next four days, I will relate my four blessings this year. My blessings this year include technology, community, family and friends. So stay tuned this week for one post per day discussing my Chronic Blessings for 2016. Blessings are like leaves; we can find them in many different places if we look. The difficulty is that we do not always...
read moreHope Big – Love More
On November 27, 2016 I was asked by the minister of the congregation Sheryl and I attend if I would like to give the message. I readily agreed. Right after I said I would do it, I found out it was the first Sunday of Advent so it was a little bigger deal than I originally bargained for. Certain times of the year the message has to be tailored to the season and the day. On Easter, the person giving the message is expected to talk about Easter (makes sense) and during advent the message should be about Advent. Since Hope is the first...
read moreChronic Christmas
I was so excited to hear about Chronic Christmas Surviving the Holidays with a Chronic Illness. It came to me at exactly the right time of year, and I was in the mood for some fun and practical advice about the holiday season. When this book arrived in the mail, I was excited to see what Lene might share to help me find that contentment and excitement about the holiday season. As a person with choric conditions, I sometimes have difficulty getting into the season. Lene’s words helped me discover some reasons I feel out of step with the...
read moreWhy I chose service
Several years ago I was asked to participate in the TUDiabetes quilt project. I had my name placed on the quilt with one word that best represented how diabetes affects me. I chose the word service. And today that quilt is displayed at various events around the country with my name and that word. Service ? Service may be an odd word to use to represent diabetes and some people over time have commented on the word. Always asking why I would chose such a word. Most of the words on the quilt represent personal struggles with diabetes...
read moreUpdate From the Front Lines of the War on Rheumatoid Arthritis: Part 2
Janssen Pharmaceutical’s War on RA, November 3, 2016: To gain perspective on the war on rheumatoid arthritis from the point of view of a researcher, I spoke with Dan Baker, MD, Disease Area Leader, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Immunology Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. Dr. Baker provided detailed responses to five questions about the development of biologic medications for RA. Janssen is the manufacturer developer of SIMPONI ARIA® (golimumab) infusion, SIMPONI® (golimumab) and REMICADE® (infliximab), which are widely used...
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