#DBlogWeek: Change The World.

Today's prompt: Let’s kick off Diabetes Blog Week by talking about the diabetes causes and issues that really get us fired up. Are you passionate about 504 plans and school safety? Do diabetes misconceptions irk you? Do you fight for CGM coverage for Medicare patients, SDP funding, or test strip accuracy? Do you work hard at creating diabetes connections and bringing support? Whether or not you “formally” advocate for any cause, share the issues that are important to you.

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Diabetes Blog Week! Woo!

(In years past I've had the time to write posts ahead of time and actually thoroughly think through the answers but not the case this year. Bear with me?)

There are times where I find it difficult to focus my diabetes advocacy efforts. There are so many issues and causes that I know are important and I have a lot of feelings about so many of them. It's becoming apparent that, for me, it's best to narrow it down and do a few things really well (or at least, be able to put enough effort into them to make some kind of impact) than say yes to everything but not do any of it particularly well. A more concise way to say that: "work on a few things and RT the rest".

Sometimes that means stepping away from things. It's not been an easy feeling to say "no" to helping with issues to which I very much want to say "yes", but I'm learning to live with the discomfort. (I have to - there's just only so much of my free time I can commit.)

I think my diabetes advocacy passions will always default to the psychosocial and emotional aspects of living with diabetes, but the more I learn about access issues - to test strips, to continuous glucose monitoring, to insulin pumps, to insulin itself - the more I feel the need to do something about making sure that everyone with diabetes has access to the same life-saving medications and technologies that I currently do. I am incredibly lucky/privileged to be able to use a brand new insulin pump; to wear a CGM at all times; to have an insurance plan that covers the majority of my diabetes-related health costs (even if I have to fight them for that coverage sometimes); to have an adequate supply of insulin in a refrigerator and pump supplies in the drawer(s); to be under the care of doctors who work with me to decide how to best care for myself; to have access to the internet and the support of so many people who understand, intimately, what this life with diabetes is like.

This is where I'm going to be focusing more of my attention, and I hope that when the call sounds, you'll raise your voice too. (I'm actually working on something very specific, but I don't want to distract from the #DBlogWeek shenanigans. Check back with me next week.)

If you're interested in working with others on a broad spectrum of diabetes advocacy issues, consider becoming a member of the Diabetes Advocates organization (united voices are louder, you know). We're working on some great initiatives, and we need your help. (And if you can make it - come to Orlando on July 2nd for the MasterLab event.)



Find out more about Diabetes Blog Week here.