We’re now nearing summer 2020, with many of us still stuck in stay-at-home mode even as parts of the world are gradually emerging from the pandemic shutdown.
Of course, May brought us Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, but like everyone else these days, our Diabetes Online Community (DOC) has been quite focused on simply coping with daily challenges in these uncertain times. Here’s our rundown of posts that caught our eye this past month, in no particular order:
Moms got a celebratory nod in light of Mother’s Day in a new podcast named “MamaBetes,” created by a trio of D-Moms in talking about their experiences from preparation for pregnancy to handling homeschooling when type 1 diabetes is on board.
We’re all struggling to manage this continuing COVID-19 crisis, and over at the JDRF blog they’re exploring how some T1D families are coping with the new normal of quarantine life — from telemedicine appointments to cooking tips to how to find help when you need it.
Speaking of crisis-time coping, Frank Sita at Type 1 Writes has a straight-from-the-heart blog post about how he’s feeling and dealing these days, and the effect he’s seen on his blood sugars.
Many in the D-Community are grappling with the scary stats — for example, that COVID-19 has hit people with diabetes particularly hard in U.K. hospitals. Renza at Diabetogenic shares some thoughts on dealing with headlines that terrify, diabetes-related or not.
With May being Mental Health Month, D-Dad Scott Benner at the “Juicebox Podcast” delved into the deep darkness of diabetes and depression and how self-harm can become a reality for some. Beware: This one’s not for the faint of heart.
Our U.K. friend Chris Aldred at The Grumpy Pumper also shares a heartfelt personal post about his own experiences in the mental health arena while also living with type 1, and having a son who was more recently diagnosed.
We couldn’t help but LOL when seeing the Instagram image of a diabetes-themed tank top that flips the pandemic mantra of “flattening the curve” on its head with a diabetes twist. Nicely done, @dia_be_tees!
D-Dad Tom Karlya asks the question “Is Anyone There?“ while reflecting on forced self-isolation. He notes that social communication is so key, and ponders how kids with T1D at home are still being educated while managing their diabetes outside of school settings.
We’re enjoying the new Screenside Chats organized by our friends at Children with Diabetes (CWD), which hit on a range of diabetes issues and welcome an impressive roster of guest speakers.
This podcast from Miss Jen Grieves on “diabetes perfection” and the stigma of diabetes complications hits the mark for mental health month and is worth a listen.
It’s moving and important to read different POVs from those around the online community sharing their personal experiences with COVID-19. This includes a riveting post by a D-Husband at Beyond Type 1 and a great piece from Beyond Type 2 on shortages and disparities that exist.
We came across a U.K.-based blogger sharing his type 2 diabetes and fitness journey, and how he managed to lose a lot of weight and reverse his T2D symptoms effectively while improving his health. This “Oh… Sh-ugar!” post explains it all.
The phrase “diaversary” has become common in our community for those marking anniversaries of when they were diagnosed with diabetes. We also love the phrase “live-abetes anniversary,” newly coined by Jennifer Smith at the Integrated Diabetes Services blog.
We share our favorites every month, and would love to include yours. Please send along your picks for the month of June to us via email, or ping us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.