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Home » Articles » Cool Tools
LadyBlogger Profile #1: DiabetesMine
There are so many great web sites out there created by, and for, ChronicBabes. But sometimes it can be hard to find them! That's why we're starting a new weekly feature: LadyBloggers. Each week, we'll profile a ChronicBabe who's doing superior writing. It's a way to connect you with some of our favorite resources, and offer a peek at why and how these women are sharing their voice in the community. And maybe we'll spark some creativity in you, too! If you want us to profile your web site, let us know and we'll consider your project.
And now, without futher ado, we bring you:
DiabetesMine.com, created by Amy Tenderich
What's your chronic?
Type 1 diabetes (aka LADA – Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults), which brought a few "free gifts" -- hypothyroidism and gluten intolerance. I also seem to have Raynaud’s Syndrome.
How old were you when you were diagnosed? How old are you now? 37 at diagnosis, 39 now (shhh – I’m 26 in my head!)
What's your everyday life like?
I'm raising three girls, ages 8, 6, and 3, plus I work three days a week from my home office as a freelance writer. In between I manage our household, social life, and "food service" -- so never (ever) a dull moment. Between their swimming, gymnastics, tennis, language classes, play dates, school activities and more, we are literally busy every second. The diabetes requires quite a bit of attention, too, so I spend a good deal of time exercising and preparing (healthy, gluten-free) meals.
For regular exercise I do aerobics (loud music and stomping – yay!) and jogging. I also love hiking, biking, and swimming when time permits. I'm in a monthly book club with a bunch of girlfriends, and also enjoy “dates” and getaways my wonderful partner. We travel to
What do you think is the biggest issue facing young women with your chronic?
I’d say a sense of isolation, but the Internet -- in particular insta-publishing software -- is helping reduce that. Also, believe it or not, lots of general practitioners out there who misdiagnose or do a lousy job treating diabetes.
How about the biggest issue facing ChronicBabes in general?
Probably health coverage. Aside from the pain and suffering of living with your disease, you get to fight with a complex bureaucracy that in the end will probably only support a small portion of the expensive treatments you need.
What inspired you to start a blog? When did you start it?
I started in February 2005, about 18 months after diagnosis. I just knew I couldn’t be the only one overwhelmed enough by the juggling act this disease requires, let alone the plethora of news and information. Example: Do an Internet search on a topic like, “diabetes foot care,” and you get over two million hits! I kid you not! I found scores of diabetes resource lists, fact sheets, directories, FAQs, guidelines documents and “About” pages. Not to mention the headlines and health news sites and newsletters and home video guides. Whew! And they were all BAD NEWS. The reaction that took shape for me was this: Talk Back. Observe, filter, and comment (with the key being the middle step). And share your personal experiences. How wonderful to have a tool like a blog to communicate with others touched by diabetes!
What is your main goal with the blog? Have you achieved it, or are you close to achieving it?
I view the blog as a vehicle for me to have a voice in the Diabetes Community… I wanted to get the word out that you can sort through the tangle of confusing information and learn to live quite well with diabetes.
The Centers for Disease Control just released new numbers stating that 21 million Americans are now affected by diabetes. That’s more than the entire population of the state of
Judging by my growing traffic, and the great comments coming in, I’d say I’m definitely well on my way to achieving my goal of being heard.
How does the blog impact your health? Do you feel a connection with others, or do you learn new things? Does it energize you?
The lowdown is this: I hate being diabetic. And, I happen to write for a living. The only way I know how to embrace diabetes is to write about it. This blog has helped me explore, share, connect…
It is completely mind-blowing the people I’ve “met” over the Internet, and the stories they’ve shared with me. And as a patient, it’s confirmed the notion that doctors don’t know everything. Especially with diabetes, the ultimate self-managed disease, other diabetics are the very best source.
So on a personal level, I’d say the blog has really helped me transform something negative into something very positive.
What are your future plans for your blog - expansion, partnerships, merchandise, anything at all.
At this point, I'm thinking I'd like to take it up a notch: involve more people, organizations, partners. I'm mulling over exactly how to approach that. The first step would be to get a few high-level sponsors, so I could at least break even on the investment I’m putting into it.
Who are some of your favorite health bloggers (please provide their sites) and why do you like them?
Here are some bloggers who are fun to read and whom I admire for their upbeat attitudes in dealing with illness: Too Sexy for My Hair, Yvonne Foong, Infertility is Funny, Schizophrenia.com, and Digital Doorway.
Do you accept submissions, or do you partner with blogs and web sites to enhance your content?
I have an extensive blogroll, and do loads of cross-linking. I also write a monthly column on the dLife.com site at this link. But I haven’t tried any official blog partnerships yet. I would be very happy to host some “guest authors” and/or post people’s D-stories if they’re interested in sharing. Send me an email and we’ll talk.
Posted: 12/7/2005 in Cool Tools | Also posted in: Inspiration
