In 1891 on November 14th, Frederick Banting was born. Banting and his colleague Charles Best discovered insulin in 1921. I’ve had type 1 diabetes for 34.5 years, and without the discovery of insulin, I would have long been dead. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the beta cells, which … Read more
Eleven years ago today, my life changed completely. This was the day, October 20th, 2004, that I found out I had breast cancer. It was a sucker punch to the gut. I doubled over in terror. Complete fear permeated my body. I remember wondering if I would ever breathe deeply again. Now here I am, … Read more
Can you list your limiting beliefs? Another name would be, your fears. The things you notice that you keep running in to, over and over again. I’ve been turning and looking my fears and limiting beliefs straight in the face. I have no illusions that I will banish my fears and limiting beliefs 100%. I … Read more
Eight years ago, 111 cyclists who have diabetes rode in the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure Colorado as Red Riders. The ride started and finished at the Boulder Valley Fairgrounds, just outside of Denver, Colorado. It was August 2007. It was the roll out of the Red Riders!! I had decided that 100 was … Read more
Last week my father died. We held a Memorial that was well attended. It was good to see how many people remembered good things about my father. He had a rough life. I learned quite a bit from him. Including the value of calling oneself an athlete. Being an athlete has made all the difference … Read more
Today, 34 years ago, June 26, 1981, I came home from a lunchtime birthday party and I was dying of thirst. And I’d already peed about 10 times that day. I’d lost about 20 pounds in the previous month, and I was eating non-stop. When my dad got home from work, my mom and he … Read more
I just submitted a talk proposal to Ignite Minneapolis. Daring to submit the proposal feels a little like daring to jump off a cliff and hope that I have wings! They will get more than 100 proposals and they will only select 18. I will find out by March 20th if I’ve been selected to … Read more
I have ridden in literally hundreds of Tour de Cure rides all over the United States! I doubt I’ve ridden in as many different Tours as Red Rider Lew Alexander has. Lew selects at least 10 Tour de Cures each year and he travels to each of these Tours and he rides the 100 mile route. … Read more
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Since I don’t eat meat, dairy or gluten, this holiday isn’t as thrilling for me as it is for most Americans. So, I look for other things to make it a fun holiday. My friend Tammy, who has type 2 diabetes, told me about the St. Paul Turkey Trot, a 10K run … Read more
There’s a lot going on in November, in addition to Thanksgiving and Voting Day, the entire month is Diabetes Awareness Month. Living with a chronic health condition like diabetes, every month for me is Diabetes Month. In fact, every single day is Diabetes Day. Yes, there are no, absolutely ZERO vacations when you have diabetes, … Read more