A quick note from Gary…There’s Nothing Like Hangin’ With Your Homies

About 30 times a year I have to travel to deliver presentations.  Sometimes the trips take me to fascinating far-away lands, and sometimes, well, not so much.  San Diego is a city I’ve been to many times, for a variety of reasons.  It’s a wonderful place to visit any time of year.  My dream job is to be the weatherman in San Diego – just point to a map and say, “It’s gonna be pleasant and sunny today, high in the 70s, maybe a few puffy clouds, and a gentle breeze.”  Tomorrow, put on a new tie, and rinse, lather, repeat. 

My latest trip to San Diego was something special.  Endocrinologists Steve Edelman and Jeremy Pettus (of TCOYD fame) put together an annual “One Conference” specifically for adults with type-1 diabetes.  (go to https://tcoyd.org/one-2019/ to find out more)  This year, for the first time, they invited me to attend and deliver a presentation on how to keep blood sugars from hitting the ceiling after meals.  The talk went fine, but it was the rest of the meeting that really stood out.  Dr. Edelman and the other presenters were hilarious, poking fun at life with type-1 as they taught.  Everywhere you looked, all you could see were smiles, heads nodding, and incredible camaraderie.  We exercised together, attacked the buffets together, and shared our anecdotes with pride.  Even the younger tech gurus kept busy revealing their secrets (and programs) with older attendees.

What I learned at the conference, to paraphrase, is that diabetes truly loves company.  There’s nothing quite like being around others who understand what you’re going through… without having to say a word.  Maybe that was my motivation for staffing my practice with clinicians who live with diabetes personally.  There’s a certain comfort level in working with someone who truly “gets it”.  If you haven’t had the experience of working with a clinician who has diabetes personally, give us a try.  I can’t promise you puffy clouds and a gentle breeze, but I can promise you a level of empathy and expertise that is hard to find anywhere else. 

As always, enjoy this edition of Diabetes Bites.  Please reach out if there is anything we can do to assist you or someone you care about.  Together, there is nothing we can’t accomplish!

– Gary

Gary Scheiner MS, CDE
Owner & Clinical Director