"Make your Mark!" This seems to be the theme of 2012.  It's the title of the current sermon series at my church and it's all over the February issue of The Oprah Magazine. The entire issue is devoted to helping women find a way to make their mark. Oprah says, "What else is as satisfying as leaving your mark on something and making it your own?"  While there are millions of ways you can make your mark, I'd like to invite you to make your mark in 2012 by taking a stand for women with diabetes.  In fact, we'll even provide tools to help you!  You can start by marking your calendar for May 20, 2012 at 8am.  On this momentous day, you can join hundreds of others (men, women, children, pets) to take a stand for women with diabetes at the 2012 orange:will Diabetes Awareness Walk in downtown Raleigh.  The purpose of the event is to raise awareness about women's unique challenges with diabetes and to celebrate the women who are living/have lived with diabetes.

Making your mark is all about standing out from the crowd, showing your true personality, and showing the essence of who you are!  After all, you ARE a woman with diabetes!  Diabetes IS at the essence of what makes you- you! Diabetes is also what often makes you stand out or makes you different from others. But, the great thing about this event is that we will be celebrating that THING (called diabetes) that makes you different from most people!  That's what we (DiabetesSisters) love the most about you-- because that's what makes you a part of our unique Sisterhood!  Make your mark by leading a team in the Walk, cheering others on, raising the most funds, having the largest team, wearing crazy, wild, fun team t-shirts in the Walk, having a unique team mascot, creating a unique team name, or even sharing your personal diabetes story as a woman with diabetes with the local media.  It's entirely up to you!  That's the great thing about making your mark!  You can use your creativity to make it uniquely you!

2012 is the year for women with diabetes to make their mark!  Now, go forth and make your mark, Sister!

Founder/CEO of DiabetesSisters

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Stephanie Kuehl

At 20, diabetes was not even on my radar. I was a newlywed, a soon to be college grad, and I had everything planned. What's the saying? "Want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plan."

 

I was rolled into the ER with a blood sugar over 1400, I knew something was wrong but not even my doctor had recognized the signs. As I heard the words through the curtain, my thought was, "Oh no I'm not, this is not happening. I want kids." At that moment I knew plenty about diabetes, I had seen Steel Magnolias. But it was happening and a week later I left the hospital with my diabetes kit and Julia "Shelby" Roberts was still my only diabetic friend. At the time I was not fortunate enough to have Diabetes Sisters, or even the internet to learn about diabetes. I read the books and listened to the doctors and followed the cookie cutter regime. I spent the next few years working very hard making diabetes look very easy. I kept it separate trying not to make it a big deal to anyone. All the time, thinking myself a failure whenever a BS reading was even a degree or two off my range. There was no one that I knew that understood diabetes the way I needed. However, there were plenty of well-meaning insights: "It's just a little sugar, just watch it", "Oh. That's like a death sentence.", and "You must think of it as a blessing". I would try to refrain from my response of "Diabetes is "watching" 25/8". I'm not aware of anyone with a get out of life death free card and I find it hard to call any disease a blessing". Did I mention I may have been a little frustrated?

 

What has been the blessing is my decision to define diabetes as just what it is, a disease; a part of life that has come my way much like all the other ups and downs we all face. I realized how my belief that God is always with me through those times and that even when you think you are totally alone in this battle, there are others fighting too. The more I integrated it into my life the more control I had over it. I'm aware of the limits I have over the number on my meter and the complications that arise but I am always in control of my perspective on what life throws at me, whether it be a 36 on the Omnipod, a divorce, or a transplant. I don't have to handle it all at once; I can take it one moment at a time.

 

Diabetes has been a life coach of sorts, prompting me to make more mindful, responsive decisions. So now when a person asks about diabetes, I let them know that diabetes is 25 hours a day 8 days a week, lived by the moment, it is a life sentence if you choose, and a source of inspiration to me. Most of all, we aren't alone while we find our own way.

 

Natalie Strand, MD is known by the general public as half of the first female team to win The Amazing Racein 2010.  To those in the diabetes world, her feat of not only racing around the world, but winning the rigorous competition while also managing her diabetes has made her a hero! In her everyday life, Nat serves as an Assistant Professor in Clinical Anesthesiology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.  DiabetesSisters is pleased to feature Natalie Strand as the Keynote Speaker at the 2012 Weekend for Women Conference in Raleigh, NC on May 18-20, 2012.  Registration is filling fast (As of 2/1/12, we have 77 Conference registrants and 20 Partner's Perspective registrants), so reserve your spot today!

• ABC11 will be the Official Media Sponsor and Zevia will be the Official Beverage Sponsor of the event!
• Local and National Vendors will be on site from 7:30am-10:00am.

 

 

 

 

DiabetesSisters is pleased to launch the FIRST Partner's Perspective Program at the 2012 Weekend for Women Conference.  "After seeing so many men hanging around in the hallways at the Conference and sparking conversation with them, it became apparent that they want/need to talk about their issues too," said Chris Barnes, Partner's Perspective Program Manager.  For the minimal cost of $25, Partners will have the opportunity to meet with other spouses for educational seminars and for social events.  To register,please visit:

http://www.diabetessisters.org/events/nationalconference/2012-conference-raleigh-nc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DiabetesSisters extends a sincere Thank You to

Tanya Varanelli