About Me


I am proud to call myself by many titles.

Mom

I have always wanted kids. I remember vividly an assignment in first grade with a trifolded piece of construction paper where I illustrated my three dream jobs - Teacher, Singer, and Mother. (I'm consistent.)

My biggest dream came true the day Sweetie was born. She is, to quote a children's book I love called I Love You So... "my sweetie, my dear, my smile, and my laughter, my playmate for always, and my joy ever after."

In 2012, we welcomed Dibbs and completed our crew. He was the most kissable, huggable ball of cheek chub I've ever known. And if I blogged less, it's because I was holding him more.

Those kids are now full-on elementary schoolers and the light of my life.

Teacher

For over 12 years, I taught private voice lessons. I don't know if you've ever met a private music teacher, but we are an interesting breed. I taught singing fundamentals, but I was also an entertainer, counselor, personal trainer, and friend to my teenage clients. Somehow I ended up at all their birthday parties and they ended up in my wedding. I'm not surprised that I fell in love with teaching. I'm surprised only by how hard I fell. I never questioned my calling as a music teacher and truly cherish the time I spent in pursuit of helping students grow in their musical expression.

Singer

It's funny. Though I'm a professionally trained singer myself, I rarely self-identify as such. It has been a personally rewarding way to bring in additional income and it was a degree I'll never regret earning. I've had the opportunity to have sung in the presence of Hillary Clinton as well as the King and Queen of Spain. I don't actively pursue gigs, but I really loved singing for and with my students on their programs - coming up with creative themes and costumes and staging to make their shows a success. I also love writing creative parody lyrics for my music video series based on diabetes, called #DParodies. But I have never been after the glory.

Writer

Except as a writer. Now that is at my very core. As my friend Jay once remarked about me, you can criticize my high notes, but don't you dare question my turn of phrase.

I'm a poet, an essayist, a lover of polemic. I'm a grammar stickler and an English major with impeccable spelling and a serious love affair with the Oxford comma.

I write because I can't stop myself. And my personal brand is all about the power of our words, our voices, and our advocacy.

My writing about the intersection of technology and diabetes led me to the one of the finest sources of diabetes news and editorial on the web - ASweetLife.org, where I served Diabetes Media Foundation as their tech editor in the year 2015.

word cloud created at http://www.tagxedo.com/
PWD (Person with Diabetes)

I was diagnosed at age 10. My diagnosis story is a familiar one. Thirst, lethargy, bedwetting. DKA, hospital, coma.

I spent my pre-teen and teen years complying with every rule and suffering still under the curse of out-of-control blood sugars. Regardless, I graduated fifth in my class and went on to graduate at the top of my college class (magna cum laude, phi beta kappa, departmental distinction, honors in the liberal arts).

My 20s were mostly spent in survival mode where diabetes was concerned. Trying to toe the line hadn't produced results, so slipping in my 'control' protocol was a natural response. I needed to focus on other things and it was 'obvious' to me that diabetes management was a lost cause.

Then I met Kevin.

Wife

Kevin is the reason I am where I am today. He is my hero, my partner, my best friend, and the person I was waiting to share my life with.

Without his encouragement and support, I doubt I'd be as healthy, as driven, as connected, or the advocate I am today. He discovered the online D community for me and sent me an email about it. He sent me moderating tips that I forwarded on to Manny within two months of my joining TuDiabetes, thus beginning my volunteer career as an admin there (which later led to me running the joint). He has made it possible for me to travel to meetups and seminars and board meetings and meetings in Washington DC.

And he gets up at 3am when my blood sugar is low.

He also understands my diabetes devices better than I do, creating apps for Android and Google Glass to have a view into my blood sugars in 2013, and not long after, began contributing as one of the original core developers of Nightscout, an open source solution for second screen monitoring. If you've used the Nightscout Android uploader, you have had his code in your hand. I was often the sole test environment for the next version of Nightscout you hadn't seen yet.

His devotion and drive have led him to a career in the diabetes industry as he joined the impressive team at Bigfoot Biomedical in their pursuit of automated insulin delivery.

Advocate

I am an advocate for many causes besides diabetes support and awareness. I am fiercely liberal, a staunch supporter of civil rights for all, and I'm all for universal healthcare.

On the diabetes front, my mission is to educate and to connect people - especially young women who hope to have healthy pregnancies and children. I don't believe in a cure. Even as a kid, I accepted that diabetes was not a new condition and that it was infinitely complex. But nevertheless, I grow excited about technological advancements that might help people with diabetes live longer and better lives. If there ever is a cure, I will be overjoyed, but I grow weary of talking about it like it's just around the corner.

Instead, I throw my support behind organizations and initiatives that make people with diabetes feel more informed and more empowered.

Most recently, that means I am working with Tidepool on a bold mission to bring a DIY open source automated insulin system through the FDA in the hopes of broadening access, availability, and choice.

Leader

I consider myself a fighter and a spokesperson and am proud to have established myself among the key opinion leaders in the diabetes community. In 2015, I led the Diabetes Hands Foundation as its interim Executive Director. It was an honor to serve in steering the organization through its first transitional phase during a very busy year and exciting to plan and facilitate the advocacy MasterLab and preside over the other programs of that fine organization.

I have offered my insights across a multitude of spaces - from consulting with industry groups, providing guidance to nonprofits, and continuing to write about issues that matter to the people of my community whether here or through platforms I've been given through my association with various nonprofits, publications, and when I was writing content for Bigfoot Biomedical.