The Meri Tribune

Today I am cleaning out my inbox and sharing a load of awesome information. It just isn't right that I keep it to myself! November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and there are a ton of things happening to further our cause! Pick and choose what your family might want to get involved with. I'm posting all the links in case you want to know more!

The Big Blue Test: Sponsored by the Diabetic Hands Association and Roche, the Big Blue Test asks all people touched by diabetes to:

-Test their blood sugar
-Get active for at least 14 minutes
-Test their blood sugar again
-Share their numbers on http://bigbluetest.org

Do this between November 1st and 14th and Roche will donate $75,000 in connection with the number of people that DO the Big Blue Test. These funds will be re-granted among 6 humanitarian diabetes programs (1 international and 5 US-based) to support more than 8,000 people with diabetes in need (up from 2,000 people that were supported last year!) Take a bike ride. Do jumping jacks. Take a walk as a family. Do the Big Blue Test, record your results and in return help others with diabetes in need. WIN/WIN!

Team Type 1 Runs Across America: Starting in Oceanside, CA, 10 runners—all with type 1 diabetes— will run 3,000 miles to raise awareness for type 1 diabetes. The run will end in New York City on November 14, World Diabetes Day. Meanwhile, TrialNet will be racing to screen 3,000 people—one for every mile that Team Type 1 runs. This will bring the total number of people taking part in TrialNet research to 100,000. There is more info about the run at Laura's blog: HERE.

As you may know, TrialNet is an international network of researchers who are exploring ways to prevent and delay the progression of type 1 diabetes. My son M and my husband and I have been tested by TrialNet. You can find more information HERE.

Medtronic Receives IDE Approval to Conduct ASPIRE In-Home Study of First Insulin Pump with Low Glucose Suspend for US Market: I'm especially excited about this one! We have been waiting for this step forward for us here in the good ol' US of A. Read the press release HERE. Also, Medtronic is now on Twitter...you can find them HERE. They also have launched a new blog this year called The Loop...this last article is awesome. It really puts all we, and our children, have to think about in perspective. I mean I knew my brain was swelly for a reason, but seeing it all typed out like this is eye opening to say the least! Take a look...it is so worth your time! The link is HERE.

Cookbooks for a cause! Laura's mother and her sisters have written an amazing cookbook. It is a project of love with all proceeds going to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). To order one, visit Laura's blog HERE. I've seen pictures of her mothers dishes, and let me tell you...it'll be worth every penny!

World Diabetes Postcard Exchange! It isn't too late to sign up! Send a postcard somewhere in the world to another family that has the same heart, and the same day to day grind as you! And then receive one back! You can visit The Butter Compartment HERE.

Blue Fridays: Blue Fridays is an initiative to bring attention to World Diabetes Day, and to advocate and bring awareness for diabetes and the people living with it. Diabetes is more than a national issue; it's a world epidemic. This year, Cherise from Diabetes Social Media Advocacy wants to rally the diabetes community to celebrate World Diabetes Day and Diabetes Awareness Month by asking people to wear blue every Friday during the Month of November and on World Diabetes Day (November 14). How easy is this one? I think we can all get on board here!

D Blog Day: November 9th is D Blog Day and you can participate whether you have a blog or not! Gina (Your diabetes BFF) wants to make a scrapbook from families all around the world! All you need is a 12x12 piece of paper and some imagination. ON the 9th you can post the pic of your page on your blog, and then mail it in to Gina for the scrapbook masterpiece! You can find out more about that HERE!

Lastly! In honor of Diabetes Awareness Month I will be joining Wego Health and will be participating in National Health Blog Post Month. This means I will be blogging every day in November. If you have a blog...please join me in the madness! You can sign up HERE! I don't mean to spam you all month. Please read when you can. I just feel really strongly that this is the month I need to step up and advocate the best I can! Wego Health has provided some prompts to help me out. Thank you for putting up with me!

That about wraps it up! It is going to be a crazy month friends. Better put on your seat belt for this one, it is already proving to be fast and furious!

Happy Halloween!