Six more sixes

What? Is that confusing?

I thought that I'd take today to talk a bit about some of my favorite D-blogs. I've saved one or two of their Six Things from yesterday to share with you.

1. Kerri at Six Until Me. Is there anyone who doesn't love Kerri's blog? She writes so, so well and always has interesting insights and a way of making you smile, laugh, and cry all in one post. My favorite of her Six yesterday was this:

"Diabetes isn't just a physiological disease. It's an emotional one, too. It's not just a question of blood sugar levels and insulin supplementation. It's about managing the emotions that come as part of life with a chronic illness. It's about the guilt of complications. The pressure to control an uncontrollable disease. The hope that tomorrow will come without incident. I feel that the emotional aspects of diabetes need to be attended to with the same care and diligence as an A1C level. Maybe more so, because life needs to be happy, whether it's a short life or a very long one."

It really struck a chord with me. Kerri was one of the first people with diabetes to comment on my blog and really opened my eyes to this online community.

2. Karen over at Bitter-Sweet also writes some fantastic posts. Her Six yesterday was no exception. I particularly liked this one:

"High blood sugar and/or low blood sugars don’t mean I’ve done something wrong. I do my best to fill in for my pancreas. However, I am not an actual pancreas and I don’t have the skills needed to keep my blood sugars in range all the time. Blood sugar is affected by food, exercise, stress, amount of sleep, hormones, germs . . . the list goes on."

So, so true. I think Karen's was one of the first D-blogs I found and I've been hooked ever since!

3. Amy writes at Diabetes Mine, where I probably learn the most about what's going on in the world of diabetes. I sort of like to think of it as continuing education. Her Six was another great list. This was my favorite:

"4. Butting in is not the same as helping.

(Related to No. 3.) This applies to those pesky “Diabetes Police.” Craning your neck to peer at someone’s glucose meter, and then making ignorant comments about the numbers is Not Helping. Asking “Can you eat that?” is Not Helping. Pointing out every “sugar-free” food in the supermarket is Not Helping.

If you really want to help, start by being a good listener. Then maybe ask your friend or loved one with diabetes how you can best be supportive to them. Even if they don’t want you involved at all, it’s hekka nice to be offered."

It was really hard to choose a favorite from her Six. So good!

4. Arnold and Me, written by Holly, is a fairly recent find of mine. I first found her blog after seeing one of her comments on Kerri's blog where we had almost identical responses. This has actually happened more than once. I'm convinced we're sharing a brain. Her Six also had some great points:

"2. What can you eat?

Most people believe that diabetics should only eat meat and vegetables. Although these are healthy choices, our bodies do need carbs for everyday functions (like, the brain). I am of the philosophy that you can eat anything in moderation, as long as you plan and take your insulin properly. Some foods are worth the hassle, to me, like pizza and beer. Others, like donuts and cake, aren't.

And just because something says "sugar-free" on it, doesn't mean that it's safe for diabetics to eat. The entire nutritional gamut needs to be considered: calories, fat, carbs, and protein. Regardless of your pancreatic function, I believe we all should eat a healthy, well-balanced diet."

It all comes down to food in the end :)

5. Kelly at Diabetesaliciousness has one of the strongest voices in our online community, in my opinion. She's not afraid to educate or advocate on behalf of diabetes. I love it when her posts pop up in my Google Reader. Here's my favorite of her Six:

"As a person living with diabetes, I’m constantly doingDiabetes Math and calculating the carbs of every scrap of food I put into my body so I can figure out how much insulin to take to cover that food. This makes me good at multi-tasking. Not because I want to be, but because I have to be. So next time you and I are out to dinner and we’re deep in conversation, keep in mind that I will secretly be eyeballing and calculating carbs while gushing over your child’s baby pics or laughing at your last nightmare blind date!"

All that thinking, all the time. Such a good point.

6. Finally, Jacquie at Typical Type 1 is another phenomenal writer. I have laughed out loud at her posts and felt such sympathy at other turns. She is so talented and uses it for diabetes good! Her Six was also pretty great. I just couldn't pass this one up :)

"6. It’s DI-A-BEE-TEEES. Rhymes with “sneeze.” And “Belize.” And “the bee’s knees.” Not “Hiya, fetus.”"

There are some wonderful people in my life who use the Hiya, fetus pronunciation, and that's ok by me. I just couldn't stop laughing when I read that.

So many excellent lists, but six favorite d-blogs seemed like enough for one Wednesday. Any other favorites out there?