34 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 diabetic living

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awaits...The diabetes

blogging world

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diabetic living JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 35

Like many people with diabetes, Henry Vila yearned to share his experiences and trade insights with others living with his condition.

“There are around 130,000 people with type 1 diabetes in Australia, and while that sounds like a lot, it tends to be very hard to connect with each other,” explains Henry.

His solution? Starting his own internet blog, D And The Guy (www.dandtheguy.com), as a way of reaching out to others in the same boat and putting Australia on the map in the global ‘blogosphere’.

What’s in a blog about diabetes? Well, some are personal, and chronicle the daily life of the author, their triumphs, frustrations and questions about diabetes. Others cover the challenges faced by raising kids with diabetes. Some blogs are less personal, and are more like online newsletters, with daily updates on the latest news on diabetes medication, insulin or treatments.

“Being part of the blogging community allows me to stay connected with others who, like me, happen to lead their lives with the condition,” says Henry.

Frustration at what he saw as a lack of hands-on support and information available to those with type 2 diabetes prompted NSW-based Jim Montgomery to launch his blog, The Original Type II Diabetes Blog (www.originaldiabetesblog.com). Having lived with type 2 diabetes for some years, Jim’s mission is to keep his online community up to date with information that may not automatically be passed on to them by the healthcare professionals who are responsible for their diabetes management. ➤

awaits...

Ever felt alone with your condition? No need for

loneliness or isolation when there’s a thriving online

blogging community buzzing with diabetes news, advice and support around the clock. Your personal network is just a click

away on the internet.

36 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 diabetic living

What is a blog?The word ‘blog’ was coined around a decade ago from the term

‘web log’. It’s like a personal diary or newsletter, where people talk about their lives, share their opinions and raise any topics of interest.

What’s the downside?The main problem is that you can’t necessarily believe everything

you read – factual accuracy isn’t always subject to the same checks and balances that apply in magazines and newspapers. And with regards to advice about medication, always check with your doctor.

“Blogs can be a great resource, but they can also be a source of misinformation,” says Dr Kennedy, who warns that some people may use their blogs as a soapbox. “The sort of people who use these things, those with extreme views or an axe to grind – I guess you have to interpret the information from the blogging community with a bit of caution.”

“Try to stay abreast of new developments and research,” advises Jim. “You can’t be guaranteed your health provider will.

Over the past five years, there has been an explosion in the number of online blog sites, as it becomes an easy, fast and global way to communicate with others who share the same interests.

Although it’s hard to track numbers, it’s reckoned that there are now 150 million English-speaking blogs on any number of different topics in the ether. Health is a big drawcard, and the diabetes online community is a niche group of experts, journalists and people with the condition who blog, often several times a day, about every stage and aspect of diabetes.

For people with diabetes who are geographically or perhaps emotionally isolated, this virtual community of bloggers can open up a new and supportive world, says Dr Lee Kennedy, consultant endocrinologist and Professor of Medicine at Queensland’s James Cook University.

“They can be a great resource for comparing notes and just having a source of support,” he says.

Dr Kennedy, who runs outreach clinics for people with diabetes, says blogging has many unexpected benefits.

“From my viewpoint, blogs can be pretty useful in letting patients prepare for a consultation with health practitioners, giving them insight into things they may want to ask their doctor, or hadn’t thought of before. As practitioners, I think we have to embrace the technology that’s available and accept that patients use alternative medicines and sources of information.”

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New mum and social-networking guru, Kerri, has type 1 diabetes, and she’s one of the world’s original diabetes bloggers, hence the name of her site, Six Until Me, which she began five years ago.

“At that time, Google only showed me a small selection of sites, giving reasons why I’d die from diabetes. As a young woman in a new relationship, feeling inspired and hopeful about my future, this wasn’t what I wanted to read about,” she says.

So Kerri created a blog that celebrated life, with diabetes as a sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating part of that. She was amazed by the response.

“Within two days, I had a community of kindred spirits who were checking in, making comments, and emailing,” she says.

“I’m beyond proud to be a strong voice in this community. The friends I’ve made are not just ‘internet buddies’ – they are real friendships. Now, instead of feeling alone with my diabetes and wondering if anyone else truly understands the burden of pizza, I have a whole community of people who understand and can offer their personal pizza perspectives. This kind of networking makes me feel supported, and inspired to take better care of my health.”

Kerri’s blog is now so successful that she works on it full time from her home on Rhode Island in the US.

“I write the day’s post in the morning,

then check in on comments and respond to emails. The daily blog entries take up the majority of my blog time, but the Diabetes 365 project also keeps me busy.”

For this project, Kerri posts one photo of her life, every day, for an entire year.

Making a living as a blogger is rare, but Kerri says the opportunities that have come up as a result – such as writing and public-speaking gigs – boost her income.

What’s the secret of her success in a world saturated by bloggers?

“I think the success of my blog is the fact that I don’t pretend to be something I’m not. I’m just Kerri, living a very normal life with type 1 diabetes, and I definitely don’t have all the answers. Doctors are educated and terrific, but there’s something so truly awesome about another person with diabetes who really gets it.” ➤

Kerri Morrone Sparling: Six Until Me, www.sixuntilme.com

“I’m beyond proud to be a strong voice in this community.”

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Jim started his blog as a resource for the ‘forgotten majority’ – people with type 2 diabetes.

“My blog is a mix of news from around the world and basic info that may have been overlooked. I’m an experienced online researcher, so I pop it all in one place for my subscribers.”

Signing up is free, but Jim makes some income from advertisements on the site.

“It supplements my pension and, more importantly, allows me to feel like part of the workforce, despite having outlived most of my contemporaries.”

Reading other blogs is essential when you’re a blogger, and Jim has dozens of favourites that he scans daily from his home in the Blue Mountains, NSW.

“I read Kerri [Six Until Me] – a delightful mix of personal blogging while keeping her finger on the pulse of the T1 [type 1] world. For T2s [type 2s], there’s one source of data in the US who is light years ahead, and that is David Mendosa.” (See Read all about it! over the page for David’s blog site.)

Jim’s advice? “Learn about

and understand your disease. One of the great myths is that T2 is not as serious as T1 – that’s nonsense! But as a T2, you’re blessed with options that are simply not available to T1s.” ➤

DoN’t take it as read that everything you find in a blog

is the gospel truth. A healthy dose of scepticism does no harm, especially if you’re logged on to a new site. And, don’t follow any medical or health advice without first consulting your doctor.

Do look for websites bearing a blogger Code of Ethics

symbol, something reputable blogs display as a sign of their credibility. It means they have been reviewed by the US-based company that checks out health and medical sites for their accuracy. For a complete listing of blogs that have been endorsed, visit Healthcare Blogger Code of Ethics (www.medbloggercode.com). Search for ‘diabetes’ at this site and you’ll find a list of sanctioned sites that observe the blogger Code of Ethics. The Health On The Net Foundation (HON) website also provides standards by which health-related blogs and sites can abide. Approved sites feature the HONCode badge. Go to www.hon.ch/home1.html.

Do be aware that information from an overseas site – the US,

Canada or the UK, for instance – does not automatically apply in Australia, especially if it relates to newly available medications or health services.

“Here in Australia, we have to deal with a very different health system,” says blogger Henry Vila. “While our condition is the same as in the US or Europe, the reality is that treatment availability and funding works differently.”

DoN’t be tempted to reveal too much personal information

if making your own comments online. Discussing symptoms or voicing inflammatory opinions can be a recipe for trouble if you can be identified!

Blogging DoS and DoN’tS

Jim Montgomery: The Original Type II Diabetes Blog, www.originaldiabetesblog.com

“My blog is a mix of news and basic info.”

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40 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 diabetic living

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Like many people who lived through their teens with diabetes, Lee Ann admits she was far from a model patient, and it took her years to come to terms with her type 1. When she did, she found the internet a huge source of support.

“I started blogging in 2008, and the entire diabetes online community has completely changed my life for the better. People in my day-to-day life are supportive, but it takes another diabetic to really feel understood.”

Her blog is a mixture of topics – diabetes, depression, eating disorders and art therapy all feature. Art therapy, explains Lee Ann, is a useful way for people to express feelings, including the many complex emotions that arise from having diabetes. Lee Ann hopes that her blog is a positive and useful haven for people who may be struggling with their condition.

“The range of experience with diabetes is really amazing. Some people are athletes, others are parenting diabetic kids,” she says. “There are people who struggle to manage it, and those, like me, who once struggled, but have now made peace with their disease. In light of that, my philosophy about diabetes blogging is that no matter what one’s experience, we all have something valuable to offer to the larger diabetes community. Not everyone can relate to everyone else’s experience with diabetes, but when we can’t relate, maybe there is something to be learned and appreciated. We always welcome anyone who wants to take part in the community in any capacity.”

Lee Ann is also on the Diabetes Social Media Advisory Committee, developed by Roche.

“It’s gratifying to see the collective work of the diabetic online community having an influence on the companies and organisations that dictate the products and services available to us for diabetes management,” says Lee Ann.

PerSoNaL BLogS These sites are like warm and friendly diaries, where you share in the lives of the bloggers. D aND the guy (www.dandtheguy.com) Henry Vila blogs here about his life with type 1 diabetes.JeNNa’S Pet MoNKey (www.sherry-jennaspetmonkey.blogspot.com) This mum shares her day-to-day life caring for her diabetic daughter in this touching blog.My DiaBetic heart (www.mydiabeticheart.com) Mike Durban’s well-designed blog site puts a positive spin on life with type 2 diabetes and congestive heart failure. NeWS BLogS These sites are more information-oriented, less personal, with regular updates of news about diabetes.tuDiaBeteS (www.tudiabetes.org) One of the best known diabetes ‘portals’, readers can post questions in the forums, create their own blog or join country-based groups.DLife (www.dlife.com) An informative diabetes resource, covering all types of topics. you’ll find polls, information about complications, tips on healthy eating, self-care, and more.DaviD MeNDoSa (www.mendosa.com) Run by a US medical writer and diabetes consultant who has type 2, this blog offers hundreds of links and listings.reaLity checK (www.realitycheck.org.au) An Australian online forum and site for young adults living with type 1. chiLDreN With DiaBeteS (www.childrenwithdiabetes.com) A resource mainly for parents who have a child with type 1 diabetes. JaNSSeN ceNtre (www.janssencentre. com) you’ll find lots of news about diabetes on this lively Australian blog run by Mike Janssen, who has type 2 and has had lap-band surgery. ■

With so many blogs out there, you’re bound to find one that you can personally relate to – like discovering a new friend. Beyond those we’ve profiled, take a look at these.

read all about it!

Lee ann thill: The Butter Compartment, www.thebuttercompartment.com

“It has changed my life for the better.”