FFL: A Prelude

Tuesday started off on a positive note,moved lock stock and barrel from the less expensive hotel (near Universal) to the gargantuan,sprawling,Marriott World Center. The taxi fee,was not cheap,but at least it was cut in half.(being for two people)

CWD registration was open,so my roommate & I went to register.She knew everyone there,so it wasn't quite a 5 minute deal.I knew a few people there,but it's like you don't want to shove yourself into the convo when they clearly think you are as interesting as a stick in the mud.(which maybe I am,but I don't like being treated like that) So I said hi to a few people,chatted at length w/one of them.
I can say with certainty that the very first thing you should say to someone(after not seeing them for a year) is not "Hi! are you pregnant yet?"

Not cool. If I were,I'd probably still deny it till the actual due date,given that PWD's have a inborn tendency to expect disaster(fueled by the endo's ever-present stories & dire threats). So no,I am not pregnant,but gee,how 'bout this doggone 100+ degree Florida oven? Feels just like home!

Registration over, I clipped on my sturdy CWD pedometer & commenced to pounding away toward the 5,000 step goal.(at which point,you could turn it in and get a tshirt.) Went to Walmart,to stock up on Diet Coke/snacks.Considered going to the Volunteers reception,but my roommate said it was lame so I went to a restaurant w/some friends & her instead.And the food was great. I'd given up on bumping into any Roche bloggers but did meet George (that one-in-a-million-hallway-thing),& that was awesome.Roche bloggers were on a tight schedule,& the hotel was so massive,that it just wasn't practical.And by 11,I was ready to crash(not to awaken for 9 hours & 59 minutes) just plain worn out by hotel moving,walking,bg swings,etc.

8:59 am. I awake in a panic,acutely aware that I'd probably missed half of Kerri/Amy's focus group & that wasn't the plan at all. Make it there,for about half the session & slowly piece together that the room has alot of dbloggers in it..Scott,Bernard,Lili,and Chris. I enjoyed the session..I was reminded of the fact that the Internet has no delete button,once you publish something,it's out there.If you don't want someone to know something,don't publish it..no matter how safe you think you are.There are alot of weirdos out there. And unless you have a very common last name,your name will be "linked" forever to diabetes.Great if you're working in that field..perhaps not great if your future employer Googles you.I prefer not to have my last name out there,but there are links(w/my maiden name),set in stone,forever there.Links I can't erase. If I had a d-related job it might be different,but I'm not sure I want to go into that..I'm more interested in Cystic Fibrosis .(as a career path) Time will tell.I'm also not Advocacy Girl, I enjoy my anonymity. But to those who are "out there", I think they reach alot more folks affected by diabetes & I applaud their decision to do that.If it weren't for them,the DOC would not be nearly as an effective place.

It was really great meeting all of the aforementioned bloggers..you feel like you semi "know" someone right off the bat.I try not to be an obnoxious stalker type person,& not reference any sensitive subjects..you have to respect one's private life.And in the blogging/Twitter world,that can be difficult. (if I had any sort of PR job,I'd likely be fired faster then you can say "Great Gallons of Juice!" namely because I have difficulty keeping my mouth shut & differentiating between things I can talk about/things I can't.It has to be spelled out for me.)

Next up,I went to Tandem's showing of their prototype touch-screen insulin pump. It was quite intriguing..& I'm not supposed to talk about it.(although somehow they missed giving me the "swear not to take this info out of the room" sheet. However,it's no secret that A.it exists and B.it's touch screen.
Not quite the pump for a typical 9 yo though.(would be broken within ten minutes)

Brief lunch break..

Then,I went to the JDRF Artificial Pancreas project focus group. That was quite enlightening, & also depressive as all get out. (because there is really no timeline for all of this)Basically,there are 6 steps toward the creation of a AP,& the first is to minimize the extreme highs/lows.Don't ask me what the others were..although I took notes,somehow I cannot find them.

We voted on various issues,& how big of a nuisance they were in our lives/ parent's of kids with diabetes lives.Nighttime hypoglycemia was a biggie,as was dawn phenomenon/breakfast spikes.Hypos post-exercise didn't seem to be an issue for this group of folks. Basically,you can hope for improvement w/this project but trusting your life to it is a pipedream a million years down the line. I am not expecting this to be a "cure." Cures mean normal bgs,being non-diabetic.And the insulins/sensors we have now can not accomplish that.
I wasn't really aware of any other bloggers until Kelly K.made a comment.It was like being smacked on the head with a 2 x 4,that there were other DD folks still around.(voice--twitter picture--blog---identity) I didn't get to meet Kelly,she had to leave for the airport.I did meet David E.(of Diabetes Daily) though.Twitter=instant knowledge.

The last session of the day was with Disetronic.(where they showed off their newest infusion set) Although I think their presentation of it sucked,I liked the insertion device & the set itself. Everyone else really lit into them,there was nothing but criticism. I mean,yes,it wasn't terrific but it wasn't all bad. I've never been in a session where the atmosphere was so negative,sheesh,cut them a break.I think their set has a pretty good chance.

There was an afternoon snack break,where they served popsicles/Diet Pepsi.( making more then one diabetes blogger very,very happy,as there was plenty to be given away)

At 6 pm,the Exhibit Hall opened.There was utter mayhem in there for the next 3 hours. Dinner was served outside, so one could just grab a quick bite to eat & resume whole sale raiding.

At 9, the exhibit hall closed,& that ended the day for me.
(to be continued)
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