#i did the bg all flashy and colorful

[brinkle-brackle]

Thanks for the tag @bg-sparrow :D

Aighty here goes nothing

1) Spell your name in songs

Steve's Going to London -- AJR

Alone -- Heart

Make Me Your Queen -- Declan McKenna

2) Why did you choose your URL?

It's based off a goofy reaction I had when @goldendoodlerlockerlove showed me a really well-done piece of ship art they found lol

3) What is your middle name?

✨️Lauren✨️ it's aight. I feel like it's pretty common but I don't really mind, also it's funny when I meet people named Lauren and we're instantly like *spiderman pointing meme*

4) If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be?

Hobbit. Hands down, no competition. Oh to be a silly little androgynous dude living a peaceful life in the countryside with a cozy home and plenty of food to go around (with some epic adventures sprinkled in now and then 👀)

5) Favorite color?

Purple!! It was my favorite as a kid but then I gravitated to blue for a long while lol. One of my roommates absolutely loves purple though and I think they might have reinvigorated my love for it,, not complaining in the least I love me a soft lavender or a flashy deeper purple

6) Song you love right now?

The entirety of The Maybe Man album by AJR,, I don't care if it's cheating to put an entire album I adore it and I will preach it wherever I go and whenever I can >:)) it absolutely destroyed me emotionally but in the best possible way,, also I found out this morning that one of the cool people in my playwriting class also loved it so thiS IS YOUR SIGN. GO LISTEN TO IT PLEEEAASE

7) Top four fandoms?

Goooddddd don't make me pick :(( I have so many and I love em all so I'm just gonna put my main ones at the moment, in no particular order lol

Back to the Future

Good Omens

AJR

FNAF

Honorable mention for Star Trek cause that's also been a big one for me this past summer/fall!

8) Tag nine people

@goldendoodlerlockerlove

@cheriboms

@adarkroomandawallflower

@agentmcfly24601

@bttf-dork

@nemmet

@bagginsgotdabooty

@corduroysockz

@the-ocean-is-scary

(and anyone else who wants to join! No pressure either :D )

Get To Know Me Tag Game

(Thank you, @inevitablemoment!)

1) Spell your name in songs (Taking these songs from my "Smile Guaranteed" playlist - AKA songs that immediately make me go "Ooo!" and turn it up)

Everything is AWESOME!!! (feat. The Lonely Island) by Tegan and Sara

Real Gone by Sheryl Crow

I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing by Aerosmith

Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates! by The Aquabats

Ain't No Easy Way by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

2) Why did you choose your URL?

It has been my fanfic pen name since 2004. The first published fanfic I wrote was for the Pirates of the Caribbean fandom, and it was a ridiculous crackfic about Jack, Will, and Elizabeth running around the 21st century with me and my two best friends. When they said goodbye at the end, they each gave us a pirate name. Jack gave me the name Black Grace, so "BG Sparrow" I be! I could never part ways with it at this point.

3) What is your middle name?

Dawn. And I don't like it. Makes me feel like some braided pigtail 12-year-old in Little House on the Prairie, and that's just not my vibe. My sister won the middle name game with "Linette".

4) If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be?

A mythical creature... I must admit, I have never been asked this. I'm boring in this way, but something humanoid. Powerful. Maybe immortal. Fairy? Yeah, let's go with fairy. I've always loved the message of how powerful belief is in Peter Pan.

5) Favorite color?

Brown. I know, right? Five-year-old me is screwing up her face screaming, "You could pick any of the gorgeous colors in the entire universe, and you picked brown?" Yeah, I did. Blues/teals/aquas have always drawn me in and still do, but brown wins out by a small margin.

6) Song you love right now?

The most recent additions to my Annual Awesome: 2023 playlist include Death Drive by junodream (My No Pines Marty anthem) and Dancing With Your Ghost by Sasha Alex Sloan. Also listening to the score for Lawmen: Bass Reeves by Chanda Dancy right now because for some reason, the scores from these Tyler Sheridan shows fuel my 1885 BttF stories like none other, and I need a new one to attach to Once Upon a Time in the North as I write it. So far so good!

7) Top four fandoms?

Back to the Future

Pirates of the Caribbean

Iron Man

National Treasure (back in the day)

8) Tag nine people

@odddelorean

@brinkle-brackle

@bri-to-the-future

@synthsays

@fiddlstyx

@marielle-heller

@additionaladdams

@mythical-bookworm

@professorsaber

[pokemon-ninjago-world]

Cole Hence

As an attempt to reboot this blog I thought I’d do quick drawings of the main chars with updated appearances (like, how they would appear in my seasons when they’re older, comparing to the art you’ve seen of them as kids/teens on this blog so far) and some character info. I did Cole my boy first in case I’ll lose my inspiration and motivation and never continue these character things `8D  I got carried away with this one and spent more time than intended, so the next ones might not be as complicated as this one hmm.. Never mind me playing with watercolor brushes, I just tried to learn how to use them.

Character info under the cut for those who are interested!   Ninjago © LEGO;  Pokémon © Game Freak, Nintendo, Creatures Inc.;   Soileon © me

- Cole is very artistic, and enjoys visual arts the most. He does like dancing for fun too, as long as it happens when and how he wants and no-one tells him how to do it.     - Cole starts selling his art later when he moves out to live on his own after a few years living in the Yang’s temple, where the ninja have their ninja academy and where they live after the Day of Departed episode.

- Cole loves hiking and venturing in the wild. He’s a big fan of wildlife and all animals as well. He takes good care of daily exercising, though he takes it easier when he’s older and doesn’t whip himself as hard as he did in his teenage, and trains more his mind as well as his body. One of his favorite ways of exercising have always been jogging in the wilderness or at least closer to nature.

- With persistent practice, Cole becomes an okay cook, although he remains ever curious and experiments fearlessly new ways of cooking and altering recipes and the results won’t always be great. He’s best at baking. Cakes will always be his passion, but he does watch his diet more carefully the closer his thirties he gets.

- Cole’s mum was a loose, carefree and tough-willed young woman. I don’t have first name for her yet, I wait if they reveal something in Ninjago but if they won’t I’ll probs name her after some gemstone. Her maiden name is Brookstone. She’s not an elemental master herself but Cole inherited his powers from her side.     - Cole’s mum had broken with her family, run away and started working and living on the edge on Ninjago City, where she met Lou. She wasn’t much older than 18-years old and Lou was much older, but they both fell in love with each other, and after a while of dating, they decided to get married. Soon after Cole hatched, it became obvious that the woman wasn’t very keen on family life, and spend more time in her hobbies and in the downtown than with her own son or husband, so Cole was raised up mainly by his dad from the start.     - Lou and Cole’s mum started fighting a lot, and they divorced when Cole was 6-years old. Cole didn’t hear about her ever since, and he didn’t really care to hear about her.            - Thus, Cole doesn’t know she had married again (though she divorced again later) and Cole has two half-sisters he’s not aware of. He also never learned his mother had a little brother, so Cole has no idea he also has an uncle from his mothers side.

- Cole was badly bullied when he was a kid. This triggered a gene in him, that’s common among the people of Pokéninjago. It’s called “berserk gene” and it occurs differently on different people. On Cole, it made him liable to violence and brought up problematic characteristics. You can read more about this from his [character page] and [childhood story].     - As he grows older, he gets better at controlling his anger. He becomes very chill and easy-going as an adult, and he doesn’t even try to appear intentionally cool or tough like he did as a teen. If stress and misfortune keep piling up though, he has trouble keeping his head and can snap at people and experience similar tantrums as before and for example break something in his frustration.

- Because of his bad childhood experiences, Cole is very insecure and withdrawn with strangers, especially people same age and younger as him. He has trouble meeting new people and making friends, unless he’s been backed up by his good old friends. He is okay at dealing with elderly people, but youngsters make him nervous and alerted, even feeling inferior, which then makes him easily defensive and rude.     - He has this problem even as an adult, and when his friends are starting families, he gets kinda lonely because of his troubles with new people.

- Cole is bad at talking about emotional stuff, but he is very compassionate and caring when his berserk gene is not active. This makes him anxious when someone needs emotional support, because he wants to help so badly, but doesn’t know what to say or do. Sometimes all he can offer is his company and perhaps a pat on the back, or even hug when he’s more confident about himself and doesn’t try to pretend a cool, tough guy.

- Cole actually likes kids though, regardless of how children treated him when he was little. He helps his friends by babysitting sometimes when they can’t get Nelson to watch over the kids.

This is all I can remember rn. If you want to know something specific, feel free to send me an ask! I probably forgot to say something.

[rqs902]

qcyn ep 11 -- can you believe the finale is tomorrow?!?

this whole texting section was so funnyyyy and i will honorably mention yet again that yao chi texting mc jin in english is so sweet

li ronghao torturing xu longhan iS HIALRIOSUS 

 but i also pity the poor child LOOL

wait can we talk about chen tao’s spelling timao LOL

and chen sijian’s face LOLLL

omg yao mingming’s message is so aww... he mentions liking yixing since he debuted in 2012.......

omgggg fjj and wang yi theyre all so cute and screamy and i loveee 

WAIT CAN WE TALK ABOUT LIN MO AND WANG YI’S HAPPY DANCE

oh gosh the8 is really showing us how hard seventeen works to get their choreo super in sync wow they really must work so hard.... wow minghao giving up the center position bc he knows how important this is to these kids... he deserves more recognition as a great mentor wow

oh my goodness.......... li zhenning’s voice shaking as he says to shi mingze “if you can get into top 20, then you’ll have hope” is.... the most heartbreaking......... knowing that shi mingze doesnt.......... they literally were smiling as they went off into this corner to talk and are crying by the time they come out..... can you just imagine how much sadness and stress is constantly looming over these kids’ heads and tearing down at their mental health?? its all hidden and suppressed, but with really fragile borders, so as soon as you pick at the walls, their raw emotions come bursting through... 

this just reminds me that even tho shi mingze is their cool, handsome leader, hes still the youngest in bg project............

can we please talk about how considerate of a friend li zhenning is and has been?? 

and this all took place before zhenning ever ranked into top 9.... so to them, this opportunity wouldve been really important for zhenning too, bc maybe he wouldve really needed it to get into top 9. but at least we know now.... he has enough popularity that they made the correct choice and hopefully more people will notice shi mingze as a result

ZHAN YU’S ARMSSSSSSSSS bo yuan’s hair!! i really like it!!!! wen yechen in pink!!!!!! his voice is so addicting i just wanna hear more of it... it dont matter that zhenning isnt center, he still shines :)) wait wu zelin’s voice i really liked it in retreat and we get even more vocal-like wu zelin here! thats a realy nice purple on qunfeng, hes really rocking this look SHI MINGZE I SAW THAT WINK frick minghao’s dancing is just so satisfying to watch wowow

man he looks so good

wow i live for random zhan yu reactions (imma just collect them here LOL)

after journey and mc jin’s friendship is so cute hahahaha

ok i see why elle thinks chen tao is a visual

wang zhe and wu chengze have both really improved in their stage presence throughout the course of this show aw deng chaoyuan looks the happiest we’ve ever seen him on stage haha zhou shiyuan’s voice is really so cool 

i guess we’ll never find out why gu landi is in mc jin’s group..... is it bc yao chi is here? im sorry i love this song and i love a lot of the kids in this group but can you just imagine how much better this stage would’ve been if it were with more kids who had experience rapping....? last year’s “zero” stage just made such a bigger impression on me...... this is actually really such a contrast im---

ALKSJDLAKSJDLK CHEN SIJIAN’S RAPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE JUST DID THATT!!!!!!!!!! DID YOU SEE THAT!??!?!1//!ASDLKJALSKJJ OMGGOHS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! CHEN SIJIAN JUST BLEW EVERYOEN OUT OF THE WATER YOU BEST BET HE DID WOWOW HE JSUT I CANT BELEIEVE HE JSUT INCLUDED AT LEAST 4 NAMES WOW 

IM WEN YECHEN

chen sijian is really the best at writing raps about his bros wow and like also he has the most creative lyrics i really appreciate wow such talent hes amazing!!!

a lost baby..

UNDERAPPRECIATED GU LANDI VISUALS

the face of a legend 

ever since i saw the “time” ballad version, ive had a sneaking suspicion that lin yuzhi is secretly one of the strongest vocalists on this show..... this is the face of talent

idk whose outfit is distracting me more, xu bingchao or xixi’s LOL shao haofan looks so nice here wow and ding feijun is so adorable even tho this is a more mature concept but i still cant see him as anything but a cute child

maybe its the way they cut up the lines but idk this song didnt really show off their vocal abilities that well..... sorry xixi :( i think xixi’s voice deserved better time to shine on this show...... his and feng junjie’s voices are actually both so nice i was so impressed when i saw them singing in the oaca clips

this koala ad makes me very uncomfortable......

wenhan reaches into the box and pulls out..... costco brand blueberries??!?!?/1 hHhahahhahHAHAHHA 

lol yao chi being so sentimental... oh look at this photo of me with bubbles on my face (me: oh no here it come--) OH YEA ALSO CHECK OUT THIS FACE WASH!

wow kou cong!! a face i havent seen in a while aw! i cant believe they filmed all the yaa eps while they all still had colorful hair lol i guess ill never get to see lin mo on yaa /sigh/ or actually any of the tyger members cept jia yi.........

HAHAHAHAHHA YESSSSSSSSS THEY INCLUDED A CLIP OF CHEN SIJIAN’S PHONE CALL !!!! HIS WAS HILARIOUSS!!!! HAHAHAHA I LOVED HOW SIMILAR HIS FAN SEEMED TO BE TO HIM HAHAH 

AAHH AS SOON AS IT GETS TO LIN MO’S ITS THE SAD MUSIC TIME

his was the most heartwarming call.... no bias LOL

feng junjie singing “the great artist” just---

this boy will never stop with the meme faces hHAHAHA

im surprised this section was so short lol i was expecting them to spend more time on this group...

SUN ZELIN SUN ZELIN SUN ZELIN YEA

jolin’s eyes are so wow 

feng junjie with the voice!!!!!!1 

JOLIN THE QUEEN

still kinda wish jia yi had more opportunity to sing on this show......... hes like second main vocalist to zhan yu in tyger but i feel like he hasnt gotten to show his voice much :( he did really well tho!!! he really has impressive stage presence

omg lin mo’s super shy “1 day” ahhhhh 

omg wang jiayi looks like hes about to cry... the poor child....

yixing reaching out to apologize to them.... hes really so caring towards them...... wang jiayi just needs more confidence!! i believe in him too

where did lin mo get this white cap from? lol he chose the pink one..... on a related note, im so happy lin mo got to be in yixing’s group, bc from the beginning with namanana hes really really tried so hard to earn yixing’s recognition, im sure it means a lot to him to be able to learn from him like this and share a stage with him 

yao mingming too, i feel like he really values yixing’s recognition as well

i think all the kids in this group had to have known that picking yixing’s group would be the most tiring and require the most effort, but i think choosing this group regardless just really shows they came here to learn 

A HAPPY BABYYY

omg like yixing is really /teaching/ them and i appreciate that

lin mo and xu fangzhou’s voices!!!!!!

OOF IM SO READY FOR THIS OUTFIT 

ASLDKALSDKJLAK HE WINKED!!!!!!!!!!!

what is this awkward closeup

why does fangzhou have wings lol

i feel like theres a lot of random awkward closeups of lin mo.... should i be happy about this??? LOL i dont think theyre all very flattering but at the same time at least hes got closeups....???? ? ??  

OOF HES GETTING MORE LINES THAN I EXPECTED TOO

you know how ive talked about how i love how much detail lin mo puts into his dancing, including even his slight head tilts? LOOK ANOTHER HEAD TILT 

HAHAHAHHAHA GUAN YUE’S EYES GOT SO BIG HAHAHHAHA OMGGG

ooof lin mo getting to sing the chorus with yixing im !!!!!! im sure hes so grateful for this opportunity wow also i think i mentioned this with namanana but i really think lin mo suits yixing’s dance style, like its a style that hes pulls off really well, so i think he got to shine a bit in this performance :’)

ok i havent said this yet but what is with that thick black fade at the top of the screen its so annoying??? like why you gotta cover the top of their heads??? 

wow we’re really getting a lot of random lin mo shots hahahha is this iqiyi repenting their wrongs from ‘spirit of the knight’ i almost am surprised how yao mingming isnt getting the most screentime but then i remember iqiyi has never favored yao mingming........ /sigh

AYYY WENXUAN AND LIN MO THE BUDDIES

just look at how perfectly tilted / well-positioned lin mo’s head is wow and that gaze wow i just love his stage presence

yea im gonna have to rewatch this perf to gif the lin mo moments.... maybe after the finale tomorrow when ill be like oop lin mo didnt make it in oh well let me just wallow in his talent that the audience slept on by drowning myself in lin mo content (its not like i do that every day already)

LOL THAT CAMERA SPIN WAS SUCH A FAIL YOU CANT SEE ANYONE CEPT WENXUAN ADJUSTING HIS MIC HAHAHHAHA ok on a side note tho im glad wenxuan got to be in this group too!! yuehua’s dancer getting to show us his dancing again :’) and we all know he was discouraged being reshuffled into “maze” and i just wanna say wenxuan deserves more credit for being able to really go out of his comfort zone and pull off the cute concept in “maze” well even tho he didnt want to accept it at first! 

HES PERFECT 

hey yall is it just me or did you see lin mo’s eyes in that really fast flashy bit at the end of the preview for the finale? HAHHAHAHA i couldnt even screenshot it bc it was so fast, but i swear i saw his eyes so i think he was in it LOOOL

JSUT KIDDING I WENT BACK AND TRIED AGAIN AND I GOT IT

I KNEW I SAW HIS EYES HAHAHAHHAHA

oo i havent mentioned this before but i really like the sound of chen sijians voice, even when speaking... 

OMG GU LANDI

OMGGGG MY CHILD YE ZIMING IN FREAKING TARZAN NEXT DOOR??!???

THIS IS TOO MUCH!!!!!!! THANKS FOR REMINDING US HOW IQIYI TOTALLY SLIGHTED THIS BOY OUT OF GETTING INTO TOP 35

aw honestly i wonder if lian huaiwei will really not make it tomorrow.....  

omg sun zelin in the ending credits!!!!

OMG ZHAN YU TOOOOOOO

OOF LOOK AT ZHAN YU’S JAWLINE (ooops sorry yechen ahhahhhaa)

they must really like this part of the choreo?? 

BUT I LOVE THIS LOOK ON YECHEN YESSS

lol is this lin mo’s back

tbh im surprised they didnt include lin mo in the ending credits but i think they were trying to make up for the loss of yao mingming time earlier LOOL 

ok well i have about 10 hrs until i gotta wake up to watch the finale so.... now to go watch fjj and hcx’s goodnight dachang HAHAH

[type2diabetestreatments-blog]

Rookie Impressions of the Big ADA Conference - Lost in Translation?

New Post has been published on http://type2diabetestreatment.net/diabetes-mellitus/rookie-impressions-of-the-big-ada-conference-lost-in-translation/

Rookie Impressions of the Big ADA Conference - Lost in Translation?

Too many medical professionals are disconnected from us people with diabetes (PWDs) and they're missing the point on how to help us manage our diabetes. Yet, they are passionate and so want to reach us.

That's my main takeaway from the American Diabetes Association's 72nd Scientific Sessions, as a newbie attending this mass diabetes conference for the very first time.

Rookie observations are what you'll find here, now that I've had a chance to stop sprinting around downtown Philly — a place that seemed like the hub of the diabetes universe for five days, where circa 17,000 professionals converged (60% from outside the U.S.) to talk diabetes.

This conference showed me I really need to brush up on my diabetes science lingo, rather than relying only on my 28 years of experience of living with type 1. You know, the insider baseball stuff that gets lost in translation between these conferences and the offices where we go to visit our docs. These doctor-to-doctor and research-heavy mass meetups are full of stats and conceptual scientific mumbo jumbo, and it's never been aimed at the patient to get as much out of it as the professionals. This is just the nature of the conference.

But as a patient-blogger, I did manage to find some gold nuggets and interesting tidbits scattered throughout the sessions. And individually, many of the speakers seemed very excited and brilliant about whatever the topic might have been.

Being a non-science-type, it seemed to me that the most dynamic aspects of the entire conference happened in the evenings and outside the convention center meeting rooms, where brilliant minds came together to actually discuss issues that really resonated with me on the patient-level. Abbott, Taking Care of Your Diabetes and the Helmsley Charitable Trust and T1DExchange were some of the forums I checked out, witnessing great discussions about how progress in science, technology, patient care, and the development of the D-community are making real changes for patients living with this thing.

The rest of the "official business" during the day? Kinda boring in the context of my average PWD eyes.

The Missing Point

My observation in attending a dozen or so sessions is that many of the questions researchers seem to believe are unanswered or need more study come down to a simple point: we PWDs aren't stats, slides or textbook scenarios. We are people, with lives that are complicated by many more things than just diabetes.

As inspiring as it was to see the mind-power and passion of thousands of people working on diabetes, my heart was a bit sad that it didn't feel like the medical community is connecting the dots — even some very obvious dots.

I heard multiple times: Peer support seems to help, but we don't know why and need to study that more. Online resources appear to help, but the "quantifiable evidence" doesn't tell the docs why and so they only scratch the surface (I suppose many never heard of the supportive DOC or are threatened by its lack of physician involvement?!).

A quote from Dr. Kevin Volpp, in a talk on how to motivate PWDs to change their behaviors, sums it up for me: "We need a more effective way of hovering over patients that will be well-received." He wondered if health care social media could be a way, but left it at that.

To me, it was like watching my favorite baseball player hit the ball and seeing it soar into the outfield toward the wall, only to have it fall short and stay inside the ballpark. What a letdown!

(OMG, isn't it OBVIOUS why peer support helps? Apparently not, to people who've never had to struggle with BG control, day-in and day-out)

Another obvious point: please don't hover over me! Unless you want to be kicked, or you're auditioning to be my butler. Instead, try talking and listening to me. And not being threatened when I don't agree with you or question the wisdom of your medical guidance. Know that often talking to my PWD friends who "get it" can be just as powerful, if not more, than anything you might tell me.

Others talked about the wonders of the Internet being a way to reach patients, and the need for peer support, but no one seemed to recognize (at least in the sessions) that you can connect the two without the doctor and that has so much potential to change behaviors and help PWDs on every level (!)

Grrr.

Cynicism aside, though, what shines through that disconnect is the passion packed into every corner of the conference, a desire to help PWDs that radiates into clinic's offices throughout the U.S. and world. That can't be ignored. Maybe they're missing the point in presentation, and not really understanding how to bring this home to us, but every single person I encountered seemed passionate and caring. I do believe they're in this for us, and they're making a difference.

Translating Good Intentions?

Some presentations and talks I attended were outstanding. Just a sampling of those I saw talk throughout the sessions include: Bill Polonsky in San Diego, Bruce Bode in Atlanta, Korey Hood in San Francisco, Lori Laffel in Boston, and Julio Rosenstock in Dallas. There are probably many more who really know diabetes. Some of them live with it, so they know it's complicated and so many psychosocial issues play into every aspect of our management.

But when you go up to presenters or audience members after the sessions, introduce yourself and ask them how they plan to take the scientific info back to their patients, and a majority of those brilliant minds can't adequately translate the stats and science into "patient-friendly" terms... There's something amiss.

The poster hall was also a great place to get the nitty-gritty on new research and concepts, but most of the boards had large charts and loads of stats that were often difficult to understand unless you had the presenter right there to explain it simply. Or you already knew what you were looking at.

Even if this conference isn't "for the patient," you have to wonder if this stuff will ever trickle down to us PWDs in the trenches in ways that mean something to us...? That's how I would define success, if anybody asked me.

News-poolza

Everyone had news to share. Seriously. Did you SEE the number of press releases sent out before, during and right after the conference? This is prime time for those wanting to unveil anything D-related, but c'mon people... Spread things out. With everyone coordinating their announcements with this conference, one of my tasks was to attend the press briefings, the nuts and bolts of which can be found in the June 8-12 releases online.

The briefing room was slotted right next to where the ADA Press Room sat, where dozens of reporters from various publications hunched over PCs to plug out stories and updates. Some were PWDs and pump users, but most of the media folk didn't seem to have any obvious D-connection and a couple could be even be overheard asking each other basic questions about differences between types, the meanings of basal/bolus, and whether the term "diabetic" should be used (he, he).

I couldn't help but think of all the coverage in papers and on TV stations throughout the world exuding from conference, and how so many accuracy issues might arise... seems like something Diabetes Advocates might be interested in getting involved in for the future, as part of our push for media awareness about diabetes.

Oh, did I mention that the exhibit hall was HUGE? With elaborate company booths at every turn where you could find their particular gadget, gizmo or med in all its glorious hype?

But you know what? There wasn't anything really "new or novel" that I haven't seen before in some form or another. Lots of meters, pumps, CGMs and programs that all seem to basically do what every one of their predecessors have done. Except some are fancier, more colorful and modernized for the 21st century. But even those weren't anything that hasn't been announced before. I was hoping for the "next coolest thing you've never heard of before," but just didn't see it.

You had to go behind the scenes to talk with the execs, not the fleets of sales reps on the exhibit hall floor, to get the real story. It was like finding Willy Wonka inside a factory full of candy and oompa loompas, who really only sing the songs they're scripted for and aren't allowed to tell you anything about the real impacts of the candy they're making because of regulatory push back. (And yes, a Pharma company sales rep tells me that there are FDA "secret shoppers" who visit the Pharma and device-maker booths to listen to what's being said to people on the exhibit hall floor and make sure nothing off-limits is being pitched).

So, while the experience was a lot to absorb, much of it seems just for show.

It all seemed kind of disappointing, even if you could do cool things, like get your taken photo and transposed onto the cover of the newly-redesigned Diabetes Forecast magazine, visit any of the dozen or more free coffee stands scattered around, or get the usual kind of flashy propaganda about the newest products and services.

Value = Relationships

In the end, the biggest value of this conference is networking, IMHO. It's a giant mixer to help diabetes pros establish, maintain and strengthen relationships. It's about recognizing each others work, and hopefully acknowledging that it takes everyone's voice to achieve greatness.

We need the science exploring the theory. But we also need the translation to the real world. We need Pharma and device-makers to give us the tools to do these jobs, and we need both the docs and us patients to communicate clearly about what works and doesn't. We ALL have to listen to each other.

I'm excited and energetic about the brilliance, passion and desire to help PWDs. Now, I just hope the dots get connected.

So, that's that.

Back home in Indiana now, I'm finally starting to see "normoglycemia" rather than the stream of lows caused by the fast pace of covering the conference. Never a dull moment for us PWDs who are always on our feet (literally and figuratively!).

Oh, and I should probably mention there's one other golden truth that can't be ignored about the conference:

Next time, I need to listen to that old adage about wearing comfortable shoes for all the running around; this year's conference left me flat-footed in addition to brain-fried!

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Type 2 Diabetes Diet Diabetes Destroyer Reviews Original Article

[type2diabetestreatments-blog]

Buyers Beware: Tandem Says No Returns on t:slim

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Buyers Beware: Tandem Says No Returns on t:slim

No one denies the new t:slim insulin pump by Tandem looks really cool. It does.

But if you're just getting your feet wet with insulin pumping, or prone to experiencing buyer's remorse, then this Apple'esque pump may not be the best choice for you.

Once you get past the headlines touting the flashiness of this new 21st century-friendly pump (everyone being smitten with this device because it looks like a small iPhone with color touchscreen for insulin dosing), you get to the practical question: What if I really don't like it after buying and using it in real life?

Before drowning in t:slim hype leading up to the ADA, I heard back in early May at a JDRF conference in Michigan that Tandem wasn't treating that question the same as most others in the industry do, with a refund policy.

Nope. If you purchase the t:slim but aren't entirely happy with it, too bad. You can't return it. Tandem has taken a hard line stance on this, as in: "if you buy it, you own it." They say the company's not going to be in the business of essentially "unprescribing" a product that a physician has already recommended.

Seriously? Am I the only person who researches all the various device options and then tells my doctor which I prefer?? Are doctors really saying to people out there, "No, I think this pump would be more beneficial to you than this one, as far as BG control." Doubtful.

That's not how this works, Tandem. Sorry.

Oh, and if it were, then other companies selling insulin pumps wouldn't have return policies like they do. Actually, they ALL allow returns. We know, because we asked. The big players selling pumps or CGMs responded to inquiries about their return policies:

Animas/One Touch: Has a policy allowing patients to return the pump within 30 days after they are trained, no questions asked.

Dexcom: Has a 30-day money-back policy.

Medtronic: "We have a 30-day return policy for our products and will refund the insurer and the patient."

Omnipod: Has an online-posted policy allowing a 45-day return, under certain conditions.

Roche/Accu Chek: Has a 30-day money back guarantee on the Accu-Chek Spirit pump.

Heck, even former Deltec folk say they had this with the now-discontinued Cozmo pump.

Same with the Abbott Navigator CGM, as those who've used the device say it also had a 30-day return.

It should be obvious as to why this is a smart customer-friendly option to embrace. You know, just in case the actual use of the new device doesn't meet the expectation of the polished marketing messages.

Clarification: we're not talking about "return and exchange" if the pump breaks or malfunctions. That's something entirely different — a point that Tandem recognizes, offering pretty much the same assurances as all other D-device makers do: promising to get you a replacement pump within 24 hours.

Now, I'm not going to lie. The t:slim is pretty awesome looking and I'm a fan. Features that stand out to me are the Insulin on Board calculation, and the user-friendliness. At first, I wasn't impressed with the hype and resisted the temptation to get all overly-excited. That changed once I held the credit-card sized device in my hand and played around with a prototype, though.

But I live by the practice of not purchasing something without first having the chance to do an adequate trial-run (apparently Tandem isn't doing test runs either, a practice that actually does vary between the industry players listed above). A return policy standard reassures me that if a particular product doesn't work out, I have options.

The reality is people invest in pumps and CGMs for all the right reasons, but it sometimes just doesn't work out. Unexpected alerts and alarms make the experience more frustrating than beneficial. (Just ask Wil!) New pumpers might not actually like the experience of being attached to a medical device all the time. Or they might have allergic reactions to the infusion sets or supplies. And some might just not like the product as much as they thought they would. Just like with any other product on Earth, only these are even more important because we wear them attached to our bodies 24/7! It's gotta be the right thing! And how could you know that for sure unless you had a chance to try it out?

At the ADA Scientific Sessions recently, we heard some interesting stats about how many people actually return their pumps or CGMs in the first months after using them (probably for one of the many reasons listed above):

For every one CGMer, two people have the devices but don't use them. And 1 in 3 PWDs who try a pump or CGM scrap it within a few months.

That number is highest for the age 6 or younger market, where only 33% of CWDs have pumps compared to higher percentages as people age. For CGMs, the largest number of people using the devices are 26 or older, with single-digit use among kids, teens and young adults.

What the stats clearly show is that not everyone who buys a pump or CGM ends up wanting to keep it up. Regardless of how "cool" it may have seemed pre-purchase.

Countless fellow PWDs I know have run into these hurdles and challenges, and have opted to return their devices initially and either go back to injections or switch to another brand. I even thought about that, once... after being persuaded that a different pump had all kinds of cool new features that would help me improve my health. But I discovered after actually wearing and using it that I wasn't a fan. Although I didn't get around to returning my pump within the first month's return period, I still appreciated having the option and eventually did switch back to my original pump company.

Heck, even a quick Google search on "return policy" for the respective device-manufacturers brings up dozens of forum and online discussions about this, with people expressing their appreciation that these return policies are available just in case.

So, we asked Tandem: Why wouldn't you offer some sort of return policy?

Tandem spokesman Steve Sabicer says there's no refund policy once a pump is purchased, and that's an industry standard (um, hello?! remember, the list above?!)

He said Tandem "does not have a published returned policy," and if a physician happened to "unprescribe" a pump (something he'd never heard of), Tandem would deal with that on a case-by-case basis.

Also, Sabicer said the company is encouraging something called a "30-day seasoning," to help be sure people are ready for the pump. Hmmm. That sounds like a trial-run to me. Maybe they're just not formalizing it as a trial run. Whatever.

I called the Tandem customer service hotline to test what those in the trenches might hear (and called the other companies support lines, too, just to fish for inconsistencies with their claims, but didn't find any).

For Tandem, a friendly rep told me that if I bought a t:slim and wasn't happy for whatever reason, then a priority would be connecting me with a local area sales rep or territory manager to explore options. This person didn't know if there was a return option.

With the new pump just becoming available, Tandem is still setting up the regional sales force and getting all their ducks in a row. So exploring my reasons for not liking the pump would probably be in order before making any decisions, I was told.

From a business end, this policy makes sense. They are new and don't want to encourage product returns — especially after the whole song-and-dance of getting insurance company approval for these devices and having the payments applied to accounts.

But from a patient and customer-service point of view, it's not very realistic about what happens post-purchase if people aren't pleased with the product.

They started taking customer orders for the t:slim on June 11 while the ADA Scientific Sessions were still ongoing, and word is that shipments will begin in August.

I personally would like to try it out before going through the process of purchasing a t:slim, but if that's not an option than I guess I won't be a new Tandem customer at this point. No loss to me, as I'm happy with the pump I have anyhow.

For others who might be considering the t:slim, I'd say be sure you feel strongly about switching before moving forward, and buyers beware: make sure it's more than just an infatuation with the new Apple-like touchscreen before you commit.

UPDATE 1/1/13: Tandem has now changed their policy to offer a 30-day return policy. You can review the details on their website here.

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

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