{"id":3019,"date":"2009-11-29T13:29:21","date_gmt":"2009-11-29T18:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019"},"modified":"2015-12-30T06:33:00","modified_gmt":"2015-12-30T11:33:00","slug":"amy-tenderich-a-champion-of-diabetes-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019","title":{"rendered":"Amy Tenderich, A Champion of Diabetes Awareness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DiabetesMine\"<\/a> Amy Tenderich\u2019s blog, DiabetesMine\u2122<\/a>, is one of the most comprehensive online diabetes resources.\u00a0 In Diabetes Mine you\u2019ll find information \u201con every imaginable aspect of living with diabetes \u2014 from food scales to pharma news and book reviews, to the exasperating things other people say.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Amy is a journalist, book author and Health 2.0 expert based in San Francisco, CA.\u00a0 DiabetesMine.com is considered the best-read diabetes blog in the country,\u00a0 and DiabetesMine\u2122 ranks in the World\u2019s Top Blogs on Health and Medicine at Healthcare100.com<\/a> and at Wikio Health.\u00a0 Amy is also Community Manager of a new social networking site for diabetics called DiabeticConnect.com. She recently collaborated with Dr. Richard Jackson, a leading physician from Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, to co-author the book, Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes<\/a>.\u00a0 Thanks so much for talking to A Sweet Life, Amy!<\/p>\n

When were you diagnosed with diabetes? <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

May 21, 2003. My third baby had just turned five months old, and there I was looking and feeling like a skinny scarecrow.\u00a0 I landed in the hospital for a week, with my sugars fluctuating violently. But I was bucking to get home in time for my oldest child\u2019s birthday on May 26. \u00a0As soon as we drove home and I got out of the car, however, I realized\u00a0 I was physically weak, and emotionally a mess. It was pretty brutal for the whole first year, especially with three kids under the age of 5.<\/p>\n

Diabetes Mine is one of the most important and comprehensive diabetes blogs. \u00a0Please tell us how you got started as a blogger. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a funny story, actually. \u00a0In 2004, a little less than a year after my diagnosis, my husband went to a conference on New Media. He sent me an email from there saying: \u201cYou\u2019re going to be a blogger; it\u2019s your calling.\u201d\u00a0 My reaction was: \u201cI\u2019m going to be a what<\/em>?!\u201d<\/p>\n

I soon realized that blogging would allow me to connect with others living with diabetes, which I\u2019d been desperate to do.\u00a0 Remember, there were no social networks back then. Still, in the beginning I wasn\u2019t sure who would find or follow a blog about diabetes. I\u2019ve been completely blown away by the growth of the diabetes online community!<\/p>\n

For my part, my background as a journalist has really helped me build out DiabetesMine into an information resource \u2013 as well as a networking place \u2013 for people affected by diabetes.\u00a0 So in that sense I\u2019ve been blessed.<\/p>\n

How do manage to take care of your family, your diabetes, and stay on top of DiabetesMine? <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Amy<\/a>I have no idea! Life is pretty hectic around our place most of the time. It\u2019s a good thing that I enjoy being organized: keeping lists, and entering dozens of activities into Google Calendar. Seriously, this is how my husband and I make dates.<\/p>\n

Jessica, wasn\u2019t it you who said that managing diabetes + family + work is pretty much like having three full-time jobs? \u00a0My reply was: \u00a0Four, actually, if you count the laundry. I kid you not!<\/p>\n

The biggest challenge, though, is always struggling to feel like you\u2019re doing enough in any one area. When it comes to managing diabetes and raising children, there is no such thing as \u201cjust enough.\u201d\u00a0 You have to give it your all.<\/p>\n

And my problem is, I want to do everything 120%. As long as I feel healthy and have the necessary energy, I guess I\u2019ll just keep trying.<\/p>\n

I think all diabetics would like a vacation from diabetes, but since you write about it too, do you ever feel like it\u2019s taking over everything in your life? \u00a0Do you have an escape from diabetes?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, I do feel that way sometimes. My doctor even worries about that (which is part of why I love her).\u00a0 But my escape from diabetes is my offline life: a wonderful partner whom I adore, three spirited little girls with extremely busy activity schedules, and good friends who enjoy things like Sunday barbecues and weekends on the coast with us.<\/p>\n

No one in this offline life has diabetes, so we don\u2019t talk about it very much. Which is probably a very good thing for me.<\/p>\n

You also suffer from celiac disease. \u00a0How does that affect your diet and diabetes care? <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Officially, I am allergic to wheat, which means I\u2019m not as ultra-sensitive as your average celiac. But the diet limitations are basically the same. It\u2019s so hard to avoid wheat in this American life that it sometimes feels like a biblical curse!<\/p>\n

At home, it\u2019s pretty manageable because we prepare everything fresh with ingredients that we\u2019ve selected. But when you go out in the world, there\u2019s almost nothing you can order at a caf\u00e9 or restaurant that\u2019s allergy-safe. I absolutely hate it.<\/p>\n

That being said, it certainly helps me keep my carbohydrate intake down. I barely eat any bread products at all.\u00a0 (Chips are my weakness \u2013 made of corn and potato)<\/p>\n

We\u2019re very excited about the Keas Diabetes Mine Health Account Plan. \u00a0Please tell our readers what it is, and a little bit about the process behind it.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Keas.com is a new site created by Adam Bosworth, the former head of Google Health.\u00a0Using a model like the iPhone store, they\u2019ve basically created a platform on which a variety of health experts (\u2018content providers\u2019) can build \u201capps\u201d called Care Plans.\u00a0 People can choose from a variety of different plans to help them with anything from asthma to\u00a0pediatric ear infections.<\/p>\n

My co-author Dr. Richard Jackson and I were lucky to be selected as the first partners to author Care Plans for diabetes.\u00a0 Based on our book, Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes<\/a>, our main plan is an easy-to-use guide to the 5 crucial tests everyone with diabetes needs to monitor on a regular basis: hemoglobin A1C, blood pressure, lipid profile, microalbumin, and annual eye exam. It actually walks you through tactics for improving your test results, and your overall health. There\u2019s a lot of great information in the plan, so we really hope people will give it a try.<\/p>\n

You created the Diabetes Mine Design Challenge. \u00a0Do you have any special favorite innovations that have come your way? \u00a0Is there anything you dream of, or wish someone would invent?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

We received over 150 fantastic ideas this year, so it\u2019s hard to pick just a few.\u00a0 As you know, our Grand Prize winner<\/a> was a very clever system for turning your iPhone or any smart mobile phone into the controller for a combined glucose meter\/tubeless insulin pump. I can\u2019t wait to see that one realized!<\/p>\n

A few other submissions that were really dreamy were: a color-changing pacifier that could read a baby\u2019s blood sugar levels, earrings<\/a> called \u201cGlucoluxe\u201d that continuously monitor blood sugar, and a \u201cSuperGlucometer<\/a>\u201d that would make setting precise insulin doses ultra-easy. Another dream that I would really like to see come true is the \u201cmagic box\u201d that automatically counts carbs<\/a> for any food you wish to eat.<\/p>\n

Also check out the \u201cPenguin Topper\u201d and a few other fun and practical innovations here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How about some Amy Tenderich\u00a0fun facts, things about you that don\u2019t have to do with diabetes\u2026 Hobbies?\u00a0 Favorite books?\u00a0 Movies?<\/em>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love a good loud aerobics class, a bike ride in the sunshine, freshly prepared seafood, California wine, and hiking on the pacific coast. I\u2019m in good shape, but kind of uncoordinated, so I was never a good skier, for example. I like to dance, but mostly in my living room with my kids.<\/p>\n

My husband and I are obsessive planners. That actually helps impart some method to our daily madness.<\/p>\n

I love to read, and I\u2019m in a book club that meets once a month for dinner and wine (pre-Oprah, btw). And did I mention wine?<\/p>\n

Favorite books include: The Poisonwood Bible, Cold Mountain, I Capture the Castle, In the Beauty of the Lilies (Updike), The Power of One, and the Tales of the City series.<\/em><\/p>\n

Favorite movies include: Big, Blade Runner, Boys Don\u2019t Cry, Delicatessen, Dr. Zhivago, Little Big Man, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Tootsie, and Wings of Desire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My background as a journalist has really helped me build out DiabetesMine into an information resource \u2013 as well as a networking place \u2013 for people affected by diabetes…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3023,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1429],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nAmy Tenderich, A Champion of Diabetes Awareness<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Amy Tenderich\u2019s blog, DiabetesMine\u2122, is one of the most comprehensive online diabetes resources. In Diabetes Mine you\u2019ll find information\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jessica Apple\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019\",\"name\":\"Amy Tenderich, A Champion of Diabetes Awareness\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/DiabetesMine1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2009-11-29T18:29:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-12-30T11:33:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1f33fe649de04a31a493d746b6e72607\"},\"description\":\"Amy Tenderich\u2019s blog, DiabetesMine\u2122, is one of the most comprehensive online diabetes resources. In Diabetes Mine you\u2019ll find information\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/DiabetesMine1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/DiabetesMine1.jpg\",\"width\":684,\"height\":537},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Amy Tenderich, A Champion of Diabetes Awareness\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\",\"name\":\"ASweetLife\",\"description\":\"The Diabetes Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1f33fe649de04a31a493d746b6e72607\",\"name\":\"Jessica Apple\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c10409e04c60ee9e1a01fbe9c4a704b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c10409e04c60ee9e1a01fbe9c4a704b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jessica Apple\"},\"description\":\"Jessica Apple grew up in Houston. She studied Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan, and completed an MA in the same field at the Hebrew University. She began to write and publish short stories while a student, and continues to write essays and fiction while raising her three sons (and many pets). Jessica\u2019s work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Financial Times Magazine, The Southern Review, The Bellevue Literary Review, Tablet Magazine, and elsewhere. She is the diabetes correspondent for The Faster Times. In 2009 she and her husband, both type 1 diabetics, founded A Sweet Life, where she serves as editor-in-chief. Jessica loves spending time with her sons, cooking with her husband, playing with her cats, reading, biking, drinking coffee, and whenever possible, taking a nap. Follow Jessica on Twitter (@jessapple)\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?author=8\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Amy Tenderich, A Champion of Diabetes Awareness","description":"Amy Tenderich\u2019s blog, DiabetesMine\u2122, is one of the most comprehensive online diabetes resources. In Diabetes Mine you\u2019ll find information","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jessica Apple","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019","name":"Amy Tenderich, A Champion of Diabetes Awareness","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/DiabetesMine1.jpg","datePublished":"2009-11-29T18:29:21+00:00","dateModified":"2015-12-30T11:33:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1f33fe649de04a31a493d746b6e72607"},"description":"Amy Tenderich\u2019s blog, DiabetesMine\u2122, is one of the most comprehensive online diabetes resources. In Diabetes Mine you\u2019ll find information","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/DiabetesMine1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/DiabetesMine1.jpg","width":684,"height":537},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=3019#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Amy Tenderich, A Champion of Diabetes Awareness"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/","name":"ASweetLife","description":"The Diabetes Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/1f33fe649de04a31a493d746b6e72607","name":"Jessica Apple","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c10409e04c60ee9e1a01fbe9c4a704b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c10409e04c60ee9e1a01fbe9c4a704b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jessica Apple"},"description":"Jessica Apple grew up in Houston. She studied Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan, and completed an MA in the same field at the Hebrew University. She began to write and publish short stories while a student, and continues to write essays and fiction while raising her three sons (and many pets). Jessica\u2019s work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Financial Times Magazine, The Southern Review, The Bellevue Literary Review, Tablet Magazine, and elsewhere. She is the diabetes correspondent for The Faster Times. In 2009 she and her husband, both type 1 diabetics, founded A Sweet Life, where she serves as editor-in-chief. Jessica loves spending time with her sons, cooking with her husband, playing with her cats, reading, biking, drinking coffee, and whenever possible, taking a nap. Follow Jessica on Twitter (@jessapple)","sameAs":["https:\/\/asweetlife.org"],"url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?author=8"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3019"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3019\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}